Clockwork Angel, Hextech Core Type II.
On Piltover's bustling shopping streets, there was a workshop owned by the renowned inventor Colin Revik.
He was most famous for his exquisite Prosthetic Limbs. Using intricate and ingenious brass components, Colin crafted artificial limbs so beautifully that they were often even better than the original flesh-and-blood body.
Besides the Prosthetic Body technology from the Project Universe, Oran also understood Colin's techniques. That had been the medical payment he received for treating Colin's daughter, Orianna.
Because of Oran's existence, this timeline had changed as well. Valoran had one fewer hero named Clockwork Angel, but one more happy family.
Orianna's talent for clockwork machinery was no less than her father's. Her body had changed, but her inspiration remained. This detached core-control method had been one of Orianna's ideas.
And on these seas, that idea had truly been realized.
Zzzt—crackle!
Violent currents surged through the laboratory. Compared to Blitzcrank's birth, the commotion this time was far greater.
Oran had always worn his exoskeleton, while Kate, after undergoing her heart modification, had gained a special tolerance for electricity. Neither of them was affected much.
However, Blitzcrank, whose body was made entirely of metal, instinctively stepped forward. He used his body to block the current and absorbed the excess energy into himself.
This did not last long. After a brief burst of violence, the energy seemed to find its destination and finally gathered around the inactive body on the experiment table.
There had originally been a special horn on top of the body's head. Now, like a lightning rod, it continuously drew in the current released by the core.
At the back of its head, roughly level with its ears, was a special cylinder. According to the design, it was meant to receive external signals and regulate the flow of energy within the body.
Boom!
Once the current transferred to the new body, the surrounding equipment began belching black smoke, unable to withstand the energy.
The once-precise instruments and flashing data screens twisted into chaos beneath the sudden influx of electricity.
The air filled with the scorched smell of electronics, as though it were the final wail of electronic souls.
The lights in the room suddenly went out. The wires along the walls writhed and swelled like a nest of enraged snakes, their insulation burned away by the heat to reveal sparks flashing within.
The sparks danced in the darkness, forming blinding streaks of light across Oran's face. Yet he did not panic. There was even a faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corner of his mouth.
At the center of the laboratory, the newly completed robot stood silently. Currents still flickered beneath its biomimetic metal skin, and its previously closed eyes had now opened.
"Fran... ken... stein?"
"That's right. Your name is Frankenstein."
Unlike Blitzcrank, Frankenstein, as the first Type II unit, displayed some things Oran had not anticipated. For instance, her pupils, one yellow and one blue, had not been part of Oran's design. Her vocal system also seemed to have developed some problems during activation.
"Fran... Dad... brother... sister?"
Her gaze passed over Oran and the others in turn, and her voice was very soft. At that moment, she was taking in everything this world had to offer.
"Blitzcrank welcomes you, family."
"Me too, meow~"
According to Blitzcrank's current thought process, Oran was his creator, a word that carried the same meaning as father. Since he had been born earlier, he was naturally the older brother.
As for the older sister, Kate's modified heart gave her some connection as well, though she could not be considered blood-related.
The voices of acceptance beside her caused emotion to stir in Frankenstein's eyes. Seeing Oran's outstretched hand before her, she cautiously placed her own hand in his. Her ignorance of the outside world made her somewhat wary.
Unlike Blitzcrank's complete logical framework, Frankenstein's understanding of things was more like that of a newborn infant. Some of the programs installed in her body had been damaged, leaving behind only fragmented memories.
Afterward, in the damaged room, Oran conducted a few simple tests and reached some preliminary conclusions.
[The language system appears to have suffered minor damage. Her thought process is fairly clear, but this time, it seems I accidentally created something different.]
Experiments were random and unpredictable. Sometimes, unexpected things were born from them, and quite a few things throughout history had originated by chance.
Since Blitzcrank and Frankenstein were both first-generation units, Oran had not installed their final emotional modules. The emotions Blitzcrank now displayed had emerged from his own self-compilation and differed somewhat from genuine emotions.
Yet with the fusion of the Devil Fruit and the Hex Type II core, Frankenstein appeared to have developed special emotions.
[Her logical cognition has been reshaped. She needs further learning.]
Although Oran's control authority remained intact, if her cognitive concepts were not properly cultivated, accidents might occur when she carried out missions in the future.
At that moment, Frankenstein was touching the damaged equipment, gradually experiencing the outside world through this method. Throughout the process, the warhammer remained at her side. It was her core, and the two could not be separated for long.
In Oran's design, Frankenstein's body also contained an energy-storage device. Once her electrical power was depleted, she could even use a clockwork mechanism to supply power manually. Still, in Frankenstein's mind, staying close to her core was as natural as breathing.
"Oran, what's her Fruit ability? Didn't you fuse a Devil Fruit into the core? How does it compare to Bear's?"
"I haven't tested its exact effects yet. According to the encyclopedia's records, that Fruit is the Paramecia Absorb-Absorb Fruit. It can absorb intangible energy to restore the user's body. I don't know what effect the fusion will produce."
The encyclopedia's records were often only partial. Not every user could bring out all of a Devil Fruit's abilities, and many abilities had never been recorded at all. Obtaining a documented Fruit for research was already quite fortunate.
"Kate, get ready. In a moment, do some combat drills with Frankenstein."
"Alright, leave it to meow. I'll go prepare the testing ground first."
"Shurorororo! Xidilier Oran, I never thought even you would have a failed experiment. Look at this place. What a mess."
Before Kate could leave, several figures appeared at the half-open laboratory door. Caesar strode inside with an exceptionally arrogant gait.
"According to MADS rules, the comparison of experimental results determines the allocation of funding. Xidilier, I challenge you!"
"Caesar Clown, looks like you need a beating."
Kate rolled up her sleeves, intending to deal with the man for Oran. But this time, Caesar did not retreat. Instead, he stepped closer and provocatively made a most unusual expression.
(End of chapter)
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