Chapter 17: Sweet Captivity

He reached out and took the prosthetic arm out of the box. Unsure of the material used, the arm was surprisingly lightweight, and the surface skin felt almost indistinguishable from a real arm to the touch. More importantly, upon contact, a faintly glowing translucent blue panel immediately popped up.

[Sweet Captive]
[Devil May Cry World 1/5]
[Creator: Nicoletta Goldstein]
[Core Component: Simulated Mechanical Prosthetic]
[Synthetic Materials: 1 small grappling hook launcher, 1 small hydraulic actuator, 1 miniature healing device, 1 vibration module]
[Item Description: This is a gentle prosthetic hand, also known as Juliet’s Happy Hand, specially designed by Nicoletta for the usually careless Nero. It boasts flexibility surpassing that of a natural hand. The soft material is skin-friendly, and its vibration function soothes pain.]
[Warm Tip: Don’t misunderstand—it truly can aid in healing injuries.]

Luca’s eyes flicked across the panel’s description, his expression turning oddly peculiar.
“Sweet Captive? Who the hell designs prosthetic arms with a feature like that?” he thought. “And Devil May Cry is a freaking action game, isn’t it?”

Having only heard of the Devil May Cry series but never played it, Luca clearly couldn’t fathom the mindset of its creator. Given his current situation—recently bereaved—he forcefully suppressed his urge to vent and maintained a composed demeanor, sincerely thanking Pepper Potts.

“Thank you very much. Honestly, my help to Mr. Stark was minimal—I didn’t expect him to even remember me.”

As he spoke, Luca rolled up his sleeve and without hesitation fitted the prosthetic onto the stump of his right arm in front of everyone. Perhaps Tony Stark’s AI had scanned his data during their last encounter, for the arm fit remarkably well. If one didn’t look closely at the connection point, it was nearly impossible to distinguish it from a real limb.

The neural interface design was flawless. Luca moved the arm and fingers effortlessly, feeling almost no lag; movements were natural and not limited to mere gripping like ordinary prosthetics. Clearly, Tony Stark had put considerable thought into this gift.

Perhaps considering Luca’s youth, this mechanical arm was simply a full simulation of a natural limb—no extra features, and its maximum strength matched that of a normal arm. Most of the effort was devoted to realism and ease of use.

Of course, for an ordinary person, such a prosthetic was more than sufficient. Although Luca anticipated eventually using it as material for synthesis, having this arm for daily life would make things much easier for now.

“Thank you, Mr. Stark. I truly don’t know how to express my gratitude.”

Though surprised by Tony Stark’s dedication, Luca had no qualms about accepting generosity from a billionaire. He was straightforward in his thanks, without hesitation or avoiding the formalities.

Seeing Luca pleased with Tony’s gift, Pepper Potts showed a hint of relief. Having learned about the boy’s circumstances beforehand, she hoped Tony’s present might briefly ease the grief of losing a parent. Meeting the polite and sensible youth in person only deepened her admiration.

“I will pass along your thanks to Mr. Luca, but please don’t worry too much. For Tony, your appreciation is the best reward.”

Thinking of how Tony had become strangely anxious since the battle in New York, immersing himself wholly in work, Pepper sighed quietly.

Setting aside her worries, she pulled two business cards from her purse and handed them to Luca.

“These are mine and Tony’s cards. Tony specifically instructed me to tell you that Stark Industries will provide lifetime warranty for this prosthetic. If it ever malfunctions or needs replacement or repair, you can contact me anytime.”

After a moment, she added softly, “If you need help with anything else, feel free to reach out to either me or Tony.”

Her words drew a ripple of admiration from those nearby. Luca, hearing Pepper’s sincere tone, solemnly accepted the two gold-embossed cards.

‘I hadn’t expected that just from two prior meetings, Tony Stark would go this far.’
‘Apart from his sometimes unlikable manner and personality, there’s really nothing wrong with Tony in other respects.’

Recalling Tony Stark’s style as portrayed in films, Luca refrained from further comment. After expressing his gratitude, he promptly pocketed the cards.

In truth, regardless of whether he ever used the help, Pepper’s public promise today was already a significant boon. Given Stark Industries’ scale and the social standing of Tony and Pepper, even just the association would greatly benefit Luca’s future.

After offering his condolences again for Luca’s father’s passing, Pepper excused herself, citing other urgent work. As she left, the previously restrained guests quickly followed suit—some to hand over their business cards, others just to say a few words or show their faces. In an instant, the funeral venue grew empty and silent.

Watching their departing backs, Luca smiled wryly and shook his head.
“Relying on others’ influence is too fleeting. In the end, only one’s own strength can secure true status.”

Once everyone had gone, Luca turned back to the empty suitcase before him. Whether intentional or not, inside lay not only simple manuals and maintenance guides but also a USB drive labeled “Study Materials,” detailing the entire manufacturing process and techniques behind the mechanical prosthesis.

‘Surely Tony Stark doesn’t think I can understand all this, let alone build such advanced simulated technology myself?’

Though Luca considered his 14-year-old mind sharp—bolstered by his late father’s early education and some foundational knowledge in electronics and mechanics—he was at best at the level of a robotics competition participant.

Given the complexity of this prosthetic, even with a complete blueprint, crafting it by hand was impossible.

Moreover, the company’s research department, now crippled after the loss of its leader, Hermann, was barely functioning. Even if they had the full data, perfect replication would be challenging.

As Luca pondered these things, elsewhere, Samira was encountering some minor trouble.