The Mech Touch

Many people in the audience had become attracted to the idea of obtaining a companion spirit.

Blinky and the Eye of Providence had attracted a lot of mech designers. The ones portrayed in the archival footage had a lot of appeal for mech pilots.

The mechers and associates who attended this conference were highly successful because they constantly worked to bolster their advantages. They were highly competitive in nature and did not want to miss out on a potential benefit that could put them leagues ahead of their immediate rivals!

Everyone understood that red humanity was about to undergo drastic changes. A lot of the old rules would soon be thrown out of the window. Those that did not move quickly enough might get left behind forever!

Many of the attendees understood that cultivation was about to make a comeback due to the ubiquitous availability of E energy radiation. This made companion spirits especially relevant to their lives and careers. The benefits to their own cultivation were too obvious for them to miss this opportunity!

After all, who knew how long it would take for the Red Association to accumulate enough trees and grow enough fruits. There were many members who could make good use of these fruits. If the supply was too low, then it could take years and a lot of MTA merits before they could have their turn.

Both Ves and Jovy scanned the individuals who raised their arms.

Just as expected, many of the volunteers sat towards the front. They were the ones who were most hungry and eager to augment themselves.

The older people sitting in the rear were much more prudent about this kind of stuff. They already possessed a full suite of high-quality augmentations that already produced a lot of satisfying results. Adding a completely new and unanticipated improvement to the mix might disrupt their equilibrium and cause them to become unbalanced.

There was a remarkably high proportion of people who possessed spiritual potential in the audience. This made sense as the weakest mech designers who attended this conference were Journeymen.

However, that still left a lot of mech pilots, mech officers along with regular scientists and engineers who did not possess any advantages in this area.

Ves automatically left them out of consideration. He focused his sights on a younger candidate who would likely exhibit a strong reaction and express a lot of appreciation for gaining a new companion spirit.

He quietly communicated with Jovy over a wireless connection to refine his selection.

"I think it is best to go for a mech pilot as opposed to a mech designer." Jovy advised. "I am already an example of a mech designer who has benefited from a companion spirit. The real decision makers want to take a closer look at how a mech pilot handles this new addition."

"Good idea. It's a shame that neither of the two expert pilots in the crowd have raised their arms. The companion spirit that emerges from one is always a lot stronger from the start."

"Does your fruit even work for them, Ves?"

"I have never tested it, but it should work in theory."

After a quick discussion, they chose to select a 35-year old expert candidate who was in his prime.

According to the record that Jovy was able to access, the powerful pilot not only made excellent attainments in virtual competitions and practice battles, but also spent a lot of time on fighting against alien warfleets in the frontlines.

Although the man had yet to undergo apotheosis, his willpower was strong and vigorous enough to stand out from the audience!

He was the best choice aside from the two expert pilots who adopted a wait-and-see attitude.

Once the expert candidate got called over, he rose from his seat and navigated his way forward.

The man exuded an air of confidence that became more obvious as he got closer.

Ves actually did not know how obtaining a companion spirit would affect his chances of breaking through.

There was a very real possibility that all of the changes to his mind and spirit would cause him to get pushed away from apotheosis.

However, as long as the delay was not too great, it was always worthwhile to get a new companion spirit!

"Here you go." Ves said in a friendly tone as he passed the green companion spirit fruit. "Just bite into it and eat it whole. The process will already begin from the moment you swallow your first piece of fruit, but it is best to go through with it in order to minimize any possible complications."

"Understood, professor." The expert candidate responded as he regarded the fruit in his hand with a careful glance. "Any other instructions?"

"You should relax and allow the fruit to do its work. It might feel unnerving once it goes into effect, but do your best to remain calm and trust that the process will do its work without complications. I think it is best if you sit down."

The expert candidate immediately lowered himself until his uniformed body knelt onto the floor. He then proceeded to lift the fruit to his mouth and bit into it like he would an apple.

The fruit was actually a lot softer than a standard apple or pear. The flavor and density of the fruit was light. This made it easier for the man to swallow it down to his stomach.

The transformation had already begun at this time. A projection came to life that displayed the detailed physiological state of the expert candidate.

While the sensor readings showed clear signs that the expert candidate was growing more active and excited, they did not show any further abnormalities. The changes to his body were entirely caused by emotional fluctuations.

The real magic took place in a different layer of existence!

Many of the individuals with stronger perception leaned forward in order to try their best to track what was happening to the expert candidate. Not all of them possessed the ability to observe the transformation process as clearly as Ves, but even they could feel the progressively stronger ripples emanating from the man!

"It's happening!"

While the expert candidate exhibited intermittent signs that he wanted to resist the changes induced by whatever the fruit slid inside of him, he took all of the advice in mind and forcibly maintained a state of calm.

The spiritual construct imparted by the fruit actually worked a little slower than usual, but everything fell within expectation. Ves did not show any concern that the process would fail as he saw that the expert candidate remained under control.

Slowly but surely, the spiritual construct attached itself to the pilot's spirituality and began to spawn a new semi-independent growth.

The process looked parasitic, but Ves had designed it to be as painless and gentle as possible.

Several minutes passed by as the expert candidate occasionally frowned in discomfort. He could feel himself expanding in a manner that he could never describe. It was like birthing a new child, but his offspring happened to be himself!

Slowly but surely, the spiritual add-on imparted by the fruit took root, borrowed the strength of the recipient and began to activate the small amount of life energy that was vital to the entire transformation process.

A blank new companion spirit steadily came to life.

As the expert candidate finally opened his eyes, he took a moment to take a few breaths and explore his strange new condition.

The audience remained completely silent as they waited to see and hear what was coming next. Did the process succeed? Had this expert candidate obtained a powerful augmentation that set him up to do greater deeds on the battlefield?

"I feel as if... I am in control of my own body, but also another one that is new and unusual in so many ways." The man described.

"You should be able to control your new companion spirit right away." Ves gently said. "To be more precise, it is an inherent ability of any companion spirit. You are him, and he is you. Both of you are the same individual, just split up into two personalities. Your companion spirit can think for itself, but you can always exert more direct control over it at any point. Try out. Command your new spirit to emerge from your head and show it off to everyone."

What emerged was a spirit shaped like a human.

In fact, the small and translucent form of the new companion spirit was a precise match for the expert candidate!

The only major deviation was that the spirit lacked color. The pale new addition looked like a tiny ghost or fairy.

"Why does he come in the form of a human?" The expert candidate asked in puzzlement. "Why is it not a cat or a lizard?"

"The shape is unconsciously determined by the thoughts and desires of the recipients." Ves answered. "If 1 am in control of the process, then I can manually create any animal or object that you desire. The companion spirit fruit is not able to respond so well to any demands. It will select the shape that reflects you the best or that you truly desire. The form of a companion spirit is not too important. It is more for image's sake. Their real strengths and abilities are determined by other factors. If you are dissatisfied, then your companion spirit will steadily outgrow his old form and morph into a cat or a dragon over time. It all depends on what you truly want."

The starting form of a companion spirit should already reflect their principals rather well.

The issue was that people could change a lot over time. This was especially in the case of major events and traumas. Companion spirits were designed to partially mirror this growth and change themselves so that they could remain relevant and useful.

"Does your spirit possess any special strengths and abilities?"

The expert candidate frowned before shaking his head. "1... do not feel he has any. He is still too... young. I think 1 can replicate one of my favorite attacks whenever I pilot my mech. Let me try."

The companion spirit began to look more and more active until he finally let loose a bunch of intangible plasma bolts.

The harmless attacks weren't even threatening enough to trip any security alarms.

"Is that supposed to do anything?" The man and his companion spirit both looked confused.

"He is still young." Ves patiently explained to the man. "You should try to embed your companion spirit into your machine or a specific component of it." Ves advised with a grin. "You might be able to resonate with your mech to a degree. Even if that does not happen, it is still helpful for you to impart a part of yourself into your mech. You will be able to get more in tune with the machine. At the same time, your spirit will shape himself to his environment and start to develop abilities related to mechs. This will take time as your spirit is not only young, but also close to a blank slate."

As more and more people became enthralled by the new companion spirit, Ves wanted to close his presentation with an important message.

"Every companion spirit fruit grants a new beginning to its eater. Each of you has a responsibility to nurture your new addition. If you neglect your new gift, then it will not grow as fast as one that is actively used and taken care of. No matter whether you obtain a companion spirit from a fruit or from a customized service, each of them has the potential to become as powerful if not more powerful than any would-be god. The journey will be long, but it will also be easier because it is technically a natural energy-based life form. That completes my presentation. Do any of you have any questions?"

Ves immediately became engulfed by over fifty questions!