"There's a medical room on the ship with top-notch equipment and professional medical staff. It should definitely meet your needs. Is something wrong with your health?"
Du Feld had invested heavily in this group to boost his reputation. Losing someone to illness mid-project would be a major loss.
Scientific research was a bottomless pit, and since Du Feld had already covered the big expenses, he didn't skimp on smaller costs like these.
"No, it's not me. That kid's heart isn't doing well. I promised her I'd take care of it."
"The mink girl? Valve defect or vascular issue…"
"Congenital heart disease. If not for her mink physiology, she probably wouldn't have lasted this long. I was planning to take her to another country for treatment after a while anyway."
The Sorbet Kingdom's medical capabilities were subpar. They had an operating room, but… surviving surgery there was a matter of luck.
"I can help with the medical side. I'm a doctor myself. But have you found a suitable heart donor?"
Vegapunk had made strides in medicine, overcoming numerous complex conditions. Open-heart surgery wasn't beyond him. The issue was the heart source.
The human body was a paradox—fragile yet resilient. Replicating a robust heart was difficult, and rejection ruled out most options.
Even if a match was found, surviving the rejection phase and ensuring quality of life afterward remained uncertain.
"I don't recommend a transplant. Conservative treatment might extend her lifespan longer… especially since she's a mink. Finding a compatible heart is… extremely difficult."
Though humans, fishmen, and other races shared the same blood, organ differences were significant. Fishmen's dual respiratory systems and minks' electric abilities made their hearts distinct from human ones.
"Director Vegapunk, you've misunderstood something. I never said I was looking for a donor heart."
Vegapunk's concerns were irrelevant to Oran. From the start, Vegapunk had missed the point. What limited Oran wasn't technology or a heart source—it was the Sorbet Kingdom's basic infrastructure.
They couldn't even produce basic components, and the population's skill level didn't meet the demands for certain products.
To use an analogy: if someone could make bricks, Oran could teach them to build walls.
The problem was, these people didn't even know how to dig clay for bricks, locking out progress at the root. Developing here step-by-step would likely mean burning incense for Kate's grave.
As for donor hearts… even in peaceful, well-regulated places, they were hard to come by. Few were willing to donate their bodies, fewer still had usable hearts, and even if one was found, a slew of follow-up issues awaited.
Killing for such a purpose went against Oran's principles, and besides, he didn't need such crude methods.
"Don't be so fixated on flesh. Machinery is another option."
A Hextech Heart—this was Oran's plan for addressing Kate's heart issue from the beginning.
After all, there were precedents in Piltover's original timeline. Both Camille, the Steel Shadow, and Orianna, the Lady of Clockwork, had their hearts replaced with Hextech Hearts.
The former sought power, the latter survival and connection to her father.
Excessive modification risked losing humanity, but as long as it wasn't entirely uncontrollable, it was viable.
"Machinery? With all due respect, no machine currently exists that can operate as relentlessly as a heart for decades."
"That's only because you don't know, Director Vegapunk. You're being confined by your own knowledge—a grave sin for a scientist."
Vegapunk's movements froze. Oran's words made him realize a recent flaw in his approach: he'd been trying to tackle future challenges with known methods, trapping himself in a dead end.
With Vegapunk's mindset, he wouldn't dwell on this long, but Oran's remark saved him valuable time.
"I've heard a saying: humans can't imagine what they've never seen. All fantasies are extrapolations of existing knowledge.
An artificial heart isn't in that category. At least, I think creating one is far easier than imagining a color that's never existed.
Since you've agreed to all my conditions, I have no objections. You're planning to stay here a few days anyway, so I'll wrap up my affairs in that time."
With Vegapunk accepting his terms, joining an organization beneficial to his research wasn't a bad move.
As for attracting the World Government's attention after setting sail, that wasn't a concern.
First, no World Government member had seen Oran's true appearance. The only Celestial Dragon who'd been close was long dead. Even among those who escaped together, most didn't know Oran's name or face.
In the Valley of the Gods, Oran had worn a gas mask to conceal his face. Now, with a new hairstyle and no glasses, in a world rife with face blindness, this was ample disguise.
The World Government itself was clueless about what had happened on the island during that time. Countless pirate crews had turned it upside down, leaving not even a stone behind. Tracking anything down was near impossible.
News of the Valley of the Gods had vanished from the seas, thanks to the World Government's cover-up efforts. In this situation, even if they wanted to find someone, they couldn't do so openly with a bounty.
Given the World Government's usual efficiency, by the time they found anything, Nika might already be dancing.
After confirming his intent, Vegapunk showed Oran the ship's medical room. Satisfied with the facilities, Oran found Kate and explained his treatment plan to her.
"Oran, you're saying you can fix my condition?"
"I told you from the start, and I wasn't just comforting you. I only recently finalized the specific plan. As I just explained, a Hextech Heart will replace your original heart.
I'm fully confident in this surgery. Soon, you'll be able to run freely. But there are some important details I need to clarify first."
After detailing the procedure, Oran's expression turned serious. He was certain of the surgery's safety, but some randomness—stemming from the Hextech Crystal's nature—was beyond his control.
Seeing Oran's grave look, Kate's briefly relaxed mood tensed again.
Though she often felt she'd come to terms with her fate, facing the actual choice shifted her mindset.
"Let's start with the good news. Based on your mink racial traits, I've adjusted the Hextech Heart's structure to enhance your control over electricity.
I've named this heart model: Zaun Firecracker."