The Mech Touch

Chapter 7438  The Formal Introduction of Woodsap Mechs

After a short break, the leading elves resumed their presentation.

They had given their audience enough time to process the revelation.

Word had already spread far and wide. Practically every part of human-occupied space learned about the latest gambit of the Terran Alliance.

Much of the reaction was mixed at best. In fact, many places only held voices of disapproval.

What were the Terrans thinking!?

Why did they decide to invest precious resources into transforming themselves into a fantasy race?

Did they not understand how much future conflict they might provoke by abandoning their humanity?

Even the citizens of the Terran Alliance itself questioned the wisdom of this highly contentious initiative.

Was the creation of the elves worth all of the negative consequences?

If the Terrans did not provide a satisfactory explanation by the end of this event, many citizens of the Terran Alliance were bound to rise up in opposition!

A lot of pressure rested on the shoulders of the so-called First Elf and Second Elf.

The pair of tall elven leaders commanded the attention of all of red humanity.

Though a large number of Terran people desperately hoped that the elves might bring word of salvation, the citizens of the other major powers wished to see them stumble and fall.

The Rubarthans possessed an especially strong animosity towards the elves. No matter what prior associations these ethereal beings held in the past, now they had become unquestionably tainted by Terran greed!

"These idiots! They should have held themselves back! They are the most awful 'brothers-in-arms' that I have ever seen! We held an implicit agreement to oppose the mechers and the fleeters together. How can the Terrans still do so when they are about to split their own people into different racial camps? Those elves will be the death of them, mark my words!"

With so many humans wishing for the elves to fail, Yenya Aduc and Caracalla Shuku bravely maintained their supremely confident postures.

They carried themselves as if they still had every variable under control. As the supposed leaders of the elven race, they were determined not to let their compatriots down!

"Ladies and gentlemen." The female elf addressed her audience once again. "We are aware of the doubts that you are harboring. Let me reiterate that we still count ourselves as members of human civilization. Calling us elves is a convenient shorthand label for us. In more formal terms, we prefer to describe ourselves as arboreal variant humans. Our genes and physiology may be more divergent from the baseline human template than is typical, we are merely a more specialized branch of the general human species."

The male elven leader nodded. "No matter what others think, this is our official stance. We shall tolerate no other opinion that contradicts this truth. Any elf that speaks of breaking away from the human race is nothing less than a traitor. Even if the fallen elf's intentions are pure, his or her actions will do nothing more than advance the interests of our alien foes."

After making this very clear, the pair proceeded to put this presentation back on track.

This was originally about unveiling the prototype Woodsap mechs.

At this time, the newly transformed elves had already completed an accelerated health inspection and boarded their assigned Woodsap mechs.

Once they received the appropriate signal, they all began to activate their advanced Carmine mechs for the first time.

The activation processes did not look as exciting on the surface, but Ves was able to observe much more.

Through Blinky's keen capabilities, he could sense in great detail how smoothly and effortlessly the test pilots formed their Woodsap Pacts with their living biomechs.

The Woodsap mechs already yearned to form a mutated Blood Pact using Woodsap as their binding medium!

Just as expected, the elves experienced no problem at all when the Woodsap originating from their own organic mechs started to flow through their veins.

Their prior augmentations had already made them compatible with a substance that would have killed most humans outright when injected into their bloodstreams.

Yet the added step of an elf transformation not only shoved away any lingering discomfort or incompatibility with this normally toxic liquid, but also caused them to actively embrace it as their definitive life source!

Both their bodies and spiritualities sang as they came into contact with Woodsap.

The more Woodsap circulated through their veins, the greater their vitality!

The Woodsap mechs themselves also looked a lot more alive. They already looked fairly impressive at rest, but now that they had bonded with their designated pilots, their bark-like surface gained a sheen and even started to exude a subtle green glow.

Their presence already started to distort the flow of ambient E energy radiation. A significant proportion of wood energy diverted towards the dozen biomechs.

The Woodsap mechs eagerly absorbed the incoming energies. Their energy levels rose, allowing them to unleash greater power when necessary.

At the same time, the Woodsap mechs exuded gentle and friendly glows that caused the surrounding plants and other life to cheer.

Many people who attended the banquet felt even more refreshed than before. Some of their fears faded away. The more they stared at the Woodsap mechs, the more they felt confident in their strength.

The activated biomechs made no move. They merely remain standing in their current states.

Although very few people understood what they were capable of, they already gained the impression that these Woodsap mechs were much more special than ordinary Carmine mechs!

The Yellow Jacket line had already become fairly accessible to many people.

The first Carmine mech models had been produced in such numbers that they had become a fairly common sight on most industrial planets.

Perhaps they had yet to appear on smaller settlements and more remote planets, but it would only be a matter of time before their residents found a way to import the precious Carmine mechs.

Yet as revolutionary as the Yellow Jackets may be, it could not be denied that their baseline models were very much targeted towards the bottom segments of the market.

No matter their editions, their original concepts centered around accessibility and ease of production. No Yellow Jacket could defeat an ordinary mech at equivalent or even lower cost. The difference in raw performance as well as piloting competence could not be overcome.

Somehow, the prototypes of the Arboreal Project gave a lot of people the feeling that they did not possess this particular demerit.

The Woodsap mechs made such a remarkable first impression that no one thought of them as weak!

This was very much the goal for Ves as well as his Terran collaborators. There was no need for them to design a low-end offering as the first-class edition of the Yellow Jacket line already covered this particular niche.

What the Terrans truly needed was a new signature mech that could carry them to victory at the frontlines.

The Woodsap mechs clearly looked so exquisite and imposing that they already inspired the necessary confidence!

"Let me give you a brief introduction of these fine biomechs standing before you." Yenya Aduc spoke even as she continued to hold the Grail of Rebirth in her hands. "These prototypes are the early fruits of our first formal collaboration with the founder of the Red Collective and the voice of his generation. We have cooperated intensively with Professor Ves Larkinson to develop a series of biomechs that not only incorporate a more advanced version of his revolutionary Carmine System, but also take unprecedented advantage of the power of wood and life."

The scion of the Shuku Ancient Elven Clan took over from here. "We have made a deliberate choice to invest in the development of biomechs. This is a choice that only Terrans can do well, because we have never ceased our efforts to refine our attainments in biotechnology and biomech design. Unlike conventional mechs, biomechs offer distinctive advantages, of which our new Woodsap mechs exemplify. More than that, our new organic mechs also help us build a larger bridge to Gaia, the patron deity of the Terran Alliance. Each Woodsap mech carries her blessing, and the elven edition of our new biomechs are particularly capable of channeling her power."

The dozen Woodsap mechs echoed this statement by briefly strengthening their glows.

It appeared that Gaia paid close attention to this presentation, because she actively boosted her presence!

Even under the faint suppression of multiple Saint Kingdoms, the expansion of the glows had a very real effect on the environment and the attendees.

The surrounding flora grew more vivid and even started to grow in size or length.

Many people felt even more invigorated than before. The expanding waves wiped away any fatigue or stress they previously endured.

"What a remarkably powerful glow." Ves felt genuinely impressed by the effects created by the Woodsap mechs.

Ordinary glows had grown less effective due to the introduction of exotic radiation.

Yet because the Woodsap mechs and particularly the elven versions possessed stronger connections with Gaia, they had become considerably more powerful anchors to the True God.

To put it in a different way, the Woodsap mechs functioned like much more effective substitutes of idols made in her image!

This was a remarkable effect, and one that could already make a significant difference on many battlefields!

The stress of combat on the frontlines was high. No matter whether soldiers participated in small skirmishes or enormous decisive battles, they frequently had to fight harder and more frequently than they could normally withstand.

Everyone had their limits. If they fought too close to them or past them, then they were liable to falter and ultimately break.

If these Woodsap mechs could actively make all of these tired and exhausted soldiers regain a measure of their vigor, then that could make a small but crucial difference!

They would be able to maintain their concentration for longer periods of time. They wouldn't make as many stupid mistakes due to inattention. They also wouldn't give up as quickly if the fight became particularly tough or brutal.

Yet this was only the least of what the new Woodsap mechs were capable of. Psychology alone could not deliver the decisive blow against the native aliens and the mutated voribugs.

The Terrans may have entered into a deeper strategic partnership with Gaia, but they were not blind to the fact that it took hard power to defeat their many alien adversaries.

To that end, the Woodsap mechs needed to demonstrate their many practical advantages that could make a concrete difference on the battlefield.

The Woodsap mechs therefore began to move towards an exit designated for them. Each of them needed to deploy into open space in order to showcase their powerful features without putting any nearby guests in danger.