087
I spent my time in my room in the Custoria mansion.
As expected from a military family, there was a training facility in the room. I slowly pulled myself up while holding the horizontal bar with one hand.
Swish.
Without even a single bounce, I turned my body upside down with just my left arm. Since my torso was a living thing, my stomach and back muscles felt like they were going to snap.
Soon, my body and toes became perpendicular to the ground. I stopped moving like a machine and maintained my posture.
“Phew.”
I exhaled, counting the numbers in my head.
Bam.
I pushed the bar with my left hand and lowered my body. Meanwhile, I held the bar with my left arm and stretched out my right arm to grab the bar. Now it was time to come down.
I descended to the floor like a clock hand, with my right arm stretched out firmly as an axis. Even my descent was slow, as if it was free from the influence of gravity.
widely.
I landed neatly on the floor with my feet down.
After checking my ability to perform the movement, I wiped the sweat flowing down my body with a towel.
Today’s condition was good. Balance and control were excellent. This means that the nervous system’s coupling status and signal feedback level were good.
If the condition had been even slightly worse, it would have shaken greatly or fallen over.
‘The body as if it were a living thing.’
You need to be able to use your cybernetic body as if it were your natural body. This is the training for that.
I took a fighting stance and swung my upper body from side to side. I gained some elasticity and extended my fist.
Whoosh!
The heavy prosthetic arm moved quickly. The complex parts that made up the prosthetic arm responded organically to the signals from my brain, meshing together.
Kiing, kieeeeing!
Cybernetic bodies have more parts and are much more complex in structure than androids. That’s why it’s difficult to install artificial intelligence in cybernetic bodies. If artificial intelligence uses a cybernetic body, errors or malfunctions will occur quickly.
The reason for the error is simple. Cybernetic bodies are imitations of human biological bodies. Therefore, they can only be handled through the human brain nervous system.
Although artificial intelligence has made remarkable progress in certain fields, it falls short of the human brain in terms of general purpose due to fundamental structural differences.
‘Our brain is still the most powerful computer. If there is a computer or artificial intelligence somewhere that is more powerful than our biological brain… … it would not be a creation of humans.’
This is also something I heard from Illei. The idea that it could exist if it wasn’t a human creation was a subtle reference to the Arcane civilization.
Bam!
The marble floor cracked beneath my outstretched feet. I was distracted and over-powered. This was also a mistake that a computer or artificial intelligence would not make.
“Well, that’s it.”
I talked to myself and controlled my breathing.
It is important not to skip training every day. Fighting power does not suddenly increase one day. It is the crystallization of efforts and sweat that have been steadily accumulated. Just because you decide to become stronger, you cannot become stronger overnight.
Even if you pay a lot of money to get a better body, you can’t use it properly without training and effort. This has been proven countless times in real life.
… … And today, there is a reason why I am talking to myself in such detail.
‘Jupe is really taking on a meaningless challenge.’
I put on my coat and left the room. Today’s schedule flashed on my retina.
-Duel with Jupe Custoria.
It was supposed to be there in 20 minutes.
‘Jupe emptied all his assets and bought a new, state-of-the-art combat suit… ‘
There was no reason to refuse, and if I had refused, some people would have whispered that I was scared.
Any true combat expert would know the difference between me and Jupe, but most people are just laymen.
‘Jupe is also a soldier. Do you not understand the difference in our abilities? Or do you have some faith in him?’
The duel with Jupe was a minor incident for me.
“Ah, Master. You’re awake. I heard a noise earlier… … .”
A servant passed by my door and spoke to me.
“I accidentally broke the floor.”
“I see. I’ll fix it.”
The servant bowed his head deeply.
I walked down the hallway and stared at Heilas’ study. Heilas didn’t come out of it.
‘According to Barbara’s information, it was Bao Zakannan who planned and instigated the assassination of Nikolaos while conspiring with Nemesis.’
Bao Zakanaan is a high-ranking official of the Empire.
His position was something like Chief Secretary of the Information Security Department, and it was definitely a fairly high position, even if it was lower than the captain of the guards. It wasn’t a position you could just go and question him about.
‘It must be complicated. Especially since Heilas is a very cautious person.’
There was also a possibility that Barbara’s information was false.
‘And the Empire may be pretending not to know that Bao Zakannan is a traitor, even though it knows it, for the sake of a larger plan in the future.’
There are countless plans in the empire that Heilas doesn’t know about. If Heilas were to interrogate Bao Zakanaan and reveal that he is a traitor, the plan prepared by the higher-ups could fall apart.
‘The Empire… is so intricately intertwined that even the captain of the guard cannot move as he pleases.’
If you move rashly, you could become a ‘traitor’.
I felt a chill down my spine.
‘I am a cadet of the Royal Guard and the adopted son of the Custoria family.’
But there were other unofficial positions as well. Suddenly, my body trembled.
‘Akis Domini, the Emperor’s Watcher.’
Sooner or later I will have to report everything that has happened to Kinuan.
‘If I report, the private mission that the Custoria family tried to hide from the Empire… … will reach the Imperial Family’s ears.’
I too was part of the Empire’s surveillance system.
‘The Empire sees and hears everything.’
Maybe he knows every detail about my and Iley’s deviations.
… … To be honest, the more I learned, the more scared I became. If it were oppression through force and violence, I wouldn’t be this scared.
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The power of the empire did not come from oppression and violence, but from thorough surveillance and control.
It was even unclear who was an ally and who was an enemy. Those who were trusted were traitors, and those who were enemies were allies. Such information disruption and disguise would be commonplace in the empire.
Only the Emperor could see through the truth of all the events that occurred in the empire.
While I was thinking about something important, something trivial came into view.
I arrived at the training room of the Custoria family. Jupe was waiting for me, warming up. Jupe’s followers were standing around him.
“Luka, thank you for listening to my brother’s unreasonable request.”
“You say it’s too much? I also wanted to have a time like this with my brother.”
I’m not saying this out of politeness. I just wanted to make the power gap clear.
Boom, boom.
I lightly rolled my feet. The synthetic metal floor had good bounce.
The Custoria family’s training facilities were just as good as the Royal Guard’s. The floor was made of metal, so it wouldn’t break even if I jumped with all my might, and the ceiling was as high as a two-story building, so I couldn’t hit my head even if I jumped.
Groan, grumble.
People were gathering in the training room.
My adoptive mother, Eva Custoria, was also present. She was quietly watching us. Her eyes were sad, but the look in her pupils was always cold.
I really felt uncomfortable with Eva. I didn’t feel any kind of connection with her. She was such a distant stranger to me. I was more comfortable and attached to Jupe, who I bumped into every time.
Kiiing, king!
There was a loud noise. Jupe repeatedly increased and decreased the output as if showing off his new body.
‘A combat suit that exquisitely draws out performance to the point of nervous system overload.’
It seemed to have been finely tuned to the point of being precarious. It was something only a wealthy noble could do.
Kang!
Jupe stepped forward and clashed his fists. The artificial skin on the back of his hand tore and sparks flew.
“Luka, are you ready?”
Jupe laughed ferociously, revealing his teeth.
“Anytime you want, hyung.”
I also walked to the center of the training room. My body had been sufficiently relaxed earlier. My nervous system was fully activated, and my senses were at their peak.
We took our stances and closed the distance. I observed Jupe.
‘Jupe uses a formal fighting style that is faithful to the basics. He seems to have trained steadily, so he feels solid.’
You could tell just from his posture that Jupe wasn’t a lazy person. He seemed to be working hard in his own way.
Kiing!
Our hands and feet moved. At first, it was a light exchange of offense and defense.
‘The speed control is top-notch, and the brakes are applied clearly at the end of each movement. At this level, you can call him a soldier of the empire.’
I looked at Jupe’s movements coolly.
Whirl!
As the battle progressed smoothly, it gradually became faster. Sooner or later, one of the two would not be able to keep up with the flow. Of course, I would be able to keep up.
Kiiing!
Jupe has increased the body output.
Ka-Ang!
There was a loud noise every time the prosthetic arm and leg collided.
Whoosh!
I saw a fist flying towards my face. I ducked my head to dodge.
Jupe targeted my weak points, my living parts. Unlike Jupe, who is a full-body robot, my head and torso are living. If I’m not careful, I could die in one hit or become incapacitated.
‘That’s a wise decision, Jupe. I won’t let this be a sparring match.’
You have to attack me with this much tenacity to slightly increase your chances of defeating me.
‘There is a reason why you challenged me.’
Jupe had the skills to easily defeat 1st and 2nd year Royal Guard cadets. Judging from the output and performance of his well-tuned combat body, he was on par with cadets who were about to graduate.
‘But that’s it.’
Jupe has a fatal weakness: he lacks real-world experience. He will quickly crumble in unfamiliar situations or actions.
‘I’ve played with you enough.’
Unfortunately, the blade that Jupe had painstakingly sharpened and polished was too dull to reach the nape of my neck.
It was time to inform the young master of a prestigious family about the reality.
I looked into Jupe’s eyes and pretended to extend my fist. His shoulders flinched. It was a defensive preparation.
But my real attack is down.
widely!
I kicked Jupe’s ankle without even looking. It’s a basic trick to steal his gaze and attack from a blind spot.
“Ugh!”
Jupe stumbled and fell. He was not in full control of his body, so he fell even from such attacks.
I waited for Jupe to wake up.
“Ouch.”
Jupe jumped up and opened his eyes wide. As if he was preparing himself, his entire body let out a loud noise that was almost a scream. The vibration was visible.
I also stopped moving as if I was in sync. I slightly avoided Jupe’s attacks and pushed him with my shoulder. I quickly threw a punch at the point where his balance collapsed.
My fist struck Jupe’s chest.
Kwajik!
Only metal fragments flew out of Jupe’s chest. My fist didn’t go in deep. This surprised me too.
‘Is the latest model the latest model?’
It’s worth it for the defensive power.
“Eww-!!”
Jupe thought this was the moment and grabbed my arm, trying to throw me to the floor.
Kiiing!
I acted faster than I thought, in an instant. It was a fighting instinct engraved through practice and training.
Whirl!
There must have been few people in this room who immediately realized what had happened. I turned around and put my arms around Jupe’s neck.
Kkwaduk!
And then it breaks. There was no need for the movements to be flashy. The parts twisted and the spine misaligned, making a sound. Since it was a full-body prosthesis, even if the neck broke, it wouldn’t be life-threatening.
I took a step back after snapping Jupe’s neck. Soon Jupe would fall over and collapse.
But my expectations were far off.
Whoosh!
Jupe’s fist passed right in front of my nose. If my reflexes hadn’t been as good as mine, my head would’ve exploded.
I was embarrassed to let my guard down. You still have a long way to go, Luca.
“Whew, whoosh.”
Jupe stood with his neck half-broken.
“Hmm, it has… many functions. I want one too.”
I muttered in admiration. I wasn’t being sarcastic, I was being genuine.
It seemed that Jupe’s prosthesis had an organ that sent nervous system signals through a different route than the artificial spine. If it had such a function, it would be one more way to reverse an unfavorable situation.
Creak, creak.
An unpleasant noise came from Jupe. Moving his neck did not return it to its original position.
“Ah, it’s not over yet, Lu, Luca.”
Jupe’s entire body was in marked decline. The auxiliary nervous system was only a stopgap measure.
The murmurs around grew louder. Even Jupe’s followers looked pale.
We are originally human. No matter how much of a machine body it is, no one likes to see something that deviates from the ‘human form’.
Other people might find Jupe’s appearance, which still doesn’t give up, bizarre.
“That’s enough! Let’s stop here for today, sons.”
Eva, who couldn’t stand to watch, stepped forward.
Eva winked at Jupe’s followers and told them to hurry up and move on. If they fight like that any longer, Jupe’s reputation will suffer.
“Luka, seeing you in person, your skills are even more amazing. It makes me feel better to know that you are helping your father with those skills. He is getting old too… … .”
Eva came to me and said, and to my surprise she hugged me so deeply that our chests almost touched. It seemed like an affectionate gesture on the surface.
“… … But that’s it. No more. You’re smart, so I believe you know what I’m talking about.”
A sweet voice clung to my ears, sticky. It was Eva’s warning.
The reason I always felt distant from Eva was simple. She didn’t think of me as family. She didn’t even think of me as a rival.
Father Heilas, the dead Nicholas, the jealous Jupe, and Giselle. They considered me an insider, whether they liked it or not.
But to Eva Custoria, I was just an outsider. She didn’t acknowledge me.
