The Mech Touch

5781 The Third Way

As Ves unfolded his true body to the public for the first time, thereby inadvertently giving much of the public their first actual glimpse of a human phase lord, he successfully grasped the rhythm of the public inquiry by force!

Whether it was to his benefit or not, Ves most definitely commanded the attention of pretty much every red human with his reckless stunt!

The sheer physical and non-physical power radiating on his unrestrained form captivated a lot of people.

No matter how bad their perception may be, there was something fundamental in the ability for life forms to recognize those who were vastly more powerful than themselves.

The people who were physically present in the grand chamber could feel the power contained in Ves' enormous body the most, but the spectators who watched from remote also managed to appreciate the enormous disparity depending on their projection systems.

While many ordinary folk were trying to process what Ves had turned himself into, the principal members of the opposition quickly gathered together after they had previously been pushed from the speaking pit.

Lieutenant-Commander Astrid Jameson looked concerned on the outside, but sounded a lot more jubilant on the secure communication channel about the outburst that she managed to incite from the infamously temperamental mech designer!

[Larkinson has taken the bait! We knew this would happen! He clearly takes after his mother, but clearly lacks her experience and cunning. Our mission is complete. The Devil Tongue will finally sink his cause, with his own speech no less!]

The other members of the opposition generally sounded pleased as well, but Professor Kacuk Chabran did not join in the celebration.

[The session is not over yet. Do not count your chickens before they hatch. Professor Larkinson may yet be able to recover from his disadvantageous position. He has done so in the past. He can do it again. The risk that we will lose all of our gains is small but not negligible. We should have never pursued this risky strategy. If we consolidated our gains from the second session, we would have been able to guarantee an outcome that would have been slightly in our favor.]

That caused the others to dismiss the Terran scholar's overly cautious posture.

[We know you were reluctant about enacting this radical plan, but we cannot afford to settle for a weak compromise.] Master Alice Cantor dismissively responded. [There is no reason to second-guess ourselves when our trap is clearly working as intended. The inexperienced mech designer believes he can demagogue his way out of his problem. He will only exacerbate it as his conduct only reinforces the negative traits associated with cultivators, his mother included.]

Even as Ves readied himself to issue a rebuke against all of the mud that had been flung in his direction, he could faintly feel the smugness radiating from his adversaries.

Ves did not disregard Sigrund's analysis.

He recognized that his impulsive action indeed played into the hands of his opponents.

However, Ves believed he had no choice.

The game was already stacked against him. If playing by the book did not give him a viable pathway towards victory, then he could only flip the board and hope that he could improvise his way to a favorable outcome!

Though Ves did not allocate much time and thought towards figuring out a winning strategy, he already had an overall idea in mind.

It came to him as soon as he metaphorically flipped the board.

Defense was a losing approach.

Ves always operated a lot better when he was on the offense.

He decided to settle on this direction and go all the way!

Forget about defending his mother!

Forget about trying to redeem cultivation!

Forget about portraying his living mechs as cuddly pets!

Ves was done with making excuses!

He wanted to do what he did best, which was to promote something new!

Though he recognized that this was an exceedingly risky plan that would definitely cause him to burn a lot of bridges, he did not want to give his adversaries the satisfaction of remaining smug!

"LISTEN TO ME." His gigantic form repeated as the water completely pressed around him. "YOU ARE ALL MAKING A HUGE MISTAKE."

Despite the fact that the energy shield that he previously wore no longer kept the water out, Ves made another show of power by projecting a spatial barrier around his body!

That elicited a lot of gasps. If people had not recognized what Ves was before, they certainly did now as he had displayed the two most iconic traits of a phase lord!

However, Ves' disruptive actions did not go unchallenged.

A bunch of humanoid mechs adapted for aquatic operation entered the enormous chamber.

They all carried shields and tridents, but most certainly possessed a lot more armaments.

At the same time, transphasic energy shields came to life around Ves. They kept him contained while at the same time protected everyone else from the threat he posed on others.

Ves looked distinctly unimpressed. He retrieved his Oceancaller and sized it up so that it was almost proportionate to his current dimensions.

He proceeded to lift up his powerful artifact and began to play a slow but mysteriously melodic tune.

Nothing happened at first. The security forces were reluctant to make a move due to the risk of harming others.

However, the water that filled the grand hall began to stir around Ves regardless of whether there were any energy shields in the way.

Soon enough, a dramatic occurrence took place.

The Oceancaller's exterior increasingly began to light up as its runes became more and more active!

At the same time, all of the water around Ves spontaneously moved away from him as if he exerted a water-repellant force field!

If that was not enough, his actions also generated a slight whirlpool that caused the remaining water in the chamber to rotate around the speaking pit.

Few people thought that Ves managed to accomplish this through technological means. There was nothing obviously techy about that strange metal flute, and his apparent status as a phase lord showed that he had definitely mastered strange abilities that were far beyond the range of a typical mech designer!

Though Ves did not attempt to break the transphasic energy shield, the threat of doing so held back the security forces from taking more drastic action.

He had already demonstrated his power. Who knew what else he could do with his strange cultivator abilities?

Though security discreetly urged the 100,000 spectators to leave the grand hall for their own safety, all but a few insisted on staying in place!

The privilege of watching the first genuine human phase lord with their own eyes was too compelling for them to cut short!

Ves lowered his Oceancaller and turned in their direction because they were among the individuals that he truly needed to win over.

"BEHOLD MY POWER." He boomed with a deep and powerful voice that came naturally with his empowered physique. "CULTIVATION IS NOT INHERENTLY EVIL. IT IS MERELY THE EXPRESSION AND THE PURSUIT OF POWER. EVEN THE PHASE WHALES AND THE PHASE LORDS OF THE RED OCEAN ARE ENGAGED IN THEIR OWN FORM OF BODY CULTIVATION. EACH RED HUMAN HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME STRONG AS I, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE HAVE ENTERED AN AGE WHERE WE HAVE ALL GAINED UNLIMITED ACCESS TO E ENERGY, THE RESOURCE THAT CAN MAKE ANY DREAM COME TRUE. YOU JUST NEED PROPER INSTRUCTION."

He lifted his Oceancaller and made sure that everyone could take a good look at the still-active runes.

"THERE ARE MANY FORMS OF CULTIVATION. IT CAN ALLOW PEOPLE SUCH AS MYSELF TO BECOME POWERFUL TO THE POINT WHERE I CAN FIGHT AGAINST A MECH WITH MY BARE HANDS. IT CAN ALSO ALLOW ALL KINDS OF CREATORS TO PRODUCE WONDERS THAT CAN PRODUCE POWERFUL EFFECTS BY LEVERAGING E ENERGY. DO YOU THINK THIS IS SCARY? WOULD YOU PREFER THE FIFTH ENFORCEMENT FLEET TO SHIELD YOU FROM ALL OF THESE POSSIBILITIES?"

Hardly anyone was willing to do so. The pursuit of power was still strong in modern human society. They would be crazy to deny themselves the chance to grow as powerful as Ves!

That elicited the smirk from the exposed phase lord.

"DO NOT LISTEN TO THE FOOLS WHO ARE DOING THEIR BEST TO DENY YOU OF YOUR BASIC RIGHT. IF ADMIRAL JAMESON AND HER DESCENDANT HAD THEIR WAY, THEY WOULD HAVE DEPRIVED YOU FROM THIS POWER AND KEPT YOU WEAK AND DEPENDENT ON THEIR PROTECTION. THEY MAY FEAR CULTIVATION BECAUSE IT CAN AMPLIFY THE DAMAGE OF EVERY MALCONTENT, BUT THEIR TRUE MOTIVATION IS TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OVER SPACE PEASANTS."

A contemptuous look appeared on his face. "DO NOT DENY YOURSELF THIS POWER! IN THIS AGE OF WAR AND TRIBULATION, WE MUST EMPOWER AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE. STRENGTH IS THE ONLY GUARANTEE FOR SURVIVAL IN A HOSTILE DWARF GALAXY. CULTIVATION OFFERS AN ALTERNATE PATH TOWARDS POWER THAT IS NOT INHERENTLY GOOD OR EVIL. IT IS A WEAPON THAT CAN BE USED TO PROTECT OR DESTROY, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER WEAPON."

Perhaps his audience might not take his words so seriously if he addressed them as a normal human, but now that he openly displayed his full might, people could not help but take his words at heart!

"WE HAVE DEVELOPED MECHS THAT CAN CARRY ENOUGH ORDNANCE TO DESTROY AN ENTIRE CITY. WE OPERATE WARSHIPS WHOSE ARSENALS ARE SO RIDICULOUSLY POWERFUL THAT THEY CAN DESTROY ENTIRE PLANETS. YET DESPITE ALL OF THE DAMAGE THEY CAN INFLICT ON HUMANITY, WE ARE COMPLETELY FINE WITH THEIR USAGE. WHY IS THIS THE CASE? IT IS BECAUSE WE ASCRIBE GOOD AND EVIL TO THEIR HUMAN WIELDERS, NOT THE WAR WEAPONS THEMSELVES. WHY CAN'T WE ADOPT THE SAME APPROACH TOWARDS THE POSSIBILITIES OPENED UP BY CULTIVATION?"

His words made a lot of sense, and built up to one of his central arguments.

"MAKE NO MISTAKE. CULTIVATION CAN BE DANGEROUS. MAKING IT AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL POPULATION IS BOUND TO PRODUCE A LOT OF ACCIDENTS AND DISASTERS. FOR EVERY HERO WHO BRAVELY UTILIZES HIS POWER TO DEFEND OUR HOMES AGAINST THE ALIEN INVADERS, A MURDEROUS MONSTER SUCH AS MY VERY OWN MOTHER MAY EMERGE AS WELL."

This surprising admission caused people to temper their hopes a little.

"SO WHAT? WHY BE SCARED WHEN THERE IS SO MUCH POWER WITHIN YOUR REACH? TAKE YOU SAFETY INTO YOUR OWN HANDS! DO NOT ENTRUST YOUR ENTIRE SAFETY TO MECHS AND WARSHIPS! ABUSES ARE INEVITABLE, BUT CULTIVATORS ARE NOT FERAL. THEY CAN BE CONTROLLED. SO LONG AS ANY CULTIVATOR RECEIVES THE RIGHT INCENTIVE, THEY CAN BE PERSUADED TO FIGHT AGAINST OUR REAL ENEMIES, THE ALIENS WHO SEEK TO MAKE OUR RACE EXTINCT!"

Ves was approaching his second central argument.

"I AM SICK AND TIRED OF ALL OF THE DIVISION BETWEEN MECHS, WARSHIPS AND NOW CULTIVATION. WHY CAN'T WE ALL SIT DOWN AND RECOGNIZE THAT THEY ARE ALL VALID AND EFFECTIVE TOOLS TO EMPLOY AGAINST OUR REAL ENEMIES? EXCLUDING ANY OF THEM WILL SET BACK THE WAR EFFORT. CASUALTIES ARE CONTINUING TO MOUNT. IT IS QUESTIONABLE WHETHER WE WILL HAVE ENOUGH INTACT MECHS AND WARSHIPS LEFT TO RESIST THE ONSLAUGHT. IF WE CAN ADD HUMAN PHASE LORDS ALONG WITH OTHER KINDS OF PHASE LORDS TO OUR DEFENSIVE FORCES, WE CAN SAVE FAR MORE HUMAN LIVES THAN WILL BE LOST BY THE OCCASIONAL CULTIVATOR LOSING CONTROL!"

Ves truly envisioned a possible future where the artificial barriers between mechs, warships and cultivators collapsed.

Why did they have to fight against each other when they could clearly achieve comprehensively better results by combining forces?

The audience clearly looked swayed by this argument, prompting Ves to press on ahead.

"YOU HAVE HEARD THE FLEETER DESCRIBE MANY OF THE KILLINGS, MASSACRES AND OTHER VIOLENT DEEDS PERPETRATED BY MY MOTHER. WHILE I AM SINCERELY APOLOGETIC THAT MY MOTHER SAW CAUSE TO COMMIT THOSE AWFUL CRIMES, THE EXAMPLE SHE HAS SET ONLY STRENGTHENS THE NEED FOR A MORE PROACTIVE AND SENSIBLE APPROACH TOWARDS CULTIVATION. DO NOT EXPECT IT TO REMAIN OUT OF REACH. THERE ARE FAR TOO MANY REMNANT TRACES OF THE SECRET ORGANIZATION IN OUR SOCIETY TO STAMP THEM ALL OUT. RATHER THAN TRY TO SUPPRESS IT, WE SHOULD EMBRACE IT, JUST LIKE WE HAVE DONE IN THE DISTANT PAST!"

His eyes burned with passion and conviction as he was finally to present his ultimate proposal!

"IT HAS BECOME CLEAR TO ME THAT NEITHER THE RED ASSOCIATION NOR THE RED FLEET ARE PROPERLY EQUIPPED TO ADMINISTER CULTIVATION IN OUR SOCIETY. THEY ARE FAR TOO ORIENTED TOWARDS MECHS AND WARSHIPS RESPECTIVELY TO TREAT CULTIVATION BY ITS OWN MERITS. RATHER THAN ALLOW THESE CLUMSY ORGANIZATIONS TO BUMBLE AROUND, I PROPOSE WE FOUND A THIRD REGULATORY INSTITUTION WHOSE MANDATE SOLELY EMPOWERS IT TO GOVERN THE WEAPON KNOWN AS CULTIVATION!"

What?!

Neither Jovy, nor Sigrund, nor anyone else had any inkling that Ves would be crazy enough to present such a crazy idea!

Ves managed to provoke more shock, surprise and outrage with his radical suggestion than he had done by unveiling his true body!

The mere notion of creating another competitor to the Red Two was such a heretical idea that no one else had the guts to voice this proposal in public!

Of all of the people in the Red Ocean, only Ves had the fame and the courage to make this exceedingly risky move!

"THE AGE OF CONQUEST WAS DOMINATED BY WARSHIPS. THE AGE OF MECHS WAS OBVIOUSLY SHAPED BY MECHS. THE AGE OF DAWN IS BOUND TO BE DEFINED BY CULTIVATION. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE LATTER WILL TAKE OVER EVERYTHING. IT CAN EXIST AS AN EQUAL HUMAN WEAPON ALONGSIDE MECHS AND WARSHIPS. THE LATTER TWO HAVE ALREADY COEXISTED UNDER AN ATTENTIVE REGIME. ADDING ANOTHER COMPONENT TO THIS STRUCTURE WILL NOT BREAK THIS MODEL."

People were much less confident about that. The Big Two and by extension the Red Two had reigned above their heads for so long that they could not imagine what would happen if a third major player joined their group!

Ves didn't seem to harbor any fears about what could go wrong.

"NOW THAT I HAVE MADE MY PROPOSAL, I AM ASKING YOU WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH ME OR NOT. THE NEW ASSOCIATION CENTERED AROUND CULTIVATION IS NOT MEANT TO REPLACE THE RED TWO, BUT IS MEANT TO COEXIST ALONGSIDE OUR EXISTING INSTITUTIONS. IT CAN EVEN BE LED AND MANAGED BY EXISTING MECHERS AND FLEETER FOR ALL I CARE! IF YOU WANT TO DENY THE FIFTH ENFORCEMENT FLEET AND GAIN ACCESS TO THE ABILITY TO WIELD RAW POWER LIKE MYSELF, THEN VOICE YOUR SUPPORT! WHO IS WITH ME, RED HUMANITY!?"

A few awkward seconds ensued as absolutely no one in human space succeeded in summoning the courage to back Ves' crazy proposal.

However, a small flame began to appear inside the air pocket surrounding his true body.

Those flames slowly formed into a familiar-looking god cat!

"<nullb>MIEW!"

Ves grinned at Emma's appearance.

His gamble paid off! He knew that he could count on her support!

"THE DESTROYER OF WORLDS HAS SECONDED MY PROPOSAL! WHO ELSE AGREES WITH THE NECESSITY OF FOUNDING A THIRD ASSOCIATION?"

Just moments later, another powerful presence emerged!

This time, it came in the form of a physical projection that nonetheless radiated far more power than Ves in his full physical form!

Every red human was able to recognize the human figure that emerged. Her appearance and her aura were so unique and distinctive that her identity became clear right away!

"<nullb>I SUPPORT YOUR INITIATIVE."

The Evolution Witch had spoken!

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