Adam grabbed the big mechanical arm, but it was a bit too large for him since he was just four meters tall at that moment.
He then looked at the devil and said with confidence, "This is really handy. These simple weapons aren't expensive. I could just give them away or hand them out to the newborns in York City, and they'd be like walking billboards for me."
"Billboards? Only if they actually work. Even with your fancy arms, those rookies won't be as strong as the Knights," the devil sneered back.
Adam then took off his own left arm and shoulder and attached the mechanical one. He noticed it didn't fit perfectly, so he had to add a layer to make it work.
With this giant five-meter arm on his four-meter frame, Adam looked a bit weird, but he felt stronger. He raised his arm and slammed it down on some iron, making a loud noise that echoed all over the quiet York City.
Pleased with the deep mark he left on the iron, Adam said to the devil, "One arm might not be enough. But imagine a new giant covered in these gadgets from top to bottom, except for the Vital Generator, or course."
The devil was speechless and mumbled, "That's just adding-ons, relying on those too much won't..."
Adam then put the arm down and said, "One thing that sets thinking beings apart from wild beasts is how we use tools." He continued, "Seems like you've got too much free time lately, talking so much."
The devil, having nothing better to do, thought it'd be more fun to hang out with Lina and Sophia in the summoning space than to stick around in Adam's head. He quickly said, "Master, why don't you call me out? Everything's fine. If not, I'll head back to the Mage World first, okay?"
Adam immediately said no, "It's not the right time to call you out. If you're bored, you could always work on your own skills."
"A devil doesn't need to train; tricking people is what we do best!" The devil felt really offended.
Adam whispered softly, "Maybe I set you on fire and see how that would be like."
The devil didn't catch that but felt a chill and asked, "What?"
"Shush, my first customer is about to arrive."
...
Ferroalloy hadn't picked a real name for himself yet. After leaving Ironburg for York City, he ended up at a university, not as a student to be taught, but as a helper for a Knight. He'd do different jobs in return for Honors.
In the world of Titans, there wasn't any bullying or unfair treatment. The Knight was good to him and always gave him the Honors he earned on time. Sometimes, the Knight would even give him some extra alloys from experiments, if they were the right kind.
But Ferroalloy wasn't happy, even though life was easy for him here. He missed Ironburg. He couldn't fight in battles there either, but he loved just seeing the warriors come back now and then.
"Ironburg's air smells better than here in York City," Ferroalloy said to himself. He had just finished his day's work and was walking by himself.
He thought back to the Mithril Titan who had once given him a bunch of alloys. Even though he couldn't use any of them in the end, he was still thankful. And yes, I'm a bit jealous too.
"How I wish I could be out there fighting like him!"
Then, all of a sudden, he heard a loud bang from up ahead.
York City was usually so quiet, especially this part. There were no schools or factories around, and hardly any Titans ever came by. He had passed through a few times but never heard anything like this. Curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to check it out.
...
Adam saw Ferroalloy hanging around outside when he opened the door. Adam was really happy to see this Titan who had volunteered to help out, "Look who it is! We meet again."
Ferroalloy was taken aback. He had just been thinking about the mithril guy, and there he was. "It's you! What brings you to York City?"
"I..."
Ferroalloy cut in before Adam could say more and started rambling on, "Got sent back from the front lines, did you? I thought you'd stick it out there, but here you are, just like me. No surprise there, considering your size."
Adam realized it would be pointless to try and explain that size wasn't what made a Titan strong. He just went with, "You're here at the perfect time; I've got something I need a hand with."
Ferroalloy was all in, following Adam into the workshop and talking the whole way, "Sure, count me in. But I can't stay long. Al-Mg 573 might need me any minute. Oh, Al-Mg 573's my boss, a kind Titan, just like you."
Seems like being alone can really get to someone. The devil was like that, and so was Ferroalloy. Last time Adam saw him, he was way more reserved and quiet. Adam had to cut him off, pointing at the mechanical arm and said, "I need you to help me see how this Graft Part does; it won't take long."
"What part? What's this slim..." Ferroalloy stopped mid-sentence when he saw the mechanical arm and was instantly smitten.
Adam explained, "This is a type of weapon I've made for new Titans. It's different from other gear because it hooks right up to the body. Once it's on, I'll tweak the energy flow to match your Vital Generator. It'll feel just like your own arm, and you can even remove it when you don't need it."
But Ferroalloy wasn't really paying attention to Adam. He leaned over, eager to touch the mechanical arm but worried he might break it, so he held back.
"Can I actually use it? I won't damage it, will I?" he asked.
Adam was taken aback, because his detailed explanation had been overlooked. He picked up the mechanical arm and got Ferroalloy to stand correctly. "No worries, you won't break it. And if something does happen, it's no big deal since it's not too pricey."
Ferroalloy's eyes lit up with excitement. After hearing what Adam said, he stood ready and asked, "So, all I have to do is stand here? I don't need to do anything special?"
Adam, running low on patience and not wanting to spend more time on talk, didn't even ask Ferroalloy which arm he wanted to switch. He just went ahead, removed Ferroalloy's right shoulder, and put the mechanical arm in its place. Using mithril as the connecting layer, he hooked it up and then told Ferroalloy, "Let the energy flow."
Ferroalloy started to carefully send his energy into the new arm. Adam quickly adjusted things based on how Ferroalloy's energy was moving. After a couple of minutes, Adam said, happy with the setup, "Okay, give it a go."
Ferroalloy tentatively moved his new right arm a bit. Slowly, his moves got bigger and more sure. Once he got the hang of it, Adam pointed to the piece of iron ore from earlier and said, "Hit that as hard as you can."
