If you were to ask a salesperson how to sell their desired product at a high price while also creating a need for it in the customer.
An ordinary salesperson might try their best to explain how good their product is and what great value it offers.
But Mercer didn't like to do business that way.
If he were selling an Agent, and the potential customer declined, saying they already had a neural link and a laptop, he would hack both their computer and their neural link without hesitation. Then, he would tell them that buying an Agent is safer and can't be hacked.
Yes, that was precisely the kind of idea Mercer now had about the Voodoo Boys.
To be honest, thinking back over the past six months or so, he really hadn't taken on any gigs related to the Voodoo Boys.
Ever since that crew took a major loss on Pacifica's network, even having their server fried once, they had become exceedingly well-behaved.
The main reason was that they couldn't win. Mercer was in Dogtown, so their forces couldn't beat Barghest, and they couldn't beat Mercer and Morning Star on the net. They could only keep a low, resentful profile. In fact, over the past few months in Night City, even the number of net-scam cases had dropped by half.
But.
If you guys are going to be well-behaved, then who's going to hire me to take care of you? If no one hires me, how am I supposed to make money?
After V and Rebecca excitedly and effortlessly wiped out a Wraiths' den, Mercer rejected their enthusiastic proposal to "go again" and chose to lead the team straight home.
V and Rebecca hadn't had their fill yet and planned to go straight back to the base to spar.
The others were also eager to join in on the fun and see the advantages and disadvantages of the two types of equipment. The key was that Mercer had promised to custom-make a similar set of individual combat armor for each of them in the future.
They definitely had to watch and think about what kind of armor would be suitable for them.
Mercer, however, still had things to do. He needed to find Vik, get the interface for his Octopus Arm installed, and test it out. He also wanted to have a long-overdue chat with Vik.
Although everyone was a little worried about Mercer's safety going out alone, Mercer just waved his hand, telling them to go about their business. He had Polaris remotely drive his Mizutani Shion to pick him up halfway, and then he headed to Vik's clinic alone.
On the way, Mercer instructed Morning Star to begin his "marketing plan."
[Mercer: Disguise yourself as the Voodoo Boys and stir up some trouble, especially in Dogtown and Pacifica. Target Mr. Hands and Hansen in particular. But don't ruin my reputation. Make it look like my skills aren't up to par, you know what I mean?]
[Morning Star: Understood! The entire objective is to incite public outrage against the Voodoo Boys, allowing you to earn some extra income while testing your new equipment.]
[Mercer: Smart. That's exactly it.]
Morning Star sent him a smiley face. Mercer then sat back comfortably in the driver's seat, listening to the music on the radio as Polaris's skilled and steady driving took him toward Vik's clinic.
—--
Arriving in front of the familiar building, he parked the car, put on his mask, and walked into Misty's esoterica shop with a sense of nostalgia.She was uncharacteristically busy giving a customer a reading, so Mercer just waved a greeting as he passed by and went straight through the alley into Vik's underground clinic.
When he went in, Vik was also busy operating on someone. Without even looking up, he said, "Long time no see. Have a seat. There's NiCola in the ice tub, help yourself."
Mercer smiled and walked over to the ice tub. He opened it and, sure enough, saw a few neatly arranged cans of NiCola. "Saved these just for me?"
"Uh-huh. Figured you'd drop by when you had free time. If not that, then with how often you get cyberware installed, I thought I'd see you at least once a month. But then you didn't even come in for maintenance."
Viktor teased, "If V and the others didn't come by once in a while, I'd have been worried something happened to you."
Mercer chuckled. "I've got a ton of stuff at home now. For simple maintenance and check-ups, I just have Lucy or Rebecca give me a hand. As for why I haven't been here... I'm busy. I've got a whole family to support."
"Yeah, I've heard. V mentions you every time she comes in. Says you're always busy, working harder than a corpo."
As Viktor spoke, Mercer, acting as if he were home, set the thermal case he was carrying to one side, then started drinking his NiCola and watching TV.
The two chatted idly, and soon, Viktor finished the surgery on the guy who had come in to replace a second-hand cyberware part.
Viktor gave the client his usual post-op instructions, then took the payment, saw him out, and shut the door, switching the electronic sign at the clinic's entrance to "Temporarily Closed."
"Alright, let's see what cool new thing you've cooked up to show me." Viktor, not even taking off his gloves, walked over to Mercer with great interest.
Mercer unlocked the thermal case and opened it, revealing the neatly folded Octopus Arm and interface plug inside.
Viktor's eyebrows shot up, then furrowed deeply. "Exotic cyberware? Why are you messing with this kind of stuff now? Which corp made this?"
"I made it myself," Mercer said, proudly showing off his masterpiece to Viktor. He explained the technologies and materials he used, letting Vik examine it for himself.
Viktor picked it up and, after just a brief explanation from Mercer, wore the expression of an old man on the subway staring at a smartphone.
"Hold on. So you're saying your ultimate vision is for this Octopus Arm not only to move as an extension of your will, but to be able to install multiple arms at once, and on top of that, give each of them different functional attributes?"
Mercer replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Of course. There's no point in installing a bunch of the same thing."
"Hmm..." Viktor looked troubled. "To be honest, your idea of using an AI and algorithms to solve the operational difficulty isn't bad.
The problem is, even with an AI to coordinate them, this cyberware is ultimately controlled by the human brain. You might be able to control a third arm, but to simultaneously control a fourth, and a fifth, and make them all do different things..."
Viktor let out a wry laugh. "You don't actually think that multitasking like this is something just anyone can do, do you?""That's not exactly it, but I think I'll be fine." The look on Mercer's face made him shake his head.
"Alright, I'll never understand the way a genius like you thinks. But, since you brought it here anyway, let's just give it a try and see if it works."
Viktor didn't try to dissuade him anymore. In his eyes, Mercer was a one-of-a-kind monster, and you couldn't judge a monster like that by ordinary standards, just like V.
V had now replaced even her internal organs with synthetic ones. But after all this time, every time she came to see Vik, he would give her a free check-up. The results, however, showed that she was frighteningly healthy, both physically and mentally.
She was the type to activate her Sandevistan just to speed things up when she got too busy cooking. If it were an ordinary person, they probably would have gone insane over the past six months. Yet V's appetite was great, and her spirits were getting better and better.
Mercer flipped himself up and said with a smile, "I'll send you the surgical files and data. Just open a slot on my left shoulder. I also have some modification ideas for the heatsink cyberware.
Also, I need to get a synthetic cardiopulmonary system. I'm planning on installing a Second Heart."
An amazed expression appeared on Viktor's face. "You really haven't changed a bit. When you get mods, it's like you're buying cyberware in bulk."
"This is a necessary surgery, especially the Second Heart. It's extremely important to me. According to my calculations, if I don't increase the strength of my internal organs, especially my heart and the speed of my blood circulation, the burden on me will actually be greater.
The neural load from the Octopus Arm means I need stronger heat dissipation. And stronger, more frequent heat dissipation puts a huge strain on my internal organs, especially my blood circulation and metabolism."
As Mercer spoke, Vik just nodded noncommittally and said, "Let's start by opening a new neural link for you and testing out your Octopus Arm. If everything goes smoothly, we'll continue with the surgery."
"Sounds good." Mercer decisively took off his jacket, revealing the netrunning suit underneath. He unzipped it, and, bare-chested, proactively lay face down on the surgical chair.
"You can sever some of my sensory nerves. I can watch during the surgery and give you some suggestions."
His words made Viktor laugh. "Alright! If that Octopus Arm works as well as you say, I bet in a few years, you'll be able to perform surgery on yourself."
Mercer, however, didn't treat it as a joke and pass it off. Instead, he said seriously, "Actually, that's exactly what I'm thinking. If the feasibility of the Octopus Arm is proven over time...
Then it means I'll likely be able to directly control an external, surgical-type Octopus Arm with my conscious signals to perform surgery on myself. I might even consider taking it a step further...
For example, directly connecting to some control hubs via a neural link to manipulate external equipment."
"...Uh, if you ask me, why don't you consider asking those AIs how they usually do things?" Viktor said, amused. "Learning from them should be more reliable than finding answers from humans."
Mercer seemed lost in thought upon hearing this, then smiled. "You actually have a point. Maybe next time I can try testing it with an AI first. If the AI finds it easy to use, then I'll definitely have no problem."
Viktor pushed up his glasses and shook his head, speechless. "Fine, I'll shut up. With a reply like that, I don't even dare to give you suggestions anymore."Mercer laughed. "Just messing with you. But I really am talented at multitasking. Working like an AI... that's something a lot of people can only dream of."
"Just lie down, will you? Let me look at the data first and figure out how to operate."
As Viktor spoke, he began to look at the data and surgical plan Mercer had sent him on his datapad.
Mercer discussed and confirmed the details with him. After about ten minutes of conversation, Viktor had a clear plan. He had Mercer lie down properly and then began the operation.
Adding slots to his shoulder wasn't a complicated surgery, but the difficult part was that Mercer's shoulders and back were already taken up by heatsink cyberware. To perform the modification, the heatsink cyberware had to be altered as well.
And how could one maintain, or even further enhance, the cooling efficiency while reducing the surface area of the heatsink cyberware?
Mercer's answer was simple and crude: just crank up the power. This was also why he needed to further chrome his internal organs.
As the surgery progressed, Vik offered some evaluations that came as a surprise to Mercer.
"Looks like you'll have to get those organs replaced after all. Your heart, lungs, and blood circulation show slight signs of poisoning, and some of your vitals aren't too healthy either."
Mercer's brow twitched. "Poisoning?"
"Yeah. Most likely from the air exchange process, where external toxins are entering your bloodstream directly with the air. I reckon it's also related to the environment you're usually in. This is Night City, after all. The air's full of stink; who knows what's mixed in it."
Viktor continued, offering a sharp critique, "Arasaka probably designed this set of cyberware with full mechanization in mind. They didn't consider its effects on human health at all. You haven't felt anything?"
"The pumping in my heart, the burning in my lungs... I'm used to it. The moment the heatsinks kick in, I feel like my chest cavity is just an air exchanger."
Mercer said nonchalantly, "Then let's just chrome them all. Add a purification component to my circulatory system... Or hey, should we try a two-heart, three-lung mod?"
"Ha, why don't you go ask Arasaka what it takes to become Adam Smasher?" Viktor bantered back and forth with him, but he quickly had Mercer's entire back cut open.
Lying on the surgical chair with his head turned to the side, Mercer connected his cyberoptics to the datapad's camera to observe the condition of his own back.
What he could see now was a bit of throbbing flesh and blood tissue exposed to the air, along with black mechanical structures gleaming with a faint light. He watched the state of his internal organs with great interest, saying:
"You know, this stuff is pretty durable. V pounds on me every day, but the structures inside are still no different from brand-new."
"Mm... I'll give your conduits a cleaning while I'm at it, see what the inside of the heatsink lines look like." Viktor, however, was completely focused, only carefully adjusting the position of the neural circuits.
Mercer just lay there and said, "No need, that'll take too much time. I'm planning to research netrunner cyberware and gear in the next phase, after the octopus arms are successfully tested."
He mused aloud, "When the time comes, I'll install a Sandevistan too. I'll master both netrunning and combat skills. Gotta be strong in both!"
Viktor couldn't even be bothered to reply; let the kid mess around however he wanted. He couldn't control this one."But before that, I need to study the Sandevistan and Berserk OS, and figure out a way to develop a neural acceleration system of our own.
The Berserk OS is still quite a bit behind the Sandevistan. Rebecca and Jackie's physical potential is actually enough, but I'm worried about their mental state, which is why I don't dare to install a Sandevistan on them.
Once I've figured it out, I'll develop a neural acceleration operating system that's somewhere between the two."
"Stop, stop, stop talking. You're distracting me from cutting the slot," Viktor said helplessly. "I'm just a ripperdoc. You don't actually think I can give you any good advice, do you?"
"Vik, don't be so modest. I can't speak for other fields, but when it comes to neurology and cyberware, you're the expert."
As Mercer spoke, he still slowed his breathing and trailed off. Viktor deftly began the formal incision, severing, splicing, and combining neural lines, removing the heatsink cyberware, and filling the space with synthetic human tissue.
Even for Viktor, this delicate, nano-level surgery required his full concentration. The slightest tremor from the body's breathing could affect the operation on the nerves.
It took an hour before Viktor finally managed to separate the heatsink cyberware from Mercer's left shoulder.
He only took a short breather before continuing, filling the cavity with synthetic tissue while connecting artificial nerves to the neural slot he had prepared.
Once the black slot was installed, Viktor brought over the Octopus Arm. This part of the installation was much simpler. He just had to align it with the interface, plug it in, and confirm the neural circuitry was connected.
"Phew," Viktor let out a long breath, wiped his sweat, and sat down on a chair, stretching his neck and shoulders. "All right. You want to do it, or should I?"
"Open the neural link for me. I'll run the diagnostics myself."
As Mercer spoke, Viktor nodded and tapped a few times on his datapad, opening Mercer's neural link.
First came the pain. Mercer winced and took a moment to recover before carefully moving his right hand to take the datapad.
"Want a painkiller shot first?" Viktor suggested.
"No, it'll affect my perception and judgment of the nerves," Mercer said. He initiated the self-diagnostic system from the control program on the datapad and checked the mechanical arm's data.
Viktor's craftsmanship was impeccable, and his technical skills were solid. After confirming all the data was normal, Mercer directly opened the neural link.
[Octopus Arm (V0.2) connected.]
A notification of a successful connection flashed across his cyberoptics, followed by a long stream of data. As the Octopus Arm officially activated, its built-in AI program awakened and began to boot up.
Viktor sat on his chair, scooting back about a meter. He crossed his arms, his eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation and complex worry.
Mercer, however, simply waited ten seconds before cautiously beginning to move his Octopus Arm.
It was just like controlling his own arm: raising it, lowering it, opening the hand, and making a fist.
And so, under the watchful eyes of the two men, a metallic octopus arm, gleaming with a silver luster, began to flex and wave nimbly behind Mercer.At first, Mercer was a little unused to it, but he was soon able to flexibly control this third arm extending from behind his shoulder, swinging, stopping, and exerting force with precision.
The Octopus Arm was retractable, its actual length able to extend and retract within a range of 1.6 to 2.3 meters.
Mercer had a blast controlling it, making it lengthen and shorten. After a while, he simply braced it against the ground.
A sight that amazed Vik then appeared. Relying solely on the Octopus Arm braced against the ground, Mercer's entire body slowly "floated" up from the chair. Supported only by the single Octopus Arm, he stood suspended in mid-air, his body swaying only slightly.
This didn't just demonstrate the Octopus Arm's strength, resilience, and stability; more importantly, it signified an extremely sophisticated calculation of force output.
It was like an ordinary person trying to do a handstand. Supporting one's entire body with just one hand required not only arm strength but, more crucially, the ability to master that balance.
Mercer's feet slowly returned to the floor. The Octopus Arm began to retract, coiling around his body like a cold python before finally resting its metal claw on his shoulder.
"...Doesn't it feel uncomfortable?" Viktor couldn't help but shudder. For a staunch purist of the flesh like him, let alone getting a bizarre third hand, even replacing his own arm with a metal one was unbearable.
Mercer just moved his shoulder. "A little. The feeling of suddenly having an octopus hand is definitely strange, but as long as you're aware that you're just controlling a special device through a neural link, it's fine."
"Well, all I can say is, maybe you can still tell the difference now. But if one day you want to raise your left hand and end up raising the Octopus Arm instead, you need to shut it down immediately and get yourself checked out, understand?" Viktor warned.
Mercer smiled and nodded. "I know."
After briefly familiarizing himself with the controls, Mercer was satisfied. He reached out, grabbed the Octopus Arm at his left shoulder, and, moving it around, used his neural link to unlock the port and unplug the arm.
After being detached, it even twitched twice before going still. The scene was actually a bit horrifying.
"Hmm," Mercer said thoughtfully. "Looks like it still needs improvement. The AI's adaptability could be better."
"Put it away, quick. I can't stand the sight of that thing," Viktor said with disgust. He picked up the cover plate, walked behind Mercer, snapped it onto his shoulder, and patted it, producing a metallic clang.
"Ugh, my left shoulder suddenly feels a bit light. The feeling of it being empty inside is pretty noticeable," Mercer said.
"That's normal," Viktor said. "You'll get used to it."
As Mercer placed the Octopus Arm back into the thermal case, to wear this thing long-term, he would need to modify his netrunning suit and clothes as well.
Then, he smiled and pointed to his chest. "Let's continue, then."
"...Sigh." Viktor sighed, but still walked into the storage room. "I'll go see if I have a suitable Second Heart in stock. I usually only carry the cheap, common stuff. What brand do you want?"
"Anything's fine. Biotechnica, I guess," Mercer said.After checking the inventory in his cooler, Viktor said, "I'll order you some new ones now."
"Deal." Mercer's back was still faintly aching, but he had already enthusiastically opened Vik's tablet and started looking through the inventory list from his supplier on his own.
"Hmm, besides the Biotechnica heart and lungs, add a Trauma Team Detoxifier to my kidneys."
Mercer was swinging his legs. Just when Vik thought he was about to go on an online shopping spree and buy a whole bunch of stuff, he put down the datapad and said with the air of a nouveau riche, "That's all. The other stuff... I kinda look down on it."
Viktor chuckled, speechless. After taking the datapad, he sat down on the sofa with him and started chatting.
They mostly chatted about everyday trifles, but after just a few minutes of idle talk, Vik suddenly brought up a topic that gave Mercer a bit of a headache.
"Are you seeing anyone?" For the first time in a while, Viktor showed a gossipy side. "Or, who are you getting close with right now?"
"Uh, no one official." After saying that, Mercer added with a guilty conscience, "As for people I'm getting close with... there seem to be quite a few."
Viktor shrugged, a look of amusement on his face as if watching a joke unfold. He let out a long, meaningful "Ohhh..." and said, "You know, last week I had a client come in. Not only did he get his junk kicked in, but his jaw was knocked crooked, and his body was riddled with a full magazine's worth of bullet holes.
Guess what happened to him?"
Mercer found it hard to keep a straight face, guessing what he was about to say, but he played along anyway. "What happened?"
"The guy got a Heywood girl from the Valentinos pregnant, but he was still cheating on the side and got caught red-handed.
She kicked his family jewels in right on the spot, then punched his jaw out of place. He tried to protect his head, but she broke his arm with another kick.
The girl still wasn't satisfied, so she pulled out a pistol and filled him with holes, but she deliberately avoided hitting any vital spots.
In her own words, the baby still had to be born, so she had to leave the scumbag alive to earn money and pay her child support."
Viktor chuckled, looking at Mercer with a smile. "And there's more. I know a young netrunner girl who also caught her scumbag boyfriend cheating. That girl was even more ruthless. She used a program to fry his brain, burned it so bad it was beyond repair."
"And another street kid..."
"Stop, stop, stop!" Mercer instinctively squeezed his legs together. "This choom doesn't play those cheating games, alright? I'm a man of integrity!"
Viktor burst out laughing. "Well, good luck with that."
"Damn it, stop talking about me. What about you? All these years and you haven't found a reliable partner? You really planning on staying single forever?"
As Mercer spoke, Viktor sighed. "Forget it. In this fucked-up world, there's no guarantee a child would have a happy life. As for women... do I look like the type who's short on women? I'm just getting old, tired of the games. It's not interesting anymore."
"I'm not like you, who got lucky and met all good women... The older you get, the harder it is to open up your heart."
Viktor lamented, and then he and Mercer started talking about life.
The two chatted for over half an hour before Biotechnica delivered the goods.
After checking the cyberware, Viktor called Mercer over to begin the surgery.
This time, Mercer once again only had his sensory nerves disconnected. He then watched as Vik installed a Second Heart, replaced his original heart with a synthetic one, swapped his lungs for Syn-Lungs, and then moved on to his kidneys.
When the surgery was over, Mercer curled up on the sofa to recover for a good while before taking a few puffs from a painkiller spray, waving goodbye to Vik.But as soon as he stepped out, he saw Jackie sitting in Misty's room, happily chatting with her.
Seeing Mercer, Jackie waved casually, but his face held a hint of "shyness" that only a close friend could discern.
"Yo, what brings you here?" Mercer asked teasingly.
"V said you were going to see Vik alone and would definitely get a bunch of random stuff installed. She was worried you wouldn't feel well, so she told me to come pick you up."
Jackie winked suggestively at Mercer, who grinned and raised an eyebrow back at him. "Is that so? I thought you came here specifically to see Misty."
"Ahem." Jackie didn't even deny it. Instead, he snuck a peek at Misty's expression.
Seeing that she was still just smiling gently, but with a shy look in her eyes as she glanced at him, he immediately chuckled and said to Mercer, "How about we all grab dinner tonight?"
Mercer shot him a disdainful look. "Forget it. You two go on a date. I don't have an appetite today."
"You should take him home first. Look, he's unsteady on his feet. I bet he had some internal surgery. V rested for several days after she had her organs replaced."
Misty looked at Mercer with concern, then turned to Jackie and said, "V must have thought of this when she sent you."
"Nah, no need. My car has autodrive. Once I'm in, I can just close my eyes and sleep. I'll be home when I wake up. Who needs looking after?"
Mercer waved his hand with a smile, then grinned at Misty. "He rarely finds an excuse to run over here, so you should go have dinner with him.
Ever since he had a few procedures done at Vik's, the guy's been asking us when we're going back for a check-up whenever he's free.
You know what I mean."
Mercer's words made the two of them involuntarily glance at each other. Misty looked away. "What about that Valentinos girlfriend of his? I heard they were on-again, off-again."
"That's completely over," Jackie confirmed, taking the initiative to answer. He sighed and said, "When I first told her I was going to be a merc, she got all grim-faced, said I was crazy, and wanted to break up with me.
For two whole months, no matter how I tried to coax her, she just called me a good-for-nothing.
Then, she found out from somewhere that I'd made some money and was running with Mercer and the others now.
Suddenly, she did a complete one-eighty. She wanted me to buy her a car, wanted me to back her up, and kept nagging about visiting our base. I told her outsiders weren't allowed, and she threw a tantrum, even pressuring me to get married right away.
My mom actually likes her. She says that even though she's a bit vain, what young woman on the street doesn't care about face?
But it just didn't sit right with me. She was always going on about how I should quit after making enough money, come back to the Valentinos, become a figurehead boss, and run some business. But I... how do I put it? There were just too many conflicts."
Jackie shook his head. "Anyway, we're completely done. Now she's going around telling everyone that I forgot about old ties once I made it big. Heh, let her say what she wants."
Misty nodded gently, while Mercer punched Jackie on the shoulder and said to Misty with a smile, "Alright, you two do your thing. I'm heading back."
Jackie chuckled. "Then you'd better tell V that you were the one who refused to let me take you!"
"Damn it, fine!" Mercer rolled his eyes, picked up the Octopus Arm, and walked out.Jackie probably couldn't hold it in anymore; he'd been chatting with Misty online for months, and he likely came today with the intention of making their relationship official.
Mercer had no desire to be a third wheel.
Watching the two of them talk and laugh, Mercer himself felt inexplicably happy. He got back in the car and, in high spirits, had Polaris drive back to the base.
Misty was a good girl, a great match for Jackie. Hopefully, this time, the two of them would make it all the way to the end.
—--
The smile on Mercer's face didn't fade even after he returned to the base. V was sitting in the living room watching TV, and seeing his beaming expression, she couldn't help but ask why.
When she learned that Jackie was probably going to make things official with Misty today, she raised an eyebrow, looking quite pleased herself. "I knew those two would most likely get together! Shit, I told him to go, and he had the nerve to pretend, asking if he should have Rebecca go see you instead."
"Heh heh, so? Did you overhear any interesting conversations?"
Mercer looked at her, a little surprised. "I thought you sent him because you were actually worried about me."
V rolled her eyes and said irritably, "Why would I be worried about you! If you really wanted my company, you would've asked me before the surgery. Why would I butt in?"
"So next time, should I take the initiative and ask you to keep me company?" he asked with a smile, but V waved her hand dismissively. "Go find your Rebecca and Lucy."
Mercer pouted and wobbled toward his room.
"Where are you going? It's almost dinnertime," V said, watching his retreating back.
"No appetite today. Going to sleep," Mercer said with a wave, ducking into his room. He lay on his bed, watching TV and planning to get a good night's rest to let his internal organs finish their adjustment period.
But only an hour later, a deafening knock rattled his door.
He opened the door, exasperated, only to see V dragging a food tray over, dropping it on his desk, and then finding a chair to sit down in, crossing her legs. "Eat!"
"I really don't have an appetite," Mercer said, hugging his blanket, too lazy to get up.
"What did you say to me in the days after my surgery? "How are you going to get better if you don't eat?" Hurry up. You don't expect me to feed you, do you? Should I call Rebecca over? She'd definitely be happy to."
V gave him a side-eye.
Mercer could only sigh and sit up. "Fine, I'll eat, alright!"
She had even made him congee. It was quite good.
Only after watching Mercer slowly finish a bowl of congee and eat some light vegetable salad did she gather the things with satisfaction. "You have to eat on time tomorrow, too. Don't always wait for someone to nag you. How old are you!"
Mercer watched her leave. After a long moment, he smiled and shook his head.
V, what a good woman.
---------
5300words
We didn't reach 1,000 power stones before the reset, but we were close. I still wanted to give you the chapter, so I hope you enjoyed the read.
Bonus chapter @500powerstones