"We did it, Ves! We created another masterwork ch!" Gloriana happily embraced and kissed Ves after they had all pulled out of their fascination.
Each of the Larkinson ch designers were ecstatic about the results of their stellar fabrication run.
They succeeded in adding another masterwork expert ch to the Larkinson Army!
Although Ves had played an important role in making this possible, he genuinely did not expect that he would be able to hit the jackpot again so soon.
He thought that he and his wife needed more accumulation since they already depleted much of it in their last expert ch design projects.
It was already exaggerated for them to succeed twice in a row. The Shield of Samar and the Everchanger were the culmination of their previous design round and they invested a lot more resources and ingenuity in their ch designs than normal.
The Minerva Project was a bit more average in comparison.
They didn't have access to Unending alloy this ti, which was a fantastic material that made the prior expert chs extra special.
They also did not receive help from an impressive MTA Master ch Designer.
Furthermore, the Minerva Project was not a passion project to anyone. Neither Ves, Gloriana and the others considered it to be a ch that spoke to them personally.
That didn't stop Ves and her wife from putting in their full effort into the project, but that was mostly because of their professional obligations.
They were accustod to channeling their passion into their work and the expert command ch also happened to be the flagship project of the current design round.
Therefore, Ves held fairly modest expectations towards this fabrication run. He had traveled to the Cyclical Engine's workshop with the mindset of giving it a try, not really expecting that he would win the biggest prize all of a sudden.
He still had to process this amazing turn of events. To him, it appeared that he and the others put in a lot of effort but not to the point of reaching critical mass.
His gut feeling caused him to think that they had all put in enough effort that the Minerva Project was only a short distance away from reaching the next rung of the craftsmanship ladder.
In this particular scenario, Ves could have given expert ch a final push by integrating one of Lucky's gems.
Yet sohow this additional step wasn't needed this ti, and that made him confused!
How could they have made everything so well despite involving a relative newcor with no experience with masterwork chs?
"Practice makes perfect!" Gloriana exclaid as she espoused her own theory of what went right. "Isn't it obvious, Ves? It's all because of our earlier successes. We learned so much about elevating the quality of our chs due to the previous masterwork chs we've made. Don't you see that this is a positive feedback loop that will ultimately enable us to make masterwork chs on demand?"
"I doubt it is as simple as you say. Otherwise, human space would be filled with masterwork chs." Ves mildly retorted.
His wife arrogantly lifted her chin. "Hmph! Says you. I am more special than you. Have you forgotten my specialization already? Being able to make Masterwork chs on a frequent basis has always been one of my core goals! As a result, I learn a lot more how to repeat my successes than any other ch designer."
Her argunt might sound more convincing if she had proof to back up her claims. It was unfortunate that she was full of herself that she did not think that providing solid proof was necessary to back up her boasts!
Though Ves could readily believe that Gloriana had done a lot to increase their odds of success, he didn't think she deserved the sole credit for what had happened today.
Ves still believed that no one dominated this fabrication session this ti. He had kept track of every ch designer including Professor Benedict. Though each of them grew more confident and motivated over ti, no one entered into an exceptional state of mind.
As he silently crossed out one theory after another, he ended up with an explanation that sounded a little more plausible than the other ones.
Had they unconsciously beco good enough that it was no longer extrely difficult for them to reach the masterwork threshold?
Their ch affinities had risen so high and they had developed a substantial amount of experience in making prior masterwork chs.
This continually raised the quality floor of their work!
Perhaps the difference of a single success was not that great. However, when Ves and his wife had succeeded multiple tis, all of the gains they made from those fantastic attempts continued to stack up until they had attained a formidable height compared to where they started!Pa nda
Novel The simplest analogy that he could think of was stacking data pads on top of each other. A single one might not look impressive, but when dozens of them were precisely placed on top of each other, it beca a lot easier for Ves to touch the ceiling of a room if he stood on the stack that he had built!
This theory implied that as long as the stack of data pads was high enough, there would co a point in the future where he could touch the ceiling without exerting any additional effort.
Their success today made Ves think that this was an accurate description of his current state. The only question was how many 'data pads' he needed to add to the pile before it beca high enough. Six? Twenty? A hundred? He had no clue.
He still had a lot of ti, though. In the anti, his incrental improvents would slowly raise his base chances of success.
As Ves thought about the success rate of his subsequent ch design project, Commander Casella Ingvar had already begun to familiarize herself with the ch of her dreams.
She hovered closer to the just-completed expert ch and placed her palm on its silver-coated surface.
"Minerva… that's a good na. I'll call you Minerva, are you pleased with that?"
The simply-nad Minerva apparently agreed because it responded to her in a deeper fashion.
To her, the Minerva was an expert ch that was just waiting to demonstrate its power! No expert ch was weak, but a mid-tier one like the Minerva was much more formidable in its own way.
"From now on, you and I will be partners for many years. If neither of us fall, we will do our best to keep up with each other. The enemies of the Larkinson Clan will regret fighting against our combined might."
YOUR VOICE SHALL COMMAND THE STARS.
"Don't get too carried away. It is enough to lead our fellow clansn in battle."
Commander Casella was accustod to dealing with higher order living chs. Her considerable experience in dealing with the Quint played a useful role this ti.
As the expert pilot and expert ch got along with each other, Patriarch Reginald Cross looked impressed at what the team of ch designers had delivered.
He expected that they had the potential to create a masterwork ch, but he felt both gratified in the expectations he placed on them but also distressed that it wasn't his Mars Project that received this treatnt!
"My sister has done it again. Her excellence will not allow anything worse." Venerable Brutus smiled with pride.
"She and her fellow Larkinson Journeyn are truly far above the ones that our clan has recently employed." Patriarch Reginald Cross agreed.
The montum of the five Crosser Journeyn were incomparable to that of the Larkinson Journeyn.
The latter were not only more competent, but also possessed real accomplishnts that could earn the respect of any ch designer!
Now, the difference between the two groups had grown.
Moving resources around or clearing away the fabricated parts hardly required a lot of knowledge. Any ch technician could have taken over their roles.
As Ves kept going over the implications of what he learned today, Gloriana dragged him over to the place where his daughter and his cats were being cared for. Aurelia already lit up as she sensed the approach of her mother!
"Mama!"
Gloriana lovingly picked up the baby and entertained her for a mont. "Mama is here, now. I hope you have enjoyed your ti in the company of others. I have a strict set of incentives in place."
Ves gently took their daughter from her hands. "Papa has made a ch that will make our clan grow stronger. I have a hunch I will be eting them again in the future."
"Hihihi!"
The baby clearly didn't understand what he was saying. Aurelia just wanted to grab onto anything shiny and interesting enough in order to wait for the next move.
"Congratulations to your new masterwork expert ch, Larkinsons." Patriarch Reginald respectfully said. "Many forces in the Red Ocean cannot even dream about fielding a single masterwork ch. It is even more unlikely for them to be expert chs. On the other hand, your clan is able to field five of them at a ti! This is a disproportionately high number for a relatively small organization like yours. I am afraid that people cannot even believe that you have been able to build them up as Journeyn in the span of a couple years."
"We take more risks and put more at stake than many other ch designers." Ves modestly smiled. "We just happen to be lucky enough that our bets have paid off. It got easier at that point. Our successes will beco more frequent in the future. That said, we haven't reached the point where we can guarantee the Mars Project will match the splendor of our new expert ch."
"From what I have observed, You are on the right track. I would never bother to ask if other ch designers can turn my expert ch into a masterwork. Unless they are highly-accomplished Masters, no one can give enough assurances that they will be able to et my exacting demands. You are different, Ves. You and your team are among the few ch designers that can actually deliver on your promises."
Ves grew awkward. Despite getting ready to collect another masterwork certificate, he was still leagues away from being able to make a masterwork ch whenever he wanted.
Properly speaking, he would have to beco an extrely powerful Master ch Designer before he could reach that point!
Even if he started off early, there was no realistic way that he could raise his chances of success at this stage in his career.
The Minerva Project was just a happy accident in his eyes. Maybe the fact that he had been making so many masterwork versions of expert chs in particular gave him an advantage when making exceptionally powerful chs, but the Mars Project's specifications were much higher.
The difficulty of turning a quasi-first class expert ch into a masterwork ch was incomparable!
Although Ves wanted to temper the Cross Patriarch's expectations, the astonishing success today made that difficult.
"Professor Benedict deserves a lot of credit for today's accomplishnt." Ves modestly said, choosing to shove most of the burden to the Senior. "He has played a critical role in the developnt of the Minerva Project, and that was when he acted as an external consultant. Next ti, your esteed Senior will be directly in charge of your clan's flagship project. His work and effort will set the tone for your future expert ch."
The leader of the Cross Clan placed his large hand on Ves' shoulder. "That is a given, but if he is the body, you are the heart. Your role in the design of my new machine is indispensable. I hope you can show the sa level of passion and dedication that you have displayed towards your clan's new expert command ch."
"Have no fear of that. I always treat all of my ch designs as if they are my children. Each of them are alive, after all. I already have a few interesting ideas in mind for your Mars Project."
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