Bad Born Blood - Chapter 14



Only Noblemtl

014

Gabriel’s condition was miserable. Lying on the bed, he was selecting artificial spine products from the catalog, pressing the display with his tongue. If he didn’t receive proper treatment, he would be disabled for the rest of his life.

A doctor was standing next to the bed.

“Oh, this has a narrow signal bandwidth, so it won’t be compatible with the cybernetic body you’re using. The one you’re using now has such high output. Even if you force a connection, the output won’t be the same as before. Occasionally, malfunctions or paralysis may occur. Hmm, I recommend Zeonic’s Hyper Lindel 9 product.”

The doctor manipulated the catalog fluently. It was hard to tell whether he was a doctor or a salesman. Well, that’s the way it is in this business.

“Choi, it’s the latest model! How can I afford this? Are you trying to trick me? You son of a bitch! Other guys are just getting by with the cheap stuff.”

Gabriel screamed in protest, but the doctor didn’t even blink.

“Well, they didn’t modify it as much as you did. If the manufacturer of the arms and legs were the same or compatible, the signal bandwidth would have been consistent, so there would have been no problem with older products.”

“Back then, I didn’t have any money. I just attached whatever I could get.”

“Then I will buy the limb now and attach another limb for that amount. Then, you will be able to move without any problems even with the old spine.”

“At least for combat… … .”

Gabriel, who had been so violent, was in a state of panic. It was only natural. His fate was in the hands of that doctor.

“What are you talking about? Even for everyday use, let alone combat use, you can only get used ones. The one you’re using now has been modified so much that even if you sell it used, no one can use it. You’ll only get the price for the parts.”

Greed flashed briefly in the doctor’s eyes. That was a lie.

“You, do you know how much this costs?”

“Well, we are an exclusive company for the arena, so we can do business transparently. If you go anywhere else, you’ll get ripped off to the bone.”

Even if the purpose was to take advantage of the situation, it was true in every way. It would be better to get ripped off by a conscientious swindler.

… … And then Gabriel finally found me. He was so angry that bloody tears flowed from his shattered eyeballs.

“You son of a bitch!”

Gabriel’s veins throbbed. It seemed as though he still had some energy left in him, even though he was paralyzed from the neck down.

“What are you going to do if you yell at someone who is already disabled?”

I walked up to Gabriel and patted his cheek.

Crunch!

Gabriel tried to chew on my finger. I quickly pulled my hand away, pondering.

‘Kinuan told me not to make enemies, but… … .’

It wasn’t easy to show favor to someone who was emitting hostility.

“I will kill you, I will kill you! I will definitely kill you!”

“Don’t just talk about it. Do it now.”

I said it and felt like I was going to cry. My habitual provocation came out of my mouth.

If I were to argue with Gabriel, all I would get would be verbal abuse. I ignored Gabriel and spoke to the doctor.

“How much is the Hyper Lindell No. 9 product you mentioned earlier?”

“yes?”

The doctor tilted his head. He was confused, not knowing what I meant. He would never have imagined that I would pay for Gabriel’s treatment. There is no way such a saint could exist in this low-class society.

I pushed past the doctor and snatched the catalog display away from him.

“This should be enough.”

After checking the price, I threw the credit chip at Gabriel’s chest.

Gabriel opened his eyes wide and looked back and forth between the credit chip and me several times.

“What, what does this mean? Are you kidding me?”

“Can’t you see? I’m paying for your medical expenses.”

“You… … why?”

Gabriel’s pupils shook. There was no sign of his fiery anger. Instead, he was trembling as if he was afraid that I would change my words.

“Remember your debt today, Gabriel. I’ll come collect it later.”

I don’t know if this action will help me in the future or not, but in Kinuan’s words, it is planting a seed.

“You, Jeong, are you really a good boy?”

“My name is Luca, you idiot. You’d better pay up quickly before I change my mind.”

I said irritably. Gabriel also hurriedly urged the doctor on, pressing the catalog with his tongue.

“Good, no, Luca… … .”

Gabriel looked at me after paying. His voice was calm and his eyes were gentle. He hesitated and then continued.

“… … I don’t know what the whim is that has you doing this, but if you ever need my help, just let me know. I’ll help you as much as I can.”

I stared at Gabriel and nodded.

I don’t feel so bad.

* * *

The experience in the arena shook the very foundation of my fighting skills. It felt like all the skills I had accumulated so far had been compressed into a single drop of essence.

OMG.

As I threw away the old limbs I had used in the arena, I heard a welcome sound. The limbs responded as I intended, increasing and decreasing their output.

However, there was no need to keep the output high all the time like before.

‘Even the enemy’s power and the surrounding environment can become my weapons.’

I made everything on the battlefield mine. As my field of vision expanded, I felt more relaxed. Even in the fierce battles, the flow of power seemed to be visible as trajectories and lines.

“Ilay, today might be a little different.”

I stood in front of Ilay, muttering. Ilay was a top student competing with me for first and second place. Even though I had the upper hand in martial arts, it wasn’t enough to overwhelm me.

Ilay kicked me in the head.

I pushed Ilay away from her kick. Ilay lost her balance as the direction of the force was distorted. Then I extended my foot and kicked Ilay’s shin outward.

The direction of the force that led Illei was mixed. His upper body was tilted to the left, and his lower body was tilted to the right. With the power to maintain balance disrupted, the boasted high-powered body performance became meaningless.

I was able to completely destroy Ilay with little effort.

“… …Luka, what did you just do?”

Ilay looked up at me from his prone position. He had an expression of disbelief. It was so absurd how easily he had fallen for my trick.

‘I never thought that just changing how you use your power would make such a difference.’

I stared at my palm, which held the power. My head felt clear, as if my vision had opened up. A pleasant chill ran down my spine.

‘I got the power without changing to a better body.’

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t intoxicated by my own power. This was the extent of the power I had gained from studying under Kinuan for just over a month.

‘My judgment was right.’

Again I proved myself, just like I did in the orphanage.

“I learned it from Instructor Kinuan.”

There was no reason to hide it. It wasn’t a big secret.

“Are you talking about the martial arts instructor? But this doesn’t seem to be the martial arts in the textbook… … .”

I could tell right away that Ileido was excellent. The Akieth fighting techniques were fundamentally different from the Empire’s textbooks.

The Empire’s combat doctrine was based on overwhelming power and speed. It assumed that I was stronger and faster than my opponent. So it was straightforward and efficient. To put it nicely, there was no need to show off tricks.

I mentioned the Archies fighting techniques to Ilay.

“Are you kidding, Akies?”

The natural reaction came from Illei’s mouth. The Archie fighting techniques we know are exclusive to the lower-level gangs.

“It’s true.”

“If it’s Akies… … it’s just the street fighting style of thugs. When you fall, you grab sand and scatter it, and you put a piece of glass between your fist and stab yourself.”

The commonly known fighting techniques of the Archies are superficial.

Use the surrounding environment and objects and respond flexibly to the enemy. In other words, it means, ‘Even if you are cowardly and lethal, just win first.’ That’s why gangsters can’t help but like it.

“I find it hard to believe, but I have to believe it since the person who taught me said it was the Archieus fighting technique.”

“Luka, come on, one more time.”

Ilay rarely showed his competitive spirit. He is not usually a very passionate trainee. He is a talented person who can reach the same level as me even if he does it moderately. In terms of talent, Ilay would be above me.

We crossed our paths again.

Kiiiiiing!

I instantly increased the output of my body to its maximum. Ilay was wary of my technique that would upset her balance.

But this time, it was a hard blow. My fist aimed for Ilay’s side. Ilay barely managed to lower his elbow to defend himself, and his body floated slightly into the air.

Ku- Woong!

The art of fighting in Aki’s is not always about using weak force to overcome strong force. It is just a means.

If you can use both strong and weak techniques, use them interchangeably. Even solid metals can split and split due to temperature differences. The two extreme methods effectively destroy the enemy.

“Hey, you… … .”

Illei’s embarrassment was evident.

I sensed the direction of his gaze and the preliminary movements of his combat reflexes. Just like when he fought Gabriel, I could see the guy’s next move.

‘It’s not expected since Ilay’s level is as low as Gabriel’s.’

I know Ilay’s habits and fighting style well, so I can easily predict her next move.

If it were a classic imperial battle strategy, I would strike first here and block Illei’s attack itself. If it were faster and stronger, I could subdue it without even giving it a chance to attack.

But I drew Ilay’s attack and countered the gap.

Whoosh!

As soon as Ilay regained his balance, he extended his right fist and counterattacked.

I dodged it and slammed Ilay’s elbow up from below. If I had read ahead, I could have targeted the weak point precisely.

Kwajik!

Ilay’s elbow joint is broken. It was broken so cleanly that it should be repairable by Android Maintenance alone.

“… … You’ve gotten stronger, Luca.”

Ilay said as he sat down, having fallen over. I reached out to support him. Ilay hesitated, unlike usual, and then grabbed my hand. His reaction was strangely cold.

‘I made a mistake.’

I looked at Ilay’s reaction and thought of all the kids who had been overtaken by me so far. Their pride had been crushed in front of me.

Up until now, Ilay and I have never had a one-sided gap, even if we have superiority in a certain field. Even if Ilay is the type that is indifferent to superiority in force, today, his pride must have been greatly hurt.

‘I was so excited. I acted like a brat.’

When you have power, you want to use it. In fact, this is the same for adults and children.

If I show any sign of apology here, it will only further trample on Ilay’s pride. And our relationship is not tied together by such crude pretense.

“… … Are you upset because you couldn’t even use your hands?”

I said, twisting one lip.

“Yeah. You’re screwed, kid.”

Ilay stood up and hit my chest with his elbow and laughed. I felt a bruise forming on my chest. Ugh, I think I’m really screwed.