"What a joke!"
"I cannot give you an accurate answer as I cannot know your purpose. I apologize!"
Miss Fortune stood up from her chair, held onto it, picked up her hat, and put it back on her head. Duke made a gesture for her to leave, "Then go rest. We'll be in Bilgewater soon. I'll be staying in Bilgewater for a while, so you'll have enough time to think it over carefully!"
"Also, there's a dedicated guest cabin here where you can rest as much as you like!"
"Then I shall accept with pleasure!"
Miss Fortune showed a charming smile, but her hurried steps revealed her inner turmoil. Just as she reached the cabin door, Miss Fortune was suddenly called back by Duke.
"Wait!"
"What is it now?"
"You didn't take your things!" Duke pointed to the box on the table containing the Exoskeleton he had prepared earlier. He stood up from his chair and walked to the window. "I never take back what I've given away!"
Miss Fortune gave Duke a deep look, then turned to the table, picked up the box, opened the cabin door, and walked out.
Duke listened to the heavy thud of the door closing and smiled: "You've taken my benefits, I don't believe you won't take the bait!"
"Now it's just a matter of waiting for her to make up her mind!"
"As long as I can control Bilgewater, what does it matter to give away some benefits? With such a vital transportation hub in my hands, I have a thousand ways to turn the investment I've given out into a hundredfold return!"
Looking at the clouds in the distant sky, Duke sat down at his desk. "Now, I'll start redesigning the new original sin!"
.....
The next day, morning.
When the outline of Bilgewater appeared before the crew of the Swordfish, exclamations erupted on the deck, and at the same time, the surrounding ships became more numerous.
Freighters, fishing boats, hunting ships, pirate ships—they were simply countless.
Thump thump thump.....
A knock on the door interrupted Duke's thoughts. His hair messy, he lifted his head from the mountain of blueprints, vaguely looking at the bright sunlight streaming into the room from the window.
"What time is it now?"
"Duke, we've arrived in Bilgewater!"
Jayce saw that Duke had not responded for a long time, so he pushed the door open and walked in, seeing the messy design blueprints on Duke's desk, even on the floor.
Jayce, curious, picked up one and glanced at it, and his heart immediately pounded.
"Don't look around casually!"
Duke pulled the design blueprint from his hand, while squatting on the ground to organize his drafts and drawings.
Jayce recalled the blueprint he had just seen, feeling his breakfast churn in his stomach; the drawing depicted designs for forcibly integrating mechanical constructs into the human body.
It simply violated the fundamental pursuit of science.
"What research are you doing?"
Jayce stood still, watching Duke squatting on the ground organizing the design blueprints. Duke gathered all the blueprints into a stack, tapped them on the table, and then turned his back to Jayce.
"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask, it's not good for you!"
"Are you still planning to make weapons?"
"That's none of your business!"
Duke put away his manuscript. Jayce took a deep breath and said, "Duke, I hope you understand what you are doing. You are talented and gifted. Don't go down the wrong path!"
"There is only one path I walk!"
Duke picked up his trench coat and put it on. As the hem of the trench coat swayed, Duke and Jayce passed each other.
"That is the path to the only true truth!"
At this moment, Miss Fortune, fully dressed, stood at the doorway, her arms crossed, smiling at the two men in the room.
"Gentlemen, excuse me!"
Miss Fortune interrupted the tension that was starting to spread between the two. Duke's research into mechanical and human fusion technology, in Piltover's current view, violated the fundamental pursuit of science.
Science should contribute to human progress and development!
As for mechanical devices implanted in the human body, at most, they are prosthetics. As for completely fusing the two, no one dared to do it.
....
All of Duke's manuscripts were drafts and thoughts he jotted down while studying and researching, but to Jayce, these were rebellious!
"Don't forget your main job!"
Duke buttoned his trench coat and walked out of the cabin. Jayce looked at Duke's desk, covered his face with his hands, and took a deep breath.
"I need to work harder. I created the Hextech Gem, but the theories for Hexgate and Hextech Communicator were proposed by Duke. I've been left too far behind. I can't go on like this anymore!"
"I want to create stronger, better technology!!"
.....
On the deck, Duke didn't pay attention to Jayce's inner thoughts. Instead, he looked at Captain Lister on the bow deck. That strange feeling returned; not only could he perceive the other person's emotions and thoughts, but he also had a feeling that he could influence, and even control, the other person.
"Is it because of the magic injected before?"
Duke pondered inwardly, his mind subconsciously trying to perceive Lister's thoughts.
"Mr. Duke, you're out! I need to perform well.
I wonder what he likes. Should I invite him for a drink after we disembark?"
Captain Lister smiled upon seeing Duke, but Duke's brows furrowed slightly. Miss Fortune, standing beside him, noticed his expression: "What's wrong? Not used to the smell here?"
"What?"
Duke, who had been lost in the changes of Lister's thoughts, snapped back to reality to find that the Swordfish was already sailing into the harbor.
As the Swordfish approached Bilgewater, the island's terrain finally shed its misty veil of Water, revealing itself to Duke and the others.
Jayce also came onto the deck at this moment, his heart complex, unsure what to say to Duke.
He could only stand among the crowd, watching the approaching harbor.
The strait encircled the harbor, and as far as the eye could see, there were steep and rugged cliffs. Even locals who had grown up with the Water felt the danger.
Bilgewater Island was shaped like the barrel of a flintlock pistol, with the harbor area located at the trigger, surrounded by the treacherous strait.
When the Swordfish sailed into the harbor, Miss Fortune said to Duke beside her: "Gentlemen, welcome to Bilgewater!"
-------------------------------
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