The Mech Touch

　　Still, as far as mech designs went, it still possessed a number of refinements that weren't easy to implement. It was a respectable accomplishment for a mech designer who had never achieved success and was out of practice.

　　"Is this a mech that you always dreamt about designing?" Ves asked as he held the mech figurine.

　　The scale model was based on a landbound hybrid mech design. It possessed a notable amount of ranged firepower and defensive capabilities. However, the mech's mobility was not as good and it was unsuited to wield melee weapons.

　　Overall, the mech figurine depicted a rather specialized firing platform that could be employed as a lighter and less extravagant version of an artillery mech. If the Larkinson Clan took over this concept, Ves could easily imagine designing another promising commercial mech!

　　Of course, he wouldn't do something like that. He disdained stealing other people's design concepts. Only his own ideas were able to arouse his full passion.

　　Though the design of the figurine was fairly basic in his eyes, its craftsmanship was impressive. Chief Fabricator Denner may have ceased his attempt to improve his design skills, his new job required him to regularly exercise his fabrication and assembly skills!

　　There was a realistic possibility that Denner might be able to become a masterwork fabricator one day. Though the chances of achieving this coveted status was slim, as long as the man kept getting inspired by the totem of Vulcan a few more times, his craftsmanship and ingenuity might very well bring him within reach of this threshold!

　　The wheels already started to turn in Denner's mind. Ves gave the man enough time and space to process the implications of what he had experienced just earlier.

　　The first time was always the most drastic. Every mech designer or creator always generated a lot of different ideas, many of which sounded promising but weren't always workable.

　　Ves certainly was no stranger to this phenomenon. He regularly came up with brilliant ideas himself, but he was forced to shelve most of them due to various reasons.

　　"Patriarch Larkinson…" Denner finally spoke as he became lucid again. "This totem of yours has managed to do what nothing else had managed to do before. It revived my drive to design mechs. Thank you for giving me this unforgettable experience. If I was able to access this totem three decades ago, I might have been able to speak to you as a colleague rather than a fabricator for Zachren Bilitsa."

　　The chief fabricator looked wistfully at the mech figurine he had managed to make. The work incorporated numerous solutions and design elements that he would not have been able to execute in a design a day before.

　　A part of him wanted to walk up to his employer and submit his resignation. He wanted to go back to designing mechs and pursue the passion that he had long set aside because he lacked the capabilities to go any further.

　　With the totem… the chief fabricator saw hope of reviving his long-cherished dreams!

　　However, his common sense quickly reasserted itself.

　　He was out of the industry for several decades. If he started up again, he would start horribly behind compared to his peers.

　　Denner also knew that most of his design techniques and methods were relatively outdated. Though he kept up with most new developments in the mech industry, that didn't mean he was able to implement them in a mech design!

　　In addition, if he wanted to get back to designing mechs, he needed funding. Lots of funding. Since he never accumulated a fortune, he would have to attract outside investment.

　　Yet who wanted to invest in a loser like him? Even if he felt that he could instantly revive his mech design prospects, no one would be willing to bet on an aging Apprentice Mech Designer who was out of practice.

　　Finally, Denner already signed a long-term contract with Zachren Bilitsa. The only way for him to escape its shackles was to convince the company to let him go or pay an exorbitant penalty fee. Neither of these options were doable.

　　Given all of these factors, Denner no longer entertained the unrealistic notion that he could turn back into a mech designer. That part of his life was already behind him. He was older, calmer and more steady now. Though becoming a fabricator was not his desired career trajectory, it was still a steady and highly-respectable vocation. There was nothing wrong with producing mechs.

　　"Although my totems work best for mech designers and other creative professions, it should provide substantial improvements to anyone involved in production." Ves explained. "The effect you've experienced will only work on one person at a time, and a middle totem like this one can only activate it once a month. However, there are fewer restrictions when it comes to its full-powered glow. As long as you pay 1 MTA credit or more, my totem can still provide your workers with a productivity boost."

　　Denner began to frown. The limitations were quite onerous.

　　"You specifically call it a middle totem. Are there any other variations?"

　　"There are. Right now, the Creation Association offers three different totems. There is a mini totem that is small enough to fit in your hand and easy to carry around. As you can imagine, the strength and range of its glow are much more modest. You can still activate them by donating the same sum of money, but the effect on you will not be as strong."

　　The mini totem was only suitable for individual users. Its glow was just too paltry to affect an entire group. Ves deliberately designed it to be small enough for people to carry in order to make sure it would always be close at hand for its owners.

　　"Then there are the middle totems which you are already familiar with." Ves gestured to the man-sized statue. "We intend for them to be our most popular, practical and widely-utilized totems. They offer a good balance between usability, portability and accessibility. While it is a bit too weak to affect your entire manufacturing complex, it should still provide a significant boost to a couple of adjacent production lines."

　　He then activated his comm to project a much larger statue. This time, the totem was scaled to the size of a mech!

　　"No grand totems currently exist, but they will definitely be produced in limited numbers. Even in a passive mode, a grand totem is able to exude a considerably effective glow. Its range is the largest out of the three totem models. It can probably encompass a third of this manufacturing complex in my estimation. The biggest advantage of a grand totem is that you can activate its best effect once a week."

　　The time limits were purely artificial restraints, but there was good reason for Ves to implement them. It was costly for Vulcan to induce a false inspired state in someone. If the totems didn't limit the frequency of its activations, then the design spirit would definitely be drained of energy in no time!

　　When Denner heard about the grand totem, he developed a yearning for it. If the middle totem was already this effective, what about using a totem that was dozens of times larger?

　　Of course, there was no way that this so-called Creation Association would give them away so easily. The expense of making such a powerful totem must be great!

　　In fact, Ves didn't actually have to invest too many resources to make his new products. They were just ordinary blocks of metal that he had shaped into the human likeness of Vulcan.

　　The only real cost was time. Ves had to make every totem by hand, and while it was possible for him to shorten the duration by making use of powerful tech, he still had to divert precious time away from his design projects!

　　Until he solved this fundamental problem, Ves had little choice but to limit the spread of his totems.

　　This was also why he made the totems more exclusive. He simply couldn't make enough of them to flood the Red Ocean.

　　The story would be different if he designed a mech based on Vulcan. As a mech designer, his mechs were the most suitable carriers of his design philosophy.

　　This was something to consider for later. Mechs could become very dangerous and Ves did not wish to make Vulcan too accessible to other people. Totem statues may be time-consuming to build, but at least Ves was the only person who could make them. Once he completed a mech design, others could easily fabricate as many mechs they liked!

　　In any case, Denner experienced enough of a taste to change his mind about the totem.

　　"Thank you for this gift, patriarch. I will make sure it will be put to good use. Though it will not be easy to convince the higher ups to set aside a budget for its activation, I will fight for it as much as possible. With this totem, we can elevate our performance levels!"

　　Ves saw that he had managed to achieve his goal. The chief fabricator no longer looked down on the totem. With his support, the totem's placement in the manufacturing complex was assured!

　　"That's good to hear. Before you make your arrangements, let me explain the terms and conditions of its usage. One of the major limitations of the totems is that they will only activate and work on authorized personnel."

　　"What constitutes authorized personnel?" Denner asked.

　　"For a start, anyone that I or a member of the Creation Association have keyed to a totem. This is a manual process that can either be conducted in person or by remote. We do not want our totems to fall into the wrong hands. If the totem is stolen or confiscated by the authorities, it will do almost nothing for them. They can only make use of the totems in their passive mode."

　　Denner frowned. "What if the authorized personnel are unavailable or have left the company that owns the totems?"

　　"Then the company should call the Creation Association so that we can shift the permissions. We will not be unreasonable concerning this matter."

　　"Are there any other methods to access the totem?"

　　Ves nodded. "The totem is based on a 'mascot' that appreciates good craftsmanship. Anyone who is brilliant enough or presents an excellent work of craftsmanship may be able to activate the totem on its own."

　　Denner's eyes lit up. "You can activate the totems without donating money?"

　　"Yes, but don't think that you can gain Vulcan's approval so easily. His standards are high. What he seeks is brilliance. You need to present your absolute best work if you want to obtain a free benefit."

　　Ves proceeded to explain the remaining rules. There were certain restrictions regarding ownership and transfer. He did not want them to be transferred and moved without informing the Creation Association first.

　　"If you think you can do whatever you want with the totems, then don't blame us if you break them. Their glows will disappear and you will no longer be able to activate them if you violate any of the rules that we have set. Have I made myself clear?"

　　The chief fabricator nodded. "I understand, but… I am not certain that headquarters will be able to keep their hands off your totem if they learn about it. If those executives believe in the claims, they will want to transfer our totem to a more important branch."

　　Ves smirked. "Let them try. If Zachren Bilitsa wants to procure more totems for its other production sites, then tell them to contact the Creation Association. This first totem is a gift from me, but any subsequent ones will cost you money. A lot of money."

　　That was the entire point of making these totems, after all!