Bad Born Blood Chapter 209

209
I wandered around Border City, following the addresses on the list of body technicians.

As I turned the corner, I saw a prosthetics clinic. The closed door had a sign saying it was closed. Judging by the fact that they even took holidays, they seemed to be making a decent living.

Uduk.

I broke the lock on the door with my fingers. As soon as the door opened, I strode inside.

“What the heck, what the heck, what the heck? Who are you!”

The owner of the clinic was startled and pointed his gun at me. He had a cybernetic prosthesis on his right arm.

“Hmm, is there any equipment that can perform full-body surgery? It’s decades old. They can barely do maintenance.”

I walked in casually and looked around the facilities inside. I didn’t show any signs of nervousness even at the gunpoint. In fact, there was really nothing to be nervous about.

The owner of the clinic narrowed his eyes while aiming his gun. He was quite quick-witted, having survived the bottom. He seemed to realize that if he messed with me, he would be the one to die.

“Throw me a credit chip or something big and I’ll tell you what I know.”

I like people who are quick-witted. Because they don’t have to say things in a long, painful way.

Druk.

I took out my credit card and placed it on the table. The owner of the parlor lowered his gun and put a cigarette in his mouth.

“I’m a non-smoker. I hate cigarette smoke.”

I said, snatching the cigarette from the owner of the parlor. The owner of the parlor muttered something.

“Actually, I’ve never done a full-body procedure before. As you can see, I’m not equipped for it.”

“I heard that they performed full-body prosthesis surgery here?”

According to Japha’s information, this was a place where full-body prosthetics were available. The owner of the clinic laughed at my question.

“Of course I have to go around bragging that I can do full-body prosthetics, so people will think I’m good. After all, people who really need full-body prosthetics won’t come to a place like this.”

“You’re a good businessman. But you wasted my time because of it. I suddenly feel bad about wasting my credit chip… … .”

I tried to check the next destination on the terminal screen.

“Hold on, hold on! If you’re looking for a full-body technician, I can check out the idiots for you. You can save yourself some time by getting rid of guys like me in advance. So… … .”

The owner of the salon glanced at the credit chip and rubbed his fingers.

… … It’s not like my money is going out anyway.

I took out another credit chip with the same amount and held it out.

Beep.

I manipulated the terminal to activate the built-in holographic lens.

Wheeing.

The list that Jafar had selected appeared in the air as a hologram, and a virtual interface was also formed.

Swish, swish.

The owner of the salon moved the hologram around and drew lines with his finger.

“This kid is getting a full-body prosthesis? You have to lie to some extent. Tsk, this guy is not only a full-body prosthesis, he’s also a retard who can’t even get a prosthetic arm done properly. He’s addicted to drugs and has tremors… … .”

The owner of the clinic skillfully compiled the list.

I crossed my arms and waited for the list to be sorted. The inside of the clinic was shabby, but it felt like a workspace. It seemed like they were doing their job properly.

“Is it possible to do business as a body shop in Border City?”

“It’s okay to make a living. Since demand is low, supply is not high either. New customers are rare. Since it’s hard to get high-quality prosthetics, many people question their reliability. It would be better if Accresia completely opened up the market. They have the best prosthetics technology.”

I felt proud for no reason as I listened to it. It is not easy to discard one’s origins and background.

“I understand that you don’t trust the prosthesis. Once you start using the prosthesis, you have to get it serviced and replaced periodically. The feeling of use can change just by changing the mechanic in charge. Especially with low-quality or used products, there are bound to be problems.”

“It is said that the new products of the Empire these days can last for years without maintenance or tuning as long as there is no physical damage.”

It was the same in the past, not just today. The high-end bodies worn by the nobility rarely had any problems even without external maintenance. Only the fierce yet delicate combat bodies required periodic maintenance.

“Then why don’t you go and live in the Empire? If you’re a prosthetic technician, wouldn’t you want to go?”

“Oh, that’s a joke. That’s not a place for people to live. It’s a place for machines.”

That’s right. I laughed too.

The owner of the clinic finished checking the list. He waved his hand widely and closed the hologram. The light streaming from the holographic lens of my terminal also stopped.

I left the clinic. I looked at the sky outside and saw that the sun was slowly setting. As darkness fell, the lights of Border City grew stronger.

I walked under the flashing signs and streetlights. Since it was a busy area, holographic advertisements were dizzyingly displayed.

Crunch! Boom!

I heard the sound of fighting. I looked into the alley.

“Bowl!”

I saw a crawler. Two crawlers were fighting. There was a bar right next to it, so it seemed like there was an altercation there.

Even the crawlers who have adapted to the city live as vagrants or gangsters. They are the type of people who are far from honest laborers.

‘Boyan… … .’

When I saw the crawlers, Boyan came to mind.

‘… … The guy’s condition seems to have improved a bit recently.’

Even if you don’t go looking for him, you often run into Boyan at the office. His face seems to have brightened up a bit recently. If he somehow solves his problem or finds a breakthrough, that’s great.

‘To be blunt, Boyan’s problem is not something I can solve.’

I was walking down the street and got hungry, so I went into a street stall that smelled good and sat down.

“Sir, it seems like this is our first time meeting, but our menu only features Jaffa Burgers.”

The man flipping the meat patty while smoking a cigarette said.

“It’s not Jafar, it’s Jafar?”

“It’s twice as good as that snakehead burger, so give it a try.”

I shrugged and ordered one. There were quite a few people coming and going, so business was going well.

The owner handed me a burger wrapped in a wrapper. I took the burger and slowly opened the wrapper. It looked no different from the Jaffa Burger. The smell was also very similar.

‘It’s not even half the price.’

If this tastes better, Jaffa Burger should be nervous too.

Well, well.

I bit into the burger, chewing it, concentrating on my taste buds.

I felt the shop owner’s gaze. It seemed as if he was expecting my reaction.

‘… … Amazing.’

The taste is similar, because the sauce is surprisingly similar to the Jaffa Burger.

But the meat patty had a particularly subtle texture. It was a bit chewy, like it had rubber in it, and I felt like I would get indigestion if I didn’t chew it hard.

“It doesn’t taste twice as good, but it’s half the price, so it’s worth it.”

“Hmm, I’ll be satisfied with that assessment for now, sir. In order to progress, a cool-headed assessment is also necessary.”

The shop owner chuckled. He must know that even he is inferior to Jaffa Burger.

I sat down and finished the rest of my burger. I was thirsty, but I didn’t really want to drink it because there were dead bugs and other debris floating in the bottle.

‘hmm?’

I stared at the shopkeeper’s back. A shadow was approaching from beyond the vendor’s tent. Judging by the figure, it was an Equusian.

“Hey, bow your head.”

I said, licking the sauce off my thumb.

“yes?”

The shopkeeper did not bow his head. Then a rough arm burst through the tent and grabbed the shopkeeper by the head.

Ugh, ugh.

Equusian appeared, tearing open the tent of the street vendor. He lifted the shopkeeper’s head with one hand.

The Equusian was wearing a familiar battle helmet.

-Luka, why are you here?

He recognized me too.

“It looks like everything is better, En.”

I spoke while sitting down. At the word yen, the shop owner began to tremble.

“Ja, Jafar’s hunting dog… … .”

-You know why I came, right?

En threw the shopkeeper to the floor and shook his hand. The Equusian’s physique was overwhelmingly larger than a human’s, and its muscles were as hard as iron, yet elastic. Like the Crawler, it was a natural warrior race.

“Well, I just sell it on the street… … .”

-The size doesn’t matter. You’re an industrial spy. Who did you find out the sauce recipe from? Well, you don’t have to tell me right now. I won’t be able to hold out without telling you anyway.

The shopkeeper’s face was stern. He tried to take the pistol out of his pocket.

‘You’re being stupid.’

Yen grabbed the shop owner’s hand and crushed it with just his strength.

Crunch, crunch!

When Yen took his hand away, the shop owner’s hand was crushed as if it had been crushed by a lump of iron.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh.”

The shopkeeper was crouching, holding his broken hand. He was desperately squeezing out tears and a runny nose.

“You’ve been busy running around since you recovered from your injury.”

I spoke to Yen. Yen was seriously injured and hospitalized during the raid on the Jafar compound.

-I heard you filled my void well. You’re quite good, human.

“Not really, but I’m better than you. You’re the one who’s taking on such trivial tasks.”

-Ha, ha, ha. I applaud your confidence. But it’s not a trivial matter. The leak of the sauce recipe is a serious enough problem that I need to step in. This idiot doesn’t seem to realize it.

Yen’s words would be right. Yen is a mercenary trusted by Jafar. I wouldn’t use Yen for something so unimportant.

‘How strong is the yen?’

I’ve always wondered, if you’re not as confident as you show me, I’ll be quite disappointed.

I have high expectations for the Equusian race. Among them, I wanted to see the skills of En, who is said to be strong.

‘To be exact, I want to fight.’

En stared at me intently, sensing my fighting spirit. The combat helmet covering his entire face was threatening.

-If you’re frustrated, don’t look at me. Put a credit chip around your neck and go inside. Women and gangsters will come after you.

“Good advice. Thank you. Then, finish your work, Jafar’s Hound.”

I stood up from my seat. I carried the owner of the Endo shop on my back and disappeared.

I continued walking down the street. There are many races in Border City. I even encountered races I had never heard of on the street. It was a completely different scene from the Empire.

‘Equusian.’

This was the race that caught my attention the most. Usually, races with excellent combat prowess are difficult to trust due to their excessive belligerence. Crawlers were no exception.

The Equusians had a cold-blooded collectivist nature. For a warrior race, they also had a relatively low crime rate. That’s why many races use them as mercenaries.

Ding, ding, ding, thud.

I heard music.

When I turned my head, I saw a group of teenagers of various races dancing in the square. It was a kind of street culture.

A pungent smoke, either from cigarettes or drugs, flowed out between them.

Normally I would just ignore them and pass by. But today something caught my eye.

‘Boyan?’

A crawler boy wearing a thick hood appeared. It could have been a mistake, as other races are difficult to distinguish.

At first, I thought I was seeing things wrong. But after looking at it a few times, it was Boyan. Boyan was nodding his head to the beat and hanging out with the delinquents.

“Umm… … .”

I rarely thought about it for a long time. Boyan also needs to have a stress outlet. But I wondered if it was the right thing to do here.

That might not be stress relief, it might be an escape.

‘In the end, it’s Boyan’s life. It’s not my place to interfere.’

… … I thought to myself, how many times have I left Boyan alone? Yes, I ran away with various excuses. I had a feeling that I shouldn’t run away today.

I walked to the square, scratching my head.

“Hey, old man. This isn’t a place for old men to hang out. The red-light district is over there.”

A boy who was resting on the outskirts pretended to be strong and blocked my path.

“haha.”

I burst out laughing.

This is why puppies are good. Those who have been rolling around in the back alleys for a long time are good at smelling the scent of the strong. However, for the young ones, pride was ahead of survival instinct.

Kwajik!

I kicked the bastard in the shin. The bone cracked cheerfully.

This is a lesson. If you know that you can die if you attack the strong, you will save your life later.

“fu*k!

A boy with a broken shin was calling out to his friends while shouting.