Bad Born Blood - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

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

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

High-frequency sounds intermittently came from the helmet, which scanned the brain’s reactions.

No matter how many times 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 helmet up. I nodded slightly and stepped out of the medical chair.

My gaze stopped beyond the semi-transparent glass. Beyond it, other medical 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 Captain’s subtle hint of a reward had deeply stirred me.

The Captain’s protégé, a member of the Custoria Family.

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

‘I monitor Kinuan while mastering Akies combat techniques.’

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

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

Beep.

A few messages had accumulated on the terminal. Among them was a message from Kinuan.

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

The message was brief. Interpreted differently, it meant not to come by until further notice.

Beep.

I checked the next message.

‘Luka, come by if you have time.’

It was a message from Ilray. Ilray had also helped me 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 mental state like this as much as possible.’

This was a favorable time for me. 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 Ilray. He also had a bad influence on me. Until my mind was firmly set and my form fully solidified, I had no desire to see Ilray.

However, Ilray’s message this time felt strangely urgent. I could sense his anxiety and agitation in the short message.

Step, step.

Today, my motor nervous system felt stable; my steps were light and steady. I felt like I could run several kilometers 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 Ilray had reserved, booming noises erupted one after another.

Ilray was punching the sides of a punching bag in alternating strikes. Each time 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 Ilray, I leaned against the wall and waited. He was unleashing his emotions through relentless, intense strikes.

Whir, whir.

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

Ilray was pushing the output of his prosthetics to their limit. At the junctions where machine met 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. Ilray, his eyes wide open, watched the bag as it descended.

Whiiirr!

The motor in Ilray’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 something 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…”

Ilray, 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 formed.

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

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

Drip, drip.

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

Ssshhh!

Ilray 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 Ilray tilt his head back and exhale in his usual manner. He brushed his damp bangs back and looked at me.

“Did you pass the psychological test?”

“Thanks to you.”

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

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

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

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

I said it casually. But Ilray looked at me intently, as if he really had something to ask.

“I can’t say it just yet. But….”

“But?”

I narrowed my eyes.

“Soon, just once… grant me one favor.”

I couldn’t respond immediately. For Ilray to speak this seriously, it wasn’t some trivial matter. It might even require me to risk my life and career.

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

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

Ilray probably knew my mental state right now too. At this moment, I was a soldier more rational and unwavering than ever.

‘Which is why Ilray is asking me now.’

Ilray 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, Ilray Kartika.

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

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

“Thank you for saying that, Luka.”

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

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

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

Before being Ilray’s friend, I am 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 Ilray’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 soldier.

* * *

For the next ten days, I didn’t see Ilray. He seemed to be busy preparing something in his own way.

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

There was little progress in Akies combat techniques. Akies combat must be learned in actual battle. Self-study and training alone had their limits.

‘Gilda, Gabriel.’

It had been a long time 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 Custoria Family.

The sound of those words wasn’t so bad. Right now, it was my immediate 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 Ilray again.

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

I met the Captain’s gaze, then looked around. Ilray was also standing stiffly, waiting for the Captain’s words.

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

The Captain’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 Lamones family.

The Lamones 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.