Private Workshop.
Duke sat on the workbench, with Pride and Wally already released from storage. He pointed at the blueprint in his hands, explaining the key points to them.
"This weapon is divided into three modules: first, the energy core, that's the most critical; then, the sonic module; and finally, the main body that integrates the other two."
"Learning to make it isn't hard. You just need to focus and give it your best."
"Take your time, try it step by step. You'll get there eventually."
Placing the blueprint in the dazed Wally's hands, Duke spoke earnestly to the two little bots in front of him.
"My expectations aren't that high. Just give me 300 finished units within six days."
"Six days is more than enough."
Just then, his comm device lit up, Miss Fortune's image flickered on the screen. She'd initiated the call.
"Duke?"
"Duke!"
Unfazed, Duke wrapped up his instructions.
"That's all I'll say. Three hundred units in six days. Fail, and I'll melt you both down and rebuild you from scratch!"
"Good luck!"
With a casual smile, he placed a stack of manuals on the table.
"These are supplementary references. Study them well."
"I'm just stepping out for a video call. When I'm back, the three of us get to work."
Duke hopped off the workbench with his tablet in hand and walked into the lounge, leaving Pride and Wally behind, staring blankly at each other.
Wally glanced at the blueprint in his hand, eyes flickering uncertainly.
"We're built for combat, aren't we?"
"That's right," Pride replied gruffly, his gaze falling on the blueprint Wally held, packed with over a thousand intricate parts.
Duke had made it sound easy, but this was anything but.
"Then why's Father assigning these 290 different tasks to us?"
"Why ask me?" Pride shrugged, stuffing a manual into Wally's hands. "Just get to it."
"I believe in you."
"Wait, didn't he say we're supposed to do this together?"
"Exactly. You do the work, I supervise!" Pride gave a thumbs-up, his glowing blue eyes flickering red. "Clear division of labor!"
"Heh… heh… heh…" Wally looked at the design and research documents in his hand and let out a string of dry, defeated chuckles.
For the first time since his creation, he had the urge to curse.
"Clear division of labor, my a!"
Inside the lounge...
Duke sprawled comfortably on his sofa, cigar in hand, facing Miss Fortune on his comm device.
"How are things on your end?"
"That bastard crew refused to back down, but when you had Tahm send me a little something, that really turned things around."
"Oh?" Duke immediately understood. That oversized catfish must've embellished the role a bit. But judging from Miss Fortune's smug tone, it must've gone well.
Hey, results matter.
"Anyway, what's got you rushing to contact me?"
Miss Fortune studied Duke's image on her screen. Something felt off.
Knowing Duke's personality, even if he said he was making a communicator, he should've been focused on weapons first. For him to get Tahm to deliver the communicator this quickly, something unexpected had to have happened.
"Well... uh..." Duke's gaze wavered. Suddenly he didn't know how to explain.
Was he supposed to just come out and say:
"My mom's coming to Bilgewater to evaluate you, and if she's not impressed, she might kill you on the spot"?
No way he could say that!
"What's going on?" Miss Fortune narrowed her eyes.
"It's just... well... my family wants to... evaluate you in Bilgewater."
"That's it? I thought it was something serious." She rolled her eyes. "No big deal. Once your family arrives, I'll show them a whole new Bilgewater."
"Yeah... about that, it's my mom who's coming."
Her confident smirk vanished.
"Y-Your... your mom?"
"Technically my godmother. I'm her adopted son. But still, blood ties don't mean everything."
"But she's still your mother!!" Miss Fortune shrieked, panicking. "What do I do?! What should I prepare?!"
"Just do your job. Didn't you say you'd show me a better Bilgewater?"
Now that it was out in the open, Duke actually felt more relaxed. Whatever happened, the visit was inevitable, all he could do was hope she performed well.
"Got it," she said after a deep breath, steadying herself. "I'll speed things up."
"Good. See you in six days."
Miss Fortune's image faded as the call ended. Duke stared at the darkened screen, shaking his head.
"So even the strongest people get shaken by that kind of news."
"Still, this problem's not mine anymore, it's hers."
He put away the communicator, propped his legs up on the table, and sank deep into thought.
"I promised to make Camille a new set of armor... but what theme should I go with?"
He stroked his chin, thinking back on Camille's skins: Program, Coven, Championship, and the most recent, the mysterious Tarot-themed one released just before his transmigration.
"Mysterious Shadow..."
Duke slowly sat upright, eyes gleaming.
"Tarot!"
Five days later, at dusk...
Clang!
With the final hammer strike, Duke, drenched in sweat, dropped the last component into the quenching vat.
"Finally done."
Wiping his brow with a towel, he marveled. He'd expected six days to finish, but with efficient time management, including breaks, he wrapped it up in five.
After all, going without sleep boosts efficiency, but with Soul Eater Night approaching, he couldn't afford to burn out.
Still, the prototype for Camille's new battle armor was now complete.
It was just a prototype, something she could use for now, but it already far surpassed the light armor he'd made for Miss Fortune. It even rivaled Wally's base form in performance, which only reached full strength with external gear.
Even so, Wally's default combat abilities were impressive.
Duke clipped a cigar and sat beside the nearly finished armor, admiring its sleek form.
"The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers, The Chariot, Strength, The Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice, The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, Judgement, The World..."
"Twenty-two Tarot cards. Twenty-two suits of armor. That's my next big project."
"A Tarot-themed armor line, my very own Tarot series."
"I've already internalized Iron Man's Mark and Anti-Hero models. Using that as a foundation, I can build my own armor system."
"This prototype is just the beginning. If it works, the Tarot Plan goes live."
"The Original Sin Project is about crafting seven sentient constructs, each representing a phase of my growth."
"The Tarot Plan is different, it's a complete armor ecosystem for me and the heroes who fight by my side."
As Duke gazed at the armor, his eyes dimmed. A memory surfaced: a bleak world, a sea of fog, and a dark cathedral with a terrifying figure looming inside.
"I'd better be prepared."
He flicked the half-burnt cigar into the furnace and grabbed the tongs. Carefully, he removed the last tempered part and brought it over to Camille's prototype armor.
Its name was The Hanged Man, a design that radiated a sense of razor-sharp inevitability.
The whole frame resembled a long blade, sleek and slender without compromising flexibility, yet maximizing defense.
Its primary edges were crafted from carbon sodium steel, while the core was reinforced with adamantium alloy, offering devastating cutting power and unparalleled durability.
Duke had used some of his remaining adamantium not just for the leg blades, but to coat the armor itself. The two-finger-thick plating used triple-layered technology, with each layer engraved with rune matrices for energy conduction.
The helmet design borrowed from Camille's Coven skin, curved horns extending from the forehead, with a semi-transparent crystal faceplate.
He also redesigned the winch and cable systems on her legs.
The armor housed six arcane engines, designed to resonate with Camille's Hextech heart, and reinforced with defensive runes to dramatically boost her passive: Adaptive Defense, allowing resistance to both physical and magical damage.
Additionally, Duke built in a custom AI assistant, coded on-site, to provide real-time tactical support in combat.
"Now it's time for Camille to try it out."
Just as he installed the final part and stepped out of the forge, he saw Camille seated in a chair nearby.
"Looks like the gift you made for me is finished."
"Uh…" Duke blinked. "When did you find out?"
Camille gently placed her teacup down and smiled coolly.
"The moment you asked Dacra for all my specs, I knew."
End of chapter...
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