The Mech Touch

[Upgrade Track #3: Spiritual Ascension.]

From the moment Ves locked in this choice, the Mech Designer System Version 2.0 thrummed with energy.

Ves could feel the metal energy in the background roiling and surging as if a floodgate had opened.

A whirlwind appeared around him that seemed to change and transform the space around him in a fundamental fashion!

The greater the energies being stirred, the more Ves recognized the horror of the Mech Designer System.

Did it always wield so much potent energy?!

Or did it regain its strength only recently after Ves completed a Supply Mission?

"What the hell is Timpala Steel?!"

When Ves had last come into contact with the valuable chunk of ore, he did not sense why it was so special.

Now he started to develop a few suspicions. For the System and the Mech Trade Association to react so strongly to its presence meant that it must be absolutely remarkable and useful!

"Damn, I shouldn't have fed the remaining crumbs to Lucky." He cursed. "If I retained a sample of it, I could have extracted whatever valuable substance or energy it contained."

In any case, the Mech Designer System presumably completed its upgrade process now that Ves had selected a specific improvement trajectory.

Though he was not certain at all what kind of benefits his chosen upgrade track introduced, the System's current activity level signified that it was probably renovating its entire systems!

Ves' disembodied self couldn't help but chuckle at this realization.

"The System is upgrading its systems!"

Due to the strange nature of this new interaction method, Ves felt as if he had developed a closer and more intimate connection with the System. Before, the System paraded itself as a software program stored inside a comm unit.

This time was different. Ves interfaced with it in a more direct fashion that reminded him of how mech pilots interfaced with their mechs.

It gave Ves the illusion that he had gained the System's approval and gained more access as a result.

Ves wasn't fooled. The warnings he received from Calabast along with his own inherent skepticism prevented him from looking at the System with rose-tinted glasses.

Everyone had a motive. Even an interactive object like the System had a purpose. Ves still didn't know what endgame it had in mind, and as long as this was the case, he needed to do his best to remain sober in front of the temptations it was about to introduce.

The energy storm around him started to fade. Once the turbulence disappeared, the entire intangible landscape around him had changed.

"Is this… a mountain top?"

The environment changed drastically. Previously, he floated in dark and empty space that made him feel as if he was stuck in a boundless void.

Now, he felt as if he had ascended an ancient and holy mountain looming over a pristine, green earth-like landscape.

Puffy white clouds partially obscured his view of the surroundings and made everything look a little more mystical and detached from reality.

Though Ves was impressed by the visuals, a part of him felt a bit impatient at all of this showmanship.

Couldn't the System interact with him in a more straightmanner like before? What was wrong with projecting menus and message screens in front of his face?

"Whoa! What is happening?!"

Ves felt a bit weird. Before he knew it, he had manifested an exact replica of his body, complete with his uniform and all of his gear!

Of course, Ves was sensitive enough to know that the System hadn't pulled in his actual physical body in this illusionary space. It was just a close reproduction that was not fully accurate.

In order to test this assumption, he pulled out his Hammer of Brilliance from his toolbelt.

"Fake."

What was the point of doing this? Why replicate all of the possessions on his body only for them to end up useless?

Ves shrugged and put his hammer back in its place. The only way to find out what the System had in mind was to explore this mysterious mountain top.

He ascended the rocky and aged-looking stairs and soon spotted several stone structures up ahead.

Each of them looked ancient and worn. Some even looked like shrines or temples, which instantly caused Ves to frown.

"More superstition. Ugh."

Ves hated how everyone dressed up slightly powerful beings as gods. This was also one of the reasons why he had been reluctant to opt for Spiritual Ascension. The upgrade track's name and description clearly mentioned that it could turn him into a god.

"Hah! What a load of crap!"

Still, even if the System was a blowhard, Ves did not look down on its ability to facilitate his growth. He would already gain a lot if he obtained just a fraction of the power of an actual deity!

As Ves kept ascending the awfully lengthy and crooked stairway, he eventually reached the first plateau.

He stepped off the stairway and moved across an open plain until he reached a massive circular stone gate that was built into the side of a mountain cliff.

As he approached the tall and looming gate, it automatically unlocked and opened by itself.

"That's convenient."

The opening of the gate revealed a large cavern that was mostly empty at the moment. From the moment Ves stepped inside, the System provided a brief introduction of this distinct area.

[The Vault of Eternity is the storehouse of all of the rewards and items acquired or altered by the Mech Designer System. It has an infinite capacity and can dynamically add more storage space if required.]

Ves already spotted a couple of familiar items in the middle of the enormous space! He quickened his pace until he reached a set of racks and shelves.

He reached out and picked up the copy of the Amastendira.

Previously, he always wondered where it was being stored when it was not in use. Though he didn't gain an answer to this question, the appearance of the Vault of Eternity let him know that it would probably hold all of his Inventorized gadgets from today onwards.

"That's handy."

Ves immediately noticed the difference between the powerful first-class laser pistol and the Hammer of Brilliance.

Unlike the latter, he intuitively felt as if the Amastendira existed in this space as a real object!

This meant that if Ves took the Amastendira apart, it would appear in a mess of different components if he tried to summon it in reality!

"Why is this the case?"

Ves did not think this was a random change. There had to be a purpose behind this move.

For now, Ves put the Amstendira back into the shelf where it was stored and picked up a different object.

The System comm was another object that he had decided to Inventorize. At the time, Ves thought it was a clever way to hide the System from the MTA and anyone else that possessed incredibly powerful scanning and investigation capabilities.

Now that the Mech Designer System Version 2.0 implemented a more secure and private means of interaction, the System comm suddenly turned into a redundant object.

"Ugh. Is there a way for me to recycle the chance to Inventorize another object?"

[...]

"It was worth a try."

Even though the recent changes had made the System comm obsolete, Ves saw no harm in letting it rest inside this vault. Perhaps he might have a need for it in the future.

He directed his attention to the third object that was laying on another shelf. When Ves picked it up, he bloomed into a smile when he noticed that it was a ticket.

An Inventorize Ticket!

Ves concentrated on it, allowing him to read its description.

[Inventorize Ticket]

Enables you to designate any discreet and physical object to be Inventorized, thereby allowing you to store the Inventorized item in the Vault of Eternity or materialize it into physical form if needed. There are certain restrictions to the usage of this ticket.

"Yes! I finally got my hands on one of the rewards of completing one of my Supply Missions!"

The System was supposed to give him a use of the Inventorize ability a long time ago when Ves supplied it with Timpala Steel.

Unfortunately for him, it went offline for several years, denying him the use of this precious power!

The Inventorize ability could be insanely powerful depending on the object he chose to apply it to. He wouldn't gain much if he Inventorized an ordinary nutrient pack, but he could hide a life-saving measure in front of everyone's eyes if he applied it to a more useful object such as his Unending Regalia!

Ves had already spent many years on thinking of what he should apply this ability to. He came up with many different possible choices, but he wasn't sure whether the more extravagant of them could be Inventorized.

"I'll look into this later."

There was no hurry for Ves to use up this precious Inventorize Ticket. He put it back on the shelf and swept the largely empty vault one last time before he exited the chamber.

He stepped back onto the stone steps and continued to make his way upwards.

It only took a short time for him to reach his next stop. This time, he approached a magnificent looking stone fountain.

[The Wishing Fountain is the site where lottery tickets can be bought and used. Any lottery tickets acquired through other means can also be accessed at this site.]

Ves completely ignored the ornate design of the so-called Wishing Fountain and directed all of his attention to a table that was situated in front.

He approached it and saw that it not only contained a stack of lottery tickets that he had earned through previous rewards, but also offered him the option to buy new lottery tickets!

"Wait a minute, what are Ascension Points?"

[Ascension Points are the new form of currency that you can earn from the Mech Designer System Version 2.0. Their value is different from Design points and can be earned through multiple means such as designing mechs. You can earn 1 Ascension Point by completing a mech design that you are largely responsible for designing.]

Ves grew confused. Why did the System impose such a drastic change?

"What about Design Points?"

[Design Points have been phased out. All of the Design Points that you have earned up to this point have automatically been converted into Ascension Points.]

"How many Ascension Points do I have?!"

[You have earned 34 Ascension Points.]

"34?! So little?! I don't know how many Design Points is equivalent to a single Ascension Point, but I'm pretty sure I designed way more mechs over the years!"

[Completing a variant design or a collaborative mech design where you have only made minor personal contributions will not award you with Ascension Points.]

"I… see…"

Of course, the System would never make it easy for Ves to earn points. It had already screwed him over in the past when the LMC's sales started to skyrocket.

"What is the purchasing power of an Ascension Point? What can I actually do with this new currency?"

He looked around until he saw where he could redeem his Ascension Point for lottery tickets.

[1 golden lottery ticket: 5 Ascension Points]

"What?! I have to design five original mechs in order to buy a single stinking golden lottery ticket?! What a scam!"

Fortunately, there were more ways for Ves to obtain lottery tickets than to give up his hard-earned Ascension Points.

He started to grin when his eyes rested on a pile of lottery tickets.

Completing the last Supply Missions awarded him with 10 golden lottery tickets, which was enough to guarantee at least 1 or 2 good prizes!

That wasn't all. Next to the pile of golden tickets was a smaller stack of 4 iridescent rainbow-like tickets.

Ves had produced four different masterwork expert mechs since he had last accessed the System!

Several of them had all reached their present heights with the help of his undeniable contributions!

Apparently, the System recognized that as well, because it had awarded him with the most valuable prize he could earn for making a masterwork mech!

"I've waited so long to use up these lottery tickets!"