Although this was just a single test that produced a solitary set of data points, it already confird a lot of theories.
"Commandeering doesn't work properly because the process of turning a ch pilot into a Knight is inherently a domineering act." Saint Commander Casella explained her theory on what had happened during her initial attempt. "Standard ch pilots can easily accept my influence because they are frankly not strong enough to resist my authority. They are completely willing and able to allow to take control over them. They realize that the difference in strength is so high that there is no point in resisting."
"Ah." lkor said in realization.
"It appears you understand. Your recent breakthrough and increase in strength has boosted your confidence, and subsequently your self-esteem. From the mont you see yourself as a champion rather than a common soldier, you no longer want to bow to my authority. That is why you have been resisting my Command Field's attempt to turn you into one my Knights."
In other words, it was an ego problem. lkor thought he was too good to be reduced to a cog in a machine.
As long as he held this thought, he would instinctively resist Casella's forceful influence over his mind and spirit.
There was nothing much Casella could do about it. The process of Commandeering should only be conducted between two willing parties. If one side did not want to let a powerful ace commander take charge, then that should be the end of the story.
"Is it possible for lkor to adjust his mindset so that he can be Commandeered?" Ves curiously asked.
"I think so." The Saint Commander asked. "I will need to widen the gap between myself and him. If I beco a senior ace commander and earn a large amount of glory in battle, lkor will put himself in a lower position relative to mine. I imagine that this will work for other qi cultivators as well. As long as they sincerely believe that I am much more powerful than them, they will earnestly bow their heads and accept my authority."
This sounded rather troubleso. It ant that the great hope of amplifying Casella's impact on the battlefield by allowing her to Commandeer tens of thousands of cultivator chs was probably a lot more difficult to realize.
The most crucial limitation was the power gap. At this mont, the Saint Commander had yet to prove herself enough tis. She was still waiting on the much-anticipated upgrade of her Minerva to an ace ch before she could truly show off the majesty of an ace commander.
Right now, she wasn't powerful enough to suppress the ego of a newly erged qi cultivator.
Of course, lkor was not a regular qi cultivator by any ans. He was a combat spell array master who was able to engineer the defeat of dozens of elite phasefighters and hundreds of regular phasefighters with the help of expensive formation anchors.
Even if the last battle ended up bloodier than he desired, lkor still thought of it as a victory that cented his growing strength as a combatant!
When Ves observed lkor's expression, it beca clear that it would be counterproductive to ask the new qi cultivator to humble himself.
After struggling for several decades to chase after a breakthrough that never ca, lkor finally took his first few sips of power and success. The feeling of becoming a qi cultivator on the sa level of an expert pilot was simply too intoxicating. It could make anyone's ego swell.
"So is the ego problem the reason why Enfeoffing had a better effect?" Ves inquired. Casella nodded. "Likely so. Enfeoffnt originally derived from my ability to empower my... late brother. When Imon broke through and beca an expert pilot as well, I was able to infuse him with power because he had absolute trust in . He was completely willing to put his entire life in my hands because of that. Even so, I never attempted to abuse his hospitality and largely allowed him to retain control over himself and his ch. I rely loaned him my willpower so that he could wield much greater power in combat than usual,"
This dynamic had a lot of potential. Regrettably, Imon died before he and his sister could perform this promising capability at the level of an ace pilot.
At least Casella's breakthrough enabled her to apply an ability that was once exclusive to her brother to other recipients. Being able to elevate them into Barons effectively allowed her to add several dozen additional low-tier expert chs on the battlefield at any ti!
While Casella's Enfeoffnt ability was already amazing when used on powerful quasi-first-class chs such as the Transcendent Punisher Mark III of the Eye of Ylvaine or the Storm Swords of the Swordmaidens, its value had skyrocketed now that. they found out that it also worked on cultivator chs and qi cultivators!
"I understand." Ves said as thoughts spun in his mind. "The process of Commandeering is like drafting soldiers under your command. It is hierarchical, forceful and not very subtle. The process of Enfeoffnt is like loaning a part of your power and authority to others. They can make use of your power, but still retain their own pride and much of their autonomy. It is more of a ritual between equals if you conduct it with a fairly powerful ch pilot."
"It doesn't work on other expert pilots or ace pilots." Casella ntioned. "It only ever worked with my brother. As for other expert pilots. my bond with them is not as
strong. The closest that I got to making it work was with Joshua, but even his willpower still rejects my wholehearted attempt to give him an advantage."
"I see. That makes sense." Ves said in thought. "High-ranking ch pilots constantly need to prove themselves. From the humblest low-tier expert pilot to the most accomplished peak ace pilots, each of them are under constant pressure to hype themselves up and prove that they have what it takes to beco the heroes and gods that they aspire to be. From the mont they take any step back in their pursuit of greatness, their growth has co to an end. That is how most expert pilots and ace pilots begin to stagnate in their progression."
In other words, if Joshua was truly willing to accept Enfeoffnt, then his chances of breaking through a second ti and ascending to sainthood was virtually nil!
It was good that this outco did not happen.
"So what does that an for qi cultivators like myself?" lkor asked.
"You should be fine. That goes for every other qi cultivator. Your willpower isn't strong enough to make a fuss over this matter." Ves theorized.
This was ultimately a good outco. It ant that. Casella still had the option to infuse her willpower and true resonance into cultivator chs.
"What is your current. Enfeoffnt limit, Casella?"
"40 chs, sir. I am barely able to convert 40 chs into Barons."
"Your growth rate has slowed."
Casella casually shrugged. "You know why. I am still waiting for you and Gloriana to upgrade my Minerva to a first-class ace command ch. My resonance strength has hardly grown. My current peak is 149 laveres."
That was way more than a high-tier expert pilot, but it was barely better than any other junior ace pilot in her first year.
Having a good ace ch made a huge difference in the growth rate of an ace pilot!
"We are still working on it, Casella. The Minerva Mark II Project has only slightly fallen behind schedule. We have recently acquired a ntalist Crystal which should massively boost your Command Field and its associated abilities. The trouble is that it is such a powerful hyper material that we are having trouble figuring out how to best integrate it into your future ace ch. Don't worry. We'll figure it out. Even if our implentation is suboptimal at first, we can apply incrental improvents over ti. Right now, not many people have worked with ntalist Crystals, so there is not much knowledge out there on how to make full use of its wonderful capabilities." Saint Commander Casella Ingvar was already fairly powerful in her current state, but she would definitely beco a monster once her battle partner received a massive
upgrade!
lkor looked envious as they talked about their expectations of the Minerva Mark II. Piloting an ace ch was beyond him now that he had chosen to commit to qi
cultivation.
At least the future for ch pilots like him was still fairly bright once Ves managed to
design a proper cultivator ch.
The three Larkinsons continued to talk about various subjects before the testing
session finally ca to an end.
Ti was of the essence, and Casella needed to attend to a lot of other duties.
"lkor?"
"Yes?"
"Good luck. I know how important it is for you guys to put up a good fight later today, but don't take too many risks, okay? You are a qi cultivator now. You are not obliged to act like a foolhardy and suicidal challenger like other high-ranking ch pilots. I know it will be difficult for you to adjust your ntality, but please understand the differences between qi cultivators and willpower cultivators. Cowardice is not an unforgivable sin, and you don't have to force yourself to fight against phase lords head-on, especially when you have only taken your first steps as a combat spell array
master."
Though Ves ant well with his words, the Avatar Commander still looked offended.
"With all due respect, patriarch, do not lecture to about matters you do not. understand. I may be a qi cultivator, but I am also a soldier and officer of the Larkinson Army. For as long as I lead the Avatars of Myth, I must always hold myself to the highest standards of my ch legion. Becoming a qi cultivator is no excuse to
tarnish my honor and forsake my dignity"
Ves' physical projection did not bother to hide his disapproval.
"Ugh, you ch pilots are all the sa. Fine. You can do what you want. It is your life.
At least recognize that you are still a baby in terms of qi cultivation. It is not your job to confront the greatest threats. Not yet. Phase lords should only be dealt with by ace pilots, and only two of them are left in the expeditionary fleet."
"Three." lkor corrected Ves. "You are overlooking Saint Dise."
"Oh yeah, I forgot about her. I'm sorry. That said, my point has not changed all that much. Dise's effectiveness as an ace pilot is severely constrained by the First Sword Mark II. It is still a mid-tier expert ch at best. It is grossly underpowered compared to Dise's current capabilities."
"That won't stop her." lkor confidently said.
"I know, and that worries . She knows a lot better what she is doing, though. I have no choice but to trust her judgnt and let her decide to pick a fight that she knows
The Larkinson Clan was undergoing a second rapid growth phase. The explosive sales of the Yellow Jackets was filling its coffers with more money than it could possibly spend on a monthly basis, and several Larkinson ace pilots had erged in the last few years.
As long as those precious ace pilots survived for a few more years and grew accustod to piloting their powerful new ace chs, they should definitely have the capital to defend themselves against most alien threats!
The first-class ch force and warships of the Larkinson Clan should also be ready for action in a few years.
The Larkinson Clan would gain the initial ability to defend itself against enemies at
that point.
Ves would no longer have to rely so heavily on the protection of the Bluejay Fleet and other external forces to maintain his foothold in the Red Ocean.
If possible, he did not want his underequipped ace pilots to risk themselves in the next
few battles. Unfortunately, there was no choice.
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