Mythos Of Narcissus: Reborn As An NPC In A Horror VRMMO
Chapter 51: Thinking About Stuff

Despite foreign in concept, Verina easily grasped the intended mechanism of the Aetherstride.

Instead of having the Black Wheels physically connected to the prosthetic connected to her legs, they should be telekinetically anchored to the heel-area of the prosthetic, and then manipulated by the user's will.

As she stood up in excitement, despite having zero emotion on her face per her Highlighted Traits suggested—she was immediately zooming around the workshop with cheetah's speed-

Before she inevitably crashed into a wall, because she forgot to get accustomed to the sensitivity of the wheel first and foremost.

"So, how's the prosthetic?" I asked after a good chuckle.

Still on the floor, Verina replied with a solid pair of thumbs ups as she looked at my general direction. "I like it. This is something new."

The reason why I gave the name Aetherstride was because of Sir Aethernet's solid contribution to the design and inspiration.

Heh.

Joke aside, I gave the name Aether because in Greek mythology, Aether was the personification of the bright upper sky. Just like how I named Sir Aethernet since the internet was also something that was related to function and arrived from the sky.

As for the inspiration part, I was simply browsing the mythology section of the internet until I was reminded of a certain Chinese mythological figure known as Nezha.

Nezha is a well-known deity and hero in Chinese mythology, particularly from the classic Chinese novel "Investiture of the Gods" and "Journey to the West". His Wind Fire Wheels are powerful magical artifacts that he uses for transportation and combat, and he was quite famous for that.

My design for the Black Wheels was definitely far less superior than the almighty prowess of the legendary Wind Fire Wheels, but that artifact was definitely something that was used as the base for the entirety of Aetherstride's identity.

Right now, Verina needed to hone her telekinesis more if she wanted to effortlessly utilize her own 'legs', allowing for a much more efficient lifeline consumption.

"... You look like melted ice."

" I found that skating around with telekinesis is still a lot of effort, despite its inherent usefulness," Verina nonchalantly said as she was lying on the floor. "Things like balancing my body, acceleration, deceleration, momentum, inertia—there are a lot of factors that need to be taken into account."

"Well, this is your first day. Just think of it as if you're relearning how to walk from the start. Baby steps, they say."

"If we ought to use that metaphor, then I'm quite the genius baby to be able to roam around on the first day, wasn't I?"

Her face might have said otherwise, but her body language and voice was really smug and haughty as of now.

"Right, you're one big genius baby."

"I'm one big genius baby."

Before we knew it, we were already 4 hours away from the next Ordeal of the Dusk.

"The pesky notification has been blocked by the mental faculty, huh."

Through my own suggestion, Verina went to the cabin and rested her sore body and lifeline away, for as long as she was comfortable with.

Deep, non-REM sleep lowers your pulse and blood pressure, which gives your heart and blood vessels a chance to rest and recover. I assume that this might be different for a kilnalan since her lifeline was recovering fast while she was not asleep, but there was still nothing that was as easily-feasible and efficient as a good rest.

As for me, I decided to craft some things to plan for the long term future.

"This might not be as easy without Verina's ohrtending around, but if humanity in the past were able to do it, then so am I."

Verina's furnace job was replaced with bellows, a device constructed to furnish a strong blast of air.

Using leather and organs of Calamity Object, Verina and I had already made the bellows beforehand.

It was flexible bag comprising a pair of rigid boards with handles joined by flexible leather sides enclosing an approximately airtight cavity which can be expanded and contracted by operating the handles, and fitted with a valve allowing air to fill the cavity when expanded, and with a tube through which the air is forced out in a stream when the cavity is compressed.

To put it simply, it was that one thing a blacksmith used to heat up their furnace by blowing air inside.

"Thankfully, the furnace is quite big."

This bastion was only a temporary place for us to station and craft things, as we prepared for a long-term journey to Torie Citadel, and whatever replaceings we stumbled upon our future path.

So before then, I want to prepare a suitable set of tools and apparatus that would allow me to easily craft and tinker complex things in our journey.

Small things like pliers, wire cutters, needles, thread, an awl, a small mallet, foldable rulers, calipers, protractors, chisel, etc-

A set of small hammers with interchangeable heads for different crafting needs, portable grinding stone or a set of precision files for sharpening tools, smoothing edges, and refining details-

A compact, portable anvil that can be folded or disassembled for easy transport-

And even a collapsible or portable forge, such as a small, foldable furnace with a compact bellows, for metalworking on the go—all these things were necessary.

I also needed to design and craft a solid carrying medium to accommodate all of those tools.

Maybe a big backpack to stuff all of those in, or even a carriage with an artificial horsepower, bringing the wonder of automotive into this world of eldritch nightly influence.

Thomas Newcomen's atmospheric engine became the first commercially successful engine using the principle of the piston and cylinder, which was the fundamental type of steam engine used until the early 20th century. With how weird and absurd Calamity Objects' materials are, I might be able to replicate it.

Or should we follow the path of Wright Brothers and craft a functionable aircraft powered with nothing but Verina's ohrtending? Focusing on exploration and becoming fully nomadic with a 4 days cycle of settling a bastion and rest before continuing the next arduous flight?

"... My Sanity is worsening again."