Bad Born Blood

Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: Greedy
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< Chapter 13 >

The name Luka was common in the Empire. Even at the orphanage where I stayed, there were two Lukas.

When I was young, they called me “Little Luka.” Only after I came of age did they start calling me Luka. Around that time, another kid named Luka arrived. They called him “Little Luka,” just like they once did with me.

Old memories came back. Throughout my cadet life, I kept the memories of the orphanage locked away. It was a place I would never return to.

‘I never once ate until I was full.’

Once or twice a month, an imperial official visited the orphanage. The vehicle would be loaded with supplies, but half of them would disappear the next day. Those diverted supplies ended up scattered across the lower districts.

Even when I was starving, I didn’t neglect my training. I read whatever dusty books were lying around, untouched, and built my strength by lifting rusty hunks of metal.

‘Are you an idiot? Don’t waste your energy. You’ll just get hungrier.’

At first, there were many kids who laughed at me.

I smashed my fists into their faces and took their meals. If I wanted to get stronger, I had to eat more than the others. It was better for it to become my flesh and blood than to rot in the stomachs of losers.

‘You think doing this will make you anything? You’re just another two-digit like the rest of us. If you were really special, you would’ve been sent to a single-digit orphanage by now!’

With a bloody nose, the kid cursed me to the end, sniveling.

In the end, I proved them wrong. When I was twelve, I went through the second selection exam. My name made it onto the candidate list for the Imperial Guard, and at fifteen, I officially became a cadet.

‘I am not a loser, and I never will be.’

Muttering to myself, I opened my eyes. Reality came into view.

‘The colosseum of the black market, my opponent is Gabriel of the Steel Fist. My current prosthetic limbs are low energy output, non-combat models.’

Conditions couldn’t have been worse if I tried.

“……Seems like Aleph overdid it with the drugs today. To be matched with a brat like this—whatever, as long as I get paid.”

Gabriel was saying this as he strode toward me. I watched him in silence.

‘An asymmetrical, unbalanced modified body. He probably can’t even sleep at night without painkillers.’

Gabriel’s prosthetic limbs were all from different manufacturers. It seemed like he’d somehow managed to get them to work together, but it was a temporary solution at best. The oversized arm and fist especially pulled his shoulder forward, making him hunch. His spine was probably just as twisted.

The exterior wasn’t any better than the interior. His weight distribution was off, causing him to lean as he walked. His skin, stretched to the limit to bear the excessive weight, was torn in places, and where flesh met machine, he suffered from chronic inflammation.

‘But he’s strong.’

He was a man who’d torn his body apart solely to become stronger. Maybe I could have ended up like him.

“Hah, can’t even open your mouth, huh? Are you scared? You’ve got a pretty face—why not just serve me at night?”

Gabriel stood before me, waving to the cheering crowd. He scanned my body, then smirked. He’d figured out my limbs weren’t combat-grade.

“You’re going to need some help, all right. Today, you’ll be crippled. Better hope you’ve got some money saved up.”

I glanced up at the stands as I spoke. Through the glass-fronted VIP box, I could see Aleph and Kinuan together.

Gabriel only raised an eyebrow at my provocation. To him, this was no more than a greeting. Nothing to get upset over.

“Hah, I’ll stomp you down nice and slow until you’re begging to serve me.”

Gabriel stepped back, and I noticed angel wing tattoos on his back. With that hideous look, angel wings were just laughable.

I shrugged, taking five steps back myself.

Bzzzzt!

On the display wall surrounding the colosseum, the betting odds flashed. Just as I expected, my odds of winning were set at around fifty to one. The betting pool was barely balanced.

-Ladies and gentlemen, here begins the brutal and ruthless world we live in, in miniature! Will you be trampled underfoot, or will you rise and trample others?!

Aleph grabbed the mic and shouted, while Kinuan watched the colosseum with his arms crossed.

Beep!

A worn-out buzzer marked the start of the fight.

“Hoo.”

I steadied my breathing and took a stance, spreading my limbs slightly and facing Gabriel.

‘If I block, I die.’

The power difference was overwhelming. If his fist hit me, I’d be dead. Gabriel wasn’t slow just because of his size, either.

Thud!

A sound like thunder erupted as he leapt and brought his fist crashing down from above, aiming to flatten me.

‘That’s not a trained fighting or combat method. His moves are broad and full of openings.’

If I had my original prosthetics, Gabriel would be dead in a second. A slight dodge to the side and a quick jab would’ve made his head burst like a soft fruit.

‘Adapt to what’s given.’

I recalled Kinuan’s instructions. Wishing for what isn’t there won’t solve anything. No matter how desperately I wish, a gun won’t just fall from the sky.

I had to face Gabriel with only the strength I currently possessed, no matter how lacking it was.

I stepped back. The colosseum was too narrow to simply retreat; I had to circle around him as well.

Crack!

The spot where I had just been was smashed in. The sheer destructive force was impressive. Mass and speed don’t lie.

‘I trained under Kinuan for a month.’

At that time, I hadn’t managed to lay a hand on him. He deflected every one of my attacks. Now, I had to recreate that here.

Whoosh!

Gabriel’s fist whistled past me, grazing just in front of my face. The air pressure alone was enough to make me waver.

“What the hell are you doing? Playing tag? Are you kidding me?”

“If this is it, give us a refund! You think we came here to watch this?”

The crowd’s boos echoed all around. They’d come for violence and bloodshed.

I didn’t take my eyes off Gabriel. I wasn’t here to play circus clown. Whatever those people wanted to see was none of my concern.

And I’d just finished my assessment.

‘…Seems Kinuan didn’t bring me here to get killed after all.’

This was the first time I’d fully analyzed someone during a fight.

Now, I could see Gabriel’s movements ahead of time. He moved exactly as I expected. Focused solely on output, ignoring balance, Gabriel couldn’t execute complex maneuvers.

Looking past his bulk and raw power with a cool head, Gabriel was just a slow-moving cannonball.

“This is it.”

With confidence settling in, I allowed myself a smirk. It seemed to rile Gabriel up even more. His swings became wild.

An odd exchange ensued. When Gabriel’s shoulder twitched, I moved in sync with him. To anyone watching, it would look as if Gabriel had simply missed me, not that I had dodged his blows.

“What ‘Iron Fist’ are you talking about? Looks like even your brain’s rusted through!”

“Just die already, you idiot!”

“Go get your eyes checked if you can’t see, moron! What are you doing?”

The crowd’s jeers were now directed at Gabriel.

I was able to dodge even before Gabriel threw a punch. In a way, it was only natural. When I pushed my senses to their limit, I could even predict trajectories.

A subtle twitch of the shoulder was the trigger, his line of sight was the barrel. Arm length was the effective range. Compared to a gun, his movements had ridiculously long preparation times, limited range, and a blatantly obvious trajectory.

Tak!

I pushed Gabriel’s arm aside, deflecting it. It was exactly what Kinuan had done to me countless times during our training.

If you read and understand the direction of force perfectly, even a small force can deflect a greater one.

Stumble!

Gabriel’s fist, driven by his own momentum, struck the ground, causing him to lurch as if he might topple over. The precarious balance and symmetry of his form were shattered.

I could clearly see where to strike to make Gabriel fall. There was no need for overwhelming force.

‘So this is how Kinuan always saw me.’

Damn it, no wonder my attacks never reached him!

Thud!

I kicked Gabriel’s knee with the ball of my foot. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t have worked. My meager strength couldn’t bring down Gabriel’s solid legs.

But with his balance broken, it worked.

Crash!

Gabriel staggered and dropped to one knee. Confusion flashed across his face as he tried to rise and brace himself. But my follow-up strike came first.

Crunch!

I struck out again, slamming my knee into Gabriel’s face. His right eye shattered. He still had one eye left, but his depth perception would be thrown off.

My body flowed around Gabriel like water. He was the one moving and acting, but I was the one in control.

‘In the colosseum, everything is under my prediction.’

The space between Gabriel and me was entirely mine. Thanks to the controlled environment of the colosseum, there were no outside variables or interference.

If this were a real battlefield, I wouldn’t be able to maintain this level of focus. On a real battlefield, countless variables and interferences exist. But here, in this controlled environment, I could maintain an almost prophetic level of concentration.

I couldn’t deny it. Kinuan was an excellent teacher.

‘This should be about enough.’

I shifted my gaze and backed up against the wall. Gabriel charged at me, thinking he had his chance.

“Uaaaahhh-!!”

With a roar, Gabriel swung his fist wildly. Propulsion units activated at his elbow, venting gas as he did. It was probably his best move.

Whoosh!

I dodged it by a hair on purpose, giving him the chance to go all out to the very end.

Screech!

A metallic tearing noise sounded as Gabriel’s fist sank deep into the iron wall behind me.

‘This part was especially rusted and warped.’

Taking a few steps back, I watched as Gabriel’s arm lodged itself in the metal wall, which clung tightly around his fist, trapping it.

“You… you rat bastard-!!”

Gabriel tried to pull his arm free. His strength was so great that the metal wall creaked, and the connected screws began to shake.

“I told you, you’d better have a lot of money saved up.”

I slipped behind Gabriel as I spoke.

“You damn….”

Gabriel couldn’t finish his sentence. I leapt up, wrapped my legs around his head, and twisted. It was a twisting motion that used the rotation of my entire body.

Crack-crack-crack-!!

One by one, his neck bones misaligned with a satisfying sound. I was probably smiling right now. After all, I was a human modified to enjoy combat.

“Good boy! Good boy!”

The crowd’s cheers filled the colosseum as if they’d tear the place apart. They praised the victor and hurled curses and insults at the defeated.

As the tension released, a wave of fatigue swept over me. My mind felt thick and stiff, as if I hadn’t slept for days.

I waited for the door to the waiting room to open.

As soon as the door opened, the medical staff came rushing in. Smiles were plastered across their faces. They were likely planning to squeeze every penny out of Gabriel, whose neck was broken.

“Well done, Good boy. Congratulations on your initiation into Arkies Victima.”

Kinuan, who had come down to the waiting room at some point, looked at me as he spoke. I frowned at the phrase “Good boy,” then let out a sigh.

“…It seems that adapting doesn’t necessarily mean losing.”

“And take this to cover Gabriel’s medical costs. I won some money betting on you.”

Kinuan handed me a credit chip. When I saw the amount displayed on the chip, my eyes widened.

“Even so, Gabriel’s probably going to hate me.”

“You’ll have to meet him and see for yourself. If there’s an opportunity to win someone over, it’s best not to create unnecessary enemies. Show just enough kindness not to be underestimated.”

“I want to become a warrior and a soldier, not a saint.”

Kinuan placed his hand on my head and whispered.

“You’re still young when it comes to relationships, Luka. The kindness I’m talking about isn’t goodwill—it’s an investment. Little by little, you build it up so you can draw on it when you need it. Today, I simply collected my investment in Torah.”

Kinuan’s smile was chilling. I realized I’d been seriously mistaken about something.

I’d subconsciously thought Kinuan valued my talent and taught me because of that. We shared the same background, which gave me a sense of kinship. What an arrogant thought.

One day, my time would come, too. Kinuan would collect his investment in me. And probably in a way that I couldn’t refuse.