Bad Born Blood Chapter 213

213
Jin Ga-woo is one of the most unusual people I’ve ever met.

The head of the 4th Research Institute, Jin Ga-u, is the head of a research institute directly under the imperial family. He is a high-ranking official in the empire, and is so old that his entire body’s lifespan is reaching its limit.

Anyone who has reached that position in the Empire is bound to be cold and inorganic.

But Jin Ga-woo had a boyish side and a vitality that could be directed in any direction.

However, Jin Ga-woo was not a man who recklessly relied only on his own abilities. He acted freely, but did not go against the order of the empire.

‘The past me… …was once helped by Jin Ga-woo’s whims.’

Jin-ga-woo was not my enemy, but he was definitely not my friend.

‘Jingau will not suffer any loss for me.’

In a moment, a thousand thoughts crossed my mind.

The first words Jin Ga-woo uttered were just one.

‘… … It’s a sphere.’

At those words, my brain felt so hot that it felt like it was going to explode. It felt like firecrackers were going off inside my head.

Jin-ga-woo was looking at me with an incomprehensible smile.

I was wearing a mask now. Plus, I was bigger than before.

‘You won’t recognize me.’

I faced Jin Ga-woo in silence.

“Oh, when you say sphere, you mean that sword. I’ve seen the Hwagwang series at auctions before. I wanted one, but I don’t have the budget to buy toys. Can I take a look?”

Jin Ga-woo’s gaze stopped at the hilt of the Hwagwangye-do sword.

“I don’t want to hand over my sword to someone else so readily.”

“That’s probably how it is for most warriors. But don’t be so hard on me. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been able to get in. I asked Sigma-kun to let you in because I wanted to check out the Fire Series.”

As expected, my entry and exit were Jin Ga-woo’s doing.

Click.

I took the Hwagwangyedo off my body and handed it over to Jin Ga-woo. I tried to be careful not to reveal myself as much as possible.

Keying.

Jin Ga-woo pulled out his Hwagwangye-do. He awkwardly extended the blade forward and stared at it.

“It’s an artistic failure. But this is the true spirit of progress. Not trying because you can, but challenging and pursuing because you can’t.”

Jin Ga-woo swung his Hwagwangye-do here and there with a lively face. Untrained swordsmanship was extremely dangerous.

‘This man is still the same.’

It wouldn’t have been strange if Hwagwangyedo had escaped from Jin Gawoo’s grasp at any time.

“If this continues, you will destroy my lab.”

Sigma also showed his anxiety with an expressionless face.

“Haha, look! Sigma-kun! The blade is faintly glowing just from the friction of the air. It’s thanks to Ignium. The universe is vast and full of wonders. We’ve only seen specks of dust so far. Ah, why can’t I live forever!”

Jin-ga-woo spun around. At first glance, his limbs looked loose, like those of a drunk.

Queek!

Jin Ga-woo twisted his hand and missed the Hwagwangyedo. The Hwagwangyedo was flying towards a complex mechanical device.

Thud!

As I was preparing, I stretched out my arm and snatched the Hwagwangyedo.

“Is that enough now?”

I said, spinning the sword around. Jin Gau threw the scabbard he was holding in one hand at me.

Ssuk, ssuk.

I swung my sword in reverse and lined up the trajectory of the scabbard. The scabbard swallowed the blade cleanly.

“You’re talented, anonymous young man. I’m just a passing scientist. What about you?”

“I am a young man passing by.”

“You’re not a soldier? It seems like you’ve served in the military.”

Jin Ga-woo muttered. I cursed inwardly.

‘I can’t tell if you recognize me or not. This damn snake… … .’

Even with my intuition, it was difficult to know Jin Ga-woo’s true intentions. Even if he didn’t recognize me, he would say something like that.

“I didn’t come here to have a chat.”

I expressed my displeasure.

“Oh, you said you came for maintenance? Even though I’m not a member of Makina, I have some knowledge of prosthetics.”

Every word he said was hateful. It was as if he was determined to disturb me.

I wanted to be alone with Sigma. I had to get the full body prosthesis records, whether by blackmail or deal.

I felt irritated and my stomach churned.

Let’s be cool. Think rationally. I’m not the same Luca I was as a boy.

I’ve dealt with countless people like Jin Ga-woo. They pretend to know when they don’t. It’s just a trick to make the other person feel uneasy and make them tell the truth.

‘Jingau couldn’t have recognized me.’

It is true that Jin Ga-woo is interested in Hwagwang Yedo because of his personality, and he is good at joking. That is why he bragged about it as a friend.

It was a reasonable question to ask if he was a soldier. For the first time in a while, I was intoxicated with nostalgia for the empire and acted like a soldier.

Okay, I’m done organizing my thoughts. My mind is calm.

“Actually, the body maintenance is just an excuse. I came because I had other business to attend to.”

I said calmly.

Jin-ga-woo was smiling brightly, and Sigma was looking at me expressionlessly.

“Wow, Makina has become quite funny. Who would have thought that some rascal of unknown origin would lie to us and ask for a deal?”

Sigma’s pupils were glowing red. He distanced himself from me.

Jin Ga-u was also retreating due to the unusual atmosphere.

“Ahem, I guess it’s not my place to go any further.”

Still, Jin Ga-woo’s worldly wisdom was excellent. He tried to escape from this place.

I had no intention of missing out on Jin Gau.

“… … More than that, I’m curious as to why the director of the Imperial Research Institute is here. I heard that Deus Ex Machina is an organization that is at odds with the Imperial Family.”

Jin-ga-woo didn’t recognize me, so now it’s my turn to ask.

Towering.

Jin Ga-woo stopped moving and stared at me intently. He was still smiling, but the screen seemed to be frozen, without any movement.

Sigma also looked at me with a heavy look. They must be thinking about countless things.

‘For Jinga, a high-ranking official of the Empire, to be in contact with a Deus Ex Machina… … could be a personal secret meeting. Even if the Imperial Family condoned it, it wouldn’t be an honorable thing to do.’

Jin Ga-woo opened his lips, which had been mechanically still.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Then it seems I misjudged you.”

I’ve got the flow. This is my specialty.

Jin Ga-woo and I are the same human being, but our focus is so different that we could say we are biologically different species.

Jin Ga-woo is a human being belonging to the ruling class and the management. He is not a hunting dog that quickly follows the changing reality before his eyes.

People like Jin Ga-u are able to observe the distant past and read the big picture, but they lack the ability to smell the passing reality.

… … So to sum it up, I am a field worker and Jin Ga-woo is a manager.

It is always the job of the field staff to respond to unexpected variables and situations.

I can feel Jin-ga-woo’s agitation. I never imagined that I would meet someone who knows my face in Border City.

To Jin Ga-woo, I am an unknown being whose identity is unknown. Fear must be shaking him.

‘This is what Kinuan did to others.’

Digging into others without revealing your own information.

Information asymmetry gives you an advantage in negotiations.

I was sure that Jin-ga-woo didn’t recognize me. I was momentarily confused and perplexed by his speaking style.

“So, it’s not for body maintenance, but for some other purpose? Why did you enter the castle of such a dangerous machine?”

Jin Ga-woo asked me directly what I was thinking.

“This is a record of the full-body prosthesis procedure performed at Makina. It should be sufficient within about half a year.”

Jin-ga-woo stroked his chin and stared at Sigma as if asking for his opinion.

“You suddenly barged in and demanded my records… … I have nothing more to listen to. I will eliminate this unscrupulous intruder.”

“Just wait a moment, Sigma-kun. I have held high office in the Empire for over a century.”

Jin Ga-woo no longer hid the fact that he was the director of the research institute.

“There are many thugs like this in Border City. You don’t have to deal with them.”

Sigma frowned, showing a rare expression.

“You, who have been confined to the comfort of a machine and only studied, will not know. I had to protect my position in the midst of politics and power struggles. What saved my life each time was not rational thinking. It was an intuition that even I found difficult to understand.”

Jin-Gau rummaged through his coat pocket. He pulled out a pistol. Judging from the energy particles fluttering through the thin window of the barrel, it was not a live bullet, but an energy weapon.

“Right now, what… … .”

Sigma couldn’t finish his speech.

Wheezing, thud!

Jin-Gau pulled the trigger. Energy particles gathered at the muzzle and flew out in a sphere shape.

Sigma’s head was blown off. Although the projectile speed was slower than that of a normal gun, it was a very powerful weapon.

I watched Jin-Gau’s murder quietly. His energy pistol was a single-shot gun, and the energy cartridge fell down after a single shot.

Crunch.

Jin-Gau put the energy cartridge back in and handed me the gun.

“In a moment, blow off my arm with this. Then it will be easy to say that I was threatened. Now that the intruder is gone, let’s talk properly. You will be acting under His Majesty’s edict, so I will cooperate.”

Jin Ga-woo had excellent judgment, and for a high-ranking manager, he had the ability to take bold actions.

‘This man is not someone who has lived in the empire while laughing.’

Jin Ga-woo seemed to have some idea where I belonged. I also knew which unit he was talking about.

“I am under Captain Kartika. That is all I can say.”

“I knew it, Ilay Kartika. He’s an ambitious guy who’s been getting attention lately. Even I don’t know what he’s up to. Anyway, I knew he was going to be a big deal since he stabbed his best friend in the back of the head.”

Jin Ga-woo smiled broadly. A light streamed from his narrow eyes.

I kept Jin Ga-woo’s words in my head. Now is not the time to be emotional.

“Can you disable Machina’s security and guard devices? I want to get out without a hitch.”

“Leave that to me. I’ve already laid out a dummy in Sigma’s lab. It’ll look like they’re having a conversation in the control room.”

“As I said before, we need Makina’s full-body prosthesis records to carry out the mission.”

“It won’t be difficult. It’s not like it’s particularly confidential information.”

Jingawoo took out the terminal from Sigma’s body and manipulated it here and there.

“It would be better not to come into contact with Makina too often.”

I spoke casually and threw the chip for data transmission.

“I know, but these guys are funny. They show us what a house of cards is. They have grand beliefs and values, but in reality, they are nothing more than stubbornness that is out of touch with reality. They admire machines because they are flawed humans themselves. Their mechanistic foundation started from inferiority, not superiority. It is bound to collapse. Our goal should not be to abandon humanity, but to transcend it.”

“I don’t really know what the difference is between letting go and transcending. It sounds like a play on words to me.”

I realized I made a mistake while responding. If I put my personal opinion in, my identity might be revealed.

Jin-Gau worked silently. He put the data into the chip and handed it over to me.

“Are you done?”

“For now… … sleep!”

Before Jin-Gau could finish speaking, I quickly aimed the gun and pulled the trigger.

The spherical energy bullet blasted Jingawoo’s right arm beautifully. His right cheek and neck were also blackened by the energy.

“Ugh, ugh. Ugh. I haven’t even stopped feeling pain yet!”

Jin Gao staggered and got angry. It was a rare sight.

Somehow, it felt like a long-held stress was being relieved. I guess I had quite a bad feeling toward this person.