Absurdity?
Absurdity?
The gift was successfully delivered, but I didn't head straight back.
"There's nothing wrong with it. The response is instantaneous, and the sensory feedback is incredibly detailed. It really does feel like a real hand..."
[You did just get an arm back after living without one for a long time, right? Even if there were no issues during the preliminary measurements, you might still have some awkwardness when actually using it.]
The special prosthetic arm I gave to Senior Daera. I'd put a lot of work into its sensory feedback and movement. The functions themselves were flawless.
[Try making a big movement for once.]
"Mm, mm... Mm...? Ah, you're right."
The problem, it seemed, was with the user.
Pababak! In an instant, two fists pummeled the empty air. Their trajectories were wavering. Wearing a cryptic expression, Senior Daera darted around the underground space in a complex pattern.
"So it does feel a bit off, just like my junior disciple said."
Senior Daera's movements, retreating and then returning, wobbled imperceptibly.
This wasn't a vague feeling. The Observation Authority was detecting a definite margin of error.
[Given the amount of time that passed, your body has fully adapted to the one-armed state.]
"Ah... That would make sense. A single arm must account for a significant portion of your center of balance."
[The distribution of power is also like that, and your mana control probably feels a little different because of the newly integrated circuit. For someone in a close-combat profession like you, Senior, even a minor margin of error can be fatal, right? I thought it'd be best to confirm and adjust it here.]
"Right, right, you're absolutely right. Aaah... Getting my senses adapted to this is going to take some time, won't it?"
[Mm... Probably?]
That was the typical case, and it would be the same for Senior Daera.
In the past, I also had a margin of error right after I first equipped the Proof of Protection. But I went straight into a fight with the Twin-headed Poison Dragon.
'Because I corrected any error in real time.'
The Observation Authority pinpointed every single inaccuracy.
I would align the error with my previous correct movements, then instantly recalibrate it into the optimal motion suited to the prosthetic arm.
With Mana Affinity and All-Rounder, it wasn't difficult.
The battle with the Twin-headed Poison Dragon was mostly an aerial fight anyway, so the errors didn't stand out blatantly.
"To get this thing tuned up, I'm going to get beaten to dust by Master again..."
The senior disciple grumbled as she caressed the prosthetic, but a smile blossomed on her lips, radiating anticipation and passion.
[Hehe, give me your right hand for a second.]
"Hm? Here."
I smiled brightly too and opened my subspace. I took out what was inside with both hands and slowly slipped it over the senior's right prosthetic.
"Arm sleeves?"
[Hiding it with magic works fine, but I've found this is pretty convenient too.]
Honestly, calling them just arm sleeves was a bit of a stretch since they reached the shoulder and covered the hand like integrated gloves... but anyway.
Blinking, Senior Daera looked over her right arm, now encased in the black sleeve that enveloped the prosthetic.
The original color of the prosthetic was a dark navy blue. Its texture was somewhat ceramic-like, similar to the Proof of Protection.
[Of course, that was my preference. If you find them uncomfortable, Senior, feel free to take them off. Well, it's not like you actually need to cover it up anyway...]
"...No, they're not uncomfortable. And you're right, the prosthetic looks so stylish there's no need to hide it. But these are nice too."
When I hastily added that, worried it might be cumbersome, Senior Daera chuckled and waved her hand dismissively.
"Seeing as I'm wearing one, could I get one for the other side too?"
She even asked for another sleeve and put it on her left arm.
[Why did you only pull the left one up to your forearm?]
"Junior disciple, this is what you call fashion. See? There's a certain charm that comes from this irregularity."
[?]
[Questioning]
"Ahem, put that question mark away."
I got a dose of unfathomable fashion philosophy in the middle there, but I couldn't understand a word of it.
[Then, let's get the rough adjustments done before we head back.]
"Ah."
After shaking my head from side to side, I grabbed the senior's prosthetic right hand. The senior, who'd been inspecting the right arm, flinched her shoulders slightly.
I tilted my head.
[Senior? What's wrong?]
"...It's nothing. So, where are we off to this time?"
For a moment, her right hand went rigid. But soon it slowly, tentatively, wriggled and then intertwined with mine.
As expected, even with sensory synchronization, it still felt awkward for her.
[Just follow me for now.]
I had already thought of a basic method for this. Smiling cheerfully, I tugged on the senior's arm.
.
.
.
Senior Daera, who had followed quietly behind me, blinked her eyes.
The interior was dim. But it was filled with a multitude of bright, colorful lights, and the sound of numerous tiny, bouncing noises could be heard.
"An arcade?"
Our destination was an arcade. Most of the machines incorporated magic, unlike in my previous world, but the overall chaotic atmosphere was similar.
"Why here?"
After surveying the inside, Senior Daera turned to look at me with a puzzled face. It seemed she still couldn't quite grasp my intention.
[Seeing is believing, as they say. Just give it a try.]
I approached a machine near the entrance.
It looked like a kiosk. A few taps on the screen caused the background to turn black, and soon a flurry of circles appeared.
They were all sorts of different colors and sizes. Inside each circle, a score was written.
Pobobong! A neglected circle shrank and then burst like a water droplet. Immediately after, another circle popped up.
For the record, since the machine was designed for superhumans, its speed was difficult for ordinary eyes to follow.
The circles were also incredibly small, almost too small to press with a fingertip, and their numbers were absurd.
"Aha. A game like this?"
The intuitive gameplay required no explanation. And it seemed my intention was also understood, as the senior's eyes lit up.
[Wouldn't it be better to have fun while we're checking, anyway?]
"Hmph, junior disciple. Did you know I once reigned as the queen of the local internet cafe? You'll be in trouble if you underestimate me."
As I quietly stepped aside, the senior gave a confident laugh and stood in front of the machine.
'I suppose she has a right to be confident.'
I couldn't be sure of the truth of her past as an arcade queen, but a superhuman of her caliber would certainly be confident in her physical ability and senses.
Especially since Heavenly Thunder would have sharpened her senses.
- Tadadak!
Proving it wasn't just false bravado, her fingers moved like lightning, bursting circle after circle.
The score at the top of the screen skyrocketed. The speed was so remarkable that the eyes of the people who'd been pretending not to look while sneaking glances went wide with surprise.
"......"
However, Senior Daera's brow was furrowing instead. Even though both hands were moving swiftly, she could clearly feel the margin of error.
- Tuk
"Ah."
Another mistake just then. A minor one. She'd barely missed just one out of hundreds of circles, but it was the kind of error that could open up a large opening.
"Tch... It's been a while, so my skills are a bit rusty."
The game was over in a flash. Senior Daera's score was the highest among all the scores ever recorded on the machine.
But perhaps aware of her own multiple slip-ups, she turned her face away, whistling unnecessarily.
[That's right. It's been a while, and it was your first game wearing the prosthetic. You'll just get used to it from now on.]
"...When you put it like that, the excuses I just blurted out make me look pretty pathetic, junior disciple..."
After that, we wandered around the arcade, enjoying various games.
Since the main goal was to check Senior Daera's sensory synchronization, I deliberately chose superhuman-oriented machines that required physical ability and sharp senses.
"Wow... Is it because it's been so long? That was even more fun..."
[Glad to hear it.]
[Haven't you gradually adapted enough that it's starting to show?]
"Yeah, I don't think it's going to take as long as I thought."
As a result, by the time we were leaving the arcade, her movements had become quite smooth. She'd managed to shake off much of the awkwardness of the synchronized senses.
"I owe it to you, junior disciple. You pointed out every single awkward part with pinpoint accuracy. Your detection ability seems incredibly detailed—doesn't your head hurt?"
[I'm used to it by now, so it's fine. I also reduce the strain by filtering out unnecessary information.]
To be honest, by this point, rather than just letting information slip away, I was more processing and storing it using the Authority of Knowledge... but anyway.
[Should we start heading back now?]
"Yeah, if we start walking back slowly now, we'll get there. Ah... Once we get back, I'll probably start adaptation training again this evening..."
[Hehe, I'll be doing some other training next to you, though... Make sure you eat a hearty dinner and train hard.]
"I've gotta go back, eat my fill, and then digest before... Ah."
Senior Daera, who had been shaking her head from side to side, opened her mouth. Her gaze was directed at a convenience store, specifically at the ice cream freezer outside it.
She gestured toward it.
"Should we grab an ice cream each on the way?"
[...Yes.]
[That sounds good.]
We each picked out an ice cream and bought them.
The senior chose a long orange-flavored one. I got... a banana milk flavored Jjujjuba.
"Ooh, I can feel the cold perfectly, just like normal."
Touching the packaged ice cream, Senior Daera chattered happily as she tore open the wrapper. She popped a bite of the ice cream right into her mouth.
[......]
I opened my ice cream too. With an odd expression, I ran my fingers over the cold sensation pooling in my palm, then opened the top and put it in my mouth.
- Ssip, sseup...
Since I hadn't expected anything, I wasn't disappointed either. I sucked on the Jjujjuba with the feeling of just eating ice.
- Sseuueuk...
[?]
- Muuueuuh?
My cheeks, which had been munching blankly, were suddenly stretched out. The culprit was Senior Daera. She was holding her ice cream in her mouth, and her empty right hand had grabbed my cheek.
[Why are you doing that?]
"What's with that sulky face? Is the ice cream not good? Want to trade?"
[...No, it's refreshing and I'm eating it well.]
"Hmm, really?"
Senior Daera tilted her head. But even after I'd answered, the hand stretching my cheek didn't let go.
"...Junior disciple, your cheeks are insanely soft."
[Are they?]
"Yeah, they're so warm they almost feel like glutinous rice cake..."
Instead, her hand slid down as if to cup my jaw, and she began kneading both my cheeks.
Senior Daera looked down at me with a puzzled expression. She kept kneading repeatedly, like she was savoring the tactile sensation of my cheeks through her prosthetic hand.
- Mumumum...
Since she kept pressing on both my cheeks, I secured the Jjujjuba that was about to slip out, munching on it to hold it in place.
It would've been more comfortable to pull away from her touch, but I didn't feel like doing that.
For one thing, I liked having my cheeks kneaded, and this was Senior Daera, after all.
'The senior is...'
There's a kind of kinship with her.
Master's other disciple. I'd once felt a childish jealousy, but at the core, there is a sense of kinship that makes her feel familiar and close.
I feel other emotions too.
Sympathy? Pity? Emotions like that.
I don't consider my own past to have been particularly happy, but I still think it was probably better compared to Senior Daera's.
She had also lost her family in an accident, and lived alone until she met the person who became our master.
But then another sudden accident took her arm just like me, and she was thrown into a hell called the Reverse Side.
She must have spent years there, isolated, yearning for an invisible hope just to keep living.
Honestly, it's a past that you can't help but sympathize with.
"Huh? Daera?"
Then it happened. Amid the usual attention drawn by our surroundings, a woman boldly approached Daera and spoke to her.
A cadet uniform. Light green decorations. A first-year cadet. Senior Daera tilted her head and then recognized her.
"Aila? You're done already?"
"It's the time everyone's wrapping up soon? But anyway, you... your arm is...?"
"Ah, this? Mm... It's a bit of a story, but somehow I ended up getting a prosthetic."
The woman gazed at Senior Daera's prosthetic arm, blinking her eyes. Aila... First-year... Aila Karnil.
She was a cadet listed in the student registry I'd memorized. She was in the Ipchun Class of the first year, I'd heard, so it seemed she had built enough of a friendship to chat with Senior Daera.
"Ah! I was wondering when you'd get one, and you finally put it on! And by the way, the person next to you is..."
The woman called Aila clapped her hands once, then turned her gaze toward me—the gaze she had been conspicuously avoiding until now.
'She's a friend of the senior's, so I should at least greet her.'
I gently let the Jjujjuba slip out of my mouth and prepared to offer a greeting.
"Ah, this person here is my senior— no, my junior disciple. Lee Ha-yul. But he's a second-year senior to you."
- Pput
Or I was about to. Senior Daera pulled me toward her and stole the timing for my greeting.
"You're finished already? But I'm just on my way back after getting the prosthetic fitted now. Do you want to talk tomorrow?"
"Ah... You literally just put it on, so you must be tired. Sorry for holding you up. Then I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah, yeah. Get back safe."
Aila seemed to swallow her lingering disappointment. Eventually, after a brief glance my way, she carefully turned around.
Senior Daera did the same. Still holding me against her side, she turned and walked in the opposite direction. Dragged along, I tilted my head in confusion.
[Senior, isn't she your friend? Wouldn't it have been better to at least greet her?]
"Uh-uh... Honestly, I wasn't lying, I really am tired. And there'll be other chances next time, I guess."
[That may be true, but still...]
Tired? I tilted my head. With Senior Daera's stamina, just playing a few games wouldn't be nearly enough to tire her out.
"Anyway, junior disciple."
[Yes?]
Senior Daera suddenly looked down at me. When I lifted my head, she squeezed my cheek firmly and gave me a stern warning.
"In my opinion, junior disciple, you especially need to be careful of people. You absolutely cannot follow someone just because they offer to buy you ice cream."
[Flabbergasted]
[...I'm not a little kid whose attention gets stolen by sweets.]
"Ahem. When your senior disciple gives you advice, you should listen carefully."
[Poof]
My cheeks were grabbed again.
[That's absurd...]
"What do you mean absurd? Go ask the people around you. They'll all tell you it's perfectly sound advice."
That this kind of treatment is sound? There's no way that's tr— - Ha-yul, you can't just blindly follow someone if they ask for help, okay? Got it?
- Please, I'm begging you, you can't just readily give things away if someone asks you to make something. Here, promise...
- The kid's heart is just too soft, so I feel like he'd just listen. Don't just brush this off... ...
[Let's just go back quickly.]
"You think about it to yourself and realize it's true, don't you?"
[...There's no way that's true.]
"Wow, if that's a lie, I can really feel it."
Chuckling, Senior Daera held my hand. Her right hand, the prosthetic I'd personally made. At its firm, solid touch, I wore a complicated expression.
'My abilities aren't there yet, so I couldn't restore it into a real arm for you...'
But with time and more growth, I would be able to give her back her real arm.
Vowing that, I held on tightly to that firm hand.
* * *
[Player Correction System: Affection]
Lee Ha-yul → Daera Celeste
●●●●●●○○○○(67▶68/100)
｢Senior Disciple｣ ｢Heavenly Thunder?｣ ｢Kinship｣ ｢Compassion｣
