The Mech Touch novel Chapter 868

Ves felt very disappointed at the efficiency of the workshop, but what could he do? The ground expedition went so deep in the storm lands that all of their electrical and mechanical devices started fizzing at unexpected times.

He even feared for his own array of gadgets and equipment. Besides simple objects like the hidden knives and the Cadisis, every other piece of gear stuffed in his Earth Ant was susceptible to the breakdown effect.

Yet... for some reason none of his gadgets failed as of yet. This included the extremely sensitive high-powered gadgets slotted with ultracompact batteries.

Save for his gravitic backpack, military-issued officer comm, his spare laser pistol, his multitool, his multiscanner and a few other odds and ends, he fabricated all of the gear by himself, including the C22 Earth Ant light combat armor.

"Is it because of my craftsmanship?"

Even if he possessed a spiritual touch that imprinted some of his considerable Spirituality on his products, it didn’t explain why the other devices remained intact as well.

It was as if the breakdown effect encompassed the entire planet except for a small bubble around Ves!

Was it his Spirituality? Perhaps. Yet he couldn’t conceivably explain such a matter. It would have been too easy to chalk it up to his Spirituality. As an engineer, Ves did not wish to settle for such a lazy explanation.

In any case, the surprising lack of problems silently reassured Ves, even if he still puzzled over the exception.

Just to be sure, Ves still performed daily maintenance on all of his gear. Every day, he partially disassembled most devices and checked them over. He even feigned adjusting bits and pieces so that everyone looking at him from a distance believed his devices had acted up as well.

Ves planned to keep an unexpected advantage like this wholly to himself. Who knew how the others would react if they found out he had become strangely immune to the breakdown effect. Perhaps they might load him up with sensitive equipment and send him straight into the red zone along with the infantry assigned to board the Starlight Megalodon!

"There’s no way I can survive in the thick of the red zone and the interior of the Starlight Megalodon. This is a job for trained soldiers."

The best Vandal security officers already trained for months for what they might encounter at the mission site. Armorers recently finished fabricating high-quality sets of light combat armor for them. The lightweight armor had been dumbed down to the point of stripping away all of its servos, yet it still offered substantial protection by making use of compressed armor.

A couple of combat engineer and specialist types accompanied the trained soldiers as well. These experts possessed a decent grasp in shipboard architecture, hacking, doctors, exobiologists and more.

Ves half-expected he’d be assigned to this group as well, but this time his high position saved him from the trouble. Instead, Ves had been asked to ’recommend’ some ’volunteers’. He quickly foisted some random mech technicians and a low-ranking mech designer to the group of specialists.

"It’s good to be the boss." He chuckled.

While the combat engineers and specialists underwent intensive training, Ves directed his attention to his work on the Enduring Protector.

When the mech technicians finally assembled the first production model together, Ves and the men watched with awe as the frontline mech finally revealed its majesty in the flesh.

Its strong X-Factor had already influenced the mech technicians, yet when it finally became whole, the first copy left an unforgettable impression on the men. It seemed larger than life!

With its four crawler-type legs, its short and broad cylindrical torso, the menacing-looking laser cannons affixed to articulating mounts on the sides, the frontline mech looked kind of silly if not for its strong, protective and enduring aura.

Even without saying so, those present vaguely felt that this was a mech designed to brave the breakdown effect and protect its charges by taking out threats from afar.

Objectively, Ves had a lot to criticize about the design. The irreconcilable problem concerning the Enduring Protector design was that its paltry mobility and armor simply couldn’t keep up with the rigors of mech combat.

It depended too heavily on external assistance such as Qilanxo’s space barrier to put up a decent fight.

Ves had no choice but to opt for these design choices. He faced too many limitations, and as a mech designer, he couldn’t indulge in fantasy when it came to designing realistic products.

After half an hour, their first test pilot arrived. Captain Byrd already selected a single squad of ranged specialists to take up the Enduring Protector. The mech pilot that arrived abruptly halted when he viewed the Enduring Protector. It looked much more valiant than the design schematics suggested!

Ves approached the test pilot. "This is a momentous occasion. Are you ready to test this mech?"

"I am." The mech pilot spoke confidently. "This mech should be a piece of cake to pilot."

"Even if the Enduring Protector is a simple mech, care must still be taken if you want it to last as long as possible. Making the wrong movements or stressing out the frame will wear it out pretty quickly." Ves warned.