Arcane: I have Plasmids F*** YEAAAAAAH!!!

Benzo's workshop had never seen a mess this bad.

Scrap metal, copper wires, gears, and at least one rat that Powder was currently trying to chase away.

In the center of this madness?

Two half-disassembled telegraphs.

Three absolute gremlins.

And a really bad idea.

---

Ekko tapped his wrench against the table.

"Alright. We need a plan."

He looked at Lukas.

"You're the one who had this crazy idea. What exactly do we need to make it work?"

Lukas exhaled.

He stretched his arms, cracked his knuckles, and put on his best 'I totally know what I'm doing' face.

"Alright, listen up."

He grabbed a random metal rod and held it up dramatically.

"Step one: We turn this regular-ass telegraph into a machine that can send electric waves through the air."

---

Powder raised a hand.

"Uh. That sounds cool and all, but HOW?"

Lukas grinned.

"By adding the most important thing ever—a Transmitter."

Ekko narrowed his eyes.

"What's a Transmitter?"

Lukas hesitated.

Shit.

"Uh…"

Lukas needed an example. A good one.

He turned to Powder.

"Okay, imagine you've got two metal plates, right?"

Powder blinked. "Uh-huh?"

Lukas grabbed two random wrenches and held them apart.

"And imagine I keep charging them up with electricity until—"

He suddenly slammed the wrenches together.

CRACK!

Powder and Ekko both flinched at the loud clank.

"—BOOM! A spark jumps between them!"

Powder tilted her head. "Okay…?"

Lukas grinned.

"That spark? It's like a tiny lightning bolt. And every time we make one, it sends an invisible wave through the air."

Ekko squinted.

"So we're just… zapping the air over and over?"

Lukas nodded.

"Exactly. Like sending little lightning messages."

Powder narrowed her eyes.

"…Magic."

Lukas groaned.

"SCIENCE."

Powder smirked.

"Honestly? Magic sounds cooler."

Lukas threw his hands up.

"FINE. IT'S MAGIC LIGHTNING. JUST HELP ME BUILD THE DAMN THING."

Ekko nodded.

"Alright. I'll check the shop for anything that might work."

He got up and started rummaging through the shelves.

---

Meanwhile, Lukas checked his System.

He hadn't paid much attention to the "Invention Components" before,

No U-Invent machine here.

Not yet at least. (Looking at you system)

but maybe…

[CHECKING INVENTORY…]

AVAILABLE INVENTION COMPONENTS:

Cogs & Gears (x12)

Spark Gap Transmitter (x2)

Electrical Coil (x3)

Ferrofluid Canister (x1)

Receiver (x1)

Lukas's eyes widened.

Holy shit. this might actually work.

---

"Alright, nerds, listen up."

He casually reached into thin air and pulled out a Spark Gap Transmitter.

(-30 points deducted.)

"This bad boy might be exactly what we need. It makes tiny controlled lightning bolts to send messages."

---

Silence.

Ekko and Powder just stared at him.

Then at the Spark Gap.

Then back at him.

---

Ekko squinted.

"Where the hell did you just pull that from?"

Lukas froze.

He stared at Ekko.

Ekko stared back.

Powder blinked.

---

Ekko raised an eyebrow.

"I don't wanna know?"

Lukas kept staring.

Ekko exhaled.

"I don't wanna know."

Lukas nodded.

"Good choice."

Powder just pointed at him.

"I'm onto you, Mr. Nudes."

Lukas sighed.

"Everyone's always onto me."

---

Hours passed.

The workshop was now a disaster zone.

The table was covered in blueprints, electrical circuits, and at least one doodle of Vander with puppy ears.

Lukas had no idea who drew that.

(…it was probably Powder.)

---

Ekko tapped his wrench against the table.

"Alright, so we got the Transmitter. We need a way to decode the signal."

Lukas snapped his fingers.

"That's where the Receiver comes in."

He pulled out another System item and discreetly hid it under some scrap metal before showing it.

(-50 points deducted.)

Powder was still eyeing him suspiciously.

Ekko examined the device.

"Huh. This could work. But we'll need more than one if we wanna send messages across Zaun."

Lukas winced.

"Yeah. About that. We might need to… improvise."

Ekko nodded.

"We'll figure something out."

---

Benzo walked in, raising an eyebrow.

"I see you three are still at it."

Powder looked up, grinning.

"We're making history!"

Ekko nodded.

"And a huge mess."

Lukas just groaned.

"I need food."

---

Benzo chuckled and set down a small plate.

Some bread, dried meat, and a cup of weak tea.

"It's not much, but it'll keep you going."

The three of them descended on the plate like starving rats.

Benzo just shook his head.

---

As they ate, he looked at Powder.

"By the way, I let Vander know you'll be staying here tonight. Too dangerous to walk back this late."

Powder beamed.

"Thanks, old man!"

Benzo sighed.

"One of these days, you kids are gonna run yourselves into the ground."

Lukas waved him off.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll sleep when we're rich."

--

Morning came.

Benzo walked into the workshop.

He stopped.

Looked around.

And sighed.

---

Powder was passed out on the table, drooling on some blueprints.

Ekko was sprawled out on the floor, a screwdriver still in his hand.

And Lukas?

…

…

Lukas was still awake.

---

His eyes were bloodshot.

Dark circles hung under his eyes.

He looked like he had fought Riot's CEO, the Elden Lord of Greed, and lost.

---

Benzo crossed his arms.

"Kid."

Lukas barely turned his head.

"Mmhm?"

"Did you sleep at all?"

Lukas blinked.

Once.

Slowly.

Then shook his head.

"No time for sleep. Must focus on the grind…"

---

Benzo sighed.

Then patted Lukas's head.

"You're an idiot."

Lukas grunted.

"I'm a Genius."

Benzo shook his head.

"Come eat before you collapse."

Lukas nodded slowly.

But as soon as he stood up—

"Shiiiiiiiii…"

…

…

He collapsed.