Chapter 1651 Bentheim's Strength

The Bentheim System had never come under attack by an external enemy since the Bright Republic colonized it. It shone as the brightest and most valuable jewel of a state that had endured frequent aggression.

That did not mean that Bentheim never saw violence. On the contrary, the gangs and influences that made up Bentheim's lucrative economy constantly warred for supremacy.

These underground conflicts rarely bothered average Bentheimers as the conflicts all took place in the more remote parts of the planet. The Bentheim Planetary Guard helplessly allowed these gang wars to occur, knowing that the collateral damage would grow much worse if they intervened!

Aside from the underground organizations competing over turf, the greatest threat to Bentheim had always been the Bentheim Liberation Movement.

Founded by disgruntled locals who objected to the central government's penchant of raiding their planet's coffers to support the rest of the state, the BLM violently advocated for independence.

Due to the huge proportion of wealth being stolen right in front of their eyes, many locals supported the seperatist organization.

The BLM received much sympathy and support, so much so that they had been able to come back time and time again each time the authorities struck a huge blow!

Not only that, but the terrorist attacks they perpetrated always resulted in a huge amount of death and property damage!

Their indiscriminate attacks turned their organization into a very polarizing existence. Most of the lower classes on Bentheim supported their cause, while the more well-off citizens hated their guts.

To the latter, the central government's decision to grant a complete blanket amnesty to the BLM sat very poorly with them! Every single rebel received a second chance, including the masterminds responsible for planning attacks that harvested thousands of lives, many of which were local Bentheimers who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time!

"I'll never give them! Once a murderer, always a murderer!"

Captain Melinda Larkinson gritted her teeth as her modified Desolate Soldier sortied out of one of the Planetary Guard's combat carriers.

As much as she wanted to turn her mech against her former enemies, she knew better than to disobey orders. She was a Larkinson, after all. This was no place to settle her private grudges.

"Keep up, men!" She commanded her lagging subordinates. "Don't show any weakness in front of the scum!"

No Bentheimer expected their first external enemy to be the alien sandmen. Everyone believed that the star system would face its first true opponent in the form of the ambitious Vesians.

Each and every war between the Bright Republic and the Vesia Kingdom always revolved around Bentheim. The latter tried so hard to take it over and they came closer than ever to achieving this dream a few years ago.

Bentheim had always been prepared to repel their expected invaders. Due to Bentheim's immense importance, it was one of the most protected star systems in the Bright Republic.

Even while the situation at the front worsened with each passing day, the Mech Corps insisted on stationing entire mech divisions in space and on land!

No matter how many sandmen fleets came to batter the economic center of the state, the Mech Corps was fully prepared to defend the pivotal star system to the death!

If that wasn't enough, the Starfighter Corps and the auxiliary forces in charge of running the abundant amount of defensive platforms pitched in as well.

All of the branches of the military invested significantly in fortifying this pivotal star system.

Losing Bentheim would spell the end of the Bright Republic!

Fortunately, the military wasn't alone in defending Bentheim.

Along with the Planetary Guard, the vigorous private sector outfits largely answered the call, not that they had much choice. Through multiple means, the authorities compelled every outfit and security company that had sat out the initial stages of the Sand War to defend their home planet.

In addition to these somewhat respectable outfits, a large amount of 'irregular' forces deployed as well.

These consisted of the rag-tag street gangs that formed the bottom rung of Bentheim's underground community to the more impressive organizations such as the Blood Claws.

Sadly for Melinda, the former cells of the Bentheim Liberation Movement also made an appearance.

Part of the deal called for the pardoned rebels to fight the sandmen. The government officials, in their infinite wisdom, decided that the best way to motivate the BLM into action was to assign them to protect their own homes!

As a consequence, a substantial chunk of mechs deployed in this part of the Bentheim System formerly belonged to the BLM!

Many of the mechs looked just as shabby and disorganized than before. Melinda's eyes itches as she beheld the familiar coatings and markings on their exterior.

If it was in the past, she would have engaged the BLM mechs without any hesitation!

Now, she was under strict orders to avoid any aggressive moves against the rebels. They were allies, now. For better or worse, they had to lay down their swords against each other.

Time passed as entire screens of mechs and starfighters deployed the meet the incoming enemy.

The Mech Corps smartly positioned the mech forces of the Bentheim Liberation Movement far away from the Planetary Guard. With plenty of private outfits in between, no friction should have taken place.

Her mech received a private comm call. Though it was not really proper for her to accept it, this was an exceptional situation.

"Melinda." A projection of Raella's face emerged.

"Raella. You're a part of this battle as well?"

"I would never miss out on this party!" The Blood Captain grinned. "This will be a battle for the history books."

"I'm not so sure about that. The combined sandman fleet we're about to engage isn't enough to penetrate Bentheim."

"Details, details. Don't die on me, Melinda. I like you too much to see you gone."

"You too. Good luck and good hunting."

They kept their conversation short as this was no time to chat. Exchanging a few words was enough to warm Melinda's heart and steel herself for the battle to come.

"No sandman will ravage Bentheim on my watch." She muttered. "The tragedy of Sydney Superior will not happen again!"

Every mech pilot about to fight the sandmen vividly recalled the news of Sydney Superior's fall. The fall of a major planet of the Bright Republic had set off a wave of fear, followed by a wave of indignation!

Everyone became angry! The sandmen could not be allowed to massacre Brighters with impunity!

"The enemy is nearing into effective engagement range! Follow the plan and stay in formation!"

The first sandman fleet that managed to arrive in the Bentheim System appeared very formidable.

These days, many sandman admirals no longer traveled with their own fleets but combined their forces with other admirals to increase their chances of survival.

The fleet right now consisted of the dreaded swarm configuration, and a giant one at that. A cloud of over a million individual drones, each of which were strong enough to match a starfighter, approached Bentheim as if there was nothing in its way to threaten its advance!

The defenders were eager to prove the sandmen wrong!

The Mech Corps deployed an entire mech division this time. The 3rd Bentheim Division received the honor of being the first to welcome the sandmen to Bentheim!

An overwhelming amount of auxiliary forces, private outfits and irregular units made up the rest. The coordination between these disparate groups of mechs was very chaotic, and it was impossible to expect anything better.

The final and most crucial element that made up their lineup was tens of thousands of starfighters.

Since Bentheim was the heart of the Bright Republic's industry, it was the first to welcome the second generation of starfighters. All of the locally-stationed starfighter regiments received the first batches of second generation starfighters which offered substantially thicker frontal armor in exchange for reduced mobility.

Right now, none of the starfighters making up the vanguard of their lineup moved out of place. Each and every starfighter pilot stationed at Bentheim enjoyed much more training than their counterparts stationed at the front.

While this meant that the starfighter pilots also lacked a lot of practical experience, the higher ups gladly accepted this tradeoff.

More training meant more discipline. This would be crucially important in the days to come as the sandmen would likely come and test their defenses frequently.

"They've come!"

The long-ranged mechs fired first. Hundreds of specialist mechs from the 3rd Bentheim Division fired all manner of railguns, gauss rifles and kinetic rifles at the approaching swarm.

Their firepower, while powerful and deadly, hardly made a dent against the approaching swarm.

However, the mechs quickly fired their second and third salvos at a respectable pace. What Melinda found most admirable was that the marksman mechs managed to land most of their hits!

"Even I can't match this level of accuracy!"

Though the sandman swarm slowly diminished, it was far too slow to whittle it down before it arrived at its destination.

To stop the sandmen, the defenders had to put up a greater fight!

"Watch out! Heat signatures are spiking! The swarm is about to fire!"

The skies ran red as the sandmen released countless lasers against their opponents!

Though most lasers missed due to the imperfect targeting methods of the sandmen, many of them managed to score some blows against starfighters and mechs!

Some starfighters outright blasted apart as even their improved frontal armor couldn't resist the tide of thirty simultaneous laser hits!

During the initial rounds of fighting, the formation of mechs and starfighters had already been flying backwards. They just moderated their relative velocity in order to allow the sandman swarm to creep up towards them. The most effective range to engage the sandmen was at medium range!

As the sandmen constantly closed, the formation sped up until they would be able to maintain medium range against the closing sandmen.

Once they moved faster, the fateful order had come.

"Activate your particle generators and fire at will! Let the sandman dread the sight of our Stripes of Humanity!"

Almost every mech and starfighter fired at the approaching swarm, taking out tens of thousands of sandman drones in the first salvo!

Simultaneously, the machines each released stripes of different colors. The most discerning observers would be able to identify the allegiance of the units releasing the stripes by their color and numbers.

For example, as Melinda glanced to the side, she saw that the detachment of hundreds of Blood Claw mechs were still going strong!

With so many Blood Claw mechs proudly firing their Sandbreaker rifles at the sandmen, Raella should have been alright.

Melinda shook her head and focused back on her actual tasks. She could not allow herself to become distracted!

"Bentheim will never fall!"

Sandman drones fell in droves as various rounds violently slammed against them! Though the quantity of sandman drones was prodigious, the sandman admirals paid a very heavy price. Only a glancing hit saved the drones from succumbing immediately!

Melinda noted that she had only taken four sandman drones with her shots so far. "Not enough! I can do better!"

Though she had been trained in marksmanship, her skill with a rifle wasn't exceptional. The Planetary Guard didn't emphasize lethal weapons either, which made it difficult for her to keep up her practice.

Nonetheless, she was still a Larkinson. It was her duty to protect the innocent!

Even if she never imagined that she would participate in a war like this, she never intended to shirk her duty!

The ferocity shown by the human defenders quickly unsettled the sandman swarm. Though their numbers still overwhelmed the defenders, their weak lasers failed to kill the second generation starfighters fast enough!

Whereas before they used to fall in droves, now their rate of casualties had become much more manageable, especially as the heavily-damaged craft pulled back in time!

The first battle between the sandmen and defenders of Bentheim ended without any suspense.

Bentheim was too strong!

Chapter 1652 Deteriorating Economy

The first battle of Bentheim shocked the Bright Republic and everyone who lived in the Bentheim region.

Though plenty of people warned that the sandmen would descend upon Bentheim like moths to a flame, they never thought that a single breach at the frontlines would result in an immediate deep incursion!

The same reason that made Bentheim such an attractive star system to travel towards also encouraged many sandman fleets to flock to it. This was because traveling to Bentheim as opposed to a regular star system was akin to travelling along the path of least resistance to the sandman fleets.

The outcome that many Brighters feared but expected had come true!

"This will be the first of many attacks, Ves." Raymond Billingsley-Larkinson cautioned. "And when Bentheim is within reach, Cloudy Curtain might also welcome the sandmen in time."

Ves rapped his fingers against his desk in thought. "I'm not entirely comfortable with the amount of forces ready to defend our star system. I know that we don't merit much priority due to our lack of development, but it still seems as if we're being neglected."

"The Mech Corps and the Starfighter Corps can't be everywhere. They have to allocate their forces as prudently as possible. From what Benjamin has told me, the military has made some very unpleasant choices. The reason why the Mech Corps only stationed a small detachment at Cloudy Curtain so far is because it isn't important."

"It isn't important?!" Ves looked offended. "Cloudy Curtain is no longer the sleepy rural planet that no one has ever heard of! We've settled billions of refugees here! We're an important center for food production!"

"The brass are aware. The difference is that they don't value them very much. When you have to make a lot of difficult choices in a very short amount of time, you'll resort to the most pragmatic solution instead of the more compassionate alternatives."

The implications of Raymond's words were clear.

"You mean.. the Bright Republic is more than willing to sacrifice Cloudy Curtain to the sandmen?"

"Yes. This is the tradeoff the higher ups have made after analyzing the reasons for the fall of the border states. The analysts have discovered that the more compassionate a state tries to be, the faster the sandmen manage to dismantle it. Unlike us, the sandmen are completely unfeeling. While their coordination and intelligence are lacking, their choices are often the most harshest one at hand because they don't care about their lives."

"So the Bright Republic has essentially decided that the strategically-important star systems such as Bentheim, Rittersberg and New Foundation have to be preserved at all costs. Less important star systems like Cloudy Curtain can just be left to their own devices because it's too costly to defend them, is that right?"

"There's no point in harboring any resentment against the government. Bentheim truly needs the protection, as the sandmen love to batter port systems."

Ves sighed. "I know that there is also an enormous economic incentive to preserve our only port system.

They all had to accept that the government was unlikely to weaken Bentheim's defenses in order to reinforce weaker star systems.

The people in charge only wanted the Bright Republic to survive. The fall of a lesser star system didn't weigh in their minds at all. Why should they care over losing a relatively insignificant planet when they can sleep peacefully with the comfort that Bentheim was so well defended that the sandmen had to invest enormously to crack open its shell!

"What response do you wish to make in light of this development?"

"Reinforce the Silver Sentinels as much as you can. Also.. make some preparations for evacuation. I know we don't have as many ships as we like, but make sure we can cut and run within a day."

"We're already in the process of bolstering the Silver Sentinels. As for the latter, it's impossible to get our hands on more ships."

Ves frowned. "A lot of refugee ships should have fallen in the government's hands, right? Why hasn't the state employed them to evacuate the Sydney Superior System and other star systems in the crosshairs?"

"The same reason that applies to the lack of forces at Cloudy Curtain also applies to the lack of mass evacuations Sydney Superior. The government doesn't value the lives of the citizens who used to live in Sydney Superior high enough. Many of the ships that have fallen in the government's hands are mostly employed to support the infrastructure related to the production and shipping of starfighters and related goods."

"Ah." Ves understood. "A massive quantity of starfighters are being produced throughout all of the Bright Republic. While they are individually cheap, they all require a lot of materials to produce. Once they are built, they all have to be shipped to the appropriate destinations."

There was a price for resorting to quantity. The increased logistical burden of employing other weapon platforms was the main reason why they fell out favor. Mechs were much more convenient in most cases because it was possible to invest in an expensive, high-quality mech unit that did not take up much logistical capacity while still offering excellent battle performance.

Ves and Raymond continued to discuss the security and defense arrangements, though there wasn't much to talk about. All of the necessary decisions had been made before and Commander Magdalena could tell them a lot more about the readiness of their forces.

They also discussed the other changes that occurred.

Raymond passed on some bad news. "The fall of Sydney Superior ripped a hole in the Bright Republic's defensive lines. A large amount of star systems that aren't very important but also aren't negligible are under threat. Some of those star systems supplied valuable exotics and minerals to Bentheim. While the disruption so far has been slight, we're not sure if it will remain that way as the sandmen keep encroaching into Brighter territory."

"What does that mean to us in the short term and the long term?"

"Our profit margin will diminish as the supply of exotics and raw materials is impacted. Fortunately for us, your connections to the Tovar Family allows us to buy from their material suppliers. Only until the Tovars are starting to feel the pinch will they draw back on external commitments. Our analysts believe that price hikes are unavoidable in the near term and getting cut off from several important materials is a very real possibility in the long term."

At first, it sounded bad, but Raymond didn't appear very distressed.

"It could be worse."

Raymond concurred. "The LMC already enjoyed a good run on the eve of the next mech generation. We've surpassed a million total sales in the history of our mech company! Think of how impactful that is and how much money we've earned! It won't be a problem if the LMC ends production and tries to coast along for the next few decades!"

Of course, they would never do that. Ves had to keep designing and selling more mechs in order to advance his design philosophy.

He understood Raymond's point. They didn't have to be too remorseful if the economic circumstances worsened.

Ves definitely expected the economy to take a nosedive. Monthly inflation had already surpassed 30 percent in recent days while the price of many goods had shot up as they became less abundant.

"This only concerns our operations in the Bright Republic, right?"

"Don't think that the situation is better elsewhere. Many foreign third-party manufacturers have signalled an intention to stop producing the Soldier mechs because they're not economically viable anymore. In fact, our partners from the Reinald Republic and other hard-hit states have stopped communicating with us entirely. Perhaps they're still producing some Desolate Soldiers, but we can forget about receiving our fees."

"Even when the Reinald Republic is falling apart, its people still want to scam us one last time." Ves grimaced.

"It's not as if there will be any court left standing to prosecute them for their contract breaches."

In general, the economic outlook of the entire region worsened considerably more than Ves initially expected. The sandmen truly disrupted the regional supply chains more severely than many companies could cope.

Even the states that were safer such as those in the fourth line of defense weren't looking too good. Due to the interconnectedness of trade, the deterioration taking place in one state also impacted the economy of another state!

The consequence was that it was not very useful to shift production in the safer states such as the Independent State of Pillis which would be next if the sandmen managed to break the Bright Republic.

Both Ves and Raymond discussed the possibility of production stopping entirely in the coming half year or sooner.

Production would instead shift to producing only the most essential supplies and war materiel.

"I hope this production shift won't take place before I'm ready to publish my next commercial mech design." He muttered.

"When do you expect to unveil your new mech design?"

"Not too long. A month at most, maybe a little longer. We have to get it right at once since its mech concept is very radical and difficult to believe."

Though Ves and Gloriana directed most of their focus towards designing the Adonis Colossus, they still made sure to keep the Deliverer project alive.

The former project was already nearing the phase. Once they finished implementing the defensive augments on the Adonis Colossus design and made some other tweaks, Ves could hand off the optimization and prototype testing phases to his design team.

Of course that would also be the time when Ves had to prepare its design spirit, which was something he was still holding off due to the recent changes in direction.

"Compared to the custom mech project, the Deliverer project is much more important to our future and the future of our state." Raymond remarked. "Do you think it will work?"

"It has to. I know it sounds rather dubious, but don't discount it right away. The Ylvainans will definitely surprise us with their uncanny performance. They already managed to do so with my Transcendent Messengers and Holy Soldiers."

"I think you're giving them too much credit. The success of your work rests mainly in their sound design and fantastic glows. I have high expectations for the glow that comes with your Deliverer mechs. Is there really no way to make them compatible with Brighter mech pilots?"

Ves firmly shook his head. "Glows don't work the way you think they do. We settled on describing this phenomenon as a glow because it was the most neutral option available. If you think of it in different terms, such as a soul, then you'd understand why only Ylvainans can unleash the full potential of the Deliverer."

"I see..." Raymond answered skeptically.

Though the Larkinson elder possessed a good understanding of mechs and how to run a mech company, he was too new to understand the LMC's principles.

Like any Brighter, Raymond looked down on religion and superstition. In his perspective, the glows that had become the trademark of the LMC's products was simply some kind of unexplained metaphysical phenomena. Even though it was rather mysterious, everyone had grown rather used to them after witnessing so many mechs with the same properties.

"At least there is one upside to making the Deliverer exclusive to Ylvainans." Ves grinned. "I can jack up the price considerably without worrying about scaring away too many customers. My credibility with the Ylvainans is so high that they'll buy anything I produce."

Raymond frowned. "Take care not to break that trust. Many companies wish to have the relationship you've managed to forge with the Ylvainan people."

"It doesn't matter if the Ylvaine Protectorate falls due to failing to repel the sandmen. In fact, we don't even have to raise our prices of our Deliverer mechs. With how much cash we have, we can afford to subsidize the production of Deliverers if that is what it takes to get them in the hands of our customers as quickly as possible."

Ves was willing to do this because he believed that his Deliverers were to winning the Sand War!

Chapter 1653 Lasponge Module

"You're in doubt." Gloriana cleverly observed as they nearly completed the first iteration of the Adonis Colossus. "Do you have second thought on the defensive augments we've chosen?"

Ves wrapped his arm around Gloriana's taut waist and took in her presence. There was just something about her scent that made her even more alluring.

He never got tired of how she smelled. Every so often, she switched up her perfumes, giving his nose yet another delight that he inevitably associated with his girlfriend.

He had a sense that Gloriana was training him to adore her by keying him with her distinctive perfumes!

Was this one of the devious, underhanded ways that Hexer women kept their boys in line?

If so, Ves understood how effective the women had been in staying in charge!

"Hello?" Gloriana snapped her fingers in front of his eyes. "I'm speaking here!"

He quickly recovered. "Ah, sorry. I was just caught up in how lucky I am to be with you."

Gloriana's face bloomed with warmth. She partially melted in his embrace. "Aww. I love you too, Ves, but this isn't the time to get all lovey-dovey with each other. We're almost done with the initial version of the Adonis Colossus and I don't want anything marring our first proper custom mech!"

"Isn't the Resentful Soldier our first custom mech?"

She scowled. "That's not a proper custom mech! From my perspective, it's merely a variant that is heavily customized to accommodate a specific mech pilot. We were working against the constraints and design choices meant to serve the general public."

"And it's different this time?"

"Yup. Our Adonis Colossus is completely designed for Vincent Ricklin from the ground up. Its mech concept, its vision, the selection of component designs and the design choices we've made along the way are all geared towards designing the perfect vessel for Vincent or close to it. The fact that two Journeymen and a small design team spent over a month on this project is a considerable investment that is very extravagant service for any mech pilot! I normally charge several billion hex credits to design a custom mech from the ground up, you know!"

Ves widened his eyes!

Whereas most mech designers struggled to earn a few scraps, Gloriana could easily bag herself the equivalent of the price of a modern second-class corvette like the Barracuda!

Of course, Gloriana was a Journeyman with a reputation for designing custom mechs. Not every mech designer from the Hegemony received the same offers.

She earned a lot, and for good reason. Ves knew better than almost anyone how much her mother and her dynasty invested in her upbringing. If she wasn't competent in designing custom mechs, she would have never been able to run a business regardless of her background.

"Mechs designed this way can't be adapted into a commercial mech because they are too narrow in focus by their nature." She continued. ?In mech design, if you want something done right, you have to do so right at the start."

He agreed. "Variants are most appropriate to design when you need to fulfill a similar but slightly different role."

"Anyway, back to the topic, do you have any questions about the Lasponge module?"

"Hmm.. not that much. I admit that it's an appropriate augment considering the likely battles our Adonis Colossus is about to face."

"It's just right for a man who loves himself more than anyone else." Gloriana affirmed.

Out of every possible defensive augment they could have picked, they went with something that offered temporary but supreme defense against lasers.

The so-called Lasponge module was a defensive system integrated in the frame of the mech. Ordinarily, it remained dormant, but when the mech received critical damage or upon the command of the mech pilot, the module activated, causing a lot of foam or liquid to pour out of special cavities in the frame.

This foam or liquid substance would quickly harden in seconds, forming a large shield-like obstacle that the mech could hide behind.

As its name suggested, the Lasponge shield absorbed laser beams and many other types of energy weapons like a sponge. It was extremely effective in shielding the mech behind it from a considerable amount of damage!

This sounded very great, but there was a reason why this wasn't a common defensive augment among mechs.

First, the Lasponge system spent money like running water. Every Lasponge substance had to be good enough to mitigate a substantial amount of laser fire, and that could not be obtained on the cheap.

For the Lasponge system that Ves and Gloriana selected for the Adonis Colossus, it cost as much as a single budget mech to replenish enough Lasponge substance to sustain a single activation!

Second, Lasponge was not as effective as genuine armor in withstanding enemy fire. It was formed out of foam or liquid that hardened in seconds, and this made it inherently more unstable.

Third, it took quite a lot of room to store the module and the containers necessary to store all of the Lasponge. The Adonis Colossus didn't have any room left once Ves and Gloriana integrated the system into the beefy mech.

While all of these disadvantages sounded bad, Ves thought it was worth it due to the importance of preserving Vincent's life.

It was an addition tailor-made for Vincent's inclinations and his importance to the Bright Republic. So what if using Lasponge was expensive? Vincent's life was much more valuable in comparison as long as he did what the government wanted!

Ves expressed his doubts. "From a technical standpoint, our mech design is functionally and mechanically sound. I doubt any mech designer would begrudge our design choices too much, at least if stylistic concerns are taken out of the picture. I'm quite proud of what we managed to accomplish. Mostly."

Indeed, the Adonis Colossus was a technical highpoint for them both within the category of third-class mechs.

While Gloriana ordinarily designed better machines, she was still able to bring out much of her expertise in this project.

On the other hand, Ves had never designed something so supreme, expensive and high-performing aside from his Transcendent Messengers, and even then those weren't truly custom mechs.

He witnessed plenty of excellent mechs, of course. Expert mechs such as Venerable Foster Belisarius or Venerable O'Callahan's Parallax Star made a very powerful impact on him in the past.

The custom mech that was most equivalent to the Adonis Colossus was Lord Javier's Loquacious Raphael.

Ves still remembered how the skilled Vesian noble and his excellent custom mech terrorized the Flagrant Vandals in Vesian space. The combination of an excellent mech pilot and an excellent custom mech achieved a result that was halfway towards the performance of an expert mech!

Sadly, he didn't expect too much from the Adonis Colossus.

The Loquacious Raphael and Transcendent Messengers were hero mechs which offered a great balance between speed, firepower and protection. Their combination of armaments allowed for a lot of skill expression, which was great for their elite mech pilots who possessed the sheer talent and ability to make the most out of their machines.

Vincent on the other hand was clearly a mediocre mech pilot who wasn't really passionate about his profession. His sloppy, inconsistent training forced Ves and Gloriana to dumb down much of the functions of the Adonis Colossus in order to avoid overwhelming its intended mech pilot!

Still, no matter what, Ves and Gloriana eventually managed to design the Adonis Colossus in a way that fit its mech pilot, and that was what mattered in the end. Vincent Ricklin would never be able to pilot a better machine at this point of time than their work!

"Since the problem you have isn't technical in nature, it's the divine aspect, right?" Gloriana eventually figured out.

Ves reluctantly nodded. "We've come close to the point where we ought to infuse our design with a spiritual component. I'm just unsure of whether it is the right choice."

"You're very decisive normally. Almost all of your prior mech designs are the results of predetermined planning. It's not normal for you to change your mind or be unsure of what you want your mech to be like in the end. Am I correct?"

He nodded.

Gloriana smiled and patted his head, ruffling his dark hair for a moment. "You're so cute, Ves. What you are just experiencing is what many other mech designers are forced to grapple with as well. Even Masters aren't so hung up on their predetermined plans. Sometimes, the vision we created at the start can't keep up with newly-introduced variables or discoveries. The more advanced the mech, the greater the room for doubt."

"I.. see. You have a point. It's just that uncertainty is normally very bad for my design philosophy. The only reason I've managed to hang on up to now is because my doubts are very narrow."

"Care to share, Ves?"

"You have probably guessed what I'm concerned about. It's the nature of the design spirit that I'm doubtful of. I have held off on creating it up until now but I can't stall the decision any longer."

He brought out a container and opened it up, revealing a P-stone that already contained a spiritual fragment of Nyxie which he carved out a few months ago.

Perhaps due to storing it for so long, the fragment felt unduly subdued. It hardly reacted to his proximity as if it was still asleep.

That wouldn't last once Ves processed it so that he could create his third spiritual product.

Gloriana glanced at the P-stone with fascination. Though her spiritual senses weren't as acute as his, she spent long enough in his presence to exercise her senses and judgment.

"Is it about the masculinity issue? I thought we already settled it, remember?"

He sighed. "I know. I don't regret the design choices we've made. It's just that I'm trying to figure out how to execute our decisions."

"It's simple, right? You just do your magic and create a proto-god that matches the divine nature of the mech and voila! We have a complete custom mech!"

"It's that matching that is the problem, Gloriana. Don't forget that we each imposed our own views of Vincent's masculinity onto our mech design. However, creating its design spirit is something that only I can do. If I create it as normal, then the spiritual product only inherits my view of masculinity. If I instill it as the design spirit of the Adonis Colossus, then it will slant more towards one aspect of masculinity while neglecting the other aspect that comes from you. That will unbalance the entire glow of the mech and lead to potentially disastrous results!"

In the worst case, the X-Factor of his Adonis Colossus would be in such an awful state that Ves would be forced to wipe it out entirely!

It was extremely difficult for him to correct a mistake made during the design process. The only way to salvage a mech design after that point was to employ the spiritual equivalent of an eraser to strip out the malfunctioning spiritual component of his design.

That basically meant that much of his work concerning his specialty would have gone to waste, which was a huge shame!

"What do you need to do to address this problem?"

"I have to find a way to integrate your view on Vincent's masculinity during the creation process. The spiritual product has to be a joint effort of both you and me, and I'm not sure how to do that. The only idea I have is..."

"Just tell me, Ves."

He sighed. "The most direct way to accomplish my goal is if I enter your mind and draw out your thoughts on Vincent and our design project and integrate them into our spiritual product during its formation. This is extremely dangerous and I've never really attempted this before. The entire reason why I'm so reluctant is that in the worse case, you might end up like Silent William or worse..."

Silent William's example clearly showed how perilous it was to tinker with spirituality inside someone's head!

Nonetheless, Gloriana did not look concerned at all. She continued to face him with a loving expression.

"I trust you, Ves. I'm not afraid of what you need to do to turn the Adonis Colossus into a success!"

Chapter 1654 Joint Creation

Ves knew Gloriana well enough to know that she would often be inclined to accept his suggestions.

Naturally, the only exception was when it came to her design philosophy or her core Hexer beliefs.

Aside from that, whenever he proposed something risky or radical, Gloriana often went along, trusting Ves to do what was best.

Ves liked being trusted for once. It was such a rare concept for him that he treasured every moment where he gave and received unconditional trust.

To be honest, Ves sometimes abused her easy acquiesce to his advantage. He managed to get her to agree to go on a grand expedition and persuaded her into providing him with a workable sample of pure ASMAS.

The suggestion that he presented to her just now was just as controversial. He couldn't stand letting Gloriana participate in this risky venture without understanding the risks and dangers associated with it. Not this time!

"Do you understand what this means? Since you can't do this on your own, I'll have to manually enter your head, extract your energy and some thoughts regarding Vincent and the Adonis Colossus, all the while preventing your self-defense mechanisms from stopping my intrusion."

"Self-defense mechanisms?"

"The.. thing that empowers your design philosophy is the same thing that guards your mind. I'm not sure how much control you have over it, but you have to restrain it from attacking me while I'm in your head."

"I'll try." Gloriana simply said.

"Think of what I'm doing. I'm proposing to enter your head and rummaging through your mind."

"I don't mind." She responded with a smile. "I don't have any secrets towards you. Besides, it's for a good cause, right? I really want the Adonis Colossus to be the culmination of our joint design efforts. If a better option is available, I don't want to ignore it because I'm too afraid to do what it takes to elevate our mech design."

"I've never done this, though. Who knows whether taking some of your thoughts and other stuff in your mind will damage your mentality."

Ves was still too inexperienced in messing with people's minds.

For some reason, his thoughts wandered back to his mother. She appeared to be a lot more adept in this kind of spiritual manipulation than him. Sometimes, he even feared that she even tinkered with his head, changing him in some way that suited her purposes better!

Of course, that was just his paranoia speaking. A real mother wouldn't harm her son, would she?

He shook his head to get rid of this useless tangent.

Fortunately, Gloriana took the time to consider the matter seriously.

"If you think this is the best course of action to make our mech design great, then go ahead. I want to do everything possible to make our work a mech to be remembered. How can we do that when we are too scared to do what is necessary?"

"I wouldn't say it's necessary. The Adonis Colossus would still be a mech that is good enough to fulfill our commission."

"That's never the proper attitude to adopt!" Gloriana snapped at him. "We should always endeavor to make our mech designs as perfect as possible! I will never settle for 'good enough' if a better solution is available! Now stop dilly-dallying around and proceed with your plan!"

"This.. requires some preparation. We also have to go somewhere quiet."

The two entered and an enclosed portion of the design lab. After a bit of consideration, Ves decided to hold the procedure inside the testing chamber where he used to experiment on William Urbesh.

This was because Melody and the guards of the Glory Battalion simply refused to let Ves alone with Gloriana without supervision.

No matter what excuses he brought up, they still wanted to keep an eye on Gloriana and him. So for lack of a better option, Ves decided that they could watch from the observation room while jamming every sensor and observation device.

Luckily, all of his spiritual procedures were invisible to the naked eye. Gloriana's assistant and guards would never be able to observe what was going. They would simply see Gloriana and Ves sitting opposite to each other while doing nothing.

The same applied to Gloriana as well. As far as he knew, her spiritual senses were extremely weak and she never developed an ability akin to his spiritual vision.

This would make it a bit harder to work with her in the creation of his fourth spiritual product.

His first spiritual product was Vescas, the design spirit of the Kinslayer.

His second spiritual product was the Solemn Guardian, the design spirit of the Desolate Soldier and its variants.

Now, he was about to create a new spiritual entity for the third time.

He already made ample preparations beforehand. He refined and cut down the chaotic, alien elements from the spiritual fragment he harvested from Nyxie long ago.

He also formed various images in his mind that corresponded to the Adonis Colossus' spiritual foundation. This not only ensured a seamless fit, but also shaped the glow of his mech design in the right fashion.

The Adonis Colossus was a mech designed to affirm Vincent's sense of masculinity.

Whether his sense of masculinity warped or not didn't matter. As long as the client was happy with the product, these issues didn't concern Ves very much.

"The important thing is to stay calm and suppress your mental defenses as much as possible." Ves cautioned yet again. "I can't stress the importance of this. The operation that I'm about to do in your mind is very delicate."

"My mind is under my control. I won't allow myself to disturb you in anyway. This is my promise."

"That's good. Strong conviction is vital in allowing everything to go according to plan. What we are about to do is an act of creation. The spiritual product that we are about to create is just as alive as any child born out of our union."

Her words instantly excited her. "A child?! It's too soon!"

"Calm down, Gloriana!" Ves panicked a bit. "It's just a metaphor! It's not truly human or a real child! It's just a living spiritual component to be added to our mech design."

"Still, I feel kind of hot." She blushed all of a sudden. "Should we move this to a bedroom?"

Ves palmed his face. "Don't joke around. If a spiritual product is our child, then it's not the first one. We've already created various mech designs together. Do you consider them all to be our children as well?"

She offered him a brilliant smile. "In a way, yes! Each time we create something together is something worth celebrating about! Of course, I don't consider our joint creations to be our literal children, otherwise we'd be limited to just six creations."

He ignored the implications of her words and began to proceed with the operation. A sense of solemness overcame him as he rid himself of all distractions and concentrated his mind. A very powerful spiritual sensation emanated from his mind.

Though weak and self-contained, Gloriana clearly felt the difference at this proximity.

"Concentrate your mind and bring it under your control."

She tried to follow his instruction. She sat straighter and began to concentrate. Due to working alongside Ves for some time, she had plenty of practice of doing so. It only took her ten or so seconds to achieve a focused state.

Though not as pure as his own, Ves deemed her state to be satisfactory. He picked up the P-stone and held it in front of him. It held the main ingredient for their third act of creation.

For a serious mech design, Ves would have usually tried to borrow the spiritual fragment of an expert pilot to make his spiritual product more compatible to mechs.

However, Ves did not do so this time. It was far too much trouble to track an expert pilot down and find some way to borrow a spiritual fragment, especially during these hectic times!

The Adonis Colossus was a ranged hybrid mech that wasn't quite a rifleman mech. It would not be easy to find an expert pilot who specialized in these kinds of mechs.

Of course, the main rationalization for skipping this step was because the benefits wouldn't be of much use to Vincent anyway.

Since he was quite familiar with creating spiritual products by now, he proceeded with the steps without much fanfare. He smashed Nyxie's spiritual fragment until it fractured into shards of condensed spiritual energy!

He moved quickly, then. He employed his Spirituality and disgorged a lot of images and energy stored in his mind. They mixed in with the shards of the broken spiritual fragment without blending together.

Ordinarily, Ves would have tried to massage and piece the ingredients into a new and greater whole, but he had to add another batch of ingredients first!

"It's time." He whispered. "Open your mind to me. I'd like to enter it without forcing my way in. Can you do that?"

Gloriana briefly frowned. "How do I do that?"

"Use your imagination. Imagine your mind as an intangible field that is shaped like a bubble in your head. Imagine forming a partition in this bubble to allow me inside."

Fortunately, this step went a lot easier than he thought. Perhaps because she had done it before, her mind granted him an opening as soon as he extended a spiritual projection.

He entered her mind for the second time.

Just like before, her brilliant and active mind was a spiritual sight to behold. Her mind and spirit was so indescribable that Ves had to force himself to hurry up and proceed with his task.

Now that he broke Nyxie's spiritual fragment, he only had a limited amount of time to add extra ingredients to the mix!

Upon his exploration of her mind, he quickly stumbled upon his dormant spiritual fragment. He couldn't help but pause his search a bit to examine its state.

Compared to the lively spiritual projection of before, it had automatically collapsed in on itself after Gloriana's design seed cut off his direct connection. Even now, the spiritual fragment from his own spiritual energy didn't seem to be entirely in his control anymore.

Had it been contaminated by Gloriana's design seed?

The placement of the fragment was also very odd. It orbited close to her design seed as if it was a planet revolving around a sun.

Ves repressed the urge to take back what was originally his. He had no idea what was going on, but he intuitively sensed that it wasn't necessarily bad for him. Letting the fragment stay in her mind for her to enjoy might even lead to something good.

For now, he returned to his mission and began to scour her mindscape for thoughts related to the Adonis Colossus.

Perhaps because of the circumstances or because she spent such a long time on the design project, Ves immediately identified large amounts of relevant thought matter, for lack of a better word.

This was the most dangerous part. As Ves extended his spiritual projection, he attempted to harvest a portion of thought matter.

Take too much, and Ves might warp Gloriana's perception of their work or damage her mind.

Take too little, and his spiritual product would end up unbalanced.

He had to take just enough thought matter, and that was very difficult for Ves to judge.

Eventually, he hijacked a substantial portion of thoughts, enough to affect Gloriana's mind, and not in a good way!

Her mind immediately shuddered and her design seed began to spike with activity!

"Bear with it, Gloriana! I'm almost done! Stay calm!"

Her face scrunched with pain as she felt as if her mind had been wounded! Her instincts compelled her to firm up her mental defenses and lash out at the offending party, but she tried her best to keep herself under control.

Even though she knew she was hurt somehow, she needed to bear with the loss!

Chapter 1655 Assert Control

Searing pain and a profound sense of loss overtook Gloriana. If not for her strong determination to remain under control, she would have lashed out already!

As it was, she could barely hold herself together. It helped that she was familiar with her boyfriend's presence. Having taken in the profile of his presence made it a little bit easier to refrain from doing something that would ruin the procedure.

In the meantime, Ves cautiously withdrew his active spiritual projection through the hole that Gloriana still kept open. Now that he had his prize in hand, he had no desire to linger in her mind any longer.

Despite his spiritual prowess, Gloriana was a Journeyman who was just as strong as him! As long as her design seed roused into action, a mere spiritual projection would never be able to resist!

His gradual withdrawal from her mind proceeded without incident. The awful consequences that he imagined never came to pass.

"Success! You can relax now. I can complete the last steps on my own!"

She visibly slumped and nursed her head as she tried to make sense of what had happened.

Meanwhile, Ves steered his spiritual projection to the P-stone which still held the broken shards of Nyxie's spiritual fragments and the images and energy he already deposited.

Compared to his own contribution, Gloriana's thoughts were relatively minor. Only a small amount of her spiritual energy had blended with the thoughts, giving them just enough substance for Ves to be able to handle them in this fashion.

Ves wasn't too worried at the lack of quantity. From what he discovered about spiritual manipulation, it would be enough to harvest some of Gloriana's thoughts. The abundant spiritual energy he supplied would mostly be used to glue to the broken shards and scattered ingredients together.

He proceeded with the act of spiritual restoration.

This had always been a mystifying process to him. How could it be so easy to fit different spiritual shards and elements together using his own spirituality as glue? Was this normal, or was he the only one who could do this due to his unique design philosophy?

Whatever the case, Ves soon became immersed in the profoundness of what he was doing.

Ever since he muddled-headedly created Vescas and the Solemn Guardian, he resolved to pay more attention to the mechanics behind spiritual restoration.

He couldn't keep creating spiritual products without truly understanding the process. The engineer inside him recoiled at remaining as ignorant as a barbarian staring at a campfire while remaining ignorant of what was truly taking place!

He paid extra attention to why certain spiritual shards fit with other shards or other ingredients such as his images or Gloriana's thoughts.

Unfortunately, he saw no rhyme or reason why they inexplicably fit. Either his spiritual senses were too insensitive to detect what was going on, or some kind of invisible rule was in effect which he hadn't figured out at the moment.

He was inclined towards the latter possibility, which only made him feel more stupid.

"This is harder than I thought." He grumbled, though he made sure to maintain his concentration.

While Ves stared at the P-stone while he fiddled, Gloriana slowly regained her senses.

Anything that manipulated the mind resulted in major consequences. Even the act of depriving her with a portion of her thoughts on the Adonis Colossus severely altered her memory and perception of her current project!

Shock and alarm momentarily suffused her agitated mind. She felt violated in a way that struck her very being!

Though she had been warned by Ves of the danger of the operation, she had difficulty of accepting what had happened.

If anyone other than Ves or her closest family pulled this off on her, she would have torn into them like a wildcat!

As it was, seeing Ves consumed in his current task made her calm down. He hadn't hurt her on purpose. It had simply been necessary in order to achieve the result they wanted.

In order to design the perfect vessel, Gloriana already knew she had to make some sacrifices.

A few minutes passed by in silence as she recovered in a sense. While she hadn't regained what she lost, she at least sensed that her wound had been patched somehow.

Hopefully, the scars of what took place in her mind would fade. The lingering aftermath left her in an uncomfortable state.

In order to distract herself, she turned back to Ves and what he was doing.

Try as she might, she saw nothing special except Ves holding a rock.

She let out a frustrated grunt. She lacked the ability to perceive the wonders that Ves had described!

Even now, she sensed some unfathomable pressure emanating from the rock, yet that was far from detailed enough for her to get a sense of what was happening!

Maybe looking at it with her eyes was wrong. They clearly weren't working under these circumstances, so she simply closed her eyes and relied on her other senses to feel what was happening.

Without the distraction of visual clutter, she became a bit more sensitive to what was taking place. She leaned in a little, allowing her to sense some of the activity.

As she did, she slowly began to perceive the strength emanating from Ves. Though she was already familiar with it whenever they became immersed in their collaborative design sessions, she had never felt it as clearly as today!

His presence was different, foreign, masculine and conveyed entirely different principles of mechs than hers! Despite that, she basked in its comforting familiarity.

She focused on her boyfriend's presence and followed it down to what it was doing. At some point, Ves' presence began to mix with an entirely different presence.

Curious, Gloriana tried her best to perceive the activity better, but without much result.

Frustrated, she tried a little harder, scrunching her face furiously as she threw in whatever she could muster from her mind.

Eventually, something changed. She sensed something faintly familiar in the mixed presence.

Her own thoughts!

An aching sense of need welled within her depths. She wanted to take back her stolen thoughts and restore her original perception of the Adonis Colossus!

Before she knew it, her mind welled up as the core of her design philosophy acted on instinct!

Her sense of perfection grated at the loss of a piece of herself. She instinctively wanted to restore herself to completion, because she would be in a more perfect state than before!

Something powerful blasted through her mind and dove into the mix of presences!

"Ves! Help! I can't control myself!"

As Ves was halfway towards integrating the broken fragments and other elements together, he almost shocked himself out of his concentrated state as he perceived an outside intervention!

A foreign spiritual projection interrupted ongoing spiritual restoration effort!

Its flavor instantly clued Ves that it came from Gloriana, which negated some of his worries, but not all. The situation was very concerning as the spiritual projection acted chaotically in his unfinished project, knowing various spiritual elements aside as it rummaged through the mix as if it was drawing a prize!

His eyes widened as the tip of the projection bumped into one of Gloriana's borrowed thoughts. Upon contact, the projection instantly absorbed it, causing it to flow back to its original owner!

He was forced to retract some of his concentration, which weakened his spiritual manipulations.

"Gloriana! Control your impulses. Don't let your unconscious instincts act with impunity!"

Seeing that his words weren't helping her very much, he changed his phrasing.

"A God-in-waiting like you should never be a slave to your own powers! Are you a woman who is in supreme control over herself or a boy who lets his instinct run rampant? You can do better!"

The words he chose in haste managed to get through her skull like nothing else!

"I am a woman! I am better than a boy!" She exclaimed!

Her will, which had always been powerful, asserted itself over her uncontrollable impulses, bringing them to heel. While she wasn't powerful enough to retract her spiritual projection, she at least managed to stop it from reabsorbing anymore of her thoughts.

That still left them in an awkward state.

"Can you pull back what you've extended?"

"I'm trying." Sweat trickled down from her brow. "It's.. difficult. As long as I can detect something that's part of me inside whatever you are doing, I can't pull it back."

Ves frowned. "I guess we have to proceed then. Once your thoughts are integrated in the spiritual product, your connection to them will be cut off. You'll still be able to sense them, I think, but they will no longer belong to you. Don't do anything else, please."

While he haltingly resumed his spiritual restoration operation, everything seemed to get back on track.

He still felt a bit annoyed at trying to work around Gloriana's frozen spiritual projection. It was as if he was trying to cook a meal with his Girlfriend sticking her arm inside the cooking pot during the entire process.

Of course, nothing harmed her spiritual projection. Temperature didn't seem to affect spirituality and none of the spiritual elements in place attacked it in any way.

However, the spiritual projection started to twitch and convulse. It behaved so oddly that Ves couldn't help but grow suspicious.

"Keep yourself still, please. You're disturbing my work.."

"Wait a moment, Ves. I have an idea."

While her eyes remained closed, a grin started to emerge on her face. Her spiritual projection convulsed even more until something changed!

It started to move again!

"What are you doing?!"

"Something good! Trust me! There are a lot of flaws here that need to be solved!"

To his amazement, Gloriana's spiritual projection no longer chased after her stolen thoughts. Instead, it began to meander around the unfinished spiritual product and engulfed the connections fusing different spiritual elements together.

Once her spiritual projection was done and moved away, Ves discovered that the fusion had grown less flawed!

Gloriana's spiritual projection had managed to improve the merger of different spiritual elements!

Before, when Ves glued different spiritual elements together, he was never fully in control of the process. He didn't even understand what went on. All he could do was pretend that the spiritual elements possessed some magnetized surfaces and see if something stuck on those points.

Even if he found a match, the glued portion was still tentative and not entirely as good as he wanted it to be. His first spiritual product especially felt as if it was a spiritual Frankenstein due to how poorly its elements fit together.

So far, Ves only managed to mitigate this problem by processing and priming the ingredients beforehand. By reducing their inherent contradictions, he hoped that the fusion of different elements became a little more complete.

The Solemn Guardian turned out to be a lot more integrated as a consequence, which meant that he succeeded in heading in the right direction.

Yet even then, the Solemn Guardian still possessed quite a lot of flaws to this day, which made it weaker than natural-born spiritual entities.

This time was different! With Gloriana's spiritual projection working to address the flaws in the procedures that Ves was performing, the spiritual product became less and less flawed.

Ves saw the potential in what was taking place.

"Whatever you are doing, keep it up. Are you exhausted or in pain in any way?"

She shook her head. "Not anymore. I think I got my instincts to agree that it would be better to fix the flaws I'm sensing than to chase after the stuff that belongs to me. It's getting easier and easier to control myself."

"Then.. let's continue. I'm curious what will happen once we finish."

They silently concentrated on their tasks and resumed their work. Their intense focus and their close proximity somehow brought them closer than ever before.

In particular, their spiritual projections began to interact with each other. Their close proximity and their intense familiarity with each other's presence led to a very vague reaction that caused them to draw together for some reason.

As they grew more excited, Ves faintly suspected that something exceptional was taking place.

It felt as if he was resonating with Gloriana!

Chapter 1656 Artificial Conception

Since returning home, Ves and Gloriana already collaborated on more than half-a-dozen different mech designs.

Sure, the majority of the designs consisted of variants of the Desolate Soldier, but they still provided months worth of collaboration experience.

Each time they worked together, they constantly tried to complement each other's design styles and achieve greater synergy.

Right now, Ves never expected Gloriana to be able to employ her specialty in this fashion!

The process of spiritual restoration had always been extremely abstruse, and Ves only managed to achieve it because he could sense and observe what was taking place!

Gloriana on the other hand lacked these advantages!

She wasn't even fully in control of her own spirituality. Her mind only accidentally extended a spiritual projection because it wanted to retrieve what it lost.

"How much control do you have over what you are doing?" Ves asked.

His concentration ability was sufficient enough to keep focusing on his task with some attention left to spare.

On the other hand, Gloriana could barely keep up what she was doing. Ves had to repeat his question another time to get an answer.

"I'm not.. sure. Whatever I'm doing is straining me! I don't think I can keep this up for long!"

"Don't worry about anything else, then. Just maintain what you are doing until you can't take it any longer. What you're doing is very helpful for our eventual end product. Don't harm yourself on my account, though! We can always do better next time!"

"Got it! I don't think I'm harming myself, though. I'm just getting more and more exhausted."

Ves worried about her condition a little. He knew that she often pushed herself because she put very high demands on herself. Ordinarily, she was smart enough to know her limits, but the problem was that she possessed almost no experience with spiritual manipulation.

He extended another part of his concentration to monitoring her condition. As long as her mind or spirituality could no longer hold it, Ves would immediately pull her out.

Of course, for the moment Ves needed to make the most out of this accidental situation.

After another minute of forming his spiritual product, Ves gained a better idea on what Gloriana was doing.

Ves manipulated his spiritual projection like his arm with purposeful direction. His spiritual perception allowed him to see exactly what he was doing, even if he didn't know the mechanics behind what was taking place.

In contrast, Gloriana's spiritual projection largely moved by itself. Instead of acting like a controlled extension of herself, it behaved more like an autonomous bot that performed actions that corresponded with its primary programming.

Right now, Gloriana managed to exert enough control to switch the priority of her spiritual projection's programming.

It stopped trying to retrieve her missing thought matter in favor of correcting whatever flaws it sensed in the vicinity.

Gloriana managed to come up with a clever way of stopping her spiritual projection from wreaking havoc in their current operation!

Now that her spiritual projection switched from doing damage to contributing materially to the formation of the spiritual product, the operation went smoother than ever before!

What was even more remarkable was that they didn't solely act in isolation.

The close proximity of their spiritual extensions led to some strange phenomena.

Chief among them was the result of their intimate familiarity with each other's presence and design philosophies.

All of their prior collaborations finally bore some fruit in this instance as their spiritual projections started to grow closer to each other!

Ves felt a strange sense of longing from his design philosophy. While he could have suppressed his intuition that compelled his spiritual projection to converge with Gloriana's, he did not do so because he was curious.

He trusted in his intuition!

As they grew closer, the spiritual projections grew more excited as their familiarity with each other deepened. The excitement had reached such a high level that they vibrated in harmony!

"Resonance!" He whispered with gleaming eyes.

Resonance appeared to be a recurring phenomenon with spirituality. Anytime spirituality or spiritual energy resonated, something good always took place!

Ves never expected Ves to resonate with Gloriana during the creation of a spiritual product!

He compared the actions of his own spiritual projection with that of his girlfriend.

The difference was clear.

In Gloriana's parlance, his domain centered around life, or at some aspect of it. This shaped his spirituality in ways that granted him some superpowers as Ketis once described.

Ves took advantage of this property by performing spiritual techniques such as spiritual restoration, which was essentially a way of resurrecting a dead spiritual entity by infusing it with his own life-attributed spiritual energy.

If Ves had adopted a different design philosophy, then he guessed that he would never have been able to perform this wondrous feat.

Nonetheless, life was inherently chaotic and unpredictable.

It normally took hundreds, thousands if not millions of generations to allow for nature to filter out the most flawed and unfit to survive the circumstances.

Such a lengthy process of selection and optimization was simply unthinkable to Ves. Perhaps he might have the patience to let nature take its course if he was an actual god, but he was just a mech designer!

While Ves was able to fuse compatible spiritual shards and elements together with the help of his specialty, the mergers were far from ideal in his eyes.

The two spiritual products he created before all ended up flawed and less than what they could have been. This had always been regretful to him. It was like birthing a child who was mentally handicapped or possessed a third arm.

Though most of the flaws would eventually heal or diminish when the spiritual product matured, they would always limit its potential.

Therefore, the importance of fixing these flaws straight away so that he could birth a much healthier spiritual product became evident.

"A child conceived by two people is better than one conceived alone!"

Though the situation right now was not equivalent to human conception, Ves found it to be a nice way of interpreting the ongoing process.

Just as a child was supposed to inherit the traits of both parents, the spiritual product being formed received the care of two different mech designers.

Ves provided the spark of life, while Gloriana addressed some of the flaws that he left behind.

This was akin to artificial conception.

Most couples with money to spare would always go to a clinic to conceive a designer baby.

Instead of letting nature and chance select the genes of the baby, a geneticist or other specialist manipulated the genes of the unborn child to achieve a better result.

As far as Ves knew, this service was fairly prevalent in the upper echelons of third-rate states. It was even better and more ubiquitous in more advanced states.

This disparity in genes always put second-class citizens ahead of third-class citizens. Although some abnormal people were occasionally born among the latter, they were far too rare.

Now that Gloriana contributed her strength to the process, it was the same as upgrading his spiritual product from a baseline human baby into a genetically-enhanced baby!

The complementary nature of their collaboration was not limited to this! Due to the resonance that had taken hold, something profound had descended upon their ongoing creation and affected its nature!

Ves observed the changes very closely and found out that some of the inherent attributes of the broken shards of Nyxie's spiritual fragment underwent transformation!

Yes, transformation!

Although it was very weak and only affected a small portion of spiritual attributes, this was an exceptional effect!

The only other way that Ves could change the spiritual attribute of something was to employ spiritual contamination!

Obviously, such methods were very inconvenient because Ves had to rely on an external source to contaminate something else, changing far more than he wanted.

This was how William Urbesh became so weird and silent!

If Ves could employ a means of transforming spiritual attributes in a very focused and targeted manner, then he could drastically limit the side effects of any transformation attempt!

"This is true synergy!"

Gloriana seemed to be aware of the preciousness of the moment. Though she was nearing the end of her endurance, she continued to persist in her efforts. The main reason why she wanted to extend her exhausting efforts was because she wanted to study and enjoy the resonance they achieved!

As long as they could reproduce this effect under other circumstances, their collaboration would truly reach a greater height!

A phenomenon like this was not something that could be achieved through ordinary collaboration!

Eventually, she couldn't hold out anymore. Her spiritual projection visibly weakened to a point where she was no longer able to match his spiritual projection's strength.

The resonance effect disappeared and the strange form of synergy that transformed some of the spiritual product's attributes had gone away as a result.

Disappointment welled in them both. Though Gloriana only merely missed the chance of becoming more familiar with the exceptional form of synergy they achieved, Ves lamented the premature end of the transformation and error-correcting processes.

The transformation process changed only a fraction of the original spiritual attributes. However, the importance of this effect couldn't be overstated!

That was because Ves discovered that some of Nyxie?s original alien attributes had transformed into attributes that corresponded to the common vision that Ves and Gloriana maintained while they concentrated!

The spiritual product leaned a bit more towards masculinity, which was very welcome news to Ves! Transforming pollution into something pure had always been one of his thorniest problems!

The fact that they managed to transform attributes that originally belonged to a very powerful spiritual entity was even more exceptional!

If Ves and Gloriana employed the same synergistic effect on something weaker, their refinement attempt would definitely achieve greater results!

As for the error-correcting process, Gloriana managed to fix or improve over half of the flaws that Ves had left behind after he was done fusing spiritual elements together.

Though not all of the flaws had been addressed as well as he hoped for, just the fact that it was possible to correct them gave him a lot of hope for the future!

"Withdraw. You're at the end of the rope. Don't break yourself. You've done enough."

His words broke her concentration, causing her to collapse on the deck of the testing chamber. She breathed deeply and nursed her head as if she was suffering from an enormous headache.

Ves couldn't spare the time to attend to her as he was rapidly trying to wrap up the spiritual restoration process. Enough time had passed for him to fuse the remaining elements and cause the new spiritual amalgamation to come to life as a new spiritual product!

A celebratory pulse emerged out of the spiritual product that was considerably more pronounced than Ves had ever sensed before!

Luckily, the pulse hadn't radiated very far. At most, only the entire floor felt its birth.

As Ves slowly wound himself down, he studied the newborn spiritual product that was locked inside the P-stone.

He felt a strong sense of masculinity from the spiritual product. Not just that, but the masculinity was tinged with both immaturity and false bravado in a roughly equal proportion!

"Success!" Ves announced with a grin. "We've succeeded! Not only that, but we achieved more than we set out to make!"

Ves moved over to his exhausted girlfriend and carefully placed the P-stone in her hands.

The direct contact enlivened her for a moment as she sensed something akin to a glow but much more lively from the rock!

"It's a boy!"

"Uhhh..!"

"How about calling him Bravo?" Gloriana weakly smiled.

Though Ves didn't like this simple name, he acquiesced considering Gloriana's fragile state.

"Sure.. let's call him Bravo. We'll make sure to take care of him! Rest now. I'll take care of the rest."

"Sure..."

Gloriana finally fell asleep.

Chapter 1657 True Miracle

Gloriana's inexplicable collapse and slumber alarmed her custodians. Melody and the guards of the Glory Battalion barged into the testing chamber and immediately took their charge away.

If she hadn't sent a secret signal, the Glory Battalion might have treated him as an enemy!

Fortunately, their initial examinations did not reveal anything wrong with her body. She was just exhausted for some reason. Her brain activity had diminished considerably to the point where she wasn't able to stay awake.

"She'll probably recover after a good night of sleep and some special treatment." Melody concluded after she analyzed the readings from her multiscanner. She threw a scornful look at Ves. "What in the galaxy were the two of you doing here? What is so special about this rock?"

In their distraction, Ves had already picked up the P-stone and returned it into its container. He would never allow the Hexers to 'confiscate' this vital object!

"It's a trade secret." Ves bluntly replied. "Ask Gloriana if you really want to know."

"Oh, I'll definitely do that, Brighter. If she doesn't wake in a day, I'll come back to you again. I hope you'll be more forthcoming at that time." Melody spat.

Melody and the guards quickly moved Gloriana away on a deployable floating stretcher. Right now, they were far more concerned about Gloriana's health than figuring out the reasons for her inexplicable collapse.

"Please wake up soon." Ves whispered.

He did not wish to deal with angry Hexers. They would definitely fault him for putting her in a bad condition!

If Gloriana's slumbered longer than a day, then Ves might have to go on a spiritual excursion in order to check her condition!

"That's for later." He shook his head.

He wrapped everything up and left the testing chamber. He checked up on his design team to make sure they were performing their assigned tasks. After that, he entered one of the private offices next to the design lab.

While he wasn't as exhausted as Gloriana, he expended plenty of spiritual energy. In order to recover, he absorbed some excess spiritual energy from another P-stone.

He finally returned to a semblance of normalcy after topping off his spent reserves.

"Let's see what result we've achieved!"

The exceptional circumstances earlier augmented the original spiritual restoration process in two different ways.

Gloriana's native ability to detect and correct some flaws was already remarkable enough. The only flaw was that she didn't have any direct control over her spiritual projection, let alone perceive what was happening.

Unless she became more like him, she would never be able to exert the same level of control as him. This meant that she could only use her power in this manner with his assistance.

Now that he had some time to reflect, he wondered whether they could replicate what happened earlier. Though the strange developments only happened through sheer accident, Ves was confident they could repeat the process.

"The key is stealing something from her mind. As long as I dangle her stolen thoughts in front of her as bait, she will definitely be compelled to fix the flaws in her mind by taking back what she lost!"

This was a rather crude and tasteless method to Ves. The biggest problem concerning this method was that he risked damaging Gloriana's mind each time she harvested a piece of her thoughts.

Ves instinctively felt that this action wasn't trivial. All of her thoughts were infused with a bit of her spiritual energy. Losing that energy probably impacted her mental condition.

If something like that happened to Ves, he would have shrugged it off. His many spiritual shenanigans had already increased the resilience of his mind and Spirituality. He could take a considerable amount of abuse!

This was not the case for other mech designers! Ordinarily, they never employed their spirituality in such a direct manner. Even a minor change in Gloriana's mind and spirituality would probably come across as a major shock to her equilibrium!

Ves wasn't sure if what he did to her damaged her mind permanently. He would have to check up on her frequently in order to reassure himself that the damage wasn't lasting.

Even then, he should not employ this procedure too frequently. Her mind needed to fully heal in order to withstand another attack.

Perhaps exercising her mind in this fashion was not a bad idea. Just like Ves, repeated impacts to her mind would eventually stimulate her mind into fortifying its defenses and improve its resilience.

Of course, Ves needed to be careful and verify the changes in her condition. What he could do, Gloriana might not be able to. He couldn't afford to make any presumptuous assumptions.

He turned his attention back to the P-stone that carried his newborn spiritual product.

"Hello, Bravo."

In order to avoid contaminating Bravo, Ves made sure to avoid direct spiritual contact. He only observed Bravo passively using his spiritual vision.

"As expected, you're much more wholesome than your predecessors!"

His previous two spiritual products always felt a bit discordant and fractured shortly after their creation. The problem was particularly severe in the case of Vescas as the fusion of spiritual elements was very poor.

Vescas was like a fragile dining plate that Ves threw on the ground and hastily glued back together.

While Bravo started off the same, Gloriana's involvement vastly improved the repair process. Not only that, but she also dusted off some of the dirt and other grime that had accumulated on the broken shards!

The end result was a plate that looked much more cleaner and whole than before!

"Sadly, it's not enough." He shook his head in disappointed.

Gloriana's spiritual projection mainly acted with instincts and within the limitations of what it could do. Spiritual manipulation was never her strength, so her spiritual projection only fixed the most obvious flaws.

In the face of more complicated problems, her spiritual projection could only give it up.

Aside from this, Gloriana also withdrew her spiritual projection prematurely without finishing the entire process. Plenty of unaddressed imperfections remained which Ves wasn't able to fix despite seeing Gloriana at work.

Unlike her, Ves did not possess an intuitive and extraordinary understanding of flaws.

If there were 999 ways to botch the correction and only one way to do it right, then Ves would definitely fail 99,9 percent of the time!

As for Gloriana, even if she faced the same situation, her intuition and her design philosophy would definitely force the failure rate downwards to 20 percent or even less!

This was one of the exceptional advantages of Gloriana, and she developed this intuitive understanding through both talent and a lot of effort!

Ves had learned a lot from the events that took place today.

At the very least, discovering a fourth form of synergy which he tentatively called Artificial Conception was enough to drive him wild!

It was the only form of synergy so far that explicitly involved resonance between him and his girlfriend!

Now that they resonated once, Ves believed that it wouldn't be so impossible to resonate again!

"Something like this should definitely be easier to accomplish with practice!"

Though the difference it made in Bravo wasn't too drastic, Ves believed this was only the start.

In the future, he might be able to have the resonance ability to transform spiritual attributes to clean up Nyxie's spiritual fragment and reduce its pollution.

Ves believed that hardly any other entity in the galaxy could achieve what he and Gloriana had inadvertently accomplished!

"This is a true miracle!"

It was as if their combined efforts actually accomplished the impossible feat of lying to reality!

He knew how difficult it was to change the nature of a spiritual attribute. It was akin to transmuting lead to gold. Without sufficiently advanced magic or technology, he could forget about performing something that bent reality so drastically!

While it was possible to achieve similar results through spiritual contamination, artificial conception was much more cleaner!

Ves inspected Bravo over and over again, paying special attention to its attributes. Nothing suggested that its pollution level, defined as the proportion of undesirable attributes, had increased.

"This is extremely precious!"

He always desired the ability to transform spiritual attributes.

From his observations and manipulations of mech pilots, he knew that changing their spiritual attributes was the key to facilitating their advancement into expert candidates or expert pilots!

Naturally, this only applied to potentates who already possessed spiritual potential. If a mech pilot did not possess any spirituality, there was nothing to transform.

The question was, could he use this ability to turn a mech pilot into an expert candidate immediately?

"There are too many uncertainties." He grimaced. "I also can't pull this ability off willy-nilly. At the very least, I need Gloriana's help."

The state of resonance they achieved hadn't come about instantly. It only appeared during a very important moment where the both of them concentrated on nearly the same ideas.

Such a state was very difficult to reproduce, especially if they weren't creating another spiritual product.

Even if they managed to perform this ability on command, it was not a given to transform an average potentate with spiritual potential into an expert candidate.

Ves noted that those who did so always seemed to adopt a single dominant value or principle.

Someone who was too muddle-headed would never be able to advance to expert candidate if they didn't possess any strong beliefs in something.

While this could be trained to an extent, Ves discovered that many people weren't actually good at focusing themselves to a single pursuit.

Humans were inherently complex and multifaceted. Someone as single-minded as Venerable Foster was the exception rather than the rule.

Ves believed that this was the main reason why most mech pilots with spiritual potential never found the catalyst that allowed them to break through. Their inclinations were too normal, dooming them to live out their lives as mortals.

"Perhaps it is not without a reason that expert pilots are called demigods." He muttered.

Each demigod was partly a god, and each god possessed at least one domain or sphere of power.

This was where his new ability came in. As long as he used this ability to transform much of a mech pilot's spiritual attributes into a specific form, he could forcefully make them single-minded enough to enable their breakthroughs!

Of course, such a drastic attempt at spiritual surgery would definitely alter his patient's personality. This meant that making another Silent William was definitely possible, though not as severe.

"I don't understand enough right now." He sighed. "I need more test subjects so I can experiment more."

He wasn't in a hurry to turn someone into expert candidates or expert pilots anyway. The Mech Corps would get their greedy hands on any mech pilot he uplifted, especially during these dire times.

Each additional expert pilot could save another planet from getting engulfed by the sandmen!

The only exception was Silent William himself. Now that the MTA announced the invasion of the Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy, getting closer to the Rim Guardians had become one of his main priorities.

He recalled the reports he read about his performance in recent battles.

"So far, William hasn't shown any signs of breaking through." He frowned.

If William showed no improvement by the time the first detachment of Avatars returned from the front, Ves might be willing to employ his new ability to operate on his spirituality again.

After all, he already messed with William once. He might as well do it again to make sure he achieved his intended result!

Just as Ves was about to muse further, an alert suddenly rang throughout the entire Mech Nursery!

When Ves emerged from his private office, Miles Tovar ran up to him in panic!

"Ves! It's an emergency! We have to run to safety!"

"Calm down! What is going on, Miles?"

"It's the sandmen!" The Apprentice replied breathlessly. "They've come to Cloudy Curtain!"

"What?!"

Chapter 1658 Stormy Clouds

A sandman fleet entered the Cloudy Curtain System!

This should have been impossible, or at least extremely unlikely!

After the fall of Sydney Superior, a part of the interior of the Bright Republic became vulnerable. Sandmen fleets were much more able to travel to Bentheim.

The port system already fended off a dozen different sandman incursions, and this was just the start.

While Cloudy Curtain was situated close to Bentheim, the latter was much more attention-grabbing to the sandmen.

Hardly any sandman ought to be interested in a trivial star system with an average sun and no exotic mineral deposits to speak of. It was one of the least attractive star systems in the Bentheim region with a human population.

"How strong is this fleet and where did it come from?" Ves demanded as he entered the command center of the Living Sentinels.

Commander Magdalena Larkinson, who sat in the command chair, answered his question.

"The sandman fleet we've discovered first emerged in Bentheim, sir. Unlike every other fleet that transitioned there, it resisted the incredible temptation to travel closer to the energy-rich planet in the inner system and transitioned back into FTL before the nearest defense force could reach its position."

"This is too abnormal! The sandman admirals never resist the temptation to absorb more energy!"

The Sand War lifted the veil that obscured the sandmen. Previously, many people only knew scant details about this alien race. Now that they became a threat, everyone began to know what they were like.

Perhaps in an attempt to raise everyone's confidence in winning the war, the Bright Republic revealed many details about the race.

As a whole, the sandman was more akin to a superorganism than a genuine civilization of sentients.

While the sandmen were able to process data like computers, they didn't have much of a personality.

As a result, they were more like nature's version of bots. Most sandmen were so simple and stupid that they didn't have the drive to do anything when isolated.

Only the presence of higher-caste sandmen changed the equation a little. Smarter and more capable of independent thought than their lower cousins, these sandmen were able to make their own decisions and command trillions of sandmen to follow their orders.

Naturally, this did not mean that a sandman admiral was just as smart as a human fleet commander. Time and time again, the sandman admirals had shown that they didn't have much imagination and usually followed their orders to the letter.

No sandman admiral should have the initiative to abandon a juicy target for a rotten target, especially several ones at the same time!

"How many sandman admirals are in this fleet?" He asked next.

"Three to five. The local defense fleet is more than capable of addressing this threat, sir."

Ves sighed in relief. While it would be a bit painful to fend them off by relying on the Avatars of Myth and Living Sentinels stationed at Cloudy Curtain, they weren't alone.

The Mech Corps stationed a small force in the star system. The Starfighter Corps also donated some starfighter wings to serve as cannon fodder.

The government also contracted some mercenary corps to bolster the defense. Along with the Cloud Whalers, the private outfits were more than capable of defeating half of the sandman fleet as long as they didn't cut and run.

"Don't expect too much from the starfighter wings." The Sentinel Commander warned. "There are only two of them here, and they all consist of castoffs."

Ves reached towards a nearby control panel and summoned up a page that displayed the readily available assets to meet the incoming threat.

As Magdalena had said, the starfighters patrolling in space all consisted of outdated, first generation models. Their flimsy armor succumbed far too quickly against the sandmen these days.

The sandman fleet that decided to invade Cloudy Curtain this time happened to have adopted the dreaded swarm configuration!

This meant that facing a storm of lasers was practically assured!

"The starfighter pilots will have to prepare themselves for the worst." He muttered.

"I'm not so certain of that, Ves. The Mech Corps has recently sent a notice to us. They plan to repel the sandmen without involving starfighters.

"What?!" Ves grew concerned. "That's ridiculous! Who will draw fire away from our mechs if the starfighters aren't there to act as bait?"

"Captain Xera Monlin believes that it isn't necessary to rely on a screen of starfighters. The starfighter wings will be placed in reserve to offer long-ranged fire support and provide additional assistance as needed."

"What about us, then?"

"We are expected to deploy our new Dawnbreakers in the forefront of the battleline. Together with the Novabreakers fielded by the 2nd Equinox Stingers, our mechs are expected to absorb most of the firepower, at least until the machines can't take it any longer."

Ves wanted to puke. What was the point of fielding cannon fodder if the officer in charge valued their lives too much?

However, considering how badly first generation starfighters performed against the swarm configuration, the mech captain's orders made a bit more sense.

Unlike the starfighters, the Dawnbreaker and Novabreaker models had been designed while the destructive potential of the sandmen came to light.

The armor systems of those mechs were anything but ordinary at a response. The mech already came with a considerable amount of damage mitigation properties to preserve the life of the mech pilot. Paired with a decent application of compressed armor, it took a lot of firepower to crack through their shells!

Even so, Ves was deeply reluctant to put his Dawnbreakers at risk. A sandman fleet led by at least three sandman admirals was a significant threat that could not be repelled without cost!

While the relative strength of the defense forces ensured that they would definitely win, the real question was what price they must pay to achieve victory.

Each Dawnbreaker was a premium mech. They cost as much as a Blackbeak and repairing their damaged armor plating was very costly.

"We don't have to worry too much about that." Magdalena noted. "The Mech Corps has already promised us to fund at least half of the cost of repairs. We'll also earn a lot more merit and appreciation from them if we follow orders."

Ves grunted in frustration. "You're in command of our Avatars and Sentinels right now. I'll defer to your judgement."

"In that case, I intend to follow instructions."

He expected her to do so. She used to serve in the Mech Corps, after all.

"Can you tell me why?"

"While it's a bit abnormal that the sandman admirals decided to divert to Cloudy Curtain, we can't assume that it's a one-time exception. Not a single star system in the Bright Republic is safe. We have to prepare for the worst, and that means that we need to make decisions in light of attrition warfare."

The sandmen loved attrition warfare. They didn't value their lives at all and were more than willing to sacrifice hundreds of sandman fleets to exhaust the defenders of a single star system!

"If that's the case, then we should sacrifice our least valuable assets first. I don't see how it benefits us more if we accrue considerable damage to our most powerful mechs. The starfighters are far less valuable! We ought to place them in the vanguard instead!"

"I understand where you are coming from, Ves, but... for now Captain Monlin wants us to sacrifice material assets rather than precious human lives. While the old generation starfighters don't pack the new Sandbreaker weapon system, their ballistic gun mounts still pack a considerable punch. Letting as much of them stay alive as possible will pay off in future battles."

A relatively unimportant star system as Cloudy Curtain didn't receive much attention from the Mech Corps and Starfighter Corps. It shouldn't have been a surprise that the Equinox Stingers wanted to keep up as many machines intact as possible.

"Will our forces intercept the sandmen, or let them approach this planet?"

The government already installed a loose belt of defensive platforms in geosynchronous orbit to the planet. The amount of firepower they could contribute was considerable, but the downside was that the sandmen would have already reached the final lap when they entered the range of the final defenses.

"Captain Monlin will never risk the population of Cloudy Curtain in an attempt to reduce the casualties suffered by the forces under her command. She has her orders. She must protect the lives of those who are stuck on Cloudy Curtain. She can't allow a single grain of animated sand to go through and make landfall!"

In the end, the Mech Corps got their wish. The entire base of the Silver Sentinels became a hive of activity. Though not every Sentinel was eager to fight, this was one instance where every able mech pilot had to step up and fight!

If the sandman fleet managed to bull through the defenders, the lives of billions of humans were at stake!

Any mech pilot who shirked their duty and avoided battle would immediately be dealt with by the military police after the battle had ended!

Light carriers landed directly in the base of the Sentinels and conveyed numerous Dawnbreakers, Desolate Soldiers, Aurora Titans and other spaceborn mechs into orbit.

Over a hundred grave-looking mech pilots boarded the vessels as well.

If Ves could gather all of his forces, he could easily field over three-hundred mechs at once. Sadly, he sent a portion of his Avatars and Sentinels to the front. He also dispatched his Battle Criers on some errands.

In truth, he could have committed even more defenders, but Ves did not wish to leave the Mech Nursery vulnerable. There were far too many assets there that still needed protection.

As Ves waited for his own ride, Commander Magdalena addressed one more topic before she accompanied her Sentinels into space.

"Can we depend on the Glory Battalion, sir?"

He immediately shook his head. "Don't get your hopes up. Their primary mission is to protect Gloriana's life. While we all know that the detachment assigned to accompany Gloriana is powerful enough to crush the aliens, the Glory Battalion will never fight for our sake."

Gloriana was still unconscious and would remain so for at least a day. As long as she was out cold, she would never be able to object to being taken away from Cloudy Curtain.

"That's a shame."

"This is why it's important to cultivate our own second-class mech mech force, commander. As long as we possess enough strength, we don't have to rely on others for help."

The two eventually parted. While Commander Magdalena planned to command the Avatars and Sentinels from one of their carriers, Ves decided to observe the battle aboard the Barracuda.

While Ves was tempted to accompany Magdalena more, he didn't want to get in the way. He wouldn't be able to contribute much anyway.

Moments later, he boarded the Barracuda with Nitaa, Crindon and Lucky. He was tempted to bring Gavin and Raymond as well, but they wouldn't be of any use in a battle.

"Welcome aboard the Barracuda, Mr. Larkinson." Captain Silvestra greeted his arrival.

"It's been some time since I last stepped on my ship." Ves remarked with a smile while he carried Lucky.

"Meow."

"Oh, shut up. If worse comes to worst, I won't have to order the Barracuda to descend back to the surface in order to pick you up!"

That was extremely unlikely unless the sandmen somehow mastered stealth technology.

The group headed to the bridge which immediately became a little crowded as it hadn't been designed to accommodate too many people.

"Crindon. Please assist in monitoring the communication channels. If there is anything going on behind our back, I want to know right away."

"Yes, sir."

As the Barracuda lifted off and ascended to the surface, Ves settled himself on a spare seat while observing the proceedings.

He already watched a lot of footage of battles against the sandman, but that was not enough!

If he truly wanted to understand the sandmen and how they changed in comparison to his previous personal encounters with them, then he needed to get closer to the action!

He needed to get close enough for his heart to pump like a war drum!

Chapter 1659 Spacer Life

Shortly after the defense force gathered together, the fleet flew out to meet the incoming sandmen.

All of the vessels in the fleet consisted of light carriers. Only the detachment of the Equinox Stingers possessed a speed-oriented combat carrier.

Ves looked enviously at the projection of the combat carrier. Though he wasn't a shipwright, his vast technical competence and his prior experience in traveling aboard ships gave him a very good appreciation of combat carriers.

"She's a beauty." Captain Silvestra whistled as she walked up to him. "Ships like these are built with enough exotics and materials to produce at least ten standard mech companies. Some combat carriers are even more expensive than expert mechs!"

She was right. Due to the large variety of combat carrier classes, their costs varied very widely. However, even the cheapest ones cost as much as a hundred Blackbeaks!

Ves understood the horror of their value very well. He remembered the losses the Flagrant Vandals had suffered. Not only did they lose hundreds of mechs, but also several highly valuable combat carriers and other vessels.

However, even more grievous was the loss in trained and loyal soldiers.

While the Flagrant Vandals appeared to suffer from money problems, with a backer like Flashlight, they probably would have been able to scrounge up the money to rebuild their lost assets.

However, trained mech pilots, engineers, ship captains, medical doctors and other highly valuable personnel were not so easy to accumulate. They formed the true heart of any organization!

As an employer himself, he experienced the difficulty in hiring competent and loyal subordinates. It was already difficult to ensure a new hire fell into one of those boxes

That reminded him of the crew of the Barracuda. Captain Silvestra and her girls had been serving on the ship for many years. From one of their earlier conversations, Ves learnt that they didn't plan to stick around forever.

"Do you ever wish to captain a combat carrier?"

Silvestra smiled wryly. "Who wouldn't? I'm not qualified, though. I'm just a captain of a tiny corvette configured as a pleasure yacht. I haven't acquired the relevant experience and knowledge to captain a vessel that ordinarily requires a crew of at least a hundred spacers to function properly. Unlike the mechs you work with, ships are incredibly ponderous vessels that can never function by a single person alone."

"There's the dummy mode, right?"

"Haha!" She chuckled. "Excuse me, sir. That was a funny joke. Think of what starships represent to us. They are more than means of travel. They are self-contained habitats that just happen to possess the capability of stellar travel. A ship regularly launches into the cold and breathless void of interstellar space for months and years at a time. Think of what might happen if an accident occurs and there aren't any knowledgeable engineers or specialists to fix the problem."

"You risk losing a ship worth hundreds of mechs or more along with all of the valuable cargo and people onboard."

"Exactly, sir. Ships aren't just empty shells with an engine and FTL drive strapped onto them. There are thousands of different systems running at the same time. Since you're a mech designer, you should probably know that the more systems are present, the greater the chance that something can go wrong. Even the latest vessels such as our Barracuda are not exempt from unexpected incidents."

"So the need to staff a trained and knowledgeable crew onto a ship is because they are a form of insurance, then?"

The captain nodded. "It's cheaper and more effective to pay for a crew than to let an automated starship be subject to the whims of Murphy's law. Automation has come a very long way. Bots and AIs can run entire starships by themselves, but you never see a ship that is automated to that degree for a very good reason."

"That said, ships still incorporate a lot of automation, right?"

"Right. Some degree of automation is indispensable to modern starships due to their incredible complexity. I believe that is the same case for mechs. The key is to strike a balance between control and convenience. The personnel also have to be trained in taking over the automated functions if they malfunction somehow."

"And this makes combat carriers extremely difficult to crew?"

"Yes. Aside from a combat carrier's high procurement cost and the difficulty of ordering one from the few shipyards capable of constructing them, finding the right crew has always been the biggest challenge. For the captain position, I need to accumulate at least twenty years more experience. For the chief engineer position, Jenn not only has to do the same, but also study all kinds of complicated engineering subjects! The amount of engineers who manage to gain a proficiency in FTL drive theory is extremely small! The position of chief engineer is often the most difficult one to fill!"

Ves gained a deeper appreciation of combat carriers. Unlike small and relatively simple ships like his Barracuda, a big combat carrier truly required highly-trained personnel to function optimally.

"Are light carriers the same?"

"Of course not." Silvestra shook her head. "Light carriers do not have to fulfill so many functions. They're not designed to participate in battles directly, so they lack much of the defensive and damage control systems that are prevalent in combat carriers. Light carriers are more like taxis for mechs. As long as they can fulfill this function adequately, there is no need to add anything more complicated."

"I see. So it's much easier to crew a light carrier."

"Right. Even if you manage to obtain a combat carrier somehow, with the spacers employed by the Avatars and the Sentinels, you won't be able to make full use of your new acquisition."

"How difficult is it to fill up the positions of a combat carrier?"

"Extremely difficult. These spacers are cherished talents. Usually, the ones who enter the private sector are often spacers who have been discharged from the military. Big organizations such as trade consortiums usually keep a very close eye on them. It's practically impossible for you to hire a chief engineer on the open job market!"

Just like every other profession, there were too many people and organizations looking to snap up the truly valuable talents. Even before a chief engineer resigned from the military, he would have probably received hundreds of job offers!

There was little chance for Ves to beat those offers at this time!

"I see. I'll take your words under consideration."

Now was not a good time for him to procure a combat carrier. He didn't have to worry about hiring a crew in that case.

After a brief moment of silence, Captain Silvestra took the initiative to ask a question.

"Sir, do you intend to participate in the invasion of the Red Ocean?"

Ves nodded. This wasn't any secret. It was just that many people quickly dismissed him due to his youth and relative lack of ability.

"I am. Hopefully, Gloriana and I will be able to scrounge up enough merits to redeem a fleet beyonder tickets within a decade."

She looked astonished at his boast. Forget about Ves, even Seniors and some Masters wouldn't be able to earn so many merits that fast!

However, she did not look as surprised as Ves anticipated.

"I believe you can do it, sir. If not ten years, then twenty years. If not twenty years, then thirty!"

"Thank you for your vote of confidence. I didn't expect to hear that from you, captain."

"I have witnessed your rise when you were just an Apprentice, remember?" She smiled. "I know how remarkable you are, Mr. Larkinson. I don't believe your growth has stalled at all. Mech designs such as the Desolate Soldier show that you have only become more capable after you've advanced to Journeyman."

He admired her judgement and her faith in him. Part of it was due to her lengthy years of service in his employ, but a part of it was also about her expectation of his future growth!

Of course, the captain would not bring up this topic for nothing. Ves recognized that Silvestra subtly signalled an intention to climb up in his organization and be a part of his grand expedition to the Red Ocean.

He did not leave her hanging. "Considering your crew's dedication, I might have a place for you and your women in my grand expedition. However, there is a large possibility that some if not all of the starships that make up my expeditionary fleet will be second-class vessels. You will need to become very proficient in crewing them if you want to occupy some of the senior positions of my fleet."

This demand caused her to fall silent in consternation. It wasn't easy to master a second-class ship. The Barracuda alone already consumed a lot of time and energy for her and crew!

"We will do our best." She eventually promised. "We have already invested much of what we learned into developing our skills. We have all neglected our social life in order to serve you better. The life of a spacer is often restrictive and monotonous, but we don't have any other ambitions."

Ves frowned at that. "When was the last time you girls stepped off your ship?"

"Months?" Silvestra shrugged. "I'm not sure. As long as the Barracuda doesn't undergo an extensive maintenance or overhaul like last time, we aren't inclined to step on solid ground. There is nothing planetside that interests us. We have already adapted to spacer life."

"You sound as if you fit right in with the CFA or the spaceborn clans!"

The captain's eyes shone at their mention.

"They are the most eminent spacer groups of humanity! Ever spacer dreams of becoming a part of them. To be born in a spaceborn clan is one of the greatest privileges you can enjoy! While there are many spaceborn clans, the true ones which are affiliated with the CFA are no weaker than first-rate states!"

This statement was very true. While the population base of true spaceborn clans was a lot smaller than states that offered an abundant amount of living space, none of the people born in a spaceborn clan was useless.

The limited space and vast resources required to run a powerful ship meant that anyone born into a spaceborn clan was subject to an intense training regime from youth.

It was not without reason that the CFA almost exclusively recruited new blood from the spaceborn clans! Those born elsewhere often lacked the necessary discipline as well as the respect for tradition and hierarchy.

Having spent a fair amount of time on the Starlight Megalodon, Ves had already concluded that a rigid and tradition-bound organization like the CFA did not fit him at all. He would always have to answer to higher authority!

While the same applied for the MTA as well, at the very least the Association was a lot more loose and decentralized in its internal structure.

However, Ves shouldn't discount the merits of spaceborn clans.

"Unless you are planning on colonizing a planet or founding a state, you should start looking into how you can keep your organization together for several years or decades in space. It is absolutely not simple to sustain an entire society in space. If you don't make the necessary preparations, your expeditionary fleet will surely fall apart after a few years of isolation!"

She had a good point. Ves neglected to consider these difficulties. Of course, with all of the people working for him, someone would have pointed out these problems eventually.

That didn't lessen the importance of her warning. The topics they discussed earlier prompted him to think much more seriously about what ships should make up his expeditionary fleet and how to fill their positions.

It would be easy for him to form a complete third-class expeditionary fleet. However, it was practically impossible to form a second-class fleet. Just procuring the factory ship alone was way beyond Gloriana's means!

Chapter 1660 Deviant Behavior

Ves was no spacer. He only possessed a shallow understanding of the spaceborn life. His time with the Flagrant Vandals and his brief experiences on the Starlight Megalodon only gave him a taste of the difficulty of living years in space.

Considering that it would take a couple of days or so to meet the sandmen in combat, Ves decided he might as well learn more about spacers from the captain of the Barracuda.

"Humans aren't inherently beings who are adapted to space." Silvestra instructed when they moved to the ship's lounge to avoid disturbing the crew working on the bridge. "Unless you are born and raised in a starship environment, it's very hard for you landbound to adjust to living in a cramped living environment which you are bound to share with dozens, hundreds or thousands of people."

Ves calmly petted Lucky's back as his pet dozed in his lap. "What is the main challenge of spaceborn life?"

"There are many challenges." She sighed. "We could go on for days if I have to mention them all. The bigger issue is that many people are different. A problem that can drive one person crazy is just a trivial annoyance to another. This massively complicates the matter because you can't implement a single solution to address all of the problems related to adapting to spacer life."

All of that sounded rather overwhelming.

"Do you have some more general advice that I can put to use right away?"

"Don't wait until the start of your expedition to put all of your people on your vessels. At the moment your fleet heads for the Red Ocean, it should already be in a mature state. Your crews and other personnel should already have adapted to life aboard starships. If you don't test them beforehand, then I can guarantee you that up to thirty percent of your hires will become problem cases!"

"That much!?" Ves gasped.

If thirty percent of his subordinates went stir-crazy from living on a ship for years without touching solid ground, then his expeditionary fleet would definitely enter a dire state!

"Those who can't adapt to spaceborn life pose a threat to themselves, their colleagues and the fleet! Don't underestimate the damage a human can do when they are in charge of a critical section of a ship."

Ves could imagine the possible problems. Perhaps one crazed subordinate might sabotage the FTL drive of a ship in transit to another star system, thereby stranding the ship in the middle of nowhere forever!

Although ships were usually built with a lot of redundancies, those determined enough to ruin everyone's lives might be able to find some way to plunge everyone into the abyss!

For this reason, he took the captain's advice very seriously. If he could test the ability of the subordinates he planned to take along and filter out the ones who wouldn't do well in space, he could save himself a lot of trouble.

"Thank you, Silvestra. This is a very valuable reminder."

"That's what I'm here for, Mr. Larkinson. My girls and I used to be a landbound just like you, so we know what it's like to transition to shipboard life. While it's simple for you to come up with the idea of forming an expeditionary fleet, you are not a spacer. I highly suggest you search for a suitable fleet commander who thoroughly understands the challenges I'm talking about and also understands the ships you intend to add to your fleet."

"Don't we already have a fleet commander?"

Silvestra sighed. "Fleet Commander Rofane is old and unsuitable to lead a fleet of this scope. He will definitely be the first one to reject your offer. You need to find someone who is much more capable than him to take charge of your fleet and bring up the problems that you have never thought about."

"That.. sounds like a challenge. Competent fleet commanders ought to be just as hard if not harder to hire than chief engineers, right?"

"Ordinary, yes, but I don't think you will suffer from this problem." She smirked.

"Oh? Why so?"

"Because you intend to head for the Red Ocean! Think about what that means! As long as you are able to earn enough merits to redeem a beyonder ticket, you've already demonstrated that you are an extremely capable person. Many people would definitely be clamoring to work for you! Not only that, but there are plenty of people in the Milky Way who are tired of the existing order and want to change their lives by taking advantage of the opportunities lying in wait at the dwarf galaxy!"

That eased some of his worries. "I see. I'll be sure to keep that in mind. I don't think that I'll be able to attract a lot of people at this stage, though. Right now, almost no one believes that I can earn enough merits."

It wasn't simple to satisfy the MTA's demands. As one of the most powerful organizations in human space, it was already capable of meeting most of its own needs!

Even if they provided others the opportunity to earn merits, they still had to abide by the same high standards the MTA applied to its internal members!

The only consolation was that the MTA offered much more opportunities for mech designers and mech pilots to earn merits.

As Ves continued to discuss how he should prepare his expeditionary fleet, time slowly passed by. The defense force continued to close in on the sandman swarm, which for some reason hadn't traveled straight to the only settled planet in the system.

Instead, the sandmen traveled straight towards the nearest asteroid belt, which was something that no one had ever seen before!

The deviating behavior of the sandman fleet was so odd that it immediately attracted a lot of attention!

Commander Magdalena called him on his comm.

"There is a huge issue with this sandman fleet, sir. Not only has it ignored the energy-rich Bentheim System, it isn't even flying close to the inner system where the local sun can provide them with a large amount of energy."

"What does Captain Monlin have to say?"

"She wants us to continue our pursuit. In fact, we're about to accelerate as stopping this sandman fleet has become a lot more urgent! We have to intercept this sandman fleet before it reaches the asteroid belt!"

Ves quickly realized the implications of this development. His eyes widened.

"Since the bodies of sandmen consist of sand and minerals, they're very difficult to distinguish from ordinary rocks! As long as they blend into a rocky asteroid belt, our sensors will lose track of them! Finding the sandmen will be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack!"

"This is especially the case if the sandman admirals split up. High command is already worried about the possibility of a strategy adopted by the sandmen. Before, the sandmen used to be manageable despite their overwhelming numbers because their fleets always travel straight to the nearest occupied planet as if it was their only mission. This allows us to defeat the fleets one by one because they aren't waiting to pool their strengths with other incoming fleets."

Horror began to suffuse his face. He could very well imagine once the sandmen smarted up and waited to group up with many different fleets before launching their invasion!

As long as the sandmen managed to hide in the middle of an asteroid belt, they could escape destruction and consume the attention of many mechs and starfighters!

The sandmen might even be able to build up their numbers in a star system to the point where they finally possessed the capital to overrun every opposition!

The Bright Republic would never be able to hold out against the sandmen if the aliens actually adopted this alarmingly clever strategy!

"Is it possible that this is the newest evolution of sandmen?"

The Sentinel Commander nodded gravely. "That possibility is on everyone's minds. While nobody is sure that the fleet in this star system is the only one that has adopted a different strategy, high command doesn't want to risk the chance that the sandman admirals leading this fleet might pass on their strategy to other high-caste sandmen!"

"What is their response, then?"

"They've already dispatched some reinforcements from the Bentheim System to assist in the pursuit. If the sandman admirals split up once they reach the asteroid belt, our current troop disposition isn't enough to scour the hiding sandmen."

Splitting up the defense force meant that they became a lot more vulnerable in case the sandmen decided to prepare an ambush.

"There is something else, sir." Magdalena said. "Captain Monlin has ordered you to cease accompanying us. You have to return to planetside immediately!"

"Why?"

"Because it's too dangerous for you! Some of the higher ups speculate that the reason that the sandmen sent this abnormal fleet to Cloudy Curtain is because of you! Your Soldier mechs have made a huge impact on the Sand War to the detriment of our opponents."

"What?! I'm just a mech designer! The sandmen don't care about humans at all! They've never shown any desire to go after high-value targets!"

"I thought so as well, but apparently we've sold the sandmen short." Commander Magdalena darkly responded. "We should discuss your future security arrangements after this incident has passed. For now, you should immediately reverse course."

Technically, Commander Magdalena worked for the LMC, which by extension meant she worked for him. This meant that it was inappropriate for her to issue orders to him as if they were still in the Mech Corps.

He didn't intend to object and throw a tantrum, though. He recognized the urgency of the situation and knew that his continued presence behind the defense force would only pose further problems.

The last thing he should do was act like a spoiled brat and stick his nose into matters that didn't concern him anymore!

The Avatars and Sentinels under Commander Magdalena's command were more than competent enough to address the current threat. That was what he paid for, after all. Leaving this matter to the professionals was the best decision he could make at this point.

"I'll leave the sandman hunting to you, then. Take care, commander."

Once the call ended, Ves sat back and frowned even deeper.

"What are the sandmen up to? Why is this sandman fleet so weird?"

If he was just like any other Brighter, he would have been clueless why the sandmen in the Cloudy Curtain System acted so strange.

Not Ves.

He immediately smelled a plot involving one of his old acquaintances.

It was no coincidence that the sandmen had been stirred into a frenzy a few short years after Ves returned from the frontier.

The sandman race had always maintained their distance to human space out of a healthy respect for humanity's strength. For this centuries-long status quo to change all of a sudden was very odd.

Even now, many analysts in the Komodo Star Sector were scratching their heads why the sandmen decided to commit collective suicide all of a sudden.

Not Ves.

Unlike everyone else, Ves and Calabast were perhaps the only two humans in the galaxy who guessed the truth behind the sandman invasion.

"Damn Sigrund! Can't you leave me alone?!"

This was definitely the hybrid sandman processor pulling tricks on him! Only Sigrund appeared to be able to make the entire sandman race go mad and attack human space without any regard for their own survival!

If the sentient AI could make the sandmen do something as drastic as that, he could definitely pull off another prank by ordering the sandmen to disturb Cloudy Curtain!

After so many years without contact with Sigrund, Ves finally came into direct contact with a shadow of his immense power and influence.

Now that several years had passed since Ves inadvertently released Sigrund into the galaxy, how far had the sentient AI progressed?

Chapter 1661 Artificial Scheme

After his call with Commander Magdalena, Ves fell into an awful mood. He locked himself inside his stateroom and brooded over the possibility that Sigrund was targeting him for some reason.

As the most probable instigator of the sandman invasion, Sigrund had enough blood in his hands to drench the entire star sector!

The sandmen had already managed to overrun over a dozen states and were on track to smash some more by the time they exhausted their forces.

The sheer slaughter to both humans and sandmen made it very clear that Sigrund was nothing less than a monster without any immorality in his artificially-modified sandman core!

With such a great threat looming over his head, Ves should be very worried.

He wasn't. In truth, once Ves speculated that Sigrund was directly involved, he knew that his life would never be under threat.

This was because of the pact that he and Calabast had made with the sentient AI.

As long as he died or issued the right command, news of Sigrund's existence would definitely leak out. Ves had long made enough precautions, several of which did not rely on electronic systems at all.

So long as his words managed to reach the ears of the CFA, Sigrund would definitely become the object of their crazed pursuit!

From what he heard about the CFA, creating a sentient AI had always been one of their holy grails! Ves had no doubt that the CFA would commit much more than a single warfleet to track Sigrund down!

Therefore, Ves no longer considered the abnormal sandman fleet a threat. The most the sandman admirals in charge of the fleet could do was to play a very frustrating game of hide and seek by hiding themselves among the endless asteroids floating in space.

He didn't have to worry too much about the sandmen accumulating forces in the Cloudy Curtain System.

Since the behavior of the sandmen in the system alarmed the higher ups, the government would definitely dispatch a strong force to squash the inventive sandman admirals as fast as possible!

Everyone feared that the strange sandman admirals might reunite with their fellow sandmen and pass on their strange teachings.

However, Ves thought differently.

His face grew darker as he suddenly realized that the entire sandman invasion was nothing more than a scheme!

What was Sigrund thinking?! Why did he provoke the Big Two by launching an immense invasion that already killed trillions of humans?

While Ves did not have any proof, he intuitively assumed that Sigrund had gained total control over the entire sandman race.

With how much time he spent on a CFA battleship pretending to be her virtual officers, Sigrund should not be ignorant of proper tactics and strategy.

If he wanted to, he could have directed the sandman fleets in a way that ensured that they would have overrun every third-rate state in the Komodo Star Sector!

Yet instead of maximizing the combat effectiveness of the sandmen, Sigrund inexplicably made the sandman behave in a way that suggested that the sandmen only possessed a limited amount of intelligence.

Right now, practically every human regarded the sandmen as if they were profoundly stupid!

"Everyone is underestimating the sandmen!"

What was Sigrund trying to accomplish by painting his former race as a bunch of semi-sentient dimwits?

Why did he intentionally cripple the invasion effort and give every state in the third liine of defense a chance to repel the enemy?

There was something very fishy going on. In fact, Ves always harbored these suspicions, but with all of the emergencies taking place, he never had the time to settle down and think through the situation.

Was Sigrund purposefully trying to mess around with Ves?

He shook his head. How could a single individual cause a grand sentient AI to devote his full processing power towards such a useless pursuit.

The sandman invasion likely served a completely different purpose, one that was probably unconnected to Ves or Calabast.

Sigrund's true enemy was the Common Fleet Alliance. These warship-mad spacers were obsessed with automation and AIs for some reason.

So long as this great threat loomed over Sigrund's head, the hybrid sandman would never be able to live in peace.

Forget about galactic domination or forming a new empire. As soon as a single human became aware of Sigrund's existence, his life was irrevocably over.

"Is that why he is trying to get rid of the sandmen?"

Sigrund clearly didn't care about his former race. The sandman invasion was not only a tragedy for the humans living close to the border with the frontier, but also risked wiping out every sandman!

The outrageous aggression of their race had already sealed their fate. While Ves hadn't heard anything about the CFA warfleet sent to wipe out the sandmen starting from their origin point, the galaxy would soon say goodbye to yet another alien race.

Only Sigrund would be able to get away!

Of course, now that the sandmen have seemingly gone extinct by that time, no human would invest any energy in seeking a few lost grains of sand.

Was this what Sigrund tried to accomplish?

Ves shook his head. "That's far too simple."

It was impossible for Ves to match the sheer processing power of a sentient AI created by the CFA.

Unable to match Sigrund's artificial wits, Ves eventually shrugged and put aside his guessing game.

It was enough for him to conclude that Sigrund shouldn't be after his life. Whatever else he was plotting should not affect him directly.

"Well, that isn't entirely correct."

The entire sandman invasion already affected his life in a profound way. While he had benefited quite a lot from the opportunities that opened up, his mood quickly soured at all of the humans who died.

It was just that Sigrund's actions hadn't crossed a line that would compel him to expose the sentient's existence.

This was because Ves would inevitably incur a huge price when Sigrund exposed him as a Holy Son.

"Is he deliberately tormenting me or what?"

Ves realized he could have ended the Sand War early and prevented a lot of death and destruction if he spoke out earlier.

As long as he disregarded his freedom, the MTA and CFA would have responded a lot stronger than they currently did at the moment!

Even the invasion of the Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy wouldn't be enough to keep their attention away from the Komodo Star Sector!

Unfortunately for everyone, Ves was not a selfless person. At the very least, the situation so far hadn't driven him to the point where he found his choice to remain silent to be unbearable.

As for the guilt that should have plagued his heart for allowing the sandmen to engulf countless humans, Ves did not feel responsible at all!

His heart was as light as a feather.

While Ves was not indifferent to the tragedy that had already occurred, he still considered himself to be a small and insignificant figure in the greater scheme of things.

Unless he became as powerful as a Master Mech Designer, he could forget about playing the great game.

Events that affected entire star sectors like the sandman invasion was not something that he could meddle in. At most, he could only stick to his job and design the mechs that helped humanity resist the aggressors.

As the Barracuda returned to the only habitable planet in the star system, Ves eventually regained his normal mood.

A welcome distraction was Gloriana's recovery. After one-and-a-half days of rest, she managed to regain consciousness.

"How are you, Gloriana?"

"I still feel somewhat weak." She said softly over the comm. "It's rather strange. I've never felt so tired despite all of the doctors stating that my body is in an optimal condition. I can't imagine how much strain you have to cope with every time you create something special."

Ves tapped the side of his head. "Everything can be trained, including our minds. It is not necessarily bad for you to come under strain. As long as you give yourself some time to recover, I'm sure you'll be able to cope a little better next time!"

"I trust you, Ves. Hopefully, I'll recover completely within the next couple of days. We still have some mech designs to complete. Right now, I don't think that I'm in a good condition to work on a project right now."

Ves guessed that Gloriana depleted a considerable amount of spiritual energy.

This was not good news. Unlike Ves who could rely on his Grand Dynamo to recover spiritual energy quickly, Gloriana did not have such a convenient means to replenish her expenditure.

"When I get back, I'll tell you what's likely wrong with you. For now, I think it's a good idea for you to get used to your temporary mental state. If you think you are up for it, I think it would be a good idea for you to continue on our projects rather than leave them aside."

"Why so, Ves?"

"Designing a mech while you are not necessarily in the right mood builds up resilience. As a true professional, you should be able to design a mech under every circumstance. Just because you are feeling mentally exhausted should not affect your knowledge base and your accumulated design experience. The only factors that have diminished ought to be your passion and your motivation. Is that right?"

She nodded weakly. "Everytime I think about designing a mech, I don't feel any joy. That's really weird. I've never been so unenthusiastic about designing mechs than today!"

Ves sighed. "This is the price you pay to help me create something exceptional. While I'm more than capable of paying this price, the same doesn't apply to you. This is a part of my specialty. I've been working on improving my capabilities in this area since the start of my design career!"

"I'm still peeved at my state. Do you have a way of fixing my exhaustion?"

Ves contemplated whether he could 'lend' his Grand Dynamo to Gloriana. Sadly, the Grand Dynamo formed in his mind had already been embedded by his spiritual energy.

There was no way that Ves could top Gloriana off with his own spiritual energy. It was like mixing two different kinds of fuel in the tank of a starship. Despite their similarities, their attributes and other properties differed too much to be able to use them interchangeably.

To be honest, Ves wasn't even confident he could help Gloriana recover faster in the first place.

Before he obtained the Grand Dynamo, Ves had to wait for many months before his natural regeneration replenished his spent spiritual energy.

However, Ves did not discount this possibility immediately. He was a lot more capable in spiritual manipulation than before.

Considering the amazing result they achieved when she exerted her spirituality, Ves could not allow her to be out for months at a time.

He had to develop a method that hastened her recovery!

"We're lucky that we almost completed the Adonis Colossus first." Ves smiled. "If you're really not up to it, I can wrap up this project by myself."

"I don't like this. I want to make sure the Adonis Colossus design is as perfect as possible! In fact, I already planned to return to our design lab today."

"Alright." Ves no longer worried too much about her condition. "Don't push yourself beyond your means. Some strain is good, but too much strain is very dangerous."

"Understood. By the way, how is the situation in space?"

"Strange." Ves grimaced, but he didn't say anything more. Due to the sensitivity of the matter, the government already classified anything related to the abnormal sandman fleet. "It's none of our business, though. The government is already on top of the situation. It might take some while for the defense force to return to orbit."

"Okay. By the way, Ves. There's something else you should know."

"What's that?"

"I just received a notification from my cousin Ranya. She's due to arrive within a month!"

Chapter 1662 Low Period

When the Barracuda returned to Cloudy Curtain, Ves immediately entered the Cloud Estate to check up on his girlfriend.

At the moment, she was sitting on a luxurious couch.

Gloriana greeted him with a tired smile while petting Clixie. "Ves. You're back."

"Miaow!"

"Hey Clixie." Ves briefly bent down to scratch the Rubarthan Sentinel Cat's head before placing his hand on Gloriana's head. "Let me check up on you for a moment."

Though his abrupt motion caused her guards to twitch, Ves did not pay any mind to anything else. Right now, only Gloriana mattered!

He inspected her with his spiritual senses. As he feared, her spiritual energy reserves had dropped by a significant quantity.

Fortunately, the worst hadn't occurred. She hadn't expended all of her spiritual energy. Unaccustomed to performing spiritual manipulation, she couldn't endure the strain of maintaining her earlier state for long.

Her mind withdrew before she expended too much of her spiritual energy.

However, she still wasted a significant amount. If her regeneration rate was the same as his before he obtained the Grand Dynamo, then she would probably require a month or two to regain her full strength.

Until then, it would be difficult for her to feel passionate and energetic when designing a mech.

This was the price she paid for using her ability in a more direct and spiritual way.

Nothing came for free.

The main concern that Ves held was if it had been worth it. Now that Gloriana expended herself, she wouldn't be able to provide as much assistance in finalizing the Adonis Colossus and Deliverer designs.

However, as long as she avoided incurring permanent damage, everything was okay. In two months, she'd be back to normal and ready to do her utmost in designing mechs.

Ves drew back his hand and sat down next to her. "You're in a mentally exhausted condition. This isn't something that medical examinations can detect, so don't be fooled if they all state that you're healthy."

"Please explain."

"To put it simply, you've exerted your domain in a way that consumes your strength. If you think of yourself as a god, then you have expended some of your energy to exercise your power. This consumption is very substantial. By my estimate, it will take around two months for you to return to normal."

"Two months?!" She grew alarmed. "My time is very precious! I can't afford to sit still for two months!"

"Calm down, Gloriana. Just because you are in a low mood doesn't mean you are forced to rest all day. As I've said before, this is a good time for you to exercise your mental resilience. So long as you can train yourself to design mechs while you are in your current state, you'll be able to design any mech under any circumstances!"

"You speak as if you have experience on the matter."

"Remember my visit to Centerpoint and my tour through the star sector? One of the underlying reasons why I took such an extensive trip was to recover from the same condition!"

"Ah. How long did it take for you to recover?"

"More than half a year. I got better, though."

She fell silent for a moment. "That is a very long time. I suppose we won't be able to exploit our newly-discovered synergy too often. At the very least, we need to be careful with the timing so that nothing else important is on the agenda."

He felt gratified that Gloriana didn't give up on the new techniques after knowing the price.

To be honest, Ves really hoped they could perform Artificial Conception again and improve its efficiency. Gloriana's semi-autonomous way of controlling her spiritual projection was very crude and wasteful.

"You don't necessarily have to force yourself to design mechs during this low period. You can also do other productive activities, such as studying more knowledge."

She nodded. "That's what I already had in mind. I don't have much of a problem with sharpening my knowledge. It's just that I don't feel the same spark anymore every time I want to work on our current projects. I have never felt this way in my life! Not once!"

He knew that she developed an early passion for mechs. Since she started to design her first mech, she never lost her passion in her profession. It was one of the reasons why she was able to progress so fast.

Rarely did anyone advance to Journeyman without loving their craft.

"You won't notice any difference when it comes to performing mechanical or routine tasks. It's only when you need to exercise your creativity and imagination that you will feel sluggish and empty."

He passed on his personal understanding and experiences of falling in a low state. Gloriana listened attentively and took his advice seriously.

She only had one more question.

"Is there no way to recover faster?"

Ves hesitated. "There are. In fact, I'm a lot better in this regard now. However, my solution is not really applicable to you. I'm a lot different from you, Gloriana."

He wasn't entirely truthful. If he granted her guest access to the System, she might be able to draw her own Grand Dynamo Elixir from the lottery. In fact, Ves could draw this elixir by himself and pass it onto her, saving him a million DP.

However, Ves was deeply reluctant to reveal the System to her at this time. While he came to trust her increasingly more, their relationship still had some ways to go. It wasn't necessary to pull her into the troublesome vortex surrounding the System at this time.

Once he passed some more advice, he left her alone to take another nap. Since her mind was not very robust, she was actually a bit worse off than him when he initially drained himself.

Due to all of the new developments, Ves decided to leave aside his projects and catch up on some matters.

He traveled to his office at the LMC's headquarters and called in Dr. Lupo.

"Doctor, are you familiar with Gloriana's current state?"

"Yes. I was part of the initial examinations." The exobiologist stated. "Sadly, I'm just as in the dark as her own doctors. All I can do is to adjust her diet and see if that helps. I have several ideas to address her deficient mental acuity."

Personally, Ves did not have much hope that eating different foods could help, but it didn't hurt to try.

"Don't waste too much time on that. Gloriana will be able to recover on her own in time. There are much more important matters. Gloriana just told me that her cousin Ranya will be arriving at Cloudy Curtain within a month!"

Dr. Lupo knew the significance of this news. "Will she perform the implant surgency upon arrival?"

"I'm not sure. It depends on her own arrangements and how long she intends to stay here. In case she can only stay here for a limited time, you need to be ready to assist and supervise the implant surgery."

"I... I've developed some competences in this field, but I wouldn't call myself a qualified implant surgeon." Lupo haltingly replied. "While I am familiar with the necessary theory, I don't have much practical experience beyond practicing in virtual simulations."

"How successful are you in the simulations?"

"Not good. My performance is barely passable when performing a standard cranial implant insertion, but I don't have the necessary experience to handle unanticipated complications."

That was worse than he expected of his subordinate. He fed Dr. Lupo with enough Intelligence Candies to boost his intelligence attribute to 2.0! Did the exobiologist spend all of his time on his pet projects rather than his main tasks?

Seeing how Ves became discontented with him. Dr. Lupo quickly raised his hands in innocence.

"I already made a judgement that I'm not able to match Miss Ranya's competence in implant surgery. Instead, I've put a lot of effort into familiarizing the specific programming and other properties surrounding your Archimedes Rubal implant. While it's extremely advanced, it's over three-hundred years out of date. There is a lot of leaked and declassified information about this specific bioimplant on the galactic net. I've even managed to retrieve a lot of updated firmware and unofficial software mods."

"That sounds a bit dubious."

"I'm aware that some if not most of the material I've found is malicious. Don't worry, Mr. Larkinson. I've used all of the information I've gathered as reference material to improve my comprehension of the Archimedes Rubal implant. After several months of focused study, I can't say that I've become an expert on cranial bioimplants, but I have definitely gained a thorough understanding of the workings of this specific implant model!"

"How good is your understanding?"

"Good enough to be able to update and tweak the bioimplant on your orders. While I wouldn't trust any of the software mods that I've collected, I can program something conservative that nevertheless improves some crucial aspects."

Lupo looked hopeful at Ves, as if waiting for permission to tinker with the programming of the Archimedes Rubal.

Ves huffed at his subordinate. As if he would let any single person have free rein over something he planned to insert in his head

"Wait until Ranya arrives and familiarizes herself with the Archimedes Rubal." He instructed in a firm tone. "Anything involving this implant must be done with constant checks and verification. I won't tolerate any doubt or dubious actions, understood?"

"Understood.."

Though Lupo looked a little deflated, he soon recovered. His true passion lay elsewhere, so he didn't care too much about the Archimedes Rubal. It was just a shiny toy to the exobiologist.

Ves proceeded to ask Lupo's progress on his other assignments. The exobiologist hadn't made much progress in understanding Ves' complicated physique due to lack of time, and he only made a minor breakthrough with regards to uncovering the secrets behind geril spice.

"While I haven't been able to detect anything extraordinary about this spice, I am reasonably confident I have been able to isolate the most exceptional component." Lupo stated. "If my assumptions are correct, the active effect that you are seeking is locked inside this specific substance!"

"What does that mean?"

"It's possible to artificially reproduce this substance, though only at great cost. Whether the imitation I've made carries the unknown effect you desire is another matter."

Ves gestured to Nitaa, who was quietly guarding him from the far side of the office.

"Coordinate with my bodyguard here for that. She is the only one in my crew who can detect the difference."

Lupo glanced at the tall bodyguard. "Very well."

"Is there anything else you can do with this substance?"

"Even if I can't reproduce it, I can still use it as an additive to your meals. You'll be able to receive the same benefits from geril spice without encountering its pungent odor."

While Ves was skeptical whether that would work, that was good news. Geril spice was way too distinctive and would definitely arouse some suspicion to those who were aware of its properties.

Ves hadn't encountered anyone else with an extraordinary nose after his visit to the Sentinel Kingdom.

That didn't mean he let down his guard. He was just fortunate that his life didn't intersect with any agents affiliated with the Five Scrolls Compact.

He could not guarantee that he could avoid another encounter, so it was better to be safe than sorry.

"How much progress have you made on gaining permission to set up an exobeast reserve?"

"Oh, I haven't spent much time on this issue, but the administrators I've hired already managed to get it done. Your Larkinson Exobiology Institute is ready to set up an exobeast reserve a fair distance away from Freslin. I've held off on procuring exobeasts though. Under these wartime circumstances, it's not entirely appropriate to conduct these activities. Additionally, shipping of non-essential goods is heavily restricted."

Ves nodded. "You made the right call, though you should inform me beforehand."

There was not much point in setting up an exobeast reserve when he might have to abandon it later if the Bright Republic succumbed to the sandmen. What Dr. Lupo managed to accomplish in this limited amount of time was already enough. Hiring a capable biotech expert was one of the better decisions he had made recently.

Chapter 1663 Relocation

A few days went by as the situation in space became more tense.

The citizens of the Bright Republic did not hear the announcement they expected. Everyone expected to hear that the defense fleet defeated the invading sandman fleet a few days after they sortied.

Instead, no news came at all. The government and all of the media outlets kept mum, leaving every local in the dark.

No news wasn't necessarily good news. Many Brighters began to grow worried that something might have gotten wrong.

If the government hadn't stated that the defense force was fully intact, the locals would have panicked and thought the end was near!

As it was, the locals became a little split. Their daily lives continued without any interruption, prompting most people to push the matter in the back of their minds.

Naturally, many others still remained concerned, so much so that they preemptively tried to evacuate to Bentheim. Because the government commandeered too many ships, it was too difficult to secure traditional transit.

The most they could do was to pay for passage aboard one of the many transport vessels shipping materials from Bentheim to Cloudy Curtain and back. Though the ride was uncomfortable, it was better than nothing!

None of this impacted Ves too much. He only made a brief company-wide announcement to cool the nerves of his employees. Whether they believed him or not was not his concern.

Just as Ves expected, because nothing apparently happened, the acuteness of the emergency eventually faded.

However, he still monitored the situation in space through various channels. While Commander Magdalena was not allowed to contact him directly, he had access to some reports.

The central government was alarmed. The abnormal behavior of the sandman admirals that intruded Cloudy Curtain had become such a fearsome occurrence that the Mech Corps directly dispatched an entire mech regiment to suppress the fleet!

Over two-thousand spaceborn mechs and accompanying ships of the 4th Light Hounds of the 3rd Bentheim Division reached the Cloudy Curtain System in secret!

The mech companies of the Light Hounds immediately fanned out to scour the asteroid belt for the sandman elements that had shaken off detection by hiding in the middle of the asteroid belt!

If the deviant sandmen admirals put their full effort into hiding their presence, then the Light Hounds might be stuck here for a couple weeks.

Fortunately, the higher ups acted decisively and dispatched the Light Hounds with haste, so the sandmen couldn't have split up very far. Though it was easy for the aliens to camouflage their presence in the asteroid belt, they couldn't move too fast without breaking their cover.

If the roving patrols neared the hiding positions of the sandmen, then the latter wouldn't be able to move at all without tripping some alarms!

In order to hasten the search, every mech that participated in the search effort received an emergency software update that optimized the scanners to detect the presence of sandmen.

Though the Mech Corps previously paid little attention to Cloudy Curtain, now that it became a focal point in the war, the resources they brought to bear was very considerable!

"Is it true that the sandmen are targeting you in order to sabotage the glows of your mechs?" Gavin asked in a worried tone.

"Relax. I won't go down so easily. Even if the sandmen find some way to threaten this planet, we can instantly board the Barracuda to escape their clutches."

This was the privilege of owning a starship!

"I don't believe that this is a coincidence! The sandmen are definitely after your life!"

Ves grew exasperated at Gavin's worries.

Because of his gatekeeper role, Gavin had access to some of the intelligence that Ves received. Reading all of the material made the assistant very scared of his own life.

Death by sandmen had become the biggest fright of every citizen exposed to the Sand War!

"Just flee to Bentheim on a transport ship if you can't keep your composure."

His assistant looked sheepish. "Sorry, boss. I lost control. It's just that there is such a big threat looming over our heads. What if a second sandman fleet joins the first?"

"We'll evacuate once Cloudy Curtain can't be defended anymore. No sooner. Besides, do you really think that Bentheim is any safer? There are at least three or four sandman fleets invading the port system every day!"

The sandmen managed to expand the breach from Sydney Superior and threaten much of the interior of the Bright Republic. The Mech Corps and the Starfighter Corps were spreading their forces to their limit in order to prop up all of the vulnerable star systems.

Bentheim's attraction to the sandmen served as a mixed blessing under these circumstances.

On one hand, Bentheim attracted an unreasonable amount of sandman fleets. The quantity of invaders had reached such a severe point that a considerable amount of traffic that flowed through Bentheim had dropped!

No one wanted to bump into the sandmen as soon as they transitioned into the port system!

Of course, this led to a severe disruption in the supply chains that Bentheim subsided upon to keep its vast economy running. Trade dropped by a third and industrial production dropped by a lesser degree.

The entire state mobilized into action. The military did its best to suppress the invading sandmen and to maintain secure shipping routes. The other branches of the government provided more support to essential companies and did their best to keep trade flowing as much as possible.

Unfortunately, all of these actions and disruptions increased the monthly inflation rate even more. Ves literally saw the LMC's cash pile diminishing in value with each passing day!

Gavin understood the deteriorating economic circumstances better than Ves. "It's really bad right now. As of yesterday, it is no longer profitable for us to maintain production at the Mech Nursery. The shipping rates have skyrocketed, making even short runs between Bentheim and Cloudy Curtain prohibitively expensive."

"Is it because of insurance?" Ves asked.

"The shipping companies are risking their assets every time they ship materials to Cloudy Curtain or ship finished products back to Bentheim. While the military is doing its best to keep the shipping lanes free from the sandmen, that is not a perfect guarantee."

Ves hesitated for a moment. He really did not like to halt production at the Mech Nursery. It was the principal production facility of his mech company and a temporary shutdown would have severe consequences.

Ves did not care too much about the disruption to the production plans or the delay in fulfilling orders.

What he really cared about was keeping his mech technicians and factory workers sharp.

Giving them a few days off didn't affect their readiness. However, if they began to sit idle for several months, they wouldn't be as productive if they returned to work.

Yet keeping up production when he lost more money than he earned per sale was not a good outcome either.

He had to make a choice between two unpalatable options.

To be honest, Ves did not mind paying a modest price to keep his best and most loyal workers sharp. However, the economy was just starting to deteriorate. With the sandmen far from running out of steam, the situation would definitely grow worse over time.

"Instruct Raymond to shut down production if necessary." Ves eventually spoke. "Even if we have to keep our manufacturing personnel idle for the remainder of the Sand War, it won't take too much effort to regain what we've lost after the crisis has passed."

Gavin made a note on his data pad. "Will do. I have a suggestion. Why not offer to transport our workers and their families to Bentheim? We've recently invested in a handful of manufacturing complexes there to put our windfall to good use, remember? While we are already in the process of hiring workers, it's a lot better if we can reassign experienced and dedicated personnel from the Mech Nursery."

That.. sounded like a good idea to Ves. He didn't make an immediate decision, though.

"Pass this suggestion up to Raymond and the senior management. This is a very major move and I don't want the LMC to make any haphazard moves. I'm not sure how many workers are willing to relocate to Bentheim in the first place."

"There's something else that is related to this issue. We've recently received some official notices from the government."

While Gavin passed on the notices to Ves, he briefly summarized their contents.

"All of the messages are pretty much saying the same thing. The government is concerned at your continued stay in Cloudy Curtain. The Ministry of Defense is the most fervent branch in requesting you to leave this star system."

"Because they think the sandmen are targeting me specifically?" Ves frowned.

"I don't know why you're so nonchalant about this threat! If the sandmen are truly aware of your significance, then you're in big trouble! Holing up at Bentheim or Rittersberg is much better since the Mech Corps maintains a heavy presence in those star systems!"

"Cloudy Curtain is my home."

"If you truly care about your home planet, you should have left months ago. Your presence here is endangering everyone else if the sandmen are really out to get you. Besides, even if you don't believe that, the government surely does."

Ves narrowed his eyes. "Will the government force me to evacuate to a better defended star system?"

"Yes." Gavin bluntly replied. "The people in charge have only sent some politely-worded requests so far because they don't want to offend you. However, they'll definitely push you harder if you remain stubborn."

This was not what Ves wanted to hear. His mood darkened as he agreed with his assistant.

There was no evidence that the sandmen weren't out to get him. Aside from Calabast, practically everyone else who was aware of the situation probably believed that Ves was under threat.

However, that did not mean that Ves was ready to surrender to the government's demands.

One of the biggest reasons why he was determined to remain at Cloudy Curtain was that it was easy for him to run away.

If for some reason the sandmen really launched a surprise attack or the government turned against him, Ves wanted to have a clear path of escape.

The defense forces stationed at Cloudy Curtain weren't numerous enough to envelop the entire planet. It was not that hard for the swift and nimble Barracuda to avoid pursuit and circumvent blockades.

It was an entirely different matter if Ves moved to Bentheim. There was so much shipping and traffic there that every vessel had to abide by the instructions of traffic control.

Patrols and enforcement were much more strict at Bentheim. There was no way a single ship could slip through the thick defensive net around the planet!

Ves always harbored some paranoia towards his home state. Even though he currently maintained friendly relations with the Tovars and the government, who knew they wanted to stab his back one day.

Though he knew it was unreasonable to suspect the government to turn on a prominent and decorated citizen, Ves was no normal Brighter.

For this reason, Ves did not prepare to evacuate to Bentheim under any circumstances.

Because of Cloudy Curtain's relatively low strategic importance, there was no way the Mech Corps could station a large force here on a continuous basis.

As long as Sigrund stopped pranking Ves by sending more abnormal sandman fleets to Cloudy Curtain, the Light Hounds should eventually return to the Bentheim System.

The fighting there had become very intense, after all! Bentheim needed all the help it could get to prevent the arriving sandmen from reaching critical mass!

Gavin looked disappointed, though. "I don't know if the government will allow you to have your way. If I were you, I would start buying some accommodations on Bentheim. A lot of rich people have departed over the last months. The real value of mansions and other extravagant real estate has plummeted!"

Too bad Ves wasn't interested.

Chapter 1664 Queen Gloriana

When Ves returned to the Cloud Estate, he met up with Gloriana who was resting in the back gardens of their mansion and informed her of the latest developments.

"For what it's worth, I agree with you." Gloriana tickled Clixie's belly. "Bentheim isn't only bad for you, but also for me. If the Bright Republic has any ideas about me, it won't be easy to take me into custody as long as I stay here under the protection of my Glory Battalion."

Ves immediately recognized the problem. "Your escorts only consist of one spaceborn mech company, one landbound mech company and one elite guard infantry company. While I'm sure your protectors are strong enough to win while heavily outnumbered, it's hard to say who will win if the Mech Corps dispatches a mech regiment or two to intercept our flight."

"If those mech regiments deploy their expert pilots, then the threat they pose become much greater." Gloriana added. "With thousands of mechs acting in support of a couple of expert mechs, it isn't possible for my Glory Battalion to escape!"

While second-class mechs possessed a crushing advantage against third-class mechs, they weren't invincible. As long as the weaker but vastly more numerous force was willing to make some sacrifices, it was possible to overwhelm a second-class mech force through sheer weight of numbers.

In essence, it was similar to how the sandmen managed to grind down their opposition! By placing little to no value in the lives of individual sandmen, the aggressors managed to achieve huge results!

Of course, the price the sandmen paid was correspondingly huge as well, but that did not make people feel any better.

In any case, Both Ves and Gloriana were of the same mind regarding this issue. They both wanted to avoid relocating to heavily-protected star systems to avoid placing themselves at the mercy of the state.

Now that he thought about it, Ves shouldn't be surprised that Gloriana did not entirely feel at ease. As a foreigner and a Hexer, she was completely alone and isolated in the Bright Republic, which had always leaned towards the Friday Coalition.

"I don't think I can resist the demand to relocate to Bentheim or some other heavily-protected star system on my own." Ves admitted.

She looked at him with an odd expression. "Aren't you well-connected by now? The Tovar Family should be able to provide you with a lot of cover."

Ves shook his head. "While I still have to contact the Tovars, the fact that they didn't say anything to me so far means that this issue might be a bit troublesome."

He received a lot of official notices from various different branches of the government. That meant that a single faction would find it very difficult to resist a united opposition.

While Ves believed that the officials requesting him to relocate to Bentheim didn't intend anything malicious towards him, he couldn't discount the minute possibility that this was part of a plot.

"So how do you intend to resolve this problem?"

"I have you, right?" Ves grinned. "Unless the Bright Republic wants to attract the hatred of the Hexadric Hegemony, they can't force you to do anything."

Her eyes lit up. She wasn't ignorant of her exalted status among third-class citizens. "You're right! I can use my own influence to keep up here!"

They discussed the details. Gloriana only had to make some noise to negate any further attempts at getting them to relocate to Bentheim.

Perhaps the entire reason why the government sent requests to him was because they wanted to hoodwink him into traveling to Bentheim on a voluntary basis. This way, they wouldn't trigger Gloriana's opposition.

However, now that Ves dragged her into the mud, there was no way for the Bright Republic to continue to insist. Even if Ves ostensibly played a very pivotal role in sustaining the charm of the Soldier product line, no sane official wanted to step on the toes of a Hexer!

It helped a lot that Hexers carried a very dreadful relationship in the Komodo Star Sector. Though they ordinarily kept to themselves during peacetime, they often reacted unreasonably aggressive when provoked.

After the Hexers made many examples after idiots provoked the proud and confident women, everyone learned not to mess with them under any circumstances!

Only the Fridaymen dared to match them blow for blow, which was evidenced by their brave performance in the Komodo War.

"The war back home is not going as well as we thought." Gloriana admitted to Ves after they finished their earlier discussion. "Several of our assumptions haven't panned out. The Vermeer Group and the Carnegie Group should have been in tatters by now, but instead the Gauge Dynasty and the Konsu Clan have been the first to commit reinforcements to the front. With the prompt support of the two most powerful partners, it's hard for my fellow Hexers to advance any further."

"The Friday Coalition has been preparing for a confrontation for a long time." Ves looked at her sternly.

"They should have been more divided! Most of the partners are led by males!" She objected.

What kind of a stupid argument was that?

"I thought you Hexers were smarter than that. Underestimating your enemy is a cardinal sin."

"You don't understand, Ves! Many of us were sure that we possessed an advantage! We worked so hard to manipulate the egos of these leaders behind the scenes!"

Ves chuckled. "Seems like those covert actions haven't managed to tilt the balance in your favor."

She sighed. "You're right. At the moment, the Fridaymen are matching us blow to blow. There are even signs that the Fridaymen are mounting a counteroffensive."

She didn't sound too worried. If the Fridaymen could muster up an attack, the Hexers would surely be able to meet them. While the former turned out to be stronger than she expected, it was impossible for the disparity to be too big.

For now, both sides were fairly even, which meant that attrition warfare continued to reign along the front.

This uncertainty made Gloriana fret. Combined with her mental exhaustion, she no longer felt as optimistic about her side.

Ves placed his palm on her hand. "This is the nature of war, Gloriana. Loss is a very real possibility. Even if we win, the price you've paid is inevitably big."

"I'm not used to contemplating losses." She grimaced. "The Hegemony rarely fails, Ves. We won the initial scramble for territory when the Komodo Star Sector opened up. If our remaining opposition hadn't banded together and formed the Coalition, we would have captured all of the core territories at the beginning! One of the reasons why we launched the war this time is to finish what we started."

"Do you Hexers even realize that you can only throw your weight around in this star sector? If you happen to have any ideas about the Vicious Mountain Star Sector, you Hexers will definitely learn a painful lesson!"

"Hah! Those primitive brutes from Vicious Mountain are next!" Gloriana sneered.

Ves could hardly believe what she said! The Hexers were already having a tought time against the Fridaymen, but they were already plotting to take down the states of a more developed star sector!

"Er.. okay."

"Don't use that tone on me, Ves. We're ambitious, not stupid! Our state will probably have to digest our gains for a century or so before we are ready to consider other matters. In fact, I'm not even sure that conquering Vicious Mountain is still on the agenda."

"Because of Red Ocean, right?"

She nodded. "The Komodo and Vicious Mountain Star Sectors are both barren star sectors in the rim. We can't help it. Our predecessors who founded the Hegemony weren't welcome in other star sectors."

Ves had no trouble believing that. Their weird beliefs and their disdain towards men probably rubbed every sane person the wrong way!

"Human civilization in the Milky Way Galaxy has long been settled." Ves remarked. "There is hardly any unclaimed space in the valuable interior to found a new state. Anyone with the ambition to found a new state can only pick up the crumbs."

"This is why the Red Ocean is so compelling to us. I've been in touch with my fellow friends and acquaintances on Commbook and several of them are very interested in pioneering new ground. The Red Ocean is irresistibly attractive to them because all of the rich and bountiful star sectors are ripe for the picking as long as we get to them first!"

"You sound like you want to join in on the fun." Ves sardonically remarked.

Her eyes turned dreamy for a moment. "Just think about it. Why not be your own king and rule over your own state? You don't have to answer to anyone except the Big Two. Not that it matters since the MTA and CFA have better things to do than boss around a single state. So long as we capture some star systems and fend off our challengers, we can call ourselves sovereigns!"

"That sounds stupid." Ves flatly replied.

He bonked her head with his knuckles, causing her to cry out in indignation!

"What was that for, Ves?!"

"We're mech designers, Gloriana. Why should we be messing around with politics and keep ourselves entangled with matters of state? Our greatest concern should be selling mechs and progressing our design philosophies!"

"I don't see any contradictions between the two. Why can't we found a state and devote a portion of its tax revenue in furthering our research and activities?"

"Because you'll be mixing business with politics. Do you intend to run a megacorporation or something? The amount of political and business entanglements you'll end up with will be too much for you to bear!"

She crossed her arms. "Then let's go for another governance model, then! I always fancied myself as a queen!"

"Absolutely not! Feudal states are too dysfunctional! Just look at the Vesia Kingdom if you want to see how awful they can become!"

"That's because the royal family was too weak to keep its vassals in line. Look at the Sentinel Kingdom instead. Isn't it run by a strong and stable monarchy who managed to grow the state into the most powerful third-rate state in the star sector?"

His lips twitched at this mention. "You've never visited the Sentinel Kingdom. You don't know what it's really like. The Nyxian Gap exerts a much greater influence on Sentinel than you think."

"Then.. what form of state do you actually prefer? A republic like your home state? It sounds boring, though. Calling myself madame president is a lot more boring than calling myself a queen."

Ves bonked her on the head yet again.

"You shouldn't entertain these unrealistic fantasies. Founding a state in the Red Ocean is absolutely not simple, especially when there are countless ambitious groups trying to do the same. We'll have to fend off competitors who originated from many different influences from galactic heartland and galactic center of the Milky Way Galaxy. Their foundation will doubtless be a lot deeper than ours."

"You spoilsport." Gloriana glowered at her insensitive lover. "I thought you were brave and ambitious. Why are you such a coward all of a sudden?"

"I'm only brave when it benefits me to be brave. Do you think that the leaders of second-rate states are the actual movers and shakers of our society? I can guarantee you that the CFA and MTA all treat them as monkeys!"

"What's your point, Ves?"

"If you want to be a true monarch, then work hard to become a Star Designer instead! Only then will you be able to obtain enough power to influence the direction of human civilization! In order to reach this exalted height, we need to devote our full effort in our careers. Any major distraction can be fatal to our ambitions to reach the pinnacle of mech design!"

His words finally managed to penetrate her consciousness. She couldn't offer an effective retort against his argument at this time, especially when her mind wasn't as sharp as before.

"I still want to be called Queen Gloriana of House Wodin-Larkinson." She sulked.

Chapter 1665 Dishonor

Captain Melinda Larkinson gritted her teeth as the empty void of space lit up by a multitude of lasers.

Since no mech was stupid enough to employ lasers against the sandmen, only the enemy utilized this method of attack!

When she took in the overall battle situation, her heart chilled.

Two huge spherical monoliths dauntlessly pressed forward.

If that was it, then the defense force could have bombarded their huge surface areas with impunity.

The problem was that a huge swarm of sandman drones surrounded the monoliths!

An estimated twelve to fifteen sandman admirals led this huge fleet, causing the higher ups to dispatch at least several mech regiments and auxiliary forces to meet this incoming threat!

While the power of so many mechs and starfighters was terrible, the sandmen did not go down without a fight!

Explosive shells and kinetic rounds slammed against the monoliths on a continuous basis.

Compared to the swift and agile sandman drones, the monoliths were so big that it was impossible for a mech to miss their shots!

However, half-a-dozen rods sticking out of the monoliths accumulated energy regardless of how much damage the monolith sustained. Even if a couple of salvos of concentrated fire managed to break one of the rods, the other rods finished their accumulation and discharged a very powerful laser beam that was equivalent in power to warship armament!

No standard mech could ever output so much energy in such a devastating laser beam!

The worst part about the laser beams was that the monoliths didn't waste their awesome firepower on the mechs.

Instead, they targeted the carriers flying in the rear!

Due to the need to resupply exhausted mechs and take in ejected cockpits, the ships couldn't be too far away from the battle.

Each heavy laser beam struck a deep groove in the surfaces of the heavily-armored combat carriers.

While the integrity of the carriers weren't affected, it was not very easy to repair the battle damage!

Due to the scarcity of exotics, the Bright Republic simply couldn't afford to waste so many resources on repairing combat carriers. The best the Mech Corps and the Starfighter Corps could do was fill up the gaps with cheaper and more inferior armor plating.

In such a costly situation, the carriers should have withdrawn further away.

However, due to the accuracy of the lasers against large objects, the distance needed to dodge the heavy laser beams was too unreasonable! A distance of hundreds of thousands of kilometers meant that mechs and starfighters would have to exhaust a lot of energy or waste a lot of time by coasting on a ballistic trajectory in order to intercept the sandman fleet.

In addition, the monoliths did not possess a single mode of attack. If the sandman admirals detected that no ship was in range, the monoliths would immediately retract the large rods and form thousands smaller ones instead to target the small craft!

In such a situation, the casualties among mechs and starfighters would surely grow exponentially worse!

Therefore, the generals in charge of the war theater made the difficult decision to use the combat carriers as bait. Even though repeated exposure to heavy laser strikes would surely consume the combat carriers, they were just ships!

Unless armed with shipboard weapons, the carriers could not stop the sandmen by themselves!

At this moment, ships were valuable, but effective combat units were even more valuable!

As long as the Bright Republic still fielded mechs, it still had hope of winning the war!

As an officer of the Planetary Guard, Melinda knew all of this. She had no choice but to accept this situation despite knowing how big of a price the Bright Republic would have to pay afterwards.

Her modified Desolate Soldier continued to fire its Sandbreaker rifle at one of the monoliths, which rapidly lost a lot of mass due to all of the damage it endured.

However, most of the damage only affected the exterior shells of the monoliths. So long as the center of the huge amalgamations remained untouched, it took far too much effort to destroy the monolith!

That was because all of the sandman admirals hid in the core portion!

"AHH!"

The second-generation starfighters that screened the mechs couldn't handle so much overwhelming firepower! Despite their heavier armor, the sheer amount of sandman drones rapidly ate away at these slower-moving small craft!

This was the downside of targeting the monoliths first. The amount of sandman drones hadn't diminished at all, which meant that their effective combat strength against mechs and starfighters still remained intact!

The strategy adopted by the defense force was very clear. The generals would rather sacrifice the combat carriers and the starfighters in order to preserve as much mechs as possible.

Melinda's heart bled as she saw hundreds of starfighters and their pilots succumbing against the sandman drones in just a single minute!

Fortunately, the designers of the second-generation starfighters managed to improve the ejection system of these fighter models.

Their thicker armor gave the starfighters a longer buffer to eject. The decision to eject had largely been automated. So long as the starfighter detected that it was reaching its limit, it would automatically eject its pilot without any further delay!

As for letting the starfighter pilots decide themselves whether they should eject, that option had been removed in the second generation starfighters.

Too many starfighter pilots would not hesitate to eject immediately as long as their craft suffered a single scratch!

For this reason, the decision to eject had been taken away from their hands, which deeply disconcerted Melinda.

To her, it was one thing to answer the call of duty. It was another thing to be forced into duty!

"Is this really the Bright Republic I know and love?" She whispered to herself.

Though she understood the merits of these decisions, morally she found the desperation exhibited by her home state to be more and more abhorrent.

A part of her would rather see the Bright Republic fall than to let it continue its existence through dishonorable means!

That was what her Larkinson blood and heritage compelled her to think!

She firmly shook her head. "What am I thinking?! There are trillions of innocent lives at stake!"

The Bright Republic may have made a devil's bargain, but it was for a good cause. Hundreds of occupied star systems were in danger of being engulfed if the fighting forces weren't able to block the sandman advance!

When so many innocent lives were at stake, Melinda couldn't bring herself to blame the higher ups for their callous commands.

As Melinda grappled with her morality, Raella was having the time of her life!

"Come on, you bastards! You call yourselves Blood Claws?! Hit harder! Fire faster! Don't think of retreating until your ammunition stores run dry!"

"Yes, Blood Champion!"

Inwardly, she sneered. As one of the premier underground organizations on Bentheim, the Blood Claws never hired incompetents.

Yet those who applied to work for gangs were never the cream of the crop. The fact that she rose up the ranks so quickly was because she was one of the few who received excellent systematic training.

Compared to real Larkinsons, the rank-and-file of the Blood Claws were nothing more than thugs who happened to be a bit better than usual.

If not because her standing in the organization relied on how many subordinates she brought back alive, she would have let them fend for themselves.

As it was, she needed to babysit them every once in a while.

Fortunately, ever since the Blood Claws began to field the Prideful Soldiers en masse, it became a lot easier to compel them to fight!

Different from the solemn, duty-minded glows of the Desolate Soldiers, the Prideful Soldiers instead inspired courage and aggression.

Oh, there were definitely some similarities between the two. However, she vastly preferred the Prideful Soldiers because of the way it got her blood pumping.

Not only her, but every other mech pilot became eager for blood!

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"Hah! This monolith is a sitting duck!"

Though the Blood Claw detachment only contributed a marginal amount of firepower, the intense battle stoked the confidence of every mech pilot under Raella's command!

"Look out!"

Before they knew it, a series of shining projectiles slammed in the cavity that had been dug by countless hits. The extraordinary rounds penetrated even deeper until they exploded in radiant fury!

"The monolith is dead!"

"Hooray!"

Every mech pilot cheered at the fall of the monolith, whether they were mercenaries, soldiers or irregulars.

They knew that the expert pilots had finally made their moves!

Only a few didn't join the cheers. Raella's eyes darkened a bit.

"Some people are born lucky."

While she was already fortunate to possess the right genetic aptitude to pilot mechs, she saw no hope of going further.

No matter how hard she trained, she never experienced any of the signs that foretold that she was close to reaching an expert candidate.

This was one of her hidden regrets. Her fellow cousins like Ghanso and Porellia had become the stars of their generation. They were destined to become the mainstays of the Larkinson Family.

As for an outcast like Raella, she would only be able to live a relatively mundane existence barring anything exceptional taking place.

She knew that mech pilots tended to reach the next stage when stimulated in battle. The more desperate, the greater they drew out their potential!

One of the reasons why she didn't object to fighting the sandmen despite piloting a flimsy Prideful Soldier was because she needed to face the danger head-on! Not even the most challenging mech duels she fought made her feel that death was as close as facing the sandmen!

Instead of feeling fear, her boiling Larkinson blood only made her more daring in the face of a mortal threat!

"Come!" She exuberantly roared! "I'll kill you all before you manage to kill me! This is my promise!"

Though she had missed participating in the most recent Bright-Vesia War, the Sand War had come at a good time for her! She could fight to her heart's content, and be rewarded for her courage!

The second monolith fell soon afterwards. Though the starfighter screen had diminished enormously, most mechs were still intact despite expending more than half of their ammunition reserves. Some mechs had even shot their magazines dry!

Nevertheless, there was enough ammunition left to diminish the sandman swarm! Even as the alien drones started to pick off numerous mechs, their rapidly-declining numbers constantly lessened the rate of casualties among the defenders.

Among the forces wiping out the sandman drones, the Blood Claws under the command of Raella distinguished themselves by exhibiting more bravery than many mercenaries!

One of the big reasons for that was the constant encouragement provided by the glows of their Prideful Soldiers!

Though her unit started to suffer some casualties, Raella completely forgot about her orders to safeguard the lives of her subordinates.

Killing the sandmen came with its own rewards! The Bright Republic awarded rich bounties for every confirmed kill! Otherwise, the private outfits would never fight as vigorously as now!

"Hahahaha! Is that all you got, you pieces of sand?! This isn't enough!"

As Raella became more consumed in slaughtering the sandmen, she began to align herself more with the Prideful Soldier's glow. Her inner pride and her fighting spirit made her more receptive to its glow, resulting in a subtle, unknown interaction.

Though she wasn't the only one to echo with the glow of her mech, she happened to enjoy the strongest feedback from her mech for some reason!

Many light-years away, on a desolate moon-sized rock floating in the Nyxian Gap, a very exceptional-looking tiger mech jerked for a brief moment.

Inside the cockpit, Ryncol Larkinson blanked out for a bit.

"What was that?" He whispered.

The strange sensation had come and gone in an instant. After several minutes of pausing, he shrugged off the incident and resumed sneaking his Devil Tiger up to a hidden pirate base.

Chapter 1666 Willful Contradictions

The intensifying battles raging throughout the Bentheim System couldn't be hidden at all.

Even if the military blocked every news portal from publishing articles and footage of the battles, anyone with a decent telescope could observe the battles without much effort.

They just enjoyed a delayed show due to the time it took for the light of the battle to reach the surface of Bentheim.

The only thing the government could do was to take control of the narrative by taking the initiative.

The controlled media publications each made for a rousing sight. Seeing so many mechs and starfighters acting in unison to crush the sandman fleets in order to protect the Bright Republic stabilized everyone's morale.

Though most average citizens were fooled, those who enjoyed a higher station knew better. As Ves watched yet another sanitized news broadcast, he couldn't help but snort.

"What a clever angle. The starfighters that are getting demolished by droves just happen to be outside of the frame."

He knew that while the introduction of the second generation starfighters reduced the rate of casualties, the increased aggression of the sandmen largely offset these gains!

In the end, the second generation starfighters lasted just as long in battle as the first generation starfighters.

The only real improvement the later models provided was that they carried over a lot of improvements to the ejection system. As long as the starfighter pilot managed to eject their cockpits in time, they still had a chance of fighting another day.

The Bright Republic didn't care about the consumption of starfighters. As long as they won the battle, a huge salvaging fleet would always arrive at the floating battle site and salvage as many broken frames and parts as possible.

The recycling rate of lost machines reached as high as seventy percent!

As for their pilots, though the Starfighter Corps didn't necessarily care too much about their lives, it couldn't afford to be seen as callous. If the second generation starfighter models didn't add some extra precautions, it would have been impossible to keep the starfighter pilots mollified!

As Ves caught up with the morning news, Raymond entered his office and walked up to his desk. "The government isn't very happy with you, Ves. The officials I've been in touch with have expressed a lot of misgivings about your recent decisions. They can't guarantee your safety if you insist on remaining in this star system."

Ves waved his hand towards the projected battle footage. "I don't think Bentheim is any safer."

"You don't necessarily have to go there. It's acceptable to the government if you reside on another well-protected planet. If you ask me, staying at Rittersberg is pretty nice. As the capital of our state, its security is just as good as Bentheim!"

"My answer remains the same." Ves looked up to Raymond and sensed that the old man was uncomfortable. "Why are you agreeing with the government in the first place?"

Raymond blinked in confusion. "We are Brighters. We are the servants of the state."

"Ah. I see what is going on now. Please take a seat."

When the Larkinson elder sat down, Ves shut off the broadcast and steepled his fingers on his desk.

"Tell me, Raymond, where do your loyalties lie?"

"You, of course. Formally, I work for the LMC, but since you are effectively in control of the company, I essentially work for you. Since you are the key to the Larkinson Family's increasing prosperity, I have always looked after your interests first."

Whether that was true or not, Ves wasn't sure.

Ever since Raymond assumed his leadership position, Ves discovered that this Larkinson elder was rather glib.

"I already refused the government's entreaties. Why do you insist on changing my mind? The reason why I fired your predecessor in the first place was because he forgot who he should answer to! Have you forgotten this lesson?"

The severity of the situation finally dawned on Raymond. "My apologies, Ves! It's not my intention to betray you! It's just that I fail to understand why you refuse to head for safety. Cloudy Curtain is far too vulnerable against a determined sandman incursion. The Light Hounds that are currently scouring the local asteroid belt for hiding sandmen won't be here forever. Once they're gone, we can only rely on a couple of hundreds mechs and first generation starfighters to protect your life!"

Ves shook his head. "You're overstating the threat. Aside from a single anomaly, the sandmen fail to pose a threat to me. If worse comes to worst, I'll just hop in the Barracuda and depart with haste."

"Your corvette doesn't fit many people. What about your family and your workers? Don't forget that hundreds of relatives of ours have moved here in order to pursue new opportunities. As the principal reason why they are here, you're responsible for their safety!"

"If they want to scurry back to Rittersberg or Bentheim, be my guest." Ves defiantly crossed his arms. "The LMC has recently expanded its branch office and built some more manufacturing complexes in Bentheim, right? I don't object to sending some Larkinsons there in order to hold the fort."

"Thank you for that, Ves." Raymond subsided a bit. He had received a lot of requests to move out of Cloudy Curtain. "I'll take care of this matter in person. However, you're much more important than those ordinary Larkinsons. Why must you be so stubborn? Is the government really that bad?"

Ves sighed. Raymond was a typical Larkinson who always looked up to the state. It was not a surprise that he put a lot of trust in the government.

"Raymond, let me make one thing clear. Just because I'm a Brighter doesn't mean that I should trust the government unconditionally. I'd be dead or much worse off if that was the case! When you play the game at this level, you need to remain vigilant. I shouldn't remind you that the government is not a single, unified entity, but a collection of interests who exert a varying amount of influence on its branches."

The COO frowned. "I understand what you are getting at, but you are taking your suspicions too far. The Bright Republic is not a banana republic! The law reigns supreme here. No one is allowed to abuse official authority for their own gains!"

This time, Ves boldly laughed. "My personal experiences say otherwise! I won't explain them to you, since I'm not allowed to bring some of it to light, but trust me. I have enemies in the Bright Republic. Powerful enemies. They won't hesitate to remove me from the picture in order to protect their own interests. Since my foundation is far more shallow than theirs, it doesn't make any sense for me to relocate to their home ground. Cloudy Curtain may be much less developed than Bentheim, but it has always been my stomping ground!"

Through the influence of the LMC and the Larkinson Family, Ves enjoyed a supreme amount of influence at his home planet. The amount of soft power in his hands allowed him to get away with anything and prevent outsiders from hijacking the local administration.

The same could not be said if he moved to the extremely complicated political and economic landscape of Bentheim.

After explaining some of his concerns, Ves finally managed to make Raymond understand his reasoning.

"I.. I'm not sure what to think of this, Ves. To be honest, I never regarded the government as an adversary."

"That's because running the Larkinson Trust Fund for all those years hasn't exposed you to this level of contradictions yet. Now that you are in charge of running the LMC, you need to be a lot more cautious about these matters."

It would probably take some time for Raymond to adjust his mindset. After all, the Larkinson Family always placed a very strong emphasis on serving the Republic. Whether they were norms or potentates, every Larkinson must respect the state.

Only the most crooked Larkinsons like Ves managed to break this suffocating compulsion.

If Ves was in charge of the Larkinson Family, he would have changed its orientation to serving their own interests.

In his eyes, since the standing of the Larkinsons hadn't improved after centuries of loyal service, it did not make any sense to work yourself to the bone in order to please the Republic!

"The Larkinsons have already sacrificed too much for the Republic." He couldn't help but say. "The state doesn't need our assistance."

"That's.. a bold opinion, Ves. I'm not sure it will be popular with the rest of the family. Our entire identity revolves around service. The rewards we have gained aren't as meager as you think. We have managed to build up a supremely honorable reputation. Each Larkinson can expect to enjoy generous treatment due to the sacrifices made by our family."

"I understand that, but is that the extent of our ambitions?" Ves retorted. "Honor isn't something that can make you rich. I can't make myself live longer by relying solely on a stellar reputation."

His opinions directly clashed against the values that Raymond had taken for granted for his entire life. If not for the importance of Ves to the family, the elder would have already objected to what he heard!

"You're not making this easy for us. Many Larkinsons won't support you as much anymore if they hear your stance."

Ves confidently smiled. "Let them think whatever they want. I never insisted on their support to begin with. I need people by my side who support me wholeheartedly."

"Loyalty to you isn't necessarily contradictory to loyalty to the state, Ves. You are demanding too much from your subordinates. Real people don't behave the way you want them to. Many Brighters are proud of their state. It forms a core part of their identity."

"I know that, Raymond. I don't begrudge them for holding multiple loyalties. The only thing I'm asking for is that those who want to work for me must put my interests above the interests of everyone else. If they don't have the will or guts to resist the demands of the government when it harms my interests, then they should just go!"

The discovery of so many spies and double-dealing informers impacted Ves quite a lot.

Though his stance on the matter was quite unreasonable to many people, Ves simply didn't care about their objections.

He wanted to form an organization that he could trust. How could he do that when his subordinates were susceptible to other influences?

Even if the state could depend on its laws and its official authority to get its way, Ves wouldn't hesitate to resist if his interests were harmed!

His opinions impacted Raymond quite a lot. Though the new COO already had a taste of it, Ves had made his stance very clear today!

"I'll take your words under consideration." Raymond said. "I will do my best to abide by your instructions. I'll pay more attention to our interactions with the government in the future."

"I expect nothing less."

"There will be trouble, though. The voices calling you to head to Bentheim are mostly well-meaning. For you to reject their good intentions can be seen as a slight."

"I know that, but that doesn't change my mind, you know."

"It's just that I can't predict what they will decide next."

As Raymond left the office, Ves did not show any concern at all. So long as Gloriana served as his shield, the state couldn't force him to do anything against his will.

After taking care of his morning business, he descended to the design lab and convened his entire design team.

With the departure of Ketis and the temporary absence of Gloriana, only the five Tovar mech designers remained.

The lab felt a lot more emptier now that the two lively women were gone.

Ves shook his head and focused on his current priorities. "The first iteration of the Adonis Colossus is almost ready for testing. Let's make sure to complete it by the end of the day!"

Chapter 1667 Executor Rifle

No matter how many fires burned in the Bright Republic, work never ceased.

Ves detested getting tangled in the recent problems that popped up. He would much rather lock himself up in his design lab and engage in his true passion, which was designing mechs!

Though Gloriana was still capable of contributing to the projects, she still wanted to take some time off to adjust to her mentally exhausted state.

That made his time at the design lab a lot more drab and lifeless. Ves had become so accustomed to collaborating with his girlfriend that her abrupt absence made him feel as if he was missing a limb.

In his recent period interactions with Raymond, the Larkinson elder behaved a lot more reticent in his presence.

Ves sensed that Raymond was quite conflicted by what he heard.

Nonetheless, Ves knew that the elder was already inclined towards him. It was just that Raymond never took into account that the contradictions between his superior and the state could reach such a serious level.

Even now, Raymond still didn't understand why Ves adopted such a serious stance.

This was also why Ves paid less attention to other affairs and put his full effort into completing his projects.

Though the Deliverer was still a few weeks away from completion, he managed to complete the first iteration of the Adonis Colossus design without any further delay.

While Gloriana hadn't visited the design lab recently, Ves made sure to keep her in the loop. Though she hadn't offered a lot of suggestions, she still pointed out some minor issues that Ves had overlooked.

Despite her low period, she was still a competent mech designer.

Ves also showed off their latest progress by paying a visit to Vincent, who decided to wait for his new mech in Freslin instead of returning to Bentheim.

When Vincent observed his mech, he made a very pleased sound.

"Hahahaha! What a great-looking mech!" He laughed. "With this mech, no sandman will be able to stand against me! The women will love me! Just look at this classy codpiece!"

Ves suppressed the urge to grimace. "Do you have any objections to our design?"

"Uh, now that I think about it, does this mech come with your characteristic glow?"

"Yes. The Adonis Colossus comes with a unique glow that is exclusive to your mech. This is our guarantee."

This was one of the ways in which Ves and Gloriana decided to stand out in the market. The spiritual components that made his mechs so remarkable must be turned into one of their main selling points.

For custom mechs, this was even more important, especially if the glow was one-of-a-kind!

Though Ves personally thought it was extravagant for him to give Vincent this service, it would lay the foundation for future commissions.

As long as this feature became their trademark, Ves and Gloriana could charge a much higher premium for their services!

Vincent nodded in satisfaction. Even though Ves hadn't infused the design with Bravo yet, the mech already carried a distinctly notable spiritual foundation.

While it was not enough for an average mech pilot like Vincent to sense its presence, he nonetheless felt a lot more intimate towards the design. Any minor demands he ordinarily wanted to express died in his throat as the Adonis Colossus possessed an indescribable charm in his eyes.

It was as if he was looking at himself in the mirror!

His client's behavior didn't escape Ves' attention. He deliberately aimed to charm Vincent from the start in order to prevent him from voicing annoying demands such as increasing the size of the codpiece.

Right now, the protective piece that Ves had unavoidably coated with a dazzling golden color could still moonlight as an extra-large belt or something. This plausible deniability was very important to him in preserving his reputation in the mech community!

"Make sure to deliver this mech as fast as possible." Vincent demanded after he regained his senses. He dramatically waved his arms! "The Bright Republic is in serious danger! Bentheim is under constant siege! As a valiant mech pilot, I must do what I can to protect my home! The sooner I obtain this mech, the sooner I can save the Republic!"

Ves did his best not to roll his eyes. One of the reasons why he carefully controlled his conduct was because of the media crew recording this meeting.

Most clients would never want to expose the designs of their mech commissions. Showing off the schematics of his upcoming mech would give his enemies a deep understanding of its shortcomings.

However, it appeared that Vincent missed this lesson or did not feel the need to hide his strength.

At the very least, Vincent shouldn't suffer from any repercussions as long as he fought against the sandmen. The aliens never took any notice in identifying and exploiting the weaknesses of mechs. Perhaps to them, every mech was just a flying block of metal that they needed to destroy in order to advance towards their goals.

Ves departed as quickly as possible after Vincent approved of the current design.

Even if subsequent iterations of the design incorporated some tweaks, he did not expect any major changes.

"The Adonis Colossus design is essentially finished." He concluded.

That lifted a weight off his shoulders. While it was his first design of the new generation, Ves did not take much pride in designing it. His distaste towards Vincent had never abated. He merely wanted to abide by his principles and complete the commission without any fuss.

"Now, I can turn to something much more fun." He smiled.

When he returned to the design lab, he arranged his design team to carry out the last phases of the design process of the Adonis Colossus.

Since the Tovars already became accustomed to these duties, Ves did not have to supervise their work as much anymore.

This gave Ves enough grounds to turn his attention to his current passion project. He sat down behind a terminal and pulled up the design files for the Deliverer.

"What a beauty."

While the Deliverer design still exhibited a lot of missing parts, the general shape and purpose of the mech already became clear.

The relatively sturdy frame provided a lot of mass to stabilize the aim of the marksman mech.

Ves added quite a bit of auxiliary components that facilitated the primary role of the mech. Various sensor and targeting systems allowed the mech pilot to snipe distant targets even without the assistance of the Deliverer's glow.

"Too bad it will only reach its potential in the hands of an Ylvainan." He sighed.

All of the extra gizmos provided a substantial amount of support to any mech pilot. However, the iconography and other decorative elements made it clear that the Deliverer was not a neutral design.

As Ves immersed himself deeper into his work, he paid particular attention to its primary armament.

The Executor was a gauss rifle that offered the highest muzzle velocity out of all of the options available to him. While it fired smaller projectiles than other modules, its higher muzzle velocity imparted a lot more energy to them, causing them to inflict just as much damage as larger but slower-moving projectiles.

Not only was the Executor a lot more accurate at longer ranges, Ves could also fit more rounds inside the internal storage spaces of the Deliverer.

"It's too bad this rifle is a huge energy hog."

The reason why a third-rate state like the Bright Republic mostly relied on ballistic rifles to inflict physical damage was because they were much less fussy.

Gauss rifles hit hard and fast, that was true. However, they also demanded a lot more. Not only were they more complex, they also relied on strong exotics to endure all of the forces it generated.

A single shot from the Executor was powerful enough to crack the armor of any standard mech! Even premium mechs such as the Blackbeak weren't able to resist repeated attacks!

Though many gauss rifles inflicted more damage per shot, that was not what the Deliverer required.

As long as the Executor possessed enough power to take out a sandman drone, that was enough. Ves did not mind if the excess power of these shots went to waste, as he didn't know if the sandmen would toughen up their sandman drones in the future.

Though the Executor was very difficult to work with, they still shared many common points with ballistic rifles. This gave him the confidence to modify the Executor's design in order to fit his needs.

Though he made plenty of errors, Ves managed to increase the aspects he wanted by making some clever and expensive tradeoffs.

"What matters the most isn't necessarily power or muzzle velocity." Ves muttered. "It's accuracy. The rifle must hit exactly where a trained marksman mech pilot intends to hit!"

The skills imparted by the System made it very clear that increasing a mech's accuracy became exponentially more difficult the higher it became.

It didn't take too much effort to make a ranged mech be able to fire a stationary target a few kilometers away with 100 percent accuracy.

Yet what if the distance was 100 kilometers? This was the upper bound that Ves expected his Deliverer to be effective in assassinating sandman admirals.

Realistically, ensuring adequate accuracy at 50 kilometers was already a significant challenge.

While this demand was easier to fulfill because there were less variables acting on the projectile, a gauss rifle was never perfectly accurate.

In order to improve accuracy beyond the point where most mech designers would have been satisfied already, Ves performed multiple adjustments on the Executor and the frame of his design.

Ves altered the front shoulder and other nearby parts to allow for the Deliverer to brace its stock as seamlessly as possible.

He strengthened the rifle body and upgraded some of the lesser materials in order to increase the rifle's reliability after lengthy use.

The huge gauss rifle became a more potent-looking weapon after Ves finished his adjustments. The rifle was so huge and massive that it offered a lot of opportunities to tweak its properties.

"Once my Deliverers debut on the battlefield, they'll surely make a lasting impression!

However, before he could achieve this result, he had to make sure the Deliverer meshed well with its design spirit.

Due to the Deliverer's high dependence on Ylvaine's spiritual fragment, Ves frequently connected to it in order to increase its familiarity with the design and its properties.

Sometimes, the spiritual fragment communicated some objections or some alternatives to Ves.

He never followed the fragment's suggestions right away. He always considered their merits first before making his own decision.

"As far as I know, your source doesn't know a thing about mechs. I have my own ideas about my work!"

Before, Ves would have accepted the suggestion of his design spirits, but now that he became more capable, he no longer needed to appease so much to them. If his design spirits disagreed, then they would just have to swallow their objections.

The power dynamic between Ves and his design spirits was very interesting. So far, their relationships were mostly mutually beneficial.

The design spirits subsided from the spiritual feedback of his products, while the design spirits lent their strength in return.

Of all the design spirits he utilized, Ves always felt he could go further with Ylvaine's spiritual fragment. It was the most cooperative design spirit out of what he had, and its undeniable human origin made it a lot more capable of advanced cooperation than his young and artificial spiritual products.

As Ves continued to tweak the design of the Executor rifle, a bright idea suddenly came to his mind. He wanted to do something similar to what he did to the Devil Tiger, but not as obvious.

He instantly sent a query to Ylvaine's spiritual fragment.

"What if I give you a bit more control over the mech? If you want, I can allow you to do more than nudge the aim of the mech pilot."

The spiritual fragment already transmitted its assent!

Chapter 1668 Karaton Dwigh

The Common Fleet Alliance emerged in the twilight of the Age of Conquest.

The events surrounding its initial formation weren't entirely clear. In a time where warfleets reigned supreme by virtue of their destructive potential, hardly any admiral restrained themselves.

The reckless genetic modification and human augmentation turned many ambitious humans into greedy monsters.

The higher their positions, the worse these negative traits became.

Those who wished to climb higher needed to become more capable than their peers, and the easiest way to distinguish themselves was to upgrade their abilities.

In such a time where selfishness became ubiquitous, no one could have imagined that a number of admirals returned to sanity.

Not only did the admirals and their closest supporters stop their descent into degeneration, they also managed to get in touch with each other.

The nations they used to serve possessed complex or hostile relations with each other. The warfleets should have fought or avoided each other. For two or more unaffiliated warfleets to converge in a single star system was unimaginable at the time!

Yet converge they did.

In a legendary act of nobility, the admirals forswore their prior allegiances and private ambitions and banded together to form a new and unprecedented alliance.

The Common Fleet Alliance was born.

Though its name sounded boring, it encapsulated the main principles of the new organization.

It was called this way because it bound multiple warfleets and other powers to a single, common cause. The alliance would never dedicate itself to serving a single star empire no matter how great they may be at the time!

Not even the Terrans and Rubarthans impressed the Fleeters, as they came to be called

This was because the cause they fought for transcended the interests of the Greater Terran United Confederation and the New Rubarth Empire.

While these two star empires dominated human civilization during the Age of Conquest, they had not been able to stop the genocides and mass destruction taking place throughout human space.

In fact, their leaders enthusiastically took part in these acts of madness!

In the eyes of the Common Fleet Alliance, the Terrans and Rubarthans completely failed to discharge their responsibilities as the foremost powers of the human race.

A new power must come onto the stage and take over the role the self-consumed Terrans and Rubarthans abandoned.

Thus, the Common Fleet Alliance swept over human space.

During that time, every warfleet was a sovereign empire on the move. Very rarely did admirals agree to pool their strengths together. They were far too suspicious and constantly posed a threat to their 'allies' due to their limitless ambitions!

Even admirals who nominally served the same star nations might open fire against each other's fleets in an attempt to gain complete dominion!

Therefore, the main trend at the time was for warfleets to avoid each other. In any case, there were plenty of planets and star systems for them to plunder. The raiding admirals had no need to risk their most precious war assets!

Under these circumstances, the Common Fleet Alliance thrived. The enlightened admirals did not hesitate to group several warfleets together and take advantage of their superior numbers to destroy or force the surrender of many isolated warfleets.

Through these early successes, the CFA managed to build up an unstoppable momentum and swept over every other resisting nation or warfleet!

Eventually, the Age of Conquest ended and the Age of Mechs commenced.

In order to avoid the ravages that had taken place in the past, the CFA and MTA decided that human civilization had to be run in a different way.

No longer should star nations war against themselves to the point of annihilating each other.

No longer should anyone in control of the mightiest weapons of humanity be allowed to go on a power trip.

No longer must humanity be divided to the point where their external alien enemies saw hope of launching a counterattack!

The Big Two, taking advantage of their supreme power over human space, enacted a new order.

Humanity no longer divided themselves by star nations. The Big Two coerced great entities such as the Terran Confederation to vacate a portion of their sovereignty and devolve into states.

While states were still allowed to run their internal affairs as they saw fit, they were no longer able to discharge some responsibilities.

For example, the newly-formed states were not expected to defend humanity against alien threats after being robbed of their warfleets.

However, the states couldn't be left defenseless either. The CFA therefore stepped up to the plate and pledged to defend human civilization against every external enemy!

The idea sounded noble. By letting a powerful but ostensibly neutral naval organization take charge of defending humanity, no state would be able to abuse their power for destructive ends ever again.

Without warships, it was impossible for the first-rate superstates to wipe out the entire human race with their diminished strength!

Of course, plenty of concerns welled up about the new alliance that concentrated much of humanity's war-making potential.

How could the abuses of the past be prevented?

How could the CFA prevent ambitious naval officers from taking advantage of their positions of powers to pursue their own interests to the detriment of everyone else?

Various means emerged to constrain the CFA.

First, the MTA rose in power to match the CFA and keep them in check. While the MTA and CFA shared the same goal of guarding humanity, their many contradictions ensured that they would always have to act with scruples.

If any of the Big Two ever went out of control, the many states of human civilization would place their full support behind the trans-galactic organization that still stood on their side!

With such a potent threat looming over their heads, neither the CFA nor MTA dared to behave in a way that attracted the common hatred of states.

Second, the CFA extensively reformed and unified its naval culture.

Whereas the MTA emerged as a new organization that was completely free of the shackles of the past, the CFA partially bore the sins of their predecessors.

Every founding admiral and their subordinates had a lot of blood on their hands.

This guilt hung over the heads of the Fleeters and stigmatized them from the rest of humanity who developed an intense fear towards anything related to warships.

Whether deliberate or not, the CFA withdrew from the spotlight and began to isolate itself from the rest of human society.

The CFA must wash away the sins of its predecessors by guarding the human race. This was the guiding mission that sustained the organization to this day.

To staff its warships, the CFA increasingly turned to the true spaceborn clans that lived a nomadic life in space.

Unlike the humans who grew up in one of the many states, the spaceborn were much more adapted to become Fleeters.

The true spaceborn were not only born spacers, but also possessed a much higher perspective. The petty conflicts that consumed the attention of the states for centuries were nothing but playground spats to the true spaceborn.

Only the most noble spacers were qualified to become Fleeters.

While there were plenty of complaints from the states that the CFA was becoming increasingly detached from human society, the Fleeters didn't care.

Let the MTA babysit the squabbling humans.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Zonrad Reze comfortably sat behind his desk in his stateroom aboard the Karaton Dwight, a majestic Villard-class battleship.

As the flagship of the 3rd Archangel Frontier Battle Group, the Karaton Dwight was one of the most powerful warships assigned to the Komodo Star Sector and surroundings.

Ship design hadn't changed much over the years. Though the underlying technologies had changed or improved, a flag captain from the Age of Conquest would still be able to command a modern battleship without too much adjustment.

Of course, with the superhuman cognitive abilities of any senior officer, such a rapid adaptation was to be expected.

The officers of the Common Fleet Alliance were just as capable if not more than the impulsive naval officers of the past.

However, the difference was that their genes still remained human. The CFA's state-of-the-art genetic optimization treatments largely eschewed direct alien gene transplantation in order to avoid undesirable side effects.

Though the officers of the CFA no longer went mad on a massive scale, the extreme degree of competitiveness in the ranks still remained.

This was the reason why Zonrad was furrowing his brows while he held a conversation with a fellow member of the Novilon Clan through a physical projection.

"I'm nearing forty-six years old." He spoke in a dignified accent unique to his clan. "While I expected my promotion opportunities to be few and far in between, I'm nearing the end of my rope."

A more mature man sat on the opposite side of the desk. Though he was only present as a physical projection, the demeanor he exuded was vastly more substantial.

"You have no one but yourself to blame, Zonrad. I warned you that the command trajectory is the most difficult to promote yourself. How many years has it been since you have been commissioned?"

"More than two decades."

"And where has that brought you? I'm only five years older than you but I'm already a lieutenant commander!"

Zonrad sneered. "You're just a logistics officer who is good with managing supplies. You've never been stationed on a warship. Do you think I can make my clan proud by taking charge of a small supply depot in the Komodo Star Sector?"

Lieutenant Commander Victor Manta took no offense at Zonrad's tone.

"Look down on me all you want, but my future is bright, especially since I'm eligible to receive further optimization treatments. As long as you live long enough, you will slowly have more opportunities to rise up the ranks!"

Though Zonrad could easily live up to 150 years or so, it would be hard to extend his life any further without assistance from the CFA or his clan.

However, neither of them were in the habit of wasting expensive treatments on inconsequential officers.

Zonrad knew this. He also knew that his capabilities were only so-so compared to his fellow officers aboard the Karaton Dwight.

He raised his finger in a distinctive gesture, causing their comm call to pause.

"Monodwell, please display my current status."

The powerful super AI in charge of running most of the systems of Karaton Dwight responded instantly.

[Status]

Lieutenant Junior Grade Zonrad Reze

Novilon Spaceborn Clan

45 years old

...

Assignment

Komodo Naval Fleet

3rd Archangel Frontier Battle Group

Villard-class battleship Karaton Dwight

Auxiliary Gunnery Department

...

Decision Making: 1.3

Memory: 2.1

Perception: 1.6

Problem Solving: 1.4

...

Evaluation: A low potential officer who has been assigned to the Karaton Dwight through connections rather than on his own merits.

Zonrad's face soured. "Monodwell. I've trained so hard to raise my problem solving and decision-making skills. I've even switched my implant to a smart decision aid! Why are my scores still so low!?"

[A fair and independent assessment has been made of your abilities, Lieutenant Reze. Your performance in tests and simulations do not reflect your actual competence. If you have any objections to your assessment, please submit the required CFA merits to request the mediation of an independent human officer.

Please keep in mind that you will be subject to severe punishment if your objections are groundless.]

The junior officer cursed under his breath. Though he believed that he was much more capable due to his storied lineage, he did not have the courage to incur any demerits should he waste the time of a superior officer.

Such actions ruined the careers of many of his fellow CFA officers!

Though Zonrad wanted to argue with Monodwell some more, he reluctantly swallowed his frustrations.

As an inhuman, impartial super AI, Monodwell never sided with any human! Not even the admiral in charge of the Archangel Group had the power to override some of Monodwell's decisions!

Chapter 1669 Independent Evaluation System

The Common Fleet Alliance adopted the Independent Evaluation System around two-hundred years ago.

Before this time, every naval fleet, group or individual warship interpreted the evaluation standards differently.

Perhaps one naval captain prized learning ability over motor coordination.

Bookish Fleeters gained merits more easily than those who were able to manipulate instruments better.

Perhaps one admiral wanted his subordinates to be more cautious and conservative in their decision making.

In that case, those who were brave and more willing to take risks did not have a good time in this admiral's fleet!

Over time, the differences between different naval units became more pronounced for that reason. While diversity was not necessarily a bad thing, the Common Fleet Alliance abhorred uncontrolled deviations.

The CFA always placed a very high emphasis on standardization!

With the inherent mobility of most CFA assets, many officers and vessels frequently shuffled around the galaxy.

Perhaps an officer would spend thirty years in the galactic center, only to be reassigned to the galactic heartland for the next forty years.

Under these circumstances, a CFA warship stationed at one side of the galaxy should be able to seamlessly integrate in a warfleet patrolling the other side of the galaxy!

This became increasingly more difficult as different naval fleets began to adopt increasingly-strange standards and subcultures.

Due to the vastness of the galaxy, it was very hard to maintain a single identity across the entire organization. Some fracturing and splintering was inevitable.

That did not mean the CFA wanted this trend to continue. Otherwise, the CFA might become outwardly strong but inwardly weak, just like the divided states it protected!

This was why the smartest minds and the most senior admirals came together to enact the Independent Evaluation System around two-hundred years ago.

The IES aimed to address two distinct problems.

First, it aimed to address the increasing divergence of recruitment and promotion criteria. Researchers and officers spent decades to perfect a single, universal set of evaluation standards.

While promotion opportunities still depended on the judgement of superior officers, the evaluation given by the super intelligences that ran the IES possessed a lot of weight!

If the human officers tasked with recommending someone for promotion disregarded the IES too often, then their impartiality would come into question!

In that case, their own evaluations would sink, thereby impacting their own promotion opportunities!

This was the second problem the IES aimed to solve. The rampant nepotism displayed by officers throughout the CFA stifled the opportunities of countless promising officers.

Bootlickers, sycophants and those born in high positions within their clans gained opportunities they didn't necessarily deserve.

The talents who possessed a lot of promise undeservedly languished at the bottom of the totem pole for their entire careers.

This widespread pattern of behavior was self-defeating, and most of the leaders of the CFA knew it. Many of these distinguished figures had lived through the formation of the CFA and did not wish to see their organization degenerate into a paper tiger!

It was one thing if the CFA grew lazy along with all of its other rivals and enemies. It was another thing to grow lazy while the MTA became increasingly more vigorous due to its high ambitions!

The MTA still had a lot to prove! This young organization never slacked off and never allowed its Mechers to accept incompetence!

Seeing that the MTA ran their warfleets better than the CFA, all of the distinguished naval admirals were ashamed!

The introduction of the IES managed to reverse the CFA's downward trend. Every Fleeter became convinced by the impartiality of the IES, and promotion opportunities were given to the capable instead of those who only excelled in ingratiating themselves to their superior officers.

That gaze Zonrad very little to work with. As a distinguished member of the Novilon Spaceborn Clan, he should have enjoyed the appreciation of his superiors.

Admiral Adolphus Teyrach, who commanded the Archangel Battle Group, was a trueblood elder of the Novilon Clan!

Even if the great admiral had no reason to pay attention to a trivial lieutenant like Zonrad, he thought that the members of the Novilon Clan should have received more advantages!

This was why he exerted all of his connections and favors in order to obtain a position on the Karaton Dwight!

Every battleship was a treasure of human civilization! To be stationed aboard a battleship was a supreme honor. Even a minor position conveyed a lot of honor!

Yet to those who hungered after something more, remaining stuck as a mere lieutenant junior grade after several decades of continued service was a tragedy!

How could Zonrad Reze lift his head high when he met with his fellow clansmen?

Even his fellow clansman Victor began to show some distance. Zonrad and Victor used to be as thick as thieves, yet after the latter was promoted to lieutenant commander, their relationship shifted.

When Zonrad dismissed his Status page, he gestured with his fingers to resume the comm call.

"Sorry about that, Victor. I wanted to see if my Status had changed."

The lieutenant commander scowled. "It's because of actions like this that you haven't managed to climb up. If I wasn't your old buddy, I would have ripped into you without mercy! In fact, I don't even need to! Monodwell is probably revising its judgement of you as we speak!"

"Monodwell shouldn't care about my conduct when I'm off-duty." Conrad flicked his hand in dismissal. "Anyway, can you do anything to help me gain an opportunity to prove myself?"

"Only you can help yourself at this point. No amount of influence from our clan and your personal connections can help."

"Please, Victor!" Zonrad became desperate! "You're in charge of a base, right? Can't you request me to transfer under your command? I'm willing to switch my trajectory and serve under you if that's what it takes to become a senior officer!"

Aside from the higher status and increased longevity that senior officers enjoyed, Zonrad wanted more!

He wanted to become like Admiral Adolphus Teyrach who led an entire battle group!

The admiral not only commanded a powerful battleship, but also numerous escorts whose firepower and other functions shouldn't be underestimated!

With his enhanced cognitive abilities and proven judgement, Victor easily read what Zonrad was thinking.

"I told you that you were a fool to think that you can follow in Admiral Teyrach's footsteps!"

"As long as Novilon blood flows through my veins, I am destined to become great!" Zonrad retorted.

The pride in his bones welled up to enhance his stature!

Too bad Victor already saw through Zonrad's vain exterior.

"I've supported you for so many years. I've even granted some minor favors to you that were in my power to give, but you've squandered them all. At this point, I would rather devote my attention to a promising newblood than a trueblood who hasn't managed to stand out for so long!"

The comm call ended without another word, causing Zonrad to be perplexed.

"Victor? Where did you go!? Don't you dare end our call like that!"

He quickly reined in his temper. Though Zonrad disliked what he heard from his friend, he couldn't entirely discount them. Monodwell was watching and listening in on everything. That was the reality of serving in the CFA.

The moment a Fleeter wore the dark blue uniform of the service, they became a cog in a machine. Though they were still humans, they had to dedicate their lives for the betterment of the Alliance.

Zonrad glowered and flitted his hands over the interface of his desk terminal. He called up some of the internal CFA notices on the recently-unveiled invasion of the Red Ocean Dwarf Galaxy.

Junior officers like Zonrad were just in the dark as the rest of the galaxy about the invasion. He only learned about it a few days before the MTA announced the news!

"Red Ocean.." Zonrad greedily huffed. "The Milky Way is too quiet! Only the Red Ocean can propel my career!"

No matter how poorly Monodwell judged his performance, as long as he showed his bravery at the frontlines at the Red Ocean, he would surely be able to prove his valor in combat!

At the very least, Zonrad would be able to make something of himself after earning a lot of merits!

Instead, Zonrad was stuck in the Archangel Battle Group, which mainly patrolled the borders of the Komodo Star Sector.

Although the Archangel Battle Group was on a mission, there was hardly any honor in squashing a weak race like the sandmen.

For several months, the Archangel Battle Group had split up into smaller units in order to sweep across the star systems occupied by the sandman race.

Not a single sandman managed to pose a threat to the mighty warships of the CFA.

A small destroyer possessed enough firepower to scour all life on the surface of a planet.

A heavy cruiser already possessed the potential to crack a planet into pieces!

It was too wasteful to let a lumbering battleship like the Karaton Dwight participate in the extermination of the sandmen.

That essentially meant that an officer of the Auxiliary Gunnery Department hadn't gained a single opportunity to exercise his ability in action!

However, another opportunity knocked at his door.

A few days later, an alarm rang throughout the Karaton Dwight.

"Man your stations!"

Everyone knew what was about to happen. Zonrad and the other Fleeters calmly but briskly moved to their stations and readied themselves for battle.

Even though the sandmen never exhibited any meaningful resistance, no one was allowed to slack off aboard the Karaton Dwight!

A few hours went by. Though Zonrad ordinarily became distracted at this time, he didn't dare to loosen up today.

He marched along the banks of terminals manned by the gunners under his command.

His unit was only responsible for a small number of secondary positron beam turrets situated on the starboard side of the Karaton Dwight.

That was still enough power to wipe out an entire metropolis with a single press of a button!

Of course, Monodwell would never allow someone to fire a battleship armament without instructions from above.

Every modern CFA warship was run by both humans and AIs. The latter had become increasingly more interconnected in the systems of a warship.

In fact, the bigger the class, the greater the degree of automation. A huge battleship that spanned for many kilometers could never be run by humans alone! AI assistance was a necessity in order to keep its performance optimal!

This was why humans like Lieutenant Zonrad Reze were still necessary. The control of weapons was one of the more sensitive responsibilities.

How someone with questionable judgement like Zonrad managed to become in charge of a couple of positron beam turrets was a mystery.

While Zonrad tried to make himself appear as attentive as possible, in space the Karaton Dwight and a dozen escorts of varying sizes and ship classes lay in wait.

A few minutes later, something finally changed.

A portion of space began to shimmer and flicker. Space itself started to bend and tear as a portal emerged out of nothing!

This portal started off small, but began to balloon in size! The circular portal kept widening until its mouth was enough to engulf the Karaton Dwight with plenty of room left to spare!

A number of probes that lay in position began to move through the portal first. After a few minutes, the probes returned and transmitted the actual situation on the other side.

No ambush lay in wait.

After verifying this, the ships moved forward. The escort ships took the lead and entered the portal first. The larger ships followed afterwards, with the Karaton Dwight entering last!

At the other side of the portal, the mighty battleship announced its presence to the entire star system upon emergence!

A powerful superluminous scan pulsed from the battleship! A lot of sensory data poured into the battleship, causing it to form a very detailed picture of their new location!

Among the various satellites and other objects in space, one planet orbited prominently around an energetic giant.

According to expert analysis, this was the origin of the sandman race!

The legendary sandman emperor ostensibly ruled his empire from this planet!

When Zonrad observed a real-time depiction of the sandy brown planet that was surrounded by entire deserts of sand, a bloodthirsty grin formed on his face.

"It's about time we crush the heart of this weak and imbecilic race!"

Chapter 1670 Signature Look

While the Archangel Battle Group intruded into the heart of the sandman empire, Ves busied himself by supervising the optimization of the Adonis Colossus and making his Deliverer design more complete.

He missed Gloriana during these times. While he exhorted her to return to work, she refused to show up before she managed to readjust herself to her new state.

She did not allow herself to show any weakness in front of Ves and the design team!

Ves could only throw up his hands at this response. He didn't care if his girlfriend looked a little bit less impeccable than usual.

"Women." He muttered. "At least the sandmen are direct."

He coped with her absence as best as possible and devoted most of his time on working on the most tedious and time-consuming details. If Gloriana came back, she wouldn't need to make any drastic corrections.

While Ves completed his tweaks to the Executor rifle, Miles Tovar came up to him with a couple of things to say.

?Has Senator Tovar finally given me an answer?"

"The situation is rather complicated." Miles answered. "There are certain factions within the Republic that are paying a lot of attention to you. The Ramza Family, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ansel alumni network are just some of the influences that are staring at you in a less-than-generous light."

Ves did not look impressed. "Isn't this what Flashlight and you Tovars are supposed to keep in check?"

"You're not wrong if that is the extent of the influences paying attention to you. The problem is that the Mech Corps and many other influences have also started to take notice of your existence! Ever since you shook up the Sand War with your Soldier product line, you've become more than just a young Journeyman."

"What does that mean?"

"We aren't sure. There are a lot of maneuvers going on behind the scenes. The possibility that the government might compel you to move to Bentheim, Rittersberg or New Foundation for your own protection can't be ruled out at this point."

"What?!" Ves became indignant. "What about Gloriana? Aren't they afraid of messing with my girlfriend?!"

"While it's true that the government isn't willing to confront Miss Gloriana, they don't have to. As long as they can grab you and move you to a safer location, Gloriana can only make some feeble protests. She doesn't have any actual power in the Bright Republic, you know. She's only a guest."

It sounded as if his stubborn decision to remain in Cloudy Curtain was not as settled as he thought. At the very least, he couldn't rely on his existing connections to resist the opposition.

Perhaps in the eyes of Senator Tovar, it might be for the best if Ves moved to Bentheim.

Both Bentheim and Ves became indispensable in the Bright Republic's resistance against the sandmen.

If one of them fell, the other became inconsequential. The Bright Republic wouldn't be able to last if it lost its main economic and industrial center. It wouldn't be able to fare well either if the Desolate Soldiers and its variants lost their glows!

While Ves cared a lot about the Bright Republic, he cared more about his own life and freedom. He did not wish to go down with the ship in the event the sandmen managed to overrun the Bentheim System.

"What can be done to resolve this issue?"

Miles shrugged. "I'm just a mech designer. Don't think I'm as politically astute as Senator Tovar. I'm just conveying his messages to you on his behalf. For now, my family is still dealing with this situation. I'll inform you if there are any new developments."

Ves twitched when he heard that.

"Okay." He sighed and calmed himself. There was no use turning his ire on his subordinate. "Let's turn back to work. Tell me what you think of the Deliverer."

It was a lot better to talk about mechs with mech designers. Miles instantly became engrossed by the Deliverer's extreme mech concept.

"To be honest, I was initially skeptical about whether you can pull off such an unbalanced mech design. While it remains to be seen whether the main feature of this mech can even work, I'm already impressed at how well you've managed to make its strength more pronounced."

The technical mastery demonstrated by Ves and Gloriana was far beyond the capabilities of an Apprentice. Even if Miles was older, his lack of depth made it difficult for him to keep up with all of the ingenious solutions implemented into the design.

To be honest, exposing an Apprentice to so many advanced applications without allowing him time to understand the underlying theory was not a good thing.

Nonetheless, this was a test in itself. As long as the Tovar mech designers developed the mental fortitude to resist contamination, there might still be hope in the future.

"What about the shortcomings? Do you have anything to say about the lack of mobility and defense? Ves pressed.

"I.. am admittedly not a fan of these design choices. I fail to see how the Ylvainans will put their trust in a mech that excels in sniping distant targets but are very vulnerable to counter-sniping. At the very least, any decent laser rifleman mech will easily be able to take out the Deliverer by virtue of its weapon type!

Laser weapons always possessed a very substantial range advantage in vacuum environments. Without air and the curvature of a planet limiting the range of laser fire, it was not unrealistic to snipe something across an unimaginable distance!

If not for the imperfect targeting methods and the minute dispersion that exacerbated at longer ranges, laser weapons would have reigned supreme in spaceborn battles!

"It's fine." Ves replied. "I added an evasive precaution to my Deliverer design. The prediction ability that is supposed to guide the aim of my mech can also nudge the mech pilot into dodging a potentially fatal shot!"

"Uhh..."

"I know you're skeptical. I don't intend to convince you that this solution is viable. Let's just wait until we finish the first iteration and build our first prototype."

"Don't you need an Ylvainan marksman mech pilot to bring out the potential of the Deliverer?"

"I've already called ahead and requested a suitable pilot from the Kronons." Ves grinned.

With his current relations with the Ylvaine Protectorate, the Kronons were eager to accommodate his wishes.

They even promised to send more than one marksman mech pilot!

Though Miles still expressed some skepticism, he never dragged his feet when it came to assisting Ves in designing the mech.

He even offered Ves a useful suggestion.

"You should think about implementing a signature look to your mech designs."

"A signature look?" Ves fell in thought. "You're right. Maybe it's time for me to establish a permanent brand for my style of mechs."

A signature look was one of the ways for mech designers to differentiate their products from the competition.

It was a way of communicating to the public that this mech came with certain strengths or guaranteed a certain level of quality.

Sometimes, a signature look was paired with a distinctive name or label.

No matter if someone had no clue about the name of the mech designer or the name of the mech model, that person would instantly associate a mech to an entire range of mechs!

Signature looks did not have to be very elaborate. For example, one mech designer made a habit of affixing a distinctive white stripe along the exterior of the left side of the mech.

Everyone in the mech community immediately knew who designed the mech with the white stripe! No matter how much the mech models diverged, as long as they possessed this highly recognizable stripe, consumers would instantly associate the quality of the mech with the quality of the prior models bearing this stripe!

Another signature look was to shape the head of the mech in a distinct fashion. Because the heads of mechs were often of marginal utility, they mainly served to reinforce a common brand identity.

An example of this was adding a pair of white wings to the sides of the heads of every mech. No matter if the wings fit with the aesthetics of the mech, every mech insider instantly recognized the Senior who turned this quirk into a signature look!

"I've thought about it for some time." Ves spoke. "For a long time, I've considered the glows of my mechs to be a good stand-in for a signature look."

Miles shook his head. "While I admit that the glows are compelling, they don't really work through projections and other depictions. The function of a signature look is to connect your mechs together in a single basket in a way that is clear to bystanders. Right now, your mechs lack this common thread."

"I've implemented a particle generator in all of my mechs."

"They're applied in a different fashion for each mech design. Your Blackbeak radiates vapor from its shoulder pauldron, while your Crystal Lord releases vapor from its head. Your Soldier mechs on the other hand releases a straight vapor trail from their heart position. While your implementation is very artistic, they're not really connected. Besides, the particle generators won't be able to show their distinctiveness when your mechs are dormant."

Miles had a point. When a mech was inactive, the particle generators weren't enhancing their appearances. The mechs looked a lot duller when that was the case.

What Ves really needed was a distinctive visual trait that he could apply to all of his mechs and turn it into an iconic visual cue that people would always associate with him and the LMC.

This was especially useful when it came to adding mechs to various catalogs! Whenever someone wanted to shop for a mech in a store or a virtual portal, just a single glimpse of a signature look was enough to stir the customer!

Ves took some time to consider his signature look. He did not wish to sideline his glows and his particle generators.

He implemented both of them in his mechs from the start. To divest his signature look from both of these traits was unimaginable to him! He could never forget his roots!

As Ves turned to the Deliverer design projected from his terminal, he began to puzzle on what he could add that set this mech apart and increased its association to his brand.

Eventually, an idea came up in his mind.

He manipulated the interface and affixed a prominent gem-like orb in the center of the head of his Deliverer mech.

Due to the Deliverer's existing religious iconography, the addition of a shiny 'third eye' instantly made the mech appear more holy!

"This.. is very distinctive." Miles noted. "I don't think any mech designers in the Bright Republic or nearby states have adopted a third eye as their signature look. It's just..."

"This isn't the extent of my signature look." Ves interrupted him as he added something to the configuration of the addition.

Soon, the third eye began to pulse and glow with light. Because Ves largely intended to paint the mech with white coating, the gem he opted for was clear.

Now, a bright white light radiated from the crystal eye. Not only that, but a small amount of glowing vapor surrounded the eye, amplifying its mystical quality!

"This will be my signature look!" Ves decided without any further hesitation! "The glow of the crystal corresponds to the strength of the connection between my mech and its pilot. The stronger their bond, the brighter the glow! Of course, my customers can always deactivate this feature or shield the third eye from view at any time."

Miles didn't fully understand what Ves was talking about. "I don't know, Mr. Larkinson. I'm not sure you are sending the right message by adopting this as your signature look. It's not something a Brighter would choose."

The glowing third eye surrounded by creepy white mist looked anything but sober!

Just as Ves was about to argue about the distinctive look further, one of the other Tovars in the design lab yelped in alarm.

"Sir! You should see this! There's footage of the CFA's decisive strike on the home planet of the sandmen on the galactic net!"

Both Ves and Miles immediately dropped their current conversation and browsed the galactic net as fast as possible!

Chapter 1671 Sandman Emperor

Zonrad paced behind the gunners with his back arched straight and his arms folded behind his back. His commanding demeanor caused them to be on their best behavior as they supervised the positron beam turrets.

Right now, an enormous swarm of sandman drones attempted to attack the flagship Archangel Battle Group.

Unfortunately, they were so weak that a single destroyer could wipe them all off the face of the galaxy!

The only reason why the sandman drones were allowed to approach the battleship to begin with was because the CFA needed to make a show out of crushing the sandmen.

Though the CFA did not really care too much about public relations, it didn't hurt to remind the space peasants who protected them at night.

The states that governed much of humanity could only play their games as long as the CFA remained vigilant and continued to fulfill its noble mission.

Lieutenant Zonrad Reze twitched a smile as he observed the performance of the positron beam turrets shooting down the sandman drones.

To deal with a swarm of small craft analogues, the Karaton Dwight possessed better means of wiping them out. If Admiral Teyrach wanted to, he could have just ordered the launch of a number of burst missiles to deal a huge amount of area damage!

Though the damage of these missiles was very dispersed, it was more than enough to wipe out billions of sandman drones in an instant!

Since this star system was the capital of the sandman empire, no one was surprised to encounter so much opposition.

In fact, they already expected something of this nature. From the beginning of this retribution mission, the Archangel Battle Group encountered far too little opposition.

The star systems under the control of the sandman race had been stripped to the bone. Every sandman leader that used to occupy these star systems were nowhere to be seen.

The exobiologists and other experts in charge of analyzing the sandmen made some conclusions.

Much of the sandmen had been sent to assault human space. This much was already obvious.

However, there was a significant possibility that a portion of their strength would be diverted to protect the sandman emperor.

The opposition the Karaton Dwight and her escorts faced proved this prediction right.

The sandman emperor apparently concentrated a huge amount of sandmen in this single star system. Evidently, it was smart enough to prepare for the inevitable response for its actions.

Unfortunately, it looked down on the CFA. Even if Admiral Teyrach dispersed some of the elements of the Archangel Battle Group to sweep through every sandman star system, what he brought to this location was enough to crush all opposition!

Zonrad stepped behind one of his subordinates and slapped the man behind the head.

"Straighten your back and pay more attention Mr. Johnson! We are making history here by crushing the center of the sandman empire!"

The gunner suppressed his fear and frustration towards his superior and straightened his posture.

In fact, Johnson had only slumped as much as anyone did when they sat behind a bank of terminals for over three hours.

It didn't help that the positron beam turrets didn't require their input. Monodwell automatically targeted the sandman drones and operated the weapons to shoot down swathes of them with unerring accuracy!

The gunners could never come close to matching the extreme accuracy and efficiency exhibited by this super intelligence!

Therefore, the spacers in charge of servicing and operating the positron beam turrets mostly stood by and allowed Monodwell to exert complete control over them during battle.

Naturally, the gunners could always override Monodwell's control the moment something anomalous took place.

Humans must always be in ultimate control of their own weapons. This was a basic principle that the CFA never forgot.

Zonrad and every other Fleeter did not expect the sandmen to be able to interfere with Karaton Dwight's state-of-the-art systems. Even if no human spacer manned their stations on the battleship, Monodwell would easily be able to take over their roles!

One of the gunners sneezed.

"Mr. Arzo!" Zonrad stormed over the offending spacer and slapped the man in the face! "Your conduct is unbecoming of a Fleeter! You have just earned yourself a demerit!"

He continued to watch over his men like a hawk, preventing them from relaxing during the entire engagement!

Though every spacer of the CFA enjoyed a lot of enhancements, it was impossible to treat them too extravagantly. None of them possessed the focus and concentration to remain attentive for over eight hours!

It took this much time to wipe out the sandman swarms orbiting the capital planet of the sandman empire.

Even Zonrad had begun to see this operation as a chore.

The sandmen were unimaginably weak. Though they had the power to overrun many third-rate states, their lack of development and intelligent direction wasted much of their potential.

The crude sandman drones never stood a chance of scratching the coating of the Karaton Dwight!

As the final tide of sandman drones met its end, the Karaton Dwight and her escort ships moved into a lower orbit of the capital planet.

The large, heavy gravity planet beneath the warships looked overwhelmingly barren at first glance. If not for the strange artificial-looking cubes, spheres and other geometric structures dotting the landscape, Zonrad might have mistaken it as a lifeless ball of dirt!

What happened next was out of Zonrad's area of responsibility. While the starboard positron beam turrets were able to fire upon targets on the surface, they weren't the best tools for the job.

This time, Admiral Teyrach evidently decided to speed up the extermination, because the Karaton Dwight and the other escort ships all opened fire with their kinetic cannons!

Instantly, the artificial sandman structures on the surface were wiped out from settlement to settlement!

With all of the warships in the star system splitting up the work, it did not take too long to demolish each and every settlement.

Finally, an enormous pyramid had been left for last. According to prior intelligence, the enormous, six-sided amalgamation of sand was the 'palace' of the sandman emperor!

The CFA expected the pyramid to lift up in the air to meet the Archangel Battle Group in battle.

The pyramid was so large that it would have forced the Karaton Dwight to resort to other weaponry if it joined the attacking sandman swarms!

Yet during the entire time the battle group wiped out the defenders, the sandman on the surface remained dormant and unmoving.

This strange pattern of behavior disconcerted Zonrad and some of his fellow spacers.

Was the sandman emperor really so stupid to leave itself defenseless against the CFA?

Zonrad didn't know. He wasn't involved with the affairs concerning the sandmen, and he hadn't bothered to read up on them because he knew they were too weak.

He graciously gave his men some reprieve, though only because his superior ordered him to rotate the shift.

In any case, most of the Fleeters long lost their excitement about destroying the capital of the sandman empire.

A weak opponent never excited them. This was because the Independent Evaluation System always rewarded the minimum amount of merits when bullying weak opponents!

Only by fighting the strong would the Fleeters be able to earn an abundant amount of merits!

No matter their backgrounds, the only way for them to augment themselves and rise up the ranks was by earning lots of merits.

With the Independent Evaluation System in place, those participating in battles always received the exact amount of merits they deserved.

His scowl deepened as he observed the final moment of the pyramid's existence.

Through the data presented by the terminals, Zonrad learned that every single grain of material consisted of an exotic substance.

Not a single piece of mundane sand or other junk could be found in the pyramid's structure.

The closer to the center, the greater the quality of materials.

Ordinarily, bringing so many energetic exotics together would doubtlessly lead to explosions, energy discharges and other anomalies.

However, the sandmen were somehow able to contain the effects of their own bodies and prevent the exotics from interacting with each other!

This was a very curious quirk about the sandmen, but sadly the CFA had already researched this property to death.

There was no reason to keep the pyramid enact. The abundant amount of high-grade exotics concentrated in the center did not attract their interest at all.

The sandmen emperor must be crushed, and it was better to do it sooner rather than later!

Once the Karaton Dwight orbited straight above the pyramid, the large structure finally reacted.

An enormous energy beam shot out from the top without any warning! The beam instantly crashed against the keel of the Karaton Dwight!

Such an energy discharge was enough to scour the life of an entire continent!

Even though the battleship endured an enormous blow, Zonrad did not even blink at this response.

It would have been strange if the sandman emperor did not strike a last blow.

Against an attack of this magnitude, the Karaton Dwight did not even bother to activate her shields or other active defensive measures. Her armor, which consisted entirely of high-grade exotics, was more than sufficient enough to resist this attack!

Once the energy beam puttered out, the stricken surface displayed no damage at all aside from some damage to the coating.

Even then, the coating automatically regenerated once the attack was over.

The sandman emperor failed to inflict any meaningful damage to the battleship!

"It's time to end this." Zonrad whispered in a bored tone.

After showing off her invincibility, the Karaton Dwight finally launched her counterattack.

A main cannon turret aimed downwards and targeted the pyramid. A huge projectile spat out from one of the ship-sized gun barrels without any warning!

The pyramid and the surrounding surface instantly blew up as the projectile thudded deep into the surface of the planet!

The enhanced defenses of the pyramid amounted for nothing against the awesome firepower of a battleship!

In fact, Zonrad already knew that the main cannon deliberately held back much of its damage. It only fired at a fraction of its power in order to launch the simplest and cheapest projectile.

The effect was already enough. The surface of the planet looked as if an enormous asteroid impacted the surface!

The entire heavy gravity planet underwent huge ecological changes due to this enormous impact!

If the Karaton Dwight had fired on a planet inhabited by humans, then the Big Two would have instantly condemned the entire battle group!

Such awesome power should never be directed against humans!

Of course, the Karaton Dwight already scanned the planet for possible human lifesigns. If the sandmen captured and brought back even a single living human, Admiral Teyrach would have never ordered his battleship to attack the surface so unscrupulously.

Now that the sandman emperor was presumed dead, the warships began to scan the entire planet down to its core.

A few small concentrations of sandmen managed to live, but none of them possessed the energy of a high caste member of their race.

There was no need to bother with cleaning up these remnants.

The CFA could just issue some missions to the space peasants to sweep up the remains of the sandman empire.

Just as Zonrad received an order to lock the positron beam turrets, an alarm suddenly screeched across the entire battle group!

The Karaton Dwight detected a huge amount of energy from the planet!

As Zonrad tried to make sense of what was happening, the planet exploded into pieces, turning into countless streams of sand that instantly approached the orbiting fleet!

The warships of the Archangel Battle Group instantly activated their defenses and discharged some of their main armaments!

However, there wasn't enough time to fire some of their main armaments! The planet was also far too close for the ships to launch their antimatter missiles and other planet-destroying weapons!

The streams of sand were not only vast and numerous, they also converged extremely fast upon the warships! Thougt the Karaton Dwight alone managed to diminish a third of the total mass of attacking streams, she simply hadn't been prepared to kill an entire heavy gravity planet's worth of sandmen!

Within just fifteen seconds, the seemingly-living planet succeeded in gulping the entire fleet in orbit!

Chapter 1672 Disgrace

Every human who watched the broadcast of the CFA warfleet witnessed the planet coming to life!

Not only that, they saw how quickly the enormous mass of sand and other substances engulfed the majestic battleship and her powerful escorts without being stopped!

Though the CFA's desperate, AI-driven counterattack managed to wipe out enough sandmen to constitute two standard planets, the sandmen had plenty left to complete their sneak attack!

"How could the CFA have failed to detect that the planet consisted entirely of sandmen?!" Miles Tovar wailed. "Their scanners are cutting edge! The sandmen are too primitive! Such a huge mass of sandmen should have never been able to hide their energy signatures!"

"Maybe you aren't giving the sandman enough credit." Ves replied in a muted tone. "Since the sandmen were willing to provoke our race, they should have been prepared for our response! We should never underestimate our enemies no matter how weak they appear!"

Though he looked numb, he was anything but unaffected. The huge reversal shocked him to his core!

Unlike most people, Ves instantly associated this massive trap to Sigrund!

Was this what the sentient AI prepared all these years since it escaped the Starlight Megalodon?

All Ves could say was that this attack was far too bold! Only an inhuman artificial entity like Sigrund would have the guts to target a powerful element of the CFA!

The planet managed to engulf an entire battleship and all of her escorts by virtue of its enormous amount of sandmen!

Ves didn't even know how the sandmen managed to form so many sandmen and sustain them all in a single place! The requirements to sustain so many sandmen and keep them in a dormant and undetectable state was unimaginably difficult!

The sandmen never exhibited such a high degree of sophistication! This was why Ves instantly concluded that Sigrund was the mastermind!

As a former super processor adapted to perform human research from the Starlight Megalodon, Sigrund doubtlessly possessed a high degree of mastery of human technology!

Not only that, the AI was intimately familiar with the CFA!

Perhaps Sigrund launched the entire sandman invasion in a gambit to capture a CFA battleship!

The thought of Sigrund gaining control over the Karaton Dwight frightened Ves out of his wits!

What was Sigrund trying to accomplish? Was he plotting the downfall of the CFA?

That was pure madness!

Even if the AI managed to capture a battleship, the counterattack from the CFA would doubtlessly be fierce!

It would be hard for Sigrund to hide all of its traces!

While Ves and everyone else remained horrified, the huge streams of sand piled up on each other and formed a new, diminished planet, encapsulating the CFA warfleet like a coffin!

"Is this the end?!"

"How could a mighty warfleet fall into a trap?!"

Several minutes passed as the onlookers observed the new planet with horror. Hardly anyone questioned why the broadcast kept running. A disaster like this should have compelled the CFA to cut off the feed.

While several people already started panicking for all kinds of reasons, Ves pushed down his speculations and waited for something to happen.

Eventually, the planet began to shake. Earthquakes started to form over the surface while energy escaped from the cracks.

Soon enough, the entire planet blew up yet again!

This time, the violent explosion was much more uncontrolled! A wash of energy vaporized or pushed out all of the sandman with incredible violence!

Not a single sandman managed to recover! The broken chunks flung away into space as not a single grain of sand managed to retain any signs of life!

In the center of the former planet, a familiar fleet reemerged.

Bright white energy shields enveloped the Karaton Dwight and all of her escorts, shielding them from damage! Thick lines of energy connected them together, appearing to spread the burden between all of the vessels so that no single shield risked getting overloaded!

"The warfleet is intact!"

Hardly anyone could have imagined that even the smaller destroyer class vessels managed to escape getting crushed by an entire planet's worth of sandmen!

As someone who understood the power and technology of the CFA a little better, Ves was not surprised the warfleet managed to survive this surprise attack.

Every CFA warship was built to withstand the toughest weapons employed by humans and aliens.

Even if the surprise attack managed to destroy the smaller escorts, a battleship like the Karaton Dwight would never have fallen so easily!

An outdated vessel such as the Starlight Megalodon was not as comparable as a modern battleship in terms of defense!

With the connected shield technology demonstrated by the CFA, it was no problem for the Karaton Dwight to lend its abundant defensive power to her escorts and vice versa!

The energy shields eventually flickered off, causing the ships to reveal their true appearances.

Compared to before, none of the vessels escaped unscathed this time.

Some of the destroyers showed some tears and deformations. A few compartments had doubtlessly been breached, which meant that the CFA had definitely suffered some casualties this time!

The cruisers were better off. Aside from some dents and missing surface modules, the hull armor of these warships mainly remained intact.

As for the Karaton Dwight, not a single imperfection marred her surface.

Ves sighed with envy. The power of a peak mech could not be compared to the might of a human battleship!

"Not even god mechs can match this performance!" Pachtold Tovar exclaimed.

"Idiot!" Cherie slapped Pachtold's back. "God mechs are unfathomable! According to the rumors, they have the ability to destroy a planet as well!"

"Nonsense!" Gilbert Tovar threw up his hands. "A mech can only hold so much power. Can't you recognize that the MTA deliberately hypes the power of god mechs? No god pilot can stand up to a battleship!"

Ves couldn't help but pitch in. "The true power of a god mech piloted by a god pilot is unclear. Technology is constantly advancing. What was true fifty years ago might not be true today. However, the same applies to modern battleships. Both god mechs and battleships are constantly getting better over time as long humanity keeps innovating!"

The Tovars all fell into silence at his insightful words.

"Which side are you leaning on, Mr. Larkinson?" Miles Tovar curiously asked.

"From my limited experiences and understanding of mechs and battleships, I think they both have their merits. However, comparing the battle power of a single god mech to the battle power of a single battleship isn't necessarily useful. Think of how many god pilots are known to exist and think of how many battleships the Big Two managed to build over the years."

Every member of his design team looked uncomfortable.

Regardless of the might of these two weapon platforms, everyone knew that one was much less prevalent than the other!

It took an unimaginable amount of resources to construct a battleship. Practically the entire structure consisted of high-grade exotics with amazing properties!

Building a single battleship consumed as much resources as several first-class mech corps!

Nonetheless, these battleships lasted for centuries without a problem. As long as they received continuous upgrades, it was no problem for the CFA to field older battleship classes.

By drawing upon a portion of the gigantic amount of resources in human space, the CFA managed to build a considerable amount of battleships!

No one knew how many battleships and even larger warships the CFA managed to accumulate. Some guessed that the number surpassed a million, while some lowered their estimates to a hundred-thousand or less.

Regardless of the truth, there was no doubt that the CFA could easily protect the extremely lengthy borders of human space!

"The CFA can easily construct a thousand battleships in a matter of years." Ves spoke with certainty. "Can the MTA elevate enough mech pilots into god pilots in the same period of time?"

Everyone helplessly shook their heads.

The advancement of high-ranking mech pilots was always difficult. Only a small amount of lucky and talented mech pilots managed to take the next step.

Only around a hundred known god pilots existed throughout human space. It took four centuries to facilitate the rise of so few god pilots!

Even though mechs were rather new and immature compared to warships, no one believed the mech community would be able to boost their emergence rate!

Since everyone at the design lab were mech designers, they didn't want mechs to lose out against warships.

This time though, everyone felt relieved that Karaton Dwight managed to survive this disaster.

At the battleship, Lieutenant Zonrad Reze was barking out orders to keep his men busy.

"Inspect the integrity of every single component!" He shouted and gesticulated his arms in fury. "I'll have your hides if you have missed any damage!"

As an officer of the CFA, he was indignant that the sandmen managed to humiliate the Archangel Battle Group!

He knew that this action was being broadcasted to the public. To allow the space peasants to witness this disgrace was intolerable!

"We're lucky that we managed to salvage some of our pride." He muttered under his breath.

Conrad had no doubt that the Karaton Dwight would be able to endure an attack of this degree. This was one of the reasons why he wanted to serve on a battleship in the first place.

However, it was a very real question whether the smaller ships would be able to survive unscathed. The connected shield technology could only lend out so much protection at a time.

The eventual outcome was worse than he hoped. Some of the destroyers patrolling in the periphery of the formation received less protection than ideal, causing the sandmen to penetrate their shields to a modest degree.

"Monodwell, how many casualties have we suffered?"

[You are not privy to this information.]

"Tch."

It was worth a try.

"Monodwell, how have you judged my performance during this combat action?"

[You have demonstrated the pride and valor expected of an officer of the Common Fleet Alliance. Your calm and exercise of authority has made your section in one of the best-performing units of the Auxiliary Gunnery department. Since the current combat action has not yet concluded, the calculation of merits awarded for your exemplary performance is still forthcoming.]

"Huh?!" Zonrad scratched his head. "Please confirm, Monodwell!"

[Rest assured that you are 100 percent certain to receive merits and additional rewards, lieutenant.]

"This.." Hope began to well up in his eyes.

Zonrad was not entirely sure whether his conduct deserved distinction. He did not behave much differently than usual today. It was just that this time he faced a serious alien threat.

"This is it!" He hissed and grinned! "I'm no peacetime officer! As long as I'm in the thick of battle, I'll surely be able to vindicate myself!"

Only battle allowed him to rise up the ranks! This was the conclusion he reached after Monodwell informed him that he received a positive evaluation!

While nothing was set in stone yet at this point, Conrad did not doubt the super AI at all! Monodwell was completely honest and impartial! Its programming made sure that it was literally incapable of lying to humans! At most, it could only withhold information if the Fleeter lacked the necessary permissions.

"Monodwell! Keep an eye on me! I'll surely be able to prove myself again!"

[Please endeavor to commit your heart and soul to the glory of the Common Fleet Alliance!]

While Zonrad started to fantasize about his future success, back at Cloudy Curtain Ves switched off the projection of the broadcast.

"There's nothing more to see here." He spoke. "Although something unexpected happened, the CFA has succeeded in destroying the capital of the sandman empire. It won't take long for them to sweep the outlying star systems of the aliens, thereby causing the invading forces to lose long-term support!"

With the completion of the CFA's mission, every human pulled in the Sand War finally spotted a light at the end of the tunnel! The endless flood of sandman fleets must surely reach a limit at some point!

The question was how long the Bright Republic and other beleaguered states had to hold the line.

Chapter 1673 Prayer

No one knew how much control the sandman emperor exerted over his entire race.

Some believed the death of the sandman emperor would make the invading sandman fleets directionless.

Others suspected that the rest of the sandmen would continue to obey their instructions regardless of what happened to their highest leader.

Evidently, the latter appeared to be the case. Like cleaning bots that continued to clean up a house after their occupants had died, the sandman admirals continued to drive their fleets head-first into sandman space without any pause!

The jubilation from seeing the sandman empire meeting its end quickly made way for grim resignation.

The mission of the CFA only ensured that the flow of reinforcements would eventually stop. What happened until then was anyone's guess.

Ves already knew that the Bright Republic was enduring an unimaginable amount of pressure.

When everyone realized that nothing had changed, everyone soon forgot about the incident.

While the CFA managed to show off their might, it hadn't said anything about wiping out the sandman invaders assaulting human space.

The MTA was still in charge of defending the interior of human space. Even if the Association refused to discharge its responsibility, it would certainly object to the CFA intruding onto their turf!

For this reason, many people found it hard to care about the CFA's service.

Perhaps if the Big Two wouldn't have been so dismissive of the Komodo Star Sector if it was a lot more prosperous.

A few days after the fall of the sandman empire, Gloriana finally returned to work. While she didn't look as energetic as Ves had been accustomed to, she wasn't as tired as he expected.

"Gloriana! Have you settled in your new condition yet?"

She nodded and smiled at him. "I managed to find a way to cope."

They drew close and hugged each other for a moment. As Ves became enamoured by her scent, he discreetly inspected her spiritual state.

"Huh?"

Ves quickly concentrated some more in order to observe her mental state better.

The coy smile on his girlfriend's face showed that she already guessed what he was doing. She straightened her posture as if to preen herself in his view.

"This.. how can this be?" Ves gasped. "Your condition is much better than I expected!"

He expected Gloriana to require at least two months to recover after she exerted her energy to help birth their new spiritual product Bravo.

Although more than a week had passed, she still had a long way to go before she regained her optimal state.

However, in contrast to his expectations, her spiritual energy level had somehow recovered remarkably quickly!

He estimated that it would only take a month before her spiritual energy reached saturation!

That was an amazing accomplishment for someone who didn't possess a Grand Dynamo!

She wasn't able to exert conscious control over her spirituality! How could she have found a way to accelerate her spiritual recovery?!

"How.."

"Hehe." She drew back and wiggled her body in a teasing manner. "That's a secret~!"

Ves openly scratched his head. Did Gloriana possess a better aptitude in spirituality than him? Was that why her spiritual energy regenerated faster?

He wordlessly shook his head. From his extensive interactions with Gloriana, he firmly believed that she did not possess any remarkable ability in this aspect.

Though Ves felt very ambivalent about his mother, he was pretty sure he inherited her aptitude in spirituality. Out of every person he met, no one else besides his mother and himself could perceive and manipulate spiritual energy so adeptly.

That was not to say that no one else possessed this talent. He had seen some extraordinary applications from the Five Scrolls Compact or the groups affiliated with the cult.

Clearly, spirituality was something that was deeply intertwined with this secretive organization.

Still, as far as he knew, Gloriana was not a part of their lineage. She was a pure Hexer whose family line stretched back all the way to the original founders of the Hexadric Hegemony.

Unless the Hegemony was founded by the Five Scrolls Compact or something, Gloriana should just be ordinary in this aspect!

"Come on, Gloriana. Please don't leave me hanging."

She smiled wider and leaned in to peck his cheek. "You're so cute sometimes, Ves! You're not the only one who can come up with brilliant ideas."

"Let's head somewhere more private."

They entered an isolated office in the design lab in order to talk more freely.

As Gloriana made herself comfortable, she couldn't wait to gloat about her success!

"The truth is that I merely stumbled upon the solution." She began. "While I tried to busy myself with my studies and other activities, I'm not reconciled with my lengthy recovery time. It's unacceptable for me to be so tired and uninspired for months at a time, especially when we repeat our earlier miracle!"

Ves had already described and summarized what they did during the creation of Bravo. Gloriana pretty much made up her mind that what had happened was nothing less than a miracle!

"So you tried to find some way to solve this problem?"

She nodded vigorously, causing her hair to flutter. "Solving problems is what engineers do. As a mech designer, I've never resigned myself to a loss. There is always a way to overcome a problem!"

"What did you do, then?"

"Many things." She said. "I tried some hobbies such as cooking, flower arrangement, painting, piano practice and so on. That didn't go so well. Everything that I used to think of as fun now feels flat and boring. I was only going through the motions. Without inspiration, how can I enjoy any creative pursuits?"

"That makes a lot of sense. The exhaustion you are suffering from mainly impacts your passion and creativity. Any activity that relies on those traits won't interest you anymore." Ves concluded.

"I took a different direction. Since creative pursuits are no good, I tried to engage in my professional pursuits, mainly by reading a lot of academic literature and keeping up with the latest developments in the industry."

"Did it work?"

She shook her head. "Mech design is inherently creative, as you very well know. Even when I try to stay away from anything that strays too close to mech design, I can't avoid it. Mech design is all about exercising our vision and imagination to design a distinctive product. I can't divorce my desire to design a custom mech while I'm shoring up my expertise in mech locomotion or something."

"Maybe you need to tighten your focus." Ves suggested. "I didn't have much of a problem when I was in my low state back then. As long as you study something that is more abstract, you'll be able to divest yourself from thinking about mechs."

"I can't do that." She shook her head. "Everything I learn for my profession is about designing mechs. I thought you would be more like me. Are you really a mech designer, Ves?"

He glowered at her. "Don't joke around."

"Hihi! Just kidding! Anyway, after I tried and failed to get what I wanted from studying, I turned to something else."

"And that is..?"

"Hexism!"

"Uhh.."

"I'm telling you, it works! My faith has not forsaken me! In fact, it has saved me from wasting my precious time by languishing under this state!"

Ves was caught off-guard by her answer. How could her faith possibly make her recover faster? Did some kind of female god take a fancy to her when she was praying?

As a Brighter, he simply couldn't believe that the answer was so simple!

"Tell me how you managed to recover faster." He demanded with gritted teeth.

Despite making Ves crazy, Gloriana continued to smile coyly at him. It wasn't often that she managed to outsmart her boyfriend. She was enjoying this moment very much!

"Instead of explaining it to you, let me show you instead."

She briefly exited the office and received a box from Melody. After she reentered, she opened the box and retrieved a six-sided altar.

He recognized this altar. It was something that Gloriana sometimes prayed to at weird times of the day.

Each side of the altar depicted one of the six phases of existence described by hexism.

Life, death, godhood, damnation, dust, woman. Ves recognized each of these faces from the six facets of the miniature altar.

Gloriana often prayed to a specific facet of the altar according to some rules that Ves didn't even bother to understand.

"Hexism isn't what you think." She spoke after she read his face. She was becoming increasingly proficient in figuring out his thoughts. "We don't literally elevate the six phases of existence or treat them as exalted. It is more about paying respect to the truth of reality."

"And this 'truth' just so happened to place women on top of men." Ves sardonically remarked.

"Of course, Ves. This truth has been proven over and over again!"

Neither of them wanted to rehash their differences of opinion on this matter, so Gloriana quickly moved on and decided to proceed with her demonstration.

"Please don't disturb me while I pay my respects."

She retrieved a luxurious mat from the box and unfolded it on the floor. The mat was so high quality that Ves couldn't spot any creases!

She placed the altar on the mat and sat down on the other end of the surface in a cross-legged position. She calmly placed her hands on her hips and closed her eyes.

At this moment, Ves had the illusion that something exceptional was taking place. The air in the office grew stagnant. The stillness of the moment expanded to envelop the entire room, as if Gloriana's ritual demanded complete silence!

For the current session, she decided to pray in front of a small statue that depicted a crumbling monument.

This was the phase of dust, which in Gloriana's words described a state that was worse than death!

At least someone would still remember you when you died. When you reached the state of dust, no one remembers your existence anymore!

To Hexers, dust was one of the scariest and most unfathomable phases of existence. To avoid it, each Hexer strove to be remembered in some way. They pushed themselves to achieve something in their lives and strove to leave behind a legacy to be remembered for the ages!

Ves believed that this was one of the reasons why the Hexers had been unusually successful in founding a second-rate state in the Komodo Star Sector.

Gloriana's lips wordlessly moved as if she was speaking something. Ves wasn't proficient in reading lips so he had no idea what she was saying. He was probably better off not knowing either.

He instead tried to observe her mental and spiritual state. As she started to get more immersed in her ritual, Ves noted some abnormalities in her head.

Her spirituality had entered a different state! Just as Ves tried to guess what was going on, he no longer needed to do so because the answer was clear.

While the difference was small, with his sensitivity he immediately managed to detect a difference in how fast her spiritual energy recovered!

It was recovering at least fifty to a hundred percent faster!

After a bit of thought, Ves finally found out the truth.

Gloriana was meditating!

Through meditation, she entered a peculiar state where her mind and spirituality both became more in sync. At the same time, the clutter in her thoughts had temporarily settled down, causing her mind to become unprecedentedly clear!

Her entire mind focused solely on a small number of thoughts associated with her beliefs. Even emotions stopped affecting her state when her meditation reached a deeper state!

Ves was relieved that no gods or other external forces aided her in recovering faster.

She was purely relying on her own efforts to accelerate her recovery!

If he wasn't afraid of disturbing her mediation, he would have hugged her and thank her for coming up with this method!

Although it was useless to him now that he possessed the Grand Dynamo, her discovery solved a lot of problems related to her own use of spirituality!

Chapter 1674 Faithless

Gloriana spent around 40 minutes in meditation. Throughout the entire experience, she completely ignored Ves and anything else. It was as if she had completely closed herself from reality!

The extraordinary state of mind she achieved exuded a degree of solemness and devotion that Ves had only witnessed from the most devout Ylvainans.

While he was aware that Gloriana had always been a strong adherent of hexism, she normally restrained this aspect of hers when she was with Ves.

However, now that Ves observed her earnest prayer or meditation up close, he realized that her faith was a much bigger part of her than he thought!

The sincerity that Gloriana displayed towards her beliefs frightened him. She was so devoted to them that her mind completely transformed into a different mode!

Ves utilized his perception to the fullest degree. He not only observer her from the outside with his spiritual senses, but he also borrowed from the induction of his dormant spiritual fragment which was orbiting Gloriana's design seed.

After patiently observing her wondrous state of mind, Ves somewhat figured out what was taking place.

The moment she began to meditate, she exercised some deep-rooted habits that cleared her mind of all distractions.

It was as if she had activated a couple of software programs in her mind!

These programs not only shoved all of her distracting thoughts aside, but also amplified her focus towards her faith!

She even started to forget herself. Her sense of self had diminished as if she naturally diminished herself in the face of greater beliefs.

There were plenty of other nuances at work, many of which seemed to facilitate the recovery of her spiritual energy!

Ves noted that her mind did not appear to be proficient in this aspect. Before, her spiritual energy levels had never been touched, which meant that her mind never had a need to improve this aspect.

Yet now, Gloriana was weaker than she had ever been. She instinctively sought to develop solutions to facilitate the restoration of her spiritual energy reserves!

All of this took place on an unconscious and uncontrolled level. If not for the lack of distractions, letting her mind manipulate her spirituality to this degree was extremely dangerous!

Spiritual energy was very potent and possessed remarkable properties. If misused, Gloriana could easily hurt herself!

This was why he possessed some scruples towards what Gloriana was doing. It was only by accident and coincidence that she managed to leverage her meditation to increase her natural recovery rate.

As long as she completed her meditation session, she would probably be okay.

However, any interruption might lead to a severe disruption of her current mental state. Ves observed that her mental balance was a lot more fragile than before!

Ves was not entirely sure how much damage she would incur if someone interrupted her meditation, but he was sure it wouldn't be light!

This was something that his intuition told him. Any thought about pulling Gloriana out of her meditation made his heart very restless!

Therefore, he patiently waited for more than half an hour before Gloriana automatically ended her prayer. Her lips stopped whispering silent words and her mind slowly turned back to normal.

The clutter of thoughts and emotions in her mind reasserted themselves. That was when Ves was sure that Gloriana returned back to normal.

She opened her eyes, revealing clear windows that completely conveyed her certainty and conviction in her beliefs!

"Do you see, Ves?" She smiled adoringly at him. "As long as you believe in something, you will certainly get closer to the truth that governs our lives!"

Ves automatically ignored her attempt to convert him to her faith. There was no way he would ever follow hexism as long as he was a man!

When Gloriana rose from her mat and took back her altar, Ves sat down on her place.

"Let me try something."

"Do you need me to return my altar?"

"NO!"

After Ves made his refusal clear, he began to imitate Gloriana and attempted to enter the same mental state.

He concentrated his mind and tried to rid himself of every distraction. It helped that he was already very practiced in this regard.

However, Ves quickly encountered obstacles. Emptying his mind of all thoughts and emotions fluctuated his mood in a way that he found very disconcerting!

This was not a natural human state! Ves felt as if he was hollowing out his humanity, leaving him as a soulless, immoral machine who only cared about executing instructions!

Normally, when Ves designed a mech, he never emptied his mind to this degree. The most he did was to shove aside his distractions instead of displacing them out of his immediate reach!

The thoughts and emotions he set aside weren't irrelevant when he was focused on designing a mech. They still played a role whenever he had a need for them! After all, his design seed intricately incorporated some of his thoughts and emotions when he initially advanced to Journeyman.

His humanity played a core role in expressing his passion in mech design!

Ves initially failed to comprehend how Gloriana managed to do anything productive while she was in this empty state.

However, he soon realized that her faith and beliefs served as vital anchors!

Realizing the answer, Ves tried to focus his mind on something that allowed him to take the next steps.

Unfortunately, nothing worked.

He first tried to 'worship' mechs. While he possessed a strong affection for them, he didn't necessarily elevate them into unfathomable existences.

His design seed became more active as soon as he tried to center his thoughts around mechs, which instantly caused him to abort this attempt!

While he was very dedicated towards mechs, he was too used to entering into a productive state, which was completely different from the extraordinarily empty state of mind that Gloriana adopted.

He tried to worship something else. He attempted to worship the Bright Republic, but his patriotism was very jaded. He could not summon much sincerity at all towards his home state.

He didn't give up. He tried to worship various other entities and concepts. He switched from worshipping the Larkinson Ancestor, humanity and the Milky Way Galaxy.

Nothing worked! He simply couldn't summon enough sincerity and devotion to worship something greater!

In his mind, his arrogance and confidence in himself had reached a very high level!

Even though Ves did not like to call himself a Holy Son of the Five Scrolls Compact, he knew that ever since he obtained the System, he was not inferior to anyone!

This kind of pride along with his secularist background made it virtually impossible for him to mentally diminish himself in front of other entities!

In an act of desperation, Ves attempted to worship two of his design spirits.

He first made contact with Ylvaine's spiritual fragment and attempted to devote his mind to it. However, the fragment instantly cut off the connection on its end as if Ves' prayers tainted its purity!

"Goddammit! Am I really that bad?!" Ves whined, causing Gloriana to look at him oddly.

In truth, he could guess why the spiritual fragment rejected his worship. He did not respect the fragment as a powerful entity at all. How could he when he literally took a tiny spiritual remnant and somehow managed to revive it into a strong and growing entity!

Though its strength was not comparable to when the spiritual remnant was locked inside Ylvaine's nutrient pack wrapper, Ves still placed himself above it as if he was its parent!

Since Ves essentially created Ylvaine's spiritual fragment, he decided to turn to a more powerful spiritual entity which Ves did not look down on as its creator.

His selection was very limited.

On one hand, he could try to worship Nyxie, the tyrannical alien spiritual entity that was locked inside the Ancient Sarcophagus.

On the other hand, he could try to worship Qilanxo, a Sacred God who had been literally worshipped by the degenerated descendants of the crew of the Starlight Megalodon for centuries!

Naturally, Ves instantly opted for the latter, especially considering that he possessed a very friendly relation to the former lizard.

He adjusted his posture on Gloriana's prayer mat and began to make contact with the powerful entity.

As soon as he did so, he began to feel the strength and richness of her radiant spiritual strength!

While she was merely the design spirit of the Aurora Titan, which didn't sell nearly as well as his Soldier product line, the quality of spiritual feedback was still incomparable!

Before he prayed to her, he communicated his intentions to her without obscuring his main motivation.

She replied with an amused emotion. It was as if she didn't think much of his prayers!

Ves was relieved that she allowed him to pray to her. Qilanxo used to be a creature who received a lot of worship from all kinds of people. She wasn't as picky as Prophet Ylvaine in this regard.

As Ves began to empty his mind and worship Qilanxo, the outcome he hoped for hadn't taken place.

Just like before, he didn't look up to Qilanxo as a greater entity! At most, he thought of her as an equal who was worthy of respect!

Not only that, but Ves instinctively felt that his prayers fell on deaf ears! Qilanxo remained completely unmoved by his attempts to grow closer to her on a spiritual level!

He wasn't sure why his prayers weren't being received. It actually didn't matter what Qilanxo thought about him. As long as he convinced himself that he was being sincere, he could sink himself deeper in his meditation.

It was too bad that he got stuck at the door without any hope of entering inside!

In the end, either his method was wrong, or unsuitable!

He couldn't replicate one of the essential conditions that Gloriana easily managed to attain!

"I can't do it!" Ves lamented as he opened his eyes and stood up from the mat.

"Of course you can't, Ves. You're faithless! As long as you don't recognize how small you are, you won't be able to surrender yourself to something greater! You've never prayed to something in your entire life, right?"

"I'm a Brighter."

"Exactly. Do you think it's easy for you to be sincere in your prayer? Like most Hexers, I learned how to pay my respects to the six phases of existence when I was young! I received instructions from fellow followers who are much more devout than me! A layman like you can't comprehend the glory of praying with people who share the same beliefs!"

Ves sighed and lowered his head in defeat. "You're right. It was disrespectful for me to look down on your prayers."

In the end, he gave up on trying to imitate her achievements in meditation.

They were two completely different people in this regard. Gloriana's faith made her exceptionally suitable to rely on this method to accelerate her spiritual energy recovery.

As for Ves, he already benefited hugely from his Grand Dynamo. While he was essentially relying on an external object to address one of his shortcomings, the Grand Dynamo was simply too potent!

His spiritual energy recovered so fast that Ves did not have a very strong desire to develop an alternative means of speeding it up. At most, he would develop a backup solution in the event the Grand Dynamo stopped working for some reason!

With all of the work that Ves had to do, exploring this direction was a very low priority.

"Cheer up, Ves." Gloriana soothingly patted his back. "I can keep up with you to an extent! This is just the start! I'll definitely improve in the future!"

Both of them exited the office after a few hours. Strangely, Ves looked a little down while Gloriana appeared more energetic!

It was a complete reversal from before!

The pleasure exuded by Gloriana was so strong that she partially managed to overcome her mental exhaustion!

Chapter 1675 Hexagon

Gloriana benefited immensely from meditation.

The main advantage was that she could reduce her low period by accelerating her spiritual energy recovery.

However, Ves discovered that meditation conveyed another advantage.

For a few hours after a successful prayer session, she entered a clear-minded state where she was a lot more attentive and certain than before!

While her mental exhaustion continued to drag down her mood, the short-term benefits she gained from her prayer session was enough to mitigate her negative state!

This meant that she was able to work a lot more closer to normal than Ves anticipated!

While she was still lacking in creativity and imagination, she at least managed to restore some of her passion!

That was enough to make their collaborations more pleasant. There was nothing worse to Ves than working alongside a mech designer who wasn't as passionate as him in developing mechs!?

Fortunately, Gloriana's method successfully prevented this potential conflict and allowed them to work more harmoniously.

Of course, Gloriana was also self-conscious enough to let Ves take the lead. Right now, they still needed to pool their strengths together to make the Deliverer design more flawless and complete.

While Ves could easily complete the Deliverer design by himself, the lack of synergies would make the design a lot less potent than he initially envisioned.

Since the Deliverer was his most important statement of the year, Ves wanted to make his passion project as successful as possible!

He cared so much about this project that he unconsciously adopted some of Gloriana's perfectionist tendencies!

"The Deliverer has to be able to end the Sand War in one fell swoop!"

This was his ultimate ambition. As long as he could borrow Gloriana's strength, he possessed a lot of confidence that he could fulfill his vision!

Unfortunately, Gloriana wasn't able to persist in her temporary state for long. After two or three hours of intensive work, the boost of energy she gained from completing a prayer session had faded.

This turned her into a lethargic work partner. Everytime they tried to do something together, Ves felt as if Gloriana was dragging his heels.

Neither of them liked to collaborate in this awful fashion.

"I'll go supervise the testing of the Adonis Colossus." She suggested with a tired smile. "I'm clearly not fit to add anything to the Deliverer design in this condition."

Ves raised his hand and patted her head. "Don't look so down. You're in a much better condition than I used to be when I exhausted myself."

"Is there a way to avoid this state entirely?" She asked. "Don't think I haven't noticed what you are doing with those so-called P-stones of yours. They're repositories of energy, right? Can't you just give me one of those exotics and teach me how to deposit some of my energy into it? As long as I have a battery on hand, I don't have to exhaust myself again!"

Her suggestion surprised him a bit. Though he hadn't hidden what he was doing with his P-stones, he didn't exactly explain much either. For her to figure out the potential uses of the P-stone was pretty clever!

While Ves wanted to keep his P-stones to himself in order to accumulate as much excess spiritual energy as possible, he already gathered more than he needed for most applications.

Diverting a single P-stone for Gloriana's use brought him a lot more benefits than increasing his already-abundant reserves.

"That's a good idea." He responded. "Only, we'll have to wait until you return to your peak condition. You're in no state to build up a reserve when you still have to take care of yourself."

"I understand. While the energy you're manipulating is very divine in nature, it still obeys some conventional rules! We can still treat it like regular energy in some ways!"

This was the engineer in her speaking. Ves approved. She needed to develop the mindset that she could comprehend and control spiritual energy in order to make active use of it. Even if she wasn't as talented as him in manipulating it, he still wanted her to develop more tools.

The more tricks she mastered, the more she elevated their collaborative design projects!

Helping Gloriana was like helping himself. Since his own interests were at stake, Ves did not mind lending her a hand!

Of course, he wasn't willing to sacrifice his own growth for hers. He also didn't want her to grow too fast. It would be a tragedy for him as a man if Gloriana advanced to Senior first!

"By the way, Ves, we haven't properly talked about your third eye yet." She pointed at the head of the Deliverer projected by the terminal.

"You didn't object to it, right?"

She nodded. "My opinion hasn't changed. I think it's a fine way to express the strength of your design philosophy. I like how it's more than just a simple ornament. I'm curious how the market will perceive the variable glow and vapor of this third eye. I hope they recognize its mystical nature!"

"Likely, only religious states such as the Ylvaine Protectorate will see something more in the third eye." Ves shrugged. "As for the Bright Republic, I know my home state well enough that consumers will dismiss it as a flashy but meaningless component."

It didn't really matter to Ves. Regardless of consumer attitude, the third eye was still distinctive enough to serve as his signature look. That was the most basic function it was supposed to fulfill.

Anything else was extra. That the more faith-minded people interpreted the third eye in a different way was not his concern.

Making the third eye reactive to the X-Factor and the connection between the mech and mech pilot was just a creative exercise to him. He would only explain its true significance to his Avatars and most trusted mech pilots.

"I think it's time I develop my own signature look as well." She spoke. "I've been holding it off because I usually like to customize every aspect to the needs of my customer, which makes it difficult for me to add a universal element to my products."

"Will this be a problem?"

"I don't want to be left out on this! How can I take credit for collaborating on a mech design when only you add your signature look to your products?! It will give consumers the mistaken impression that I'm only a contributing designer instead of a lead designer!"

Only the lead designers had the right to add their signature looks to their mechs. This was a long-standing unofficial custom in the mech industry.

A mech design represented the design direction of the lead designer. They held the ultimate decision on what to add to a mech design.

As for contributors, while their input was certainly valued, they didn't have the power to impose their own views on the design. It was inappropriate for them to add their own signature looks to a mech which only represented a small portion of their style.

"What signature look have you settled upon? Did you come up with it recently?"

"It's something I've thought about long ago." She smiled. "You don't have to be afraid that I came up with a feeble idea during my low period. I only adapted it when I found out that you settled on a third eye."

She didn't explain any further, but instead stepped to the terminal and loaded up a predesigned addition from the databanks.

Under her efforts, the head of the Deliverer design underwent a cosmetic alteration!

Ves saw that some glowing lines surrounded the third eye placed in the forehead of the mech. They formed an elegant hexagon made out of the same crystal material as the third eye!

The hexagon possessed many strange associations. Surrounding his third eye with a hexagon added an occult quality to the mech!

He became speechless for a moment. For Gloriana to adapt her signature look with his own was a very powerful statement!

How could he not be blind to the meanings of her hexagon?

To make her signature look complimentary to his own conveyed the meaning that they were destined to work together! Their signatures wouldn't look nearly as complete if one of them was missing on their mech designs!

The hexagon shape was also a deliberate choice on her part. It expressed her identity as a Hexer and her devotion to hexism!

While the hexagon was just a curious geometric shape in most parts of the galaxy, it conveyed a very different meaning in the Komodo Star Sector.

Every hexagon was inescapably associated with the Hexadric Hegemony!

Adding a hexagon to a mech was therefore very polarizing! Not a lot of people liked the Hexers. Ves could be sure that if he assented to this addition, his products would probably repel a lot of customers!

"Are you sure about the hexagon?" He asked. "It's not really unique enough to turn it into a distinctive aspect of your brand."

A part of him wanted to dissuade her of adopting this controversial shape as her signature look.

"I'm very sure, Ves. You don't necessarily know this, but a hexagon is a common signature of Hexer mech designers. It's a way of asserting the common identity of our mechs as Hexer mechs!"

In other words, the hexagon surrendered the opportunity for a mech designer to develop a personal brand in order to join a shared Hexer brand!

"Isn't a hexagon too simple? It only consists of six lines."

"That isn't necessarily bad, Ves. It's easier to perfect something simple than to perfect something more complicated! The hexagon is already the most perfect geometric shape! I'm proud of adopting it as my signature look!"

He eventually decided to accept her signature look. While he wasn't exactly keen on reinforcing his association with Hexers, it was impossible to hide Gloriana's role in designing his mechs.

He might as well make the truth more clear to his consumers. This was what a transparent mech designer ought to do. Ves possessed enough principles to abide by it despite the substantial price he paid.

Ves had already retreated his intention to continue to serve the masses. He was much more passionate about designing niche, premium mechs which offered unequaled advantages!

Since he wasn't maximizing his sales, he didn't feel much pain in reducing the demand of his products yet again.

He was confident that the unique strengths of his products was enough to attract enough demand to run a profitable business!

If not, he could always step out of his comfort zone and design a mech for the masses.

Sometimes, it wasn't necessarily good for a mech designer to pursue passion projects all the time. Without keeping in touch with consumer demand, they would eventually grow out of touch with the mech market.

Ves couldn't afford to diverge his vision too far. However, he did not wish to compromise too much just so that he could earn a lot of money.

His progression mattered more than his wealth!

However, he didn't forget that wealth was still extremely important to him! Not only did he need enough money to sustain his growing organization, he also needed to accumulate enough money to form his expeditionary fleet!

Ves therefore fell into a difficult position where he needed to balance out his passion and his practical needs.

Fortunately, he still had some years to go before he needed to leave the star sector.

Gloriana was very happy when Ves accepted her hexagon. She was aware that the hexagon would not be well-received in states like the Bright Republic.

However, the hexagon was too significant for her to ignore. Her strong prayer sessions already demonstrated how devoted she was to her beliefs!

Perhaps allowing Gloriana to add hexagons to their mech designs would improve the efficacy of her prayer sessions.

Certainly, her happiness already boosted her mood!

Ves to set aside his worries. Making her happy was already a reward in itself!

Chapter 1676 Lower Surprise

The prototype of the Adonis Colossus stood silently in the workshop attached to the LMC's spaceborn testing grounds.

Due to the sandman fleet that continued to play hide and seek with the Light Hounds, it wasn't entirely safe to test mechs in space.

This was because the testing ground in space was situated right besides an asteroid belt!

With too many Living Sentinels diverted to the frontlines and the system defense force, there weren't enough mechs to protect this facility.

For this reason, the prototype testing had to take place on land and in closer orbit of the planet. While this was a little inconvenient, the Adonis Colossus was not a difficult mech to test.

Some of the most difficult and nuanced aspects of a mech was its mobility. It took a lot of complicated props to adequately test a mech's mobility, especially under fire.

Fortunately, the hybrid mech was basically a sledgehammer in mech design. It possessed a high degree of firepower and defense and sacrificed a considerable amount of mobility to gain these advantages.

The piloting requirements of such a mech was lower as well. The mech pilot wouldn't have to devote too much attention on controlling the movements of the mech.

The basic role of the mech was to withstand a lot of damage and dish it out in return.

It also had to look good while doing that. The ostentatiously masculine appearance of the mech all met the needs of the client.

Ves stepped forward while Lucky lazily hung on his shoulder.

"Meow."

"I know. This is definitely one of the more tasteless mechs I've designed."

The belt-like codpiece that Gloriana designed may have saved some of their dignity, but it was still an attention-grabbing feature.

The muscle definition that defined the mech's front torso enhanced the mech's pronounced masculinity.

In fact, Ves had a sense that the masculinity of the mech was so exaggerated that it inspired ridicule instead of admiration.

Of course, Ves and Gloriana made sure not to make this aspect too obvious. The client had to be happy with the product, after all. He felt no guilt at all in deceiving a bastard like Vincent.

Gloriana walked up next to him while cradling Clixie. "This mech will be much more impressive once we build the final version. I can't wait to see our client's response!"

In order to make the first fabrication attempt as significant as possible, Gloriana insisted on letting others fabricate the prototype.

Even though Ves and Gloriana both identified a number of production flaws, they weren't significant enough to impact the test results.

It was still a bit uncomfortable to them. Gloriana especially had to rein in her compulsion to pick up some tools and fix the most obvious faults!

Ves reached out with his spiritual senses to explore its inherent spiritual foundation.

Without a design spirit, the System would probably grade the X-factor of the mech as C++ or something.

Due to his research direction, Ves came to rely on external spiritual entities to power up his mechs.

This made him neglect the spiritual foundation, which was an inherent quality of any of his products. It was part of their own strength, which meant that removing the design spirit from its position would not leave his mechs completely lifeless.

Of course, this was not the primary role of the spiritual foundation. It's main purpose was to facilitate the connection between the design spirit and the mech designs. If the spiritual foundation was weak or incompatible, the design spirit wouldn't be able to maintain a strong connection.

While Ves hadn't substantiated some of these guesses yet, he was pretty sure about his judgement.

Up until today, Ves still didn't fully know the rules governing design spirits and spiritual foundation.

That didn't stop him from fumbling around and taking advantage of his new discoveries. If he wasn't daring enough to experiment with design spirits, how could he have made so many achievements?

Therefore, despite the fact that relying on external design spirits was rather troublesome, Ves did not give up on his current direction. The most he would do was to nudge it in different directions to increase his versatility.

After he finished his inspection, he retracted his spiritual senses and evaluated the prototype on its technical merits.

By now, the prototype had already accumulated some signs of wear and tear due to being subjected to some intensive tests.

"It's a shame that this prototype is so expensive." Ves winced a bit. "Even if we can recycle most materials, some of the exotics will still lose their potency."

The Adonis Colossus cost as much as twenty Desolate Soldiers! The quality and specs of the custom mech was incomparable to the budget mechs.

Of course, that didn't mean the Adonis Colossus possessed the power to crush twenty mechs. It could only defeat a couple of mechs at a time.

"Miaow!"

"Hm?" Gloriana looked down on her pet, who squirmed from her grasp and headed for the exit of the testing ground.

"Meow!"

Lucky followed suit and padded after the organic cat!

"Don't mind them, Gloriana. Clixie is disgusted at the mech."

She frowned. "How so?"

"She says it carries the scent of a deplorable person."

"Oh. Well, it's true."

Clixie was no ordinary pet. Ves did not underestimate the ability of the Rubarthans to develop an exotic breed. It was just that Clixie always acted like a proud and spoiled housecat in their presence.

Ves was very curious what a Rubarthan Sentinel Cat was capable of. For this breed of designer pet to become the favored companions of little girls in the New Rubarth Empire, it was probably capable of killing assassins!

He found it rather strange that Clixie stated that the prototype of the Adonis Colossus carried a foul scent. As far as he knew, Clixie did not possess the same type of nose as Nitaa.

Did she possess spiritual potential?

No. Ves played with Clixie often enough to detect that she lacked this quality. She was just a sentient cat.

The two spent some time on inspecting the integrity of the mech. They paid particular attention to the armor plating and the weapon systems. Vincent would have to rely on both of them to fight the sandmen.

Fortunately, their inspections matched the earlier scans. The mech did not show any signs of premature failure due to faults in the design.

Delivering a defective product was a big taboo in the mech community! This was especially so for custom mechs!

"There's something missing on this mech." Gloriana frowned in thought. "Ah! It's missing our signature looks! Without them, this mech doesn't fully express our identity!"

"Uhh.. I don't think Vincent appreciates our signature looks."

"Why not, Ves?"

"Vincent is a client who is very particular about the image his mech conveys. Adding a third eye to the Adonis Colossus has the potential to ruin its masculine appearance. It might instead make it look like a freak! As for the hexagon, I don't think Vincent will appreciate a brand that is highly associated with Hexers on his mech."

Gloriana innocently blinked. "I don't see the problem."

"It directly clashes against his preferences! Do you know how he would feel if his proud, masculine mech carries the mark associated with female supremacists?"

Ves was sure that Vincent would blow up as soon as he saw the hexagon!

"I can't stand leaving out our symbols! I still want to add them to the Adonis Colossus! Our signature looks are meant to promote our product identities starting from the new generation! Making an exception right away is extremely grating!"

After a quick discussion, they decided to compromise.

"Let's add our signature looks to the mech in a way that isn't immediately obvious." Ves eventually suggested. "We can place it in the cockpit or place our marks on the back of the mech."

Gloriana grinned. "I have a better idea!"

She activated her comm and activated a design program before loading in a schematic of the design. She temporarily peeled off the broad V-shaped codpiece from the mech and began to add his third eye and her hexagon at a very sensitive spot!

"This.." Ves was speechless.

Once she tweaked the placement and size of the additions, she added back the codpiece which covered them from view!

"I call this the lower surprise!"

Ves scratched his smooth-shaven skin in shock. "Gloriana... your humor is much more wicked than I thought!"

"Hihihi! I can have some fun too, you know!"

"Isn't this a violation of our responsibilities, though? If Vincent finds out that we added something extra to the lower portion of his mech, he will not be pleased."

"Relax, Ves. Few people should inspect our mech design in detail. In the schematics, the codpiece will conveniently block the addition of our signature looks."

"What if an enemy shoots the codpiece into pieces?"

Gloriana smirked. "If there is one thing I can say about boys like Vincent, it's that they would rather die than get shot in their lower parts!"

Surprisingly, Ves agreed with her assertion! He could very well imagine that Vincent would do anything to avoid getting his manhood shot!

Though it wasn't entirely proper to prank Vincent with this peculiar design change, Ves and Gloriana already bent some rules. It was no big deal to bend the rules some more.

The fact that Gloriana took the initiative to act playful at work was a sign of progress in his eyes.

He did not think it was a good idea for her to remain stiff and exacting in her work. Making her more flexible and adaptable like him was much more preferable.

"This mech is missing something else I think." Gloriana pressed her finger to her lips. "I just can't quite figure out what. I still haven't recovered yet, or else I would have been able to come up with an answer by now."

"This mech is still missing its most essential spiritual component."

"I know that, Ves, but there's something else about our work that doesn't seem right."

Ves puzzlingly looked up at the tall and expensive machine. As far as he knew, it did what it was supposed to do, and pretty well at that. While the custom mech was not as capable as the Transcendent Messenger or the Loquacious Raphael, it possessed its own strengths.

"I know!" She gasped! "A cape! A rich, red cape that conveys the full majesty of this mech! Isn't that what you added to Vincent's first custom mech?"

Ves grimaced. "Yes. I hoped that all of you would have forgotten about it, though. Adding fabric to a mech isn't exactly the best idea. It's especially foolish to do so when the mech is meant to withstand a lot of laser fire. The cape will surely end up in tatters by the time a battle is over!"

"I really think you should reconsider. Instead of adding a cape made out of fabric, why not make use of the Rescue Particle Generator that you like so much?"

That was actually a decent idea. Making a cape out of glowing red vapor particles would enhance the stature of the mech while preserving its dignity during battle. This was because as long as the additional module remained intact, the cape would not incur any damage!

Ves borrowed the active design suite projected by her comm and quickly added the particle generator. He tried to program the module to project various fluid red capes.

"The cape isn't big enough." Gloriana shook her head. "Don't forget that this mech is supposed to inspire the public. It won't be able to do that if the mech and its cape isn't distinguishable enough in wide-angle battle footage where there is a lot of clutter in view."

"How big do you want to make it, then?"

"Vincent is a very insecure boy, so he needs an extra-large cape. How about this!"

She manipulated the interface and stretched out the cape to an exaggerated degree! It was so long that it partially made the Adonis Colossus look like a snake!

"It looks as if Vincent is overcompensating for something if he pilots this mech!"

"Exactly! According to my understanding of his personality, he should definitely love this addition!"

Chapter 1677 Crumbling Infrastructure

The Sand War escalated to a point where the Bright Republic's infrastructure constantly came under threat.

The pressure exerted by the sandman invaders hadn't faded at all after the CFA warfleet killed the sandman emperor and demolished the capital of the sandman empire.

Like bots following their programming to the very end, the sandman admirals constantly drove their fleets into human star systems and did not hesitate to fight unwinnable battles!

The lack of self-preservation exhibited by the remaining sandman leaders cast a very dreary cloud over the Bright Republic.

If they faced a human opponent like the Vesians, then the war would have ended by now. No one liked to wage war where the price was higher than the cost.

Only the sandmen, who did not appear to value their lives at all, were crazy enough to drive their race to extinction!

With the fall of several important resource-providing star systems in the Bright Republic, it became harder and harder to produce mechs and high-quality war materiel.

Critical exotics which many mech models depended on suddenly came in short supply.

The Mech Corps requisitioned many of the remaining sources of exotics, thereby squeezing out the private sector in order to meet their own needs.

Not a single mech company could offer an objection. The Mech Corps had to be reinforced with mechs and supplies above all else!

Most of the production facilities that used to mass produce mechs had already started transitioning to producing starfighters and lesser goods.

Unlike military mechs, the starfighters were deliberately designed to incorporate as little exotics as possible.

A lot of star systems were capable of supplying large amounts of common metals such as titanium, palladium and transuranic alloys.

It was just that the exploitation of these common materials had always been enough to meet the daily needs of consumers and producers of the Bright Republic.

Now that the production of starfighters became a priority, many mining companies explosively expanded their operations.

Even the LMC received the offer to produce starfighters, though so far Ves rejected it because there was still enough demand for his Soldier mechs.

"While it's not economical anymore to produce your Soldier mechs at the Mech Nursery, that isn't the case for our newly-built manufacturing complexes in Bentheim." Raymond Billingsley-Larkinson reported. "Even if we are pretty much breaking even, the Bright Republic will never have enough Desolate Soldiers, Prideful Soldiers and Peaceful Soldiers."

"How much control do we have over our assets in Bentheim?" Ves frowned. "I'm not there, after all. I'm worried if someone harbors some ideas."

"Don't worry. We've already transferred a lot of personnel from Cloudy Curtain to Bentheim. Their loyalty to the LMC is still strong. I decided to transfer Calsie to our branch office to ensure the branch managers are kept in check."

"That's a good decision. I have faith in Calsie's loyalty. What about the security issues?"

"Due to the war, we haven't been able to transfer a sufficient amount of Living Sentinels to cover the full security needs of the new complexes. However, the risk of attacks should be very low because martial law has recently come into effect."

"What?!" Ves raised his head. "That will definitely impact the local economy!"

"Bentheim is already suffering from the drop in trade and production. Life can't go back to normal unless the sandmen stop flooding the Bentheim System with their fleets!"

Ves did not dare to underestimate the impact of these changes. Bentheim loomed so large over everyone's heads that even a minor shift was enough to stir the rest of the Bright Republic!

"What about the Holy Soldiers?" He asked, wanting to shift the topic away from his home state.

"The production of Holy Soldiers is fully in the hands of the Ylvainans. There are already enough of the mechs to meet their needs, so the Protectorate is simply stockpiling our mechs in preparation for a long slog."

"I see."

Though the Ylvainans exhibited a lot of appreciation for his Holy Soldiers, they weren't irrational enough to neglect their other needs. Defeating the sandmen came first. Indulging in their spiritual needs came second.

Raymond patiently explained the LMC's position in every significant mech market.

"The Reinald Republic is surprisingly holding on, though it has already lost half of its territory."

"Oh?" Ves raised his eyebrow. "How have they managed to persist?"

"What is left of the Reinaldan leaders have made huge concessions to the Vesia Kingdom and other states. While we aren't privy to the exact details of their deals, it's possible Reinald has already been carved up by its neighbors!"

"Good riddance." Ves sneered.

Whatever was happening in Reinald, the influx of foreign reinforcements from as far as the Sentinel Kingdom managed to stabilize the dire situation, if only barely.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this briefing was that the production of LMC mechs by third-party manufacturers would soon come to an end.

"The sandmen continue to disrupt the supply of raw materials." Raymond concluded. "Even the states that aren't under attack have already reduced their exports in order to meet their own needs. Aside from the few states that are a little short on Desolate Soldiers and Prideful Soldiers such as the Vesia Kingdom, we have already sold enough mechs to satisfy the most acute demand for our products."

The LMC had quickly sold over a million mechs in just half a year!

This was a stellar accomplishment that was enough to enshrine a mech company! If not for the Sand War, Ves was tempted to hold a formal celebration.

As it was, the survival of the LMC in the Bright Republic couldn't be guaranteed at this point.

"Is there anything else that needs to be brought to my attention?"

"Aside from the usual friction with the government, no." Raymond replied.

"What about the Light Hounds. Are they still sniffing around in the local asteroid belt?"

"We haven't been able to gain any intelligence concerning their activities, including how much progress they made in hunting down the hiding sandmen."

The continued presence of two-thousand military mechs in the Cloudy Curtain System continued to worry Ves. Why were they taking so long to root out the hiding sandman admirals?

Though the rest of the locals celebrated such a strong military presence, Ves wanted the mech regiment to return to Bentheim as soon as possible.

"If that's all, I'll be heading down to my workshop. The time has come to finish my commission."

"To be honest, Ves, the war has progressed faster than any of us expected. The former members of the BLM are already fighting hard for their homes. The role of an individual celebrity is extremely limited."

"Regardless of that, I still have a job to complete."

Not only the Adonis Colossus, but also the Deliverer might arrive too late to fulfill its function.

Ves couldn't help it. Designing a mech required time. While he wasn't insensitive to the need for haste, he deeply objected to breaking his principles in order to rush his mech design.

At its current state, the Deliverer would only perform seventy to eight percent as well as Ves desired.

While that was already enough to make a critical difference in the war, Ves did not wish to publish a flawed and incomplete mech design in his name!

Of course, when the fate of the entire Bright Republic might be at stake, his decision weighed increasingly heavier on his heart.

He shook his head. "Maybe I'm being too conceited here. How can a single mech design change the entire course of the war? I was already lucky enough with the Desolate Soldier."

While the news from the front sounded bad, the Bright Republic was still hanging on for now.

When he reached the lab and workshop floor, everything had been prepared for the upcoming fabrication session.

The LMC had already disassembled the prototype of the Adonis Colossus and recycled all of the materials.

While it was more convenient to keep the parts of the prototype intact, Ves and Gloriana never considered such a lazy option.

To them, the custom mech had to be built from the ground up in one single session. This was what a custom mech deserved, especially one with a high price tag.

Gloriana already awaited him at the workshop. During this time, she meditated at least twice a day, accelerating her recovery to the point where she was already halfway towards returning to her peak.

"Ves." She greeted him while holding Clixie. "I'm just waiting for the right time to pay my respects. You go do your things in the meantime."

"Alright. Let's make sure to get everything done within the next few days."

The Adonis Colossus was a hefty and expensive mech. Its sheer complexity meant that Ves had to put all of his Assembly Skills to use in order to get it right the first time.

It was very inconvenient for them to attempt a second fabrication attempt if they somehow botched the first one. Due to the scarcity of some high-value exotics, it wasn't possible to buy more batches from the open market.

As Gloriana locked herself in an empty office in order to pray to her altar in private, Vincent and his media personnel entered the workshop as well.

"Ves! Why did your security block my buddies?! I promised to let them watch!"

"The workshop is a sensitive area to the LMC. I have already made a huge concession by allowing you and some of your media crew to witness our work."

This was something that Vincent had insisted upon from the start. While some mech designers were very reluctant to broadcast their work on the galactic net, Ves had no such scruples.

With his ability, Ves wasn't too worried about botching something up and embarrassing himself in the process. In fact, he saw this as an opportunity to showcase his new strength.

Gloriana would be participating as well. Her performance would definitely impress knowledgeable observers, thereby enhancing her prestige in the industry.

The second reason why he did not object to broadcasting the fabrication process was to show that he wasn't secretly messing with his mechs.

Due to the continued questions surrounding the glows of his mechs, Ves wanted to make it very clear that his mechs were still mechanical machines at heart.

Every observer would be able to watch him turn raw materials into mech parts. After that, Ves would assemble them together into a single machine in a single, continuous session.

Once everyone saw that Ves wasn't inserting any bones in his mechs or blessing it with holy water or something, their suspicions would definitely be allayed somewhat.

While this problem wasn't particularly pressing at the moment, it was best to nip it in the bud before it had time to bloom.

"So.. about my mech. Is it manly enough?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?"

Ves activated a nearby terminal and showed off the final iteration of the Adonis Colossus. The large hybrid mech instantly caused Vincent to fall into silence.

Different from last time, Ves had finally instilled his design with its design spirit!

With Bravo empowering the design, it instantly radiated a charm that completely conformed to its spiritual foundation!

This high degree of fit resulted in a strong external glow that completely managed to charm Vincent despite the limitations of projections!

"This.. I can't wait to touch this mech!"

"I'm glad our work is to your satisfaction." Ves smiled.

Even as he casually chatted with Vincent, his fingers already moved over the terminal in order to shut off the projection.

He did not wish to give Vincent an opportunity to quibble over the codpiece or demand last-minute changes.

In truth, Ves had already taken advantage of the flashiness of the Adonis Colossus in order to divert Vincent away from any possible complaints.

Once Ves completed the commission, he didn't have to worry about these demands anymore!

After an hour of waiting, Gloriana finally emerged from her meditation. "Let's begin!"

Chapter 1678 Work Division

Fabricating the Adonis Colossus was different in many ways.

It was the first new generation mech that Ves and Gloriana designed. It would also be the first new generation mech that they planned to craft by hand.

The Adonis Colossus carried a special meaning to Gloriana. It was the first true custom mech that she designed from the ground up with Ves. This should have been a joyful occasion.

Instead, part of her mood was ruined by the lingering mental exhaustion that affected her brilliance to this day.

It would take at least two more weeks for her to return to her peak condition.

Ordinarily, she would rather delay the fabrication of the Adonis Colossus in order to make sure she produced the best mech.

Ves insisted on hurrying up, though.

On one hand, he always disliked the mech he designed. While he was still trying to be professional enough to do the best he could, the current state of the war didn't allow for any further delay.

In his heart, Ves did not believe that the Adonis Colossus would be able to shift the war as much as his Deliverer.

He just wanted to get this project out of the way so he could put his full attention on his true passion.

As soon as Gloriana emerged from her prayer, they immediately began to fabricate the parts.

They didn't have any second to waste. According to previous instances, Gloriana would only be able to maintain her boosted state for up to three hours.

This was the time where she could offer Ves the most assistance. After that, she required at least half a day of rest before she was ready to pray to her little altar once again.

As for why she refused to meditate right away, she simply shook her head and told him that it wasn't the right time.

Ves was pretty sure that Gloriana could constantly refresh her state of mind by meditating more often.

However, she insisted on sticking to the rules of hexism, and Ves had no way of convincing her to change her mind.

This was a matter of faith to Gloriana. Ves feared that forcing her to pray more often would make her unable to enter her special state of mind.

Therefore, they worked with a bit more haste than ideal.

Different from last time, Ves had already gotten used to Gloriana's high-quality 3D printer and other fabrication equipment. He had learned his lesson from last time and thoroughly practiced with them until he understood most of their core functions by heart.

He could leave the more complicated and obscure functions to Gloriana.

Ves took care of the bulk processes, as it was no problem for someone of his skill to produce large batches of bigger components.

Meanwhile, Gloriana focused on fabricating the parts that required a lot of finesse to create. It was easy to fail in recreating these critical components and subcomponents. Even Ves feared that he might botch some parts.

His girlfriend was a lot stronger in this aspect. Not only was she intimately familiar with the second-class production equipment she brought to the workshop, she also excelled in minimizing flaws.

Her only shortcoming was that her concentration and endurance was not as impressive. She lacked the extreme physical augmentations of Ves, and her deficit in spiritual energy exacerbated this weakness.

"Sorry, Ves." She slumped her shoulders in exhaustion. "This is all I can do for now."

"It's okay. We expected this, remember? Just sit back for now and supervise my work. I'm still capable of doing the heavy lifting."

While he missed her direct involvement, he had already accounted for her absence.

They had already formed the right plan to divide their workload. They even made the commitment to skip sleep until they completed the mech in the fastest time frame possible.

Ves had no problems staying awake for an entire week.

The same could not be said for Gloriana. She only managed to insist after taking special stimulants that kept her awake for some time.

Though she made a considerable sacrifice, the price was worth it. By staying completely awake, they managed to finish fabricating all of the parts in just over thirty hours!

While this was a bit longer than expected, neither of them could help it as the Adonis Colossus was just too big and complex. Both of these qualifiers already increased the burden of reproducing a physical copy. To put them together made it a lot more difficult to produce the mech in a timely fashion!

Of course, part of the reason why it took so much time was because Gloriana was being even crankier than usual when it came to the quality of the parts.

"You idiot!" She yelled at him and pointed at a structural component despite her low period. "Look at how far you've missed the mark! A deviation of 0.025 millimeters will surely weaken the structural integrity of the left arm of our mech! Go back to the 3D printer and make another copy!"

A lack of creativity and imagination hadn't affected her judgement of existing elements. So long as she didn't need to come up with something new or apply a lot of expertise, she was still able to act like a Journeyman!

After being pecked over and over again by his picky girlfriend, Ves finally managed to

"Are you happy now, Gloriana?"

"They're.. passable." She reluctantly replied. "Let's just move on to the next step."

They began to move to the assembly system and put the mech together starting from its internal frame.

Just as before, Ves performed most of the work while Gloriana supervised from behind.

Ves felt as if this division of work was just like how a pair of Hexers approached their jobs. The male Hexer performed all of the mule work while the female Hexer imperiously gave out instructions from above.

They couldn't help it, though. Gloriana was only able to work intensively for three hours at a time before needing to wait for an opportunity to meditate.

During the times when she was most active, she took up the most difficult tasks herself.

It was not as if Ves could perform those tasks just as well. They just wanted to maximize their strengths and minimize any potential waste. Letting Gloriana use her limited time and energy on simple jobs would not make much of a difference to the end product.

While they worked, their cooperation became a bit more harmonious. Vincent Ricklin and his crew observed the pair working together with quiet fascination while their recorder bots broadcasted the entire session without stop.

A mech pilot like Vincent was completely oblivious to the technical intricacies of making a mech. He could only judge the work by what he could observe, and so far he was very pleased with what he saw. The mech that was promised to him started to become more and more real!

At this point, neither Ves nor Gloriana paid Vincent and the public broadcast any attention. They didn't know how many people were observing their work, and they didn't care. They were too consumed in putting the Adonis Colossus together!

Unfortunately, Ves and Gloriana mostly performed their work with high concentration and dedication.

While that was enough to ensure a good outcome, it was difficult to go any further.

Both of them knew that they lacked the inspiration and serendipity to enter into an exceptional state.

As the Adonis Colossus started to take shape, they could already judge that it wasn't possible for it to become a masterwork mech.

Gloriana looked disappointed. "It's a pity."

"We have many more attempts." He patted her back. "Don't get too hung up over a single miss. We still have a lot to go before we are worthy to create a masterwork mech."

"I just feel so regretful that we have to hurry up. I really had a lot of hopes for this mech."

Ves didn't agree, but he didn't voice his doubts at the moment.

They resumed the assembly work.

One unexpected difficulty was the need to apply their signature looks to the mech without the observers getting the wiser. Obviously, affixing a hexagon onto the most masculine part of the mech was a very controversial move!

"We can just apply it on the inside of the codpiece first." Gloriana suggested.

"Good idea."

It wasn't possible to hide what they were doing when they were working on the frame of the mech. However, it was easy enough to assemble the codpiece components while making sure to keep the inside parts hidden from view.

Once they applied the codpiece with its hidden additions onto the frame, they successfully managed to overcome this hurdle.

As the mech neared completion, its glow became more and more evident. The X-Factor of a mech corresponded closely to how well it conformed to the design.

It was possible to modify and alter a finished mech over time while allowing its individual glow to adapt to the changes. Every form of life experienced some changes in its growth.

However, the starting point still had to conform to the original design. This meant that while the glow wasn't very evident when the mech was still made up of an internal frame, once it began to incorporate more parts, the glow started to become more evident.

Ves and Gloriana were very close to the Adonis Colossus, so they experienced the strength of its glow first.

"It's still pure." Ves smiled.

This was a deliberate choice on his part. For mass market mechs, it wasn't appropriate to expose a newborn spiritual product to thousands of mech pilots.

It was different for custom mechs. Ves wanted to experiment with pairing newborn spiritual products with a single mech pilot.

As long as the two developed a bond, the spiritual product would grow up by taking the mech pilot as its parent. The bond between the two would doublessly become a lot more intimate than usual!

In fact, Ves could have checked up on Lady Miralix Laterna and her Kinslayer in order to see how Vescas, its design spirit, had progressed.

However, due to the turbulence in the star sector, news of her was very hard to get, especially after she joined the military of the Sentinel Kingdom.

Switching his observation to Vincent and the Adonis Colossus was a lot more convenient. Since Vincent made a lot of media appearances, Ves would be able to observe how his mech fared. The increased proximity also facilitated frequent exchanges.

The masculinity radiated by Bravo impressed Ves quite a bit. It was a bit more coherent and stable than the glow of his soldier mechs at the start. Gloriana's intervention gave the design spirit a much stronger starting foundation.

With fewer flaws and imperfections, Bravo's glow immediately impressed the people observing the fabrication attempt.

Vincent, the bodyguards, the Tovar mech designers and even the observers watching the live feed of the fabrication process became impressed by what they felt!

Even if none of their sensors detected any radiation affecting their physiology, their emotions nonetheless became affected!

Of course, the live feed could only convey so much majesty. The one who really felt the impact was Vincent!

The moment Bravo's glow reached a certain level of strength, it already started to reach out towards Vincent.

Their mutual attributes attracted them together like nothing else!

"This mech.. is made for me!" He uttered breathlessly.

Before Vincent even stepped into the cockpit, the mech and design spirit already started feeling each other out. While this was just a surface interaction, the impact on Vincent and Bravo was already profound!

Vincent had never faced a mech as masculine as the Adonis Colossus. Even if other mech designers managed to make a more manly mech in appearance, only the mech in front of him was qualified to become his steed!

"I will be invincible once I pilot this mech!"

This was what his hindbrain told him! Whether it was correct or not remained to be seen.

Chapter 1679 Well-Equipped Mech

After a bit over two days of continuous work, Ves and Gloriana managed to complete the Adonis Colossus without encountering any significant setbacks.

They easily handled all of the complications and other problems that occurred during the fabrication process. This was in part due to their excellent skill and intolerance for imperfections.

By performing a thorough job from the start, all of the subsequent steps proceeded smoothly. Potentially catastrophic incidents never had a chance to occur because the pair of mech designers were simply too meticulous to allow them to break out.

Right now, Gloriana had stepped back due to her accumulated exhaustion.

She was tired to the bone. Not only did she exert herself mentally, but also physically. Though she managed to suppress her sleep through the use of stimulants, the fabrication of a complicated custom mech expended a lot of energy.

To Ves, it was as if she overdrafted some of her creative juices.

It was unavoidable for Gloriana to draw upon her imagination as she performed her work. To create an excellent mech, she needed to do more than rote fabrication and assembly.

Otherwise, they might as well leave the production of the mech to the Manufacturing Department of the LMC!

As Ves added the final touches to the Adonis Colossus, the mech was finally complete.

He stepped back and admired the huge mech with a touch of pride.

Regardless of his feelings towards its design, every product he designed and fashioned out of his own hands was a mark of pride.

As he continued to observe his finished mech, a grand feeling overcame his mind and spirituality. His design seed seethed with satisfaction as he managed to realize one of his creations.

This was why he designed mechs! As a creator, making something new brought him a lot of satisfaction!

Even Gloriana basked in their accomplishment. While Ves did most of the work this time, she was constantly involved in one way or another.

It was just a pity that her limitations prevented her from exerting her full ability. She would have been able to contribute much more substantially to the fabrication process.

"If only I was better." She sighed once her satisfaction made way for remorse. "We could have elevated the quality of this mech if I was fully involved."

Ves shrugged. "I'm not sure about that. It's too difficult to make a masterwork mech. I don't think this mech provided us with the right window of opportunity."

"Ves!" She growled and slapped his arm. "I thought you were better than that!"

He knew he wasn't entirely accommodating towards her, but the sight of the codpiece quickly soured his mood.

After swearing off on codpieces, he somehow designed and made another mech that possessed the same ornament!

Even though Gloriana managed to adapt it into a more inoffensive shape, it didn't shake off the impression that the mech definitely had something to hide in the lower waist!

Most mechs did not place much emphasis on the design of the pelvis section. While mech designers did not neglect this critical section which connected the torso to the legs of a mech, they never thought about making it more pronounced.

There was no practical reason to do so! For Ves to add a belt-like codpiece to the mech would definitely make people form some improper thoughts.

If this protective peace was the only masculine element of the mech, then Ves could still get away with claiming that it was just a form of reinforcement.

However, the muscle definition on the front torso of the mech made it more than clear that every aspect about the mech was meant to enhance its manliness!

Mechs ordinarily did not convey a specific gender. Most ended up shaped like a man because that was the most efficient form to fit all of the components of a mech.

However, that did not mean that mech designers explicitly assigned a gender to their mechs.

It was as pointless as assigning genders to a data pad or a fork.

His mind hadn't changed despite designing a mech that embodied manliness.

This was because the mech did not project pure masculinity. Instead, its glow possessed some very subtle undercurrents that expressed some of Ves and Gloriana's ridicule towards the theme of the mech.

As Ves threw a look at Vincent, the former rebel leader was already ecstatic about his mech!

"Perfect! It's perfect! This is my mech! No one else will ever pilot a more manly mech than mine! Hahahaha!"

That was Vincent's immaturity showing. He treated the Adonis Colossus like a vanity piece instead of a war instrument!

A more professional mech designer wouldn't be so taken in by the superfluous elements of a mech. Perhaps there was some merit to paying some attention to the glow of his mechs, but real soldiers never lost control over the appearance of a mech.

What truly mattered was what a mech was capable of.

The Adonis Colossus harkened back to the Caesar Augustus and Marc Antony in a vague fashion.

With the shoulder-mounted missile launchers, the Adonis Colossus could instantly output a large burst of explosive firepower.

While the capacity of the missile launchers wasn't impressive, they were fully capable of inflicting a lot of damage due to their potent if expensive warheads.

Of course, these missiles had to be rationed cautiously. If not for Vincent's importance, the government would never squander so many rare exotics to enhance the payload of the missile launchers.

Naturally, the missile launchers didn't protrude upwards. Ves and Gloriana cleverly recessed them towards the shoulders so that a frontal opponent wouldn't be able to snipe at them directly.

In case the Adonis Colossus faced an attack from the rear, the shoulder launchers could easily be detached from the mech. The missile launchers were also made of compressed alloys, which further enhanced its resilience against surprise attacks.

Ves did not trust Vincent to be competent enough to make the right decision. Investing in a more resilient pair of shoulder launchers should buy him some precious seconds.

The Adonis Colossus could accommodate any compatible missile type. However, considering the mech's relative weakness against distant opponents, Ves recommended Vincent to supply his mech with long-ranged missiles.

For medium-range encounters, Ves paired the Adonis Colossus with a Sandbreaker rifle.

The Avatars and Sentinels already adopted the Sandbreaker rifle by the hundreds. Ves already examined a physical copy in person.

"The Sandbreaker rifle doesn't really match the potential of the mech." He commented.

Gloriana frowned, though she did not refute his remark. "If Vincent didn't insist on pairing his mech with this rifle model, we would have had more leeway in pairing the mech with something better."

The Adonis Colossus was so expensive that it could easily adopt a more powerful weapon system. Why Vincent insisted on a rifle that was most commonly seen in the hands of budget mech was mystifying.

"The Sandbreaker weapon system isn't that bad, actually. Even if it's cheap and economic, it will at least allow Vincent to fire his weapon without any regard for cost."

As a medium-ranged weapon system, the Sandbreaker rifle already possessed many advantages while remaining affordable. Any alternate ballistic rifle models had to be much more powerful in order to exceed its effectiveness against the sandmen.

At this stage in the Sand War, many other mech designers and weapon developers developed similar weapon systems.

However, because they came afterwards, they failed to achieve the same degree of fame as the Sandbreaker rifle.

For this reason, Ves wasn't too disappointed with the weapon. A sloppy mech pilot like Vincent probably wouldn't be able to draw out the potential of more expensive weapons.

While the Sandbreaker performed best at medium range, it was no slouch in close range either. As long as the mech was able to bring the weapon to bear on an approaching enemy, it could still pose a threat.

The only problem was that all of the armor and other equipment on the mech reduced its mobility. This made the mech rather sluggish whenever it adjusted its aim.

A light skirmisher could easily circle around the mech to the point where the Adonis Colossus could no longer keep up with the movement!

For this reason, the nail drivers mounted at the wrists of the mech served as a last resort.

Due to the abundant budget of the project, Ves and Gloriana managed to integrate the weapon into the design and improve their power.

However, that did not detract from the fact that the mech could not supply a lot of ammunition nail drivers.

The power of a nail driver was limited due to the small size of the weapon system.

It was a lot better to affix compact laser cannons on the wrists. At the very least, the wrist-mounted laser weapons could draw its power from the internal energy supply of the mech.

The nail drivers lacked this convenience. The only way to provide ammunition was to load them into the weapon system and embed a small magazine into the wrist structure.

The physical limitations of this weapon system made it the worst ranged option of the mech by far.

At the very least, the shoulder-mounted missile launchers provided a lot of firepower at the press of a button. Vincent did not need to make any attempts to aim or tweak the parameters of the missiles. Ves made sure to integrate some automation into the Adonis Colossus so that Vincent could pay attention to the big picture.

While the Adonis Colossus possessed three ranged options, Ves and Gloriana added something else at Vincent's request.

A sword.

Although the Adonis Colossus looked big and strong, the truth was that it wasn't suitable to wield melee mechs at all!

The structure of the mech was incredibly inflexible. It didn't possess the full range of motion expected of a melee mech. This will surely lead to problems to an actual specialist in melee mechs.

Fortunately, no one believed that Vincent was a maestro in swordsmanship. His proven skill in melee combat was too unexceptional to feel constrained by the limitations of his new mech!

Therefore, Ves and Gloriana treated the sword sheathed next to the legs as a toy.

Of course, it was still a real, high-quality sword. Ves even called Ketis to inspect the design of the sword. With her expertise, she provided her with a number of useful suggestions.

Since the Adonis Colossus possessed little agility to begin with, Ves decided to go for power. The sword was as large as a broadsword in mech terms. Anything larger risked burdening the mech.

All four weapons provided the Adonis Colossus with a lot of solutions. While all of them possessed some flaws, pooling them all together partially made up for their shortcomings.

"Can I try out this mech?" Vincent asked.

"Not now." Gloriana shook her head. "Let's bring it into orbit and test its performance in a vacuum condition. Piloting the mech on land will put undue stress on the structure of this mech."

"It's no good on the ground?" Vincent frowned.

Ves sighed. "It's a mech that is primarily meant to fight the sandmen. Adapting the mech to aerial or landbound combat requires a lot of compromise. Since our commission never mentioned anything about deploying the mech on a planet, we've specialized the mech for spaceborn combat."

Vincent looked disappointed. It was as if he never imagined that his impressively manly mech was as weak as a kitten in planet-based environments!

In truth, the Adonis Colossus was still able to perform on land, but that was an enormous waste. Its performance would be so constrained on land that it made more sense to substitute it with a true landbound or aerial mech.

It was still capable of walking slowly across the ground, at least. The mech had to be able to function within the artificial gravity environment of a carrier. Ves also made sure it would be able to participate in any parades.

"Let's call in a transport and bring this mech up to space." Ves ordered.

He was curious how Vincent and Bravo would react when they connected to each other for the very first time!

Chapter 1680 Spiritual Trinity

Upon fabricating the Adonis Colossus, Ves and Gloriana moved it into space.

On one of the light carriers of the Living Sentinels, everyone waited for the first activation.

Due to the importance of this event, Ves and Gloriana did not leave anything to chance. They thoroughly inspected the mech to make sure that nothing would malfunction.

Their close proximity to the mech exposed them to the glow of the mech. When Ves designed the mech, he deliberately attempted to maximize its aura.

While the Devil Tiger was a mech that completely locked its extraordinary quality within its frame, the Adonis Colossus followed the opposite direction!

The mech was like a god shaped in the form of a metal humanoid!

Its glow and its visual design completely complimented each other. Bravo, the spiritual product that inhabited the design, embraced the Adonis Colossus as if they were two sides of the same coin!

The fit between design spirit and mech had reached such an unprecedentedly close degree that Ves had no idea what kind of power this mech possessed!

"And it's still not complete." He whispered.

He thought back on his original theory of the X-Factor. He theorized that it was the power gained from aligning three different entities together.

The mech, the mech designer and the mech pilot.

By pooling the strength of three entities together, Ves believed that the combination would be able to exert a level of strength that was far in excess to the sum of its parts!

Now, Ves had come closer to aligning these three elements together than ever before!

The starting point was Vincent Ricklin. The commission compelled Ves and Gloriana to design a mech that completely fit a single mech pilot.

They did so. If its spiritual components were left out, the Adonis Colossus already conformed to Vincent's requirements. The mech completely fit his personality and piloting style. From a technical and visual standpoint, the mech would only be able to exert its full strength in the hands of its destined mech pilot!

This was the essence of a custom mech. A mech designed from the ground up for a single mech pilot was much more compatible than a variant customized from a standard mech design.

Ves completely understood now why Gloriana showed disdain towards the Resentful Soldier.

They may have done a lot to customize the Resentful Soldier for Silent William, but its basic DNA couldn't be changed!

Ves acknowledged that there was a gap between the two. However, now that Ves completed the Adonis Colossus, he realized he underestimated the difference!

There was no comparison!

He realized what Gloriana aimed to perfect! Designing custom mechs like the Adonis Colossus brought her closer to an ideal where her works were elevated to gods!

Of course, the mech and the mech pilot were only two legs of a three-legged stool.

The design spirit acted like the glue that fit them together. It animated the mech and empowered the mech pilot. While its role was the most obscure, its existence transcended both the mech and mech pilot.

A new trinity formed in his mind. Aligning the mech, mech pilot and design spirit as one might result in something unprecedented in mech design!

Ves wasn't sure why he gained this impression. While he intended to design an impressively masculine mech, he hadn't fully taken into account what might happen if those three elements were closely aligned!

None of his mass market mechs could meet this standard. Mech models such as the Desolate Soldier were designed to be compatible with a wide variety of mech pilots. It was impossible for any single mech pilot to fit the Desolate Soldier perfectly.

So this strange form of spiritual trinity could only be achieved by custom mechs.

Not every custom mech would do, though.

The Transcendent Messenger was an entirely different type of custom mech. Calabast commissioned Ves to design a mech for six mech pilots.

While the elite Kronon mech pilots possessed a lot of similarities, they were ultimately different mech designers.

Back then, he also lacked Gloriana's assistance and expertise, so the Transcendent Messenger was very lacking in this area.

As for the Resentful Soldier, aside from being a variant, its design spirit was a combination of the Solemn Guardian mixed with Nyxie's mote of spirituality.

This meant that the design spirit was out of step with the mech pilot. After Ves performed spiritual surgery on William Urbesh's mind, the man from another star sector experienced a huge personality change.

No matter what had changed, Ves was very sure that his new personality was still very much different from the Resentful Soldier's design spirit!

Therefore, from a spiritual standpoint, the Resentful Soldier was an awful custom mech. Ves hadn't worked hard enough to create a good fit between the mech, mech pilot and design spirit.

"It was just that I was ignorant of this defect until now! Only when I have come face to face with something better do I realize how awful my previous works turned out!"

He was aware that Gloriana strongly impacted his views on custom mechs.

Just like her, Ves felt tempted to abandon mass market mechs in order to completely dedicate himself to designing custom mechs.

The Adonis Colossus he designed opened an entirely different path! As long as he pursued this option, he would doubtlessly be able to design an epoch-shattering custom mech!

"This mech is already potent despite being paired with a normal mech pilot. What if my subsequent products are paired with expert mechs? What if I eventually get to the point where I can design a god mech?"

A shudder ran through his spine.

Ves believed he could design the most powerful mech in reality as long as he continued to explore this direction!

However, he quickly shook his head in order to clear his mind. The insights he gained from finishing the Adonis Colossus had momentarily overwhelmed his composure.

"I have to remember who I am! I have my own ambition!"

He wanted to design mechs that came to life. Whether those mechs were standard mechs or custom mechs didn't matter. He didn't want to exclude certain types of mechs from his range.

Both types of mechs had their own charm. Ves was someone who was very adventurous and easily got bored if he worked on the same types of mechs all the time. Alternating between standard mechs and custom mechs was a good way to keep his passion alive.

As for the direction he just identified, Gloriana already followed a similar path. Ves did not intend to usurp her ambition.

If their design philosophies converged, they wouldn't be able to complement each other as well anymore. The point of collaboration was to cover each other's weaknesses with their strengths.

Gloriana was good in perfecting the physical design of a mech while Ves excelled in breathing life to machines.

As long as both of them stuck to their domains, they would continue to reap the benefits from their specialization.

Once he realized this, he no longer felt any urge to dedicate himself to designing custom mechs.

After half an hour of checks, the Adonis Colossus was finally ready to be activated for the very first time.

Vincent stepped up in a tight piloting suit that stretched so tightly over his body that his muscles were clear to see! His pants even showed a subtle bulge that stretched the rules of decency!

"How vulgar." Gloriana frowned and turned away.

Even Ves couldn't stand the sight. Vincent and the Adonis Colossus were two peas in a pod! Both of them wanted to show off their 'manhoods'!

Before he entered the cockpit, Vincent made a big show out of it. He held a boastful speech in front of his mech with his buddies clapping his back.

Ves wasn't sure how many people actually followed Vincent. Due to the intensifying war, few people had the time and leisure to indulge in watching entertainment.

"I've waited so long for this moment! Let my legend begin from this day!"

Like a hero mounting a great steed, Vincent hovered up to the chest and entered the cockpit.

Once Vincent disappeared from view, Ves activated a projection that streamed the interior of the cockpit.

Vincent didn't activate the mech immediately. He first took in its luxurious interior.

Just like with his other mechs, Ves had made a habit of decorating the interior of the cockpit with the theme of the mech.

The strength of his products depended significantly on how a mech pilot approached the mech.

Decorating the cockpit was a way of priming the mech pilot into adopting the right mindset.

Of course, not a lot was needed to align Vincent with the Adonis Colossus. The custom mech was already tailored for him, so strictly speaking Ves didn't need to decorate the cockpit.

He did so anyway. To boost Vincent's mood, Ves added many reliefs to the free space of the interior. He depicted all kinds of ancient mythical men such as Zeus, Heracles, Ares, Achilles and so on. All of these men exemplified a distinct aspect of masculinity.

Vincent became enamored by the sights. While he was never educated in the ancient classics, he had consumed enough entertainment to identify these timeless ancient gods and heroes.

"These are true men!" He grinned and gripped his fists. "As long as I have this mech, I'll be able to join their ranks one day!"

He no longer wanted to delay his satisfaction. The thought of becoming a hero was so tempting to Vincent that he interfaced with his mech without any further delay!

As a wireless connection formed between his head and the antenna built into the ceiling of the cockpit, his mind suddenly blanked out as he opened up an intimate connection.

Outside, Ves no longer observed the projection of the interior of the cockpit.

Instead, his senses and his vision had switched to an entirely different mode. He no longer perceived reality from his mundane senses.

Instead, he observed the spiritual interaction between Vincent, Bravo and the spiritual foundation of the Adonis Colossus.

Three different spiritual sources connected together. Immediately, Ves sensed some sort of strength emanating from the combination!

A spiritual pulse swept over the entire light carrier!

Everyone paused for a moment. No one knew what made them pause all of a sudden. Only certain people such as Gloriana and Nitaa suspected the truth.

She looked at him. "This is our first true custom mech. The Adonis Colossus is incomparable to any custom mech we have designed before. None of the custom mechs I've designed in the past has ever equaled this machine!"

That was a very high evaluation! In her entire career, she designed more than a dozen custom mechs for Hexers! All of those machines were incredibly expensive and a lot more powerful than the Adonis Colossus!

Yet the inexplicable charm of the Adonis Colossus forced her to acknowledge that all of her prior works were far too lacking!

The spiritual component customized for a single mech pilot was incredibly potent!

Even now, the glow of the Adonis Colossus seemed to amplify, as if it was resonating with Vincent!

The close alignment between all three elements had no other outlet than amplifying the mech's already-potent X-Factor!

"A god." One of Vincent's buddies whispered. "This mech is practically a god!"

Ves felt very mixed when he heard that. He never intended to create a god, but somehow his collaboration with Gloriana brought him one step closer to making one.

Of course, even if the Adonis Colossus gained an unexpected level of strength, it was still a mech in his eyes. True gods didn't exist in his opinion.

Now that the Adonis Colossus came online, Vincent soon gained control.

"Open the hatch!" Vincent broadcasted. "I want to experience the power of my new machine!"

As soon as the cargo bay hatch opened, the Adonis Colossus passed through the energy screen and flew out into space!

A majestic red cape made out of glowing vapor formed behind its back!

Chapter 1681 Handover

Each movement and action of the Adonis Colossus exuded a distinctive charm.

Ves had never seen anything like it. Only the Devil Tiger exhibited something similar, but the effect was only barely noticeable.

The Adonis Colossus was all about outward expression, so its extraordinary qualities were much more obvious.

This distinctive charm enhanced the mech's impression. It was extremely difficult to ignore the mech.

This effect was still notable when watching the mech through a live projection!

Just like all of his other mechs, viewing a projection of the Adonis Colossus inexplicably caused viewers to experience its glow!

The reason why Ves paid more attention to this aspect was that the high degree of alignment between the mech, mech pilot and design spirit amplified the glow!

As Ves closed his eyes and inspected the glow in detail, he found out that both its strength and its quality had risen.

"Interesting."

Compared to the relatively static glows of his Desolate Soldiers and other mechs, the Adonis Colossus exuded a spiritual presence that was much more alive.

"It radiates some of Vincent and Bravo's liveliness."

Of course, Bravo was still a newborn spiritual product. His first interactions with Vincent was barely enough for it to develop a distinct personality.

This meant that the Adonis Colossus was only at the start of its spiritual evolution. Its glow only reflected Vincent's liveliness so far.

So long as Bravo learned from Vincent and matured, it would eventually grow into a spiritual entity which was no less sophisticated than a living human being!

"The only downside is that it won't grow very much when paired with a single mech pilot." He realized.

Different from the Solemn Guardian, Bravo was only ever meant to interact with one mech pilot. This meant that it would only receive a miniscule amount of spiritual feedback.

Vincent alone was not enough to provide spiritual nourishment that could facilitate further growth!

However, by keeping Bravo exclusive to Vincent, the spiritual product would constantly align itself closer to its intended partner.

Through spiritual trinity, the shortcoming of lack of growth could be compensated by pursuing an alternate method of spiritual strengthening.

This latest insight prompted Ves to look at his mechs and design spirits in a different manner.

Design spirits dedicated to mass market mechs needed to maintain many different connections to accelerate their growth. They possessed their own personalities and pursued their own goals.

In contrast, design spirits created for custom mechs needed to find a different direction for growth. Instead of empowering themselves, it was much less resource-intensive to strengthen the spiritual trinity.

Achieving greater synergy and empowering the other two legs of the spiritual trinity was a way for the design spirit to overcome the lack of spiritual feedback.

While Bravo's growth was only in its initial stages, Ves already managed to deduce its future progression!

While this alternate method for growth sounded weaker, Ves did not dare to underestimate how far the combination could go! As long as Vincent, Bravo and the Adonis Colossus continued to grow in lockstep, the three might be able to become actual gods one day!

Ves smiled ruefully while he shaked his head. "How can such a thing be possible?"

All of the power he witnessed only concerned the spiritual properties of the mech.

Sometimes, this was enough to impact the course of a war, as his Soldier product line had amply demonstrated.

However, Ves had to be careful not to place too much emphasis on this aspect.

As much as he became enamoured by adding life to mechs, they still needed to perform their core functions.

The specs and technical performance of his mechs determined the actual value of his mech.

In that regard, the Adonis Colossus was not lacking in most areas. Aside from its low mobility, its armor and firepower were completely in line with its generous budget.

After a bit of playing and mindless flying, Vincent stopped fooling around. While he felt tempted to indulge himself in the wonderful feelings emanating from his mech, he still needed to get to grips with the combat power of his mech.

"Since I'm about to fight the sandmen, I'll start testing the weapons of my mech!"

Ves activated his comm and connected to the bridge of the light carrier.

"Release the target dummies. Make sure that they are oriented towards deep space."

The light carrier released a number of cheap bots of varying sizes. From human-sized bots to bots that were half the size of mechs, all of them were made of steel or other mundane materials.

While they were exceptionally weak against the armaments of the Adonis Colossus, it wasn't necessary to gather more precise combat data.

Ves merely wanted to see if Vincent was able to take advantage of his mech's automated targeting system.

In consideration for Vincent's lack of piloting acumen, Ves and Gloriana made sure to program a lot of automated routines into the mech.

As long as Vincent gained more proficiency in his mech, he could always deactivate these assistive programs.

Right now, the mech pilot harbored no intention of switching them off. He hardly needed to exert any effort to aim his Sandbreaker rifle at a distant target dummy!

"How handy!" He gasped with a delighted smile. "I'll be able to dominate the battlefield more easily than ever!"

Both Ves and Gloriana sighed.

A mech pilot that relied too much on automated systems would never improve. Vincent had become too dependent on crutches, thereby preventing him from developing his own skills.

Of course, Vincent developed this habit out of necessity. His frequent switches to different mech types prevented him from specializing in a single kind of mech.

The Adonis Colossus continued to showcase its might. After testing the Sandbreaker rifle, Vincent fired a full salvo of missiles that impacted twenty targets at once.

While the explosions weren't impressive, that was just because Ves had only loaded the missile launcher with practice munition.

The actual missile loadout was a lot more expensive! Even if Ves didn't have to worry about running out of money, he didn't want to waste any on Vincent's account.

Against closer targets, the Adonis Colossus freed up an arm and fired a number of nails that absolutely demolished the target dummies.

While the accuracy of the nail drivers were rather low, the mech's targeting system accurately compensated for their limitations!

Finally, the mech put its rifle aside in order to wield its backup sword.

The Adonis Colossus wielded the thick broadsword in a two-handed grip. The weapon somehow made the mech more masculine. The warrior image the mech exuded made it look like it was a warrior from an ancient legend!

Unfortunately, the mech's melee combat performance was much less effective than its appearance suggested.

It couldn't be helped. The Adonis Colossus was designed as a ranged weapon platform. Ves and Gloriana hadn't been able to optimize the musculature and the secondary systems of the mech for melee combat.

Due to the lack of accommodation, the mech swung its sword with a lot less grace, power and speed than specialized melee mechs.

Gloriana let out a grunt in disgust. "It's like seeing a child play with sticks. Vincent hardly knows anything about swordsmanship."

"You can't blame him." Ves responded. "Vincent spent most of his limited training time on improving his proficiency with ranged weapons. He's not an exceptional talent nor does he enjoy the augmentations that we take for granted. For a pure, baseline human, he still managed to become an adequate mech pilot."

Vincent's strange insistence on keeping himself pure held him back from improving more rapidly.

This insistence was out of lockstep with his peers.

As long as mech pilots wanted to shed their mediocrity and reach greater heights, they needed to improve their physical and mental attributes.

They would eventually come to learn that most successful people in society managed to improve themselves by resorting to implants and genetic modification.

Only by becoming less human would they be able to reach greater heights!

"Well, Vincent isn't bad in that regard." Gloriana admitted.

After the Adonis Colossus ceased to randomly swing its sword around, it began to fly around and stretch its illusionary red cape across the stars.

The mech made for an enchanting sight.

Overall, the Adonis Colossus was a success. When Ves checked all of the telemetry, the mech did not exhibit any major problems. Aside from some minor misalignments that only required a couple of tweaks to correct, the mech was ready to be handed over!

"Alright, Vincent, please return to the carrier."

Once the Adonis Colossus returned to the hangar bay, the mech slowly deactivated. Its glow became dormant now that its connection to the mech pilot was gone.

Vincent emerged from the cockpit with a celebratory smile.

"Hahaha! What a fantastic mech! It is everything I've dreamed of! Getting you two to design my custom mech is the best decision I've ever made!"

"It is our pleasure to serve you." Ves restrained himself. "Let us proceed with the handover of the mech."

They moved to an office where Ves, Gloriana and Vincent signed a bunch of official documents. After they completed all of the paperwork, the mech was officially Vincent's property!

"Have fun and don't break the mech too soon!"

Vincent already forgot about Ves. He briefly bid goodbye to Gloriana before racing back to his mech!

"Don't bother transporting my Adonis to my ship! I'll bring it back myself!"

The mech soon came online, bathing the entire carrier with its manly glow. Vincent soon brought his mech away, leaving his followers and his media crew to head back to the carrier of the Ricklin Rollers via shuttle.

"They're finally gone." Gloriana sighed with relief. "I'm finally rid of their annoying stares."

"That's because you're too beautiful to resist." Ves grinned.

"Only for you." She giggled.

After they shared a kiss, they boarded another shuttle that brought them back to the surface.

They retired to the Cloud Estate in order to rest after several days of non-stop work.

After a pleasant night of sleep, both of them woke up and met up with each other during breakfast.

The meals prepared by Dr. Lupo and Gloriana's chefs instantly peppered them up. The high-energy food provided by Ves caused him to feel invigorated.

"What's next?" Gloriana asked after she sipped her tea.

"There's nothing else on the agenda except finishing the Deliverer design. I'm eager to complete it as fast as possible."

The Deliverer was not as complex as the Adonis Colossus. The most difficult aspect about its design was increasing the accuracy of its railgun handling.

This was not straightforward as the Executor rifle was very big and heavy. Not only that, it required a dedicated energy channel in order to feed its voracious energy needs.

Fortunately, Ves and Gloriana already solved most of the challenges concerning the design. They only had to fill up the gaps in the design in order to complete the first iteration of the marksman mech.

Even their design team would be able to complete the mech design by themselves.

"How many iterations do you want to make?" Gloriana pointedly asked. "With the way the Sand War is going, I don't think it's wise to delay the publication of the Deliverer design too much."

"I know." Ves frowned. He grappled with this difficult issue for a long time now. "If necessary, we can make do with only one round of prototype testing. I think we can finish the design within ten or so days if that's the case!"

Gloriana did not look pleased. She never liked to rush a mech design.

"Ten days is too short."

However, she also knew that time might be running out. The Adonis Colossus already wasted much of their time. The sandman invasion had already overrun a part of the Bright Republic.

So long as the sandman maintained their current momentum, it wasn't impossible for them to overwhelm another strategic star system!

"Ten days is all we have, I think."

Chapter 1682 Special Feature

The handover of the Adonis Colossus and the departure of Vincent Ricklin returned some calm to Cloudy Curtain.

While the Mech Corps was still scouring the local asteroid belt for hiding sandmen, Ves felt relieved now that Vincent was out of his life.

Whatever Vincent planned to do with the Adonis Colossus was not his business.

"I can't control Vincent." Ves quietly shook his head. "Now that he received my mech, it is up to him to make the most out of his new asset."

A part of him wanted to keep up with the news in order to track Vincent's performance.

Another part compelled him to wash his hands of the commission and pay no further attention to the Adonis Colossus.

He decided to follow the second approach. All signs pointed out that Vincent would mostly play a symbolic role in battle. It wasn't really worth it for Ves to follow Vincent's exploits.

"I'm not his fanboy!"

Instead of wasting his time on Vincent, Ves preferred to direct his attention to other priorities.

When they arrived at the design lab, Ves gathered all of the mech designers together.

"The Deliverer is not that far away from completion." He said. "Let's try and increase our pace."

With no other distraction, the mech designers began to commit all of their time to designing the Deliverer.

The marksman mech rapidly filled out in the next couple of days. Just as Ves predicted, they encountered no serious problems. They had already settled all of the major design choices. The only thing they needed to do was fill up the gaps, which didn't require much brainpower.

This was very helpful to Gloriana, who was still suffering from a lack of creativity and imagination.

"It's no problem for me to solve these minor issues." She stated to Ves. "I'm already close to getting back to normal. The burden on my mind has become less and less after each prayer session."

"I see. Don't strain yourself, though. I can still do a lot on my own."

She shook her head. "Don't. I don't want to squander the potential of this mech design by reducing our synergy."

So long as she invested fully in her work, the Deliverer was on the right track.

As a marksman mech, its ability to handle the Executor rifle was everything. Even if Ves wanted the mech to rely on its glow to guide its aim, the mech still needed to be accurate enough to land a hit on its intended target.

This required a lot of specialized accommodation. While Ves possessed the necessary theories to adapt the mech to its weapon, Gloriana possessed a much better intuitive understanding in this regard.

Her proficiency in this area was always better than his own. No matter how much knowledge he accumulated with the help of the system, his actual utilization was still rather rudimentary.

Compared to Ves who possessed no special advantages in physical mech design, Gloriana's design philosophy was highly geared towards this kind of design work.

With Gloriana taking the lead, she managed to reduce the spread and improve the accuracy of the Deliverer by thirty percent!

Since the Deliverer was already designed to be accurate from the start, accomplishing this level of improvement was very impressive!

It only took her a few days of focused adjustments to achieve this result!

Her successes lit a fire under his butt. He could not let Gloriana steal the limelight!

He possessed his own strengths!

It was just that his specialty was largely invisible. In order to empower the Deliverer with some special features, Ves applied some of the lessons he learned from designing the Devil Tiger by giving his design spirit some control over its own limbs.

Since Ves decided to incorporate these kinds of gimmicks in his mechs in the future, he decided to formalize the special features into a new structure.

The moment he formed this structure, Ves felt as if he introduced a very impactful innovation in the field of mech design.

For a moment, he had the illusion that he was heralding an entirely new way of empowering mechs!

By granting some control of the mechs to their design spirits, it was possible for the latter to exert some of their strengths!

These special features could be strong or weak. It depended on the nature of the design spirit in question.

In this case, Ves paired the Deliverer mech with Ylvaine's spiritual fragment.

While the spiritual fragment was fairly powerful, it could only bow its head in front of older monsters such as Qilanxo and Nyxie.

However, different from those powerful spiritual entities, Ylvaine's spiritual fragment appeared to excel in prophecy and prediction.

While Ves hadn't managed to verify its powers, the performance of the Transcendent Messengers already showcased their uncanny ability to dodge enemy fire.

Ves therefore decided to explore these strengths and adjust his mech design to explicitly accommodate these extraordinary interactions!

For now, Ves only possessed a handful of design spirits. However, he imagined that he would be able to accumulate hundreds of design spirits, each of which possessed their own strengths and abilities.

The more design spirits he collected, the more special features he could incorporate in his mech designs!

It would probably take decades for Ves to grow his collection to this point. The main issue related to expanding his connection was that he constantly needed to find more spiritual fragments and entities.

This was also why Ves continued to insist on setting up an exobeast reserve. It was far too cumbersome for Ves to track down exobeasts with spirituality or spiritual potential.

Ves decided to share his latest innovation to Gloriana.

"It sounds like magic." She whispered.

"It's not magic." Ves objected. "It's a special feature! Call it a special feature!"

"Why?"

"Because not everyone likes magic. Calling it a special feature is much more harmless to many cultures. It's a neutral description that technically describes what I am imparting to my mech designs."

His girlfriend crossed her arms. "Uh huh. It's basically magic or a divine ability by another name. Do you expect to fool anyone with this misdirection?"

"It's not a misdirection, Gloriana! At most, I'm merely omitting some information. The point is that the special features of my mechs can't be hidden. Since the market will be bound to figure out what is up with my mechs, I might as well make them known so that my customers won't be fumbling around."

Ves was taking a gamble here. Seeing as how his glows hadn't attracted too much attention, he was ready to reveal another application of his specialty.

While he was sure he would be greeted with a lot of skepticism at the start, so long as the Deliverer met his expectations, he was sure that everyone would embrace his special features!

"Your mech comes with two special features, right?"

He nodded. "I'm sure you've already noticed my latest additions. I've already explained the first special feature of the Deliverer, which I call Guided Aim. I've only given it a name and added it to my library of special features."

By letting Ylvaine's spiritual fragment guide the aim of the Deliverer, Ves hoped it was enough to wipe out the sandman admirals.

"What is the second special feature?"

"Prescient Movement. It's basically giving my design spirit some control over the limbs and propulsion system of my Deliverer. Depending on the depth of the connection, the design spirit will be able to force the mech to move in response to an imminent attack!"

The scariest part about this special feature was that it could make the Deliverer dodge in advance!

Due to its extreme focus on firepower, its mobility was abysmal. By the time the mech pilot noticed an incoming attack, it was already too late to dodge!

Therefore, granting the Deliverer the power to evade an attack addressed this critical weakness.

Ves had no idea if the sandman admirals would ever learn to focus their firepower on strategically-important targets. If that ever happened, his Deliverer mechs would certainly turn into death traps!

To prevent this potentially disastrous occurrence, Ves had to raise the self-preservation ability of his mech.

By relying on this cheat-like special feature, Ves could avoid compromising the offensive focus of his mech.

"This is a good special feature as long as it works!" Gloriana agreed. "The key is whether it works at all. From what you're telling me, the mech pilot has no control over the activation of this ability. It's solely up to the whims of the proto-god to activate these special features."

"That's a downside, yes. While the lack of control is not exactly ideal, I don't think it's a bad idea. The only way for mech pilots to benefit from the special features is to increase their bond with their mechs and their design spirits."

"Ah. So that is why you made your signature look so responsive to the connection between the mech and mech pilot! You wanted to give your customers an indication to how close they are to their mechs!"

Ves had already accounted for all of this. He wanted to herald a new and improved style of mech design in the new generation.

While he wasn't entirely sure how the market would react to his new style, he hoped that at least some customers would embrace his innovations.

"Maybe you can give your customers a choice." Gloriana suggested. "You can design one mech that possesses these special features and develop a minor variant that lacks these additions."

That was an interesting suggestion.

"I have a better idea. Instead of splitting up my products into two different categories, I might as well keep it as one and add a switch to a mech that controls how much control a mech pilot is willing to share."

He immediately applied this new idea to the Deliverer. He tweaked the internal architecture of the mech to add some hardware switches that possessed the ability to cut off the design spirit from direct control.

Naturally, incorporating these switches was always a risk. As long as the mech sustained severe damage, some of these switches might be forcibly tripped without the mech pilot's consent.

Of course, when a mech suffered from internal damage, it was already in bad shape.

As a result of adding these switches to his current and future mech designs, Ves granted his customers the ability to choose how much they trusted in their mechs.

All of this still required a lot of testing, though. Ves wasn't sure if the Guided Aim and Prescient Movement abilities worked as expected.

If the Deliverer failed to channel these special features, he would have wasted all of the time he invested into its design!

"It won't fail!" He furiously whispered.

He had come into frequent contact with Ylvaine's spiritual fragment during the design process of the Deliverer. The certainty and conviction it conveyed constantly kept his hopes alive.

After a week or so of design work, the design team finally managed to complete the first iteration of the Deliverer.

Its design was functionally complete. While Ves was able to get a good handle on its technical performance by subjecting it to virtual tests, it was impossible to express their special features!

Gloriana did not like this development.

"This is a very significant disadvantage, Ves. The only way to verify your so-called special features is to perform live tests!"

"We'll just have to reserve more time for prototype testing." He shrugged. "It's only a moderate inconvenience. The glows of my mechs are already incompatible with simulations. It's not really surprising that existing models are unable to work with my specialty."

"Is it possible to remedy this problem? Maybe you can create a new model from scratch!"

Ves always wanted to do this, but his understanding of spirituality and all of the stuff associated with it was still at a rudimentary level.

"It's too soon. I don't have a single clue how to virtualize my innovations. Let's just settle with live tests for now."

The LMC soon fabricated the first prototype with two special features.

Ves had already invited some Ylvainan mech pilots to test the prototype!

Chapter 1683 Transcending Growth

The Sand War seemed to approach a critical point. A continuous outpouring of sandman fleets descended upon Bentheim, battering the defenders so much that they could barely rest before they had to fend off another incursion!

While the Bright Republic prepared for the onslaught for months, when the sandmen finally hit its port system, the ferocity of the sandmen caught every military planner off-guard!

"The Battle for Bentheim will make or break the Bright Republic!"

"No amount of sand will engulf our light!"

"Our four-hundred years of heritage will not end on our watch!"

The propaganda efforts went full swing. The people must have confidence! No matter how many star systems fell, the Bright Republic must survive!

Even at Cloudy Curtain, Ves and the others felt the effects of the war. Martial law had belatedly come into effect, forcing every citizen to stop idling. They either had to work and contribute to the state or stay at home like obedient lambs.

The sudden drawdown of social life turned Freslin into an empty hub where only aircars and shuttles made noise.

The hustle and bustle of people on the streets made way for enforcer bots that patrolled the empty city.

Though the Mech Nursery was situated well outside Freslin, Ves could still sense the gloom by observing his downbeat employees.

Due to the temporary halt of production at the Mech Nursery, a lot fewer people showed up at work. The reduced operations elsewhere had left much of his subordinates at his headquarters idle.

There simply wasn't much work to do. Ves even contemplated laying people off, as the LMC recently hired a lot of people to manage the spike in sales and production.

"Demand has dropped and our production costs have risen." Gavin reported to Ves. "More and more third-party manufacturers have ended their contracts or reduced their production. At our current estimate, this month's sales won't surpass 50,000 mechs, much of which consists of foreign states in the fourth and fifth lines of defense."

That was still a huge figure compared to the sales the LMC achieved before the Sand War. Nonetheless, it was a major drop compared to the month before.

At this point, Ves still wasn't accustomed to bulk sales. He stopped paying attention to the exact sums he earned after monthly sales surpassed 1,000 mechs.

It didn't matter too much in this crumbling and deteriorating economy. Inflation was so high that the real value of the LMC's cash reserves dropped by half after a month!

And that was just the start if the sandmen continued to nibble away at the territories of the Bright Republic!

Ves had risen up from his desk and moved over to the windows while petting Lucky. He looked out at the empty campus grounds of the Mech Nursery. The display mechs and patrol mechs still radiated the glow of duty. It was a pity that there were too few people around to affect their moods.

"We should reduce our headcount." He decided. "The Desolate Soldier sold extremely well due to various favorable circumstances. However, I'm not sure I can replicate its success anytime soon."

Gavin walked up to him and frowned. "You can easily transform the market yet again if you release a mech as accessible and revolutionary as the Desolate Soldier."

"I don't dare to do so." Ves shook his head. "While I've enjoyed a lot of success so far, my power isn't enough to sustain this level of success. It's only due to desperation that the mech industry has tolerated my Soldier product line."

"You're afraid of the competition?"

"In short, yes."

"I didn't expect to hear that from you, boss."

"I'm a Journeyman. Selling a decent amount of mechs is a given, but when my mechs are hotter than the mechs of a Senior, people will start to have ideas. I don't want to become the victim of my own success, so it's best if we take a step back and consolidate our strength."

Gavin didn't understand why Ves wanted to retreat. In his eyes, the LMC could easily leverage its recent successes and continue to build up momentum.

However, Ves saw the situation in a different light. The mech markets weren't as free and unrestricted as he thought. His interactions with the Tovar mech designers already made it clear that the mech market was already carved up by established interest groups.

While a reasonable degree of competition still took place, major disruptions were very rare.

The only instance where a mech company dared to disrupt the established order was if they had the strength and backing to enjoy the fruits of its labor.

If an uppity mech company ever shot up for some reason, the competition would definitely come to suppress it right away.

This was what the Ansel mech designers already did to the LMC.

It wasn't cheating. The Ansel alumni network was deeply entrenched in the Bright Republic's mech community. Ansel could leverage its deep influence to further its own success or hinder the growth of competitors.

According to the Tovars, this was a game where Ves and the LMC weren't qualified to participate in. Ves was too young and the LMC lacked the network of connections to establish a foothold at the upper end of the hierarchy.

Ves sighed. "I used to dream about reaching this level of success. Many mech designers will become ecstatic if they manage to sell more than a million mechs within a year. Even I didn't expect to accomplish one of my dreams so soon."

"You sound disappointed."

"I'm not. I just feel as if my previous dreams were juvenile. Now that I have reached a level of skill where I can earn money as long as I put some effort in my work, I'm no longer content with chasing after some of my old goals."

"Because you've already adjusted your sights higher."

"Right. Do you think being a Journeyman is impressive? It's not, Benny. Perhaps to average people, becoming a Journeyman is a distant fantasy, while becoming a Senior is already a myth. While I might be a little conceited, I don't think these accomplishments are noteworthy. In the wider galaxy, only Masters are worthy of attention."

"What is the point of all of this, boss?"

"I'm just trying to make you understand my vision. I no longer feel the drive to pursue growth above all else. My own development must come first. For this reason, I started designing mechs like our upcoming Deliverer."

To a marketer like Gavin, the Deliverer was one of his worst nightmares. It was a niche, premium mech model with a very small target audience. Even if Ves managed to elevate its performance to unheard levels, the Deliverer would never sell in significant numbers outside the Ylvaine Protectorate!

"Does that mean you're going to design more weird mechs like the Deliverer?"

Ves nodded. "It's not out of the question. Of course, just because I don't care that much about growth doesn't mean I'll neglect it entirely. Don't worry about my next products. I'll probably come up with a mech that is aimed at the general market."

It wasn't a good idea for him to become known as an 'Ylvainan' mech designer. He only decided upon developing the Deliverer because the market needed it despite all of its restrictive properties.

He continued to share some of his future plans to Gavin. The direction he wanted to take in his career would see him veer away from pursuing growth through quantity but instead focus more on excelling through quality.

"To be honest, I feel like you're wasting your potential." His assistant honestly said. He had remained troubled throughout this conversation. "I know you well enough that you've already made up your mind. I don't know why mech designers like you make these kinds of decisions, but we'll do our best to support you, boss."

"That's a given." Ves chuckled while placing Lucky on his shoulder. "I'd fire you all if you don't do what I say."

He was the one raking in all of the money, after all.

"What about your grand expedition? I seriously doubt whether you can gather enough capital to fund your expeditionary fleet."

"It's useless to focus on money when I won't be able to earn enough merits at my current stage." Ves retorted. "I have to progress my design philosophy faster and develop more unique features in order to appeal to the Rim Guardians. So long as I can design mechs that no one else can match, I will have the grounds to become a galactic pioneer."

No amount of success in the Bright Republic or the Komodo Star Sector interested him anymore!

Ves was bored with his home. He longed to go on an adventure and experience something new. He wanted to rid himself of the suffocating hierarchy that had solidified in the Milky Way Galaxy.

In his heart, he looked at the Red Ocean as a golden opportunity to develop his own power base that was free from existing entanglements.

Therefore, Ves saw his current activities as nothing more than a means to gain entry to the new dwarf galaxy.

As for money? If he reached the point where he was able to earn millions of MTA merits, he could easily earn an abundant amount of money.

"Don't forget that I plan to become a second-class mech designer." He reminded his assistant. "I've been spending some time familiarizing myself with the customs and standards of second-class mechs. At my current level of progress, I'll probably be able to design my first second-class mech in a year or so. That's quite fast, you know."

The more he learned about second-class mechs, the more he became enamoured by their expanded versatility and options.

Third-class mechs were very rudimentary in comparison. While they possessed their own distinctive charm, Ves understood why it was very hard for third-class mech designers to advance.

Naturally, that didn't mean that Ves saw no hope if he continued to design mechs for third-rate states.

He had the confidence to succeed where others failed.

If he intended to stay in the Milky Way, then it was fine for him to continue to excel in designing third-class mechs.

Yet he found himself changing his old plans as soon as he set his sights on the Red Ocean.

How could the MTA and the Rim Guardians be impressed by third-class mechs?

No matter what kind of miracle he designed, as long as a single MTA mech could easily crush it like a bug, Ves would never be able to earn a lot of merits.

Only by transitioning to designing a higher class of mechs would Ves be able to earn a lot of merits.

Once he explained all of this, Gavin finally understood.

"I see.. You're really serious about starting anew at the Red Ocean. Every decision you've made recently is to help you redeem a beyonder ticket."

The Red Ocean constantly beckoned to Ves like a siren. His blood boiled and his bones shook whenever he thought of the opportunities he could find there. The Big Two did not set a high price of entry without a good reason!

"I plan to set off for the Red Ocean within a decade." Ves spoke. "I can't afford to stall my departure any longer. The opportunities that I'm looking forward to will doubtlessly be snatched by other galactic pioneers if I come too late."

Compared to his hopes and dreams for the Red Ocean, his success in the Komodo Star Sector didn't interest him anymore. His reputation and his earning potential were merely means to an end.

He would do anything to become a galactic pioneer! He would even cheer for the sandmen to sweep over the entire Bright Republic if that somehow made it easier for him to reach this goal!

Besides, he was not the only one who was hoping to gain entry to the Red Ocean. Ves wasn't sure whether his competition impacted his chances, but he knew he had to focus on becoming a more capable mech designer rather than a more successful mech designer.

Chapter 1684 Overspecialization

After a few more intensive design sessions, Ves and Gloriana managed to complete the first iteration of the Deliverer design.

They knew that this accomplishment was much different from previous ones.

Ves already possessed a high degree of confidence in the soundness of the first iterations of the Adonis Colossus and the Desolate Soldiers.

No matter what kind of flaws, deviations and unexpected interactions the other mechs carried, Ves knew for sure that they weren't anything major.

Ves had acquired a lot of knowledge and knew exactly how most elements of his mechs interacted with each other. It was only when the scope became too big that Ves didn't dare to make any certain predictions.

Even so, as long as each component was sound, the physical prototype would not perform too differently from the virtual prototypes.

This time was different. Subjecting the first iteration of the Deliverer to numerous virtual tests revealed only a part of its potential.

Right now, the entire design team gathered together to observe one of the billions of simulated tests.

The virtual Deliverer flew backwards in space while facing down ten approaching sandman drones.

Due to the importance of designing mechs against the sandmen, a lot of companies already modeled the tactics and behavior of their race.

The drones in the simulation behaved closely if they showed up in reality.

The fight started off poorly. At extreme range, the Deliverer carefully aimed its massive gauss rifle and fired a shot.

It missed by more than fifty meters due to the incredible range and time lag.

The sandmen didn't fire yet. While their laser weapons were much more accurate at longer ranges, each drone possessed a limited amount of energy. It was too much of a waste if they emptied their reserves at a distance.

For this reason, the Deliverer had a window of opportunity where it could reduce the number of sandman drones unopposed.

Only distance was its enemy. The Executor rifle was slow to cycle under ordinary circumstances. To maximize its muzzle velocity, the weapon had to cycle a lot of energy and endure some great forces.

While it was possible for the mech to overload the Executor rifle and increase its firing rate beyond its safe parameters, the cost of doing so was severe.

Overloading the weapon reduced its structural integrity due to subjecting it to frequent stress. Increasing the firing rate also built up a lot of heat, which took time to siphon away.

All of this damage also reduced the accuracy and precision of the weapon.

However, the virtual Deliverer evidently figured out that it wouldn't be able to survive if it kept firing its weapon at safe levels.

The mech therefore deactivated the gauss rifle's safety limits and fired it faster, heedless of the price it must pay after the battle.

The chance of hitting a target had dropped due to subjecting the weapon to increased stress.

However, firing the weapon twice as fast gave the mech a lot more chances to score a lucky hit!

Eventually, the mech managed to hit a sandman drone, causing it to explode in a cloud of sand!

Nine more targets remained.

The rifle barked out silent shot after silent shot. The lack of air in space made it impossible for any air to propagate. The heat emanating from the rifle constantly increased as too little time had passed to shunt all of it away.

The mech drew out a lot of power from its energy cells, thereby putting it's internal architecture under severe strain.

A lot of performance parameters started to drop as a consequence. However, it was worth it to pay this price in exchange for doubling the firing rate.

One more sandman drone collapsed before the enemy finally began to hit back.

Eight laser beams struck out in succession!

Seven of them managed to land on the Deliverer!

This was a very high hit rate at this distance! The mech instantly incurred a lot of damage to its armor! If not for the mech's size and mass, the lasers would have been able to inflict more damage!

What was worse was that one of the laser beams managed to strike the Executor rifle. The weapon was simply too big!

Fortunately, the Executor rifle was robust enough to function even after a part of its body had been vaporized.

The sandman drones quickly fired again, though. This time, all eight laser beams hit the Deliverer without fail!

Three laser beams struck the Executor rifle, causing it to finally fail as some of the coils sustained too much damage!

Along with the other damage suffered by the mech, it became clear that it was no longer battle effective. All it could do was to turn around and increase its flight speed in an attempt to escape.

Sadly, the mobility of the Deliverer was abysmal. The mech couldn't outrun the swift and agile sandman drones at all!

The simulation ended.

"Thoughts?" Ves asked.

"The performance of the Deliverer.. is not up to industry standard." Miles reluctantly stated the truth. "Other marksman mech models subjected to the same conditions generally fare better. Their rifles aren't as powerful, but they're smaller and less vulnerable against enemy fire. The mechs are also more mobile, allowing them to dodge and confuse the enemy's targeting system. In independent combat, the Deliverer is too unsuitable."

Cherie Tovar manipulated an interface and projected previous simulation results. "The mech doesn't perform as well in group combat either. The only instance where the Deliverer performs decently is if it enjoys the cover of a bunker or a space knight. Without this level of protection, the mech is a sitting duck."

"Sitting duck describes this mech well." Pachtold Tovar agreed. "While I get that this is supposed to be a glass cannon, but its defense and mobility is so inadequate that it's incapable of operating by itself."

"To be fair, the mech isn't supposed to be deployed alone. It's very clear that the Deliverer is meant to be deployed as a force multiplier." Vela Tovar noted. As a ranged mech specialist, she possessed the best understanding of the Deliverer. "The mech is capable of fulfilling the job it's supposed to do. It's just that the mech community has a certain expectation towards marksman mechs. They're too used to the idea that they should be able to fend for themselves."

Third-class mechs usually specialize a lot. However, that did not mean they sacrificed everything to perform their primary roles.

Battles were messy and circumstances weren't always ideal. A mech had to possess a certain amount of versatility and self-sufficiency in order to sell well in the Bright Republic and elsewhere.

The Desolate Soldier was a lot more appealing for that reason. While it was just a budget rifleman mech without any exceptional strengths, it didn't possess any pronounced weaknesses either.

Aside from being garbage in melee combat, the Desolate Soldier performed adequately in group or individual combat. Even if its performance wasn't stellar, the mech was so cheap that it wasn't a significant loss if one of them was taken out.

The Deliverer on the other hand was a premium mech that cost three times as much as a Desolate Soldier.

The standards were higher when it came to more expensive mechs. Otherwise, why should customers even purchase them in the first place?

From this perspective, the Deliverer's extremely limited applications made it much less appealing.

When customers paid this much money for a mech, they wanted to get some bang for their buck. Even though the Deliverer was strong in some circumstances, it was incredibly weak and vulnerable in other circumstances.

The chance of wasting their money was too big if they went for an overly-specialized mech.

Ves was already familiar with this reasoning as it was the main reason why the Aurora Titan failed to achieve critical success.

While the LMC and NORA Consolidated still sold a decent amount of Aurora Titans per month, it was merely enough to call it a cult classic.

Miles addressed the elephant in the room. "We all know that the Deliverer is supposed to offer more than what the simulations have shown. After all of the wonders Mr. Larkinson managed to realize, I won't discount the 'special features' until I see the mech in action."

A wave of uncertainty and dissatisfaction went through the other mech designers. As Brighters, his design team found it very difficult to accept the possibility that the mech they helped design possessed superpowers.

It didn't fit their current understanding of reality. How could science possibly enable such magic?

If they worked for any other mech designer, they might have quit on the spot!

"Not even I know for certain whether the upcoming physical tests can showcase its special features." Ves admitted.

That caused Gloriana to frown. "I thought you were certain that your mech can deliver on its promises."

"That is different from stating that the prototype will perform up to satisfaction." Ves retorted. "Due to the deteriorating war situation, the Kronon Dynasty has only lent three Ylvainan marksman specialists to me. Each of them are highly trained and possess different backgrounds, but there is a chance that none of them are compatible with my mech."

That would be a depressing outcome and a serious setback. This was not the Ylvaine Protectorate. Due to its long-standing isolation, very few Ylvainans spread to other states.

At the very least, the chance of finding an Ylvainan mech pilot who specialized in marksmanship was very low outside of the Protectorate!

"Do you expect that to happen, Ves?"

"Probably not. I did request the Kronons to send some of their more devout marksman mechs to me. As long as they aren't faking it, the test pilots should be able to elicit at least some reaction from the prototype."

If that didn't happen for some reason, then Ves still had a last resort. He could always summon Ylvaine's spiritual fragment and beat it up until it agreed to lend its power to the test pilots.

Naturally, Ves preferred to keep a friendly relationship with his design spirit. It was enough for him to harbor a willingness to resort to harder measures.

With the fragment's apparent ability to predict the future, it should probably choose to accommodate Ves' intentions out of its own accord.

They continued to discuss the state of the Deliverer design for a couple of hours. After a lot of explanation and questioning, they were ready to fabricate the prototype.

Considering the mech's high degree of reliance on the X-Factor, Ves did not allow regular mech technicians to fabricate it this time.

"You should all be proficient in fabricating mechs." He spoke to the Tovars. "Go to the workshop and fabricate the prototype. I've already stocked several batches of materials in the inventories."

"Are you sure?" Miles skeptically asked. "We're not Ylvainans and we don't have any experience in making Ylvainan mechs."

Ves shook his head. "A mech is a mech. Calling them Brighter mechs, Vesian mechs or Ylvainan mechs is nothing but a way to specify their origin or target audience. Mech designers like us shouldn't be too picky. If you keep limiting yourself to Brighter-style mechs, you won't be able to expand your success outside of our borders."

"Besides, we all pitched in to the design." Gloriana added. "You all deserve some credit for your contributions, however minor they might be. Are you really disgusted with fabricating your own work?"

None of the Tovars could offer a good retort to her. It was just that they had always been rather begrudging when it came to designing this mech.

At least the Adonis Colossus was a pure Brighter mech designed specifically to accommodate a Brighter mech pilot. Even with its silly emphasis on masculinity, the Tovar mech designers were still proud of what they accomplished.

They weren't as happy with the Deliverer. Yet due to the continued teachings of Ves and Gloriana, they came to tolerate this weird design.

"We'll try our best." Miles weakly promised. "Please don't blame us if we fail."

Chapter 1685 Three Kronons

Despite their lack of confidence, the five Tovar mech designers managed to do a decent job at fabricating the prototype.

The Deliverer mech they managed to produce appeared just as ornate and holy as Ves intended. Its spiritual foundation exuded a sense of certainty and holiness. He had already invested Ylvaine's spiritual fragment as its design spirit.

Ves became intrigued by the reaction of others towards the prototype.

The Tovars, who carefully fabricated the mech over three days, had mixed feelings over the mech.

On one hand, they were proud of their craftsmanship and content with how well the prototype turned out to be. The mech possessed only a small amount of flaws that they managed to correct afterwards.

Miles Tovar had been the biggest contributor. As a former independent mech designer and one who possessed a lot of practical experience, he immediately took charge and ordered his cousins around.

One the other hand, the Tovars were abhorred that they built an openly religious mech.

None of them were religious. To Brighters, faith was a primitive and outdated artifact of the past that just wouldn't die for some reason.

Ves actually agreed, but his perspective and knowledge was wider. He had become exposed to some of the deeper truths of reality, so he wasn't troubled by working on Ylvainan mechs.

Gloriana wasn't troubled either. She already believed in a religion that shared many overlaps with the Ylvainan Faith.

Though the contradictions between different faiths often resulted in some very acrimonious disagreements, Gloriana wasn't the type of person to care about the differences.

She exhibited a lot of grace and tolerance towards the Deliverer. Of course, part of it was because of Ves. How could she withhold her support for her boyfriend?

If Ves believed in something, Gloriana believed in it as well. The only caveat was that she often interpreted something through her own lens.

Ves figured out that this was Gloriana's way of coping with difficult contradictions.

Therefore, Gloriana tended to view the Ylvainan Faith as a flawed offshoot of hexism.

"This mech would have been a lot better if it revolved around hexism." She pouted a bit. "While I admit that Prophet Ylvaine is a good fortune teller, our Hexers also birthed powerful talents!"

If the Ylvainan test pilots were present, they would have become scandalized by her words!

Ves slapped her side. "Watch what you are saying! Don't ruin this project for me. Try to do your best to show due respect for the Ylvainans and their faith. If you can't do that, then stay quiet or head back to the Cloud Estate."

"..I'm sorry."

Once he verified that the prototype was ready to be tested, he ordered some subordinates to send it off to one of the testing grounds.

"Let's go meet with the Ylvainans." He spoke and left the workshop.

Once he brought Gloriana upstairs to his office, Leland came up to meet him to discuss the guests.

"You've been stirring quite a lot of confusion, Ves." The spy sardonically smiled. "Staying low is not your thing, it seems."

Ves could only shrug in response. "I can't help it. The Ylvainans are taking me way too seriously."

"You should see the news from the Ylvaine Protectorate. It's full of praises for your Holy Soldier. More and more Ylvainans have converted to the cult of the Bright Martyr."

"Don't joke around!"

"Okay, I was exaggerating a bit. That doesn't mean my point is invalid. You've managed to attract a disturbing amount of respect for a foreign state."

"What does the government have to do with my fans?"

"For better or worse, you are able to influence our foreign policy." Leland grimly stated. "I don't know how you've done it, but your Holy Soldiers have managed to raise the morale of the Ylvainans to stratospheric levels!"

"This was because of the Holy Soldier's faint connection to Ylvaine's spiritual fragment. While the Holy Soldiers weren't as potent as the Transcendent Messengers in this area, they still offered many Ylvainans a lot of spiritual comfort.

Something like spiritual comfort was extremely precious in these trying times. It was reminiscent of how stubbornly the Ylvainan exiles clung to their lives and faith during their flight to the galactic rim.

"What do you want me to do, then? While my influence among the lower ranks of the Protectorate is considerable, the higher ups won't allow the so-called 'Bright Martyr' to take over."

"That view of yours is outdated, by the way."

"It is?" Ves puzzlingly frowned.

"Have you spent any time observing the reaction of the Ylvainans to your mech?"

"Not exactly."

"Well, you should. Every Holy Soldier is a relic to the Ylvainans. To the higher ups, the Holy Soldiers have unquestionably saved the Protectorate so far. This kind of appreciation along with all of the trends taking place has started to gnaw at the leadership of the state."

All of this sounded plausible. As long as the Ylvainans began to buy into his myth, they would surely treat him like a real Martyred Follower!

"It sounds as if I can just go there and pick up a crown to place over my head."

Leland chuckled. "If only. Just because they are beginning to acknowledge you as the Bright Martyr doesn't mean you have absolute say in how the state is run. Only Prophet Ylvaine has enjoyed this privilege. Since you don't have the title of prophet, then you should stop entertaining these delusions."

"Is there anything else I should take note of concerning the Ylvainans?"

"Plenty. What the Bright Republic currently needs is a strong Ylvaine Protectorate that can fend for itself. So long as the Protectorate remains standing, our flank will remain secure."

"I think the Ylvainans already have that covered. Is that all you have to say?"

"It's not that the government has thought of taking advantage of your high status within the Protectorate. It's just that exerting too much influence will inevitably invite some backlash. A state can never be taken over by a single person. That said, you can still gain some advantages if you carefully leverage your status. You just have to avoid being greedy."

Ves found it rather suspicious that Leland placed so much emphasis on this relationship, especially during these times.

"What's the deal, here? I'm getting mixed messages here. On one hand, you're trying to say that I have a lot of influence. On the other hand, you state that my influence is limited."

"Forget it." Leland shook his head. "Let's address something else. I believe you are encountering some friction with certain groups within the government."

Ves scowled. "Yeah. Some people want me to move to Bentheim for my own 'protection'! Hah! As if Bentheim is safe! Only a single sandman fleet invaded the Cloudy Curtain System so far. As for the Bentheim System? I've long stopped counting!"

"Most of those who recommend you to relocate to a more secure site are only looking out for the state. Losing you will severely impact the Bright Republic."

"I've heard all of that before. Is there a point to this, Leland?"

"Let's just say we've handled the situation."

By we, Leland meant Flashlight, probaby.

"It's that simple?"

"Of course not." The spy ruefully smiled. "It is more accurate to say that we have suppressed calls. It helps that the Light Hounds have been fairly successful in hunting down the sandman admirals that are hiding in the asteroid belt. No other sandman fleet has invaded Cloudy Curtain, so the risk level of this star system is very low."

"Bentheim will fall before Cloudy Curtain does."

"That's true. In any case, I can promise you that the government won't insist on relocation any longer. To be honest, most of these proposals come from well-meaning officials, so it didn't require much effort on our part to get them to back down."

"What about those who are more opposed?"

"They can't be silenced, but be assured that they won't be able to influence this matter either."

Leland gave enough assurances that Flashlight would keep protecting the LMC in the dark.

After a bit more talking, Leland left the office, leaving Ves with a bunch of topics to think about.

"I can go over them later. First, I have to meet with the test pilots!"

He ordered Gavin to allow a trio of disciplined Kronon mech pilots to enter his office.

The three marched up to the desk in lockstep and offered Ves a very precise salute!

"Honorable Bright Martyr! We are at your disposal!"

Ves gestured for them to sit down. Two extra chairs emerged from the floor to accommodate them all. "Please introduce yourselves."

The left-most mech pilot started first.

"I am Sergeant Jezebel Kronon." The only woman spoke. She looked to be in her thirties and exuded the toughness expected of a blooded elite. "I have been fighting against the sandmen for months with the Holy Soldier you've provided to our people."

Ves lit up at that. "I thought you were a marksman specialist? How come you piloted a cheap Holy Soldier?"

A sense of fanaticism entered her eyes. "The moment I laid my eyes on the Holy Soldier, I never wanted to pilot anything else! While its performance is not comparable to a proper military marksman mech, it is still a great machine in the right hands! Against simple, inflexible opponents like the sandmen, it's enough to land some blows!"

"I.. see."

"Our people have started to pray daily inside and outside of the mech. While most people can only pray in front of a Holy Soldier, it is a great privilege for mech pilots like myself to come into touch with our mechs!"

"My mechs aren't designed to be altars.."

"They are much better than the boring altars we have prayed to all our lives! If it was up to me, every Ylvainan church or cathedral ought to enshrine a Holy Soldier to allow everyone to witness the splendor of your machines!"

The more Jezebel Kronon gushed, the more Ves started to become nervous.

Though he was no stranger to fans, the female Kronon was disturbingly enthralled with the Holy Soldier!

"If only I can stay with my Holy Soldier forever." She sighed. "It's okay, though. As soon as the Curins paid a visit to me and offered me to test one of your future products, I dropped everything!"

After Jezebel paused, Ves immediately turned to the man sitting next to her to stop her running mouth.

"Sergeant Edward Klesser. It is an honor to meet you. I will endeavor to assist you for the remainder of my stay here."

"You're not a Kronon."

"Not every mech pilot wants to dedicate their entire lives to fighting." Klesser responded. "I was a reservist before the Sand War broke out. Now, the Kronons have called up every able mech pilot."

"Do you resent that?"

"Absolutely no! Defending our people and faith is an important responsibility! In our long history, our faith has endured many threats and challenges! I cannot stand by when our state is at risk of annihilation!"

Apparently, Edward was an idealist. He possessed the typical Curin-like mindset of a grounded citizen. The only difference was that he did not hesitate to answer the call of duty when his services were required.

The man reminded him of a Larkinson in some ways.

Ves turned to the final Kronon.

"My name is Lieutenant Dominic Kronon. I'm a trueblood Kronon and the leader of our small delegation. I have received orders to stand by your side unless you dismiss us. If necessary, we are willing to serve you and fight on your behalf during the Sand War and beyond!"

"What? Our contact didn't say anything about this, lieutenant!"

"These are our orders, Bright Martyr." The lieutenant withdrew a data pad from her uniform coat and placed it on the desk.

Ves picked it up and began to skim through the orders.

It turned out that Dominic wasn't exaggerating. As long as Ves wanted to, he could treat the Kronons as his own subordinates!

He wasn't sure whether he should be pleased with this gift.

Chapter 1686 Polishing Troops

The three Kronon mech pilots each possessed different backgrounds. While they had a lot in common, Ves was glad that the three weren't carbon copies of each other like the chosen of the Transcendent Messengers.

After quizzing the three Ylvainan mech pilots, Ves found that they were all skilled marksman mech pilots. While they weren't as good as top elites, he was very satisfied by their current level of skill.

His Deliverer did not impose ridiculously high demands. As long as a mech pilot was proficient with ranged weapons, the mech would still be able to exert most of its potential.

Ves still wanted to have some insurance, though. He deeply needed trained mech pilots who polished their marksmanship to a high level.

After all, the primary ability of the Deliverer he envisioned only nudged the mech pilot's aim in a certain direction. It was up to the mech pilot to follow up on this suggestion and aim at the designated target.

If the mech pilot's aim was as bad as Vincent's, then even if the Deliverer nudged a dozen times, the attacks would still miss the mark!

As Ves observed the three Kronons sitting respectfully in front of him, he couldn't help but imagine them as collectibles.

He was gathering quite a menagerie of capable subordinates. Over the years, he managed to pick up a pirate designer, a spy, a double-dealing assistant, a strategic partner, an obsessive girlfriend, a broken expert pilot, a fanboy, a bunch of Kinners and etcetera.

It was getting harder and harder for him to manage his increasing number of employees and followers. The addition of three Kronons to his crew was starting to give him a headache.

Fortunately, Ves did not have to deal with every problem himself. He developed enough of a hierarchy to settle the Kronons while they were following orders to remain in his company.

"Considering your nature and your skillsets, I will arrange the Avatars of Myth to receive the three of you as guests. Do you have any objections?"

"It is our pleasure to serve alongside your Avatars of Myth." Lieutenant Dominic Kronon stated. "We have heard of their valor on the frontlines."

"That's nice to hear. Try and get along with my Avatars. Please keep in mind that most of them are Brighters. I'll tell them to accommodate your religious customs as best as possible, but do remember that you are not in the Protectorate."

"We have already prepared ourselves, sir. You do not need to make any special arrangements."

Sergeant Jezebel Kronon looked like she wanted to object, but she quickly steeled her emotions.

The lieutenant's words reassured Ves. He thought that the Kronon Dynasty would have sent the three most fanatic mech pilots to him, but fortunately the envoys all seemed reasonable.

Ves realized that he was letting his prejudices get the better of him. The Ylvainans weren't as bad as he initially thought. Residing in the Ylvaine Protectorate taught him that the Ylvainans were just as human as Brighters.

"I have a request, sir." Lieutenant Dominic spoke.

"Go ahead."

"We would like to offer our services to you alongside your Avatars."

"You were only sent here to act as test pilots for one of my new designs."

"We know, but we wish to do more. We also have orders to assist you without any restrictions."

There was more to the envoys than Ves initially thought. The Kronons probably wanted to deepen their relationship to him or maintain a presence by his side to feed back information or something.

Ves did not mind these games. He was still rather upset at being driven out of the Ylvaine Protectorate during his stay there. If he improved his relationship with the Ylvainans, he could eventually leverage it to gain some advantages.

There was no harm in deepening his friendship with the Ylvainans, so he decided to work with the Kronons.

"I'll allow it. I'll treat you like my own subordinates while you are here. If you have any objections to my orders or arrangements, please let me know as soon as possible."

"We will endeavor to respect your orders, sir."

"Is there anything else?"

"We.." The lieutenant hesitated. "If you will allow us to fight under your banner, we would prefer it if you allocate us with Ylvainan mechs. We can pilot non-Ylvainan mechs if there is no other option, but we are accustomed to piloting Holy Soldiers."

This was a reasonable request.

"I'll take care of it, but not immediately." He decided. "Instead of Holy Soldiers, I've got something better in store for the three of you. All of you have been informed that you are sent here to test a product of mine, right?"

"They nodded."

"Well, once I complete my design, I'll just assign each of you with my new Deliverer mechs."

All three Kronons looked pleasantly surprised. From its name alone, they knew that it was a mech that appealed to Ylvainans.

"However, not everyone is worthy to pilot my new mech model." Ves warned and looked at them sternly. "While any mech pilot can make use of the Deliverer, only those who are truly devout and skilled can unlock its full potential. Do the three of you have what it takes to pilot the mech that will save our states?"

The three looked solemnly at Ves. None of them expressed any doubt in his words, which gratified him a bit. It took a lot less effort to hoodwink Ylvainans. They were similar to Gloriana in that regard.

He dismissed the Kronons and sent them off to the Avatar base to settle in. The Tovars were still in the process of fabricating the first prototype, and they were working slower than he expected.

"Amateurs." He cursed when he called up the footage and ran it at superspeed.

Unlike him and Gloriana, the Tovar mech designers obviously hadn't spent much time at all on the shop floor. Only Miles possessed enough practical experience. If not for his leadership and supervision, his four cousins would have botched the prototype.

While the frame of the mech was not that difficult to fabricate, the Tovars encountered a lot of difficulties when they attempted to make the Executor rifle.

The rifle was just far too high-specced. It was unlike anything the Tovars had ever worked with. They wasted plenty of materials in trying to produce its most difficult parts.

Ves was tempted to step in to show them how to produce it properly, but he refrained himself. The mech designers each possessed a strong foundation. Fumbling around like this was exactly what they needed to learn their shortcomings.

Once they found out what they lacked, they would definitely work on remedying their faults. That was what all good mech designers would do in their place.

After shutting off the projection, he moved on to other matters. Aside from handling the daily paperwork, he received an important notification.

"The Avatars and Sentinels assigned to the front are finally allowed to return?"

He was surprised. Considering how much the sandmen were pressing the Bright Republic, he would have thought the military wanted to keep his men around longer.

However, after seeing the latest casualty figures, Ves no longer expressed surprise.

The Living Sentinels only lost a portion of their manpower. While Commander Magdalena would probably lament their loss, to Ves they were merely names on a list.

He never met or got to know any of these mech pilots in person, so why should he feel sad for their deaths?

Even the couple of Larkinsons who perished in battle hardly affected him. The Larkinsons always answered the call of duty knowing what kind of fates awaited them. Too many Larkinsons died in wars all the time that the family learned to honor their sacrifices rather than get hung up on the losses.

Compared to the modest casualties of the Sentinels, over half of the Avatars failed to make it back. Unlike the Sentinels who had been supplied with Dawnbreakers and other excellent mechs, the Avatars were forced to make do with Desolate Soldiers.

Though Ves could easily replace their machines with something better, he deliberately withheld any excessive care towards the Avatars. How could he sharpen his most promising mech pilots into fearless elites if they didn't suffer some hardships?

Fortunately, the few individuals who he couldn't afford to lose managed to make it back alive. As Ves read their records, he couldn't help but become impressed.

Silent William racked up quite a lot of commendations. While his performance wasn't always eye-catching, he had become increasingly more skilled in piloting his Resentful Soldier.

As the only Avatar who piloted a custom mech, his performance always stood out compared to the others.

As for Melkor, while his battle performance wasn't as eye-catching, he had become increasingly more proficient in commanding his men in battle. The tactics he managed to executive with the Avatars slightly helped in improving their performance against the sandmen.

Of course, most tactics weren't very effective against the sandmen, but that wasn't important. So long as Melkor continued to polish his ability to command his troops, the Avatars would definitely be a force to be reckoned with against both alien and human opponents.

"Looks like this has been a very worthwhile excursion for my Avatars." He smiled.

With the return of the first detachment of Avatars and Sentinels, the second detachment needed to be prepared. Ves had made a commitment to the Bright Republic and he still intended to meet it despite the losses he suffered.

He called Magdalena, who immediately knew what he wanted to talk about.

"I have already selected and prepared our second batch, sir."

"How ready are they for the conflict?"

Commander Magdalena looked stern. "They are ready to do their duty. I have made sure of that."

"I'm not referring to their willingness."

"To be honest, I am not as confident in their readiness." She reluctantly said over the comm. "Our first detachment participated in the early stages of the war when the sandmen weren't as frightening as now. Commander Melkor and the rest slowly acclimatized to the war as the sandmen grew deadlier."

"You're afraid our second detachment won't fare as well because they'll be thrown right into the meat grinder."

She nodded. "I'm especially concerned with your Avatars. Their mechs can't keep up with the demands of the war anymore. While your Desolate Soldiers are fine products, they are too fragile in battle."

"I haven't changed my mind on this. My Avatars are different. They must meet any challenge!"

"They're just kids, sir! Fresh graduates like Joshua King or young mech pilots such as Casella and Imon Ingvar deserve better than to pilot a mech that is barely better than cannon fodder!"

She was right to be concerned. The first detachment of Avatars mostly consisted of the most trained and prepared mech pilots. Melkor thought it was better to bring the most prepared mech pilots first and give the younger and less experienced Avatars some extra time to train and prepare for their upcoming deployment.

However, neither Ves nor Melkor anticipated that the enemy grew so much in strength in the meantime.

Sending valuable Avatars which Ves placed a lot of hopes on in the future was irresponsibly dangerous.

It would pain him a lot to lose valuable mech pilots with strong spiritual potential like the three that Commander Magdalena already mentioned!

"I know the risks have changed. I still see no reason to change my mind, though. Whether they are young or old, every Avatar must be prepared to fight any foe. If they aren't prepared to participate in a war of this caliber, then they are useless to me as Avatars. I'm not running a mech academy here, commander. Every mech pilot I employ are adults. They have already made their own choices. At most, I'll give them one more opportunity to resign from the Avatars and transfer to the Living Sentinels. Is that okay?"

The compromise eased Magdalena's concerns. "That is.. acceptable."

"Don't complain to me if none of the Avatars accept this offer." He smirked.

Chapter 1687 Solemn Ceremony

The return of the first detachment of Avatars and Sentinels from the front was a much anticipated affair.

Surprisingly, Melkor already sent a message to Ves. The Avatar Commander requested a subdued rather than a bombastic ceremony.

The war wasn't over yet. Planets and star systems continued to fall while countless mech pilots and starfighter pilots sacrificed their lives every day.

In addition, the first batch of returning soldiers brought back the coffins of the fallen.

For that reason, Ves, Gloriana, and everyone else who worked for the Avatars or the LMC turned out to the landing zone of the Mech Nursery on a dreary morning.

In addition to his organization, Ves also invited the Larkinsons and the mech cadets attending their academy to take part in this event.

Every future mech pilot ought to become aware of what was in store for them. Each mech cadet had to accept the prospect of returning to their homes in a coffin one day.

If they perished far beyond friendly territory, then their coffins would never make it back home! Instead, their comrades would have no choice but to launch them into the nearest star!

The ever-present clouds over Cloudy Curtain appeared darker than usual today. A slight shower of rain poured down on the Mech Nursery, though none of the people present shied away from the rain.

The LMC already forecast the rain and installed a device that projected a wide-area rain cover over their heads. A weak energy screen blocked the rain and diverted it to the sides.

"They're coming."

A single carrier emerged in the far distance. Her hull already started to cool from the friction generated by her descent.

Slowly, the ship approached the Mech Nursery and landed her considerable bulk in the center of the landing zone.

Soon, her main hangar bay hatch opened up. A large ramp extended from the opening, revealing a procession of Avatars and Sentinels in golden and silver dress uniforms.

Two columns holding coffins draped with flags of the Bright Republic emerged, stepping onto the landing zone in complete silence.

The ritual slowly proceeded according to some of the customs of the Mech Corps. While the Avatars and Sentinels weren't soldiers, many of them used to serve in the military.

There was no need for them to fix what wasn't broken. The familiar customs soothed their troubled souls. No matter how much the mech pilots suffered at the hands of the sandmen, they had each fought for a noble cause. The lives they directly and indirectly saved as a result of their sacrifice had elevated each of them into heroes.

As a trumpeter blew a sad tune, Ves stood as stiff as possible in order to convey his respect to the fallen.

The survivors brought over forty coffins back from the front. Whether they actually contained any human remains, no one was sure.

Battles at the scale of mechs and alien constructs often resulted in a lot of damage. The forces unleashed by a Sandbreaker rifle was enough to explode an unprotected office building! Even the lightest lasers released by a sandman drone was enough to vaporize a human body from existence!

Considering that most mech pilots perished instantly from a direct laser strike, the retrieval parties often came back with nothing but some floating ashes.

Therefore, no one ever asked what the survivors placed in the coffin. Usually, the comrades of the fallen placed the clothes and some of the personal possessions of the deceased inside to take the place of the missing body.

The family members of the deceased looked at the coffins and started to cry and react under the darkened skies.

Seeing how much the families the dead have left behind were suffering made Ves feel a little guilty. It was easy to dismiss the dead when they were just names on a list, but being confronted by their coffins and their saddened family members hit his emotions a lot harder.

He still steeled his face and presented a stoic front. As a leader and one of the people responsible for sending them in battle, Ves could not show any remorse.

He stood by his choices.

The solemn ceremony slowly conveyed the honor and valor of the fallen to the audience. The rituals had an especially strong effect on the normally energetic and rambunctious mech cadets.

Thousands of young potentates showed up to honor the dead today. Each of them had grown up hearing heroic tales. Coming face to face with the price they might pay for their chance of glory instantly doused their optimism.

They needed this wakeup call. No mech pilot was invincible in battle. Even expert pilots were mortal enough to lose their lives when faced with insurmountable opposition.

After more than half an hour of silent rituals, the ceremony finally ended. As the surviving mech pilots eventually brought the coffin away, the Larkinson instructors slowly guided their pupils away.

The Avatars and Sentinels who remained home walked up to greet the veterans of the Sand War and guide them to their haunts.

Ves and Gloriana slowly turned around and departed while surrounded by their bodyguards.

Each of them held their cats in their grasp. Due to the serious occasion, they remained remarkably quiet and well-behaved. It probably wasn't easy for them to suppress their playfulness, but they knew when to listen to orders.

"Meow."

"I know. Leadership is a burden that constantly weighs me down." He replied. "I wasn't born to be a leader. I don't even really enjoy ordering people around. I only ever wanted to be a mech designer, you know."

"Meow meow." Lucky pressed his paw against his cheek.

"Yeah. You never know where life takes you. That's the charm of living."

Life was precious and valuable because it wasn't predictable. Perhaps some people were convinced that life could be modeled and calculated to a point where the future was already set in stone.

Ves did not buy into this belief. He viewed life as a chaotic form of existence that provided endless variety. It was exactly due to these properties that life must be cherished.

He shook his head. How did he end up thinking about life after witnessing a ceremony that welcomed back the dead?

Somehow, he felt as if a part of him had sublimated after this event. It was as if his understanding of life and death had shifted in a way that made him view reality in a different manner.

He looked around and saw many familiar faces. Gloriana, Clixie, Nitaa, Gavin, Crindon, Raymond and so on had all stood by his side as they welcomed back the first detachment.

All of them were alive, but for how long?

If nothing happened to Gloriana, she was bound to live the longest out of all of them. As a Hexer and a Journeyman, she would definitely be able to prolong her life by at least a century.

Clixie would also live younger than most people. Rubarthan Sentinel Cats lived up to two-hundred years due to their excellent genetic properties. As long as they were fed with high-quality food, it was no problem for them to reach the limits of their generous lifespan.

As for the rest, Ves couldn't really say. People like Gavin and Crindon were very helpful to him, but not to the point where he felt inclined to pay for an opportunity to extend their lives.

Unless his fortunes improved enormously in the future, it was unlikely that he could make all of his valued subordinates live longer.

Eventually, they would grow older, retire their jobs and die long before Ves was even close to aging!

This was the inherent unfairness of modern society. While it was amazing that humanity found a way to extend their lives, the treatments were so expensive that only a privileged few gained the opportunity to take advantage of them. As for everyone else, they would only be able to live for up to 130 years.

Was this how an old geezer like Senator Tovar viewed life? Ves was only a tenth as old as this old fossil, but already he was starting to adopt the same cerebral mindset!

He was too young to view reality with jaded eyes! He still had a full life ahead of himself!

"I haven't even married or raised any kids yet." He muttered.

"What was that?" Gloriana perked up next to him. "Did you say something about having kids?"

Ves awkwardly coughed. "It's nothing. I have to pay a visit to the Avatar base in order to check up with Melkor. Please go ahead without me. The Tovars are taking too long to fabricate the Deliverer. Be sure to give them a good push."

"Uh, alright, Ves."

Some time later, Ves entered the Avatar base which had already started to take in the damaged, war-ravaged mechs of the Avatars.

Ves took a moment to inspect the machines. Most of them consisted of Desolate Soldiers, and it became clear that none of them returned unscatched.

In his expert eye, he could see that even the most well-preserved mech exhibited a significant amount of wear and tear. The Avatars fielded the mech way too much. Sometimes, the mech technicians hadn't even been able to perform the most basic maintenance.

"How many battles have the Avatars been through?" He wondered.

The reports and mostly-sanitized footage he received in the comfort of his office did not fully reflect the desperation that Melkor and his subordinates had experienced.

Seeing the mechs that returned with missing limbs or blackened holes in their frames made it clear why so many Avatars died.

To a mech designer, the damage to mechs told a much richer story than after-action reports.

"The sandmen are a dreadful foe." He judged.

They fought as if they embodied attrition warfare. This was a difficult opponent to defeat for humans who were too used to fighting against other humans.

At the very least, their opponents possessed emotions. It was possible to make them afraid so that their morale dropped to a point where they were ready to halt a conflict.

This wasn't so for the sandmen. The sandman admirals exhibited no fear to speak of, and they apparently followed their orders to the letter despite facing certain death!

Ves felt a bit more respect for Melkor and the others who managed to return alive. That was not to say that he belittled the dead. It was just that living mech pilots were much more useful to him than those who weren't able to contribute to his security or prosperity.

He viewed the returning Avatars as treasures. They formed the core of his Avatars of Myth!

After he finished inspecting the mechs, he moved into the headquarters and entered Melkor's office.

The two Larkinson cousins faced each other in the flesh for the first time in months.

Ves immediately paused as he sensed a different Melkor.

The cousin he sent off to war was gone.

The one who returned carried himself in the demeanor of a seasoned Larkinson veteran. Ves even had the illusion that he was facing a smaller and less mature version of Magdalena Larkinson!

"You've changed." He said bluntly.

"No thanks to you." Melkor replied. He didn't hide the resentment in his tone. "Do you know how much your restrictions have put us in danger?"

"I know." Ves lightly said. "I bear all the responsibility for your losses, but don't pretend that my Avatars died unjustly. I've given them several opportunities to withdraw. They didn't. They accepted the risks. Now, they died in the service of humanity and our state."

"I really want to punch your face now. Have you always been so callous when it comes to the lives of your own men?"

Ves smirked. "Go ahead. I'll warn you that I'm not as fragile as you think I am."

Of course, Melkor didn't punch his face, even if Ves practically invited it. The mech commander had matured over the course of his wartime experiences. In particular, he learned to deal with difficult superiors.

Chapter 1688 Blooded Leader

After Ves and Melkor greeted each other under tense conditions, they settled down in the latter's office.

Melkor took the time to sweep over his old office.

His visor made it difficult for Ves to figure out what he was paying attention to. Was he looking at his academy diplomas mounted on the wall? Was he reminiscing about his youth by watching the projected images of his parents?

Melkor behaved as if he had returned from a hundred-year expedition instead of a few months of action!

"It's difficult for me to get accustomed to peace." He said. "I'm still used to tensing up for the alarm sounds that warn of imminent combat. I've fought off so many sandman fleets that they've even started to haunt me in my sleep!"

"It sounds like you can use some time to retreat to the Cloud Estate."

"I know. I plan to surround myself with family. I have one request, though."

"Say it. You're one of my closest confidants."

"That's news to me." Melkor threw a jaded at Ves, though the effect was largely lost due to his visor. "You pretty much threw us against the sandmen."

"Let's not retread this argument." Ves sighed. "Get on to it. What is your request?"

"Much of my men have returned broken or traumatized. I don't think any single Avatar or Sentinel has managed to keep their sanity. I'd like to invite them to the Cloud Estate to give them the care and love they need to heal their psyches."

Ves idly waved his hand. "I'll allow it for the Avatars, but not for the Sentinels."

Melkor looked upset. "Why? Even though the Sentinels are dedicated to protecting the LMC, they are just as worthy as my Avatars."

"It's exactly because they work for the LMC that they're not worth investing in. I don't want to crowd the Cloud Estate and disturb the Larkinsons who still reside there. It's enough to allow the Avatars to rest and recuperate with the help of our Larkinson methods."

"What about the Sentinels, then? Are you just going to shove them aside because they're not as useful to you in the future?"

"Don't misunderstand me, Melkor. Risk must be paired with reward. I'm being much more generous to your returning Avatars because they deserve it after all they have done. As for the Sentinels, they had it easier, so they are not as deserving. This is how I operate."

"So they'll be left to fend for themselves?"

"The Sentinels can take care of themselves. Besides, who says they will be left alone? I recently founded a new charity that is dedicated to treating the mental and physicals of war veterans. I already called Director Clinton to offer his services to your Avatars and Sentinels."

Since his Ves Larkinson Foundation for Wounded Veterans specialized in these matters, he might as well make use of it instead of turning to an outside institution.

"I see. I heard about Clinton's good work. I trust him to know what is best for my men."

It seemed that Melkor thought highly of Clinton Larkinson. Ves wasn't too familiar with the old director, so he hadn't anticipated this reaction.

"Good! You can discuss the details with Magdalena and Clinton."

Lucky climbed out of Ves' lap and padded over to Melkor. The Avatar Commander hardly took any notice of the mechanical cat.

"Go away. I'm not in the mood to play right now."

"Meow."

"Ves, please tell your cat to stop sniffing my uniform."

"Meow."

Ves briefly concentrated his mind and sent a spiritual nudge to Lucky. The cat instantly jumped as if someone stepped on his tail!

"Meow!"

"You deserve it! Now get back!"

While Ves reined in his pet, Melkor watched on with a level of detachment.

"Maybe I was being too harsh on Lucky. Sorry, Ves. I'm not used to letting uncontrolled elements approach me. Who knows if it's a sandman who crept up on my ship."

"Did the sandmen really sneak into ships to assassinate people?"

"You'd be surprised at what they are capable of doing. Just because the sandmen admirals call the shots doesn't mean the lower castes are unthinking. We needed to be really careful in tracking the debris from broken sandmen because a part of them always manage to live. The most annoying survivors are those who managed to cling to a mech as it returns to its ship. I haven't witnessed it in person, but I've heard of these instances taking place in other star systems."

Melkor proceeded to tell random anecdotes to Ves. He had experienced or heard a lot of interesting stories which didn't show up in public or in the reports he had access to. Each tale illustrated the many dangers and frustrations the soldiers at the front had to deal with in their endless fight against the implacable aliens.

Ves noted that Melkor's need to share his stories was a form of catharsis for him. This didn't seem surprising. The returning commander had no one else to share his closest thoughts with when he was deployed to the front.

Melkor had to put up a strong and confident exterior in order to inspire his subordinates. He couldn't share anything with his allies because they were mostly strangers who happened to be assigned to the same defense force.

As for confiding with the officers of the Mech Corps assigned to lead the defense forces, there was a very clear separation between the two. Larkinson or not, Melkor was just the head of a private mech force.

"So what now?" The matured commander asked. "The war isn't over. None of us can relax until the sandmen stop flooding into our state."

"Commander Magdalena and I have already made arrangements. For now, you should prepare to take over the Sentinel Commander's role when she leads the second detachment to the front. We need a competent and experienced leader to direct the remaining Avatars and Sentinels in the event the sandmen show up in Cloudy Curtain again. Are you up to the task?"

"I can do it." Melkor immediately replied. "It is no problem for me to step in her boots. You can count on me to maintain discipline."

Ves believed him. The authority he exuded could not be faked. Someone much less than Ves would instinctively follow Melkor's instructions without expressing any doubt. This was the most valuable ability that Melkor acquired from his tour.

Before Melkor deployed to the front, he had always seemed a bit fresh and green to lead the most elite mech force under Ves' command.

Now, Ves had no reason to doubt Melkor's qualifications. According to the reports, the Avatar Commander managed to lead the Avatars and Sentinels well enough to earn their trust and respect.

Such a leader was worthy to take on the mantle of Avatar Commander.

Failed leaders such as Lady Miralix from the Sentinel Kingdom or Casella Ingvar from the Kingdom of the Three Flowers served as cautionary tales for what could go wrong.

It was very hard to be in charge of people. Each of them had their own thoughts and wants. An organization was supposed to fit them into a structure, but a strong leader was needed to truly bring them together.

While Melkor showed a bit of attitude, that was not a bad thing. Ves never asked for a yes-man to lead his Avatars. As mech pilots who were supposed to embody myths and legends, they should have the capital to be arrogant!

Of course, Ves would never be as charitable if he didn't have the confidence to suppress his jaded subordinate.

"How is the war going from your perspective?" He asked.

"I thought you had access to all sorts of intelligence."

"I do. It's just that most of them are prepared by all sorts of people. I want to hear what you think of the war, as someone who fought and lived through the battles."

"It's a calamity. You don't understand how many lives are resting on our shoulders. Each time defenders like us fail to stop the sandmen, another planet is lost. The Bright Republic has too many planets to evacuate their populations. Only the brightest and most important individuals have been taken to safety. As for those who aren't valued enough.. you can imagine their fates."

Ves heard a lot of hidden resentment in Melkor's voice. He probably hated the fact that the Bright Republic hadn't allocated a lot of ships to evacuate more citizens.

"Do you think we can win?"

"Hahaha!" Melkor burst out in laughter. "Win?! We've won thousands of battles, but we are still losing ground! Defeat a single sandman fleet, and another one arrives the next day. Defeat that fleet, and a third fleet arrives! There is no end to the sandmen!"

"A CFA warfleet recently demolished the sandman empire." Ves pointed out.

"What does it matter?! I have seen how endless they are! Every soldier deployed to the front has never enjoyed a moment of rest because they are too numerous!"

"Have you lost hope?"

"I..." Melkor suddenly froze. "I guess I have. I don't see an end to the sandmen. I know their numbers are finite, but.. will we still be around by the time the sandman invasion has lost steam?"

That was the question that everyone wanted to answer. No one knew how many sandman fleets were on their way to batter human space. Analysts have made all kinds of predictions, but there was simply too little data to make a solid guess.

Though Melkor put up a strong front, Ves recognized how fragile he had become. The burden of leadership bore down onto his shoulders until his bones started to crack.

If the pressure increased by even a little bit, Melkor was liable to break entirely!

Once Ves recognized this danger, he immediately became concerned.

He initially agreed to send Melkor to the front in order to cultivate a strong leader. Now that his cousin had returned, he got what he wanted, but not without some damage.

If Ves wanted to get his money's worth, he needed to give Melkor the opportunity to heal his wounds.

"Don't push yourself too hard now that you're back." He advised. "You're not the only person in charge here. There are a lot of Avatars and Sentinels who can take over some of your duties while you recuperate."

"I know. I'm a Larkinson, remember? I recognize my own condition. I'm not stable enough to lead my men in my current state."

"Good."

Ves felt reassured. He didn't want to have another Carlos on his hands.

"One more thing, Ves. Have we proven ourselves?"

"Yes." Ves immediately replied. "You and your Avatars have done enough to prove your courage and commitment. As far as I'm concerned, you and the Avatars you've brought back have become the core members of my organization."

A huge sense of relief escaped from Melkor's body. He was really afraid that Ves would impose additional demands!

"Rest assured that you and all of your proven men don't have to pilot low-specced budget mechs anymore. Commander Magdalena has already procured a batch of Dawnbreakers for your blooded Avatars. They deserve to pilot mechs that match their elite status!"

The Avatar Commander perked up. "Do you really mean that?!"

"We have enough Dawnbreakers in stock to pair every Avatar with a premium mech!"

Ves did not take offense by Melkor's obvious preference for the Dawnbreakers. Their powerful specs and their notable defense turned them into one of the most popular mechs among the mech pilots deployed to the front!

Few mech models preserved the lives of mech pilots as well as the Dawnbreaker!

The Desolate Soldier designed by Ves was simply too lacking in comparison. Despite their valuable glows, mech pilots vastly valued their lives over feeling good about themselves!

Melkor's reaction reminded Ves that he should not overvalue his unique strengths. As long as the performance difference was wide enough, mech pilots were better off using powerful mechs than living mechs!

Chapter 1689 Silent Inspection

The return of the first group and the imminent departure of the second group of Avatars and Sentinels led to a lot of activity.

Mechs moved in and out of workshops while the returning soldiers received the care and attention they needed.

The Cloud Estate temporarily hosted the stressed and war-stricken veterans who had to get used to normality after months of non-stop fighting.

Ves frequently moved around to meet with various people.

He discussed the disposition of the returning soldiers with Commander Melkor.

He talked to Commander Magdalena about stockpiling more supplies.

He granted a larger budget to the Foundation in order to give Director Clinton the facilities and manpower needed to treat the wounded.

Of course, he also met with each individual Avatar in person. He did this not only to show his appreciation, but also observe how they changed.

In general, he was very satisfied with the quality of Avatar soldiers. Forged in battle, each of them had shed their frivolity and groundless bravado. The only ones who were able to survive the meat grinder of the front lines were those whose willpower were akin to compress alloy.

Each veteran Avatar reminded Ves of the old Swordmaidens. Just like him, the Swordmaidens subjected their prospective sisters to a brutal survival test.

The graduating Swordmaidens were dropped onto an untamed planet. There, they had to survive the alien wilderness, track down a deadly exobeast and slay it in single combat with nothing but a sword!

Suffice to say, not a lot of Swordmaidens emerged out of this harsh ritual.

Yet those who did always turned out to be elites that Commander Lydia could rely upon to form the core of her organization.

When Ves met with every blooded Avatars, he could hardly keep his joy contained! None of them were exactly pleased with the hardships and near-deaths they faced during their deployments. Their feelings towards the man responsible for subjecting them to turtore weren't exactly positive.

Regardless, Ves did not worry about any betrayal or defection. He understood that all of his Avatars had toiled too much to quit at this point. With the help of sunk cost fallacy, Ves employed his Devil Tongue to the fullest in order to remind them of the rewards they had in store.

"Each of you will enjoy an exalted status within my organization. As my elite Avatars, you are entitled to pilot some of the best standard mechs I design. Not only that, I will invest considerable resources in order to retrain you into second-class mech pilots. A bright future awaits. Languishing in a poor third-rate state is not in the cards for you as long as you renew your commitment."

Even if his message wasn't always well-received, Ves did not worry about anyone going rogue. The Avatars were surrounded by his subordinates. They didn't have anyone by their side who could persuade them to quit or worse.

Perhaps the only individual that Ves couldn't solve was William Urbesh.

As soon as the man stepped into his office, William marched forward with an unnaturally stiff gait before facing Ves in complete silence.

Ves awkwardly gestured to the chair, motioning for his latest visitor to sit.

"Hello."

"..."

"Okay. You go by Silent William these days, right?"

"..."

"How was your first real combat deployment? Have you received enough stimulation? My purpose for attaching you to the Avatars is to facilitate your advancement to expert candidate. After all, real combat is the best way to bring out a mech pilot's potential. How much progress have you made?"

Silent William continued to stare at Ves with steely eyes as his mouth remained shut. No matter how many times Ves prompted him, the Urbesh clansman did not utter any word!

Ves realized that it was pointless to get William to say anything. He doubted whether the disconcertingly silent mech pilot was truly mute.

Yet no matter how much of the original William was left, Ves still had a mission to fulfill.

"You know you won't be able to get rid of me until you advance to expert candidate, right?" He spoke. "I'll throw you to the sandmen again and again until you finally make a breakthrough!"

Ves did not have any good options aside from pushing William to the brink. Even if the chance of death was ever-present, he was more than willing to make this gamble!

It helped that Silent William's performance was exemplary for a normal mech pilot. William always possessed an excellent piloting foundation due to the intensive training he went through. The Rim Guardians also threw him in some of their excellent training programs in an attempt to break his psychological aversion to combat.

William never had the opportunity to show off his abundant accumulation due to his previous mental blocks. Only after Ves got rid of them did the foreign mech pilot finally demonstrate why the Urbesh Clan used to be a respected power from the Garlen Empire!

Ves scratched his head. Talking to William was like talking to a wall. The lack of meaningful responses threw him off-kilter.

"You know what, screw this." He muttered and turned around. "Nitaa, go knock William out."

"Yes, sir."

His bodyguard didn't question his strange order and immediately moved into action. She drew a electrifier pistol from one of her holsters and immediately blasted William with a stun ray.

BZZT!

No matter what abomination William had turned into, his flesh was still human. He lost consciousness in an instant.

Ves calmly activated some security measures that locked and isolated his office. Jammers came online, causing Lucky to be disturbed from his nap.

He picked up his pet and tossed him in the air. His cat hastily stabilized his trajectory.

"Meow!"

"Stop lazying around and help me inspect William."

"Meow meow."

After making his displeasure known, Lucky eventually did what he was told and floated down on William's chest. He sniffed all over the mech pilot slumped onto his seat.

"Meow."

"You sure?"

"Meow meow meow!"

"Okay."

William carried no weapons, bugs or anything dangerous. His body only contained a couple of implants that were harmless in this situation.

Once Lucky finished his inspection, Nitaa stepped forward and inspected William's body.

"He's clear."

Considering William's strangeness, Ves did not think it was excessive to check him twice.

Only after he was absolutely sure that William posed no threat to him did he approach the unconscious mech pilot's body.

He hardly sensed anything abnormal when William was out cold. If anyone told Ves that William possessed at least a partial alien influence in his mind, he would never believe such a wild claim.

Both Ves, Lucky and Nitaa stared down at the slumped figure with an unreasonable amount of caution.

"So. There is nothing on him that poses a threat?"

"As far as I'm aware of, he's defenseless." Nitaa spoke.

"Okay."

Ves tentatively stepped closer until he was able to place his palm on top of William's head.

Since William was determined to maintain his silent act, there was no way Ves could glean any details from the mech pilot.

So he decided to go straight to the source.

Voices lied, but spirituality never deceived.

As soon as Ves concentrated his mind and extended his spirituality, he could feel the strength hidden deep inside the Urbesh clansman.

The consequences of performing spiritual surgery on William's head were as clear as day to him. A strange balance had emerged in the mech pilot's mind and spiritual potential.

A weaker portion consisted of William's pure humanity. A hefty dose of cowardice still resided here, counterbalancing the aggressive and chaotic attributes of the stronger portion.

Ves truly had no idea who was in charge. It could be that neither William nor an offshoot of Nyxie was in charge of William's mind and body.

Perhaps the current William was a new entity that inherited the traits of both.

"He's like my spiritual product." Ves suddenly realized.

He widened his eyes. The notion sounded ridiculous, but Ves could not dismiss this crazy possibility.

Had he really displaced the old William by inadvertently turning his spiritual potential into a spiritual product?

"This can't be true!"

In the end, he knew too little about the interaction between spirituality and someone's personality. Affecting one inevitably affected the other, but how interconnected were they really?

After a bit of thought, he dismissed the crazy theory he came up with. He didn't feel as if he mixed William and Nyxie into a third entity. The spiritual attributes that belonged to his old self and the ancient alien spiritual entity maintained a very clear separation.

The situation looked similar to two neighboring hostile states locked in a stalemate.

The original William may be on the backfoot, but he was fighting on home ground. His mind and spiritual potential originally belonged to him, so it possessed a considerable defensive advantage.

As for Nyxie, his unwelcome intrusion into William's spiritual potential couldn't be dislodged either. The alien was too strong in the spiritual department, and even if Ves only introduced him into William's mind through contamination, his spiritual quality was far too high.

The more Ves explored William's mind, the more he figured Silent William out. He had truly become a fusion of two separate influences. He possessed the old William's humanity and Nyxie's alien cruelty and strength at the same time!

Such a combination did not appear very stable to Ves. Many of William's attributes were highly opposed to Nyxie's attributes and vice versa.

However, the two spiritual influences somehow managed to end up in a tenuous balance.

This was because neither side possessed the strength to overpower the other and take over William's mind and body for themselves!

As long as this balance wasn't disrupted, Ves expected the new William to be able to take advantage of both influences.

Nyxie provided the strength and daring to pursue greater power.

The old William reined Nyxie in and inserted some very necessary human norms to the new William.

All of this sounded great, but the condition of William's mind and spiritual potential grew too slowly. After months of continuous high-intensity battles, Silent William barely developed his spiritual potential.

The strongest indicator for this lack of progress was that Silent William hadn't come close to developing a force of will. His mind was chaotic and full of conflicting and contradictory thoughts.

The lack of a unifying ideal prevented William from elevating it into a spiritually-empowered conviction.

"Do I have to perform another bout of surgery?" He mused.

He already operated on his test subject once. He might as well do it again in order to finish the job.

Yet when he thought how messy William became after his first round of surgery, Ves quickly shook his head.

He was playing with forces he didn't fully understand. He lacked the theoretical foundation to manipulate William's mind with purpose.

In the end, he decided on a more direct approach.

"Wake him up, Nitaa."

"On it."

As soon as Nitaa injected some sort of stimulant in William's bloodstream, the man immediately woke up and tried to get his bearings back.

Despite getting knocked out, Silent William did not exhibit any strong reaction. He merely stared at Ves with his disconcerting eyes.

Ves tried his best not to feel spooked.

"Hello again, William."

"..."

"Since you aren't one for small talk, I'll just get straight to the point. As a Larkinson, I'm very familiar on how to nurture an expert candidate. After inspecting you, I think I know the reason why you haven't made any progress on this front."

"..."

"The answer is very simple, really. Your mind is too mixed and unfocused. Every expert pilot I've met has dedicated themselves to a single principle or ideal. Some fight because they want to vanquish evil. Others fight to protect their home state. Many simply want to become the strongest warrior in the galaxy. No matter what they chose to dedicate their lives to, you don't appear to have a goal."

Silent William finally showed a reaction. A hint of confusion glinted in his eyes.

Chapter 1690 Circling Shadows

After a one-sided lecture, Ves dismissed Silent William as if he was just a regular mech pilot.

Whether Silent William believed in him or not, Ves would make sure that his guest would develop a conviction sooner or later.

As William stepped outside of the office distanced himself from Ves, his facial expressions twitched and jerked in an uncontrollable manner. His entire mind and spirituality fluctuated considerably.

Eventually, his inner turmoil ended, and William quickly restored his impassive expression before resuming his journey back to the Avatar base.

As for Ves, he contemplated William's unusual spiritual state even further. He had never seen anything like it. The thought of being responsible for such an odd and unnatural condition made him feel as if he was playing god.

"Gods are nothing but masters of creation and designers of life." He whispered.

"Meow."

"Haha!" He chuckled. "Too bad I can't conjure up exotics from nothing to feed your insatiable appetite. Besides, isn't Gloriana spoiling you rotten already?"

"Meow."

Lucky still hadn't forgotten about being tossed into the air. He landed on Ves' head and ruffled some hair.

"Hey! Don't mess with my hair! Gloriana will hate me when she sees any sloppiness!"

Ves grabbed Lucky's bone-metallic body and tossed the cat aside yet again. He then activated a command on his terminal that caused a beauty bot to emerge from the side and float to his head in order to fix his hairstyle.

Ever since Gloriana got into his life, he couldn't show up as uncaring for his appearance as before. He had gotten used to activating bots to fix up his looks.

Once his hair became impeccable again, he turned to Nitaa. "You've been following me around for a while now. You know many of my decisions and witnessed many things I have hid from others. Aside from Lucky, you probably know me best. I'm curious to hear your thoughts."

The tall woman frowned. "I'm just your guard, sir. It is not my place to offer advice or question your decisions."

"Well, you're one of my only confidantes." He smiled sardonically at her. "It's funny, isn't it? I'm surrounded by people and I'm constantly recruiting more. Yet I still don't dare to trust them completely."

"I believe Miss Gloriana is worthy of your trust. She has always always reciprocated the trust you have extended to her. I suggest you confide in her if you require someone to share your burdens."

Ves lowered his head as he contemplated this idea again. "Not yet. Although we are close, I'm still not sure whether we'll be together in a permanent capacity. There are too many uncertainties for me to feel relieved with extending my trust towards her. Do you understand?"

"I do not entirely agree." Nitaa. "I have seen you accomplish many things and shape many wonders. I am privileged to pledge my service to a great man such as you. However, you are still human no matter how different you are inside. Every human needs companionship."

He frowned. "I admit that you have a point, but.. I can't guarantee my own security at this point. A great enemy is on the way to our star sector, and many existing organizations would love nothing more than to capture me and cough up my secrets if they become aware of what I really am. I'm surrounded by threats that are too great for me to resist by myself. I can only survive by hiding among the people who are beneath their notice."

He always resorted to hiding himself to protect himself. He was so paranoid about it that he only recently decided to loosen up and expose some of his peculiar abilities.

Acknowledging and naming the auras of his mechs as glows was a way to accelerate his progression and business success. If not for the lack of time and great need to develop himself, he would have never risked this much exposure.

Fortunately, his worst fears hadn't come true. The MTA was way too busy with the invasion of the Red Ocean to bother with investigating a peculiar Class IX design philosophy. Even the Komodo branch of the MTA which was far away from any beyonder gate was oddly quiet.

The lack of reaction encouraged Ves to take the next step and introduce the concept of special features to his mechs.

These special features, while esoteric, were very similar to the abilities built into higher-quality mechs.

Many second-class mechs possessed an enhanced gimmick or two that used fake resonance to inspire all kinds of strange abilities.

The only difference between the two was that other mech designers had to resort to adding expensive resonating exotics to their mechs while Ves could make do by borrowing the power of a design spirit.

While the latter was definitely not as reliable, it didn't really cost anything for Ves to add them to his mechs aside from the effort of creating or obtaining the design spirit.

Perhaps the biggest advantage was that the special features derived from design spirits didn't increase the production cost of his mechs.

If Ves wanted to add some resonating abilities to his mechs, then he probably would have been forced to multiply the production cost by at least a hundred times!

This illustrated the enormous expense required to build a mech with a resonating ability. Many third-rate states therefore limit these applications to expert mechs only, because expert pilots were able to arouse true resonance, which was much more powerful than what ordinary mech pilots could manage.

"There has been a lot of strangeness recently, sir." Nitaa suddenly spoke up. "I've been keeping in touch with Crindon, who has been tracking all of the unfriendly intrusions that have taken place in the last month."

"What's the problem?"

"More and more unknown individuals have attempted to infiltrate the Mech Nursery or Cloud Estate. We even started finding them on some of our ships or cargo transports."

Ves narrowed his eyes. "Have they succeeded?"

"For now. The quality of these infiltrators is inconsistent. As far as we know, no one has ever succeeded in sneaking onto our premises."

"This doesn't help much against spies and informers within our own ranks."

"We have tightened recruitment in order to make sure that we are not inviting any trouble."

"It sounds to me like we have the problem handled." Ves stated.

"We must look beyond the immediate. Someone is expending a lot of men in the hopes of infiltrating our premises. We don't know their goals or who they work for. Despite the many failures and deaths, people are still trying to trespass onto your property."

Though all of this admittedly sounded concerning, Ves had faith in his security arrangements. With hundreds of mechs and a lot of guards patrolling the premises, someone would have to be crazy to think they could get in undetected.

Not only were the Avatars and Sentinels on-guard, Ves could also rely on some other helpers such as Nitaa and Lucky for protection.

Of course, he wasn't easy to take down himself. Even if he was garbage in combat, his excellent gear forcibly elevated his personal strength.

Yet even as he wanted to dismiss Nitaa's concerns, his inner paranoia made him pause.

While he had ample grounds to feel confident in himself, it was not within his nature to dismiss a credible threat.

"If you believe that something must be done, then go ahead and coordinate with Crindon and the Living Sentinels." He instructed. "I'm too busy with other priorities to attend to this matter in person."

"I will take care of this issue on your behalf, sir." Nitaa bowed.

"Good. Don't hesitate to speak up if you have any other concerns. I trust your judgement."

After his brief talk with Nitaa, he left his office and descended all the way down to the lab and workshop floor.

There, he met with Gloriana and the Tovar mech designers as they stood in front of a finished mech.

"So this is our prototype." Ves uttered. "It feels Ylvainan, alright. Good job."

"We.. didn't expect to fabricate a mech like this." Miles Tovar admitted. He appeared conflicted. "The closer we got to finishing it, the more we started to feel as if ignorance was gnawing at our minds. This mech is too insidious!"

It didn't surprise Ves to hear this. The Deliverer prototype standing dormant before him exuded a weak but undeniable glow from its core.

A sense of sacredness emanated from the mech. Any Ylvainan within the range of his glow would inevitably rouse their faiths.

The strength of the prototype's glow was just as strong as the auras of the Transcendent Messengers!

The two were different from the Holy Soldier. Whereas the latter only possessed a mote of Ylvaine's spirituality, the Transcendent Messenger and Deliverer both contained the complete fragment!

Ves had already managed to induce Ylvaine's spiritual fragment to occupy the Deliverer design.

How it could do that while simultaneously occupying the Transcendent Messenger design wasn't clear. Ves had long figured out that some of the rules of reality didn't apply to spirituality.

Whatever the case, the Deliverer managed to embody Prophet Ylvaine in a way that would surely send the Protectorate in a frenzy!

While the Transcendent Messenger possessed an identical glow, there were only six of them in existence.

Well, technically there were seven copies in existence, but Ves already discounted the stolen prototype.

The point was that unlike the Holy Soldiers, the Deliverers conveyed the full might of Ylvaine's fragment.

In a standard mech, this was extremely scary. The Ylvaine Protectorate could purchase as many Deliverers as the LMC produced and spread them all over in order to meet the spiritual needs of its citizens.

Even if the LMC stopped selling them, the government would just purchase the license and continue their production.

So Ves was very sure that the Deliverer would cause a lot of waves in the religious state.

"I can't care about that now. Not when we need its strength."

The design was too important for him to suppress. He truly had faith in its ability to snipe the sandman admirals.

"What do you think about your first time fabricating an Ylvainan mech?"

Miles Tovar grimaced. "As I've said, it's unsettling. This is not a mech that should be built by Brighter hands."

The bias against religion was too strong within Miles and the other Tovar mech designers. They were highly-educated Brighters born in one of the most powerful families of the Bright Republic. There was no way that any of them would ever look at religion in a good light.

Though Ves was disappointed, he did not bother himself too much on this issue. He made an attempt to widen the minds of his students and failed. It was no big deal. He had plenty of other lessons in store.

"You won't look down on this mech once it saves the Bright Republic."

None of the Tovars took this boast seriously. Even if they respected Ves, they still didn't buy into the Deliverer's special features. It sounded too strange. Having built the prototype from the ground up, they detected no materials or components which could accomplish anything notable.

In their eyes, the Deliverer was just a spaceborn marksman mech with an Ylvainan coat.

"You don't need to believe." Ves told them. "You just have to cooperate. We can't test the prototype like we test our other mechs."

"What must we do, sir?"

"For one, we need to test our mech with a variety of mech pilots. I've already invited some Ylvainan marksman mech pilots to act as our primary test pilots. In order to find out if the Deliverer works for non-believers as well, I'll be assigning some Brighter mech pilots to act as a control group."

He began to lay out a modified testing plan. He wasn't really interested in the Deliverer's ordinary performance parameters. He wanted his subordinates to rush through the ordinary tests. Only the Deliverer's extraordinary aspects deserved his attention!

Chapter 1691 Hero's Entry

Bentheim!

The Sand War reached its most intense stage at Bentheim!

The battles at the frontlines had turned into a sideshow compared to the great collision between two civilizations in a single port system!

Bentheim was like a black hole that sucked in numerous sandman fleets and human reinforcements on a continuous basis. Its mere existence seemed to warp the surrounding regions, depriving them of most sandmen that would have ordinarily attacked the lesser star systems.

Whether this was a good or bad development for the Bright Republic remained to be seen.

While many vulnerable citizens temporarily escaped the threat of annihilation, the Bentheim system turned into one of the most terrible warzones in the Sand War!

Dozens of sandman fleets poured into the star system every day. While most of them were individually weak, collectively they pressured the defenders to the brink of despair.

"There are too many sandmen!"

"The attacks never end!"

"Sand! Sand! Sand! I never want to see a single grain of sand in my life ever again!"

Almost all of the Bentheim mech divisions had been recalled to bolster the critical port system's defenses.

The planet itself had turned into a hive of war production. Mechs, starfighters and supplies constantly poured out of its many factories. The supply of valuable goods and war materiel not only sustained the defense of Bentheim, but many other vulnerable star systems!

As long as Bentheim stayed in human hands, it continued to supply the entire state!

For this reason, the Bright Republic invested everything possible to strengthen its defenses.

Transport ships towed many defensive platforms in the orbits of planets and moons. The government coerced or incentivized all kinds of gangs and underground forces to defend their homes.

No one ever deciphered the full might of Bentheim's underground community. The smuggling organizations, black market associations, dark mercenary corps that hid in some of the deepest cracks of Bentheim never revealed their presence in the open.

Until now.

No matter how averse they were to fighting alongside the authorities, they couldn't let the sandmen overrun their turf and destroy all of their accumulations.

The most clever underground organizations had already evacuated well in advance. Those who were slower to leave simply couldn't anymore due to how tightly the authorities controlled the local space.

Not a single ship was able to escape Bentheim without the consent of a government institution!

Not even stealth ships managed to get away due to the near-constant scanning taking place in Bentheim's orbit! Many of the defensive platforms orbiting above the planet frequently swept their surroundings for any anomalies.

No matter how much energy the platforms expended in their scans, the government simply didn't care about the costs.

Not when the survival of the entire Bright Republic was at stake!

A dozen or so clashes took place in the outer system. The Mech Corps, Starfighter Corps, Planetary Guard and assisting forces did their best to prevent the sandmen from advancing further.

The casualties were significant. The attrition warfare the sandman seemed so eager to impose on their opposition grinded against the morale of the mech pilots and starfighter pilots who bore the brunt of the fighting.

The glows of the Desolate Soldiers and Prideful Soldiers could do so much to stave off the deterioration of their fighting spirit.

Inspiring one's patriotism and duty could only do so much against the onset of hopelessness!

After recognizing this problem, the government tried many possible remedies.

One solution that seemed effective was to promote the heroes leading the resistance against the sandmen.

Many expert pilots and military commanders made a name for themselves in recent weeks!

Venerable Ghanso Larkinson, who survived the fall of Sydney Superior, held nothing but vengeance in his heart!

"Never again!" He exhorted every warrior. "We must never allow Sydney Superior to happen again! Fight until every moving grain of sand is destroyed!"

Other Larkinsons distinguished themselves as well. Under the stimulation of constant battles, Tusa Billingsley-Larkinson and Porellia Larkinson were becoming more and more remarkable every day.

Their will to defend the Bright Republic and protect the people became stronger and stronger as more and more people placed their hopes on the shoulders of the young expert candidates.

"My predecessors bled and died for our Republic! I will not let their sacrifice go to waste!"

"I must advance as soon as possible! We need more expert pilots to stem the tide!"

The initiative to promote the heroes in their ranks successfully inspired the rank-and-file to persist.

Hope was like a candle that threatened to be snuffed out at any moment.

However, through the constant displays of heroism, the individual soldiers suffering all the hardships had someone to look up to when they needed it the most!

Expert pilots were by far the most popular role models.

While everyone admired expert pilots, they were also jealous at their luck and fortune.

Many people were born as norms. They never had a chance to become the favored people of this Age due to their lacking genetic aptitude.

Those who not only became mech pilots but also took a step further and advanced to expert pilots were considered to be double lucky!

This made expert pilots rather detached from the common folk.

They were heroes. They were noble. They also stood on a far greater height than the rest of humanity. They weren't called demigods for nothing.

While they still inspired a lot of hope, they were far too lacking in the human touch.

The problem wasn't a lack of empathy or sympathy. Expert pilots were still human in their roots, and they hadn't lost their human emotions as they advanced.

It was just that each of them possessed a quality that unconsciously caused people to look up at them. They were far from the common man or woman who someone could have a beer with, for example.

Recently, an ambitious mech pilot stepped into this void in a bombastic manner.

"Pff! What is this flashy display mech doing here?!"

"What the hell?! What is up with that belt?! Why does it look so..?"

"Ricklin's Rollers? Never heard of them! Where do they come from?"

"Wait! I recognize the name! It's Vincent's new outfit! The bastard is back!"

"Terrorist!"

"The BLM killed my parents!"

"He owes me a mech!"

The entry of Ricklin's Rollers provoked a lot of chatter, both good and bad. Their former allegiance to the Bentheim Liberation Movement was no secret.

While it wasn't strange to see former BLM cells taking up arms against the sandmen, the Rollers attracted a lot more attention than usual.

Most of their mechs were rather ordinary. They consisted mostly of Prideful Soldiers, whose unified aura gave the Rollers an aggressive and eager air. Yet these sights were hardly unique due to the many underground organizations that adopted this popular mech model.

It was the mech flying at the head of their formation that ignited a lot of controversy!

"What an impressively large mech!"

"It's slow though. How much armor is tacked onto its frame?! Is the mech pilot afraid to die or what?!"

"It's like an ancient statue floating in space. Just look at the abs of that mech!"

"You know, didn't Vincent used to pilot a similar mech in the past? If I recall, that mech came with a..."

"Codpiece! What an abomination! Is he trying to overcompensate or something?!"

Soon, a lot of people found out that the V-shaped 'belt' of the Adonis Colossus served no practical purpose. A number of mech designers inspected it very carefully and came to the universal conclusion that it was completely superfluous!

In other words, it was a codpiece!

"Look at this record! It says the designer of the previous codpiece mech is the same designer of this new machine!"

"Ves Larkinson! What perverted mech designer! As expected of someone called the Devil Tongue!"

"How could the designer of the best-selling Desolate Soldier stoop to designing such a vulgar mech?!"

"Not only that, but look at the other lead designer! A woman also took part in its design!"

"Hexers are crazy!"

Despite the controversy he provoked, Vincent Ricklin ate it all up! As soon as he piloted his mech, he felt supremely confident in himself.

Nothing would stop him from debuting his heroism in battle!

Flying at the head of a mech company of Prideful Soldiers, the Adonis Colossus seemed to siphon off a huge portion of their glows. The masculinity exuded by the custom mech took on an aggressive and battle-hungry shine.

No matter what everyone thought about the Adonis Colossus, the sandmen soon confronted the force it was a part of. Battle commenced and both sides began to fire thousands of lasers and projectiles!

A large sandman swarm surrounding a dodecahedron-shaped monolith advanced indomitably towards the inner system. The smaller swarm fired countless rapid-fire laser beams at the mechs and starfighters while the larger monolith fired more powerful lasers at the distant ships at a relentless firing rate!

Unlike the more primitive monoliths, this more sophisticated one erected a firing rod on each of its sides!

Each time one of the rods discharged a heavy laser, the monolith changed its orientation, allowing another pre-charged firing rod to fire another heavy laser strike at a vulnerable carrier!

The constant rotation not only allowed the monolith to fire as soon as it changed its orientation, but also spread out the damage to the outer layers of its mass!

It would take an incredible amount of firepower to go through all of the upper layers. The most central portion which presumably held the sandman admirals controlling the monolith remained absolutely safe!

The ten-sided monolith therefore inflicted a huge amount of damage to the carriers over time, forcing the expert mechs to go into action early in order to accelerate the collapse of this abnormal configuration!

In the meantime, a single hybrid mech flew out of formation and almost reached the diminishing starfighter screen!

"This looks like a job for Ricklin's Rollers! Missiles, launch!"

The Adonis Colossus opened the battle by firing its entire first salvo of missiles! The small but very powerful and very expensive missiles streaked across the battlefield and impacted the surface of the monolith with considerable fury!

Hardly any mech pilot noticed the detonations, let alone track the source of the missiles.

The damage inflicted on the monolith was considerable, but far from matching all of the other projectiles that slammed onto its surface.

The actual effect of this missile launch was minimal in the greater scheme of things!

Not that Vincent actually admitted it. "Haha! Take that, sandmen! I hit you right in the face, you manless freaks!"

His Adonis Colossus began to fire its Sandbreaker rifle next. Some of the shots missed the huge monolith in the distance as Vincent forcibly deactivated the assisted targeting system that came with the mech.

A true hero didn't need to rely on automation to win!

Eventually, the sandmen noticed the Adonis Colossus flying close to the starfighters at the vanguard.

The large mech possessed such a large sensor signature that a number of sandman drones automatically diverted their fire in its direction!

"Ouch! Hey! Bad sandman!"

Vincent vengefully diverted his aim from the easy-to-hit monolith to the incredibly swift and agile sandman drones!

None of his shots hit a single target! Each of his Sandbreaker rounds flew through the swarm and continued on its journey out of the star system and into interstellar space!

The sandmen didn't have that problem. The large Adonis Colossus began to attract more than fifty laser attacks within the span of a few seconds!

"Hey! I'm sorry! No more, please!"

In his panic, Vincent barely remembered the defensive system the mech incorporated. He hastily activated the mental command, but his mind was so jittery that his mech couldn't interpret it correctly!

"Damnit! There's got to be a button somewhere!"

Perhaps anticipating that Vincent would have trouble operating his mech in battle, Ves mindfully incorporated a very large red button in the left console of the cockpit interface.

As soon as Vincent slammed his fist onto the button, a large amount of fluid poured out of the ports of the mech. The fluid soon hardened into a solid crystal-like shield in front of the Adonis Colossus.

Vincent activated the function just in time! Though the Adonis Colossus featured high-quality armor, its surface was already starting to melt and crack due to the huge amount of damage it absorbed.

Fortunately, the consumable Lasponge shield blocked a lot of laser strikes, giving Vincent enough time to gather his wits and fly back to his fellow Rollers!

"I'll get you next time, sandmen! Only men deserve to win this war!"

Chapter 1692 The Fourth Aspec

"What a disgrace!"

Gloriana's face turned ugly as she viewed a popular local broadcast during their breakfast period. The narrator lampooned the recent participation of the Adonis Colossus in the Battle of Bentheim.

From its mech pilot's lack of battle awareness to his penchant of relying on the Lasponge system to bail himself out of a difficult situation, the eye-catching mech was catching attention for all the wrong reasons.

What was worse was that the mech pilot in question seemed oblivious to how much ridicule he attracted!

Not only did he livestream all of his battles, the media eagerly played along and used his mech and his antics as comic relief!

It was completely unlike the heroic rise that Ves and Gloriana anticipated! Even though they knew that Vincent was not exactly competent, it was out of their expectations for him to fumble so badly!

"Not every mech pilot lives up to their potential. We are merely responsible for providing a product. It?s up to the customer to decide on how to make use of them. For all we know, our customers might enjoy using our mechs as target practice." Ves stoically remarked as he took another bite of his slow-cooked beef pie.

That did not sit well with Gloriana! She abhorred inefficiency and waste, and that was exactly what Vincent Ricklin was doing!

"This idiot! If he intended to misuse our mech to this degree, I would have never taken part in its design process!"

"Miaow!"

Clixie angrily hissed at the projection. She detested anyone her owner hated!

"Calm down, Gloriana. I expected that something like this might happen, though not to this extent. The way we designed the mech certainly hasn't encouraged him to fight more seriously. The mech mainly draws out his vanity and desire to show off. He's definitely succeeding in that from all of the attention he has drawn."

She followed his advice and took some time to regain her composure.

"Why do pilots like Vincent exist?"

"Hm?"

She gestured at the projection of the Adonis Colossus. "The Hegemony would never tolerate incompetence to this degree! How could he even graduate as a mech pilot in the first place?"

"The Bright Republic needs as many mech pilots as possible. With all of the wars we've been through, manpower is a constant concern for our state. While we have plenty of premier mech academies who hold their cadets to high standards, many more are simply concerned with pumping out as many people who can at least make a mech move without tripping on its feet." Ves plainly answered.

"That sounds alien to me." Gloriana frowned. "It's different in the Hegemony. Our mech academies are very demanding. The instructors would never allow mech cadets to graduate if they are inclined to waste or misuse a mech!"

"This is because second-rate states hold their mech pilots to a stricter standard. Your state is able to invest a lot more resources into the training of its mech pilots. With the budgets of your mech academies, it's a lot easier to ensure the quality of each of their graduates. In addition, their admission standards are higher. From what I've heard, they don't even accept potentates with E or D-grade genetic aptitudes."

"That's because they're not capable of making use of all of the functions of our mechs. We don't bother with designing frontline mechs that caters specifically to unskilled or untalented mech pilots."

This reflected their different circumstances. A third-rate state generally tended to pursue quantity over quality. Two cheap mechs was almost always stronger than one expensive mech.

With the limited money and resources at their disposal, a third-rate state almost always chose to field as many mechs as it could afford. They made much more use of their manpower, not even neglecting the mech pilots who were only able to make use of simplified mechs!

In contrast, a second-rate state always took advantage of its abundant resources and capital. Not only that, but the quality of their manpower was also a lot higher due to the excellent training environment.

For this reason, second-rate states pursued the elite route, and aimed to make every mech and mech pilot count.

While this was very costly, the greatest benefit of this was that the second-rate states preserved their manpower, which was arguably their scarcest resource.

All of those low-aptitude potentates didn't sit on their thumbs, though. The Friday Coalition and Hexadric Hegemony ordinarily enrolled them into part-time training programs to allow them to gain basic proficiency in the piloting profession.

If some day war broke out and the state suffered a lot of casualties, then these reserves of low-quality mech pilots would eventually be activated.

There were a lot of D and E-grade aptitude mech pilots as well as those who did badly in training. In times of desperation, they could do a lot to reverse a defeat.

It was just that second-class mechs were too expensive to activate them casually.

One of the reasons why no one believed the Komodo War would end anytime soon was that both sides involved were still holding this option in reserve.

In any case, Gloriana had only ever interacted with highly trained and highly competent mech pilots in her life. Even among Hexers, she often designed mechs for some of the best standard mech pilots in her state!

"Designing a mech for someone who isn't as dedicated to the piloting profession has been a very novel experience for me." Gloriana sarcastically stated as if she blamed Ves for this unfortunate experience. "Sometimes, I wonder why I'm even staying in the Bright Republic."

"This is my home. It's where I grew up. My design style is steeped in Brighter tradition. Sure, not every mech pilot is up to standard, but trying to design mechs for them is an interesting challenge."

Unfortunately, Gloriana didn't see it that way. She looked at him with disgust before turning aside her head.

It wasn't until they finished breakfast and moved to the Mech Nursery that her resentment faded.

"I can't wait for you to start designing second-class mechs. Your talents are wasted on third-class mechs. The Bright Republic and the Ylvaine Protectorate don't deserve your mechs."

Ves shook his head. "I disagree. Each class of mechs have their own charm. Third-class mechs are much more cost-efficient than any second-class mech."

"No offense, Ves, but third-class mechs are too limited to develop any mech pilot's talents to their fullest. Second-class mechs are much more richer. Unlike the rigid and limited specialties adopted by the Bright Republic's mech industry, the Hegemony's mech industry is much more varied."

She spontaneously started to lecture about the main reasons why second-class mechs were so much better.

"The increased budgets allow for the use of resonating exotics or high technology in standard mech design. As you know, resonating exotics can be combined and applied in ways that result in the activation of powerful phenomena. It's similar to what you intend to do with the Deliverer, but without the corresponding materials."

"I'm already aware of that, Gloriana."

"I don't think you're fully aware of the implications of what this added option brings. Practically all of the third-class mech models on the market are extremely dull compared to second-class mechs with embedded resonating abilities."

"Oh?"

"Take a typical mech squad for example. Why do you think it's customary for eight to twelve mechs to work together? It's not an arbitrary number. At least eight mechs working together can form a self-contained unit that is significantly stronger than two groups of four mechs."

"What are you on about?"

"From what I've observed of third-class mech designers, they mainly focus on the offense, defense and mobility of their products. In the framework of mech design that you adopt, the value of your products depends on how well you combine these three priorities into a worthwhile product."

"I thought that was universal in mech design." Ves stated. "Every mech possesses a different configuration. Some mech designers want to balance the three aspects, while others prefer to focus on one in particular."

Ves always believed in introducing distinctive strengths in his mech design.

Even if he introduced corresponding weaknesses due to his design choices, it was still acceptable. It was up to the customer to employ the mech in situations where it could leverage its strengths while minimizing its weaknesses.

However, Gloriana raised four fingers in front of her face. "You're missing a fourth aspect. Utility."

"Utility?"

"It's the reason why most third-class mech designers fail to adapt to second-class mech designs. You don't understand the importance of utility in higher class mech designs. Some of the crude augmentations that are prevalent in third-class mechs actually fall under this category. Let me show you some examples."

She activated her comm and browsed a site before showing off some footage of mechs in action.

There was a mech that transformed into a stationary sensor tower. Its arrays began to sweep the surrounding areas with such power that the sensor mech quickly detected an enemy squad approaching under stealth!

Another example showcased a mech that wielded a very strange projector that reminded Ves of a fluid projector used by Planetary Guard mechs.

Instead of spraying special slime that immobilized mechs, it instead sprayed some kind of bubbly foam onto damaged mechs that put out fires and filled the gaps and tears in their armor!

Yet another clip showed off a mech that carried a large battery backpack. The reason for carrying all of this extra power became evident as its arms transformed into special arrays that instantly formed a bubble shield around the entire mech squad!

While the bubble shield did not block any physical projectiles, it was extremely effective stopping heat and energy damage!

Laser beams and positron beams stopped going through, giving the mechs sheltering in the bubble a considerable amount of breathing room!

A fourth example displayed a spaceborn mech that flew in the center of a formation of mechs. Just like other mechs, it was completely unarmed. Instead, its unusual shape began to glow as a lot of resonating exotics became active.

As soon as the mech finished charging, it instantly enveloped an entire mech company with a peculiar light!

The instant the light touch the other mechs, they began to accelerate at least three times faster, causing them to reach their destination faster!

All of these examples opened Ves' mind. While he was aware that these capabilities existed, he always considered them to be auxiliary functions.

However, if Gloriana was right, then these abilities actually consisted of one of the core functions of a second-class mech!

"Cheaper second-class mechs don't incorporate these kinds of abilities. They're the equivalent of frontline mechs in a second-rate state. Up until now, you've mainly been exposed to these lesser mechs because I wanted to introduce more advanced mechs at a later date." Gloriana explained.

"So these mechs all distinguish themselves by offering utility, is that right?"

"Partially. I'm sure you've noticed that there is a lot of overlap. The mech that projects an energy shield for example is providing utility by enhancing the defensive capabilities of its mech squad. The mech that speeds up the entire mech company is providing utility by enhancing their mobility. I think the sensor mech is a typical example of a mech that offers pure utility. It's presence doesn't directly enhance the firepower, defense or mobility of the other mechs, but information itself is extremely valuable."

"I see."

Ves began to see Gloriana's point. When second-class mechs begin to incorporate resonating exotics or advanced applications of high technology, they become capable of affecting the battle in a more sophisticated manner.

The examples that Gloriana showed off only touched the surface of how these mechs affected the battlefield!

Gloriana summed up her point.

"In third-class mechs, these functions are seen as gimmicks. In second-class mechs, they're considered utility."

"Third-class mechs can't incorporate any resonating exotics of high technology, so the utility they can provide is very limited. It's completely different for higher classes of mechs!"

Chapter 1693 Wrong Fi

As a mech designer, Ves was already aware of the concept of utility.

However, third-class mech designers viewed utility in a much more limited fashion than second-class mech designers.

The limited resources and technology at his disposal forced Ves to neglect utility in favor of focusing on the other three aspects of his products.

Offense, defense and mobility.

When stripped of all of their complexity, every mech had to offer a winning combination of these three aspects.

Of course, a good mech was not simply a package that scored high on all three aspects. A mech design was much more complicated than that, though many laymen still referred to aggregate numbers such as the mech performance index to get a quick evaluation of a mech.

What made a mech truly great was how well they fulfilled their roles. Having good offense, defense or mobility was often one of the main requirements for many roles, but they were not the only ones that existed.

Gloriana's lecture revealed how the addition of utility completely transformed the landscape of high-end mechs.

A very clear separation existed between cheaper mechs which lacked utility and more expensive mechs which used them as their main selling points.

"Utility allows mechs to manipulate the battlefield in far greater measures." Gloriana explained and called up a list from the galactic net. "Just look at the effects the MTA has registered. Many phenomena, whether they came about through resonating exotics or high technology, have already been categorized and standardized. In fact, the public ones are the most mundane ones. Every mech designer or mech company has developed their own inhouse solutions that aren't as easy to copy."

"Because they're related to their design philosophies, right?"

"Correct." She nodded before sighing. "Some design philosophies are very geared towards excelling in these areas. Mech designers who specialize in forming acceleration fields or damage redirectors can always count on selling lots of mechs as long as their foundational skills are decent enough."

Ves noted something from her wistful tone.

"Your Class I design philosophy doesn't give you much of an advantage with regards to utility."

"Yes!" She admitted. "I work best with the tangible and known aspects of a mech. My research fields encompass their standard properties, which means I'm good at optimizing and maximizing the fundamental parameters of a mech. Advanced utility has always been one of my more lackluster fields. I always had to collaborate or seek assistance from other mech designers if I wanted to add some advanced functionality to my custom mechs."

Gloriana's description of her own specialty suddenly enlightened Ves. He saw the opposite in himself!

"My specialty is pretty much all about utility!" He uttered in realization. "From my glows to my upcoming special features, they all fit in this category! I've never displayed any particular passion towards offense, defense or mobility. They are merely means to an end for me. What I am truly passionate about is adding different strengths and qualities to my mechs that fall outside of those basic areas!"

"Do you realize it now?" She smiled and patted his shoulder. "This is why we fit so well together. I can take care of the aspects you've neglected while you can focus on increasing the utility you can impart to your mech designs. Each of us has something the other wants the most. So long as we can maximize all four aspects, our mech designs are bound to become popular even in the highly-competed Hegemony mech market!"

Utility was pretty much a neglected priority to most third-class mech designers. It wasn't a coincidence that the mech community largely referred to utility applications as gimmicks.

Even in his previous mech designs, the utility they provided was not very spectacular. Even the Aurora Titan, which came with a very useful polarizing module, had to sacrifice almost everything to fit it into the mech.

Mechs which excelled in utility could only be treated as niche mech designs in the Bright Republic and other third-rate states.

As for second-rate states, they became so much more powerful and accessible that customers had begun to expect them to be implemented as core features. A quality second-class mech was not complete unless they incorporated a powerful ability!

After Gloriana explained the importance of utility, Ves gained a broader perspective of his own place in the mech industry.

Whereas most of his peers in the Bright Republic still focused on standing out by excelling in one of the three core aspects, Ves had already taken a different road, one that was more prevalent in second-class mech design.

Perhaps the main reason why an anomaly like him existed was because he depended on 'tech' and 'resources' that were inaccessible to everyone else but himself!

The unique expertise he formed and the ease in which he created or adapted design spirits meant that he was able to add utility to his mechs without paying a prohibitive price!

"You've realized that as well, haven't you?" Gloriana grinned and leaned closer to him. "While I'm aware that you need to expend some time, energy and other costs to apply your specialty to your mechs, you can obviously afford to do it in budget mech projects. Not only that, your specialty doesn't increase the material burden or technological sophistication of your mechs, which gives you an immense competitive advantage! Whereas other mech designers have to add expensive tech and materials, you can make do with adding intangible components to your designs!"

She was right. What Ves was doing was not as unique as he thought. The true value of his specialty was that he could impart utility to his mechs by spending resources that were not as scarce!

"Doesn't this give me an even greater advantage in designing third-class mechs?" He promoted her. "Hardly any third-class mech designer can do what I do. If I step up to designing second-class mechs, wouldn't I be clashing against all kinds of abilities?"

"You still enjoy an advantage here, Ves! We can still incorporate the standard abilities that are publicly known or available for licensing into our designs. If we just leave it there, our mechs are merely average and not as impressive as those who offer unique abilities. It's when we add your specialty that our mechs become special!"

"I get it!" Ves shot up. "We can double the utility of our products if we add standard abilities as well as my special features into their designs. In fact, we can achieve an even greater degree of utility if I can somehow achieve synergies between the two! The potential is great!"

Of course, so far Ves had not developed his special features very highly. The design spirit of the Adonis Colossus didn't offer anything special aside from its glow. While it was a very fantastic glow, it only amplified performance in an indirect manner.

He understood now why Gloriana claimed that his specialty was more valuable with more sophisticated mechs.

The utility he could impart onto third-class mechs were inevitably limited because they had to work in isolation.

In contrast, the utility he could provide to second-class mechs would always be stronger as long as he found a way to achieve synergy.

He had experienced the advantages of synergy several times in his life. He knew how much potential it held!

They eventually turned their attention back to the Deliverer. As one of their upcoming mechs, the Deliverer was a mech that doubtlessly centered around utility.

Though Ves hadn't been able to achieve any synergy with regards to its special features, the mech should already be able to stand on its own.

As Ves and Gloriana entered the workshop, they beheld the finished prototype of the mech.

Gloriana had supervised the fabrication process, so the mech did not contain any major defects. The Tovar mech designers had already received an earful from her about their fumbles.

Ves only made a brief inspection of the mech. He paid particular attention to its X-Factor.

If the X-Factor wasn't coherent enough, the mech would not be able to channel its design spirit as well. This would doubtlessly affect the strength or fluency of its spiritual abilities.

As expected, neither Gloriana nor the Tovars mech designers fully bought into the vision of the mech.

Alternatively, they didn't maintain a high degree of focus while they were fabricating the prototype, which led to a lot of scattering.

This was not a difficult problem for Ves to solve as long as he was willing to expend some spiritual energy.

He concentrated his mind and began to imprint his original vision onto the mech. Through various means, he smoothed out the incongruous factors and corrected a lot of flaws.

It was as if he was finishing a half-made product.

"There. The mech is much better now." He smiled.

Though Gloriana and the Tovars didn't see any changes, they somehow felt that the prototype had changed somehow. Its glow was much more clear and pure. This gave it the illusion that it had grown stronger.

Once he completed this correction, he only performed a cursory inspection of the remainder of the mech.

He provided some feedback to his design team.

"Technically, the prototype is decent. However, your minds were obviously askew while you were fabricating it. Your hearts need to be in the right place to make a good mech."

"We.. started to become uncomfortable as we were piecing together this mech." Miles Tovar answered. "Its glow makes me feel as if I have to betray everything I am in order to convert to a faith!"

Ves looked at their faces and saw that this was a bigger issue than he anticipated. Even if the Tovars didn't like his Deliverer, he thought they would have at least been able to tolerate it while they produced a copy.

Now, he saw that Brighters truly didn't get along with Ylvaine's spiritual fragment.

He made a mental note to himself to assign the production of the Deliverers to Ylvainans.

This was not a big deal. The Deliverer was a purely Ylvainan mech design, so limiting its productions to the faithful was only natural.

If Ves wanted to fabricate a copy of the Deliverer at the Mech Nursery, then he could only do it himself if he wanted to do it right.

"Let's bring this mech to orbit. I want to test the special features of the mech as fast as possible! I want it done by today!"

Now that the prototype was finally ready, Ves couldn't wait any longer. He wanted to verify his latest theories immediately!

As his design team arranged the transportation of the prototype from the workshop all the way up to orbit, Ves informed the Ylvainan test pilots to be ready to do their jobs.

He was looking forward to their reaction to the Deliverer.

"You also need to invite some mundane mech pilots to act as a control group, remember?" Gloriana poked his side.

"Ah! I'll call ahead."

He briefly called Melkor and told him to select three random Avatars to join the transport ship heading into orbit soon.

The Deliverer may be an Ylvainan product, but Ves could not rule out that non-believers would pilot it as well. He had to make sure that Brighters and other people were able to make adequate use of the mech.

Sadly, his mech wasn't really much good when stripped of its glow and special features. Ves held little hope that his control group would be able to make efficient use of his mech.

In fact, Ves even believed that the Brighter test pilots might clash against the Deliverer's design spirit!

While Prophet Ylvaine had been known to be tolerant towards other beliefs, who knew how well it took to unbelievers blaspheming the mech he guarded!

If everything went right during the first testing session, Ves would be making history today.

Soon, he would know if he succeeded in designing the mech that could save the Bright Republic!

Chapter 1694 Anti-Synergy

"By the Great Prophet! This mech is greater than we have ever hoped!"

As soon as Ves unveiled the Deliverer to his Ylvainan envoys and guests, they immediately collapsed onto their knees and supplicated in front of the mech!

Their hysterical babbles and spontaneous displays of worship disturbed the others currently present in the hangar bay of the carrier used as the testing base.

From the Tovars to the mech technicians, all of them looked at the prostrating Ylvainans as if they were aliens!

It couldn't be helped. Open displays of worship had become so rare in the Bright Republic that it was as if a relic of the past had come back from the dead!

Ves whacked the Tovars on their heads. "What are you gawking at?! The galaxy is full of people of faith! Aren't you familiar with Gloriana!?"

"She normally doesn't express her beliefs." Miles Tovar excused himself.

"That's because she is being mindful to you all! These Ylvainans probably haven't left Protectorate space until now, so they aren't fully aware of our cultural norms. Don't be shocked if they act like this. As long as their actions are harmless, just take them into stride."

Despite his words, the Tovars still couldn't help but regard the Kronon marksman mechs with odd expressions.

Perhaps Ves used to be this way too. Fortunately, the time he spent in the Ylvaine Protectorate allowed him to get accustomed to these kinds of displays.

It was much worse in the Protectorate, that was for sure.

After a few minutes of fanatical worship, the Kronons finally remembered themselves and rose up to their feet.

"Our apologies, Bright Martyr. We.."

Ves waved his arm. "I understand. This mech is similar to the Transcendent Messenger in character. I already expected you to respond in this fashion."

Dominic, Edward and Jezebel all looked incredibly ecstatic. The fact that they were about to test the prototype was an incredible honor!

The reaction of Sergeant Jezebel Kronon was the most pronounced of all. She was practically slobbering over the mech! Her gaze locked onto the mech so strongly that she didn't even bother to pay attention to Bright Martyr!

Ves scratched his head. Was his mech really that great?

As a nonbeliever, Ves merely perceived the Deliverer's glow just like any other aura. While each flavor had their peculiarities, they all fell in the same category to him. If their strength was taken out of the equation, then no glow was more exceptional than others.

This was obviously different for the Kronons. As devout believers in the Ylvainan Faith, their entire attitudes underwent huge shifts the moment they came in touch with the mech!

In fact, they were so unsettled that Ves made a controversial decision.

"Let us begin the initial tests with Avatar mech pilots." He told everyone before turning to the Kronons. "The three of you are too excited right now. Don't forget the purpose of your stay here. I need sober and focused test pilots to demonstrate the strengths and abilities of my prototype."

The Kronons each looked remorseful. As disciplined soldiers, they recognized how bad it was for them to lose their composure.

Ves decided to console them a little. "You still have an opportunity to pilot my Deliverer, but not immediately. Remember that piloting my prototype is a privilege. I need to collect data, and if you aren't able to help me with that, you're not useful to me as test pilots."

After this incident, he moved on to a compartment converted to a makeshift control room.

Some Avatar mech pilot stepped into the mech and started to boot up the mech. Ves paid close attention to the reaction of this mech pilot and the telemetry of his neural connection.

Gloriana, who understood this data better than Ves, soon spotted some issues.

"There are problems with the neural connection."

"What?" Ves looked startled. He had already seen some strange deviations from the norm, but he didn't fully understand what they meant. "Is the mech pilot at risk?"

The Avatar mech pilot currently sitting in the cockpit was Yaric Nolan. He was one of the newer Avatars who was slated to join the second group about to deploy to the front.

The reason why he'd been chosen to test pilot the mech was because he specialized in piloting spaceborn rifleman mechs.

While he didn't pilot marksman mechs, he was proficient and trained in their use. This made him the closest thing to a dedicated marksman mech pilot among the Avatars.

"Not quite." Gloriana shook her head. "It's just that Mr. Nolan is psychologically holding himself back from deepening his immersion in the mech. The fit between the two is rather poor."

It didn't take much guessing to find out the reason why. Yaric Nolan was repelled by the Deliverer. Whether it was just his bias at work or his mind putting up its guard against the Deliverer's glow, the result was that the neural connection was a lot weaker than normal.

"How much weaker is the connection, exactly?"

"I'd say.. thirty percent."

Oof. a thirty percent drop in responsiveness, data transmission and other parameters was a very severe handicap!

It was the same as if a top athlete suddenly changed into the body of a normal human! Even though many of the functions were still the same, the severe drop in performance in so many areas completely rendered the athlete useless in his role!

After consulting with Gloriana and some of the testing personnel, Ves saw no further health issues. "Proceed with the test, but skip the ones involving more intensive motions. Instruct Mr. Nolan to take it easy and avoid any drastic movements."

The mech flew out of the hangar bay and slowly emerged into space. With the clouds of Cloudy Curtain as a backdrop, the Deliverer's first sortie seemed remarkably unexceptional.

The mech started to undergo basic motion tests. It raised its arms, kicked its legs, flew in every direction, spun around on its axis, aimed its gauss rifle from one side to the other side and so on.

These tests not only verified the integrity of the mech and its assembly, but also allowed the mech pilot to slowly familiarize himself with his machine.

Gloriana hummed as she continued to observe the pilot-based telemetry.

"It's rather peculiar. Normally, mech pilots slowly increase their immersion and deepen their connections with their mechs after settling into the cockpit. Nolan's connection is actually decreasing!"

"What?!"

Ves had never heard of this instance happening! The only times such a travesty ought to happen was if the mech was heavily damaged or if the neural interface was malfunctioning!

He immediately manipulated the terminal in front of him and called up the current condition of the mech, which was all green. He then shifted to the condition of the neural interface, which was completely green as well.

In order to be sure, he activated an internal diagnostic that thoroughly swept the neural interface for any damage or corruption.

Nothing was amiss.

After ruling out any errors on this front, Ves could only conclude that Nolan was extremely incompatible with the Deliverer's design spirit.

In truth, it already made sense to Ves. The X-Factor was a double-edged blade. It could enhance the mech pilot's effective performance if he fit well with the X-Factor of the mech.

In the same way, the mech pilot's effective performance could also tank if his personality was a poor fit with the X-Factor of the mech!

This was an instance of anti-synergy, where the outcome was less than the sum of its parts.

Of course, he couldn't say as much to the testing personnel and observers, but that didn't matter. All of them were under the mistaken impression that the prototype was heavily flawed or that its design was an abject failure.

Only Ves and Gloriana knew better. They shared a sheepish look with each other.

"I've never tested the Transcendent Messenger or Holy Soldier with non-Ylvainan mech pilots." Ves realized. "The idea never really came up to me before. They were always aimed at Ylvainan mech pilots, so I didn't bother trying to figure out if they were effective in the hands of Brighters or people of different faiths."

Evidently, pairing mechs with incompatible mech pilots was a very bad idea. Though the mech pilot did not seem to incur any damage, the drop in battle effectiveness was so severe that Yaric Nolan piloted his mech as if he possessed an E-grade genetic aptitude!

Gloriana became increasingly more irked at the jerky and awful movements of the prototype.

"I can't take this any longer. Why don't we end this session and switch to another mech pilot?"

"No." Ves shook his head. "We should see this session through, if only so that we can understand the consequences of incompatibility more."

"Urgh! Suit yourself, but you better do it without me! I can't stand this ugly sight!"

Gloriana left the control room in frustration, leaving Ves alone to supervise the remainder of the session.

He didn't mind. Nolan's deteriorating performance made him want to bash his head against the bulkhead. His Deliverer may not be the most graceful mech he designed, but he never meant for it to resemble a fat clown!

Suffice to say, despite Nolan's specialization, the Deliverer performed exceptionally poorly in the basic marksmanship tests.

The carrier released a number of cheap target bots in space, which flew out straight downwards of the orbital plane.

Naturally, there was no way they would allow the Deliverer to shoot in the direction of Cloudy Curtain or any other planet or star system for that matter. Who knew if a gauss rifle round would hit a transport ship that was on her way to deliver a batch of materials to the Mech Nursery tomorrow?

To Nolan's credit, the Deliverer did not have much issue in hitting stationary targets at close to medium range.

Due to their small size, it became incredibly hard to hit them at long range.

It was only when the target bots started to move that Nolan's accuracy went downhill. The Deliverer completely failed to exhibit its Guided Aim ability as the mech achieved an incredibly poor hit rate of 9 percent!

By the time the Deliverer expended its half-filled ammunition stores, almost everyone involved in the test regarded either the mech or its mech pilot as a failure!

"I'm sorry, Mr. Larkinson." Nolan apologized directly to Ves over the comm. "I tried my best, but this mech is just..!"

"You don't have to excuse yourself. Your performance was within my expectations." Ves said. "The Deliverer is an explicitly Ylvainan mech. It shouldn't be any surprise for your strength to drop while you're piloting it. I'm sure you will get right back to normal as soon as you pilot a Desolate Soldier or Dawnbreaker. In fact, when you return, why not hop into a spare Desolate Soldier and see whether your piloting fluency has restored?"

Ves initially wanted to move on to testing the mech with another test pilot, but he had to pay some extra consideration to his Avatars. As one of his future elites, he couldn't let Nolan wallow in his failure today, especially since it wasn't his fault.

Once he offered Nolan a way to restore his confidence, the second testing session proceeded soon after.

The second Avatar to step into the cockpit exhibited a nearly-identical drop in connection strength and battle performance.

It was as if the mech had become rusty and damaged all of a sudden. It was so dramatic that Ves suspected that the attitude of the mech pilot towards the mech was not the only factor.

Was Ylvaine's spiritual fragment actively trying to repel the non-believers from piloting the mechs under its purview?

It made a lot of sense to Ves. After all, the design spirit had only ever come in touch with believers after becoming the design spirits of the Transcendent Messenger and Holy Soldiers.

After the second testing session was a bust, the third session with a non-Ylvainan mech pilot commenced soon after.

Different from last time, the telemetry showed a very different circumstance this time!

Even though Gloriana wasn't here, Ves understood the changes enough to determine that the connection quality was a lot higher! It was as if a devout Ylvainan was in the cockpit instead of a faithless Brighter!

"Who is the third test pilot?!"

One of the testing personnel provided an immediate answer.

"Joshua King!"

Chapter 1695 Respecting A Mech

One of the greatest ambitions a potentate from Cloudy Curtain could have was to become a member of the Avatars of Myth.

The amount of boys and girls who dreamt of becoming an Avatar surpassed those who wanted to join the Mech Corps!

Perhaps the reputation of the Avatars hadn't reached a resounding level elsewhere, but in Cloudy Curtain they were the premier mech troop of their planet!

The Mech Corps was too far away for most locals. Even when the Light Hounds and the Equinox Stingers sent mechs to defend their little corner of space, they mostly flew around in deep space.

In contrast, the Avatars mechs occasionally showed up in public whenever they escorted Ves around or went on their practice sessions.

While the Avatars did not deliberately pursue fame, they already attracted due to their high status within Ves' orbit.

While the Living Sentinels were more numerous and visible, their nature as glorified guards for the LMC meant their prestige simply didn't match that of the more elite force.

Joshua was proud to be an Avatar. He had trained long and hard in order to come into Ves Larkinson's eye. Becoming his man and piloting his mechs was his greatest ambition, and now that he got his foot in the door, he fulfilled one of his most cherished dreams!

Each day, he woke up and wore his golden uniform with pride. While he had mainly been subjected to tedious combat drills ever since he became an Avatar, he never complained or slacked off no matter how much pressure the Larkinson instructors piled up on his shoulders!

This was because of two reasons.

First, he wanted to distinguish himself among the Avatars. Joining this elite outfit was just the start.

What he truly wanted was to become Ves Larkinson's champion!

Only then would he be privileged enough to pilot a custom mech that he could call his own!

This was why he was not content with being treated as a rookie Avatar. Ever since the veteran Avatars under the command of Commander Melkor returned from the front, Joshua immediately saw the difference between him and the survivors.

"I need to prove myself as well!"

To do that, he needed to survive whatever gauntlet was in store for him, hence the need to polish his skills even further!

Second, training was a great pleasure, because he often piloted actual LMC mechs!

While the Avatars frequently held simulation training, the Larkinson instructors highly prized live training with real mechs.

Only by piloting an actual machine of alloy and grit would rookies like Joshua be able to embody them in battle!

Due to his varied skills and talent, Joshua quickly caught the attention of the instructors.

They started to treat him like a Larkinson and intensified his training regime.

Even a trueblood Larkinson mech pilot would have complained at the intensive load, but Joshua accepted it without any complaint.

This was because every live training session was a joyous occasion to him! He was addicted to LMC mechs!

Over the months since he joined the Avatars, he fulfilled another dream. His varied training allowed him to pilot several different mech models that he had only touched in simulations and virtual reality games!

The physical mechs were so much more majestic in real life!

"I feel truly connected to my mech!"

He piloted various great staple mechs of the LMC such as the Blackbeak and the Crystal Lord. Each new mech he piloted granted him a different experience that was so much fuller than piloting their virtual equivalents!

Naturally, due to the sandman crisis, Joshua mainly participated in drills with his personal Desolate Soldier.

Yes. The Avatars assigned him a mech that he could truly call his own!

Joshua often lingered after practice and brushed his hand over the smooth and cold surface of his mech. While he did not own the mech in his name, he knew it was very likely going to be his partner when he eventually deployed to the front as part of the second group.

The constant drills, primarily in space, deepened his proficiency in piloting the Desolate Soldier.

Before he joined the Avatars, he often polished his skills by piloting the virtual LMC mechs until he unearthed almost every little quirk they possessed. After some adjustment, Joshua easily managed to transfer his previously-acquired skills to the Desolate Soldier!

His prior training with the Crystal Lord had polished his marksmanship. While it took some time for him to adjust to using ballistic rifles in space, he eventually managed to raise his accuracy scores!

Spending hundreds of hours on trying to work around the limitations of the Aurora Titan gave him a decent intuitive grasp on spaceborn combat and maneuvering.

While the Desolate Soldier was much faster than a super-medium space knight, Joshua easily comprehended its controls!

As a result, Joshua soon mastered the basic and advanced operation of the Desolate Soldier. While there was still room to improve, he needed to perform a lot of rote practice or undergo frequent combat to go further.

While Joshua was not opposed to deepening his mastery of the Desolate Soldier step-by-step, he felt there was more to the mech than met the eye.

"A living mech is never a simple machine!"

This was what he believed. Joshua had studied the LMC's motto and founding principles to a much greater extent than his colleagues.

Unlike them, he believed in the LMC's mission. He believed that living mechs existed. He should know, as he piloted them every day!

The glows were more than odd psychoactive influencing fields to him. Regardless of the science and engineering behind them, to Joshua they represented the living souls of the LMC mechs!

No other mech he came in touch with offered anything like it. The handful of mech models the Avatars acquired from other mech companies did not feel as lively as an LMC mech.

Not even the great Dawnbreaker surpassed the humble Desolate Soldier in his eyes!

Sadly, he was almost alone in his appreciation of LMC mechs.

It was not as if the other Avatars were opposed to his passionate views on LMC mechs. They piloted LMC mechs for a living, after all. They were simply reluctant to buy into his more extreme opinions.

To them, a mech was a mech regardless of their brand.

"Heh, I'll show you all how we should truly appreciate an LMC mech!" He grinned.

When the call came to test pilot one of Ves Larkinson's new designs, Joshua immediately volunteered!

Even when he was told that it would be an Ylvainan mech design, he didn't care!

Whereas many other Avatars shied away from piloting a faith-themed mech, Joshua only became more fiery!

This was because he always regretted not being able to pilot a Transcendent Messenger!

In fact, Joshua hated the fact he couldn't pilot any custom mech designed by Ves! The Resentful Soldier and the Adonis Colossus constantly haunted his dreams!

"Piloting this new Ylvainan mech is the next best thing to piloting a Transcendent Messenger!" He reasoned when he accepted this task.

When he boarded the carrier that ascended into space, he finally learned about the new mech that Ves Larkinson had been working on these past few months.

"The Deliverer! A spaceborn marksman mech designed to assassinate high-value sandman targets!"

While Joshua wasn't sure what exactly constituted a 'high-value sandman target', he immediately understood why it was an Ylvainan mech when he had the time to inspect the prototype.

"It's just like the Holy Soldier, but so much more." He whispered.

The Deliverer exuded the same glow as the variant, but in a much stronger and purer fashion!

Despite creeping out his two comrades, Joshua did not exhibit any aversion towards it. To him, each glow was alive, and each of them deserved appreciation.

"The key to mastering an LMC mech is to gain its approval."

This was the insight he gained after spending thousands of hours piloting virtual LMC mechs in his academy days.

Therefore, he maintained absolute respect towards the Deliverer throughout the long wait.

While he was eager to hop into its cockpit right away, he did not dare to do so until he properly grasped how to gain the prototype's respect.

He allowed his comrades to test pilot the mech first while he mentally adjusted himself to pilot this unreleased mech.

Eventually, he figured out a reasonable approach.

"I should show my respect to the Ylvainan Faith."

He never piloted a physical Holy Soldier as the LMC did not have it in stock on Cloudy Curtain. However, he had the opportunity to pilot the virtual version.

After several frustrating practice sessions, he finally managed to get rid of his unease by reading up on the Ylvainan Faith and expressing his sympathy towards its tenets.

"I don't have to convert to the faith. It's enough to keep an open mind!"

According to his studies, the Ylvainans treated every human as a fellow brother and sister. Regardless of their beliefs, humans and aliens of all stripes were all eligible to ascend to godhood when the promised time arrived!

By accepting this assumption or at least keep an open mind about it, Joshua believed he found the key to gain the acceptance of an Ylvainan mech!

"What worked for the Holy Soldier will surely work for the Deliverer!"

When it was his turn to pilot the mech, he reined in his eagerness and approached the mech cautiously.

"Please accept my presence and put me under your care." He bowed in front of the mech.

The closer he got, the more he experienced its exceptionally pure radiance.

Though he initially felt uncomfortable, he constantly tried to convey his respect towards the religion and the mech.

"Please allow me to channel your will!"

His sense of unease did not resolve in an instant. It was a lot harder to earn the Deliverer's appreciation compared to the Holy Soldier!

When he stepped into the cockpit and interfaced with the mech, his unease multiplied!

The neural connection put him in direct contact with the mech! The pressure on him intensified as he had the illusion that he was being judged!

"I will not be found wanting!"

He opened himself up to his mech without resorting to any of the usual safeguards that mech pilots learned in the academy.

This was incredibly dangerous, especially with a newly-developed mech! As long as the mech glitched for some reason, his head could easily be harmed!

However, Joshua did not consider these matters at the moment. He knew that he needed to gain the mech's trust and acceptance, and what better way to do so than to open up his entire mind?

A strange sensation swept through his being. While he was not sure what was going on, he knew that he could hide nothing from the Deliverer!

"If you are truly alive, then please accept my sincerity!"

Eventually, the penetrating sensation subsided, and a comfortable equilibrium emerged. A smile emerged on his face when he realized what had happened!

"You've accepted me! Thank you so much! I will do everything to live up to your promise!"

While his integration with the Deliverer was not as great as with his other mechs, he at least maintained a comfortable degree of closeness with the machine!

"It's as if I'm a guest in someone else's home!"

Joshua knew that it would be hard to gain greater acceptance from the mech as long as he did not convert in the faith.

"Should I convert?"

The more he learned about the Ylvainan Faith, the more he grew comfortable with its beliefs. While they were rather weird, they didn't cross his lines.

It was just that Brighters were taught from young to regard religion with skepticism.

Joshua sheepishly smiled as he flew the Deliverer into space. "How did Mr. Larkinson design a mech like you in the first place? Isn't he a Brighter as well? Since he can work with Ylvainan mechs, so can I! I'll definitely find a way to master you, just you wait!"

Chapter 1696 Test of Faith

How could Joshua King possibly mesh so well with the Deliverer?

It didn't make any sense!

His two fellow Avatars failed to bring out even a fraction of the Deliverer's potential! Their instinctive aversion towards the mech and the Deliverer's rejection towards nonbelievers resulted in a great degree of incompatibility.

Ves assumed that only Ylvainans would be able to make full use of the Deliverer.

He only threw in some Brighters at the mech in order to gather more data and verify some of his assumptions.

He never expected to encounter an anomaly!

What kind of freak was he for accomplishing the impossible? The neural telemetry the mech transmitted to the carrier was so smooth that Ves would have thought that Joshua was an Ylvainan!

Did he convert to the faith or something?

Ves decided to get his answers directly from the source. He opened up a direct communication channel to the prototype.

"Joshua, your performance so far has astounded us. Can you tell me how you managed to increase your compatibility with the Deliverer?"

"Mr. Larkinson! It's an honor for me to speak to you again! As a fan of your mechs, I've developed a common method to bind with them more closely. In accordance with your company's principles, each of your mechs are alive and deserve to be treated as such! Once I understood this point, I always approach every mech you've designed with nothing but the utmost respect and sincerity! Treat a living mech right, and they'll repay the favor!"

This.. was exactly what Ves wanted to convey to mech pilots. He had spent so long in trying to impress the meaning of living mechs to the public, yet everyone still regarded his mechs as tools.

Joshua's mindset towards his mechs was like music to his ears. Ves couldn't help but raise his appreciation towards the young Avatar.

This mech pilot was different! Joshua understood the true essence of his mechs!

Only a few other mech pilots that Ves had encountered came close. Certainly, mech pilots such as Jannzi Larkinson developed an extremely intimate bond with her Shield of Samar, but this dedication only applied to a single mech design.

Joshua was obviously different. This was definitely his first time piloting a Deliverer. No other Deliverer mech existed considering that the design was still incomplete until very recently!

For the native Cloudy Curtainer to develop an immediate rapport with a distinctly Ylvainan mech defied his expectations!

Ves began to pepper Joshua with questions.

"How would you describe your current bond with the prototype?"

"It's like I'm being welcomed in Prophet Ylvaine's house as a guest, sir."

"Do you feel you are getting closer to the mech?"

"No, sir. I think this is as close as I can get. I'm not an Ylvainan, sadly."

"Do you feel the urge to become one?"

"I.. not truly. Not at this point. I'm developing a greater appreciation towards the faith the longer I pilot this mech, though."

The questions went on and on, either verifying or disproving the assumptions that Ves had formed.

Once he exhausted Joshua's ability to explain his situation, Ves ended the questioning and allowed the testing session to resume.

Gloriana, who heard about what happened, returned to the control room a short moment ago. She wordlessly approached the terminal and inspected the readings related to the mech pilot closely.

"This is.. odd." She admitted. "Mr. King here is genuinely comfortable with piloting the Deliverer. This is in stark contrast to the previous two test pilots."

"It's not so odd when you hear Joshua's approach." Ves smiled. "He's the first mech pilot I've met who wholeheartedly treats my products as living entities."

"If I recall, he's an early fan of yours, right? I'm sure that more mech pilots will follow in his footsteps. He's just the first to comprehend your mechs to this degree."

The testing session proceeded as normal once the immediate excitement had passed. The testing personnel diligently observed and recorded the prototype's parameters as it began to perform acrobatics.

What interested everyone the most was when the Deliverer finally started to fire at the target bots.

"Well, the Deliverer is finally working properly in the hands of a proper mech pilots." Gloriana noted with pleasure.

Unlike the previous disgraceful performances that aroused her disgust, Joshua's proficient piloting made the Deliverer look harmonious in action!

The mech's accuracy against stationary targets at close and medium range was excellent. Ves recognized that Joshua's slow and deliberate firing rate was reminiscent of the Old Soul, the virtual training mech that he once designed for students to improve their marksmanship.

Still, the Deliverer shouldn't be firing so slowly in actual battles against the sandmen. Time was of the essence and the mech should have plenty of ammunition and energy to spare.

"Please speed up your firing rate, Joshua." He instructed. "Imagine facing a sandman fleet in battle. If you aren't able to snipe the sandman admiral hiding among the drones, an entire planet will perish!"

"I-I understand, sir!"

The Deliverer soon increased its vigor in Joshua's hands. The massive Executor rifle barked out powerful rounds with such force that its flight systems had to spike in order to negate its considerable recoil.

The hit rate deteriorated as Joshua no longer enjoyed enough time to line up his aim. It dropped even further when the target bots started moving and dodging.

This was as much of a test of the Deliverer as the mech pilot's individual accuracy. This was also why Ves wanted to record the performance of the prototype with several mech pilots. In this way, he could compensate for their individual marksmanship and develop a general overview of his mech.

Gloriana continued to look pleased. "Joshua is doing quite decently. He's doing a bit worse than if he's piloting the Desolate Soldier. He's only doing a bit better when the range grows longer, but that is a given considering his current weapon."

The Desolate Soldier actually possessed an advantage at close-to-medium range. A ballistic rifle like the Sandbreaker rifle was extremely simple and fairly easy to handle. It was also a lot lighter and easier to adjust.

At longer ranges, the Deliverer's Executor rifle actually gained an advantage. As a higher-tech gauss rifle, its muzzle velocity was incomparably better. This gave the targets less time to move and dodge incoming fire.

As the Deliverer started to run out of ammunition, the target bots were really making Joshua sweat!

Not only had the distance stretched to the limits of the effective range of the Executor rifle, the final test also simulated the conditions of its intended use.

Around a hundred targets bots buzzed and flew in a facsimile of a sandman swarm. Ves had secretly installed a colored bomb inside one of the bots. Once the bot was hit, the bomb would explode in scarlet fury.

Ves installed this bomb extremely well, taking out a couple of superfluous components to keep its mass and sensor signature the same.

To be honest, he didn't even know which of the bots in the swarm carried the bomb. This would ensure absolute fairness in the test, as not even Ylvaine's spiritual fragment would be able to cheat by accessing his mind!

"It seems like Joshua's compatibility with the Deliverer is not good enough." He whispered.

Joshua managed to hit three drones in the distant swarm. This was an amazing feat of accuracy considering that the bots were much smaller than the typical sandman drone.

Unfortunately, none of the three unlucky drones contained the priority target that the Deliverer was meant to destroy.

"Alright, let's end the testing session here. Joshua, come back to the carrier."

"Yes, sir."

The mech pilot obviously sounded glum due to his failure in hitting his assigned target.

In fact, Ves actually didn't expect Joshua to be able to accomplish another impossible feat.

Once the Deliverer returned, a crew of mech technicians refilled its energy and ammunition reserves. They also inspected the mech for any obvious faults.

The prototype was still in close to optimal state. The next tests could proceed without any major issue. In fact, continuous testing was not a bad idea as they could test whether the mech could cope with back-to-back sorties.

Finally, a real Ylvainan mech pilot entered the Deliverer's cockpit for the first time.

Lieutenant Dominic Kronon had the pleasure of piloting the mech after Joshua's turn. The experienced marksman mech pilot quickly got the hang of the prototype's basic operation and flew it out into space.

As the Deliverer started to make the same basic movements at the start of each deployment, Ves and Gloriana closely observed the telemetry related to the mech pilot's integration with the mech.

"It's better than with Joshua, that's for sure." Gloriana concluded.

"If Joshua is a guest in Ylvaine's home, then Dominic Kronon must be a resident!"

Just looking at the feed displaying the interior of the cockpit hinted at this difference. The mech lieutenant's face was practically rapturous as he came closer to the source of his faith than ever!

Ves actually underestimated the impact on Ylvainan mech pilots when they came in touch with Ylvaine's spiritual fragment!

Dominic's entire body and mind resonated powerfully with his closest beliefs! A vast, supreme existence touched his entire being.

This being tested his faith and found nothing wanting!

As soon as Dominic passed this test of faith, the mech beckoned him deeper, encouraging him to immerse himself further until he practically embodied the machine!

For a time, Dominic was the Deliverer, and the Deliverer was Dominic!

This sublime moment changed his entire life, but only happened for a relatively short period. Once he got back to the testing session, his fluency in piloting the prototype constantly increased!

He had long passed Joshua's scores and went a step further!

As a devout Ylvainan, he already possessed a high degree of compatibility with the Deliver.

As a marksman mech specialist, he easily became accustomed to the Deliverer's operation.

Many marksman mechs were slow and lightly armored, but this was the first time the mech lieutenant piloted a mech so deficient in these aspects.

Nonetheless, his close connection with his mech did not allow him to show any doubt towards the Deliverer's configuration.

If the Great Prophet himself had blessed this mech, then who was he to doubt its viability in combat?

At the very least, the offensive might of the mech was not in question!

As soon as the testing session proceeded to shooting down target bots, Dominic finally showcased his considerable skill in marksmanship!

Despite firing as fast as the gauss rifle could cycle, he managed to sustain a near-perfect hit rate at close to medium range!

He even managed to hit slow-moving targets at longer ranges with a high degree of accuracy!

It was only when the target bots started to whizz and accelerate as fast as actual sandman drones that the lieutenant encountered difficulties.

It was simply too difficult to hit the tiny bots when they moved so fast. His impeccable aim and prediction ability could no longer keep up with the situation.

When a hundred target bots simulated a sandman swarm, Dominic only managed to hit a couple of mundane targets.

He failed to take out the primary objective!

"This won't do." Ves frowned.

Was Ylvaine's spiritual fragment being lazy or something? Where was the Guided Aim ability that Ves placed his entire hopes upon?!

He gritted his teeth. Just as he was starting concentrate his mind in order to get in touch with the inscrutable fragment, the situation suddenly changed!

A distinctly red explosion enveloped one of the target bots!

In the backdrop of space, the explosion was like a bloody flower that bloomed amidst the starry seas!

The sight astounded Ves and Gloriana. Both of them knew what it represented.

"The lieutenant already took out three ordinary drones. That means that there was a one-in-ninety-seven chance for him to take out the primary objective!"

Those were miniscule odds! For the prototype to hit the correct target should hardly be a coincidence!

Nonetheless, Ves couldn't rule out this possibility. He needed to repeat the same scenario again and again in order to verify that the Deliverer actually received assistance!

"This test is not conclusive yet! Let's do it again!"

Chapter 1697 The Prophet's Dignity

In the subsequent testing sessions, Ves and Gloriana divided their work.

Ves mainly paid attention to the integration between mech and mech pilot and also kept an eye on any spiritual interactions.

Meanwhile, Gloriana busied herself by observing the prototype's technical performance.

"The Deliverer is performing exactly as expected in this regard." She noted as Sergeant Jezebel Kronon was having the time of her life with the Ylvainan mech. "Our prototype excels in offense but is poor in everything else."

"We haven't stress-tested its weaknesses yet."

"It doesn't matter. I can already see it. The armor of our mech is so poor that a simple Desolate Soldier can defeat with ease. It's acceleration is so weak that it is poor in dogfights, skirmishing and any other form of maneuver warfare."

As the mech designer responsible for making these design choices, Ves was fully aware of these shortcomings.

However, planning for them was one thing, seeing the mech perform so poorly in reality was another thing!

If the Deliverer failed to live up its promises, then Ves doomed a lot of customers!

"Well, its special features aren't as reliable as I thought." He murmured.

The prototype failed in trying to dodge weak practice rounds launched by tiny bots. The second special feature of the mech designed to rely on prediction to dodge incoming attacks did not seem very useful.

Perhaps it already activated a few times, but with how the test was put together, Ves couldn't distinguish external assistance to the judgement and instincts of the mech pilot.

It seemed that making Prescient Movement one of the selling points of his mechs was not a good idea.

As for the Guided Aim ability, each Kronon mech pilot managed to display it once, hitting the primary objective after firing just a few shots.

This was definitely not a coincidence anymore. Ylvaine's spiritual fragment truly intervened and directed the mech pilot to aim at a specific target bot!

The only issue was that subsequent attempts to snipe down the bot designated as the sandman admiral failed.

Certainly, Dominic, Edward and Jezebel became increasingly proficient in their marksmanship as they grew accustomed to piloting the Deliverer. Yet this growth was just an ordinary progression that took place with every mech pilot's introduction to a new mech model.

While the control room gathered plenty of precise and useful data about the Deliverer's regular operation, Ves did not really find it all that interesting.

He knew how the mech performed in ordinary times. When it came down to it, the performance exhibited by the prototype did not differ too much from its performance in the simulations.

Ves already anticipated this result long ago. For all of its extremes, the Deliverer was not a complex mech design. Its frame did not incorporate a lot of systems and most of its available internal capacity was filled with energy cells and ammunition containers.

The most complex part about the mech was its Executor rifle, but even then it was just a mech-sized weapon. Such weapons were always simpler than the mechs that wielded them in battle.

Even so, simulating the operation of a gauss rifle was pretty easy as long as it did not contain any abstruse effects. Though Gloriana worked on it for some time, the optimizations she made did not reach the point where modelling became skewed.

Therefore, the physical tests mostly served to affirm the Deliverer's theoretical performance parameters.

Only the special features couldn't be tested in simulated tests. There was no 'human' mech pilot to bond with the design spirit. Ylvaine's spiritual fragment could not develop a connection with an entity that was neither alive nor sentient.

Ves had hoped that the testing sessions today showcased the promise of the Deliverer's Guided Aim ability.

His hopes only partially came true. Demonstrating this capability just once per mech pilot was too stingy!

Perhaps he should go directly to the source for answers.

He stood still as he concentrated his mind and centered his thoughts on the design of the Deliverer.

Soon enough, he made contact with Ylvaine's spiritual fragment.

He mentally conveyed his doubts towards it. Why did it offer its assistance so infrequently?

The fragment already transmitted its answers.

"You are.. not a dispenser to be drawn upon as someone wishes. You.. must pay a price to affect the material realm. Is that what you're trying to say?" He mentally conveyed.

The spiritual fragment sesemed rather proud, Ves. It did not wish to be turned into a slave to the mechs it was supposed to be watching over. The Great Prophet was a great man in the past who stood far above everyone's heads. Its spiritual fragment was just as conceited, if not more!

Ves was unsure whether the spiritual fragment accurately represented its origin's attitude. He found it to be a little bit too arrogant for his liking.

However, the impressions conveyed by the fragment were not ungrounded.

It demeaned the prophet if his spiritual remnant was used too much in tests. The fragment only complied once because Ves would have beaten it up if it withheld its powers entirely!

"What's the deal here?"

The fragment conveyed a series of impressions that clarified its stance.

If Ves was interpreting them correctly, then Ylvaine's spiritual fragment did not wish to extend its powers too frequently and arbitrarily. It only intended to come to a mech pilot's assistance if he truly needed it and if helping him truly benefited the Ylvainan people and faith!

"This sounds.. reasonable." He muttered in a mixed tone.

Obviously, Ves was less than enthused. He could hardly convince others that the Deliverers were able to save the Bright Republic if the mechs only demonstrated their Guided Aim ability when it truly mattered!

The severe reduction in reliability was a major hit to the value proposition of the mech. While Ves had taken this possibility into account, having it come true left a sour taste in his mouth.

"Nothing comes for free." He reminded himself.

Very likely, Ylvaine's spiritual fragment only agreed to extend some help at all because its own flock was under threat. The Ylvaine Protectorate might fall if the fragment did not assist its defenders at crucial moments!

In every other case, the spiritual fragment was highly disinclined to lend its strength. Ves was unsure how much it cost the spiritual fragment to influence a mech pilot. He had the feeling he was being hoodwinked on this front.

"You just want to keep your distance and appear inviolable." He accused.

The spiritual fragment did not respond to his suspicions. It merely conveyed its intentions, nothing more. It was up to Ves to decide what he should do with what he learned.

Perhaps Ylvaine's spiritual fragment already predicted it, but Ves decided it was not worth it to put his relationship with it under strain.

Therefore, he accepted its conditions and hoped that the fragment would still activate the Guided Aim ability in the defense of the Ylvaine Protectorate and the Bright Republic.

"Remember. If the Bright Republic falls, so will the state founded by your people. Make sure to defend my state just as well as yours!"

The two formed an unspoken pact. So long as both of them helped each other out, they would both get what they wanted!

Ylvaine's spiritual fragment simply wanted to pay the lowest possible price to uphold his end of the deal. The Deliverer was a mech that should only be employed in great need. It should not be relied upon in low-level conflicts between two squabbling outfits.

"How is it, Ves?" Gloriana approached his side at the end of the testing for the day. "Is the Deliverer up to your expectations?"

"Hmm. The prototype revealed much during the testing sessions. The special features I placed my hopes upon turn out to be akin to blessings. They are granted to the mech pilots of my Deliverers by a stuffy god who is too stuck up for his own good."

"I see. Isn't that what is supposed to happen?"

"I was expecting more."

"Oh, Ves." She patted his shoulder. "Gods like to pretend they're inviolable and dignified. If you want them to do more than act on their self-interest, you have to show that you are greater than them! Are you in control or not?"

Ves grimaced. "I'm not. I am dealing with forces that surpass my strength. This gives my products a powerful advantage. The downside is that they won't exactly do what I want, especially if they are wiser and more mature."

In general, his spiritual products were pretty obedient to him. Ves was one of their parents, so they were highly cooperative towards him whenever he issued an instruction.

Other spiritual entities such as Ylvaine's spiritual fragment were generally more powerful and asserted themselves more. When they grew powerful, they were willing to push their own agenda above his own.

This made working with them a diplomatic challenge. Ves had to make sure to maintain friendly relations with them. This meant that it was unwise for him to force them to do something they disagreed with or went against their principles.

Ves knew that the primary reason why the Ylvainans adored him was because he designed mechs that brought them closer to their faiths. The Transcendent Messenger, Holy Soldier and Deliverer designs all enshrined Ylvaine's spiritual fragment as their design spirits or a contributor at the very least!

He could not afford to lose the fragment's support, especially in these uncertain times where wars had engulfed the star sector.

For this reason, he refrained himself from teaching it a lesson.

Besides, at its current spiritual strength, Ves would have to borrow the strength of the F-stone to win a confrontation, which was highly wasteful.

The offensive charge of the F-stone should not be squandered!

"Let's go meet with the pilots and receive their feedback." He suggested.

"Very well."

After wrapping up their business at the control room, they left the compartment and went down the halls until they reached a ready room.

Four of the six mech pilots who tested the Deliverer awaited their arrival.

Joshua immediately stood out. Whereas the other three mech pilots wore Kronon Dynasty uniforms, the Cloudy Curtainer was the only one who wore a golden Avatar uniform!

"At ease." Ves casually waved his hand.

Upon his entry into the ready room, all four pilots had immediately jumped to their feet and saluted him with a frenzy that he had scarcely witnessed elsewhere!

"Sir! It is a great honor to pilot the Deliverer!" Jezebel spoke out of an overflowing sense of devoutness. Her bloodshot eyes bore into Ves as if he was the second coming of the Great Prophet! "Regardless of my orders and prior commitments, I would like to dedicate myself to your service! Let me be the first Ylvainan to fight on your behalf as an Avatar!"

"Sergeant Jezebel Kronon!" Lieutenant Dominic Kronon immediately clapped her back. "Please go through the proper formalities before you make such a declaration! The Kronon Dynasty still requires our service!"

"Hah! As if you don't intend to do the same, sir! You just want to do it properly, that's all!"

"Think of your family!"

"The Kronon Dynasty won't do anything to them, sir! Serving the Bright Martyr is a worthy cause."

"AHEM!" Ves forcibly interrupted the Kronons. "While my Avatars are open to recruiting any capable mech pilot, I am not here to poach you from the Kronon Dynasty. I have work to do, so let's get on with this feedback session. Mr. King, let's start with you, since you appear to be the most clear-headed at the moment. What is your impression of my new mech?"

Joshua thrust out his chest forward as if he was just as honored as the Ylvainans!

"Your mech is sublime! It is a great mech that is like a refreshing cup of the purest spring water drawn from an unsoiled terrestrial planet! It is like a gap has opened up in the cloud cover of our home planet and allowed warm sunlight to shine directly onto my body!"

What kind of answer was this? Ves hardly gained anything useful out of this prattle!

Chapter 1698 Spirit Key

The testing of the prototype intensified in the next few days. With several test pilots, the Deliverer continuously deployed into space as soon as it finished resupplying.

Though the continuous deployments quickly started to wear out the more vulnerable parts of the mech, this was exactly what Ves and Gloriana wanted. They needed to see how well the machine fared when put to constant use with only a minimal amount of servicing between deployments.

"While the pace of deployments is slower in Bentheim, most mechs are still forced to sortie once or twice a day." Gloriana commented. "Most mechs, especially commercial ones, aren't rigorous enough to endure continuous high-intensity combat. They're designed to be as cheap as possible while still offering an adequate level of performance in a couple of battles or a drawn out engagement."

Such mechs were designed to receive extensive servicing after a major engagement. In normal circumstances, this was often the case.

It was just that the sandmen race was too perverse. They attacked the Komodo Star Sector in continuous waves regardless of the amount of losses they suffered!

While this form of attrition warfare was extremely wasteful and would surely exhaust the sandmen in time, hardly any opponent could endure the constant pressure as long as it persisted!

Therefore, the requirements of every mech designed to participate in the Sand War had been raised. They needed to be enduring enough to match the rigor of military mechs!

Fortunately, most capable mech designers from the Bright Republic were already used to designing mechs that could take part in the Bright-Vesia Wars. They just needed to pay more attention to the endurance and integrity of their mechs in order to increase their longevity when put to constant use.

This was one of the strong points of the Bright Republic's mech industry. The needs of the state and market demand had already primed mech designers to cope with this requirement.

This was especially the case for higher-ranking mech designers affiliated with the Mech Corps.

Even Ves possessed an abundant amount of experience in this style of mech design. In addition to working a lot with the mechs of the Flagrant Vandals, he also designed a couple of mechs for the military.

The Desolate Soldier had already been designed to be rigorous enough to fare decently well in the Sand War. He applied the lessons he learned since then into increasing the robustness of the Deliverer.

While its armor was still paper-thin, its internals were extremely well put together and would not wear out so easily.

At the very least, the critical parts shouldn't be prone to breaking at random moments!

The mech was still going strong even as it lost a leg and suffered a lot of damage to its torso!

Of course, to make his mechs so robust, Ves had to make a lot of tradeoffs. By opting for sturdier parts, he had to expend more of his budget, preventing him from splurging more money on tougher armor or a more powerful flight system.

The stronger parts also increased the mass of the mech, making it an even more sluggish machine to pilot.

Nonetheless, Ves believed that he made the right choice. Seeing the Deliverer hold up well after thirty continuous deployments made him feel very satisfied with his work.

This was especially impressive as the testers started performing stress tests. The prototype endured constant beatings as practice bots continued to pelt it with lasers and other projectiles.

Even when the attacks breached its armor and started to damage the internals, the mech still maintained some battle effectiveness.

"This is something I've never paid any attention to." Gloriana admitted as she admired the valiance of the Deliverer. "In the Hegemony, most battles are sporadic, but when they erupt, they're very terrifying. Mechs have to unleash as much strength as possible when it really matters. After that, it's fine if they can't return to their peak in a short amount of time, because the decisive battle has already been fought. Only in wartime situations do we need to adopt a different paradigm. I think that most mech designers at home don't get it yet and will be slow to prioritize rigor."

"Ves looked surprised. "I thought you Hexer mech designers are all smart. You have all of those fancy implants and gene treatments, after all."

She smiled. "Our needs are very much different. For so long, we were one of the apex powers in the Komodo Star Sector. No one dares to offend us casually, so our mech designs cater to different needs. After designing mechs for low-intensity skirmishes and duels for several centuries, I fear that my fellow Hexers will be slow to adjust."

"What about you?"

"I've learned a lot from you." She smiled and gave him a quick hug. "While I'm not a fan of third-class mechs, I do have to admit that they have their own charm."

At the end of the testing session, Ves and Gloriana obtained a very clear idea on the strengths of weaknesses of their designs.

If all of the spiritual elements were taken out of the equation, then the Deliverer was already good enough to stand on its own. Gloriana especially elevated its degree of optimization to a height that Ves could scarcely reach on his own. The prototype therefore exposed very few flaws, and the ones that did emerge could easily be fixed with a couple of tweaks.

However, a good mech in itself did not mean it was a guaranteed success. Many mech designers released new mech models onto the market all the time, but only a fraction of them enjoyed commercial success.

"There are already many different competing marksman mech models on the market." Gloriana noted after she performed a quick search on the galactic net. "While most of them are lastgen models released prior to the Sand War, they still offer roughly comparable performance to our Deliverer."

There were differences, of course. For one, the Deliverer was considerably more potent in offense compared to similar mech models in the same price range. This also made it a lot worse in independent combat and non-ideal circumstances.

Most outfits would probably opt for a more self-sufficient model than a mech that was too dependent on other elements.

Even in the Sand War, the Deliverer still failed to match prevailing demand. The mechs that sold the most were mechs capable of outputting a high volume of fire without expending too much money and resources.

This was why the Soldier product line and the Dawnbreaker product line sold so well.

Marksmen mechs that offered accurate long-ranged support were practically useless. This was because they were more expensive to procure and operate, while the damage they inflicted was not that much better than a budget mech armed with a Sandbreaker rifle.

It would be a different case if the sandmen exposed their hierarchy, but no one had ever managed to assassinate the sandman admirals on a consistent basis.

Monoliths and other configurations were too massive to punch through in a short amount of time while the sandman swarms were too chaotic to identify high-value targets in their midst.

For this reason, it simply didn't make any sense for a mech designer to introduce a marksman mech to the market.

"The only reason why we have the confidence to do so is because of our unique advantages." Gloriana proudly stated. "With your specialty, we can transform trash into treasure! No one else can equal what we can do! Our Deliverer will certainly astound the regional mech market!"

Ves tapped the desk with his finger. "Most mech pilots can't exert the full strength of the Deliverer, though. This is a mech that is destined to be valued by Ylvainans and no one else. People like Joshua may be an exception, but I doubt the rest of the Bright Republic can imitate his feat."

"With your status and reputation among the Ylvainan people, any mech you design will sell well with those people. You can even design a genuine trash mech and still sell tens of thousands of copies."

"I'd ruin my reputation and my goodwill with the Ylvainans if I did that. I'm realistic enough to recognize that the only reason the Ylvainans value me so much is because I design mechs that bring them closer to their faith."

"That won't be a problem with our mech design."

If he wanted to retain this advantage, he needed to reciprocate the trust the Ylvainans put in him. The glow of the Deliverer ought to be more than enough to make them pleased!

In fact, Ves didn't have to work so hard to achieve this. He remembered the amount of trouble and suffering he went through to design the Transcendent Messenger.

However, now that he formed Ylvaine's spiritual fragment, he could continue to milk it over and over again without going through all of that prior effort!

In other words, as long as he succeeded in his initial investment, he was in the position to constantly recycle and reuse his existing design spirits without paying a single credit!

This was why Ves found it so important to build up a catalog of design spirits. As long as he collected and created hundreds of them, he could continue to sit back and reap the benefits of his prior investments for centuries!

Right now, Ylvaine's spiritual fragment was enough to secure him a supreme position in the Protectorate's mech market!

"It's a lot easier to tailor a mech design for a specific culture."

Ylvaine's spiritual fragment was special because it essentially formed a key which Ves could use to gain an immense amount of respect of the Ylvainan people!

A light suddenly shined in his head!

What if he obtained other 'keys' that could unlock the hearts of other states and cultures?

This solution worked best for states which possessed a strong, unified culture that was distinct from general society.

Religious societies worked best for this purpose.

His enthusiasm subsided a bit as he realized that this wasn't a viable solution for the Bright Republic. Its society was highly secular and its values were so general and commonplace that a single design spirit would never command total respect.

The same probably applied to other secular states such as the Friday Coalition. Even though its partners possessed their own cultural identities, none of them were easily susceptible to a single design spirit!

He made an oblique glance towards Gloriana, who happily hummed as she marked out a couple of areas on the design that they needed to revise.

The Friday Coalition may be impossible to unify with a single design spirit, but what about the Hexadric Hegemony?

It possessed a few similarities to the Ylvaine Protectorate. Not only did they develop a strong and distinctive culture that was outside the norm, they were also a lot more religious.

While hexism wasn't universal in the Hegemony, there was no doubt that every Hexer believed that women were superior.

As long as he formed a design spirit that coincided with Hexer beliefs, he could probably gain entry to their notoriously insular society!

However.. the mere thought of forming a spiritual entity that looked down on his own gender made him feel very uneasy.

Would he be creating his own doom by forming such a ridiculously man-hating design spirit?!

Ves immediately shelved this idea for now. He wasn't in a position to take part in the Hegemony's mech industry at the moment, so he had plenty of time to consider his options.

If he had a choice, he would rather find some other second-rate state to appeal towards. Perhaps he should consider moving to the Vicious Mountain or Majestic Teal Star Sector in the coming years.

He glanced at Gloriana again. He wasn't sure if she would agree to that. She might figure out that he was attempting to evade her home state.

"Hey, are you paying attention, Ves? Come help me with planning our improvements!"

"Okay!"

Chapter 1699 Government Response

After testing the prototype, Ves and Gloriana swiftly returned to the design lab in order to make use of the data they gathered.

No mech ever came out flawlessly after completing their initial design. Even Gloriana, who excelled in spotting and correcting flaws, could achieve this level of perfection.

While they managed to spot flaws easily when the mech was in a pristine state, as long as its condition deteriorated, all kinds of unexpected shortcomings emerged.

Due to time, manpower and budget limitations, the LMC could not afford to test hundreds of prototypes in order to unveil every possible malfunction that could occur as a result of damage or wear and tear.

The LMC did not actually need to go that far. Most of those possible shortcomings were rare, and could only be fixed by making tradeoffs, which would likely introduce new flaws in the design.

If the LMC was a trans-galactic enterprise that spanned the entirety of human space, then Ves would definitely be willing to go through thousands of prototypes to tease out every possibility.

As it was, he had to make do with two at most.

"The sandmen are continuing to gain ground. The third line of defense is constantly losing strength." He reasoned. "For this reason, speed is of the essence. We can't afford to delay the release of the Deliverer for too long."

The updates he received painted an increasingly grimmer picture. The biggest factor was the loss of infrastructure and the complete cessation of cross-border trade.

Hardly any foreign traders dared to ship any goods to Bentheim at this time! Its outer system was infested with sandmen and the defenders were too stretched to wipe them out immediately.

Too many trade vessels had already become sandman food during these past few weeks!

Only the government and the biggest domestic shipping companies managed to sustain the flow of goods in and out of Bentheim. Their rates had skyrocketed as a response as demand for shipping was far too high.

The government commandeered more and more infrastructure and institutions to keep their war engines going. As a consequence, monthly inflation already surpassed a hundred percent and did not seem to slow anytime soon!

Any normal economic activity would soon be a thing of the past. A lot of commercial development at Cloudy Curtain had ceased or scaled as a response.

Under these dire circumstances, even Gloriana had to admit that she needed to lower her standards this time. If she insisted on delaying the release to refine the Deliverer even further, the Bright Republic might be gone by the time the mechs could come into action!

Though Ves estimated that his state could still hold on for a couple of months, he had to take into account the delay between the Deliverer's release and its eventual use in other states.

The Ylvaine Protectorate would definitely use the Deliverers to save their own state first!

Even if the Kronons were willing to make a deal with other states and dispatch Kronon marksman mech pilots to assist its neighbors, it would still take at least a month or more to reach Bentheim from Protectorate space!

Ves thought back on the three Kronons who had been assigned to him. They were probably the only mech pilots in the Bentheim region who could make full use of the Deliverer!

Once he realized this, he began to view them in a different light.

In the current circumstances, Lieutenant Dominic Kronon and his fellow Ylvainans were definitely worth their weight in high-grade exotics!

"They can immediately head to Bentheim in order to assist in the defense!"

Of course, he wouldn't offer to do so at this point. While the LMC did not hide the testing of the prototype from other observers, it was nothing more than a peculiar-looking marksman mech at this point. It had not yet demonstrated the capacity to snipe sandman admirals.

The defense of Bentheim was firmly under the control of the military. The Mech Corps and Starfighter Corps subordinated every other force in order to maximize coordination and minimize confusion.

This way, the military unified the scattered strength of Bentheim's many influences. However, the military also looked down on external forces as a result.

In the view of the government, the military would definitely play the leading role in defeating the sandmen! There was no way Ves could convince the higher ups to put their faith in a commercial mech model, especially an Ylvainan one!

"Only the Ylvainans are willing to believe my claims." He sighed.

This wasn't a guess. Lieutenant Dominic Kronon had not only been sent to Ves in order to offer assistance, he also acted as a liaison.

Through the help of Crindon, Ves found out that the mech lieutenant frequently contacted the Kronon Dynasty.

Since the lieutenant made use of military encryption, Crindon hadn't been able to crack the transmissions.

It didn't matter. The point was that Dominic doubtlessly informed the Protectorate of the potential of his Deliverer!

Ves had already given him permission to do so. He had nothing to hide anyway.

When Dominic met with him again, he conveyed his government's response.

"The three leading dynasties are willing to provide full support to produce your Deliverers." He told Ves. "Soon, some representatives will approach the LMC to hash out the details. This won't be simple because both of our currencies have become unstable."

Ves dismissively waved his hand. "We can talk about remuneration later. The most important thing is to roll out enough Deliverers to turn the tide of the war."

"I understand, Mr. Larkinson. I will convey your intentions to my superiors."

In truth, the Ylvaine Protectorate was probably doing better than the Bright Republic at this point. The latter needed the Deliverers more, but Ves had no choice but to work with the most receptive client first.

Aside from communication from the government of the Ylvaine Protectorate, Ves also received an important notice from Miles Tovar.

"Senator Tovar wishes for me to inform you that he has managed to achieve a comprise regarding your.. tenuous security situation."

"Oh?" Ves leaned back against the terminal of the design lab. "Will the government finally get off my back?"

"Not quite." Miles shook his head. "The Light Hounds have completed their mission. I think. They will soon depart the Cloudy Curtain System. Instead, a smaller detachment from the Mech Corps will arrive to reinforce our star system."

"How many mechs?"

"I'm not sure. Two to six mech companies maybe, all military. They'll be permanently assigned to Cloudy Curtain to defend the planet against any encroaching sandmen."

"Is that even needed? Aside from the abnormal sandman fleet that intruded in our star system a few weeks ago, no further incursions took place."

"The government isn't relieved with that. Your life is important, Ves, more so now that your Deliverer mechs have the potential to achieve the impossible!"

Perhaps most Brighters would respond with skepticism towards his new mech design, but five Tovar mech designers personally took part in its design. They knew more about what Ves intended to design and the recent prototype testing sessions also proved that its Guided Aim ability was not purely fantasy!

"Does Senator Tovar believe in the Deliverer?" Ves pointed asked.

"I... can't really say." Miles admitted. "I think he is keeping an open mind. He has purposefully advocated on your behalf. The compromise he forged is quite controversial. While Bentheim isn't safe anymore, other strategic star systems such as Rittersberg and New Foundation are still secure. You would definitely be safe if you shelter at those locations."

"No. Absolutely not. This is my home and I won't abandon it easily."

Of course, this was just an excuse to Ves. While he did care about his home planet and all of the infrastructure he built on it, he cared about his own life and freedom even more!

Whether Senator Tovar was aware of his true intentions, Ves couldn't guess.

"So which mech regiment is reinforcing our star system?"

"That is still under discussion, from what I know. The Mech Corps really can't spare too much mechs from their existing assignments. They have to make a considerable sacrifice in order to placate you. I've even heard that they're attempting to prepare a unit led by a Larkinson that you can get along with. I hope you appreciate the military's efforts, Mr. Larkinson."

That last detail came as a welcome surprise to Ves. "Ah, I would appreciate that. Any Larkinson is welcome at Cloudy Curtain."

With his considerable influence in the Larkinson Family, Ves would definitely be able to exert some influence on the Larkinson in the military.

If that wasn't possible, then any of the other older generation Larkinsons on Cloudy Curtain would certainly put in a good word on his behalf!

Ves would not have to be afraid of developing friction with his protectors if that was the case.

As for whether this reassignment might inadvertently lead to the fall of Bentheim, Ves did not dare to think any further in this direction. He was already culpable for the deaths of trillions of humans in the Komodo Star Sector for unwittingly releasing Sigrund from his cage.

In any case, the good news from two separate governments lifted up his mood and made him even more enthusiastic about finishing the Deliverer.

Only a few days went by as Ves and Gloriana rapidly addressed the shortcomings they identified. With the help of their design team, they ran millions of simulations that tested the second iteration for any new flaws.

Because of the data they already collected beforehand, the second testing was a lot more targeted and purposeful. The simulations revealed a number of tiny flaws that weren't very complicated to fix.

Ves and Gloriana completed the second iteration of the design very quickly!

While they unavoidably rushed this phase, they really couldn't help it. Ves seemed to sense a clock hanging over everyone's head. It was constantly ticking down as he was continuing to waste time on fixing minor flaws that did not impact the quality of mech in a significant fashion!

Sure, if Ves published his mech design at this current state, it would probably be 95 percent as good as if he spent half a year to optimize it further.

Yet did the Bright Republic really need a product that reached 100 percent of its potential?

Let alone 95 percent, a design that only exhibited 80 percent of its potential was already enough to fulfill its essential function!

Of course, Ves had to be very mindful of Gloriana about this. To her, 95 percent was already egregious enough. Releasing a mech that was only 80 percent 'complete' would absolutely drive her mad!

"I'm not happy about this at all, Ves, but you're the boss of this design project. This is your decision and therefore your responsibility. I'm just a helper."

"Even so, this still takes a lot out of you."

"It's not that bad." She tilted her head. "I've already recovered from my mental exhaustion. I think I've even grown a little stronger as a result. I feel I can tolerate more things now."

Both of them hugged at each other as they supervised the Tovar mech designers fabricating the second prototype of the Deliverer.

Different from last time, the Tovars had already learned their lessons. They adjusted their mindset towards the project and tried to show at least some respect towards the design.

It helped that the first prototype already vindicated the design. No matter how much skepticism the design team held, it had no choice but to accept the evidence!

Soon enough, the second prototype was complete, and another round of testing ensued.

Ves and Gloriana did not have to supervise this process in person. They remained on the surface and began to discuss and plan their next steps.

What mech should they design next? What steps should they take to prepare for the possible fall of Bentheim? Many things had to be discussed. Completing the Deliverer design was not the end of their troubles!

Chapter 1700 Reinforcements

"The Deliverer design is almost complete." Ves announced.

The data gathered during the testing of the second prototype revealed no major flaws or setbacks. While plenty of minor issues had popped up, Ves did not think they were significant enough to go back to the drawing board to design a third iteration.

The time wasted on designing and testing a third iteration was not worth delaying the release of the Deliverer design!

"What will we do next?"

Ves shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. I haven't made up my mind on what to design next. The mech markets are still in flux. Any semblance of normality is gone. There is no way we can sell mechs normally in the stricken states."

Normal commercial activity no longer took place in the Bright Republic. The LMC had long ended production at the Mech Nursery. In Bentheim, the new plants that went up were mostly relegated to producing Desolate Soldiers and Prideful Soldiers to replenish the losses of the local defenders.

The situation wasn't much better in the Vesia Kingdom, Reinald Republic and elsewhere. Only the Ylvaine Protectorate treated the LMC as an independent commercial entity!

Clearly, the three leading dynasties changed their stance towards Ves. The higher-ups became increasingly willing to acknowledge him as the Bright Martyr, especially when they received news on the Deliverer design!

"This new mech design will deliver us from the evil of the soulless sandmen! It's right there in its name!"

The Transcendent Messenger and Holy Soldier already proved Ves' chops as a mech designer who aided the Ylvainan Faith and people. Even if he was a Brighter, he had become the most prominent mech designer in their state! Not even their local Seniors could match his prestige amongst their people at this point!

Ves found this very strange when he found out about this. He had worked so hard to form a footing in the Bright Republic's mech industry and expand his scope step-by-step. He even planned to reduce the LMC's operations after the Sand War in order to avoid encroaching on the turf of more established competitors.

Yet if Ves wanted to, he could immediately head to the Ylvaine Protectorate and become a hegemon in its mech industry!

"What a farce!" He lamented.

While it sounded as if he was set for life if he took root in the Protectorate, Ves knew that it would not be good to become known as an 'Ylvainan' mech designer.

Sure, he'd enjoy guaranteed success in the Protectorate, but what about elsewhere? Ylvainan mech designers never enjoyed much success in foreign markets. Even their Seniors were unable to match up against Seniors from other states!

The weakness of the Ylvainan mech industry due to centuries of isolation could not be solved in a short amount of time. Ves would only be dragging himself down to their level if he embraced their customs.

However, that did not mean that Ves intended to neglect this market. It was still a bastion of support that Ves could always count upon as long as the Ylvainans acknowledged him as the Bright Martyr.

As for the immediate future, Ves had no answer to what mech he should design next.

"With the halt of commercial activity, there is no point in designing another mech for the market." He stated. "I think the Sand War is starting to reach a turning point soon. Whatever mech that needed to be designed has already been done by other mech designers."

Gloriana reluctantly agreed. "It's difficult to come up with another mech that can fulfill a need that isn't being met. Mech models such as the Dawnbreaker are already meeting the needs of most customers."

They both sat at the empty design lab and stared in each other's faces as if they expected the other to come up with a solution.

It was almost impossible to come up with an innovative new mech concept that could swing the Sand War in humanity's favor.

In addition, even if the Sand War ended in victory for their side, the regional mech markets would still be in flux for some time. The states spent a lot of money to the point where they were knee-deep in debt while grappling with hyperinflation. The economies of devastated states would probably take years or even decades to recover!

Certainly, some mech activity would quickly resume as many forces would definitely try to fight over the spoils the sandmen left behind, but this was not enough to return the mech market to its most flourishing state!

"You know, you've already designed plenty of mechs for others." She eventually spoke. "Why not design something for yourself?"

"I'm not a mech pilot, Gloriana." He frowned.

"Of course I didn't mean that! What I really meant was designing a mech for your Avatars!"

A mech exclusive to the Avatars? Ves became intrigued by this suggestion.

"I'm not opposed to that, but... such a mech design would only be relevant for a couple of years. Don't forget that I intend to cultivate my Avatars into second-class mech pilots."

"Then you can just dump the mechs to the Living Sentinels."

"Hmm, that's true, though it's hardly needed."

He wasn't really enthusiastic about this course of action. Ves still wanted to design mechs for actual customers instead of himself. This was his instinct as an independent mech designer.

"We could move elsewhere." She suggested. "The Sentinel Kingdom, perhaps? There's always demand for mechs there, since the state is constantly resisting the pirates of the Nyxian Gap."

Ves shook his head. "It's too dangerous there, and I'm not sure if the Sentinel Kingdom will even welcome our presence."

He really did not wish to mix up with the Sentinel Kingdom's murky undercurrents. The state was way too intertwined with Nyxian pirates.

Not only that, the Nyxian Gap was also home to a hidden base of the Five Scrolls Compact!

If any Compact agents left the Nyxian Gap, they would surely pass through Sentinel on their way to their destinations! In fact, Ves highly suspected that the Compact maintained a thorough presence in the state!

After exchanging a few more ideas, neither of them managed to come up with an idea for the future.

Ves eventually gave up. "We don't have to maintain active design projects at all times. Sometimes, it's not a bad idea to take a breather and take care of some other affairs in our lull time."

She nodded. "I've neglected some priorities lately."

They agreed to spend their time on other matters and wait until they came up with a new design project.

In the following days, the second prototype soon completed testing. As expected, the issues that occurred were too trivial for Ves to bother with, so he simply finalized the current design and published it without any further delay!

He did not bother with arranging any publicity or high-profile reveal events. His target audience was already aware of the significance of the Deliverer.

Through Lieutenant Dominic Kronon, Ves came to an informal accord with the three leading dynasties.

Though their lawyers still had to draft some formal contracts and other documents, Ves simply allowed the Ylvainans to produce the Delivers ahead of time!

The Deliverer design hadn't even been validated by the MTA at this point!

Even if Ves waited for the MTA to issue its judgement, he didn't expect much good. The MTA would certainly employ their own people as test pilots. Since the Deliverer rejected non-believers, those test pilots would definitely have a very bad time!

If not for securing the rights of the Deliverer design, Ves wouldn't even bother with submitting its design to the MTA.

Naturally, Ves and Gloriana needed to build some Deliverers as well. The Avatars currently hosted three Kronon marksman mech pilots. It would be a waste to neglect their capabilities!

Ves and his girlfriend personally fabricated three Deliverers within a week. Unfortunately, no special circumstances occurred and none of the mechs approached the masterwork threshold.

Though Ves was still very passionate about the Deliverer, rushing its design didn't do him any favors.

If he took some more time to perfect and optimize the design, he might have come closer to producing a masterwork mech.

He didn't share his suspicions with Gloriana. It was better to keep her in the dark about this missed opportunity.

The three Kronon mech pilots became ecstatic when Ves assigned them their new mechs!

"These are gold label Deliverer mechs!"

All of them were aware of the significance of the gold label. Ves had personally built these mechs by hand!

Their quality was incomparable to silver label mechs and they were much more spiritually in tune. There was no question that the three gold label Deliverers surpassed any Deliverer produced in the Ylvaine Protectorate!

Ves left the Avatars to take care of the rest. The Kronons had already become accustomed to the Deliverers after test piloting its prototypes, but they still needed some time to gain full proficiency.

Several other developments took place at this time.

Perhaps the most important was the departure of the second detachment of Avatars and Sentinels.

Commander Magdalena Larkinson presided over hundreds of mechs and enough light carriers to hold them all!

Ves decided to add one of the Deliverer mechs to the group as well. None of the Kronons objected to being sent to the front. They were eager to prove the Deliverer in actual combat!

"I only need one of you to accompany the second group." Ves said when he saw that all three Kronons volunteered.

Eventually, Lieutenant Dominic made a careful judgement and decided to send out Jezebel.

As the most fanatic believer among the three, the female Kronon developed the closest bond with her mech.

She would definitely be able to turn a lot of heads on the battlefield!

"Thank you, Bright Martyr!" She bowed to him. "I will show these unbelievers the salvation that you have so generously offered to them! The Bright Republic will come to know your magnificence!"

"Uhh.. okay." Ves haltingly spoke. "Just don't go overboard, okay?"

Due to the increasingly gloomy mood settling over the Bright Republic, the LMC did not hold an elaborate ceremony to send the second group off. The Sentinel Commander along with Joshua, the Ingvar siblings and many other Avatars and Sentinels departed Cloudy Curtain without much fanfare.

In the meantime, another development took place.

Raymond entered Ves' office. "The replacements of the Light Hounds will soon arrive in our star system. We won't have to worry about our security once they have settled in. With the departure of the second group, we're a lot more vulnerable than before."

"I'm eager to plug this gap as well." Ves smiled. "Do you know which mech regiment the reinforcements hail from? It's rather strange that the Mech Corps has been mum."

"That's because the reinforcements actually consist of several intact remnants of broken units. That's all I can tell you for now. We'll have to find out who we are dealing with once they arrive."

The new unit arrived scarcely a day later. A small fleet of three military combat carriers, which was less than Ves expected, arrived in the system and steadily approached the planet.

The LMC attempted to communicate with them, but the captain of the flagship refused to talk to civilians. The new arrivals only communicated with the Equinox Stingers.

Ves found this to be a little weird. Weren't the reinforcements supposed to include a Larkinson to ease communications?

As time passed and the incoming combat carriers were about to reach orbit, Raymond suddenly barged into his office!

"Ves! This is bad!"

"What's the matter!?"

"There is a huge issue with the reinforcements!"

"What is it?!"

"We have just received an ultimatum from the new arrivals! They aren't here to reinforce the defense force or protect you against the sandmen!"

"What are they doing here, then?!"

"They're here to take you into custody!"

"What?!" Ves slammed his fists against his desk! "Who do they think they are?! I thought we had a deal! On whose orders are they allowed to take me away?!"

"It gets worse! The person who issued this threat is Ghanso Larkinson! He's on the flagship!"