Chapter 79 (1/2)

Chapter 79 - Business

Chu Shen and Lucas got to work. First they had to make a design for the prosthetic. Of course they couldn’t have it run off of a battery. This world didn’t have technology so if they weren’t around when its power went out then what would the poor old lady do?

She would return to being armless of course! So they started adapting it to run off of beast cores, just like Lucas did. Luckily both of them had experience with this so the work was done quickly and efficiently.

First the arm was put together along with motors and hydraulics to move everything. Then there was an indent on the upper part of the arm. Pressing the indent for ten seconds would reveal a small hole meant for the beast core. There was inscriptions placed on the bottom of the hole that channeled the cores energy.

Removing the metal bands around it holding the core in place, one could then replace it with another core. It could also be expanded an inch or two, allowing for more powerful beast cores to be loaded into the socket. After all, a beast core’s level was determined by how big it was though usually it was only an inch difference between levels.

Finally there was the attachment socket and nerve reader. Intercepting and understanding the electric signals sent by the brain to the non-existent arm, the prosthetic was able to understand exactly what to do. Of course, there was also the calibrations that needed to be done on sight.

Finished, Chu Shen and Lucas set out to the old lady’s house within the hour. Arriving they discovered the old lady wasn’t exaggerating when she said it was a wooden shack. It was a single room house that was made of basically twigs. It looked like a strong wind would blow it down.

The only source of fire to cook with a dented and rusty old kettle next to a campfire pit outside. Chu Shen sighed as he saw these miserable settings. Lucas shook his head as well.

The old lady had her back to us stirring whatever was cooking inside the kettle with her one hand. The other still had bandages on it. Chu Shen quickly got her attention by clearing his throat. “Ahem. Mam, we arrived like we said we would.”

The old lady quickly turned around and greeted them. “Ah yes! It’s the young benefactors. I apologize for not noticing you sooner.”

Lucas quickly waved his hand in front of him. “Please don’t be so formal. We were just helping out like any other human would do.”

She quickly shook her head. “That may be so but you still deserve respect. Not to mention you might be able to fix my arm. That is going far beyond what I deserve.”

“Cough, cough. Ling Xi, are those the young boys you told me about?” A hoa.r.s.e voice called out from inside the hut.

“Yes it is. Now be quiet, you need your rest.” The old lady, Lang Xi, quickly poked her head inside the hut and scolded. Obviously this was the sick person they needed to hire the doctor for.

“Come here boys, Cough Cough.” Chu Shen and Lucas walked in to see an elderly old man who looked to be in his late fifties lying on a blanket in the wooden hut. Bowing their heads respectfully, Chu Shen and Lucas stood beside the old man.

The old man tried to sit up but Ling Xi quickly held him down. “Stop moving! You need your rest!”

“No!” The old man shrugged her off of him. Looking at both of them for a couple seconds he nodded. “Please youngsters, tell me your names and how old you two are.”

“I am Chu Shen, 13 years old and this is Lucas Webil, fifteen years old.”

Lucas looked at Chu Shen. “I thought you were twelve.”

He shrugged. “I had my birthday two months ago.”

Lucas shook his head. “We’ll have to celebrate later then.”