Without overthinking it, Luca picked up the leftmost pair—the 1:1 "Authentic Replica."
His confidence in this pair was absolute.
But the moment he held the shoes in his hands, he knew.
Test unnecessary!
"Holy crap! I forgot about this!"
Why was he shocked? Because the moment he thought about putting them on, the shoes... shifted.
It was a subtle vibration, barely visible to the naked eye, but Luca felt it. The shape of the [Power-Enhancing Shoes] adjusted automatically, molding perfectly to match the contours of his feet.
That's right!
He had gotten so used to wearing the system-synthesized shoes that he forgot: the original pair he synthesized was actually much smaller than his current foot size. It was the Power of Rules (Golden Finger logic) that allowed them to fit him perfectly regardless of size.
This handmade replica, although built to his current size, shouldn't have that auto-adjust ability.
But the fact that it did meant one thing:
The dream world knowledge allowed him to replicate the "System Logic" itself.
Do I even need to kick a ball to test this?
Luca slipped them on anyway.
Sure enough.
100% Accuracy. Zero recoil damage. Massive power, non-lethal impact.
Luca could verify the first part. Thresh, the unfortunate bodyguard who had been "helping" with the tests (and was now suffering from severe insomnia), could verify the "massive power" part.
Successfully replicating a "Rule-Based Artifact" filled Luca with hope for the other two pairs.
However...
---
CRACK.
"SSSS—AHHH! OW OW OW!"
Luca was on the ground, clutching his shin and howling in pain.
He had aimed for the target circle on the wall. instead, he missed completely and kicked the metal railing next to it, denting the steel bar significantly.
But Newton's Third Law is a bitch. The force reflected back into his leg.
"Young Master! Are you okay?!"
Shamila, Dunshan, and the others, who had been watching the show, rushed over in panic.
"Don't—don't touch it! Baymax! Check it, quick!"
Baymax waddled over with his signature tiny steps.
"Scan complete. Minor hairline fracture in the toes. Dislocated ankle."
"Luca, would you like me to reset your ankle?" (●—●)
"Sss... do it... do it... AH FUCK!"
CLICK.
With a sickening crunch, Baymax's soft, marshmallow hands snapped Luca's ankle back into place with terrifying efficiency.
Luca lay there, gasping and grimacing. It was hard to believe this was the same guy who supposedly parkoured between skyscrapers to save people.
Even Sherry, who was holding a maroon Haro and watching from the sidelines, shook her head silently.
Fortunately, Luca activated the healing power of the [Mero Mero Mellow] (Sweet Captive) ability. A cool sensation washed over his ankle, dulling the pain.
Sweating profusely, Luca finally let out a long breath.
"Young Master, maybe you shouldn't be the test subject next time. Green Bull has thick skin, let him do it," Shamila suggested.
Green Bull, who had just been laughing at Thresh's misfortune, froze. He turned his head slowly, eyes wide with betrayal.
"Uh... right..."
Luca chuckled weakly, shaking his head.
When he picked up the second pair (the Haro-made one), he noticed it didn't auto-adjust.
So, he had cautiously only set the dial to "Level 1."
The result? The power enhancement worked.
But the 100% Accuracy and Recoil Protection—the "Rule" effects—were completely absent.
Thank god I didn't crank it to Level 3. My foot would have flown off with the shoe. Or maybe I would have just electrocuted myself.
Luca looked at the third pair—the "Monkey Model" (armored version). He glanced at Green Bull hesitantly.
"Green Bull... you wanna try the last one?"
Green Bull's face turned greener than his mohawk.
But weighing the options between "me getting hurt" and "the boss getting hurt," he gritted his teeth and stepped forward.
"I'll do it, Young Master!"
"Hey, don't look like you're marching to your death. You wore the Tuxedo before, right? The voltage here is lower. Just be careful when you kick. You'll be fine."
Reassured, Green Bull sat down and strapped on the armored sneakers.
It's a shame. It seems only the items I personally hand-craft using the exact dream-methods retain the Rule Power.
But the knowledge itself is the real prize. I shouldn't be too greedy.
Luca knew the third pair wouldn't have any magical properties.
But since he built it, he might as well test it. If it worked, it could be a viable product line.
This pair was different. It wasn't really a sneaker anymore; it was more like a foot exoskeleton styled like a shoe.
While replicating the Tuxedo's muscle-stimulating tech was possible with Dr. Agasa's knowledge, Luca couldn't replicate the Tuxedo's durability.
The Tuxedo had countless microscopic, flexible stimulation nodes woven into bulletproof fabric. Luca's attempt using standard tech was fragile. One hard impact, and the nodes would break, causing the electricity to spasm the muscles instead of strengthening them.
That's why the second pair (Haro-made) failed—it would likely break after a few uses.
So, for the third pair, Luca compromised. He encased the tech in rigid armor to protect the delicate components.
It was clunky, but durable. Perfect for Green Bull.
"Alright. Try Level 1 first."
Green Bull pressed the remote.
He felt a low hum of electricity stimulating his calves and feet.
"Young Master... I think it's working?"
Grinning, Green Bull squatted down and exploded upward.
WHOOSH.
To everyone's surprise, the muscle-bound bodyguard leaped nearly two meters into the air.
For a guy built like a tank with zero high-jump training, hitting 60cm was usually his limit. This was superhuman.
Watching Green Bull bouncing around the yard like an oversized, green-haired Haro, a smile crept onto Luca's face.
"Seems like... not bad at all."