Adam explained the blueprint he had created to the man.The man smiled. They were sitting on a broken wall."Huh… the doctor must've taught you a few things."
"Yeah…"Wait, how does he know the doctor? The gates never opened… AM didn't lie, right? Hey, Rehan—who is he?
[That man… no, he's still alive, huh.]
Just tell me.
[Sure, sure… he was absolutely daring. He came up with a method to go to the lower stratum, thinking he'd find something. Hohoho… Not realizing that most people died in warfare, slowly but surely, until only this stratum remained. Well, I'll tell you what he did… He jumped hundreds of kilometers off the edge of the stratum and climbed back up again—using only tools. There were others with him, but he was the only one who managed to climb back.]
I could guess from that… what was his name?[Simon Mortes.]
That's familiar… but I can't quite put my finger on it. Sigh.
The man continued, "Anyway, kid, you can call on me. I'll help as much as I can…"
What does he even want to do?
I ran back to the house we were staying in. Yuri was cleaning up. Yoku wasn't there."Oh, Yoku? I heard he went out a couple of hours ago."
Where could he be…? Out there talking to strangers about a short boy with orange hair…
I walked to the outskirts of the settlement.A young woman with a prosthetic leg came up to me and said, "Oh, that dear boy."She looked grateful, smiling."He saw I was missing a leg and gave me a prosthetic for it… ohh, he's so blessed."
I met many others who told me the same thing—things Yoku had done for them.I bumped into Kineki and Mino, who were with the kids."Hey! Don't stay too far!"
They waved at me, smiling. It warmed my heart. Oh, how cute…But then I remembered—Right. My job…
Still searching, I found a fighting arena hidden inside a broken metal hut. The walls were padded with steel and old roof tiles. I could hear sounds—fists hitting flesh.
I stepped inside.Yoku didn't come here… did he?I started sweating a little.
A bald man with crooked teeth and a steel leg looked at me."Hey, new guy. Coins for entry."
I sighed and handed him a power converter.He smirked, and I was shoved forward into the crowd.
Inside, I saw a gruesome fight—two people wearing makeshift gloves. One was about to beat the other to death.
I felt sick. Then, someone pointed at me."Oh! It's that guy—the rich one with the Kettenkrad!"
"Man, I'm so jealous."
I was confused.Why are they angry at me?
"Hey, stop—what are you—"They pushed me toward the center.
"Newcomers always get a free entry battle, right?"They laughed, mocking me.
Should I burn a hole into their foreheads? No, no… calm down. I still have things to do. What did I even do to them? I'm so…
"Yeah, yeah… humans…"
I stepped into the arena. It was caged with wire fencing.On the other side stood a large, skinny man. He had bruises all over his body and padding on his hands.
"Forgive me for this," he muttered.
Can I really judge all of humanity because of a few bad people mocking me and trying to corner me?Sigh. I really want to.
The man charged with surprising speed.I raised my arms to block. His punches landed over and over on my forearms.My ears rang. It hurt. A lot.Damn… I want to die.
I stepped back. I've fought before… but not like this.I was always the one being bullied in my world. My head was ringing.
The people laughed. They looked like animals, enjoying the show.
The skinny man shouted, "What are you doing?! Why are you so weak? Fight back!"
"Stop this! I don't wanna fight!"
He thought that was ridiculous. He struck my shoulders.Man… these people don't even know how to throw a punch.
I kept dodging slowly. But it still hurt.
"Why do we have to fight?" I asked.
"I don't know!" he yelled, still flailing wildly.
The difference between an educated fighter and someone who's just... not.
The crowd shouted from outside the cage."What are you doing, Rikkard?! Hit him!"
Scornful, angry.Truly, birds of the same feather.
Rikkard started doubting himself. Normally, fights like these were just brawls until one person gave up or got knocked out. But this guy… he kept moving.
He tried kicking me in the stomach. I awkwardly pulled his leg toward me, making him fall.
The crowd groaned, annoyed.Was the fight boring… or did they just want to see me beaten?
My head felt blank. I couldn't think.
Then a voice shouted, "That's it—hey guys, let's just beat him half to death!"
I froze.Is this really happening? Is this what it's come to?
I was furious.I wanted to kill them.But I didn't want to.
They picked up wooden sticks and steel rods.
I was curious… do they really have any humanity left? What even is humanity, if people can do this to others?I waited.
"Man, sigh… this guy… I bet he's never experienced pain in his whole life."A man in a torn white shirt and shorts stepped forward, steel rod in hand.
What do they think…?
And then, they struck me.The pain cracked through my hands.This was it.I let my arms fall.
One of them swung a black wooden stick. I stepped back.
"C'mon! That's it—run, weirdo! Beg!"
[Initiating.]
A drone burned through the leg of one of the men.
They screamed.
"An automaton!!"
They tried to attack it, but the drone shot again—aiming only at non-lethal points.Flesh melted.They couldn't bleed.
They screamed in pain, running.
I stood still, looking down.
If I hadn't had this thing from Yoku… I don't know what would've happened. I could've been beaten half to death.
Fury built inside me.
Confusion, too.Where was sympathy when I needed it?What was I even doing here again?
I knelt down on the dirt. It was silent.
[Adam… why didn't you—]
I was trying to find their hearts…But I found none.
That's fine.I've learned enough to know not all people are like that.
I'm so confused.Tired.
He looked on, watching as cockroaches swarmed in a single spot—unmoving, unaware—until a spider found them.It pounced, killing one.The others scattered without even glancing back to see if their own kind had survived.
Someone will always hate me for something I never did.Even if they call themselves good.How hypocritical.
[Adam… it's not your job to change who people are.]
...Silence.
Oh right. I'm looking for my friend.I stood up, left the arena, and continued toward the outskirts…
(breaking the forth wall for a second...)
> Notice: If you're reading this on any website other than Webnovel or Wattpad, this content has been copied without permission. Please support the original author on Webnovel.