Nightfall.
Colin's Workshop, Attic.
The warm orange glow from the oil lamp lit up the small room. Duke sat at his desk, flipping through Colin's thick notebook. His eyes were focused, shifting between deep contemplation and a faint smile.
"Looks like my boss really does have some skills. Just these early notes alone gave me such a breakthrough. No wonder he's the man who created the Clockwork Maiden."
Closing the notebook, Duke let out a long breath and opened his personal interface. His mastery in clockwork engineering was still at the specialist level, but he was confident, he could take it even further.
"Clockwork tech, in essence, is about precision mechanics powered by wind-up mechanisms. The beauty is that the spring-based core can drive sustained operations over long durations."
"Its strength lies in intricacy. With everything interlocking, small inputs can yield massive outputs. Perhaps beyond gears, I could try integrating pulley systems. Even parallel and series mechanisms might enhance performance."
Drumming his fingers thoughtfully on the table, Duke glanced at Colin's notes again.
"This is incredible. With this alone, even without unlocking more schematics, I've got more than enough material to study for now."
"Ideally, I'd want schematics focused on energy systems, something that could power larger builds. But… no money. It's just a pipe dream for now."
Pushing Colin's notes aside, Duke picked up pen and paper, beginning to sketch.
"Now that I've reached the specialist tier and patched up the theoretical gaps, I should be ready for more advanced hands-on development."
"What I need now is power, something to arm and protect myself. And I need funds. Desperately."
"Colin mentioned the assessment event at Blue Rose Manor. That could be my shot… But I need something worthy to enter with."
Staring out the window at the flickering city lights, Duke fell deep into thought.
Ever since he realized he had crossed into the Arcane: Piltover timeline, a sense of urgency gripped him.
Right now, the city still seemed calm, none of the heroes had risen yet. But Duke knew: in the near future, every well-known name in this world would enter a phase of rapid development.
And with that rise came danger.
"There's no telling when I might get pulled into something... and die without even knowing what hit me."
He had to prepare. Now.
Duke's pen scratched across the blueprint. He hadn't unlocked any Iron Man schematics yet, and even if he had, without funding, he couldn't build them.
So, he had to become stronger by any means necessary.
Clockwork technology was a good stepping stone, practical, scalable, and full of potential. But he needed to be cautious.
Knock knock knock…
A knock on the door. Duke frowned, but put the blueprint away into his drawer before answering.
Opening the door, he found Colin standing there, his mentor, and the creator of the Clockwork Maiden.
"Sir."
"Orianna made some tea. Care to talk a while?"
Colin raised a tray with a pot, cups, and some pastries.
"Please, come in."
Duke stepped aside, letting Colin in. The two sat at the worktable, Duke cradling a teacup, staring into the amber liquid.
"Finished the notes?" Colin nodded toward the notebook on the desk.
"Yes. They were a huge help. Many of your ideas gave me new insights, I'm very grateful."
"What's your next move?"
"I want to build something of my own. Enter the assessment at Blue Rose Manor and take a gamble." Duke's voice was firm. "I've already come up with a new design. If it works… it could take us to the next level."
"The next level, huh…"
Colin sipped his tea silently. Sensing the hesitation, Duke respectfully remained quiet.
"Mind giving me a quick rundown of your concept?"
"Of course, sir."
Duke placed his cup down, pulled out the earlier draft, and handed it to Colin, who unfolded the sketch and saw the rough outline of a pair of boots.
"This is…"
"Clockwork-powered enhancement gear."
Hearing that, Colin's brows furrowed. He crumpled the paper slightly and looked up sharply.
"Explain."
"As brilliant as clockwork tech is," Duke said calmly, "its applications are still limited."
"Limited?" Colin's tone sharpened, a flash of anger in his eyes. For someone who had spent a lifetime perfecting the field, those words stung.
"Yes, sir." Duke didn't back down. "The world is evolving rapidly. Piltover is the City of Progress, home to the greatest minds on the continent. There's no way innovation has stagnated."
"That's why we need to push the boundaries."
"What's your proposal?"
"To give humans superhuman strength using clockwork."
"Today, I saw enforcers chasing a bunch of street kids. Adults chasing half-grown children, and they couldn't even catch them."
"So I designed these boots, spring-loaded and energy-storing. With each step, the internal core builds up power. When needed, it releases that energy, amplifying speed and jumping power."
"It's just a concept for now. I still need to draft the full blueprint."
"It's already impressive."
Colin took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes with a rare smile.
"You really are something else."
"Boss… does that mean…"
"You're coming with me tomorrow, to the council hearing. It's time you saw the bigger world."
He placed a leather notebook on the table and patted Duke's shoulder.
"Get some rest. We'll buy clothes in the morning, then head to the council."
"Yes, sir!"
After seeing Colin out and locking the door, Duke leapt back to the desk, flipping through the notebook eagerly.
He knew exactly what this meant, Colin was finally ready to take him under his wing.
But Duke had bigger ambitions.
Clockwork tech was just a stepping stone. Once he mastered Hextech, Alchemy, and Clockwork all together… he might be able to build something that would shake the world.
Downstairs, Colin chuckled as he heard movement from above.
"Youth really is a gift."
"Father, were you scolding Duke again?" Orianna stood on the staircase holding a lantern.
"No. I've just made a decision." He smiled. "By the way, didn't you want to go to that concert?"
"Go buy the tickets. I'll take you myself."
"Really? Yay!!"
Orianna nearly squealed in excitement.
In the attic,
After reading through Colin's notes again, Duke looked back at his sketch.
Then ripped it to shreds.
"Trash."
"Those boots might earn me some funding… but they're not enough."
"I'm going to build a full Clockwork Battle Armor. A power suit driven by clockwork tech!"
"Until I unlock the Iron Man schematics, I have to become strong on my own."
Focused and resolute, Duke dove back into the notes.
Sleep?
Who needs sleep? The night was still young.
Piltover Prison – Inside a certain cell.
"Sigh… Why did things have to go so wrong?"
A young man in academy uniform sat on the cold bed, fingering the band on his wrist, a band embedded with a rune-carved stone.
"Who did this? Damn it. Everything I worked for… gone in an instant."
Tap tap tap…
The sound of bootsteps echoed outside. Moments later, the cell door creaked open, casting a shadow across the floor.
Jayce looked up.
A small, fluffy-haired Yordle with two white mustaches peeked in.
"There's something poetic about confinement, don't you think?"
Heimerdinger, clad in a custom academy uniform, waddled inside, curiously inspecting the surroundings. He casually picked up Jayce's half-eaten meal, with a tentacle skewer still in it.
"I remember the first time I saw you at the academy. You reminded me of myself, always eager to explore new frontiers in science."
Heimerdinger looked up at Jayce.
"Tell me the truth. What were you working on?"
Jayce slumped back onto the bed, tracing the rune stone with his finger.
"I was researching a way to control magic… through science."
"It's incredible. I just need more time. I swear I'm close!"
"Really, Professor. Please, believe me."
"Magic?" Heimerdinger's mustaches twitched as he raised a brow.
"Listen to me, boy."
"Magic is dangerous. It's nature's force. Science cannot control it."
"But what if it could?" Jayce took a step forward, desperation in his eyes. "I really think I can do it!"
"No. It's not feasible."
Heimerdinger sighed.
"How old are you again?"
"Twenty-four."
"Twenty-four…" the Yordle mused. "Such a bold age, so full of imagination and curiosity. But let me give you some advice."
"In my three hundred years, I've seen many dream of controlling magic. It never ends well."
He tossed the skewer onto the table and walked toward the cell door.
"Drop this fantasy. Piltover isn't ready for that kind of upheaval."
Hands folded, Heimerdinger turned his head back.
"Apologize at the hearing. Don't even mention the word magic."
"Otherwise, you might trigger certain... sensitive nerves."
His eyes gleamed knowingly.
"The kind of nerves belonging to those watching this city from the shadows."