The Mech Touch

Swordmasters were weak!

This was the central idea that haunted Ketis ever since she saw the Status of both Ves and herself.

Even as Ves casually dismissed the numerical differences between their Attributes and led her to the innermost section of the Sacred Temple, Ketis momentarily went through another internal struggle due to this harsh reality.

"...And this is the Sacred Hearth. It is here where we can directly observe and possibly manipulate our most central parts of ourselves. The theory on Divine Cores is a bit esoteric and mystical, but according to my own understanding, these Cores are the most direct and honest reflections of ourselves. They are the core that defines our Spirituality and in turn our personality, behavior, principles, and so on. At the beginning, your Divine Corelooks like a featureless ball. It is only when you grow stronger and begin to develop yourself that it slowly begins to form into a more distinguished shape."

Ves stopped in front of his Divine Core. "This is my most central Divine Core. I call it the Hand of Creation. I suppose it has taken on this shape because I truly love to create. I not only create mechs, but also other objects and even entirely new life forms. The broad range of my works has shaped my Divine Core into a form that is more universal than that of a typical mech designer. I quite like it. I suspect that it is one of the reasons why I am able to extend parts of my design philosophy to works that are not related to mechs."

The Hand of Creation looked beautiful to Ketis. The Sacred Hearth had a way of presenting the Divine Cores of its users in a way that conveyed their inner brilliance.

Ves' Divine Core was more than just a fancy-looking hand. It glittered with endless possibilities. It was as if the Hand of Creation was literally capable of bringing anything into existence.

The more Ketis stared at it, the more she felt as if she was getting to know the true Ves underneath all of his masks and other social constructs.

She understood more clearly now that deep down in his heart, Ves was just a really avid creator. He loved the act of making new stuff, simple as that. She did not spot anything in his Divine Core that was inherently good or evil.

Perhaps the only concerning sign on the Hand of Creation was the subtle streak of darkness that had blended into the Divine Core, but even that did not take away the obsession for creation.

Morality evidently did not rank high enough in Ves' list of concerns.

What she did manage to pick up was a need for recognition and a deep yearning for his works to change people's lives for the better. The former was a universal desire to every maker. The latter was a common goal of every earnest inventor.

All of this meant that Ves had always been what he claimed to be. He was a mech designer.

Although Ketis recognized that he was a lot more than 'just a mech designer', in his heart, he always remained true to his roots at all times.

All of his actions and decisions led back to his desire to become a better mech designer and creator. As long as Ketis held this truth in mind, she was basically able to figure out the real Ves. This was the value of being able to take a good look at his so-called Divine Core.

"Your Divine Core is not as bad as I thought." She honestly commented. "If something like this truly existed, then I expected that it would look… uglier."

"One's Divine Core is based on your true self. What people think of me is not necessarily reflective of who I truly am. Let the people have their misunderstandings. I know that so long as I stay true to my principles and ambitions, I will never be at risk of going astray."

They moved over to the next Divine Core. It looked a lot more concerning than the Hand of Creation. All Ketis saw was a giant maw that possessed endless hunger and a desire to devour everything in a futile attempt to become sated.

Compared to the relatively pure and honest Hand of Creation, the Whale Devouring Maw possessed a considerably more nefarious air to it. If it was not restrained, it could easily go on an uncontrollable eating spree, inflicting untold damage to property as well as human lives!

"What… what is this?"

"Mrow~"

A fluffy purple cat that reflected a growing galaxy on his fur emerged from Ves' head. The companion spirit leisurely flew through the air and even rubbed his head against Ketis before heading back to where he belonged.

"This is the Whale Devouring Maw. " Ves straightforwardly answered. "It is the Divine Core that corresponds to Blinky. I know it looks rather scary, but Blinky is not that bad. I mean, just look at him! Doesn't he look cute?"

"Mrow~"

A fluffy purple cat that reflected a growing galaxy on his fur emerged from Ves' head. The companion spirit leisurely flew through the air and even rubbed his head against Ketis before heading back to where he belonged.

Ketis did not know what she should believe in. "As far as I am aware, companion spirits are split personalities that have gained a little more independence. If this is the other side of yourself, then what will happen if you lose your self-control?"

"It won't happen." Ves insisted. "I might not be a Swordmaiden like you, but I am perfectly capable of remaining rational when it matters. I wouldn't have made it this far if I make stupid decisions all of the time. Blinky's Divine Core only looks this way because his core ability is based on a powerful ingredient taken from the Unending One. The supposed dark god was not exactly a pleasant fellow back then, but you can rest assured that Blinky is a completely new life form that has nothing to do with that big old whale."

Though Ketis had more than a few reasons to cast doubt on that explanation, she did not bother to continue this argument further. Her own impressions of Blinky had always been positive. So long as the companion spirit remained subordinate to Ves, then there was nothing to be concerned about.

They moved on to the third and weirded Divine Core.

She recognized the Hammer of Brilliance easily enough. Ves usually carried this strange self-made artifact on his handy tool belt.

What was odd was the very real metal crown that had strangely planted itself on top of the Divine Artifact. Her sense of danger immediately triggered, causing her to become a lot more alert and vigilant.

The crown posed a threat!

"What is this, Ves?!"

"This… is the Hammer of Brilliance. This is Vulcan's Divine Core. As you can see, he is very devoted to traditional craftsmanship. The crown… is a long story, and also involves confidential information that I am not sure that I am allowed to share with you. I admit that the crown is dangerous, but my mother developed a solution that allows me to contain its power and prevent it from causing any further trouble… mostly."

"Mostly?"

"Well, the crown has been with me for over a year, and it hasn't stirred up any major problems so far. I'm sort of using it as a power source at the moment. It is no different from trying to generate power from an active volcano. It is dangerous, but the risks can be mitigated as long as you take the right precautions."

This was none of Ketis' business. She was willing to give Ves the benefit of the doubt and assume that he had a sufficient grasp on this crown.

After admiring Ves' Divine Cores, they moved on to the next set of Cores that clearly belonged to Ketis.

They stood in front of a greatsword that looked as if it was still in the process of getting forged.

"This is the Divine Core that corresponds to you." Ves remarked. "It doesn't look as defined as mine because you are still a Journeyman who only vaguely determined her development trajectory. The fact that it has not yet taken on a more solid and permanent shape means that you are still undecided where you want to take your design philosophy."

"Is that bad?"

"No. It is not. This is normal among Journeymen. You are still at an exploratory stage. You just need to travel more and experience new sights. Once you have found an idea that you are passionate about to use as the centerpiece of your design philosophy, that is the point where your Divine Core will shift to reflect your heartfelt choice. As long as you are able to satisfy the other requirements, it shouldn't take long before you advance to the rank of Senior Mech Designer."

Ketis was already vaguely aware of what she needed to do in order to take the next step, but she never imagined that she could gain access to such a clear visual indicator of her progress.

Being able to see her progress in a more concrete form was incredibly helpful to her progression!

Even though it was just the equivalent of being able to see a progress bar that represented her own progress as a mech designer, it was already helpful to know how close she was to reaching the next rank.

From what she could observe from her Divine Core, its progress did not stray too far from her own estimates of herself. She was still a long way from becoming a Senior. She was still engrossed in too many interesting research subjects, ranging from sharpness to stormblade technology. If she wanted to become a Senior, then she needed to limit herself to a more singular cohesive design application and put her other interests to the side.

"I know where I stand. I will be sure to check up on my Divine Core on a regular basis. Do you have any advice for me now that you have seen my Core?"

Ves thought for a moment. "Well, if you are satisfied with how your Divine Core reflects your current aspirations, then be careful about absorbing the more expensive and powerful enlightenment fruits. Knowledge is power, but power can be a corrupting force. If you absorb too much high-level knowledge, then your goals and ideals may change to reflect what you have learned. I am not telling you to avoid those expensive and powerful enlightenment fruits entirely. You just need to be more prepared to digest what you have gained."

"That is a good suggestion. I will make sure to be more careful about this." Ketis said.

It was unlikely that this would become a major problem to Ketis because of two reasons.

First, she was a Swordmaster. Her strong willpower would allow her to stick to her original convictions a lot easier.

Second, the more powerful and overwhelming enlightenment fruits were too expensive! It was impossible for her to exchange too many of these exotic knowledge packages.

There was no particular reason for Ves to worry about Ketis.

The two moved in front of the last Divine Core. It clearly reflected Sharpie because it looked exactly like the companion spirit!

"This is pretty interesting." Ves said as he stared at a Core that looked like a miniature Ketis wearing a robe and wielding a greatsword. "You are the first willpower cultivator that I have brought into the System. I think it is not an exception that Sharpie's Divine Core is an exact match of her current form. The outcome should be similar to every expert pilot we can bring into the System. They are some of the most honest people in existence, and this is a reflection of that trait. Their Divine Cores should always match how they look as the entire reason why they are able to grow so powerful is that they essentially worship themselves."

Every high-ranking mech pilot was self-centered by definition! It was natural to assume that their Divine Cores closely matched who they were in reality!

Ves even suspected that high-ranking mech pilots who had managed to form Blood Pacts with their mechs or completed parts of the Mech Body Merger Process started to look different from their human selves.

Their Divine Cores may have begun to resemble their own mechs!

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