Chapter 9: Mechanical Education
In an alley somewhere, a couple walked home together with their young son when they suddenly encountered two dangerous thugs lurking in the gloomy shadows ahead.
The armed man in front of them pointed a gun directly at the couple, who immediately shielded their son protectively behind them.
"You've been put on a bounty by someone," the man stated coldly.
"Please, let us go!" The boy's father pleaded desperately, recognizing the person standing before him. "I saved you before when you needed help."
"Hmph, that's not up to you anymore!" The criminal glanced over at the boy's mother with interest. "So beautiful indeed. She'd be perfect to sell to the big boss for profit."
"That's impossible!" The boy's father tried to resist the threat.
In the very next second, the man fired his weapon without any hesitation. The bullet struck him directly in the chest, and he fell backward into a pool of his own blood.
The boy watched helplessly as his father fell while his mother reached out futilely with both hands, trying desperately to stop the criminal from shooting the boy next.
But the criminal suddenly saw the white stone necklace hanging on the woman's neck, reached out quickly, and ripped it off forcefully. The precious stones were scattered everywhere across the ground.
The woman flailed her hands wildly, scratching the criminal's face with her nails. With a hint of despair filling her voice, she screamed, "Wayne, run away now!"
Then the criminal fired again without mercy. The woman's chest was shot through completely. She fell to the ground beside her beloved, looking at her dead husband.
Wayne turned around and ran quickly in another direction. The other thug standing behind him grabbed the boy directly and pinned him down firmly.
"He'll fetch a good price at market." The criminal grinned wickedly at the young boy. "I heard there's a wealthy family that likes young boys specifically."
Under the dim light above, Wayne looked up at the dark sky, praying desperately for a savior to arrive, praying earnestly for justice to come.
But no one responded to his calls.
"Justice? Help somebody, anyone, please help my father, my mother. He saved you, show some mercy, PLEASSEEEE?" Wayne shouted loudly into the night.
Yet those who heard him in the distance ignored the tragedy unfolding before them. Such misery and violence had occurred too many times in this corrupt world.
The man felt Wayne was shouting too much and too loudly, so he casually slapped him hard, cutting off his desperate cries.
The boy covered his injured face, feeling the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth. His eyes shone with pure anger. In the next second, he felt something sharp, instantly picked it up from the ground, and fiercely stabbed it deep into the criminal's exposed neck.
He watched in shock as the blood gushed out violently, covering him entirely in red. Something dark awakened within his young soul.
Morning light came.
Wayne opened his eyes slowly and looked up at the ceiling, once again recalling the terrible day his parents died in that dark alley. Just like Batman from the old stories.
"Ha!"
The man lay still for a moment longer, then rose from his bed. That painful memory had long cursed him. He moved deliberately and carefully, reaching for his protective gear and adjusting his mechanical arms.
What he wanted most now was to learn how to properly care for Konrad, to keep him from becoming another broken version of himself.
Wayne activated the secret elevator hidden in his bedroom and descended slowly to the bottom floor, surveying carefully the items stored there.
Nostramo was once a mineral-extraction site during the ancient Dark Age of Technology, one of the oldest Hive Cities, continuously existing for thousands of years. How could there not be precious relics remaining from the Dark Age of Technology?
The boy had fled through the filthy sewers. Eventually, he found this valuable item: an ancient artificial intelligence system, one from the years of human development before the Dark Age of Technology itself.
The artificial intelligence discovered that the Warp energies did not taint the boy's soul and that he was pure, untouched. For this reason, the artificial intelligence chose to help him survive. But tens of thousands of years had weakened it too much over time. It could not provide direct help; it could only assist the boy indirectly.
"Master," the artificial intelligence activated its systems. His designation was Fail-Safe.
"I need to discuss Konrad," Wayne said.
"Are you referring to that unique being designed jointly by the Warp and genetic alchemy?"
"He is my adopted son now."
Wayne set down his device carefully and retrieved the latest item provided by the artificial intelligence, a cheap laser weapon prototype.
He had been preparing for twenty long years, intending to ignite this world and purify it completely. But now Konrad had arrived unexpectedly.
Wayne realized clearly that he was not only responsible for himself but also for the future of all humanity itself. For this reason, he postponed his original plan, intending to raise Konrad properly first. This world should eventually become Konrad's training ground.
"I need technology that can train a Primarch effectively. An artificial intelligence machine adapted specifically to a Primarch's strength, but not too powerful yet. After all, he's only six months old right now."
The artificial intelligence device began to manufacture robots automatically, producing them efficiently while responding teasingly. "You've changed significantly. You've become hesitant and kind now. I like the current you very much more."
Konrad was eating his breakfast the next morning, but he only saw Adelaine there at the table. He glanced around curiously, a little curious about where his father was currently, and also a little curious about this woman's story.
Adelaine was like Konrad's mother figure, taking care of his daily life altogether, including his regular meals. She always carefully prepared everything Konrad needed. Silently dedicating herself to him.
Konrad asked curiously, "I'm very curious about something. You clearly like Wayne deeply. Why don't you try for a relationship?"
"Young Master, he is forty-six this year, and I am only twenty-six years old. Our status is different, our circumstances are different; I can't be his wife."
"What's wrong with that?"
"And Young Master, he and I are just in a companion relationship already. Although there are activities in that regard between us, neither he nor I has any real intention of getting married officially."
"Why not? You already live like one."
Adelaine sighed deeply and set down her cup gently. He was only six months old physically, yet he was as innocent and curious as a five or six-year-old child mentally, wanting to know everything about the world.
"Because this world is so dark and cruel. Bringing an innocent child into it only makes the child suffer needlessly. My father sent me to human traffickers for money, and my mother was eager for me to be sold off for money as soon as possible."
"The last time I saw my parents directly, they were counting money greedily, planning to sell my younger sister next. I was twelve then, and my sister was only three years old. This world is too dark overall. I have no desire to have children ever."
Adelaine still remembered vividly the day Wayne led a team in forcefully, rescued her sister right in front of her eyes, and then killed everyone else involved.
Since then, Adelaine swore complete allegiance to Wayne, and her sister is now a mid-level employee at Wayne Group. Both sisters survived thanks to Wayne's intervention.
Adelaine smiled slightly at this memory. "Besides, having you here is good too. You being here at least gives Master Wayne some humanity back, making him angry sometimes."
"Is being angry a good thing, though?"
"No, not exactly." Adelaine immediately shook her head. "But in the past, when Master Wayne was completely alone, he never had emotional fluctuations at all, not even when dismembering and executing criminals personally. You are the beginning of emotional fluctuations in his life, finally."
"Is that so? Then what kind of person is Wayne in your eyes exactly?"
"Why ask that question?"
"Because I'm very curious to know."
"He is a person who lost everything in the storm but still wants to hold an umbrella for others selflessly."
Adelaine looked at Konrad directly and smiled warmly, reaching out to stroke his hair gently. "Eat well now. Why think so much deeply? From what I know of Master Wayne personally, even if you have nothing and achieve anything, he won't dislike you ever."
"I will never be such a failure, Never, ever, "
Konrad lowered his head and resumed eating quietly, replaying in his mind the scene of Wayne dissecting criminals. He wanted to learn Wayne's medical skills eventually.
[End of Chapter]