When Ves encouraged Venerable Joshua to think about what he wanted from his first expert ch, the cabin fell silent for a ti.
Though expert pilots were usually decisive, a matter as important as this required very careful thought.
It didn't help that the young expert pilot possessed the unusual luxury of having too much choice. Due to his obsessive desire to pilot as many LMC chs as possible, Joshua forced himself to beco good at piloting many different ch types.
Whether it was ranged chs or lee chs, spaceborn chs or landbound chs, if Ves designed sothing, then Joshua was able to pilot them. Only a small number of exclusive chs such as the Kinslayer and the Devil Tiger were missing in his collection.
Hopefully, Joshua wouldn't co up to him one day and request to pilot the Blessed Squire or the Valkyrie Redeer!
The expert pilot finally made so decisions. "I think.. I'd like to pilot a ch that is equally capable at range and up close. I'm used to piloting dium chs, and I hope the ch is useful in space and land battles."
His first demand was a bit problematic, but Ves didn't have much issue with the second demand.
"Second-class chs can easily be designed to function well enough in multiple environnts. In most cases, this ans designing a ch that performs best in space and decently in the air. If the ch is forced to fight on solid ground, then it will probably lose a considerable advantage. This is the typical tradeoff of flexible chs."
"Ah, will my expert ch be a third-class or second-class machine?"
"The latter." Ves quickly answered. "There's little point in pairing you up with a lesser expert ch. A regular squad of Penitent Sister chs could probably beat you black and blue if that was the case. Our clan has already grown powerful enough that we are able to disregard most third-class threats. The enemies we truly have to worry about possess second-class backgrounds. Your expert ch will have to be strong enough to fight off their champions."
"That makes sense. Aren't they expensive and difficult to build?"
"Let worry about those matters. Don't hold back on your demands. If you want sothing, just ask for it. I'll tell you whether it is viable enough to add it to the list."
"I understand. Then.. if it's possible, can you design a hero ch for ? I have long admired your Transcendent ssenger. If you can design sothing better, then I would gladly pilot it for many years!"
Ves blinked. Though a hero ch truly sounded like a good match for a versatile ch pilot such as Joshua, it was also a controversial ch type to say the least.
However, hero chs weren't as impractical in Joshua's case.
First, Joshua already developed many of the necessary skills to pilot such a difficult ch type.
Second, second-class chs possessed a lot more capacity than lesser chs.
Third, expert pilots picked up skills very quickly, so they never experienced any problems with piloting hero chs.
His case was similar to that of Venerable Foster. Now that Ves thought about it, the parallels were a bit disturbing. He even thought about incorporating Rorach's Bone or sothing similar to Joshua's expert ch!
Ves hesitated a bit. "Hero chs are strong because they are versatile. They are all-rounders that can fight adequately in most situations, but the downside is that they might not be able to match up against more specialized chs. This rule applies to both standard chs and expert chs. In practical terms, this will put you at a constant disadvantage in duels against your peers."
"I can deal with that." Joshua confidently smiled. "I believe in your work. My expert ch will be better than the machines of my opponents. Besides, with the versatility of an expert ch, I don't have to play by their rules. I can rush in and attack up close if my enemy is a pure ranged specialist. If I'm squaring off against a lee champion, I'll just do my best to maintain my distance."
Since the young expert pilot had made up his mind, Ves accepted the decision.
"Okay, I'll note down this wish of yours. I have already designed a hero ch so I am pretty confident I can design a more advanced one. Now, do you have other demands?"
The expert pilot thought for a mont. "It has to deal a lot of damage. Expert chs are difficult to damage. I need enough punch so that I don't end up like Tusa when he fought the big bird."
"Okay, so offensive power is your greatest priority."
"Oh, don't forget about defense! While I'm confident in my evasion abilities, I can fight a lot better if I can trade hits every now and then. I wouldn't have been able to last as long in the previous battle if you didn't reinforce the Quint."
"Okay…"
"Ah, just make sure it's not slow. As I've already ntioned, I'm pretty good at performing high-speed moves. As long as my ch is fast and agile enough, I'm confident I can outmaneuver most of my enemies!"
Ves grew a little irritated. "Joshua! You're not a child anymore! You should know better that every ch has tradeoffs. No ch has ever succeeded in earning full marks in offense, defense, mobility and utility. You need to set a list of priorities and make so sacrifices. Now, choose carefully. Which one do you care about the most?"
In the next few minutes, Joshua tried but failed to make a choice. He leaned towards emphasizing offensive capability, but did not want to sacrifice too much defense and mobility. In his opinion, his expert ch should not have any major shortcomings in any area.
"Can you just make an all-round expert ch for ?" He eventually proposed. "I've heard that it's not a good choice, but that applies to other people. With my piloting style, I can do a lot as long as my ch is versatile enough to depend upon. I'm not like Jannzi and Tusa who absolutely need the greatest defense or mobility. What I need are choices so that I can pick the right approach for any given situation."
While Ves understood his rationale, it was not that easy for a ch pilot to make the most out of such a muddled ch. The success of a balanced ch imposed a heavy burden on Joshua's judgent and piloting skill.
With specialized chs, the ch pilot only had to focus on following a prescribed approach dictated by their chs. This simplified their choices and forced them to excel in their chosen specialties.
In general, Ves preferred this approach. While making his ch pilots specialize in narrow roles did not make them useful in battles that restricted them, the key was that they never fought alone.
For example, Venerable Jannzi was as solid as a rock but could not chase after faster opponents. Venerable Tusa was as swift as a gale but as fragile as a nutrient pack.
If they fought by themselves, then an enemy could easily exploit their weaknesses. If they joined forces, then the equation suddenly changed! Both of them were able to cover up for their weaknesses, leaving only their lackluster offensive ability as a common weakness.
To be honest, Ves hoped that Joshua dedicated himself to piloting lancer chs. The Larkinson Clan needed a champion that could pierce through the toughest armor and present the greatest threat to stronger opponents.
Of all of the ch types, lancer chs were one of the few varieties that were able to leapfrog past its tier. The galactic net was filled with glorious tales of lesser lancer chs demolishing complacent superior chs.
"Lancer chs are powerful, to be sure." Venerable Joshua remarked. "It's just that I don't want to be limited by this choice. If you can, try to include it in my hero ch, but don't weaken its ability to fight up close."
Ugh. Ves hated picky and indecisive clients the most. Despite their excellent compatibility, he could already foretell that designing Joshua's ch was going to be quite the ordeal.
"It will take ti to translate your demands into an actual expert ch." He cautiously said. "In the process, we'll likely have to make a lot of compromises. Don't set your expectations too high."
"I trust you, sir. I have faith in your ability to design the right ch for . I don't mind waiting a bit as long as I can get the ch of my dreams."
"That's good to hear. I think I have a decent idea of what you want. I will focus on coming up with a ch concept that is centered around a balanced hero ch. It's just… it still lacks sothing that ties it all together. It lacks a the that shapes its identity."
This was not sothing that they could proceed on at the mont. Ves barely knew what he was capable of adding to an expert ch. He felt it was best to discuss the matter with Master Willix prior to deciding anything else. ch designers needed to take a different approach when they tackled this special category of machines.
Once their fruitful discussion ended, Ves said goodbye and left Joshua's cabin.
Before he shuttled back to the Scarlet Rose, he briefly took a look at the Quint.
The ch had beco a lot more impressive than before. Its battle scars made it look aged, but what really impressed Ves was how vigorous it had grown.
The Unity of Man and Machine that Venerable Joshua accomplished during his astonishing breakthrough had permanently marked the Quint!
Not only did it develop a considerably more distinct character, its spiritual foundation had grown considerably!
It was still a fully-saturated ch, but the pool had grown at least 50 percent bigger!
What this essentially ant was that the Quint beca even more dangerous to regular ch pilots.
In his previous experints, Ves determined that ch pilots with spiritual potential were reluctantly able to interface with a ch with 100 percent saturation.
The problem was that this only applied to regular chs that were only recently enhanced. They all pretty much possessed identical pools.
Ves hadn't really accounted for the growth and expansion these chs might go through. While not every ch would have the opportunity to achieve complete resonance, the Quint was a notable exception.
He was really scared of what might happen if he put any standard ch pilot in its cockpit!
"My masterwork ch has beco too good to be piloted by ordinary people."
In his estimation, the only ch pilots who were able to withstand the greater pressure of a 150 percent load were expert candidates and higher!
"However.. a ch as potent as Quint should provide the ch pilots who can pass its test with enormous benefits!"
Ves even theorized that if he assigned the Quint to an expert candidate such as Imon Ingvar, a breakthrough might happen faster!
"This ch is still dangerous, though. I can't allow other people to take it out for a ride."
He activated his comm and drafted an ergency order that restricted its use. While no one in the clan would ever dare to play around with a ch assigned to an expert pilot, it was better to be safe and sorry.
Once Joshua finally received his expert ch, the Quint would beco free again. Ves needed to think very carefully about who should pilot the ch next.
"Well, I have 9 expert candidates, so I have plenty of choice."
Although the Quint was derived from the Bright Warrior design, all of the modifications he made to the ch had already caused it to diverge from its origins. If Ves wanted to make use of the Quint as a legacy ch, then he needed to upgrade it into a true second-class ch design.
"The effort is worth it as long as my guesses are true." Ves grinned as he looked appreciatively at his handiwork. "As long as I keep taking care of it, the Quint will surely beco a part of the Larkinson Clan's legacy!"
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