The Mech Touch

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!"