Hextech Heart Type I Codename: Zaun Spark

Chapter 26: Hextech Heart Type I - Codename: Zaun Spark

"The ship has a medical bay, top-notch equipment, and professional medical staff. It can definitely meet your needs. Do you have any health issues?"

Du Felder had invested a large sum of money for this group to earn him fame. It would be a huge loss if anyone died of illness halfway.

Scientific research was a bottomless pit, and since Du Felder had already covered the major expenses, he didn't care about these small sums.

"No, but that child's heart isn't good. I promised her I'd take care of it for her."

"The Mink Tribe girl? Is it a valve defect or a blood vessel issue?"

"Congenital heart disease. If it weren't for the Mink Tribe's physique, I doubt she would have lasted this long. I was planning to take her to another country for treatment in a while."

The medical standards in the Kingdom of Sorbet were quite average. While there was an operating room, that operating room...

Surviving surgery there was purely a matter of luck.

"I can help you with the medical issues. I'm a doctor myself, but have you found a suitable heart source?"

Vegapunk himself had made certain achievements in medicine, conquering many difficult diseases. A simple open-heart surgery wouldn't stump them; the problem was the heart source.

The human body was a complex thing, simultaneously fragile and incredibly powerful. A strong heart was difficult to replicate, and rejection would eliminate most options.

Even if the two were compatible, whether she could survive the rejection period and whether it would affect her future life would be a problem.

"I don't recommend a heart transplant. Conservative treatment might extend her lifespan longer. After all, she's a Mink Tribe member, and the difficulty of matching a heart is too high."

Although humans and fish-men shared the same blood, there were still obvious differences in their organs. The fish-men's dual respiratory system and the Mink Tribe's ability to generate electricity caused their hearts to differ somewhat from human hearts.

"Director Vegapunk, you might have misunderstood something. I never said I was looking for a heart source."

Vegapunk's concerns were not issues for Oran. From the beginning, Vegapunk had misunderstood one thing: the limitation for Oran wasn't technology or a heart source, but the basic environment of the Kingdom of Sorbet.

They couldn't even produce some basic parts here, and the quality of the citizens didn't meet the recruitment requirements for certain products.

For example, if someone could produce bricks, Oran could teach them how to stack them into walls.

The problem was that these people didn't even know how to dig the clay for bricks. This locked down a path from the root. Developing here step by step would probably mean holding a memorial service for Kate.

Furthermore, the matter of a heart source...

Even in relatively peaceful and well-regulated places, it was hard to find. The number of people willing to donate their bodies was already small, and finding a usable heart from them was even rarer. Even if a match could be found, there would be a string of subsequent problems.

Killing someone for such a purpose was against Oran's principles, not to mention he didn't need such low-level methods.

"Don't be so limited by the flesh. Machinery is also another option."

A Hextech Heart. This was the plan Oran had conceived when he decided to address Kate's heart problem.

After all, there were more than one such examples in Piltover in the original timeline. Both Camille and Orianna had their hearts replaced with Hextech Hearts.

The former did it for power, the latter for survival and her father.

Excessive modification might lead to a loss of humanity, but as long as it wasn't something completely uncontrollable.

"Machinery? If you'll pardon my bluntness, there's no machine currently that can operate powerfully and continuously for decades like a heart."

"That's only because you don't know, Director Vegapunk. You are imprisoned by your own cognition, which is a great taboo for a scientist."

Vegapunk's movements suddenly stiffened. Oran's words made him realize a recent problem he had. He had been trying to solve future problems with known methods, which had instead led him into a dead end.

With Vegapunk's intellect, he wouldn't dwell on this for too long, but Oran's words saved him more time.

"I've heard a saying: humans cannot imagine things they've never seen. All fantasies are extrapolations based on one's own cognition.

An artificial heart doesn't fall into that category. At least, I think manufacturing such a thing is much easier than imagining a color that has never existed.

Since you've agreed to my conditions, I have no further issues. It just so happens that you plan to stay here for a few days. I'll finish my current matters within these days."

Vegapunk had agreed to Oran's conditions, so joining an organization that was beneficial to his research wasn't a bad thing.

As for attracting the attention of the World Government after setting sail, it wasn't much of a problem.

Firstly, no member of the World Government had ever seen Oran's true appearance. The only Celestial Dragon who had close contact with him was long dead. Even among those who escaped with him back then, most didn't know Oran's name or face.

Oran had covered his face with a gas mask at God Valley, and now he had changed his hairstyle and taken off his glasses. In this world where prosopagnosia was common, this was extremely effective cover.

The World Government itself had no idea what had actually happened on the island during that period. Countless pirate crews had turned the place upside down, and now not even a stone remained. The difficulty of investigating would be immense.

News from God Valley no longer echoed across the seas. The World Government's cover-up efforts were beginning to show results. In such a situation, even if they wanted to find someone, they couldn't openly issue a wanted notice.

Given the World Government's usual efficiency, even if they could find him, Nika would probably be dancing by then.

After confirming their intentions, Vegapunk gave Oran a tour of the ship's medical bay. Once he confirmed the facilities were satisfactory, Oran found Kate and explained his medical plan to her.

"Oran, you mean you can treat my illness?"

"I remember telling you from the beginning that I wasn't just comforting you. It's just that I only recently finished designing the specific plan. Just as I said, a Hextech Heart will replace your original heart.

I have full confidence in this surgery, and you'll be able to run freely soon. However, there are some important special matters that I need to clarify with you first."

After explaining the surgical procedure, Oran's expression turned serious. He was confident in the safety of the surgery, but there were some random factors that he couldn't control, which were the inherent characteristics of Hex Crystals.

Seeing Oran's serious expression, Kate's relieved mood tensed up again.

Although she felt she had come to terms with it, her mindset changed when the choice truly arrived.

"Let's start with the positives. Based on your Mink Tribe racial traits, I've adjusted some of the Hextech Heart's structures. It will enhance your control over electricity.

I've named this model of heart - Zaun Spark."