Miserable Reincarnation

2 – Reborn as a Beggar.

There are two kinds of children in the world.

Children under their parents’ protection and children not under their parents’ protection.

“Wake up you son of a b*tch!!”

And those who were part of the gangs belonged to the latter. Saying they ‘belonged’ to the gang wasn’t quite right. Their jobs were just to beg on the streets or deliver drugs as the gang commanded.

Of course, the ones who endured such hardships and adversities until they grew up were recognized as admirable(?) members of the gang, but most didn’t live long enough to grow up.

Typically, the reason was relentless violence.

SMASH!!

Just like right now.

As Ganghan’s fist was thrown, the boy’s body took flight.

A child that always whimpered.

“Damn it! Keep it together!!”

It was highly improbable that the scrawny boy, who barely got to eat, could withstand such a blow.

“Grrr…!”

“…..Why’s this kid like this?”

“Li, Lian!”

Lian was trembling, foam tinting his lips red. Despite the surrounding children’s efforts to rouse him, nothing changed.

Like a drowning rat, his body violently shook.

Only then, did Ganghan realize that things were going awry.

Kids that were kidnapped from the back alley. They were nothing more than replaceable parts, yet still were significant assets to the gang.

It was even more so for the gang leader, a vehement android skeptic.

‘…..I’m screwed.’

Ganghan’s face distorted as he stared at Lian who was shaking with eyes rolled back.

If he were to be caught by the executives, his future was certain to be grim.

Should he take him to a doctor? Not to mention the medical bill, was it necessary to bear such losses to save this brat?

It didn’t take him much time to decide to dump Lian’s body in the garbage dump.

“Get back to your places now! Stop messing around and wait! I’m taking him to a doctor!”

Despite their fear-stricken faces, the children looked relieved at the same time. Presumably because they heard he would be taken to a doctor.

Geohan looked at those children, letting out a sardonic smile.

What would these under-tens know? There would be no need to quiet them if they could be played like this. If later asked about where Rian went, it suffices to say that the surgery had failed, he thought.

Geohan rudely hitched Rian onto his shoulder.

His thoughts were filled with plans to kidnap a little brat from the back alleys. It wasn’t hard to do. Dangle a small amount of money, and nine out of ten would come running.

Most of the children he had seen just moments ago were brought in that way.

“Damn. He’s not gonna last much longer.”

Geohan glanced over the blood-soaked Rian for a moment and shook his head without regret. The boy was sure to die soon enough, so there was no need to get his hands dirty.

‘Even if he survives, he’s going to die bitten by a wild dog.’

Yet, something unexpected happened.

At some point, the boy’s breathing began to stabilize little by little.

His shaking body also began to calm down.

As if he was a person falling into sleep.

*****

“Kahak…!!”

With eyes bulging, excruciating pain washed over his whole body. It wasn’t just simple muscle pain.

Pain that far surpassed that of the previous blackout. He never felt such pain even when he was shot.

Barely managing, Rian flipped over to look up at the murky sky.

Where am I?

The outskirts of the city, the lower sector.

Who am I?

Rian.

A ten-year-old kid abandoned by his parents as soon as he was born. Kidnapped by a gang while wandering around the back alleys, already discarded before being recognized as a combatant.

No one would willingly self-define in such a way, but at least for Rian, it wasn’t an unfounded story.

“…Have I reincarnated?”

In my former life. Therefore, the memories of when I lived as ‘Kim Yujin’ come to mind.

Therefore, even after 10 years have passed.

‘You’ve realized quite quickly.’

Lian couldn’t figure out why he only now realized his former life.

The most plausible reason was that he was almost beaten to death. Therefore, it was due to this shock that he awakened his previous life.

Anyway, I became a homeless orphan in this damned world, not knowing where I was.

Lian lamented his situation and tried to get up.

“Ugh.”

He couldn’t help but sit back down due to the extreme pain pouring out from his entire body.

“You… damned… body.”

Lian gritted his teeth and spat it out. In fact, it was quite reasonable. His body was gaunt from a long period of malnourishment. It was already enough to overload the body, yet he had been beaten by a man the size of a wrestler. He could hardly manage to get up.

“Damn bastard.”

Even though his survival instincts flared up, Lian didn’t think of making such a reckless attempt. Because with this damned body, he could never beat that hulk.

If only he had a gun.

No, even if he did have a gun, it would be the same.

It seemed impossible to withstand the recoil with these frail wrists.

Lian frowned and slowly looked around.

Although a ten-year-old child wouldn’t understand much about the world, thankfully, he knew where he had been abandoned.

The space filled with a pungent smell blowing from all around, waste piled up larger than most mountains.

Located at the outermost sector, ‘the junkyard.’

This was where Li-an first became aware of his previous life.

‘Of all places, here?’

Beyond the walls that segmented sectors, buildings with unknown limits soared. Despite it being midnight, a brilliantly lit neon sign illuminated in all directions.

He was unsure of many things but one thing was certain.

‘Did I fall into the future?’

After venting his frustration, Li-an steadied his breath, sitting up and leaning against the wall.

For the past 10 years, he recalled what he had seen. Towering skyscrapers, cyborgs covered in machine parts, megacorps ruling the city…

No matter how you look at it, it was too much to think it was the present day.

What can a single soldier do in this world?

Even if he’s good at fighting, one bullet can kill a human.

[We are only curious how far you will be able to rise in that world.]

What rising? It will be fortunate if I don’t get killed on the street.

Such thoughts were in his mind.

“aaahhh!”

A horrifying scream was heard, followed by a sickening smell of blood that filled his nose.

“Woof! Woof woof!”

A pack of wolves emerged from the garbage pile.

These creatures were too large to be normal wolves, drooling like rabid dogs, looking like mutants who had escaped from a laboratory. Noticing their half-mechanized bodies, he was confirmed once again.

Next, numerous vagabonds rummaging through the junk quickly passed by him.

“…It, it’s a beast!”

“Police! Call the police!”

“sh*t!”

There was no chance that the officers assigned to the outskirts were competent police forces.

If anything, they’d probably be pleased that the number of vagabonds they needed to manage had decreased.

“S…save me! aaahhh!”

A man who lost his footing was instantaneously torn apart by the pack of wolves. Looking at that man, torn to pieces in just a flash, Li-an let out a deep sigh.

“…I guess I’m going to die on the first day.”

He had recovered just enough to move, but he doubted he could outrun those monsters with such little strength. Looking around, he noticed the end of a steel pipe lying sharp. Lian picked up the sturdiest one he could find among them. Then, he took deep breaths, slowly. It wasn’t merely for concentration. It was the revival of his past life’s senses.

He couldn’t stand to be torn apart and killed like this.

“I haven’t fought a four-legged beast before…”

Lian slowly readied his stance.

Growl!

Before he knew it, the wild dogs had approached him, drool of blood dripping from their gaping mouths.

Whoosh-!

Lian swung the steel pipe a few times, gauging what his body could handle.

‘This body is almost as frail as when I was young.’

Well, his past life was no different, considering how poorly he ate. Of course, he wasn’t being brutally attacked like this back then.

‘I punched as much as I was hit.’

As he caught his breath and readied his stance, vibrant energy surged, and his body felt s

“……?”