Chapter 14
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 14
Gabriel was in a wretched state. Lying in bed, he tapped the display with his tongue, browsing a catalog for an artificial spine. If he didn't get proper treatment, he'd be crippled for life.
A doctor stood beside the bed.
"Ah, this one has a narrow signal bandwidth, so it won't be compatible with the cybernetic prosthetics you're currently using. The output on your current limbs is just too high. Even if you force a connection, you won't get the same performance as before. You might also experience occasional malfunctions or paralysis. Hmm, I'd recommend Zeonic Corp's Hyper Lindel No. 9."
The doctor deftly manipulated the catalog. It was hard to tell if he was a doctor or a salesman. Then again, down here, they were practically the same thing.
"That—that's the latest model! How am I supposed to afford that? You're trying to rip me off, aren't you? You bastard! Other guys get around just fine with cheap ones!"
Gabriel roared in protest. But the doctor didn't even bat an eye.
"Well, that's because those people haven't been modified as heavily as you, sir. If you'd at least stuck with one manufacturer for your limbs, or matched their compatibility properly, your signal bandwidth would be stable enough that even an older model would work fine."
"I—I didn't have the money back then! I just slapped on whatever I could get my hands on!"
"In that case, I can buy back your current limbs and fit you with different ones within your budget. That way you won't have any trouble moving around, even with an older spine."
"At least make them combat-grade..."
Gabriel, who had been so violent moments ago, was now floundering. Understandable, really. His fate rested entirely in the doctor's hands.
"What are you talking about? Forget combat-grade—you can barely afford secondhand ones for daily use. The limbs you're using now have been modified so extensively that no one else could use them even if we resold them. You'll only get scrap value."
Greed flashed briefly in the doctor's eyes. It was a lie.
"Do—do you have any idea how much this cost me?"
"My goodness, we're the arena's exclusive contractor, which is exactly why we're being this transparent with you. Go anywhere else, and they'll strip you down to the bone."
Even if the doctor was just lining his own pockets, every word he said happened to be true. Better to be swindled by a slightly more conscientious scammer.
...And then Gabriel finally spotted me. His rage was so intense it looked like tears of blood might pour from his shattered eye.
"You bastarrrd!"
The veins in Gabriel's neck bulged. Even paralyzed from the neck down, he apparently had plenty of energy left.
"You're a total cripple now. What's screaming going to do?"
I walked over to Gabriel and tapped his cheek.
Chomp!
Gabriel tried to bite my fingers off. I yanked my hand back and pondered.
Kinuan told me not to make enemies, but...
It wasn't easy to show goodwill to someone radiating this much hostility.
"I'll—I'll kill you! I swear it! I'm going to kill you!"
"Stop talking and try it right now."
Even as I said it, I thought, Oops. A habitual provocation had slipped out of my mouth.
Arguing with Gabriel would only lead to a shouting match of curses. Ignoring him, I turned to the doctor instead.
"How much is that Hyper Lindel No. 9 you mentioned?"
"Pardon?"
The doctor tilted his head, bewildered, unable to grasp my intention. He probably never imagined in his wildest dreams that I'd pay for Gabriel's treatment. There was no way a saint like that existed in this gutter of a place.
I shoved the dazed doctor aside and practically snatched the catalog display from his hands.
"This should be enough."
After checking the price, I tossed a credit chip onto Gabriel's chest.
Gabriel's eyes widened. He looked back and forth between the credit chip and me several times, trying to process it.
"W-what is the meaning of this? Are you mocking me?"
"Can't you tell? I'm paying your medical bills."
"Why... you?"
Gabriel's pupils shook. The fiery rage from moments ago had completely vanished. Instead, he trembled, terrified I might change my mind.
"Remember this debt, Gabriel. I'll come collect it later."
I didn't know if this would benefit me down the road. But to borrow Kinuan's words, I was sowing a seed.
"Are you... really a Good Boy?"
"My name is Luka, you dumbass. You'd better pay up before I change my mind."
I spoke irritably. Gabriel hurriedly urged the doctor along, tapping the catalog with his tongue.
"Good—no, Luka..."
Having finished the payment, Gabriel looked at me. His voice was calm now, his eyes softened. He hesitated before continuing.
"...I don't know what whim possessed you to do this, but if you ever need my help, just say the word. I'll help you as much as I can."
I stared at Gabriel for a moment, then nodded.
This doesn't feel too bad.
* * *
My experience in the arena shook the very foundation of my combat arts. It felt as if every skill I'd accumulated so far had condensed into a single drop of essence.
Whirrrr.
Having discarded the junk limbs I'd used in the arena, I heard a welcome hum. My limbs responded to my will, their output rising and falling smoothly.
But there was no longer any need to keep the output constantly maxed like before.
Even the enemy's strength and the surrounding environment can become my weapons.
Making everything on the battlefield my own. As my field of vision widened, a sense of ease washed over me. Even in the heat of combat, the flow of power seemed to trace itself out as trajectories and lines.
"Ilay, today might be a bit different."
I muttered, standing before Ilay. He was an honor student who vied with me for first and second place in our class. Though I held a slight edge in combat arts, it had never been enough to overwhelm him.
Ilay aimed a kick at my head.
I deflected it and pushed. With the direction of his force twisted, Ilay lost his balance. I extended my leg and kicked the outside of his shin.
The forces driving Ilay's body clashed. His upper body leaned left while his lower body tilted right. As his balance shattered, the high-output performance of his prosthetic body—his pride and joy—became utterly meaningless.
With just a tiny amount of force, I brought Ilay down completely.
"...Luka, what did you just do?"
Ilay looked up at me from the floor, his face a mask of disbelief. He'd fallen to my ploy with anticlimactic ease.
To think that just changing how I use force could make such a difference.
I stared quietly at my palm, which had just grasped that power. My mind felt clear, as if my vision had suddenly opened up. A pleasant shiver ran down my spine.
I gained power without even upgrading to a better prosthetic body.
It would be a lie to say I wasn't intoxicated by my own strength. This was what I'd gained after studying under Kinuan for barely over a month.
My judgment was correct.
Once again, I had proven myself—just as I had back at the orphanage.
"I learned it from Instructor Kinuan."
There was no reason to hide it. It wasn't some grand secret.
"The combat arts instructor? But this doesn't look like the combat arts in the manual..."
Being sharp himself, Ilay noticed immediately. The Akies Combat Style was fundamentally different from the Empire's manual.
Imperial combat doctrine was built on overwhelming the opponent with power and speed. It operated on the premise that you were stronger and faster than your opponent. It was linear and efficient—to put it nicely, there was no need for cheap tricks.
I mentioned the Akies Combat Style to Ilay.
"Are you joking? Akies?"
The expected reaction came from Ilay's mouth. The Akies Combat Style we knew was the exclusive domain of Lower District gangs.
"It's true."
"If it's Akies... that's just a street fighting style for thugs. You know, grabbing a handful of sand to throw when you fall, or wedging glass shards between your knuckles to stab someone."
The commonly known Akies Combat Style was just a shallow surface.
Use the surrounding environment and objects, adapt flexibly to the enemy. To put it crudely: I don't care if it's dirty or cowardly, just win. Naturally, gangs loved it.
"I find it hard to believe too, but the person who taught me said it's the Akies Combat Style, so I have to believe him."
"Luka, let's go again."
Ilay showed a rare spark of competitive fire. He wasn't usually one to train with much passion—a prodigy who could reach a level similar to mine even with half-hearted effort. In terms of raw talent, Ilay was likely superior to me.
Taking our stances again, we clashed.
Kiiiiiing!
I instantly boosted my prosthetic body's output to maximum. Ilay was on guard against my balance-disrupting techniques.
But this time, it was a heavy blow. My fist aimed for Ilay's side. Barely managing to bring his elbow down to block, Ilay's body was lifted slightly into the air.
Thud!
The Akies Combat Style didn't always mean using weak force to overcome strong force. That was merely one of its methods.
If you can wield both strong and weak techniques, you alternate between them. Even the hardest metal cracks and splits under extreme temperature differences. These two extreme approaches, alternated, effectively break an enemy down.
"Hey, you..."
I could see Ilay's bewilderment.
I read the direction of his gaze and the preparatory movements of his combat reflexes. Just like when I fought Gabriel, I could see his next move.
It's not because Ilay's level is as low as Gabriel's that I can predict it.
I knew Ilay's habits and combat style all too well. That was why I could predict his next move so easily.
In orthodox Imperial combat style, I would have preemptively struck here to block Ilay's attack entirely. If you're faster and stronger, you simply suppress them, giving them no room to attack.
Instead, I baited Ilay's attack and countered the opening.
Whoosh!
The moment Ilay regained his balance, he threw a right punch to counter.
Evading it, I struck his elbow from below. When you read a move in advance, you can target the weakness with pinpoint accuracy.
Crack!
Ilay's elbow joint shattered. Since it was a clean break, it could probably be repaired by a maintenance android.
"...You've gotten strong, Luka."
Ilay said, sitting on the floor where he'd fallen. I reached out a hand to help him up. Unlike his usual self, Ilay hesitated before taking it. His reaction was strangely cold.
I screwed up.
Seeing Ilay's reaction, I recalled the children I'd surpassed in the past—their pride crushed before me.
Until now, even if there was a gap between Ilay and me in certain areas, it was never an overwhelming one. Even if Ilay was the type to be indifferent to superiority in combat, his pride must have been deeply wounded today.
I got too excited. I acted like a kid.
When you gain power, you want to use it. Honestly, that goes for adults and kids alike.
If I showed any sign of apology now, it would only trample on Ilay's pride further. Besides, our relationship wasn't built on such cheap pretense.
"...Are you sulking because you got utterly crushed?"
I said, smirking.
"Yeah. I'm sulking, you asshole."
Getting to his feet, Ilay laughed and jabbed my chest with his elbow. I felt a bruise forming right then and there. Ugh. He really was sulking.