Chapter 8
After finishing breakfast, Kanzaki Tomomu stepped into the most secluded folding space within his research room.
Here, the works he had poured his heart and soul into—still incomplete—stood quietly on display.
Lightly inhaling the faint lingering scent of solder and lubricant, Kanzaki Tomomu walked past the large equipment blinking in standby mode and stopped in front of the wide alloy workbench.
Under the cool white lights, the half-completed limb from last night exhibited a special texture.
The originally cold, rigid metal had been fused with high-strength composite bones and biomimetic muscle fibers.
The special material used at the finger joints ensured exceptional flexibility, while the fine sensory skin covering the fingertips could perfectly simulate human touch.
The arm's lines were smooth and seamless, its internal independent drive system currently silent.
Kanzaki Tomomu issued a command and tested whether the complete arm could perform specific movements with precision.
Gripping, punching, palm strikes, snapping fingers, elbow strikes…
Every action a human could make, this arm could replicate perfectly.
And actions a human could not—such as bending the finger joints backward ninety degrees—were no problem at all.
Satisfied with the results, Kanzaki Tomomu gave a small nod, a trace of approval on his face.
He would perfect the remaining details; once the final test passed, it could go into automated production.
"Then next…"
Kanzaki Tomomu turned his gaze to the lower limb on the other side.
Compared to the full arm, testing the leg was much simpler. There was no need to test every toe function the way he had tested the fingers.
The results were pleasing and exceeded expectations.
After carefully storing the completed mechanical limbs, Kanzaki Tomomu looked toward the far side of the room.
There lay a mechanical head.
Its cranial cavity was open, exposing the intricate neural interfaces and circuits within.
On a stand beside the workbench hung a semi-transparent crystal core.
For Kanzaki Tomomu, this part actually presented the fewest technical bottlenecks and difficulties.
After all—
He was not trying to create a highly intelligent inorganic lifeform that looked and behaved exactly like an organic human.
Exiting the folding space, Kanzaki Tomomu received a message from Clarisse.
"Good morning, Mr. Kanzaki! Yesterday a fruit shop imported a really delicious new fruit. I bought two catties—let me know if you like it~"
…The subtext was clear: she was coming to visit today.
Kanzaki Tomomu smiled faintly and replied with a single word.
"Good."
"Aren't you going to ask when I'll arrive?"
"Knowing a friend is coming from afar is enough."
"It's not that far… at least the car can drive up to the Moon-Crossing River…" Clarisse's small face wore a soft smile.
Kanzaki Tomomu's bamboo house was located deep in the mountains behind the river that divided two realms. There was no bridge capable of carrying land vehicles across.
To cross the river, one had to take a boat.
"Stay warm and be careful on the road."
After replying to the girl, Kanzaki Tomomu prepared to head to Ruan Mei's house for cleaning.
A house without any signs of daily life accumulated dust faster.
Winter sunlight filtered through the sparse bamboo leaves, casting mottled shadows across the grove.
In the depths of winter, the bamboo leaves—which had yet to wither and fall—shifted from vibrant green to a deep, dark emerald.
A thin layer of white frost clung to the bamboo tips, slowly melting into clear dew in the morning light and washing the world clean.
The silver-white and blue-green bamboo forest formed a living ink-wash painting.
A light, clean fragrance mixed with the scent of soil and morning dew filled the air, purer and sharper than in spring or summer.
Kanzaki Tomomu took a deep breath, and even his body—already decaying inside—seemed to gain a few extra sparks of vitality.
The plants lining both sides of the path lay dormant like hibernating creatures.
During this season, Kanzaki Tomomu never needed to tend the dense growth on either side.
When he reached the fork in the path and saw the graceful figure standing quietly in the silver-white world, a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"…You silly girl, you've been here for a while already."
"I just got here~ I mainly wanted to surprise you, hehe…"
Clarisse's voice carried a soft, sweet tone. Her smile was adorable and bashful as she hurried toward Kanzaki Tomomu.
In truth… she had arrived quite some time ago.
As she drew closer, Kanzaki Tomomu took in her outfit for the day.
A fitted pale-purple college-style sweater, a dark fine-knit scarf tied neatly at the collar, accentuating the girl's delicate, snow-white chin.
Her matching pleated skirt fell just below the knee, revealing slender calves wrapped in warm white stockings.
Usually, an eighteen-year-old girl rarely pulled off purple so well.
Yet on Clarisse it was perfectly suited—not aging at all, but giving off an indescribable elegance while still radiating the vitality unique to young girls.
Her bright, sparkling eyes were full of liveliness. Her long lashes fluttered, exuding a special charm.
"Have you been waiting ten minutes?"
From a few subtle traces, Kanzaki Tomomu made an accurate guess.
"No, really! I only arrived right when I sent the message…"
Clarisse shook her head, then lifted the transparent preservation box in her hands and opened it, changing the subject.
"Here, Mr. Kanzaki—try them first~~"
The girl knew that today Kanzaki Tomomu would go clean the house, so she had come early on purpose.
The longer she waited, the more anticipation she would feel before seeing him.
The fruit inside the box was quite unique—shaped like a peeled apple, yet the size of a plum.
What left the strongest impression was its color.
One half red, the other half blue.
The flesh was plump, covered in crystalline droplets of moisture. It was obvious the girl had carefully washed them.
"The shop assistant said this fruit has a simple name—red-blue crystal fruit. No pits. It comes from a world called Ongvak."
"The skin is special too—it peels like shrimp shells. I already peeled them all for you, so you can eat them right away~~"
Clarisse very much wanted to pick one up and feed it to him herself, but she held back.
Perhaps… in Mr. Kanzaki's heart, she had not yet reached a level where she could do something so intimate.
"Thank you, little… Clarisse."
Kanzaki Tomomu picked up one of the red-blue crystal fruits and popped it into his mouth.
Hearing the obvious mid-sentence correction and seeing the relaxed expression on his face, the corners of the girl's mouth curved even sweeter.
"It's delicious, right?"
"Mhm… very sweet."
Eh?
Hearing Kanzaki Tomomu's comment, Clarisse was momentarily stunned, but she didn't think too much of it.
"…If you want more later, Mr. Kanzaki, just message me. I'll bring them to you as fast as I can…"
"There's no need. It already takes you half an hour each way to get here. Running back and forth would be inconvenient."
"How could it be inconvenient? Even if it took half a day… I'd still do it gladly…"
The moment the words left her mouth, Clarisse realized they sounded too obvious and quickly added,
"Mr. Kanzaki is the benefactor of our whole family! A drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring!"
The two walked along the frosty path, just stepping into an area the morning sun had not yet reached.
Yet inside Kanzaki Tomomu's heart, the girl's words stirred a faint warmth.
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Bonus chapters
200 Stones - 1 chapter
400 Stones - 2 chapter
600 Stones - 3 chapters
And so on