Chapter 211
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 211
I was once a boy. Then again, I suppose there isn’t a man in the world who wasn’t.
I wonder what Heilas or Kinuan felt when they looked at me back then?
To them, I must have been just a kid with potential, but ultimately insignificant. A weakling they could have crushed underfoot whenever they pleased.
I am no longer a boy. My growing years are behind me. Physically and mentally, I need to act like an adult.
Though I don’t really know what that means.
Still, one thing was certain.
I had no desire to crush a promising kid. In fact, for no particular reason, I felt a strange urge to teach them a thing or two.
Perhaps Heilas and Kinuan, driven by their own motives, had felt a sliver of the same sentiment when they dealt with me.
“Don’t pretend to be Boyan’s guardian when you don’t even know him.”
Yanaka’s hostility didn't falter, even after she’d witnessed me stop a bullet. Her shallow bravado made me chuckle.
Thinking back to my own youth…
If I were still that boy, I would have met her defiance with savage aggression. Back then, I wasn't just sharp; I was a rabid dog, ready to sink my teeth into anything that moved.
“Are you Boyan’s girlfriend or something? You have eccentric tastes.”
“It’s not like that. Boyan is under my protection.”
“Then try to take him. But let me give you a friendly warning… if you come at me with the naive belief that I won’t kill you, you’ll be dead before you know it. I’m far more ruthless than I look.”
I narrowed my eyes, letting a sliver of my killing intent leak out.
I’m a killer. I can take a life without a second thought—a line I crossed long ago.
Have you?
I stared at Yanaka. She flinched. She must have felt like a herbivore cornered by an apex predator. On an instinctive level, her body was probably screaming at her not to fight me.
“Lu—Luka, stop! Please, stop! Yanaka is my friend!” Boyan pleaded pitifully.
Without looking away from Yanaka, I kept my eyes locked on her. “Your friend shot at me. I can’t just let that slide. I won’t be satisfied until I take a limb or two.”
I curled my fingers menacingly and took a heavy step forward.
Yanaka instinctively took a step back. Her eyes widened, as if shocked by her own involuntary retreat.
Haha, interesting.
She had probably never encountered my kind before. And by my kind, I meant the truly strong.
First, she’ll hesitate out of fear. That’s survival instinct. But if she has the spirit of a warrior, her next move will be to step forward.
The heart of a warrior isn’t about being fearless; it’s about moving forward while fully acknowledging that fear.
Her every reaction was amusing. This was a kid with the potential to become top-tier.
Should I break one of her arms? If I snap it, will she scream and lose her will to fight? Or will she become even more ferocious?
It was a twisted thought, I knew. But I was curious.
I had never let my fighting spirit waver, even when my body was being shattered. If anything, the worse the situation, the harder I fought, scraping the very dregs of my reserves.
Can you do the same?
Can you still say you’ll fight for Boyan, even with broken limbs?
If you can, you’ll reach the top one day.
I was probably smiling. A deeply sinister grin. Even I had to admit I looked like a textbook villain.
“Urgh!”
I felt Boyan rush me from behind. He clung to my back, trying to wrap his arms around my neck in a chokehold.
“Seriously, what do you think you’re doing? You don’t even know how to fight.”
I pressed my arm against the back of my neck to block his attempt and grabbed his face with my other hand.
Whoosh!
In that split second, Yanaka lunged, pistol and knife ready. Gunfire erupted as the blade sliced through empty air.
These greenhorns are really putting on a show.
It wasn’t the least bit threatening. If anything, it was almost endearing.
Thud!
I threw Boyan forward, using him to block Yanaka’s line of sight. In that brief opening, I reached out to grab and twist her arm.
Swoosh!
Yanaka snapped her arm back before I could catch it. It wasn’t her own conscious movement. The circuits of her implant glowed brightly through her skin.
Her Combat Reflex Implant kicked in.
Under specific conditions, the subcutaneous implant sends electrical signals directly to the muscles. By bypassing the brain entirely, the reflex is incredibly fast.
But an implant’s pre-programmed reflexes are simple, predictable, and prone to malfunction.
A top-tier fighter could read an opponent’s combat reflexes, bait them, and turn them to their advantage. But a simple, pre-programmed response? That was strictly amateur hour.
“Run, Yanaka! Luka is… incredibly strong! He’s a monster!” Boyan shouted as he scrambled to his feet.
“I brought you into my pack. I’m not handing you over to some adult,” Yanaka growled, baring her teeth.
So it’s not some soft emotion like friendship or love.
I raised an eyebrow. This was unexpected.
A sense of responsibility and belonging as the leader of a pack.
As a former soldier, that was a sentiment I could understand far better.
I took a step back and dusted myself off.
“Relax. I’ve lost interest. If you want to hang out more, go ahead, Boyan. It’s your life, and I’m a hands-off kind of guy.”
Yanaka was the one who questioned me. “Are you actually allowing Boyan to use drugs?”
“Because no matter how I look at it, it’s the only path forward. I replaced my own limbs with machinery and altered my nervous system with chemicals, all to get stronger. Who am I to lecture anyone about the dangers of using drugs?”
Yanaka’s shoulders relaxed, the tension draining out of her. Her grip on her knife loosened. “I guess you’re not as narrow-minded as I thought.”
“And if you have trauma related to parents or other adults, deal with it on your own. Don’t drag innocent kids into it.”
The moment the words left my mouth, Yanaka’s eyes blazed. I’d struck a nerve.
“If you want to lecture me…”
I smiled and raised my hand. I had already figured out her combat reflexes. Her movements were completely transparent to me now.
Slap!
I stepped forward and slapped her across the cheek. Then, grabbing her collar with my other hand, I swept her legs out from under her.
Thud!
With a split lip, Yanaka stumbled but tried to raise her knife again.
Ping!
I caught the blade between my fingers and casually tossed it aside.
“I was going to let it slide because I found you admirable, but you seem to have misunderstood something. You shot at me. And here, in this place, I hold the power of life and death over everyone. Whether I lecture you or not is my decision to make. You don’t have the luxury of choosing whether to listen.”
“Luka! S-stop! Yanaka isn’t a bad person!”
“Boyan, if you want to stop me, don’t appeal to my emotions. Make a deal. Negotiate. That goes for dealing with anyone, not just me,” I said coldly.
“I… I don’t have anything to offer you, Luka. But if you keep hurting Yanaka, I’ll hate you. I’ll really, truly hate you.”
I tilted my head, staring at him. “Hey, kid. Is that supposed to be a threat? You’ll hate me?”
“I-I’m not an adult. I don’t have anything. My only weapon is hating my guardian.”
I rubbed the back of my neck and threw my head back.
“…Absurd as that is, I’ll let it go for now. But let me repeat myself: if I see even a hint of abuse, I’ll throw you straight into a closed ward. Even I would feel guilty toward Regor if you ended up a vegetable.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I’ll let Japa know, so get a proper prescription from a real hospital and a real doctor. If you're using something for enhancement, you don't just eyeball the dosage. I’m speaking from experience.”
Having finished, I looked down at Yanaka, who was still sitting on the floor.
“I lost. Take Boyan,” she said, her expression dark. She looked like she was about to cry.
“Boyan isn’t property. Whether he comes with me or not is his choice.”
I gestured to Boyan with my chin.
“For now… I’ll stay with Yanaka. I’ll head back in an hour or two,” he answered quickly.
I figured that was for the best. I watched him walk over to her.
While I was chasing Kinuan, I had neglected Boyan. A lot had happened to him, and it seemed Yanaka had helped him through it.
I hesitated as I turned to leave. “I’m sorry for not paying more attention to you lately, Boyan.”
His eyes went wide. His mouth fell open. “An… apology? Out of nowhere? From you, Luka?”
“Is it that shocking?”
“I thought you didn’t even know how to apologize. I figured if you ever had a reason to say sorry, you’d sooner kill the person than do it.”
I’m not that twisted. What kind of person did he think I was?
“Whatever. If you run into trouble, find me. Even if I’m busy and not around, keep looking. At least talk to me before you do something reckless. I won’t stop you from doing most things, but as your guardian, I need to know what kind of trouble you’re getting into.”
Boyan’s eyes welled up with tears, and he looked deeply moved. “I was wrong, too. I should have told you, of all people. From now on…”
…I absolutely detest this kind of sentimental atmosphere.
“Stop right there. I’m reaching my limit.”
“Ah, right. Yes. A bit too emotional, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
Boyan snapped his mouth shut and nodded vigorously.
* * *
It wasn’t until later that Boyan told me more about Yanaka.
“Yanaka’s a scholarship student at our school. I heard she’s some kind of military pilot specialist.”
“A pilot? She flies airships or something?”
“I don’t know the details. Her curriculum is completely separate from ours, and she doesn’t talk about it.”
Boyan explained with an excited look on his face. It seemed Yanaka was famous at school for her charisma. Her androgynous vibe gave her a mysterious charm that would easily make her popular among kids their age.
“Yanaka said hanging out on the streets at night is just a phase. She’s just enjoying it until she becomes an adult. And she knows a lot about other species. She knew exactly what I was struggling with.”
Since Boyan was the only Crawler to enter the prestigious school in Border City, he had likely caught her attention.
“Do you like her?”
“Huh? Me?” Boyan reacted with genuine reluctance.
“Just asking.”
“Even if I’m a bit unusual… I have a hard time with the idea of interspecies romance. No matter what, I prefer Crawler girls.”
“Hmph. Glad to hear it.”
I crossed my arms and nodded, satisfied. Of everyone around me, Boyan might actually be the most normal.
“Oh, and Lord Japa recommended a hospital. I got a prescription for the medicine, too.”
This was a slightly uncomfortable topic. To be honest, I was certain Boyan would inevitably fall into addiction. I just hoped my prediction was wrong.
Regardless of intent, habitual drug use and dependence always led to addiction. It wasn’t something that could be controlled by willpower alone.
But a Crawler's lifespan is only about half that of a natural human. Once they set a goal, they don’t have the luxury of taking the scenic route, weighing every pro and con.
I gave a half-hearted nod as I listened to Boyan’s plan. He claimed he would quit once he graduated, passed the exams, and became a Federation bureaucrat.
“Thank you for listening.”
Boyan bowed politely and left the room. Once I was sure he was gone, I prepared to contact Japa.
Beep.
Conveniently, Japa contacted me first.
—Hoyo! Mr. Luka. Is Boyan with you by any chance?
“You saw him leave just now. No need to play dumb.”
—Ahem, so prickly. Just being polite. I’ve handled the matter with Boyan as we discussed. And about that girl, Yanaka…
“What about her?”
—You must not cause any trouble with her. Even I can’t handle that side of things. I ran a background check. She’s involved in a military project for the Federal Government. I don’t need to explain what that means, do I?
“Hmm. Good thing I didn’t break her arm.”
—I’m not joking. Even I can’t touch that.
“I’m not joking either. I almost did. She’s the one who shot at me first.”
A brief silence followed.
—It’s not like a few bullets would kill you, Mr. Luka. Next time, try to act like an adult and hold back.
Becoming an adult is apparently damn hard.