Chapter 253

Chapter 253

In the near future, Boyan’s eye level would rise above mine. He was already broader than me from side to side.  

‘Boyan, during his growth phase, took down a Crawler larger than himself.’  

This was something noteworthy. Boyan had never received combat training, and his physical potential had yet to be fully realized.  

‘First-rate talent.’  

If Regor saw Boyan now, would he be pleased? Or would he let out a hollow laugh? Perhaps, he’d be furious.  

Whish!  

Boyan’s eyes gleamed as he scanned the surroundings, as if checking for more prey to satisfy his thirst for violence.  

The exhilaration of his first experience didn’t subside easily.  

“Hey, even Yanaka?”  

When Boyan saw Yanaka, he seemed to snap back to his senses, startled, and quickly hid behind a round table. But he had grown so much that his entire outline was still visible.  

He might not have cared in front of me, but it seemed he found it embarrassing to reveal his raw savagery to Yanaka.  

The excitement faded from Boyan’s eyes, and the light of reason seeped back in.  

“If you’ve come to your senses, clean up. Two people are dead. In a place like this, the government won’t hold you accountable… but there’s a survivor who saw you. They’ll come for revenge.”  

“R-revenge? Wait, people died?”  

Boyan was acting like a fool. I had the urge to smack him hard on the back of his head.  

“If you’re worried about revenge, just kill them all. No witnesses, no one to pin it on you. Looks like you’ve sobered up, so I’ll take care of it. Just say the word. As your guardian, this much is nothing. Killing people is my specialty, after all.”  

I chuckled as I nudged the fallen gang members with my foot. Those still conscious trembled violently.  

“N-no need to kill them… I mean, I—killing people….”  

Boyan’s learned sense of morality belatedly surfaced.  

“We don’t know who’s behind these guys. It could be someone bigger than we expect. The backstreets are full of powerful people who’ve gone into hiding for various reasons. And just now, Yanaka’s face and name got sold. Your little night fire play might be over for good.”  

At the mention of Yanaka, Boyan’s expression shifted. For a moment, a murderous aura flickered around him.  

‘A Crawler’s growth sure is fast.’  

Boyan, now entering adolescence, was changing rapidly. His hormonal shifts were awakening his aggression.  

Yanaka quickly stepped between us, deliberately avoiding looking at the corpses.  

“You—don’t confuse Boyan by mixing lies with the truth. And you call yourself his guardian?”  

Yanaka pointed a finger at me, and I shrugged.  

“I didn’t lie, though.”

“My affiliation is with the Federal Government, while you and Boyan are under Jafa Corporation. If they try to retaliate, this entire gang will be wiped out.”  

Yanaka quickly turned her head toward Boyan before continuing.  

“You don’t have to worry. It’s not like you started a fight for no reason.”  

She was handling the situation smartly. I, too, lost interest and simply observed.  

Boyan went to the restroom in the corner of the shop, washing his hands, feet, and face to remove the bloodstains.  

Once we had finished cleaning up, we left the alley, leaving the collapsed gang members behind.  

Shiver, shiver.  

Now that the high from the fight had faded, Boyan was walking unsteadily. His fingertips and jaw, the extremities of his body, trembled.  

“Why did you fight? Weren’t you just there to buy the drugs?”  

I asked nonchalantly.  

“…They tricked me.”  

Boyan rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a pill. It seemed to be a stimulant he had bought from the shop.  

“They sold you a fake?”  

Boyan shook his head.  

“It’s a stimulant formulated for combat. They changed my order however they wanted and gave it to me instead. When I confronted them about it…”  

“So that’s how the fight broke out.”  

“Yeah. That drug… it made me feel strange.”  

I reached out and snatched the pill from Boyan’s grasp.  

Tuk.  

I tilted my head back and bit the pill in half, letting the powder spill into my mouth.  

“Luka?”  

Boyan looked flustered. I simply raised a hand to silence him.  

If it was a combat stimulant, the effects would kick in quickly. I was no stranger to heightened neurological awareness.  

Closing my eyes, I focused on the changes within me. Combat stimulants were designed to induce aggression. Crawlers and humans were different species, but their reactions to drugs were fundamentally similar.  

‘I should analyze the composition.’  

I observed my internal state as I considered the matter.  

“Don’t take this. I’m confiscating it.”  

I pocketed Boyan’s pills.  

Yanaka had brought other stimulants anyway, so he wouldn’t be running short anytime soon.  

I didn’t head straight back to Jafa Corporation’s headquarters. Instead, I stopped by Jafa Pizza No. 15, grabbing a bite and a drink.  

‘Is this really the time to be babysitting, Luka?’  

A voice of self-reproach nearly escaped my throat. I stared at a pizza with a whole roasted snake laid on top and took a sip of my soda.  

Munch, munch.  

Boyan was starving, devouring the pizza as if drinking it down, crunching the snake bones along with the meat.  

“Hey, bring another one. No, make it three more.”  

I raised my hand and placed the order with the staff.

Yanaka and Boyan chatted away like any other kids, catching up on recent events.  

“You’re not planning to come to the gatherings anymore?”  

“It’s hard to go. My body’s been feeling kind of weird lately…”  

Boyan sucked on his fingers as he spoke. His pupils flickered toward the kitchen for a moment—he was in a hurry to eat.  

Whoosh.  

I tossed a slice of pizza from my plate toward Boyan. He… didn’t even flinch, catching it in his mouth effortlessly. Impressive reflexes.  

“Just come when you’re feeling okay.”  

“I’ll try.”  

Boyan’s voice lacked confidence, but Yanaka frowned and pressed him firmly.  

“It’s not about trying. You have to come. I’ll get the drugs for you.”  

“Hospital meds are too weak to be of any use…”  

“These aren’t hospital meds. They’re high-purity stimulants, specially formulated for Crawlers by the Federation’s top elites. Way better than the shady backstreet stuff with unknown ingredients.”  

Yanaka handed Boyan the stimulant she originally intended for him. He took the pill with a doubtful expression.  

I listened to their conversation while sipping my drink through a straw.  

Boyan’s grades were improving steadily. He was drawing attention at school, partly due to his uniqueness as a Crawler.  

“You two have fun and crawl back home on your own. I’m heading out.”  

I got up from my seat.  

“Oh, if Luka’s leaving, then I—”  

Boyan tried to follow me, but Yanaka grabbed his wrist and pulled him back into his seat.  

Leaving them behind, I stepped out of the Jafa Pizza shop.  

—Snake, snake, snake…  

A song played from the speakers at the entrance.  

*         *         *  

I headed to Gaya’s clinic.  

I hadn’t expected to visit again now that Gabriel was gone, but life had a way of making fools out of our assumptions.  

“Are you here for a personal consultation? As you know, consultations are always by appointment.”  

Gaya looked at me in mild surprise as I arrived at the clinic entrance.  

“Consultation? Don’t joke. I know myself well enough.”  

“That’s what people like to believe. But thinking you know yourself is often an illusion. Even experts seek therapy from others when it comes to their own issues. The self and self-awareness are inherently subjective.”  

“Spare me the lecture, Doctor Gaya. This place is still a clinic, right? You must have some equipment lying around. And you’re an expert on drugs, aren’t you?”  

“I have the basics. People sometimes barge in after getting shot or losing limbs, demanding emergency surgery. To them, a clinic is a clinic, no matter what kind it is.”  

“So you do perform surgeries, then.”

"I did learn how. Besides, some of them would’ve died on the spot if I hadn’t treated them. Come in."  

Gaya turned around and walked down the clinic hallway. The loose white robe characteristic of the Holy Corite Alliance swayed as he moved.  

"Analyze the composition of this pill for me. It’s a stimulant-based compound."  

"Aren’t you quite the expert on drugs yourself?"  

"I am, but I want to be sure."  

"I do have a substance analyzer. It’s mainly for treating addicts—we need to know exactly what they’ve taken to provide proper treatment."  

Gaya entered a room filled with equipment. Clean white medical devices hummed faintly.  

"While I run the analysis, could you handle a visitor for me? I have an appointment scheduled soon."  

"Me?"  

"We have to help each other out."  

"It’s not like I can’t do it, but… are you seriously asking me to deal with a patient? Ah…"  

Gaya knew my personality well. I blinked a few times before speaking again.  

"…So, it’s someone I know. Anguis Regina is seeing you for a consultation, isn’t she?"  

At my guess, Gaya’s eyes widened slightly before he let out a laugh.  

"I didn’t expect you to figure it out so quickly. You really are something else."  

"Flattery won’t get you anything from me."  

Gaya placed the pill into the analyzer and manipulated the holographic interface.  

"Just keep Anguis Regina company for about fifteen minutes."  

I stared at Gaya.  

Sensing my gaze, he stared back as if asking why I was still standing there.  

"…Fine. Let’s help each other out."  

I stepped into the hallway and walked back to the clinic entrance.  

‘The analysis will run on its own, and he can check the results later. There’s no real need to make me greet Anguis Regina myself.’  

But I didn’t complain. A favor for a favor.  

‘Gaya must think that me meeting Anguis Regina will be beneficial to her treatment.’  

After waiting at the entrance for a few minutes, someone rang the doorbell.  

I opened the door and greeted Anguis Regina.  

"You? Why are you here?"  

She stood there, dressed in an outfit that covered most of her body. A hat was pulled low over her face, and a mask hid her lower jaw.  

"Just a one-day part-time job. Dr. Gaya is a bit busy and will be late."  

"Hah… haha."  

Anguis Regina let out a dry laugh and stepped inside.  

Step, step.  

Her footsteps down the hallway were calm and steady.  

"What about the girl who was with you?"

Anguis Regina spoke first.  

“Boyan is hanging out with her.”  

“Boyan’s girlfriend? She was cute.”  

“Girlfriend? Come on, he’s a Crawler, and she’s human.”  

“You’re surprisingly prejudiced.”  

“It’s not prejudice. It’s common sense.”  

“That is prejudice.”  

We exchanged light banter as we entered the consultation room. It had a warm, comfortable atmosphere.  

“Gaya will be here soon. I’ll keep you company until then.”  

I sat down on the sofa first and poured myself a glass of water.  

“You’re being oddly nice today. Did you eat something bad?”  

Anguis Regina took off her coat and hung it on the rack. Beneath the heavy outerwear, she was wearing a rather revealing outfit.  

“You’re a patient. And Jafa is in critical condition, so you must be worried.”  

“Jafa being badly injured was definitely a shock. But it’s not something I need therapy for. I’ve worked with Jafa for a long time. Worse things have happened.”  

Anguis Regina walked over confidently and sat next to me—ignoring the open seat across from me and choosing to sit right beside me instead.  

“Then what is it?”  

“I need to know my past more clearly. Lately, I’ve realized that my memories aren’t intact. It’s time to correct the distortions. With Jafa unconscious, now is my chance.”  

I recalled the memory simulation I had seen of Jafa’s past.  

‘Anguis Regina only remembers killing her father with her own hands. But she’s forgotten the details and circumstances. Especially the fact that Paolo was an abnormal person.’  

I took a sip of water, feeling a bit uneasy, and spoke.  

“What exactly do you think is distorted?”  

“In my memory, my father was kind. But now I have doubts about that. I always thought I hated Jafa for taking my mother’s place… but that doesn’t feel right either.”

The memories I had seen from Jafa didn’t match Anguis Regina’s testimony.  

‘Paolo Kwan was one of the most deranged psychopaths I’ve ever come across. Jafa and Anguis Regina were genuinely close, like a real mother and daughter. The reason Anguis Regina killed Paolo was to protect Jafa from her psychotic father.’  

I didn’t know what to say, so I just kept drinking my water. This was something Jafa had to decide for herself. It wasn’t my place to interfere in someone else’s family matters.  

Tuk.  

Anguis Regina’s slender hand touched my thigh.  

I frowned and looked at her.  

“Unless you’re trying to test my patience, move your hand and sit over there.”  

Anguis Regina was smiling. But soon, that smile crumbled into tears.  

Drip. Drip.  

Large teardrops rolled down her face as she stared at me.  

“Luka… I’m scared of everything. The truth, Jafa, the world, Kinuan. Sometimes I feel like I’ve been abandoned, like I’m plummeting endlessly, my chest sinking over and over again. It’s a despair so crushing that I’d rather go mad than endure it. If being sane means feeling like this, then I’d rather lose my mind.”  

…Her madness was both a refuge and a mask to protect herself.  

‘Damn it.’  

I fought the impulse to pull her into an embrace. Instead, I carefully pushed her hand away.  

“Don’t be stupid. I’m not someone you can rely on. I’m just as unstable as you are.”  

“I know. That’s why I think we can hold each other up.”  

I didn’t answer.  

An uncomfortable silence stretched between us.  

Damn it, where the hell was Dr. Gaya? It had been well over fifteen minutes.

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