Bad Born Blood Chapter 20

Translator: FenrirTL

Editor: Greedy

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< Chapter 20 >

I wore a helt tangled with disorienting wires. The extended wires were connected to the supervisor’s computer.

On the helt’s projected display, taphysical images and words flashed by quickly. Occasionally, questions alternated in a male and female voice.

High-frequency sounds intermittently ca from the helt, which scanned the brain’s reactions.

No matter how many tis I took a psychological test, I never got used to it. It always left an unpleasant aftertaste when it ended. My head throbbed. My breathing was rapid, and my chest churned as if I had just woken from a nightmare.

-It’s finished, Luka-nim. You’ve worked hard.

The android said as it tilted my helt up. I nodded slightly and stepped out of the dical chair.

My gaze stopped beyond the semi-transparent glass. Beyond it, other dical staff and the supervisor were likely discussing the results of my psychological test.

‘There won’t be anything unusual.’

I was confident in this psychological test. Especially since the Imperial Guard Commander’s subtle hint of a reward had deeply stirred .

The Commander’s protégé, a mber of the Kusthoria Family.

It was more than enough to fuel my desire for achievent. Determination to accomplish this mission surged naturally within . That intense drive was enough to consu all stray thoughts.

‘I monitor Kinuan while mastering Arkies Combat thod.’

I left the examination room. The dical staff and the supervisor did not imdiately show the test results. However, with my confidence in achieving a high score, I felt no anxiety.

Taking a mont to breathe, I took out my terminal.

Beep.

A few ssages had accumulated on the terminal. Among them was a ssage from Kinuan.

‘Rest for a while. Rest is also part of training.’

The ssage was brief. Interpreted differently, it ant not to co by until further notice.

Beep.

I checked the next ssage.

‘Luka, co by if you have ti.’

It was a ssage from Ilay. Ilay had also helped with this psychological test. If it hadn’t been for him, I might not have been bold enough to push forward.

I recalled my past self and readjusted my psychological state. I could cut away the hazy, weak parts.

‘I should keep my ntal state like this as much as possible.’

This was a favorable ti for . I wouldn’t go to the lower district for a while, nor would I contact Kinuan. I might as well take this opportunity to shed any lingering sympathy toward the weak.

Ideally, I would also reduce my interactions with Ilay. He also had a bad influence on . Until my mind was firmly set and my form fully solidified, I had no desire to see Ilay.

However, Ilay’s ssage this ti felt strangely urgent. I could sense his anxiety and agitation in the short ssage.

Step, step.

Today, my motor nervous system felt stable; my steps were light and steady. I felt like I could run several kiloters without losing my breath.

After walking a bit, the lingering headache from the psychological test quickly disappeared.

My mind and body were at their peak. I felt like I could do anything. If I trained my motor nervous system extension right now, I might break my limits. This wasn’t just a feeling; it was almost a certainty.

...Everything was going smoothly.

* * *

Bang—!

As soon as I entered the training room Ilay had reserved, booming noises erupted one after another.

Ilay was punching the sides of a punching bag in alternating strikes. Each ti his fists hit the bag, it echoed with a loud, resonant sound.

Thud!

The punching bag, weighing over a ton, shot up to nearly touch the ceiling with each strike.

Without speaking to Ilay, I leaned against the wall and waited. He was unleashing his emotions through relentless, intense strikes.

Whir, whir.

Under the artificial skin of his arms and legs, overheated circuits erged like tattoos, and rough steam seeped out from his sweat glands.

Ilay was pushing the energy output of his prosthetics to their limit. At the junctions where machines t flesh, his skin couldn’t withstand the impact, pressing down and tearing to the point where blood flowed freely. The backlash from his strikes was so forceful that the shock absorbers in his joints couldn’t hold up.

Clang!

Finally, the punching bag hit the ceiling. Ilay, his eyes wide open, watched the bag as it descended.

Whiiirr!

The motor in Ilay’s leg spun rapidly. He spun around and kicked the falling punching bag.

I briefly covered my ears. His foot struck the bag, and the air shook slightly, almost as if sothing had exploded.

Crack!

The ceiling tiles connected to the punching bag shattered. The bag flew across the room and embedded itself in the wall.

“Hah... hah...”

Ilay, who had just sent the bag flying, panted heavily. He bent over, gripping his knees. His right leg, which had just executed the kick, emitted a creaking sound as a gap ford.

With his damp hair hanging down, Ilay stared at the floor. I stayed silent, waiting for him to look up.

After all, he was the one who called . If he had sothing to say, he’d bring it up first.

Drip, drip.

Ilay’s blood and sweat were dripping together. I’d never seen him, usually so composed, this intensely agitated.

Ssshhh!

Ilay injected his limbs with a syringe filled with coolant. Steam, laced with the heat of vaporization, poured out from his arms and legs.

“Hoo.”

Only then did Ilay tilt his head back and exhale in his usual manner. He brushed his damp bangs back and looked at .

“Did you pass the psychological test?”

“Thanks to you.”

I answered briefly, lifting myself off the wall. Having cooled his limbs, Ilay applied ointnt to the skin at the joint areas.

Ilay was far from the type to engage in self-destructive behavior. For him to push his body to this extent ant he was dealing with a significant amount of ntal distress.

I wondered what could be the source of Ilay’s suffering. The first thing that ca to mind was the death of his family.

“Ilay, if there’s anything I can help with, just let know.”

I said it casually. But Ilay looked at intently, as if he really had sothing to ask.

“I can’t say it just yet. But....”

“But?”

I narrowed my eyes.

“Soon, just once... grant one favor.”

I couldn’t respond imdiately. For Ilay to speak this seriously, it wasn’t so trivial matter. It might even require to risk my life and career.

My greatest worry... was that it was likely to go against the Empire.

It was rare for Ilay to make such an earnest request of . I resisted the urge to nod. If I hadn’t fortified my mind from the psychological test, I might have said I’d help.

Ilay probably knew my ntal state right now too. At this mont, I was a soldier more rational and unwavering than ever.

‘Which is why Ilay is asking now.’

Ilay hadn’t tried to exploit any wavering or weakness in my heart. He’d made this request at the peak of my resilience. Truly honorable of you, Ilay Carthica.

“I’ll do my best, but I can’t give you a definite answer.”

My response was diplomatic. Ilay might think I was being cowardly.

“Thank you for saying that, Luka.”

Ilay gave a bitter smile. I felt a heaviness settle in one corner of my chest.

“Ilay, if you’re in danger on the battlefield, even if the odds are slim, I’ll save you. Even if it costs my life.”

“I know. I don’t think you’re being cowardly. In the first place, it’s shaless of to ask without even telling you what it’s about.”

Before being Ilay’s friend, I was a soldier of the Empire. Let’s make that clear and move on. I closed my eyes and opened them again. My gaze would be as dry as any lifeless object.

“Is that all you needed?”

“Yeah, but you’ll eventually find out what I’m asking for. I’d rather it be nothing more than my own needless worry....”

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t curious about what Ilay’s request could be.

However, I made no effort to satisfy that curiosity. Do not seek out unnecessary knowledge. That’s a virtue of an Imperial Guard.

* * *

For the next ten days, I didn’t see Ilay. He seed to be busy preparing sothing in his own way.

I was spending each day diligently without Ilay or Kinuan. I’d even succeeded in expanding my motor nervous system, allowing to use a higher energy output prosthetic.

There was little progress in Arkies Combat thod. Arkies Combat must be learned in actual battle. Self-study and training alone had their limits.

‘Gilda, Gabriel.’

It had been a long ti since I’d last seen either of them. But I felt like I could go my entire life without seeing them again.

My heart was hardening. I buried my confused emotions in the ground like trash, pressing the earth down so tightly that not even a whiff would seep out.

Luka of the Kusthoria Family.

The sound of those words wasn’t so bad. Right now, it was my imdiate goal.

Another fifteen days passed. I could feel myself turning to steel.

Yes, this is my true self. I had regained my real self—the self who had walked out of the orphanage and stood before the Imperial Guard training center.

It was a month later when I finally saw Ilay again.

The Imperial Guard Commander had summoned all cadets of my cohort.

“Everything I’m about to say is classified. Once understood, cut off all external communications.”

The Imperial Guard Commander spoke from the podium. He scanned the cadets, letting his gaze rest on briefly.

I t the Commander’s gaze, then looked around. Ilay was also standing stiffly, waiting for the Commander’s words.

“As of this mont, we are entering a special military operation....”

The Commander’s explanation was lengthy. In short, it boiled down to this:

First, a rebellion had broken out.

Second, the cadets of the Imperial Guard would enter combat as platoon leaders.

Third, one of the families involved with the rebels was the Ramoness family.

The Ramoness Family—the family of Lilian, the woman who I had rejected. It was also the family of Claude, whom I’d had to kill. That family is now a house of traitors. A target for purging.

How do I feel about this?

Absolutely shitty.