Chen Tiannuo didn't dive straight down––instead, he let his body fall freely, savoring the rush of wind around him.
"It's been ages since I felt this..." he murmured.
Excalibur's armor exterior gradually shifted, its appearance transforming. (Note: only visual changes)
He neared the ground and deployed the Archwing, landing slowly. He synced back into the Warframe, inspected its new look, and nodded—cool! Definitely cooler than before.
Back inside the frame, he set course for the academy, planning to tweak the color scheme: primary silver-white, secondary black, and red accent tones—a balanced palette.
Arriving at the infirmary door, a thought struck him: they already have anti-gravity tech—why not build personal flyers? He'd ask later.
He quietly opened the door. Theresa sat asleep by bedside; Mei and Bronya rested soundly. He gently tapped Theresa awake.
"Theresa, you can go back now."
Theresa stirred, bleary-eyed: "You're still here? I'll wait a bit…"
"They're stable—no need to keep watch." Chen Tiannuo's tone softened.
"Mmh… okay," Theresa murmured, clambering to her feet.
So cute… Chen Tiannuo raised an eyebrow.
"I'll head back now." Theresa regained clarity.
"Alright." Chen Tiannuo glanced at the two sleeping and followed her out.
"Theresa?" he called.
"Yes?" she replied.
"I need some special materials from storage," Chen Tiannuo said matter-of-factly. They often got injured in battle—while Theresa's med-tech was good, it couldn't compare to Orokin biotech. He planned to use their resources for experimentation—after all, as a castaway from the Charlemagne, he'd learned plenty. Plus, the system helped him pick up a lot more knowledge.
"Do you need them now?" Theresa asked. She was tired.
"Yes," he said seriously.
"I'll authorize it with logistics—go ahead." she replied.
"Thanks." Chen Tiannuo turned and strode toward the lab, eager to apply Orokin biotech.
…
In the lab, after a night of crafting and tuning, he'd transformed a Valkyrie med-bed with Orokin tech—it was operational.
"Let's see how it works…" Chen Tiannuo scratched his head.
"Ugh, what a hassle!" he said, tossing aside self-restraint. He climbed in for a test.
[Orokin Med-Bed at your service]
"Complete body scan, please." He'd added voice control—smart systems would come later after central processor construction.
[Scanning…]
[Virus corrosion detected]
[Activating Nano-Repair Bots]
The bed began to fill with nutrient solution containing countless nanobots. They swarmed over his body, repairing virus damage.
Ten minutes later…
[Repair complete]
He stepped out. "Shouldn't have virus damage... my frame wasn't built from T‑Cyte."
He expected agony from T‑Cyte, but felt nothing.
Whatever—bed's good. Ready for use.
He stretched and left the lab.
He was hungry, so he went straight to the mess hall.
…
In the cafeteria, he spotted Mei and called out: "Mei! Afternoon, come to my lab—and bring Bronya."
"Me? There's an experiment?" Mei looked puzzled.
"No, the med-bed is ready—you can use it anytime."
"Okay." Mei nodded.
"Let's eat." Chen Tiannuo found a seat.
Mei carried Bronya's meal back to the infirmary.
"Sis, Bronya's only got minor injuries. No need to feed her porridge like this," Bronya said helplessly.
"It's fine—caring for my sister's my duty." Mei gently spooned porridge.
Bronya blushed but ate.
Afterward…
"Bronya, can you get up now?" Mei helped her sit up.
"I could walk ages ago. I just pretended to stay." Bronya replied.
"Chew-cough… Chen Tiannuo said the bed's ready—you can go try it," Mei said, coughing.
"Huh? Brother has science skills?" Bronya perked up.
"Don't know yet—let's go." Mei beamed.
"Okay." Bronya followed.
…
Chen Tiannuo returned to the lab after his meal, looking at Excalibur's new aesthetic. Black with white accents—he went full black because it goes with everything.
"Ugly…" he sighed. He might've been better off leaving the original paint.
"Master Tiannuo, we're here." Mei escorted Bronya into the lab.
"Finally!" Chen Tiannuo pointed to the capsule-like med-bed. "Hop in, and it'll scan and repair you automatically."
"If you're still alive, it'll save you—just takes time."
"Really?" Bronya looked skeptical.
"I don't know—I've never been near death."
Bronya carefully lay down, and the door closed.
[Biometric chip detected]
[Backdoor in biochip found—wipe recommended]
"…" Bronya paused, then whispered: "Wipe it."
[Checking injury… summoning nano-bots]
[Repairing…]
The bed filled again. Nanobots and nutrients restored her body; she felt no pain, only warmth. She drifted off.
An hour later…
The fluid drained and the door creaked open. Bronya awoke.
"How do you feel?" Chen Tiannuo asked.
Bronya smiled, then froze. She stood, removed her exoskeleton—her legs were healed. She could walk on her own!
She rushed to Chen Tiannuo and hugged him tightly. "Thank you…"
He gently patted her head, letting her hold on.