Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: How to Survive in Fusion Punk
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“Hah... hah...”
Drandre panted heavily.
It was right after he'd dragged out some idiot spectator who'd thought to the very end that this was all part of the show.
Times like these, his rough-looking appearance was a real help.
A hulking build you could call a tank, teeth covered in chrome.
And those dreadlocks swinging every which way.
Just scrunch up his face a bit, and most guys tucked tail on their own.
Not that he particularly liked the method himself—mainly because it made him look like a thug.
Anyway, with the spectators evacuated...
Drandre turned to survey the situation.
Sure enough, no issues on the other side.
An android hooker loaded with combat functions, even if her face was a bit busted up, and Greg, grizzled from years as a merc.
Both were darting around the arena amid the rampaging steel tentacles, herding the injured and stragglers like pros.
Leave the ones who could handle themselves to their own devices—he needed to get his head straight.
And with that, Drandre bolted into the fray, weaving through crimson dust clouds swirling between the steel beams.
It was straight out of a disaster flick.
“Anyone here?!”
As he coughed through the chaotic arena, searching for any survivors who might still be trapped...
Kukukukung!
A massive rumble echoed from all directions.
Finally, the steel tentacles lost power and collapsed.
Drandre's eyes lit up.
Had Jin taken down Elina?!
A small sigh of relief as he shifted his gaze to the stage... but what the hell?
A beastman with a 3-meter wingspan was stomping on the back of Elina's head.
And not stopping there—pounding the ground like a hammer.
What the fuck is this now?
His momentary confusion snapped away in an instant.
Bzzt!!!
Jin charged in a streak of lightning, slamming into the beastman's body. In a flash, the two superhumans tangled and went airborne, smashing everything in sight.
Kwarung! Kwarung! Explosive roars one after another.
Pyooo—! A raptor's screech.
Lights and outer walls shattering and detonating in seconds.
Bloodstains trailing long across it all.
A fight only they could pull off. Drandre turned toward the stage and ran.
“Boss!”
“Wh-what the hell is that?! My head's spinning.”
The hooker and Greg fell in beside him mid-sprint, shouting in unison.
Kwagagagak!!!
Was it a crash or a dive?
Either way, the birdbrain slid dozens of meters, leaving a long blood trail on the floor as it gurgled its last. Jin stood over it, fist clenched, delivering the finishing blow.
Seeing that, Drandre lengthened his strides and yelled.
“Grab both of 'em and let's bounce!”
His feet headed not toward Elina, surprisingly...
“Jiiiin!!!!”
Kalifa yelped in full panic. Greg chuckled and hustled over to Elina.
For the first time in a while, Jin was laid up in a hospital bed.
The admission reason was a bit long.
Let's run through it...
Multiple closed and open fractures.
Pancreas rupture.
Spleen rupture.
Abdominal and diaphragm damage.
Intra-abdominal bleeding, and so on.
A checklist that'd send any normal person straight to freestyle in the Jordan for just one checkmark.
But Jin somehow(?) survived,
And the surgeon prepping for a laparotomy to prevent multiple organ failure looked downright foolish.
“Goddamn it. What the hell kind of freak body is this...”
“Why complain? He's alive, isn't he? That's what matters.”
“Alive? You not scared of that? His gut swelled up from all the internal bleeding, and it just... settled on its own. You know what kind of miracle that is?”
“Beats me. What?”
“Hell if I know, you little shit!”
Kalifa flashed an awkward smile at the middle-aged woman stalking off in exasperation.
Then she turned to the bed and slowly spoke.
“...Didn't expect you'd call me.”
Drandre, wiping his face with a damp towel, replied.
“My healer connections are kinda weak.”
“Yeah?”
Kalifa glanced sideways as she said it.
Honestly, it was unexpected.
Terror at Stray Stadium out of nowhere—she'd been about to rush over.
But Drandre beat her to it.
Need a healer!
Two injured!
Jin and Elina!
As she crossed her arms, recalling his frantic voice...
“...Agh, fuck. Ow. Uh. Ugh.”
Jin, who'd been lying there like a corpse, suddenly groaned.
Both linkers hurried over without a word.
Even then, Jin mumbled to himself.
“...Unfamiliar ceiling? Nah, not really unfamiliar.”
He glanced around, spotted the linkers approaching, and propped himself up fuzzily.
“Why're you two together?”
Kalifa let out a hollow laugh at the innocent question.
She gave a quick rundown.
“Drandre?”
Jin shot the black linker a fresh look. He waved it off like no big deal.
“Wasn't anything.”
Just words, though. His nostrils twitching gave away how thrilled he was.
But today, he could gloat all he wanted.
He'd earned it.
“Good work. Call me anytime you need me next time.”
Jin stuck up a thumb. Drandre's grin deepened.
Just solidifying his connection to a supernova prospect melted away the fatigue.
Drandre was happy today, too.
“...Heh, heh...”
Shoulders shaking, cackling like a villain. Jin passed him by, eyes landing on Kalifa.
“Where's Elina?”
“Over there.”
Her outstretched finger pointed to a private room divided by glass walls. Elina lay in a bed there, just like him.
Kalifa continued.
“Nasal bone fractured, multiple ribs broken. Aside from that, she's fine. For now.”
“...For now?”
At Jin's question, Kalifa pulled up a backless chair and sat at eye level.
“She's a rampaging psychic. Bet this wasn't her first time. What the hell were the people around her doing while it got this bad...”
“Hmm...”
Jin trailed off. Did she catch a whiff of something?
“You know something?”
“Ah, well—”
Kalifa asked, and Jin clutched his throbbing gut before speaking.
Naturally, it was all stuff he'd pieced together from what manic Malcolm had blabbed.
“...What?”
Even toned down, Kalifa's face twisted.
“Picked all the worst shit to do.”
“Told you I didn't fight that birdbrain for nothing?”
“...Yeah, plenty of reason.”
Kalifa muttered, eyes flicking between unconscious Elina and her vital signs monitor.
Then, slowly, she spoke.
“Psychokinesis that whipped a massive steel beam over 30 meters like taffy. Too many witnesses and evidence to hide it now.”
“So what happens?”
“City gov'll come calling.”
Jin blinked at the flat conclusion.
“...And then? Haul her off for torture? Crack her skull and slice the frontal lobe?”
“As if. She's too famous for that. Besides, they haven't cracked psychics with brute force like that in ages.”
Kalifa pressed Jin's shoulder with her fingertip as she spoke. He yelped in pain, flopping back onto the bed.
She crossed her sleek legs and continued.
“But management? Yeah, that'll happen. No denying she's a psychic with insane potential. Might even teach her control and scout her.”
“...Makes sense.”
Jin nodded.
No way the city gov was dumb enough to smash a glittering gemstone.
“Guess her idol career's toast?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. At least she didn't hurt innocents.”
Vague for Kalifa, but she was probably as unfamiliar with this as anyone.
Jin shrugged, knowing that.
“Eh, she'll figure it out.”
“Yeah. So focus on recovering. Family rotation. You didn't forget?”
“Course not.”
“Swing by the shop before you head out. Stay put and don't fuss till Mama says you're good.”
Kalifa stood, leaving her usual nagging.
She patted Jin's shoulder lightly, shoved Drandre—still chuckling—and headed out.
“......”
Finally alone, Jin stared at the ceiling.
“City gov, huh...”
Suddenly, he stretched for the bedside table, rummaging through his stuff.
Pulled out his comm and dialed somewhere.
“Hello? Uh, got something to talk about... Ow, drunk again?”
Elina's backstory was ordinary.
If you lowered the bar for "ordinary" to Area 40 standards.
Poor like everyone else, unhappy, lonely in the shadows.
What pulled her out was a fat bastard.
A big shot from Area 10 who waddled his bulk into the dive where she slaved as a scrub.
After screams galore and six sex-toy escorts smashed to bits, his rampage finally ended.
No one saw it coming when he spotted Elina mopping the floor and handed her his card.
She ignored the shop owner's whispers about grabbing this golden opportunity.
Just weighed her options inwardly.
Her alcoholic, violently abusive dad... or that mad pig.
Elina chose the pig.
Found out later he was a famous producer.
Around then, she realized her musical talent was top-tier.
After that, the usual story.
Forced to ink an unfair contract, worked day and night, beaten, hooked on drugs till she couldn't think straight...
And one day, boom—space.
Vast star ocean, no buildup.
Breath caught in her throat.
Overwhelming terror crashed like a tidal wave, screams bursting out.
Save me, get me out.
Thrashed till her throat tore, but her speck resistance changed nothing in that universe.
How much time passed?
As her parched heart crumbled to dust, Elina surrendered in despair...
Whoosh.
Warmth enveloped her.
How dramatic it felt.
How desperately missed.
Tears streaming, limbs flailing, Elina threw herself at the flame before her.
And hugged it tight.
“Guh!”
A choked metallic groan escaped Jin.
Elina had sprung up like a spring and locked her arms around his neck.
Well, what'd he expect, hanging around her bedside?
Beep beep beep—
Her heart monitor spiked wildly up-down, narrow left-right.
Next instant, cabinets around Elina crumpled inward.
So what now?
“Damn it!”
Even healer Mama panicked—what was he supposed to do?
Just like before, he grabbed her pale, clenched hand and ignited the flame.
And the result? This.
“Hey... why're you so strong...”
Like a standing guillotine choke.
No joke—vision spinning, Jin shoved her off with all his might.
The beautiful face meeting his...
Wasn't, really.
Her nose was busted and swollen.
Hmm, guess nose matters for guys and girls alike?
As Jin pondered...
Focus returning late, Elina startled.
“Y-you?”
Like folks with memory gaps from shock, the Q&A barrage started with "Where am I?"
Jin waved and explained frantically.
Your psychic awakening cut the show short, no casualties thank god, city gov's probably taking over, but I called in a solid favor with my connections.
Elina went quiet after hearing it all.
Just rolled her eyes with a complicated look, then bit her lip hard.
“...I remember now.”
Tears welled and streamed down. Jin flinched.
What, 'cause I roughed you up?
She did recall that, of course.
Awakened as a psychic, maybe?
Memories that were hers but not—long forgotten—replayed in reverse.
Even turning the producer and guard into red orbs, vivid as hell.
No guilt, naturally.
Just relief, over and over, that innocents hadn't died.
Problem was, Jin didn't know.
Her quiet sobs turned to childlike wailing. He leaned to the healer beside him, whispering harshly.
“...D-did I hit her too hard?!”
Mama blanked at the panicked falsetto, glanced between them, then smacked Jin's back and nodded at Elina.
“Hug her!”
“H-hug?”
“Yes!”
After their hushed exchange, Jin awkwardly embraced Elina.
Her face buried straight into his shoulder, like she'd been waiting.
“...S-sorry.”
Jin murmured it, feeling the heat soak in.
Awkward pats on the back.