The Mech Touch

Once they gained a taste of power, they eagerly took advantage of being on the right side of history and transformed the MTA into a perpetual blood-sucking octopus that continually harvested other people's wealth!

Though Ves did not invalidate this negative perception of the MTA all of a sudden, the latest revelations put the powerful organizations in a much more favorable context.

Of course, he was well aware that he was getting a one-sided retelling of history.

If he filled up a number of gaps with the secret history centered around the Five Scrolls Compact, he gained a better understanding of the true purpose of the Kingdom of Mechs.

This insanely powerful evolvable spiritual construct could not have been made without having access to the greatest powers and heritage of the Five Scrolls Compact.

The thirteen Progenitors of Mechs had to be high-ranked members of the Compact, and ones who all turned their coats no less!

Ves also bet that they all belonged to the lineage of the Metal Scroll. He even guessed that at least one of them may have been the so-called Holy Son or Daughter while the others may have been that person's trusted entourage.

If this speculation was accurate, then they must have certainly played key roles in the grand conspiracy that led to the destruction of the Great Temple!

His eyes minutely widened as a huge implication came to mind.

What if the creation of the Kingdom of Mechs held direct relations to the fracturing of the Metal Scroll?

What if the Progenitors of Mechs took advantage of the power of this once-mighty Sacred Scroll to create an enormous reality-warping construct that matched or exceeded it in power?!

As his imagination began to run wild, Ves had the feeling that he had touched upon the essence of the secret history that led to the turning of a brand-new age!

The downfall of the Great Temple and the rise of the Kingdom of Mechs must have been the defining event that birthed the Age of Mechs!

This mystical kingdom made an enormous difference to human civilization upon its emergence.

This was because it warped reality to a degree that was more powerful than any god!

For perhaps the first time in human history, relatively average people throughout the galaxy who had no relations to the Five Scrolls Compact at all gained the ability to harness extraordinary power!

Mech designers and mech pilots no longer had to read obscure magical books or undergo a life-threatening blood sacrifice ritual or anything.

They just needed to study a lot of science or train to become a highly specialized vehicle operator in order to transcend their own humanity!

Each person who worked directly with mechs in either capacity could remain completely ignorant of spiritual engineering while still having hope of evolving into god-like beings one day!

The revolution the Kingdom of Mechs unleashed upon human civilization completely changed the rules!

What primordial humans?

What exclusive bloodlines?

What rare talent?

What exclusive access to secret knowledge?

The creation of the Kingdom of Mechs and as well as the Mech Trade Association completely changed the game!

This was especially the case when the Mech Trade Association openly entered human society and engaged with much more people than the Compact could ever brainwash!

The new kids on the block completely defeated the ancient and highly outdated organization like the Five Scrolls Compact!

Perhaps mechs, mech pilots and mech designers weren't so powerful at first, but the Kingdom of Mechs ensured that they could grow much faster than their adversaries!

After all, the conditions to train a powerful spiritual sorcerer was too harsh.

In comparison, the Kingdom of Mechs granted any individual in the vastness of human space the chance to rise up and become insanely powerful champions or makers as long as they possessed at least a modicum of spiritual potential!

This was why the Age of Mechs had become an unstoppable trend.

The story was no different from an old market leader getting beaten by a new competitor that sold better products and employed better business strategies!

The former may have been more powerful once, but it had grown too stale and inflexible due to the weight of traditions and an absence of forward-thinking leadership.

Four centuries after its birth, the emergence of uncountable mechs, mech pilots and mech designers had caused the Kingdom of Mechs to grow powerful beyond imagination!

With around a hundred god pilots and Star Designers taking care of this collective treasure of humanity, it sounded extremely unlikely that the Five Scrolls Compact could tear it down.

Although the Compact had undoubtedly licked its wounds and restored its strength over the years, how could its cultists ever exceed the quantity of powerhouses produced with the help of the Kingdom of Mechs?

It was impossible for humanity's former overlords to topple the MTA in a direct confrontation!

Ves began to wonder whether he had any special connections to the Kingdom of Mechs.

If the Metal Scroll truly played an indispensable part in its creation, then perhaps Ves and maybe the Polymath may be able to gain extra privileges!

It would partially explain why the both of them had managed to enjoy so many successes in their mech design careers.

He inwardly shook his head. He did not feel this was the case. Although his design seed had provided a lot of convenience and help in his past works, he still felt that much of his mech designs had come about through his own efforts. His design philosophy, his imagination and his appetite for risk contributed a lot more to his work.

Did it even matter to the Kingdom of Mechs that Ves was a Holy Son of sorts?

Perhaps he would not be able to tell the difference until he reached a later stage of his career.

At that point, he would gain greater access to the Kingdom of Mechs.

Did the Progenitors of Mechs create a secret chamber in the Kingdom of Mechs that granted special privileges to people like Ves?

Would he be able to gain administrative authority over the kingdom in advance?

Anything was possible!

Ves tried his best to keep his increasingly more unstable reactions under control. Though he had already exhibited shock and surprise several times over during this incredibly enlightening meeting, he did not want to give a mech designer as clever as Master Goldstein any reason to suspect more!

He could think about these kinds of implications later. This was not the time and place for him to fantasize about the Compact.

"I have a question, Master." Ves spoke up as he regained a bit of his composure. "You have been quite clear on how the Kingdom of Mechs ties to mech designers. How do mech pilots fit in this picture, exactly?"

The bald Master shifted his gaze away from the thirteen statues and looked across the rest of the ceremonial hall.

"Mech pilots enjoy a different sort of relationship with the Kingdom of Mechs. I am ordinarily not allowed to tell this to you, but given your extensive work in developing new methods to increase the rate of pilot breakthroughs, these secrets may be relevant to your work. It is not unacceptable to share confidential information related to mech pilots to you in advance."

There were clear benefits to building up an excellent relationship with the MTA. It was times like these where all of his efforts and sacrifices made a crucial difference.

Ves could already tell that Master Goldstein would have never shared this much about the Kingdom of Mechs if he was just an average mech designer!

"Mech pilots are a necessary component to the ecosystem of mechs." Goldstein spoke. "The Transhumanist Faction have more extensive information and assumptions around them, but to us they are a means to keep our own creations under human control. Their relationship to the Kingdom of Mechs is quite special and changes as they reach different ranks."

"Oh? How does this relationship evolve?"

"In general terms, a mech pilot can advance to expert candidate with little assistance as not much changes at first. It is the transition to expert pilot as well as ace pilot where the Kingdom of Mechs plays a major role in enabling and guiding the transformation process."

Ves widened his eyes in realization!

"Apotheosis!"

Master Goldstein smiled and nodded. "Exactly. Apotheosis is poorly understood by the general public because it is directly related to the Kingdom of Mechs. When a mech pilot undergoes apotheosis, a part of themselves establishes a direct connection to a powerful mechanism of the kingdom. Once 'apotheosis' begins, the Kingdom of Mechs immediately takes charge and controls the highly dangerous promotion process so that an individual can smoothly become an expert pilot or ace pilot."

Ves looked shocked! He never imagined that so much took place in the background whenever a mech pilot advanced in the field. He never observed any clues that this so-called Kingdom of Mechs secretly controlled the transformations of so many pilots!

"Why does artificial apotheosis exist?" He asked. "What purpose does it serve?"

"The Transhumanist Faction has conducted extensive studies on this topic. They can share many more insights with you as long as they are willing to reveal their secrets." Goldstein steadily replied. "I can only give you a short summary. From what we know, if mech pilots try to advance by relying on themselves, their success rate drops to 15 percent."

"What?! What happens to the 85 percent that fall outside of this category?"

"There are only two potential outcomes. The first possibility is that they lose all of their willpower and psionic power and die on the spot. The second possibility is that they have botched their transformation and end up corrupted. I will not elaborate any further on this as this is a forbidden topic."

That… sounded horrible. If the Kingdom of Mechs didn't give mech pilots a hand, then not as many mech pilots would remain eager to cross the moat and advance to the next rank!

"Is this why it is so insanely difficult for mech pilots to attain their breakthrough opportunities?" Ves tentatively asked. "The Kingdom of Mechs deliberately sets a high threshold because mech pilots would otherwise fail if they try to advance with insufficient qualifications."

Goldstein nodded. "That is an accurate deduction. There are many variables to this framework, and it is not my place to explain them all to you. Just know that the Kingdom of Mechs does not exist to hold mech pilots back, but to facilitate their rise. The Star Designers who collectively administer the kingdom have tweaked its operation over the centuries to improve upon the rules set by the Progenitors of Mechs."

"I see."

"The mech community would be a darker place without the regulating influence of the Kingdom of Mechs." The older man spoke. "It not only aids in breakthroughs, but also filters mech pilots to ensure that only positive additions to human society will gain the opportunity to evolve. We do not wish to empower criminals, anarchists and traitors. The damage that they can do to our civilization is incalculable."

So this was the secret of apotheosis!

The magnitude of this news alone could change the lives of countless people and mech pilots in particular!

It was no coincidence that mech pilots had to be noble, honorable and committed to a worthy cause!

This was because apotheosis was not a natural phenomenon at all. It was a completely artificial process that operated according to a long list of rules set by the Progenitors of Mechs as well as the Star Designers that came afterwards!

Ves' eyes suddenly turned sharp.

"Wait a moment. You said earlier that the Star Designers can essentially control how the Kingdom of Mechs works, is that correct?"

"That is approximately the case, Mr. Larkinson."

"Then what about god pilots? Don't they get to have a say in how their own profession is shaped?"

"That is impossible." Master Goldstein shook his head. "The reason why god pilots cannot exert any direct influence on the Kingdom of Mechs is that they have permanently severed their ties to it. They cannot return to the kingdom because doing so will damage it and threaten its continued existence. As such, god pilots are exiled from it by necessity."

That sounded completely unfair!