Chapter 465 – Firm Grip.

“Alright, this is the moment of truth”

Roland said, his voice tinged with both anticipation and concern as he held up the newly forged prosthetic arm. The intricate runes glowed faintly, casting a soft blue light in the dimly lit workshop. Bernir sat nearby, wearing a strange bowl-shaped helmet over his head. Cables attached to the chair gave the setup an eerie resemblance to the electric chairs used for executions. Additionally, a panel with some writing was to the side with what looked to be a silhouette of a person presented on a graphical interface.

“Um… Boss, what is all of this for?”

Bernir’s nervous chuckle echoed in the workshop as he glanced around at the unfamiliar equipment. Roland was engrossed in making final adjustments for the runic limb and didn’t immediately respond. He was focused on ensuring everything was in place for the first test.

“It’s something like a monitoring system but will also allow you to alter the settings even when I’m not here. We need something to track your body’s responses to the artificial limb.”

His battle armor could do many things, but it wasn’t meant to be a diagnostic device for runic limbs. For this reason, he decided to assemble a chair that would monitor a patient’s vital signs. Its main purpose was to record the spiritual mana pattern along with the regular kind. There was a certain attunement needed for the limbs to work, and there was a possibility of misalignment over time. This chair was designed so that, even in Roland’s absence, Bernir could fix any issues by himself.

“I see…”

Bernir nodded slowly, trying to suppress his anxiety. The idea of being the first person to test a never-before-seen magical prosthetic was quite terrifying but also thrilling. Roland’s confidence was reassuring, but the half-dwarf could not help but feel stressed. He trusted Roland but there was always a chance of things going wrong and he certainly did not want to explode while testing new runic equipment.

“Are you ready? First, we’ll connect the arm to the harness. Once it’s secure, I’ll activate the runes, and we’ll see how it responds to your spiritual mana.”

“Aye, Boss!”

His assistant was ready to proceed, even though he didn’t fully understand the mechanics behind this new technology. He wondered how it would work. Would he be able to move his hand again as he used to? Would it even give him the sensation of touch or would it just be a minor upgrade from the golemic arm he had been trying to use for the past month?

Roland took a deep breath, steadying his nerves. This was the culmination of weeks of intensive work and research. It was the moment that would determine if his decision to go to the Institute was right. He attached the prosthetic arm to the harness, ensuring it was secure. The intricate runes along the length of the arm glowed faintly as he continued to adjust the parameters. Attuning it to Bernir’s soul wasn’t as easy as working with his own, but eventually, everything clicked into place.

“Everything seems to be in order… Okay, Bernir.”

“Yes, boss?”

“I’m going to boot it up, I’m not sure how you will feel during the activation process but there might be a slight tingling sensation at the start.”

“Ah, alright…”

Bernir nodded, gripping the arm of the chair tightly. Roland began to chant softly, his voice resonating with the magical frequencies embedded in the runes. The glow intensified, spreading from the arm to the harness and finally to Bernir’s body. The runes on the arm flared up briefly before settling into a steady glow, indicating the successful establishment of a magical connection.

As the runic prosthetic came to life, Bernir’s eyes widened in amazement. He felt a strange warmth spreading from the connection point where the arm met his flesh, radiating outward until it filled the entire limb. There was indeed a tingling sensation, not unpleasant but certainly unique.

“How does it feel?”

Roland asked while keeping his skills activated. The world in front of him was filled with mana particles, and he could see the mana phantom from Bernir’s limb twitching. The prosthetic was connecting to it and slowly adapting to the spiritual mana there. It took about a minute for the connection to be established, and it seemed to be a success.

“It’s… it feels strangely warm. I can feel something, like… like it’s a part of me, but also not. It’s hard to explain…”

“Try moving it around.”

It was finally time to see if his research had been fruitful. Everything seemed to be working fine, but there was a chance that it could all be for nothing. Bernir was still missing an arm, and if he couldn’t make the prosthetic move, then everything would be meaningless. Roland assumed that the phantom limb phenomenon would take hold, but first, he needed to see if Bernir could actively control the prosthetic.

Bernir flexed his new fingers cautiously. At first, the movements were jerky and uncoordinated, but as he concentrated, they grew smoother. The arm responded to his will with surprising accuracy, and he was soon able to perform basic gestures. It was clear that he would need some time before he could use it but, it was a resounding success.

“By the gods… it’s moving! I can feel it moving!”

Bernir’s voice was filled with awe and excitement as he flexed the fingers of his new prosthetic arm. The movements were slightly jerky and there seemed to be a slight delay but once they moved on from the alpha model, this problem would be non-existent. The soul always moved before the body did and so did the mana phantom Roland could see. He needed to account for this and attune it to Bernir’s deposition.

“Good, how about you try making some simple hand gestures like making a fist or moving your fingers one at a time?”

“Sure thing!”

Roland watched with relief as Bernir’s new arm performed simple tasks like opening and closing his hand. The glow from the runes pulsed rhythmically each time, activating whenever the soul energy was initiated. The connection between Bernir’s spirit and the mana receptors was quite stable. For once, everything seemed to be working just as he had intended.

“Boss this is great… I have to show this to Dyana!”

“Now, hang on for a minute, this device isn’t ready for public use quite yet. How about, you try holding this first…”

Bernir seemed eager to storm off the chair to show his new prosthetic to his wife but it was quite dangerous to use. There was one thing that his assistant had forgotten about and this next test would showcase it. Roland had prepared an apple which he placed in the palm of this deep-steel arm.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Now, try squeezing it… gently.”

“Hm? Sure… like this… oh…”

Soon, Bernir realized what Roland was getting at as the apple was crushed into chunks before his eyes. The runic prosthetic possessed the strength of a tier 2 golem, without any inhibiting program limiting Bernir’s soul. The power of this artificial limb exceeded what his natural strength could achieve, and it would likely take time for him to adjust. If he attempted to grasp his wife’s hand in this state, he could accidentally shatter her fingers.

“Don’t worry, this is just the alpha stage and it can be fixed. I think putting an inhibitor on it first should do the trick, but perhaps eventually you’ll be able to learn how to fully use the limb’s capabilities.”