The Mech Touch

Ves had been waiting for this for a long time.

Ever since the Iron Resonant Crucifix Crown latched itself onto his Divine Core, he became afraid of how this damn relic of the past intended to contaminate his cognition.

Strangely enough, Ves didn't actually observe any overt signs of influencing.

Sure, his behavior changed a lot since he returned from the Survivalist conference, but that was mostly because his status and circumstances had become completely different from the past.

He acted more assertively, made bolder decisions and took on risks that he did not dare to entertain before not because a weird crown whispered suggestions to his ears, but because he adapted to a whole new environment.

While it was possible that the crown had nudged his decisions here and there, he didn't really feel it was that big of a deal. At most, the remnant of a supposed immortal god encouraged him to take advantage of opportunities that he had already been thinking about.

In other words, Ves already had the intention of taking action, but his prior caution and instinct to remain low key held him back. The crown just forced him out of his comfort zone and facilitated his transition into a member of a first-class society.

Ves actually didn't mind the presence of the crown all that much. If its influence remained subtle enough that he retained his core personality, then what was the harm of hosting it further?

He was also sure that the crown could bring greater benefits to him. He just had to explore it further and see whether he could unlock its other secrets.

If not for his assumption that Vulcan could likely make much better use of the crown, Ves wouldn't have minded it if he carried the crown for a longer period of time.

He frowned and shook his head. "Just because the dangers are invisible doesn't mean they are nonexistent. There's no way the crown is benevolent."

His mother told him that all of the immortal gods were selfish beings without exception. They possessed no concept of morality and were willing to betray anyone in their pursuit of longevity and power.

How could the blood of an immortal god be any different? The case of the Polymath served as a constant reminder that a few wrong turns could easily lead the best of humanity into damnation!

"I need to learn to let go." He convinced himself.

Besides, if his mother had managed to complete this ambitious effort, Ves didn't actually lose out. He would just transfer it to Vulcan.

"If that is the case, then why do I feel as if I am giving up an amazing advantage?"

His intuition vaguely told him that he was making an incredibly consequential decision. His life would take a major turn that would drastically define his future.

He frowned. He already knew that the crown was a big deal. Was shifting it to Vulcan that profound of a decision?

He vaguely felt as if he had come up to a crossroads.

He could either choose to bear the weight of the crown himself or transfer it to Vulcan.

Each decision carried an immense amount of weight. The potential advantages of keeping it to his main self should not be inferior to letting Vulcan take over this responsibility instead!

He needed more information, and the best way to do that was to obtain it from his mother.

As such, back in the Milky Way, a certain silvery cyborg cat happily jumped into the arms of her mother when the latter arrived!

"Myaow-! Did you finish it? Did you manage to solve all of the problems that delayed your progress by several weeks?"

Her imperious-looking mother appeared as unassuming but dignified as ever. Her elegant robed figure flew into her meditation chamber and settled down on the center.

A hand gently started to stroke Veronica's head. This caused the cyborg cat to grow so comfortable that she started to purr.

Cynthia conveyed a sense of weariness.

"Let me begin by stating that I am not fully confident in the cultivation method that I have devised. My knowledge reserves are not endless, and I have never undertaken this sort of work. As I have explained before, trying to develop a method to draw power from a powerful object falls into the category of artifact cultivation. Can you guess how this form of cultivation came into existence?"

"I guess... ancient beings started to make powerful tools and weapons for themselves. The cultivators who made use of them wanted to get really good at doing so. I guess that they eventually spent a lot of effort learning how to become stronger with the help of their powerful gear."

Cynthia smiled in amusement. "You are looking at this situation from the perspective of a mech designer. That is fine, but the real answer contains more. Think about this scenario. What will happen if a weak cultivator happens to stumble upon an impressive weapon that originally belonged to a much more powerful cultivator? What if this weapon has been lost by its original owner and is ripe for the picking?"

"I guess the weaker cultivator will try to take it away and harness its amazing power for itself." Veronica replied.

"Even when the weapon is so dangerous that it will kill anyone who is unqualified to harness its might?"

"That has never stopped a lot of people." Veronica snorted. "People have endless greed for power. They will definitely try to study the weapon, decipher its mechanisms and discover exploits that they can use to tap into its power without possessing the proper qualifications to make use of it. Wait... is this the true meaning of artifact cultivation?"

Cynthia nodded. She stretched out her hand and summoned the Golden Laurel Wreath Crown from wherever she had locked this powerful object away.

The stolen crown that had once sparked an uprising looked beautiful and resplendent in a way that Veronica could not describe. Its appearance was a lot more elegant and classy than the Iron Resonant Crucifix Crown.

"Remember what cultivation is about. It is about gaining power and longevity. It is usually difficult for most people to make great achievements by relying on their own strength. Those who lack the talent or the patience to become successful will start to look for shortcuts in order to reach their destination faster and with greater ease. Elixirs and more clever cultivation methods are but a few of the many possible means that cultivators have developed to increase their efficiency. Artifact cultivation is another means to gain power faster and more conveniently."

"I see. The implication here is that the efficiency of cultivation is higher if the artifact is more powerful." Veronica analyzed. "The greater the power disparity between the cultivator and the artifact, the greater the results."

"Ah, but that is only one side of the coin, my child. If artifact cultivation is so fantastic, then why doesn't everyone make use of artifacts as powerful as this crown?"

The cyborg cat thought deeper.

"It's too expensive. The resources needed to create more powerful artifacts are too scarce, and the creation cultivators who can convert them into effective products are also limited in number. Aside from that, artifacts with great power are usually the most difficult to control. They can easily produce a backlash if their holders make a mistake."

The Oblivion Empress nodded. She waved her hand, creating a projection of an incredibly powerful artifact that sparked immediate recognition in Veronica's purple optical sensors!

"The Heavensword is one of the most interesting vestiges of the past that has managed to live up to this day. You are already familiar with it. You have even seen it in action, correct?"

Ever since Veronica arrived in the Nyxian Gap, she occasionally shared tales about the events of the past. It was one of the activities that bonded them together and made up for lost time.

Now that Veronica thought about the Heavensword in the context of the current subject, she began to notice a few oddities.

"Wait. The Heavensword is famous for turning the leader of the state that bears its name into a sword saint. No matter what sort of swordmaster that individual used to be, he is forced to put down his old sword and set aside his sword style in order to become a fitting carrier of this ancient weapon artifact. Is this a form of artifact cultivation?"

"Only in the strictest of definitions." Cynthia replied in a contemptuous tone. "The individual that takes on the moniker of Heavensword Saint may have broken through a major cultivation stage by force, but he or she has given up everything in exchange for a direct increase in strength. The sword saint does not control the Heavensword. It is the Heavensword that has taken over control."

The cyborg cat's expression grew more complex. "I already had a feeling that this was the case. No Heavensword Saint has ever made any significant progress after inheriting this powerful artifact. The wielder has completely lost his way, and is unable to make any significant achievements after his transformation because the new weapon is not a good fit."

"This is not an uncommon phenomenon in ancient times. A cultivator who desires to obtain the power of a greater artifact usually becomes enslaved to them instead. The relationship becomes reversed. It is not the individual that exploits the artifact, but it is the artifact that is taking advantage of its own wielder!"

"What!? Is that actually possible?!"

Cynthia smirked. "The pursuit of power and longevity is a universal desire in nature. Why do you assume that this motivation is limited to humans and aliens? Objects can have wants and needs as well as long as they are intelligent enough. Your living mechs exemplify this possibility. As powerful as the Heavensword may be, it is not omnipotent or immortal. Its essence remains a sword, and every sword is designed to be wielded by a person."

"So the Heavensword imposes itself onto a swordmaster because it needs to?" Veronica asked. "Doesn't this imply that this ancient artifact is the true leader of the Heavensword Association all of this time?"

"You can say that. The old communities have a special term for cultivators who have relinquished their agency to their own weapons. They are called sword slaves."

Veronica couldn't help but sympathize with the Heavensword Saint. Everyone considered this impressive figure to be the ultimate authority of the Heavensword Association.

It turned out that he had already been reduced to a meat puppet for a powerful grand work.

She suddenly shifted her artificial eyes towards the golden crown in Cynthia's hands.

The symbols of authority that were paired with the Sacred Scrolls might not look as flashy as the Heavensword on the surface, but these artifacts that usually took on the form of crowns should not be any weaker!

Veronica suddenly became a lot more afraid of the Iron Resonant Crucifix Crown. She did not want to be turned into a 'crown slave' or whatever!

Losing control was one of his greatest fears. There was no point in living if she was no longer able to make her own decisions.

Her mother adopted an approving expression when she saw that her child showed proper respect towards dangerous artifacts.

"Artifacts can possess many different properties." Cynthia explained in a gentler tone. "Not all of them are as dangerous. A skilled creation cultivator can make a weapon that is explicitly designed to help its wielder. A mech is a good example of this positive approach. A creation cultivator can also do the opposite and purposefully develop a weapon that harms and exploits its user, either selectively or indiscriminately."

"Is that common in cultivation societies?"

"More than you can imagine. There are many reasons for this. Artifacts can be bound by tests. Only the holders that prove their worth can make proper use of them. Artifacts can be locked to specific users. Those who are not permitted to use them will suffer a backlash. Artifacts can also be tampered with or become corrupted. In short, a cultivator must always be vigilant towards objects of power. You must treat any of them with utmost caution and respect if you do not possess the strength to suppress them if they pose a threat to you one day."

The Iron Resonant Crucifix Crown definitely fell into this category!