In developing a working bionic prosthetic, there are four challenges that I needed to overcome: Firstly, its joints, they needed to be as flexible and precise as natural human joints. Secondly, the skin had to maintain the texture similar to real skin while accurately simulating external stimuli like temperature, friction, touch, and even pain. Thirdly, its intelligent System, this was needed to coordinate the brain's control over the prosthesis unless we want something bad to happen. And lastly, the nervous system that had to simulate various data from the prosthesis as neural signals and transmit them to the human biological nervous system.
The joints could rely on the robotic principles Shen Qin had previously mastered, so they weren't difficult to achieve. The system was his forte, and the skin issue could be resolved with the blueprints he had obtained.
'The key lay in the nervous system.' While he possessed virtual nerve technology, it still required repeated experiments to establish a complete and functioning system.
"I now need a critical material to simulate neural signals. This material must be highly sensitive to bioelectricity but also capable of withstanding prolonged exposure to high currents within the prosthesis."
"Hmm... I also need equipment to detect the properties of these materials."
Shen Qin buried himself in sketching and writing.
"Bioelectricity is generated from our own body, and for high currents, I can only use electro crystals..."
It took about an hour to finish the design and another half-day to manufacture it. When he finally looked up, he saw that Klee had brought him dinner.
"Brother Shen, you forgot lunch again! If I hadn't brought you dinner, were you planning to skip that too? Hmph!" Klee stood with her arms crossed, puffing her cheeks in anger.
"Ah, I just got so busy I forgot..." Shen Qin scratched his head awkwardly.
"Next time, if you forget again, I won't bring you any meals!" She turned her back to him in a huff.
"Alright, alright, I'll make sure to eat on time next time!" Shen Qin patted her head and set the gloves aside to eat.
Klee wasn't really angry. Once she saw him eating, her anger dissipated.
She curiously leaned closer to inspect the gloves he had just taken off. When she first arrived at the alchemy workshop, she had seen him working intently on them.
The gloves were made of sturdy leather, with a square protrusion on the back of the hand that featured a small screen. The tips of the thumb and index finger were made of metal, which was unusual.
"Brother Shen, what are these gloves for?"
"You can wear them and pinch something between your thumb and index finger to experience that 'buzzing' feeling."
"That 'buzzing' feeling?" Klee excitedly put on the gloves. They automatically shrink to fit her hands, surprising her. "The gloves got smaller! Wow!"
Following Shen Qin's instructions, she pinched a small chunk of iron ore between her thumb and index finger.
"Ah! It feels like something bit Klee's fingers! It bites!" Klee yelped and quickly let go of the iron ore.
"Check the screen on the back of your hand. Do you see a number there?" Shen Qin chuckled, pleased at his successful prank.
"Yes, it says 53! What does that mean?"
"I need a material with specific properties for alchemy. These gloves are used to test how well materials meet my requirements. The number on the screen represents the material's score. If the score is above 90, the material is suitable. Score of a hundred means it's perfect."
"Why did it bite Klee's fingers?" Klee pinched the iron ore again, feeling the "bite" but finding it amusing this time. "It doesn't hurt, just feels a bit tingly!"
"That's because the gloves are powered by electro crystals, and they discharge electricity when testing materials."
"Klee will help Brother Shen test all these materials!" Klee eagerly began pinching various materials and announcing their scores aloud.
"Philanemo Mushroom: 34 points!"
"Dandelion Seed: 47 points!"
...
By the time Shen Qin finished his meal, Klee had tested every material in the workshop. The highest score was from Wolfhook, at 86 points—barely passable. It could work in a pinch but wouldn't perform well.
After taking Klee back to the Knights of Favonius, Shen Qin headed to the Adventurers' Guild.
"Ad Astra Abyssosque. Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild, Mr. Shen Qin. How can I assist you today?"
Katheryne's expression and tone were as impeccable as always.
"Good evening, Ms. Katheryne. I'd like to leave the city to search for alchemy material and would like to commission a strong adventurer to protect me."
"You want to leave the city? But the wilderness is very dangerous, especially for someone like you. It's easy to get hurt by monsters," Katheryne warned with concern. "If you need specific materials, you can commission adventurers to bring them back to Mondstadt for you."
Shen Qin shook his head. "I wouldn't leave the city if I didn't have to, but I don't know exactly which material I need. I have to personally test materials in the wild to determine what's suitable."
"Well... Alright. I'll help post the commission, but please take care of yourself." Katheryne spoke earnestly.
"Got it." Shen Qin smiled. "Once you find a suitable adventurer, have them meet me at my alchemy workshop. I'll be there for the next couple of days."
"Understood!"
After confirming the commission, Shen Qin returned to his workshop.
He could have asked Kaeya or Jean for help, and they would surely assign knights to protect him. However, he didn't want to trouble the Knights of Favonius for his personal matters. The knights served all of Mondstadt, and this was a private affair.
Besides, adventurers had far more experience navigating the wilds.
That night, as he lay on his back in bed, Shen Qin felt a surge of excitement.
Since arriving in Teyvat, he had mostly stayed within Mondstadt City. The only two times he ventured out were when he first met Klee, who escorted him safely into the city, and when he tested the flying skateboard near Cider Lake with Diluc and Klee.
This trip would be his first formal exploration of the world outside Mondstadt.
He recalled his early days playing Genshin Impact. The thrill of discovering a wild chest, the shock of realizing Sweet Flowers could turn into Whopperflowers, and the sense of accomplishment when lighting up a large portion of the map by activating a Statue of The Seven.
Exploring the unknown was an exhilarating experience, and it was no wonder so many people dreamed of becoming adventurers.
The night passed without incident.
Early the next morning, Shen Qin opened the doors to his alchemy workshop, only to find a green-haired girl pacing outside. She seemed startled to see him and stammered a greeting:
"H-Hello, Mr. Shen Qin... W-We meet again."
"Sucrose?!" Shen Qin was surprised but quickly smiled. "I invited you to my alchemy workshop before, but you never came. Have you been busy with experiments?"