Bad Born Blood Chapter 338

338
I finished checking my equipment and went out the door.

Before the hallway ended, I had put on my transformable combat helmet, pressing the back of my neck against it.

‘The industrial area occupied by Francek.’

I passed the square and shopping district of the industrial area. Naturally, the streets were deserted and chilly. Only the wealthy, such as factory owners, and the military occasionally used the shopping district. Citizens and workers were almost invisible.

‘In effect, martial law has been declared, so anything other than essential livelihood activities must be permitted.’

Soldiers on patrol were seen in every alley. Even in remote areas, drones and androids were seen roaming around.

Beep, beep.

A patrol drone the size of a human head approached and stopped at my eye level.

-Your identity is being verified.

I stood still and submitted to the identity check.

Wheeing.

The drone confirmed my identity and then hovered over me and disappeared.

Since I have a fake officer ID that Illei has entered, neither soldiers nor drones from the Francek camp can interfere with me.

Clang, clang, thud!

The sound of machines and metal meshing could be heard from above. Anti-aircraft guns and defensive installations were being installed throughout the industrial area.

I walked under the loud noise. Soon I reached the outskirts of the industrial area.

On the outskirts, checkpoints and security were much tighter. Even a small drone would have a hard time getting through.

I stopped walking near the checkpoint.

bang-!

There was gunfire ahead. It wasn’t combat.

A soldier was pointing a gun at a worker after a problem with the security checkpoint.

“I, I’ve been working here for over ten years. Oh, shit, my pass, no, where did it go?”

The worker fidgeted. He searched through his old bag and found a lot of junk.

The soldiers conducting the inspection also looked at each other with troubled expressions.

Thud, thud.

Soon a non-commissioned officer wearing command epaulettes came out from inside and again confirmed the worker’s identity.

“Your name and face are not on the factory entry list you mentioned. If you worked there for ten years, there would have been some kind of record.”

The sergeant spoke, tapping on a heavy military terminal.

“Not everyone is a regular worker! Damn it, do you know what happened to the prices in the city because of you guys? I’ve been absent for days! If I don’t work today, my family will be out on the streets starting tomorrow! You want me to go out on the streets in this situation? Just shoot me here and kill me! Damn it!”

The worker screamed. His clothes were tattered and his appearance was shabby, and his eyes were large, making him look even more pitiful. He was a low-class worker who naturally evoked sympathy.

The commotion around them grew louder. Some people even picked up their devices and filmed them.

“Photography is prohibited! Turn off your terminal immediately… … .”

The soldiers aimed their rifles in all directions. Surprisingly, the workers were not afraid and continued filming.

‘The deadlock has lasted so long that the soldiers must know that they cannot easily shoot at them.’

In the current standoff, public support and public opinion are extremely important. In particular, the support of the lower classes is important to the Franciscan side, so they cannot attack civilians recklessly.

“Wow, wow, wow!”

“Is it such an unreasonable request to ask for something to eat, let alone a job?”

“Then at least give them free rations! You damn kids! Are you saying all you have to do is pick up a gun? We’re the ones who made that!”

The atmosphere was tense. Workers were throwing trash at soldiers. This would be unthinkable in normal times.

The noncommissioned officer tried to communicate with his superiors in a difficult manner. However, for some reason, the communication did not seem to work right away.

‘War is so cunning.’

I twisted my lips and watched.

The situation deteriorated rapidly in a matter of minutes. The checkpoint was backed up like a traffic jam, and the workers were heckling.

The situation was such that the non-commissioned officer in charge of the scene had to make a decision on his own. As a mere junior commander, he was at a loss and didn’t know what to do.

“Sergeant, shouldn’t we get him through before things get worse? I remember that man’s face. I’ve seen him pass through here a few times.”

A soldier approached the sergeant and said, and the sergeant’s face lit up as soon as he heard those words.

“Oh, really? No, you should have said that a long time ago! You kept your mouth shut until this happened?”

“If I do that, I’ll end up having to take responsibility for it.”

“Ha, really.”

The NCO hit the back of the head of the soldier who helped him. The situation soon calmed down after the problematic worker was sent to the industrial area.

The previously blocked security checkpoints were back to normal. It seemed like just a minor disturbance that happened occasionally.

‘I know, it’s obvious.’

I followed the worker who had been stopped at the security checkpoint. He seemed to be heading to the factory with the other workers, but he soon disappeared into an alley.

‘The movements of a trained person, as expected… … .’

The situation was clear. The worker whose identity could not be verified was a spy sent by Ivan’s side.

Even if the author had failed to pass the checkpoint, public opinion on the Franciscan side would have been bad, and if he had passed, he would have operated within the industrial zone and carried out internal manipulation.

‘There are more than a few spies on both sides.’

It was a civil war from the beginning. It was often difficult to tell who was friend and foe, and since people’s minds are always swayed, today’s comrades could turn into enemies tomorrow.

‘The soldier who reported that he knew the worker’s face earlier must also be a spy. There were also many wind catchers among the crowd.’

Those who were acting as wind catchers turned around and ran away before they could even be checked.

‘It would be difficult to constantly deploy excellent soldiers at every checkpoint. There are many spies even within the military.’

The longer the deadlock continues, the more unclear the identification of the enemy becomes and the more confusion there becomes. If even one incident occurs, the industrial complex will soon come to a halt and be placed under complete control.

It was like a glass on the verge of overflowing. The waves of chaos reached the threshold of violence.

‘If you haven’t seen it, you wouldn’t know, but if you have, you can’t just ignore it.’

A spy disguised as a worker was crouching in an alley, looking left and right.

I walked quietly and stealthily, even with my heavy body.

Swish.

My shadow fell over the spy’s head. He flinched, and that was his last moment.

Ugh!

I absentmindedly wrapped my arms around the spy’s head and twisted it. It’s easy to destroy a living body.

Phew!

I stepped on the spy’s head and broke his brain. Confirming facts is basic on the battlefield.

‘war.’

In war, human lives are numbers, and individual deaths are a very trivial matter.

If a full-blown conflict were to occur, tens of thousands of lives would literally evaporate. So much so that society would be shaken and transformed.

‘A civil war that took Akbaran as a battlefield.’

It was a situation where it was difficult for anyone to move easily.

‘You’re smart, Ilay.’

It is Ille who benefits from the deadlock of Daechi.

Without realizing it, my consciousness was entering a state of combat. My soldier’s instincts were running high.

My heart was infinitely frozen. And my whole body was trembling as if I was wearing a garment of violence.

Even as time passed, the instinct imprinted on me as a weapon of war remained intact. It did not dull.

I was trained for this situation. The Guard can handle special warfare as well as field command. It is a universal key that can be inserted into any position within the military organization and works smoothly.

Even now, I have discovered and eliminated spies.

Once the perception of the ‘enemy’ arose, the aversion to killing decreased and I even found it enjoyable.

Well, how long are you going to think like this, Luca?

“I’m not a teenager… … .”

I shook my hands and left the place. As I always think, there is no right answer to my inner conflict.

So I just do what I can from where I am now. I don’t want to be a great hero.

* * *

Akbaran is the heart of the empire, and most of the major industries are centered here.

The industrial area occupied by the Franciscan faction was part of Akbaran, but it was a controllable size.

On the other hand, the area that Ivan had to deal with was incomparably larger than the industrial area. In particular, the large lower area was largely under the control of Francek, and was practically abandoned as a surveillance posture.

Ivan seemed to have concentrated all his manpower and resources in the upper areas.

Thud, thud.

I walked through the lower district I missed.

In the lower-class areas, gangs often act as vigilantes, so security is no different than before. Petty crimes are still common, but serious crimes are rare.

‘When I was young, I used to look up at the upper floors. I thought it was heaven, where the nobles and the rich lived without any worries.’

I hated life in the lower class so much that I desperately tried to stand on the same level as the people in the upper class.

But I didn’t belong anywhere. I was too arrogant to belong to the upper class, and too humble to belong to the lower class.

‘It’s not as lively here as it used to be. There’s a certain atmosphere to the city… ‘

I walked and walked. The lower areas are frequently expanded and remodeled, so the roads change frequently.

Still, the broad categories of the lower districts remained unchanged. Familiar buildings and streets appeared one by one, and their outlines became clear.

I entered the pleasure district. I braced myself for outrageous advertisements, but it was quiet.

The red-light district in my memory was covered in holograms of all sorts of s*xually suggestive advertisements, to the point where it was hard to see ahead.

Even though it was the street of desire, it was quiet at the moment. However, human desire is not limited by time, so there were still many people who visited the store while keeping an eye on the situation.

I visited a large-scale sales office.

“Customer, this is not a place for you to come in armed. Please take off your helmet first.”

A member of the La Vie en Rose gang stopped me. He had a rose tattoo on his shoulder.

‘A gang centered around pros**tutes from the red-light district.’

They were also a vigilante group for pros**tutes.

“Is Grace still in the gang? If she is, tell her that Gabriel came looking for her.”

The gang’s eyebrows rose fiercely.

“Hey, who dares to call someone’s name like that? Do you want to die? I told you to take off your helmet first… … .”

Okay, this is my hometown. I’m already laughing.

I grabbed the finger of the swearing gangster and twisted it. He writhed and kicked his feet.

“… … Kkeuuuuk, keuuk, keuuup.”

“Grace is your problem solver. You don’t need to call her. Just tell her that Gabrielle is here.”

I put my finger in the gangster’s mouth and grabbed his tongue. The muscle fibers in his tongue were snapping and breaking.

“Woo-boo-boo-boo-up, bu-eue-eue.”

The gang nodded, banging on the wall and shedding tears.

After letting go of Gang, I waited for Grace with my arms crossed. Gang watched me closely and communicated with his superiors.

A short time passed.

Crack, crack.

There was a sound of high heels. It was a little different from the Grace I knew.

The boss of La Vie en Rose is Martina Diva, and her close associate and action leader is Grace.

Grace is a former Royal Guard cadet. She was an excellent warrior, even if she didn’t graduate. She usually wears comfortable shoes and doesn’t make much noise when she moves.

Swish.

I turned my head and stared into the dark alley. There was a woman who was both unfamiliar and familiar.

“Grace… … .”

Grace was wearing a dress embroidered with blue dragons. Her shoes had high heels, emphasizing the shape of her legs.

“… … You’re a diva.”

I’m done talking.

Grace inherited the boss of La Vie en Rose, ‘Diva’. If not, she wouldn’t wear dresses or put on makeup.

Grace exhaled through her lips, which were covered in purple makeup. The blindfold over her left eye was still there.

“I thought you were small for Gabriel, but it’s you, my young master of memories.”

Grace motioned for the gang to go. The gang looked around and went into another building.

“Martina?”

I asked straight away about the situation.

“He died.”

“Who killed him?”

Grace gave a short laugh.

“It was natural death due to old age. It had been about three months. He passed away peacefully in his bed while sleeping. He had been on and off since last year.”

Martina rose to fame by dominating some of the lower classes and eventually enjoyed a long life.

“It’s mutual.”

… … Honestly, I’m jealous. How many people can lie in bed and die on this floor?