Sweet Captive

He reached into the box and took out the prosthetic arm.

He wasn't sure what material the arm was made of, but it was surprisingly light, and its outer layer even felt almost like real skin.

Of course, more importantly, the moment he touched it, a translucent light-blue panel popped up.

[Sweet Captive]

[Devil May Cry World 1/5]

[Creator: Nicoletta Goldstein]

[Core Component: Prosthetic Mechanical Arm]

[Materials Used: 1 Small Grappling Hook Launcher, 1 Small Hydraulic Transmission Rod, 1 Micro Medical Device, 1 Vibrator]

[Item Description: A gentle prosthetic hand, also known as Kyrie's Happy Hand. Nicoletta designed and built this arm specifically for Nero, who was usually careless. It is more dexterous than a real hand. Its soft material won't hurt the skin, and its vibration function relieves pain.]

[Helpful Tip: Don't get the wrong idea. This prosthetic hand really can treat injuries.]

Luca quickly scanned the panel's description, and his expression immediately turned strange.

"Sweet Captive, for fuck's sake?! What kind of decent person considers a function like this when making a prosthetic arm?!"

"And another thing! Isn't Devil May Cry a fucking action game?!"

Luca had only heard of the Devil May Cry series and had never played it, so he clearly couldn't make heads or tails of the game developer's thought process.

Remembering that he was supposed to be a boy whose father had just died, Luca suppressed his urge to rant like crazy. He did his best to keep a straight face and sincerely thanked Pepper Potts.

"Thank you so much. What I did to help Mr. Stark was really insignificant. I never thought he'd remember me."

As he spoke, Luca simply rolled up his sleeve and, in front of everyone, immediately fitted the prosthetic to the stump of his right arm.

Perhaps Tony's AI had scanned his data the last time they'd met.

The arm fit him remarkably well. Unless you looked closely at the joint, it was difficult to tell at a glance that it wasn't a real arm.

The neural interface was also designed perfectly.

Luca moved his arm and fingers a little. He could barely feel any lag, and it could move in ways ordinary prosthetics couldn't, instead of only gripping things.

Clearly, Tony Stark had put a lot of thought into making this gift.

However, perhaps because Luca was still a teenager, the prosthetic was designed solely to simulate a normal arm in every way.

It had no extra features, and even its maximum strength was no different from that of an ordinary arm.

Most of the effort had gone into making it lifelike and easy to use.

Of course, for an ordinary person, a prosthetic like this was more than enough.

Luca would probably still use it as a material for synthesis later, but for now, having the arm would make his daily life much easier.

"Please thank Mr. Stark for going to all this trouble. I really don't know how to repay him."

Luca hadn't expected Tony Stark to put so much effort into this, but he had no qualms about taking advantage of the billionaire.

He was more than happy to offer a few words of thanks and polite flattery.

Seeing that Luca was pleased with Tony's gift, Pepper Potts looked relieved.

She already knew something about the boy's situation, and thought that if Tony's gift could at least temporarily ease his grief over losing a loved one, then her personal visit had been worthwhile.

And now that she'd met the boy in person, his good manners and thoughtfulness made her like him even more.

"I'll pass your thanks on to Tony, but there's no need to take it too much to heart. The fact that you like the gift is the best news Tony could hope for."

Thinking of how Tony had seemed inexplicably anxious ever since the Battle of New York, burying himself in work without pause, Pepper sighed inwardly.

Setting aside her worries about Tony for the moment, Pepper Potts took two business cards from her purse and handed them to Luca.

"These are Tony's and my cards. Tony specifically asked me to tell you that Stark Industries will provide lifetime service for this prosthetic. If it ever breaks and needs to be replaced or repaired, just contact me and I'll take care of it."

After a moment's thought, Pepper Potts added softly, "If there's anything else you need help with, you can contact either Tony or me."

Her words brought another wave of astonishment from the people around them.

Luca, too, took the two gold-embossed business cards with a solemn expression when he heard Pepper Potts's sincerity.

"I never expected Tony Stark to go this far after only meeting me twice."

"Aside from his unpleasant way of speaking and his personality, there's really nothing to complain about when it comes to Tony Stark."

Recalling Tony Stark's behavior in the movies, Luca said no more. He thanked her again and readily put the two business cards away.

Whether he ever used the offer or not, Pepper Potts had made it in front of so many people. That alone made it valuable.

Given Stark Industries' size and Tony and Pepper's social standing, even simply trading on their reputation would greatly benefit his future prospects.

After once again expressing her condolences for Luca's father's death, Pepper excused herself, saying she had other work to attend to.

As soon as she left, the guests who had been holding back followed after her.

Some went up to hand her their business cards, while others simply wanted to exchange a few words and be seen.

In any case, the funeral venue emptied out in an instant.

Watching them leave, Luca shook his head with a wry smile.

"Relying on someone else's reputation is too flimsy. In the end, only your own strength can earn you status."

After watching everyone leave, Luca turned back to the empty briefcase in front of him.

Whether Tony Stark had done it on purpose or not, the case contained not only a simple instruction manual and maintenance guide, but also a USB drive.

A label on the drive clearly read "Study Materials," indicating that it contained detailed records of the prosthetic's entire design and manufacturing process.

"Tony Stark can't seriously think I can understand this stuff—or make a piece of high-tech prosthetic like this myself, can he?"

Luca did feel that his new fourteen-year-old brain was pretty sharp.

And with the knowledge of electrical and mechanical systems he'd gained from his father's teaching and guidance, he did have some background in the subject.

But right now, he was only at the level of someone who could enter a robotics competition.

Given how complex the prosthetic's technology was, he couldn't build it by hand, even with all the instructions.

Well, without his father Herman in charge, the company's R&D department was practically paralyzed.

Even if he handed the complete materials over to the researchers, they would probably have a hard time copying it perfectly.

While Luca was thinking about this...

Elsewhere...

Shamira was having a bit of trouble.