The Mech Touch

The next morning, Ves and Gloriana woke up and followed their morning ritual with more solemnity than ever before. They dressed for work and met up at the dining room to enjoy breakfast.

Gloriana had already instructed Dr. Lupo and her chefs to prepare the most sumptuous breakfast they could manage.

As the two mech designers filled their bellies with appetizing meals, they began to talk about their upcoming design session.

"Just like last time, we'll have to fabricate the first production model by ourselves." Ves told her. "We should make sure our mech workshop is closed off so we'll be left undisturbed. Can you get your Glory Battalion to form a security cordon around the site? I've also asked Melkor to dispatch his Avatars to guard the outer perimeter."

"I doubt there are any threats on Kesseling VIII that can force their way past your Avatars."

"You can never be sure." Ves shook his head. "I don't want their mechs to get too close to the workshop. I'm very sensitive to the glows of the Blackbeaks, Crystal Lords and other LMC mechs. While I normally enjoy their presence, they'll only interfere in my attempts to visualize our design as we try to turn it into a reality."

To fabricate a good Bright Warrior, he had to immerse himself in it as much as possible. His other mechs were great products, but their glows and identities were different from his latest design!

Everything started to fall into place. Ves and Gloriana both paid plenty of attention to the smallest of details. Nothing was allowed to ruin their upcoming moment!

As they boarded a shuttle and traveled to the mech workshop they prepared, the pair cuddled together along with their cats.

Both Lucky and Clixie knew that the next days were crucial to their owners. Neither of them fussed as much and simply offered themselves up for petting and scratching.

"Meow."

"Miaow."

"I love you, Ves." Gloriana smiled as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "It's times like these that I enjoy the most. Sharing my passion with you and working together to design novel creations is one of my greatest joys. I don't want this to end."

He looked down in her eyes and took in her scent.

Due to the importance of their work, she applied lighter and less oppressive perfume this time. Ves still found her as intoxicating as ever. Her adoring eyes and her infectious smile made him all the more eager to please her desires.

Fabricating a masterwork mech was not just about furthering his goals. A part of him wanted to do his best so that he could make Gloriana into the happiest woman in the galaxy!

Both of them understood each other. They didn't have to share any words to express how much they cared for each other and how much they wanted their upcoming session to succeed.

A part of Ves was very pleased with this moment. Their affection and investment in the Bright Warrior meant that the stakes rose even further.

They both ascribed another meaning in the outcome of the fabrication run!

"We have to succeed."

If they failed, then not only would their chances of gaining Constance Wodin's approval decrease, but also make each other sad!

Ves did not want to disappoint his girlfriend! Making her happy was one of the greatest joys in his life, and he felt the urge to do his utmost to ensure that they would be celebrated as some of the youngest masterwork mech designers in the mech industry!

With the sheer amount of mech designers in the galaxy, there were obviously freaks who managed to fabricate a masterwork even earlier in their careers!

That didn't diminish the value of gaining a masterwork certificate. It was simply too rare for Journeymen to touch this magical boundary which seemed to have no logic behind its mechanisms.

Countless mech designers tried to invent a sureproof and replicable method to fabricate masterworks. None of their attempts succeeded.

Not even the brightest minds from the MTA and the galactic center managed to crack the code!

The mech industry only figured out a couple of rules, such as that higher-ranked mech designers had a higher chance of making one, or that their creation was always accompanied by chance and serendipity.

No matter how they came to be, it was undeniable that the mech designers responsible for creating them received a huge amount of accolades.

It was difficult to describe the admiration and respect that fellow mech designers directed towards the possessors of a masterwork certificate.

This simple acknowledgement was proof that the mech designer in question possessed an affinity for mechs! They understood mechs at a deeper level than most of their colleagues, and their works were always a little bit more superior in terms of quality than their peers.

To be honest, Ves didn't entirely understand why the MTA celebrated masterwork mechs so excessively. The sole reason why the mech industry valued masterwork mechs so much was not their exquisite construction, their indescribable presence or their unsurpassed degree of optimization.

For all of hype, the actual performance of a masterwork mech was barely better than a bog-standard copy of the same design!

Considering that fighting was the primary purpose of a mech, the perceived value of masterwork machines was incredibly overinflated!

Even though they were worth roughly the same, a single masterwork mech could never defeat a hundred regular mechs!

From this, Ves deduced that masterwork mechs possessed a quality that made them incredibly wanted by the MTA.

The fact that they rewarded 10,000 MTA merits for any third-class masterwork mech and a whopping 1 million MTA merit for a second-class masterwork was quite remarkable.

As far as Ves was concerned, the MTA always looked out for itself. The Association always made sure to gain the upper hand in any transaction. Incurring losses was against its nature!

This meant that the actual value of a second-class masterwork mech should be way more than just a million merits!

The MTA had to be buying them up and hoarding them for a reason! Ves just couldn't figure out why. He hadn't spent much time in studying his Devil Tiger to figure out what exactly stood out from a masterwork mech.

Hopefully, he would have another opportunity soon. As long as they succeeded, Ves would definitely keep the masterwork mech in his possession this time! He wouldn't even let the Avatars pilot it in battle and risk its premature destruction!

"We've arrived."

The shuttle and its escorts reached an underground work site in the rural parts of Kesseling VIII. A large number of mechs from the Avatars of Myth and the Glory Battalion already secured the entire surroundings.

Nothing was allowed to disturb their work!

As they entered the tightly-guarded workshop, the pair inspected the facilities.

Ves had already shipped several batches of materials to the workshop. He wouldn't be short of Breyer alloy or any other essential materials!

Meanwhile, Gloriana inspected each and every tool and production machine with utmost attention. All of the tools and production equipment belonged to her, so she knew exactly how to calibrate them. She had already serviced them before, so she didn't need to perform any maintenance on her gear.

"Everything is okay." She eventually said. "The production equipment is in the best possible shape that I can manage. I wish we could do this in the Hegemony, though. The facilities are much better."

"Calm down, Gloriana. The tools don't make the mech. We do. I managed to make a masterwork mech in a rented, shabby workshop using half-worn tools and highly-used production machines. If there are any misalignments in our gear, we can just compensate for it with our skill and judgement. That is what matters the most in fabricating a masterwork mech."

She didn't entirely believe him, but refrained from arguing any further. This was an important moment for them. She was keenly aware that they needed to be in the best mood possible. Quibbling over minor issues would do nothing to improve their chances of making a masterwork!

Before they began, Ves felt as if there was something missing. If they just began to fabricate the Bright Warrior in their current state, he suspected that they might fall short of their goal!

"Wait a moment." He held her arm.

"What is it, Ves?"

"Do your best. A lot is at stake. I'm sure I don't have to reiterate why. I just want you to keep our goals in mind. Don't pay any attention to anything that isn't related to the Bright Warrior. Don't obsess too much over details and trust in your instincts. Your intuition is one of your most powerful tools in fabricating our mechs. When all else fails, choose what your heart thinks is best!"

"I.. alright. I'll keep your advice in mind." She solemnly nodded.

His words carried a lot of weight to her because Ves had actually succeeded once. She didn't dare to dismiss his advice, but she developed her own approach towards her work. What worked for Ves didn't necessarily work for others.

Each mech designer was different!

As Gloriana began to turn around, Ves stopped her a second time.

"Wait. There is one extra step."

He stretched his hand towards the floating tome at his side and brought it close. The Larkinson Mandate in all of its brilliant splendor glowed brilliant in his spiritual vision as the Golden Cat stood by to do her part.

"The Bright Warrior is a mech designed for the Larkinson Clan." He said. "The Golden Cat is the spiritual representation of my clan and the mold which shaped our design!"

"What are you trying to do, Ves?"

"Open your mind and don't resist. Let the Golden Cat bathe your mind with her presence. This is good for our upcoming attempt!"

Upon receiving his instruction, The Golden Cat excited a part of her spiritual energy and began to channel her presence through the bonds she formed with Ves and Gloriana.

The pair of mech designers soon began to exhibit identical glows as the Golden Cat showered their minds and spirits with her blessing!

"Ves!" Gloriana's eyes widened. "This feels amazing! I can feel the Golden Cat much clearer than before! She's… she's so lovely!"

Ves grinned. He was enjoying the same sensation as well! "I'm glad you enjoy her presence, but don't get consumed by it. Make use of what you perceive to shape your mood and guide your work. The Golden Cat is just as invested in the Bright Warrior design as us! She'll help you as long as you trust her guidance."

"I'll… keep that in mind."

Now that they finished their mental preparation, they began their work.

The hollow workshop hall soon began to get noisy as Ves and Gloriana brought all kinds of production machines online. They divided the work amongst them with hardly any need for discussion.

Each of them were already aware of what the other was capable of. Ves no longer fumbled with Gloriana's advanced production machines and operated them with a level of fluency he hadn't shown before!

No distinctive moods overcame them both as they began to fabricate the initial parts of the Bright Warrior and the four configurations.

Ves tried not to worry about that, knowing that any frustration would only make it even less likely for him to enter into an exceptional state.

Instead, he devoted his complete attention to his work. With the Golden Cat paying attention and his vision for the Bright Warrior seared into his mind, he tried his best to fabricate the parts in the highest possible quality that he could manage!

While Ves quickly immersed himself into his work. Gloriana was slower to adjust.

She had never designed or fabricated a mech while hosting a design spirit in her mind!

Even though the Golden Cat only extended a portion of her presence, Gloriana was still distracted by all the novel sensations she experienced! It interfered with her work, causing her to halt her work lest she botch the batch of parts she was trying to make!