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[Skill-Eater] Chapter: 106 Surgery
🕑 Added 2024-09-19 17:01:02 +0000 UTCLilly pulled on a pair of surgical gloves, then reached for the tray and picked up a swab of cotton. After dunking it in alcohol, she rubbed it across his chest, right below where his ribs came together. The chill liquid made goosebumps break out across his skin.
Edge hadn’t expected to find himself sitting next to another attractive woman with most of his clothes off again, especially not so soon. But he was far too nervous to appreciate the experience, let alone say something witty or anything he might regret. Instead, he just took a deep breath and steeled his nerves.
Now that she was ready to begin the operation, Lilly was all business. She opened the silver box sitting on the tray and let him look inside. He was intensely curious to see his first implant, and it helped to take his mind off what was coming next.
The heart-guard was a rust-red ball the size of a pea, with a circular patch of a bronze-colored metal embedded on one side. That must be the part that touches my heart to generate the barrier.
Edge’s apprehension returned in full force when Lilly picked up a short steel tube with a sharpened end. It reminded him of a bladed version of the straws he used to drink bubble tea back on Earth, and apparently worked much the same way.
She took a few measurements with a device that he didn’t recognize, then turned to him and said, “Whatever you do, don’t flinch during this part. We don’t want to nick your ticker, even if you would probably survive it.”
He wasn’t brave enough to watch what happened next, closing his eyes as Lilly picked up the bladed tube and angled it into position. He didn’t know how she was going to insert it, and he didn’t want to.
“Be still now. Ready in three…” Edge had been expecting her to stab on two, but she went in on three instead, sliding the tube into his chest before he had time to tense up. It hurt, but not as badly as he was anticipating. Or maybe he was just getting used to various objects perforating his body. Another sign of how fast his life was changing by the day.
Now that the worst part was over, he opened his eyes. He was just in time to watch Lilly slide the implant into the tube, using another tool to guide it to the right spot. It was at that moment that he realized there might be a complication that he hadn’t fully considered.
Edge was worried that since his heart had been replaced with Skill-Eater’s, she would notice that something was out of the ordinary. But it was too late to stop, and she didn’t say a word. It seemed that everything still looked the same, at least from the outside.
When the implant was in position, Lilly used the tool to adhere it to the back of one of his ribs. Then she reached forward with a wire that she tapped his skin, right on top of his new heart-guard. “First charge comes included with the price of purchase,” she explained. “I could have filled it ahead of time, but this way you can get used to the experience.”
When she flipped a switch on the wall, a flow of aether conducted from the wire to the contact on his implant. It tickled, like a bee was buzzing around between his ribs. When it was fully charged, he felt a subtle sense of pressure around his heart, which faded away over the next few seconds.
“There, all done.” Lilly took off her bloodstained gloves. “You can go ahead and regenerate the damage now and everything will be ready to go. It’s nice not to have to stich someone back up for a change.”
While Edge was healing, she offered him some additional information, which he greatly appreciated. “The implant’s field will protect your heart until the aether runs out. It’s got enough juice to block several direct hits or one really powerful attack. Although, if you fight something crazy strong, it might not be enough to completely absorb the damage. At least until you can afford to upgrade it.
“These implants are tough, but they can be broken, or lost if something tears it out of you. If it runs out of power, you will feel it vibrate in a preset pattern. Otherwise, you’re all set, and it should last for decades without requiring maintenance.”
When she led him back into the shop, Edge took advantage of the opportunity to ask about something that had been bothering him for days. “Lilly, do you know anything about Warren the manslayer? I seem to have attracted his attention after my battle with the shadowreavers.”
She frowned when she heard the name—the first time he had seen her look so serious. “Yea, I’ve known him for years. Creepy bastard. I can’t tell you anything about my customers. It would violate the terms of my contract with the System. All I can say is that if he’s after you, watch out. His strength is the real deal, and he won’t hesitate to kill, even if he’ll talk your ear off the entire time.”
“Thanks Lilly, for the advice and all the rest.”
“You’re welcome. Before you go, I have that portable stasis chamber that you wanted. The one with the defective seal.” She reached below the counter and retrieved a copper cube a bit bigger than a mealbox. “It will preserve anything that you put in there for about two weeks, and it’s got enough aether to last for a year.”
Edge held the device up under a light to take a closer look and then put it into his bag. “Thanks again. If you ever want to get a drink, just say the word. I’d like to get to know the real you better.”
“I’ll think about it. Maybe I’ll introduce you to the rest of my crew sometime. But not tonight. Now get out of here, I still have some paperwork to do. While you’re good company, I always work better alone.”
Edge bid Lilly farewell and then walked out the door with his brand-new implant inside him, filled with the rush that always comes with taking another small step on the long path to power.
