The Mech Touch

Chapter 7169: Collared Nanosuit

Both sides had set up small bases at opposite ends of a large valley.

That was the site where they stashed all of their gear and set up resting and recovery facilities.

Once the leadership challenge commenced, Ves was not allowed to withdraw to the Tarrasque or any other location. He could only receive treatment ’onsite’ in order to ensure that no funny business occurred.

It was one of the more troublesome terms of the contract.

The Ascended Giants were quite aware that the Red Three could muster up amazing tech to help Ves recover his physical injuries and exhaustion in a matter of hours.

Such extravagant treatment defied the spirit of the leadership challenge and threatened to violate its sanctity.

Personally, Ves thought that these meatheads were putting way too much stock into honor and tradition, but then again he was not a real warrior.

Before Ves prepped for battles, he received a number of pre-combat boosts.

The Red Collective were determined to wring out every legitimate advantage to the fight.

To that end, Ves had to move to the middle of a large underground ritual chamber and feel different energies coursing through the air and into his body.

He did not have a clue of what the majority of the rituals were doing. Even Blinky could not decipher the intricacies of the fine manipulation of E energy.

However, Ves was roughly able to sense that he was growing stronger in subtle ways.

But only subtle.

The biggest disappointment about them was that the effects were not as significant as he desired. Ves theorized that the enormous stature of his true body diluted the blessings by an enormous extent.

Having an oversized body was not always good. Ves already felt incredibly bloated due to the effects of the Marigal organ. It was as if he had multiplied in weight, yet still forced himself to don a suit that was fitted to hold old size.

However, this was the price that he had to pay in exchange for power. Phase lords who accepted their departure from mortality turned this discomfort into a source of reassurance. They considered their true bodies to be their most authentic forms. They only shrunk their bodies to a more manageable scale for reasons of practicality, not because they were sentimental about their roots.

In any case, after the rituals had concluded, Ves did indeed feel a little stronger, sharper, more focused and more... confident.

The gains would not make a notable difference if his opponent was overwhelmingly stronger than him, but it may end up becoming the deciding factor in a close match.

"We have done the best we can under the circumstances." Formation Master Andrea Vos walked up to Ves and said. "Many of these rituals had to be adjusted in a hurry in order to accommodate a phase lord of your stature as opposed to a normal human. The differences in power and magnitude are too great. If there is one aspect that human phase lords such as yourselves are good at, it is demanding many times the resources that others normally require."

Ves smiled in amusement. "I can’t help it. Phase lords are all like this. There is no powerful phase lord that does not have an immense body. I never asked for this, but somehow my trajectory has led to this point. At least I get to do something useful with it for once."

"Once you return from your first duel, our cultivators will be standing by to accelerate your natural healing process in conjunction with modern treatment facilities." The farseer proceeded to explain. "Phase lords are famed for being difficult to injure, but require a great amount of time to recover from more serious wounds. We will do our best to help you recover quickly, but there is a limit to how much we can accelerate the process. You should do your best to avoid damage that has managed to penetrate past your defenses. The more physical injuries you accumulate, the more you will start the next duel at a physical disadvantage."

"I know. I do not intend to prolong my participation in a fight that is already lost." Ves promised. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"Not from our end. We have been scrying the headquarters of the Phase Lord Department and have observed no particular surprises. The Ascended Giants have not made any special preparations to ambush you, to break through the blockade and flee the central star node or secretly contact the Cosmopolitan Movement of the Red Cabal in order to coordinate a two-pronged attack. That said, our monitoring is hardly comprehensive, so we cannot rule out these possible actions. The Unshakeable King is the greatest point of uncertainty. He is the most openly aggressive Ascending Giant and most sympathetic towards the Red Cabal. The leader of the most elite force of human phase lords should not be simple."

"That is why I am looking to duel him first." Ves smirked. "He won’t have time to pull off shenanigans in the dark if he is eliminated or killed in the first round. I agree with you that this guy is the greatest source of uncertainty. It makes sense to take care of him first in order to minimize the variables.

They eventually entered a different room where a number of familiar faces were present.

Demetrius Sol Klavia had arrived while wearing a gilded suit of combat armor. He looked quite impressive as the head of the Enforcement Department as he exuded both a martial and a regal vibe. There was little doubt to everyone that he was unquestionably in charge of this entire ’operation’.

The former grand marshal looked deeply at Ves and apparently grew satisfied with what he saw.

"You have made good use of your limited time." The Patient Builder complimented Ves. "I have inspected the resources, manpower and facilities that you have commissioned. Your needs are expensive, but we do not mind so long as you have not wasted our aid. From your eyes alone, I can see that you are ready to meet this challenge. Let us hope that you have not misjudged your chances."

Ves casually shrugged. "What does intelligence say about my odds of winning?"

"The Secret Department does not dare to make a prediction." Secret Keeper Zariel-775 spoke up from the side. "It is difficult for us to accurately assess everyone’s current combat power. Both of you employ secrecy and obscurity to maintain the element of surprise. We shall only find out later which side has prepared more trump cards than the other."

"Wow. That is helpful to hear. Not."

The Secret Department had been helpful, but they did not do anything remarkable enough to decide the outcome of the duels.

In the end, it all came down to the actual fights in order to decide the winners and losers of the upcoming duel.

That was certainly exciting, but it was not how Ves preferred to win his battles.

He hated pitched battles. He despised giving his opponents a chance to win. He did not want to incur losses.

He was a firm believer that good preparations already won most of the battles before they could even begin. Ves enjoyed enough confidence in this area.

However, the enemy also shouldn’t be ignorant about this truth. The Ascended Giants still had enough human common sense left to get ready to do their best to maintain their leadership qualifications.

"By the way, have you guys completed the special solution that will allow my consciousness to linger inside Blinky when my other side has taken over?"

The Farseer nodded and gestured for an attendant to step closer.

The approaching man carried a box which automatically opened to reveal a new nanosuit with a notably thick collar.

"This suit is the product of several difficult days. It took great effort and ingenuity to solve your problem without enlisting outside assistance. We have ultimately managed to develop a nanosuit that contains a special transphasic alloy collar that will act as a formation anchor. It will automatically become active when you unfold your true body. A formation will run that will ensure you will remain awake in one form or another. Keep in mind that you must wear this under your raiments and ensure it incurs as little damage as possible. The collar is especially important. The alloy plating is designed to split and follow the contours of your neck, but they can still become inoperable when they have received a powerful blow."

"So I should never let any incoming attacks hit my neck area. Got it. Mind you, I already had this goal in mind."

"Another important fact that you should know is that this is just an experimental product." The formation master continued to warn Ves. "It is never designed to last more than a couple of days of intensive use. It is especially designed for you and is only meant to last for this leadership challenge. It is also designed to accommodate you as long as your true body does not grow beyond the height specified by the rules of the leadership challenge."

"I see. We will keep that in mind. What happens after that?"

"We supply you with an improved version made out of superdimensional matter." Andrea Vos answered with a smile. "The data that we expect to gather from your upcoming performance will help us troubleshoot and optimize the final implementation. What you will get is a collared suit that will act as a combination of a control device as well as an initial restraint. If the ’Dark Apostle’ ever goes on a rampage, this suit will help to hinder his actions long enough for reinforcements to arrive and subdue him. This should serve as a more tolerable means of keeping him under control."

Ves felt a bit uncomfortable about these restraints because they could theoretically pin him down as well.

However, Ves recognized that there was no legitimate choice for refusal. He was eager to keep the Dark Apostle in check, and so did the Red Collective.

He just had to trust that the collies would not abuse the control they gained over his true body.

Hopefully, Ves or the others would be able to devise a more acceptable means of keeping the Dark Apostle under control.

It would be best if they could be split so that they each occupied a single body once more!

Ves already had a small idea on how he might be able to accomplish this, but it would take a lot more waiting before he could see it come to fruition.

"Time is almost up, sir." Eliza Mo Ragadan called. "The Ascended Giants will be expecting you to arrive at the center of the open plains that is designated as the dueling ground."

Ves nodded before turning back at the chief enforcer. "Is there anything else I should keep in mind? This is your last chance to speak to me while I am still in control over my true body. After this, the Dark Apostle will be in charge."

"Yes. Everything you do is political. Although we are not broadcasting this leadership challenge to the public, plenty of parties are paying varying degrees of attention to it. You represent the will of the Red Collective today. I hope your other self is careful of what he speaks. We do not want to divide our people any further. Your responsibility is to do the opposite. We must bring together a group of humans who have lost touch with their humanity. We must accept their diversity, but must also ensure that they connect with their human roots. These Ascended Giants are wayward individuals. Their swing towards treachery is not their fault. Not truly. We can be magnanimous and welcome them back into our fold, but only if they do so sincerely."

"What if they are not in the mood to change their minds?"

"Then I hope that as the future leader of the Phase Lord Department, you can find a way to clean house without sparking total rebellion."