Bad Born Blood-Chapter 188

Chapter 188

There are many intriguing strong individuals outside of Akbaran.

In the Accretia Empire, especially in Akbaran, most people enhance themselves with cybernetic prosthetics. To outsiders and other species, it might seem extreme.

However, beyond the Empire, prosthetics are merely one of many means of augmentation. Some fight using only advanced equipment, others enhance their flesh and blood through biotechnology, and a rare few wield supernatural abilities called Force.

Just as I have an enhanced nervous system and cybernetic implants, most powerful individuals elevate their abilities through at least two different methods.

Some might wonder—why don’t rulers and those in power enhance themselves? The answer is simple. Any kind of combat augmentation inevitably comes with risks and side effects.

Nervous system enhancements drastically increase the likelihood of various neuroses and mental illnesses. Regeneration or biological enhancements are akin to implanting a time bomb in the body, with unpredictable side effects that could manifest at any time.

The risks are borne by the lower ranks. Those in power—rulers and leaders—can move armies of enhanced soldiers like me with nothing more than a word or a gesture.

At our core, ’that guy’ and I are the same. Expendable tools that take on all the risks in place of those above us.

’That guy’ refers to the ’Menoan Guard Commander.’

Kiing, kiiing.

The Guard Commander’s body emitted a deafening mechanical whine. More precisely, the sound came from his enhanced exoskeletal combat suit.

’He’s covered himself head to toe in advanced gear.’

His helmet had six lenses—two positioned where his eyes should be, one on each side, and one each on the crown and the back of his head—allowing for 360-degree vision. The six lenses whirred as they constantly adjusted, gathering environmental data.

’He’s the leader of a well-trained unit. He won’t be an easy opponent.’

The Menoan Guard had willingly thrown themselves in harm’s way to protect their powerful commander amidst the explosions.

The unit moved like a single living organism, completely synchronized toward their objective. This was the mark of an elite military force.

Chiiiik, chik, chik.

Particles struck my Firelight Saber, sending off continuous sparks as its glow intensified.

The interior was still scorching hot from the explosion. The floor, now stripped down to bare metal, was hot enough to cook meat. My shoes’ soles had long since gone from sticky to outright melting.

The Firelight Saber was a blade made of ignium, a material with heat amplification properties. It reacted sensitively even to residual heat in the air, steadily increasing in temperature. Once it reached a certain threshold, a chemical reaction occurred between the ignium and the interwoven coolant steel, initiating heat dissipation.

The shimmering heat waves from the venting process were more pronounced than usual.

’A failed creation, but an artistic design nonetheless.’

The Firelight Saber was a weapon forged entirely from metal, with no electromagnetic components. It didn’t even require manual replacement or recharging of coolant cartridges. Like all weapons that needed heat management, it could have been designed with a mechanical system to automatically release coolant at certain temperatures for convenience.

’Yet, instead of opting for an easier method, they meticulously calculated the material properties to control the plasma phenomenon through a purely analog circulation system. Those master smiths were stubborn beyond belief.’

Though ultimately a failure, the Galactic Blacksmiths’ spirit of challenge was worthy of recognition.

"Firelight..."

The Guard Commander glanced at me and muttered. He was methodically arranging the bodies of his fallen subordinates who had died protecting him.

I was impatient, but I didn’t interrupt his moment of mourning.

In reality, the one truly pressed for time was the Guard Commander himself. His unit had been nearly wiped out, and soon, Jafa’s mercenaries would arrive. If he wanted to survive, he had no time to waste like this.

’He’s already accepted his death. His mission failed, and escaping here alive is impossible.’

After finishing his task, the Guard Commander slowly raised his head and locked eyes with me. The cold blue glow from his helmet’s lenses trailed like a lingering chill.

Clack.

He picked up a fallen subordinate’s rifle, now holding a gun in each hand.

"...Kerggetta."

He spoke in Tajirunese. I wasn’t sure of the exact meaning, but I could tell it signaled the beginning. At the same moment, he pulled the trigger.

Ki—ing!

I immediately dropped low and moved sideways.

He had two guns. One was aimed directly at me, while the other fired predictive shots, blocking my movement.

Whirr!

I flipped my grip on the Firelight Saber, grabbing a corpse by the nape and dragging it toward me. The heat from my blade scorched my coat with a sizzling sound.

Lifting the body, I used it as an effortless shield against the incoming bullets. The reinforced combat suit, combined with the flesh beneath, made for an excellent barrier.

’He doesn’t seem fazed, even when I use his subordinate’s corpse as a shield. Well, if he were the type to lose his cool over something like this, he’d have already been screaming and panicking.’

Through the gap under the corpse’s raised arm, I slid the muzzle of my auto-tracking pistol forward.

Srrk.

As I pulled the trigger, the homing round shot toward the Guard Commander’s helmet lens.

Ting!

He swiftly spun the gun in his left arm, deflecting the round with the barrel as if swatting it away. His combat suit’s ballistic protection should have been sufficient, but he had likely anticipated the possibility of a special round with additional properties, choosing to block it with his weapon instead.

’As expected, that didn’t work.’

Homing rounds were slower than standard bullets. Against an opponent of this caliber, they were more suited for ambushes than direct engagements.

Creak.

Keeping my body low, I advanced behind the cover of a corpse.

Thunk!

The Guard Commander leaped back and pulled out a pistol-sized disposable grenade launcher, firing immediately.

’That’s not an ordinary grenade.’

My eyes widened as I tracked the projectile. Following a curved trajectory, the grenade suddenly split midair, dividing into eight smaller spheres.

The subdivided grenade fragments accelerated along curved paths in multiple directions, covering my entire projected movement area. A wide-area attack.

’Well, that’s an annoying weapon.’

Dodging the grenades themselves was possible. I could rapidly boost my output for a burst of speed—Lapis’s cybernetic implants were capable of it.

’But once my movement path is set, he’ll follow up with additional firepower—something even harder for me to evade.’

This was a tactical mind game.

The Guard Commander was keeping his distance, wary of the Firelight Saber. He had also figured out that my ranged combat options were limited.

’Understanding the opponent’s intentions and strengths, countering them, and forcing the fight into an advantageous position for oneself.’

He was a high-level adversary. It felt like we were taking turns throwing each other complex problems to solve—whoever failed to find a solution would be the one to die.

I had to act unpredictably. Only then would it be my turn to strike.

Whoosh!

Releasing the corpse, I leaped upward. My fingers latched onto the overheated ceiling panels, and I braced my feet against the surface, suspending myself upside down.

Boom!

The split grenades exploded just below my dangling head.

Tap!

I kicked off the ceiling hard, launching myself toward the floor.

Just as my toes touched the ground, I bent my knees and rebounded straight back to the ceiling. I continued to alternate between the ceiling and floor, rapidly increasing my speed. The momentum from each rebound built up so fast that even I was starting to feel dizzy.

’Now—time to change direction.’

Before the Guard Commander could fully adapt to my vertical movements, I veered sharply, kicking off at an angle to latch onto a pillar. From there, I propelled myself with an explosive burst of strength from my enhanced hands and feet, closing in on the Guard Commander’s flank.

Perfect. I had caught him off guard.

What I had just performed was high-speed maneuvering utilizing all four surfaces of the interior. It was a technique that required a high-performance, high-output cybernetic implant, exceptional user reflexes, and impeccable balance—all aligning perfectly.

Even the seasoned Guard Commander couldn’t keep his barrel trained on my trajectory. My movement had deviated too far from his predictions, leaving his thought process unable to keep up.

When faced with an unexpected situation, there’s always a momentary gap before one can recognize and respond to it. I had created that opening.

I closed in on the Guard Commander’s flank as if soaring through the air, gripping the Firelight Saber firmly. A vision flashed through my mind—his waist being cleanly severed.

"If that’s the extent of your skill, then you’re dead."

And then, I would be disappointed. Fortunately, it seemed the Guard Commander had more tricks up his sleeve.

He barely bent his knees before kicking off the ground. Reaching the ceiling, he mimicked my maneuver, using momentum to accelerate vertically and closing in behind me.

Losing my rear made a chill run down my spine.

Screeeeech!

I scraped my right foot against the floor to brake, spinning sharply. The Firelight Saber followed the centrifugal motion of my body, carving an arc through the air.

Whoosh!

The Firelight Saber slashed through empty space. The Guard Commander had already moved out of its range and was reloading his magazine.

“Haha, did you just copy my maneuver after watching it?”

I adjusted my grip on the Firelight Saber as I spoke.

Just seeing it wasn’t enough—this wasn’t a technique just anyone could replicate. No matter how advanced an exoskeleton was, it couldn’t achieve the same level of responsiveness as a cybernetic implant.

And yet, the Guard Commander had just moved as effortlessly as if he had high-performance cybernetics.

“Hm, judging by your reaction speed, you’ve directly linked your nervous system to your exoskeleton.”

I muttered to myself, answering my own question. Still, one mystery remained.

’Even if the exoskeleton supplements output and the nervous system link enhances reflexes, if he moves like me, his organic legs inside should be completely destroyed.’

The acceleration method of repeatedly kicking off the ceiling and floor at high output generated immense shock force. A cybernetic implant could endure it, but the impact-dampening capabilities of a combat suit’s exoskeleton weren’t particularly impressive.

Drip.

My question was soon answered. Blood was trickling down from the Guard Commander’s legs and feet.

’So, even if his legs are shattered, he’s fine as long as the exoskeleton keeps moving? I like that.’

His legs—from his toes up to his thighs—must have been completely shattered. If the exoskeleton lost power, he wouldn’t even be able to stand.

That was the price he paid for mimicking cybernetic movements with flesh and blood.

"As long as I’m holding the Firelight Saber, you’ll keep retreating while fighting. This won’t end quickly, and soon, unwanted interference will arrive."

I spun the Firelight Saber once before sheathing it. Then, I unfastened the scabbard from my waist and tossed it onto the floor.

Creak.

The Guard Commander tilted his head to the side, puzzled. But he quickly understood my intent and discarded his firearms as well.

’...I want to see your close combat skills. And if you want to raise your slim chance of survival, you’ll have to answer in kind.’

I drew a dagger and took a reverse grip stance.

Hiss.

The Guard Commander grasped his helmet. Hydraulic mechanisms engaged, releasing the locks.

He discarded the helmet, heightening his senses to the extreme. A human male’s face was revealed—he looked about fourteen or fifteen years older than me.

Chak!

Like me, the Guard Commander pulled out a single dagger and gripped it tightly.

"Hoo."

I took a short breath. This wouldn’t take long. It would be a short and brutal fight.

My combat instincts unraveled, awakening thread by thread. Even my hair felt like it was standing on end, reaching toward my opponent.

Srrk.

I moved forward on the balls of my feet, closing the distance. It was almost time.

I had willingly discarded my advantage and was choosing to take an unnecessary risk. I knew how reckless this looked—even to myself.

But this was necessary for me.

I needed to purge my inner aggression outward. If I survived this fight, I wouldn’t need to do anything insane for a while. I’d be able to think more rationally, avoiding unnecessary gambles and dangers. Probably.

Kit!

The close-quarters battle began. I bent forward, folding from my toes to my knees and waist.

My arms and shoulders moved with precision. It wasn’t just me—the Guard Commander mirrored my actions. A textbook-perfect exchange.

Our daggers, barely longer than our palms, slashed mercilessly at each other’s vital points.

Tak!

We struck each other’s arms, blocking the angle of our elbows. Each time, we switched hands, alternating between attacking and defending in rapid succession.

Kwajik!

I attempted to stomp on the Guard Commander’s foot. He withdrew, then countered by trying to pin my foot down instead. The fight became a chaotic blend of close combat techniques and dagger strikes.

I had to engage every single sense.

Combat awareness and tactical thinking flashed through my mind. My reflexes and intuition detected threats even beyond conscious thought. A lifetime of training had ingrained combat into my instincts, making every move sharp and precise, reaching out toward my opponent like an extension of my will.

My breath came in short gasps. My organic muscles tensed and contracted repeatedly, while my cybernetic implants hummed smoothly. I only had a single dagger, which meant I had to scrape out every ounce of skill from the depths of my being.

Screeech! freeωebnovēl.c૦m

Our daggers clashed and locked together, refusing to separate as if magnetized. In that brief instant, I felt him steadying his breath. He tried to purse his lips slightly.

...It’s over.

I clenched my fist. He had planned to take a moment to breathe while our daggers were locked, preparing to channel his strength into the next move.

Kwa-jik!

My fist struck the Guard Commander squarely in the solar plexus. I felt his shattered combat suit give way, my knuckles sinking into his chest and abdomen.

“Guh!”

For the first time, I heard him groan. His lungs had been crushed, forcing the air out through his throat—there was no way he could suppress it.

Yeah, I won.

A shiver ran from the base of my spine, shooting up through my skull. It felt as though even my accumulated fatigue had vanished.

Crack!

I seized his arm and shattered his elbow with a punch. At the same time, I stomped alternately on both of his knees, breaking through the exoskeletal supports keeping his legs upright.

Thud!

The Guard Commander collapsed, his right arm and both legs rendered useless. Only his left arm remained intact, but there was no need to break it—I had already subdued him completely.

Now, all that was left was his neck. I had no intention of inflicting unnecessary pain.

“Luka! W-wait! Stop!”

A familiar voice rang out. Jafa had just arrived, shouting urgently.

I had a rebellious streak—an instinct to screw with others for no reason. Anyone who knew me from Border City would assume I was about to kill the Guard Commander right here.

...But this time was different.

I was satisfied. I had fought Ragnata and even crossed blades with the Menoan Guard Commander. That was enough for today.

Srrk.

I stepped back, rolling my sore shoulder.

“Be careful. He’s still got his fangs.”

I retreated without resistance, and Jafa seemed more flustered than relieved.

“H-huh? Did you actually listen to me just now? H-hoyot!”

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