Ready, Set, Innovate! (update)

Dawn, Apprentice Dormitory.

Link received a reply from the Cassandra Kiramann of another timeline.

**[Link, thank you for everything you've done.

Seeing Caitlyn again has brought me immense comfort.

Though we exist in different timelines, my love for my daughter is eternal.

So, please protect her for me.

I will honor my promise to you.

If our timelines differ only in one aspect, then the Cassandra Kiramann of your world must have also prepared emergency funds for her family.

I am giving you the key to one of those accounts. You may use the funds within it as you see fit.

Additionally, if you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask. I will send it to you via mail.

Let's stay in touch.]**

[You have received a gift from Cassandra Kiramann—Vault Key.]

Holding the intricate key in his hand, Link slumped into his chair and let out a long sigh.

After a long night of work, he had finally secured the funds for his early-stage development!

Now, it was time to refine and upgrade the original owner's designs.

But first—

Link ran his fingers over the key. He needed to visit the Golden Vault to confirm the amount of funds available.

Then, he'd rent a workshop and start developing the clockwork exoskeleton in preparation for the memorial service attack.

With his plan set, Link wrote a note and slipped it under Tamara's door, knocking to get her attention.

Renting a workshop wasn't something he could handle alone, and he didn't have the time to do it himself.

Better to leave it to Tamara, the middleman.

Payment wouldn't be an issue.

After a quick trip to the Golden Vault, Link confirmed that the Kiramann family's emergency account existed in this timeline.

Using the key, he opened the private vault and was stunned by the mountain of gold coins inside.

This was an emergency account for a wealthy family?

There had to be at least 300,000 gold hexes.

This was insane!

Emergency accounts were common among the nobility, prepared for sudden financial crises to ensure future generations could rebuild.

The difference lay in how many accounts each family had.

But even if this was just one of the Kiramann family's many emergency accounts, the amount was staggering.

If one account held over 300,000 gold hexes, how much did all the accounts combined hold? Millions?

It took Link a moment to recover. He quickly opened a new account, transferred the funds, and got a checkbook for future use.

By the time he finished, it was 9 a.m.

Stepping out of the Golden Vault, Link was momentarily blinded by the sunlight.

"Link?"

Tamara, who had been waiting outside, approached cautiously.

Link blinked, coming back to his senses, and patted his cheeks to stay alert.

"Tamara, thanks for waiting. How's the workshop situation?"

Link got straight to the point. Tamara handed him a list.

"I found three workshops for rent. I've ranked them by price. Here's the list."

Link glanced at the list and handed it back.

"Let's go with the best one. Take me there now so I can sign the lease."

"You seem in a hurry, Link." Tamara noticed his urgency.

Link forced a smile. "Just excited, that's all."

"Let's get this done quickly."

They hailed a carriage and headed to the workshop district in southern Piltover.

Notably, the workshop district was across from the Sun Gate, not far from Link's dormitory.

Meanwhile, the Ferros family's Bluewind Estate was in the northern part of the city, near the border market docks.

When they arrived, Link whistled at the sight of the small estate.

"This workshop is huge!"

The workshop was indeed spacious, combining living quarters with workspace to form a small estate.

The estate faced south, with a canal to the east and a materials market to the west.

There was even a small dock by the canal for transporting goods and materials.

Given its prime location, the rent was naturally steep—1,500 gold hexes a month, with a three-month deposit.

After touring the workshop and confirming it had all the necessary facilities, Link pulled out his checkbook and rented it for six months.

Money was meant to be spent.

With such a great place available, he wasn't going to skimp.

Besides, he'd earned this money fair and square. He could spend it however he liked.

He left the moving arrangements to Tamara and locked himself in the workshop to start developing the clockwork exoskeleton.

As for materials—

Link simply asked the Cassandra Kiramann of the other timeline to prepare them and send them via mail.

A skilled craftsman never compromised on materials. Demacian rune steel, Noxian black iron, Ionian heart copper—he'd use the best.

With the workshop ready and materials on the way, Link pulled out the original owner's designs.

The original owner's intentions were good—using clockwork tech to create assistive devices for the disabled.

But in Link's eyes, he had taken a detour instead of following the main path.

His research was just one step away from creating a clockwork exoskeleton.

But that one step had led him down a winding path, never to return.

Now, Link was taking over.

He would set this misguided design back on the right track!

Spreading out a new blueprint, Link leaned on the table, closed his eyes, and let his accumulated knowledge take over.

"Clockwork tech is essentially a precision mechanical system powered by kinetic gear assemblies.

By using a pressure valve as the core, energy is transmitted through gear assemblies and kinetic conduits to achieve sustained operation."

"The beauty of clockwork tech lies in its precision and stability. Through interconnected gear assemblies, even the smallest kinetic energy can be amplified into powerful motion."

Link muttered to himself as he began sketching.

"The beauty of clockwork tech is the beauty of machinery. It transforms raw kinetic energy into mechanical marvels!"

"But the rise of Hextech overshadowed clockwork tech. And with the proliferation of chemtech in the undercity, clockwork tech has been relegated to a supporting role."

"However—"

Link outlined a humanoid figure on the blueprint.

He used gear assemblies as the skeleton, hydraulic systems as muscles, a pressure valve as the heart, kinetic conduits as nerves, kinetic recovery systems as veins, and gyroscopes as joints, gradually filling in the figure.

"—this doesn't mean clockwork tech has no future."

"All it needs is an opportunity," Link said, holding the blueprint up to the light, his eyes gleaming.

"I will make clockwork tech great again!"