The Mech Touch (Web Novel)
chapter-6172

The Demolisher Edition of the Dark Zephyr sought to turn the living mech into a highly mobile but also highly destructive wrecking ball!

Although this development route lacked the grace and elusiveness of the Base Edition, the hammer-wielding light skirmisher possessed a destructive capacity that could easily crush any large warship!

It was an ace mech that was entirely geared towards inflicting mass destruction at close range. The destructive features of Resoblast Alloy neatly compensated for the Dark Zephyr's prior inability to inflict mass damage.

However, the capacity to inflict destruction at a large scale was not the only criteria that Tusa cared about.

"How good is the effect of Resoblast Alloy when used against powerful but compact enemies such as other ace mechs?" The ace pilot asked.

"The hammers can channel a large amount of force in any direction of your choosing upon impact." Master Benedict said. "As long as your willpower is strong enough, you can narrow the blast cone so that it resembles a rod. This approach will concentrate the kinetic forces of your resonance-empowered attacks and can overwhelm or penetrate many strong defenses. The most notable shortcoming is that it is impossible to concentrate the blast force any further. This will make it difficult for the Demolisher Edition to penetrate through particularly strong armor. If the enemy also possesses excellent shock-absorbing capabilities, then the explosive forces produced with the help of Resoblast Alloy will not be able to inflict effective damage against enemies with particularly powerful defenses."

That was a concern to Tusa. The Demolisher Edition excelled at damaging large-sized targets, but its ability to defeat smaller but much more powerful enemies was questionable.

This was especially the case when the configuration of this version sacrificed a bit of mobility in order to enhance its offensive power.

"Resoblast Alloy is powerful, but… it doesn't fit my style." Saint Tusa eventually declared as he crossed his arms. "Don't get me wrong. I like the hammers, but using them changes my combat approach so much that I won't be able to recognize myself anymore. Besides, with the breakthrough of Isobel Kotin, my clan doesn't have to worry about inflicting mass destruction once she has recovered from her heavy injuries."

The problem with that last statement was that Isobel required at least several years in order for the Larkinson Clan to regrow an entirely new body around her brain and spine!

A lot could happen during this time. The Larkinson Clan was bound to confront a lot of native aliens, whose massive resource and home ground advantages allowed them to accumulate a lot of big warships and defensive fortifications.

The Base Edition of the Dark Zephyr was not efficient at eliminating large quantities of massive enemy units!

This meant that forgoing a very convenient solution like the Demolisher Edition would impair Saint Tusa's ability to dominate the battles in the coming years.

Most of the other versions of the Dark Zephyr were much more suited for targeted strikes against high-value targets.

There was still value in taking out the flagship of a fleet, but such an act hardly affected the morale of the more disciplined and hardened aliens serving in the real warfleets of the major races of the Red Ocean!

"Very well." Master Benedict nodded. "I merely drafted the Demolisher Edition to present you with an alternative choice as well as a means to expand your horizons. Even if you reject the concept that I have presented, I hope that you will at least become more aware of the greater possibilities at your disposal. First-class ace mechs are exceptionally powerful. In the past, it was impossible to design a light skirmisher that can easily destroy entire battleships, but now that the Dark Zephyr is about to reach this new standard, you can break any rule you want."

Tusa had to admit that the Demolisher Edition truly broadened his horizons. He appreciated Master Benedict's effort, but he also wanted to stay true to himself.

"Are there any other variations of the Dark Zephyr?"

"There is one more. The Duelist Edition of the Dark Zephyr seeks to satisfy your craving for achieving supremacy in single combat. This configuration boasts slightly thicker armor while still retaining high mobility. On the premise of possessing a trump card in the form of the Dark Wind Module, I have sought out a resonating material that can bestow your ace mech with another means of inflicting strong attacks without draining too much energy."

"Can't we use B-30 Shattersteel?" Tusa questioned.

"B-30 Shattersteel has the potential to break through all defenses, but it has several major shortcomings. Its effectiveness against massive enemies is inconsistent, and it is entirely useless against smart metal and certain types of biological matter. This is why the Duelist Edition should ideally be paired with a resonating material that does not rely on repeated attacks in the same areas in order to breach particularly resilient defenses. I have also tried to find a better match with your E energy attributes."

The ace pilot grew intrigued when he heard that. The previous variations all sounded nice, but theft did not quite match with his domain.

"So what material did you find?"

"It is another recently-developed phasewater-infused resonating alloy. Different from Erlemin, Sunder Metal is a resonating material that does what its name suggests. When integrated into a bladed weapon, any contact with solid matter can produce a molecular dissociation effect. The effect is not too strong at low power, but when affected by much greater true resonance, it can easily split highly resistant materials in half. Channeling more true resonance into the weapon can also enlarge the molecular dissociation effect, allowing your ace mech to cut targets that are much larger than the blade itself. However, unless you have grown into a senior pilot, it is not advisable to make too many demands on Sunder Metal. You are not even close to utilizing it to its true potential."

The projection changed to show an ace swordsman mech with this resonating alloy in action.

The machine wielded a sword and confronted a variety of alien warships.

The sword infused with Sunder Metal was quite effective against transphasic energy shields due to the fact that it was also a transphasic product. The mech easily overcame the transphasic energy shields of the enemy vessels before beginning to cut apart the hulls with surprising effectiveness!

The ace mech fought as if it wielded a blade that was at least 5 times longer!

That was not all. When the ace mech in the projection sparred against another ace mech, the one that wielded the Sunder Metal blade continuously wore down the defenses of its opponent until it finally delivered its crippling blow!

The Sunder Metal sword glowed with concentrated power as it neatly managed to sever the enemy machine's left arm!

"Impressive!" Saint Tusa uttered.

Sunder Metal was a powerful offensive resonating exotic!

It was not bad when used against massive opponents, but it was even better when employed against particularly tough and damage-resistant enemies!

Tusa did not have to worry too much about lack of offensive power if he piloted the Duelist Edition.

He vastly preferred the effects of Sunder Metal over B-30 Shattersteel and Resoblast Alloy.

However, it was clear that the Duelist Edition was less versatile than the Base Edition. So much of the former hinged on the effectiveness of Sunder Metal that the Dark Zephyr would get in trouble if it was not effective.

"The Duelist Edition is designed to excel in attacking powerful individual combatants, but not much else." Master Benedict confirmed Tusa's thoughts. "Due to the infusion of phasewater, Sunder Metal is particularly domineering. It cannot be combined with Turbulenta that can increase the invasive capabilities of your living mech."

That was a disappointment. Turbulenta did not sound impressive, but Tusa was confident his Dark Zephyr would suffer much less attacks with the help of this resonating exotic.

"So these are the variants that you came up with, Master?"

"I am not limited to drafting 5 different development routes of the Dark Zephyr. There are many other resonating materials that I have left out of consideration. I do not believe it is necessary to overwhelm you with too many choices. These are the strongest and most compatible mech configurations that I can produce with the information that I have on hand. If you are dissatisfied with all 5 of them, then I can take your feedback and use it to develop a more fitting mech configuration."

"That won't be necessary, Master. I am already pleased with these options. I do not see much point in exploring other options."

Saint Tusa furrowed his brows as he continued to contemplate the different variations. He knew that as long as he did not change his mind later on, the development route he chose today would define his career for the rest of his life!

The powerful resonating materials integrated into the Dark Zephyr would allow it to excel in specific areas. Tusa may become famous for banishing powerful opponents or cutting through the toughest armor with a single strike.

As long as he performed well enough to make an unforgettable impression, the people around him would eventually bestow him with a title related to his greatest strength or feat!

Obtaining a title that was recognized by the public was an important turning point to the career of any mech pilot.

It was not too unusual for mech pilots to gain a variety of titles, handles, call signs and other pseudonyms from various different sources.

Mech pilots or other people that possessed officially recognized titles could use them as their primary legal names, thereby reducing their former human names to relics of their mortal past.

However, as long as the public acceptance and recognition of these messy titles remained low, they didn't count according to the official institutions of human civilization.

Only a big institution such as the Red Association had the power to officially approve and register a title.

Once that happened, the mech pilot completed a life-changing transformation from mortal to transcendent!

Mech pilots or other people that possessed officially recognized titles could use them as their primary legal names, thereby reducing their former human names to relics of their mortal past.

This was why people always referred to the Destroyer of Worlds by her imposing title rather than her distinctly less impressive human name or Irene Mox!

In any case, it was a bit of a stretch for Tusa to obtain an officially recognized title when he was a mere expert pilot. There were just so many demigods that it was difficult for any of them to earn widespread fame.

The story was different for ace pilots. They were much more powerful and much less numerous. Their combat feats were also so much more impressive that they could easily capture the imagination of billions if not trillions of people!

Saint Tusa did not consider himself to be as vain as Vincent Ricklin, but he was still human enough to crave validation. Who didn't want to become a hero?

Therefore, earning an official title was one of his most desired goals after becoming an ace pilot.

He was still aiming to become a god pilot, but this was such an enormous goal that it was impossible for him to succeed in the foreseeable future!

It was much easier for Tusa to settle on a more attainable goal. The upcoming alien offensive granted him the perfect opportunity to climb up to the galactic stage!

Many heroes would rise in the coming years. A lot of ace pilots that previously went under the radar were bound to become famous and inspire red humanity to resist the native aliens.

Saint Tusa was the first ace pilot among his clansmen, but that was not the extent of his ambitions.

He wanted to become the first true war hero of the Larkinson Clan.

Now that more dazzling clansmen such as General Ark Larkinson had yet to trigger their second apotheosis, Tusa felt an obligation to stand up and prove that his clan was not weak in terms of martial might!

With this goal in mind, Tusa quickly narrowed down his selection to just two options.