CHAPTER 16 - Exoskeletal Mechanical Power Arm

It had been a few days since the Piltover Council sanctioned the Oderonk family. During this time, the talk of the town was not only how to celebrate Progress Day but also the news in the Piltover Daily about the head of the Oderonk family committing suicide after the failed kidnapping of Kiramman's young lady.

In reality, even Cassandra herself had not anticipated such an event. She merely intended to suppress this overly active family, but to her surprise, she hit the bullseye, dealing a significant blow to their entire clan.

However, she was delighted to witness this turn of events. She even sponsored the newspaper to extensively cover the incident, aiming to deter others who dared to oppose the Kiramman family.

Though the Oderonk family's plot had come to an end, Li Lin, realizing his vulnerability in the face of the crisis, was not content with the current situation. To enhance his capabilities, he specifically requested comprehensive training from Caitlyn.

From firearm usage, combat training, physical conditioning, to hunting skills training – in just a few days, with the assistance of the [Mechanic] panel, he successfully acquired new skills: [Firearm Mastery] and [Basic Combat], significantly elevating his combat rating by 2 points! While not groundbreaking, it at least provided him with some competence when facing certain threats before his own growth.

In addition to his daily training supervised by Caitlyn, Li Lin's mechanical research continued unabated. After the council meeting that day, Lady Cassandra approached him specifically to inquire about the new weapons.

In order to win the support of the Kiramman family, Li Lin willingly handed over the design blueprints of the Hextech revolver to her. Fortunately, Lady Cassandra was not one to cling to old ways and was adept at adaptation.

Aware that this weapon required a Hextech crystal as its functional core, she promptly provided Li Lin with a substantial amount of funding to further refine the design. Simultaneously, she initiated contact with the Ferros family, aiming to negotiate cooperation in the application of Hextech crystal technology, and discussions were currently underway.

In the northern district of Piltover, atop the clock tower of the Yellow way Underground Bank, the third chime echoed.

In the upper residence of the Kiramman family, in Li Lin's workshop, he and Jayce were discussing something.

"So, this is what you call an exoskeletal mechanical power arm?"

Jayce gently stroked his smooth chin, looking puzzled as he examined the mechanical device on the rack that resembled Hextech-enhanced prosthetics.

This black exoskeleton power arm, crafted from alloy and numerous tiny mechanical gears, had a sleek appearance with a relatively simple structure. In its contracted state, it was not much thicker than an ordinary human arm.

Additionally, it featured several gear grooves on the back of the hand, providing space for the attachment of specific tools in the future.

Jayce could tell that, with a power source, this mechanical arm might seamlessly fit onto a person's arm. At first glance, the design seemed quite clever.

Yet, Jayce couldn't shake the feeling that this thing resembled an image from something in his mind...

After contemplating for a while, he finally realized that this thing was none other than the Atlas Gauntlets invented by Corin Reveck!

"Is this any different from the Atlas Gauntlets miners often use?" Jayce reached out to touch the mechanical power arm.

"The difference is substantial." Li Lin swatted his hand away and took out a distinctive revolver from a drawer.

Jayce sucked in a breath, stepping back several times. "Hey, calm down! I just wanted to touch it. Was there a need to draw a weapon?"

Li Lin, with the gaze of caring for the clueless, ignored him and removed a blue Hextech crystal shard from the original revolving position of the pistol.

"This is... my crystal shard? Why is it in a revolver?" Jayce exclaimed.

"Eh? You didn't know?" Li Lin looked at Jayce in surprise, then realized, "Oh, it's normal if you don't. Lady Cassandra doesn't want this matter to be disclosed."

"Keep it secret? What's so mysterious about it that even I can't know?" Jayce approached again. "Is this a new weapon you invented? And it can use a Hextech crystal shard as its core..."

Picking up the revolver and examining it carefully, he quickly understood its principle, expressing his shock, "My God! You actually designed an energy weapon?!"

Li Lin shook his head slightly. "What's the big deal? Even if I haven't designed it now, someone else will invent it later."

Ignoring Jayce, Li Lin opened a small cover on the wrist of the mechanical power arm and placed the crystal shard into the groove.

Suddenly, the entire mechanical power arm illuminated, emitting the metallic clinking sound, as if it had come to life.

The blue energy of crystal shards floated within the energy transmission lines of the arm, driving the rapid separation and expansion of mechanical gears.

In a short while, it extended more than twice its original size.

Li Lin placed his right hand into the extended position of the mechanical power arm, gripping the five mechanical fingers with his own five fingers, and then slowly clenched his fist.

As the gears turned again, the parts of the shining blue mechanical power arm reassembled seamlessly, fitting perfectly onto his right arm.

To an ordinary person unfamiliar with Hextech technology, it would seem as if he had replaced his own arm with a Hextech-enhanced prosthetic.

As Li Lin wore the power arm, the panel in his mind displayed all the equipment attributes:

[Exoskeleton Mechanical Power Right Arm (Inferior): A mechanical device composed of a steel frame that can be worn, providing additional strength beyond the physical limits through energy utilization.]

[Attributes (Mechanical): 350 Health Points, 3 Combat Power]

[Ability Effects]

[Passive · Inferior Core: The power core can only provide 2 minutes and 37 seconds of usage time.]

[Passive · Reinforced Alloy: Crafted from high-quality alloy, providing an additional 150 Health Points.]

[Active · Overcharge: Consumes one-third of the current power core's energy for a 3-second overcharge. The next attack can cause significant damage to the target.]

Hmm...

Looking solely at the panel attributes, it seemed quite satisfactory.

Li Lin manipulated the power arm to throw a few punches in the air. The crystal shard's energy drove the gears to rotate, and the rapidly depleting blue energy produced white steam, which quickly dissipated into the air.

There was a noticeable sluggishness between the mechanical parts, and the response was at least half a beat slower. No wonder the quality was inferior.

However, achieving such effects for the first time was already quite good. If it were to be improved and equipped with Hextech energy crystals to create a complete exoskeleton mechanical power armor...

Li Lin quickly analyzed in his mind and came to a conclusion that could be summarized in three words:

Bright future ahead!

And by his side, Jayce, who had somehow hidden in the corner, reminded, "Oh, oh, take it easy!"

To avoid the crystal's energy being wasted unnecessarily, Li Lin took the power arm off his arm, turned off the power switch, and placed it back on the shelf.

Seeing that he finally stopped fiddling, Jayce cautiously approached, reaching out to touch and feel the power arm.

"So, the difference from the Atlas Gauntlets lies in its better conformity to the muscle lines on the arm, occupying less space than the gauntlets, making it more convenient to use, right?"

"But I feel there's not much difference? It's just a different appearance..."

Jayce rubbed his face, slightly raising his thick eyebrows, and continued, "However, the Atlas Gauntlets, worn for a long time, can cause damage to the wearer's bones. Moreover, it uses Hextech technology batteries, resulting in short battery life and insufficient power. If your arm can solve these problems, it's not a bad invention."

Li Lin didn't directly refute Jayce's opinion; he just smiled and asked, "What if I say this power arm is only a part of it?"

"A part?" Jayce was puzzled, then suddenly his eyes lit up, as if he guessed something, "You mean..."

(End of this chapter)