The Mech Touch

Master Benedict Cortez did not keep tinkering with the partially disassembled Dark Zephyr while he talked.

That would be disrespectful towards an ace pilot.

While a Master Mech Designer did not have to bow and scrape in front of a Saint, it was best not to cause needless offense to a powerhouse that could literally bend reality.

A few minutes after Saint Tusa arrived, he and Master Benedict moved to a rest corner and sat down on the couches.

A bot delivered a drink to Master Benedict, which he sipped with visible pleasure.

"Do you know what resonating exotics are or where they come from?"

"No." Tusa shook his head. "I have used them for years, but I never saw any reason to dive deeper into these questions. I am a pilot, not a mech designer."

"Well, have you heard of the theory that all exotics in the universe are originally the decayed remains of powerful life forms that have died many ages ago?"

"I have heard of it, Master."

"Good. That saves us time. What you may not know is that there are supplemental theories that attempt to explain where resonating exotics come from. Where the more normal varieties of exotics can come from any body part of deceased beings, resonating exotics may be derived from their core organs. Whether it is the brain, the heart or some other alien organ that has no equivalency in human physiology, the theories claim that as they degenerate into exotics, they still retain the strongest and most persistent qualities of their once-mighty sources."

Saint Tusa looked thoughtful as he leaned back on the couch. He wondered why Master Benedict bothered to explain these theories to him. What difference did it make?

"That sounds interesting, but whether exotics are the remains of dead aliens and beasts or not, it is not as if we need to pay attention to their feelings. We live in completely different eras."

"You are correct, Saint Tusa, but not entirely. It is true that the origins of all of those exotics that we use today have died many years ago, but what if I say that resonating exotics can still develop feelings towards high-ranking pilots such as yourselves?"

"Hmm?"

"We do not have enough information to be certain about this, but one popular theory why resonating exotics behave as they do is because they carry a lingering intelligence or semblance of it that are based on those long-dead organisms. Much has been worn away over time, but what is left are the most fundamental qualities and strengths of those past life forms."

"If that is the case, then does that mean I resonate with certain exotics a lot better than others because I share something in common with the former?"

Master Benedict nodded. "That is what the most convincing theories state. Many mech designers, including Ves and Gloriana, believe it to be true. I am also leaning towards it, but I am not entirely convinced. We have never witnessed the lengthy process of death, decay and transformation of a resonating exotic from beginning to end. Scientists have only been able to make inferences based on a large amount of clues and calculations."

"So all if this may be false?"

"Do not think too hard about this issue, Tusa. This is a problem that scientists and mech designers such as myself are fighting over. The reason why I wanted to bring this possible theory to your attention is the importance of choosing the right ace mech-grade exotics for your Dark Zephyr."

That caused Tusa's mood to sharpen. "Please explain."

"There are two main reasons why I urge you to spend all of your war merits on procuring the best possible resonating exotics that are compatible with your willpower. The first is efficiency. What do you think is better. Do you want to buy a single set of quality resonating exotics that are strong enough to remain relevant during your entire run as a Saint? Or do you want to procure a set of affordable resonating exotics at the start of your career as an ace pilot, then subsequently replacing them with more powerful resonating exotics when you have grown stronger and require more powerful combat solutions?"

"Is there any benefit to the latter approach?" Tusa asked with a doubtful expression.

"The upfront cost and commitment is lower." Benedict replied. "You can make use of the cheaper resonating exotics with an attitude of conducting a trial. Once you have fought many battles and grown into a senior ace pilot, you can choose to replace the old set with more powerful resonating exotics that can perform similar functions at a much higher power level. You can also discard your old methods and acquire a new set of resonating exotics that can bestow your Dark Zephyr with new and much more promising resonating abilities."

There were pros and cons to both approaches. Tusa could not make up his mind which one he should embrace.

"The second reason why you should make a heavy commitment is the issue of scarcity. Think about it, Tusa. If resonating exotics come from the most important organs of dead organisms, then it is not unreasonable to assume that more powerful resonating exotics come from stronger beings. There are many resonating materials that are suitable for use in expert mech, but there are much less that are suitable for ace mechs, especially the more powerful ones. Do you know why this may be the case?"

The Larkinson ace pilot did not have to think too much to come up with a possible answer.

"Just like mech pilots, the hierarchy of powerful beings in the past must be shaped like a pyramid. There used to be many aliens that managed to become as strong as expert pilots, but there are very few that can match the strength of ace pilots, and even fewer of them can give a peak ace pilot a challenge."

Master Benedict nodded. "This is a universal pattern. The circumstances of the distant past are not all that different from the circumstances of the present. There are very mech pilots today that can grow and survive long enough to reach the rank of ace pilot. In the distant past, the aliens who occupied the Red Ocean must have been distributed in a similar fashion."

"Yes. Red humanity is constantly prospecting for more resonating exotics, but they are not as common as normal exotics. The more powerful materials that are highly suitable for ace mechs are even scarcer. They are so rare in fact that ace-mech grade resonating materials are increasingly more artificial in nature. Material scientists such as the renowned Resonance Smith are highly celebrated because their work allows our civilization to expand the availability as well as the variety of high-end and top-end resonating alloys. However… the time, effort and funding needed to develop these premium resonating materials are prohibitive."

"Does that mean that the most powerful resonating exotics are limited and difficult to find?"

"Yes. Red humanity is constantly prospecting for more resonating exotics, but they are not as common as normal exotics. The more powerful materials that are highly suitable for ace mechs are even scarcer. They are so rare in fact that ace-mech grade resonating materials are increasingly more artificial in nature. Material scientists such as the renowned Resonance Smith are highly celebrated because their work allows our civilization to expand the availability as well as the variety of high-end and top-end resonating alloys. However… the time, effort and funding needed to develop these premium resonating materials are prohibitive."

Saint Tusa understood a little bit more what Master Benedict wanted to convey.

Good resonating materials that were effective for ace mechs were exponentially more difficult to acquire than the ones suitable for expert mechs. Even an ace pilot like Tusa needed to be aware of the factors that limited their availability in order to plan out their futures.

Without suitable resonating materials that could support them in their struggles to break past their limits, their growth would ultimately stagnate!

"All of the better ace mech-grade exotics are not ones that can be mined from ore deposits, but are instead created in high-end labs?"

"Correct. To be honest, the War Exchange currently lists many different ace mech-grade resonating materials that are fairly powerful and useful, but it does not contain any of the top products. The mechers, the Terrans and the Rubarthans all prefer to keep them exclusive to their own ace pilots."

Saint Tusa grew disappointed when he heard that. This meant that the Larkinson Clan likely wouldn't be able to obtain the truly powerful resonating materials.

"The quality and other properties of resonating materials is not the sole factor that determines your strength and growth limit." Master Benedict taught the ace pilot. "This is why I advise you to invest heavily in a set of the most expensive resonating materials that you can attain. As long as you choose well, you will be able to use their associated resonating abilities many times over many years. The more you employ them, the more you are able to master them. You can also start to improve upon them. A resonating ability can produce drastically different outcomes depending on the growth of your resonance strength and the development of your Saint Kingdom."

Saint Tusa already received a few lessons about that during his last pilgrimage to the Red Association.

"Are you saying that I should rely on decades worth of growth and exploration to improve the performance of good resonating materials so that it can match the performance of top resonating materials?"

"Yes. That is the strategy that I am recommending to you. Do not forget about willpower baptism. Resonating materials are less susceptible to it, but it is still possible to grind them over a long period of time so that they become slightly more compatible and receptive to your willpower."

The benefits sounded rather uncertain. Tusa knew that it was a lot easier to work with weaker resonating exotics in the beginning, and switch to more powerful ones when he became a senior ace pilot.

"Won't it be possible for our clan to gain access to those top resonating materials one day? Maybe Ves will become a tier 1 galactic citizen and be able to ask favors from the Resonance Smith. We could also become so friendly with the Terrans or the Rubarthans that they are willing to open up their secret stash to our clan."

"Are you willing to bet your future on that?" Benedict asked with a smile. "Are you absolutely certain that your Larkinson Clan will never stop growing, and that Ves will fully realize his potential and become a renowned Master Mech Designer or even a Star Designer?"

Saint Tusa possessed a strong sense of confidence in Ves.

However, no one could say for certain what the future might hold.

Time was also a big variable.

Very few mech designers managed to realize their design philosophies within the first century of their lives. As for becoming a Star Designer, hardly any mech designer could match the pace of the Polymath!

Tusa eventually sighed. "Let us settle for your strategy, then. It fits the style of the Larkinson much more. As long as the foundation of my Dark Zephyr is good enough, I am confident I can expand his potential over time."

This was the spirit of a true ace pilot! High-ranking pilots never abided by the limits of reality!

Master Benedict smiled in satisfaction. "Good. Then let us proceed with making a preliminary selection. Based on the compatibility test conducted by the Red Association, I have singled out multiple key resonating materials that can replace the function of Perfidious Steel and Bissonat. You can either select new materials that can bestow your ace mech with similar resonating abilities, or you can decide to change your combat approach and gain access to brand-new options."

Tusa thought for a moment. He was quite fond of both resonating exotics.

Perfidious Steel allowed the Dark Zephyr to distort the perception of observers, causing them to miss their shots much more frequently than they should.

Tusa relied on this resonating material to keep his then-fragile expert light skirmisher undamaged in many battles.

Bissonat was a fairly boring but effective resonating exotic that amplified the resilience and cutting power of the Dark Zephyr's weapons.

It was this unassuming resonating exotic that enabled his battle partner to cut through lots of thick and sturdy hull plating of giant alien warships without ruining their edges!

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