Chapter 180
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 180
Violence is a symbol of barbarism, an evil that must be eradicated from civilized society.
…Not many people would be foolish enough to agree with that statement.
Violence isn't barbarism; it's coercion and deterrence. Without the threat of violence, societies and groups collapse. The order of a civilized society is merely a sophisticated mask for the logic of power. Peel back the layers, and the truth is always the same.
The only thing that can stop violence is greater violence.
Splat.
Blood pooled on the floor, seeping into the grooves between the floorboards. It was the young Crawler’s blood.
Thud. Thud.
Someone was pounding on the door from outside, but the lock held firm.
“Grrk, ugh…” Boyan groaned, submerged in the spreading pool of his own blood.
I wiped the blood from my hands and looked down at him. His body was shattered, not a single joint left intact. A crimson stream trickled from his mouth and nose.
My violence had pushed Boyan to the brink of death. Without immediate treatment, he would die.
Bang!
The pounding on the door grew more frantic.
I glanced around the room. The once-tidy counseling office was a wreck. Broken furniture and office supplies lay scattered everywhere.
“What’s going on in there! Open this door!”
“Hey, break it down!”
They were now trying to force the door open.
Squish.
I grabbed Boyan by the hair and ground his face into the blood-slicked floor. To make the scene truly gruesome, he needed an even coating.
Boyan’s broken limbs twitched as he took shallow, ragged breaths.
If I don’t go this far, there’s no point.
I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and started dragging him.
Screeeech!
The locked door began to warp under the pressure. The lock rattled violently, on the verge of snapping.
“What in the world have you done?!” a teacher shouted through the crack in the door, catching a glimpse of the carnage inside.
“Education,” I replied, walking toward the door with Boyan in tow.
Clang!
With a flick of my finger, I shattered the lock. The door swung wide open, revealing the crowd gathered outside. They all froze, staring at me, then at the body I was dragging.
“Urgh, cough…”
Those with weak stomachs covered their mouths. Even the combat-experienced guards frowned at the sight of Boyan. The students at the back of the crowd looked on with pure horror. For these sheltered kids, it was likely the first time they had ever witnessed such a scene. A corpse riddled with bullets would have been less shocking.
Thud.
I tossed Boyan onto the floor in front of them. He slid to a stop, leaving a long, wet trail of blood behind him.
“I’ve educated him so he won’t harm another student again,” I announced. “If Boyan causes trouble one more time, he won’t just be expelled—he’ll die by my hand. You don’t have to worry anymore.”
“No, this is…” The teacher was speechless, at a complete loss for words.
“Just because you did this doesn’t change the fact that my son’s arm was broken…” the blonde guardian forced out. His pride wouldn't let him back down easily.
Slide.
I crouched down beside Boyan. “Was your son’s broken arm the left or the right?”
“The right…” the blonde guardian began, then his eyes widened as he snapped his mouth shut.
I lifted Boyan’s limp right arm and shook it. The bone was clearly broken, letting it dangle uselessly.
“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. I don’t agree with that saying. Revenge should come with interest. If you’re still not satisfied with Boyan’s broken arm, there’s only one way to settle this.”
I rolled up my sleeves, pinned Boyan’s right shoulder with my foot, and took a firm grip on his arm.
“W-Wait a minute!” The teacher rushed forward, pulling at me with his meager strength in a desperate attempt to stop me. I didn’t budge an inch.
“Your name is… Ergen Wilter, correct? If you want, I’ll rip this kid’s arm off right here. He won’t just need treatment; he’ll need a prosthetic. Will that satisfy you? Or do you need more? Just say the word. How much pain should I inflict on this child? I’ll do it myself.”
“I-I…”
The blonde guardian’s bravado was crumbling. I pressed my advantage.
Crack!
I twisted Boyan’s shoulder half a turn. Muscle and ligament tore with an audible rip.
“Aaaagh…!”
Boyan, who I thought had passed out, suddenly lifted his head and let out a horrific, inhuman scream. It was a primal, beastly howl that resonated deep in the bones.
People grimaced and clapped their hands over their ears.
Bear with it, Boyan.
My specialty is violence, but I couldn't unleash it on them. Doing so would only satisfy my own impulses. Boyan's efforts would be for nothing, and Japa would be put in a difficult position.
Instead, I had to demonstrate my capacity for ruthless violence through Boyan.
What I’m demanding from them isn’t forgiveness…
The blonde guardian’s lips trembled. He repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists, cold sweat pouring down his face.
…It’s a threat. Cross me, and you’ll end up just like this.
If a man could turn his own ward into a half-dead wreck without hesitation, what would he do to his enemies? All sorts of terrifying thoughts must have been racing through their minds.
“Alright, stop! That’s enough!” the blonde guardian shouted, squeezing his eyes shut.
“Boyan, thank Mr. Ergen Wilter,” I said, releasing the boy’s arm. “He just saved your arm.”
Boyan couldn’t even process the words, only managing to let out weak groans. Even Regor, who was quick with his fists, had never beaten him this badly. Regor had merely vented his anger; I had systematically tortured him.
…But at least I had prevented his expulsion.
* * *
“I don’t know if I should be grateful,” Boyan said from his hospital bed. “You could have at least warned me before you started.” His limbs were wrapped tightly in bandages. Even with a Crawler’s resilient body and advanced medical technology, it would take him at least a month to recover.
“If I’d warned you, it wouldn’t have looked real. Your body would have braced for it,” I replied, sitting on a chair beside his bed.
“What does that…” Boyan rolled his eyes toward me and flinched. The memory of the beating was still fresh. Imprinted terror doesn't fade easily.
“Boyan, you’re a Crawler. No matter how much you try to control it, your aggression is naturally stronger than that of other species. So when you get angry, think of me. A little teasing is a hundred times better than another beating from me.”
Boyan managed a weak nod.
“I doubt anyone will bully me now, anyway,” he said in a sullen voice. “Word will have spread about what a psycho my guardian is.”
“Good. That was the goal.”
“…Now that I think about it, there really wasn’t any other way to stop my expulsion. They weren’t the type to be bought off. But… did you really intend to twist my arm off?”
“If he had pushed it that far, I would have. It’s not like you need two arms to study.”
“Hmph…” Boyan groaned quietly.
“The problem is solved. Once you’re healed, focus on your studies.” I rose from my seat. There was nothing more to say. I had fulfilled my role as a guardian. Whether I had done a good job or not, it was the best I could do.
“…Thanks for coming. To the school, and to the hospital.”
Boyan’s words followed me out of the room. I simply raised a hand in acknowledgment without looking back.
Since I was already out, I decided to stop by Gaya’s clinic. Even after his revenge, Gabriel was still receiving treatment there. When I rang the bell, Gaya opened the door a moment later.
“I told you to make sure he was satisfied,” Gaya said the moment he saw me, referring to Gabriel’s revenge.
“He killed his enemy. Isn’t that enough?”
“Gabriel’s desire for revenge was left unfulfilled. Now there’s no way to rekindle it.”
“He killed the man with his own hands.”
“He was mentally and physically exhausted, unable to make a sound judgment. Gabriel didn’t inflict enough pain on his target to satisfy his rage. He killed him simply because he couldn’t bear to be in the same room as his enemy, not because he savored the act of revenge.”
“Right, right. It’s all my fault,” I retorted sarcastically as I walked inside.
Gaya led me not to a ward but to the basement. For a moment, I wondered if he kept a dungeon down there, but that wasn’t it. Still, I was curious about what dark secrets Gaya was hiding. He definitely had them.
When he opened the basement door, a sharp sound echoed from below.
Thwack! Crack!
Gabriel was on his feet, light and agile as he hammered punches into a heavy bag. Despite his massive frame, he moved with surprising speed. Even in rehabilitation, his movements were sharper than I remembered. Once fully recovered, he would be a useful asset.
Boom!
The deafening impact reverberated through the room. Gabriel wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to see us.
“Ah, Doctor Gaya… and Luka.”
He looked much better than before.
“How are you holding up?” I asked, walking closer.
“Hanging in there. And… about last time, I’m sor—”
“Forget it. It was an unexpected situation.”
“But I… I…”
Gabriel’s pupils trembled, and the life drained from his face. It was as if his negative emotions were taking physical form, wrapping around him like a dark shroud.
“Why did I do that? Why? I should have asked him why he did it. I should have made him suffer more, so much more. He died without even knowing why I was the one killing him.”
His complexion grew pale.
“Calm down, Gabriel. Take a deep breath. Your revenge isn’t over. There was a mastermind who led that man to your girlfriend.”
“That… that strange guy who blocked your path?”
I signaled for Gaya to give us a moment. With a reluctant expression, he headed back up to the first floor.
“…If I keep searching for Giselle, he will definitely show up again. I’m sure of it. Giselle’s disappearance and your girlfriend’s death are connected. Everything is moving according to someone’s plan.”
Gabriel’s violent trembling subsided to a slight quiver.
“M-My revenge isn’t over yet? Is that… is that true?”
“So pull yourself together and focus on your recovery. I need people. I need someone who will move for me and me alone, unswayed by other interests.”
I was about to leave it at that, but Gabriel grabbed my shoulder, stopping me.
“Luka, you helped me, so I have to help you. That’s only fair. I don’t want to just be in your debt. There’s something you want to hear from me, right? Gi-Giselle… I mean, back then, I…”
He trailed off, the effort of dredging up terrifying memories slowing his speech.
These memories won’t surface easily.
As the memories rose, a suffocating anxiety would surely surge along with them. He was forcing himself to recall things he desperately wanted to keep buried. Memories are not simple records; they carry emotions. Gabriel was once again facing the very trauma that had broken him.
His breathing grew rapid, his face flushing bright red as agitation and anxiety took hold. He was on the verge of a panic attack.
I didn't interrupt, waiting patiently.
“I-I was the leader of Security Team 4, assigned to Giselle. There were ten of us…” Gabriel began, beating around the bush. I didn’t rush him. It was understandable that he couldn’t dive straight into the heart of the matter.
“Sometimes, when I followed Giselle to the Custoria mansion, I would see you. I hated visiting that mansion. I could feel their contemptuous stares, as if I was someone who shouldn’t be there.”
The Custoria family had taken me in, but that was a special case. Their contempt for the lower classes was as strong as anyone’s.
“You were sitting by a window, completely unresponsive. You didn’t react at all when spoken to. Even your subconscious combat instincts were gone. They said they tried treating you multiple times, but nothing worked.”
As of now, there were two main reasons I had come to Border City.
First, the Empire’s biotechnology had no way of treating me. If it had been possible, I would have recovered back when the Crimson Prince, Fransek, was still around.
Second, after Fransek lost the power struggle, there was no one left in the Empire to protect me from Ivan. Ivan would have found a way to use me—or more accurately, to possess me. His desire for ownership bordered on pure malice; he wouldn't have cared about my humanity or my sense of self. He likely intended to turn me into a mindless combat machine, a living shadow.
“Take your time,” I said softly. “Tell me everything you remember, no matter how trivial.”
In stark contrast to the quiet room, my mind was racing. From this moment on, I would hang on to Gabriel’s every word, making sure not to miss a single thing.