The Mech Touch

Was it possible for a mech designer to train a mech pilot?

Ordinarily, Ves would answer with no, but now that he was forced into this position, he somehow had to make it work!

Certainly, Ves stumbled a lot when he tried to make Rion forget about his self-taught methods and start over from the beginning.

It wasn't easy to shake off habits, especially bad ones! The dwarven mech pilot spent years trying to figure out how to pilot mechs without anyone knowledgeable or intelligent telling him what was right or wrong!

Fortunately, as a Larkinson who grew up in a family of mech pilots, Ves picked up a lot of information on the general structure of how they were raised.

Combining that with his mech designer expertise and the lessons he learned in his previous Mastery experiences, Ves was not a novice when it came to training mech pilots.

He was not a proper mech instructor, though. He possessed plenty of holes when it came to training mech pilots, and that showed when Rion continually stumbled during his training sections due to an oversight!

"Pick yourself up and complete the obstacle course!" Ves shouted as Rion's virtual light skirmisher failed to climb up a wall! "A light skirmisher is both fast and nimble! You must capture its essence and turn it into your strength! So long as you are unable to master this speed, you will never be able to defeat so many tall folk mechs!"

"I am trying!" Rion teared up as he attempted the obstacle course again. "I have never moved so fast in my life! I'm too scared!"

"Get over your fear! You can do it! Just because you are a dwarf doesn't mean you are destined to remain slow. Speed is life. Speed is freedom. Speed is the key to victory!"

Becoming a mech instructor certainly wasn't one of the jobs he signed up for. He really didn't want to depend too much on Rion to succeed.

Unfortunately, after a lot of thought, Ves still couldn't avoid giving Rion the starring role in his revised plan.

No matter how many surprises he planned, no matter how much better the battle wagons performed after the dwarves implemented his redesign, the guard force still held an overwhelming advantage!

With at least twelve functional mechs at their disposal, the tall folk possessed a nearly insurmountable advantage over the dwarves.

As long as at least one mech remained functional, the insurrection attempt would definitely fail! The dwarves could forget about hijacking a transport ship if the guard force still possessed the power to crush any opposition!

As a mech designer, Ves often admired the power and might of the machines he learned to design.

Yet now, he was forced to respect the power from an entirely different power! Taking on the side the oppressed was a very jarring experience to him. As a proponent of mechs, he truly found it disturbing when they suddenly became his biggest obstacle to turning this Mastery experience into a success!

"Great Vulcan.. is relying on the Genie Pearl the only way we can succeed?"

"Yes."

"But you are the God of Mechs and Craftsmanship as well, are you not? Can you not perform another miracle for us and bestow us with a dwarven mech?"

"INSOLENT!" Ves spiritually stung Rion's mind, causing him to fail the virtual obstacle course yet again! "I already told your people that I cannot bestow your people with too much help! You and your fellow dwarves must fight to earn your freedom. All I can do is give you a chance. Now get back to your training and make sure you become good enough to perform the job you are expected to fulfill!"

Ves really tried to find a way to design and fabricate a mech for the rebels.

Sadly, the underground base was too shabby compared to a mech workshop. The dwarves were forced to work with the few production equipment they managed to salvage from the junkyards.

The lack of a 3D printer meant that he was unable to fabricate much of the delicate and precise components that was necessary to make a mech work.

The dwarves also lacked many of the critical materials that were necessary to produce the more advanced components

Even if Ves dumbed down the design to the point it was one of the weakest mechs in existence, i was still too impractical to fabricate!

The logistical challenges were so bad that Ves saw no choice but to abandon any attempt at fabricating his own mechs.

Instead, he turned his creative energies towards designing and supervising the production of all kinds of other equipment.

Converting the old battle wagons into his improved version consumed the majority of everyone's attention.

Yet that did not mean that Ves was done. He offered many different adapted designs. Aside from the improvised infantry-sized plasma cannon he created to dazzle the dwarves, he also offered them various other designs such as armor-piercing swords, knock-off railguns, combat armor that actually protected them against small arms fire and more.

Ves was particularly proud of all of the ECM and electronic warfare equipment he designed.

While he didn't specialize in this field, he knew enough about it that he could easily leverage his future knowledge into making effective gadgets that would certainly disrupt the coordination and communication between the guards!

Sadly, this was one of the few ways in which he could leverage his future knowledge to his advantage.

If he had access to enough resources and facilities to create what he wanted, he could easily reproduce a mech that was seventy years ahead of its time and soundly crush the inferior mechs that were too far behind the tech curve!

Yet that was impossible. The underground base was more of a slum than a mech workshop. Ves had to dumb down all of his designs and withhold many of the goodies that he would have liked to include in his equipment and vehicle designs due to their lack practicality.

Nonetheless, the quick-learning dwarves were making headway in producing all of the equipment that Vulcan demanded.

The pile of finished gear continued to grow larger as the dwarves proved to be inordinately productive.

Three weeks had passed since Ves revealed himself as Vulcan. More time had passed than he wished, but Ves wasn't confident in launching the plan sooner.

"I hope Gloriana and the people back in the present time don't mind if my vacation takes longer than usual." He inwardly muttered.

It should be fine, he hoped.

Even though Ves wanted to stall the plan as much as possible in order to make sure their preparations were as effective as possible, the tall folk wasn't giving them a chance.

"Great Vulcan! This is bad!" A rebel dwarf slowly waddled up to Rion's possessed body. "The tall folk are searching everyone's homes!"

"What?! Explain!"

"The guards have received orders from the overseers to comb over the entire outpost. From what we have learned, the guards are on the lookout for a valuable exotic!"

Damnit! The worst-case scenario had occurred! The tall folk managed to recover the logs of the mining machine that collapsed the tunnel or something. Whatever the case, it was clear to him that the tall folk somehow managed to discover the existence of Timpala Steel!

"How much time do we have left."

"A few days, we believe. There aren't enough guards to inspect all of the buildings in the outpost in one day. However, they are searching a lot more diligently than before."

All in all, Ves expected the guards to stumble upon the underground base in three days at most.

"Our preparations may be a little insufficient, but we have produced enough gear to give your people a chance! That is all you need to earn your own freedom!"

Ves decided to launch the plan in two days, which was far sooner than any of the dwarves expected!

Both Gion Greybeard and Rion Aaden were alarmed!

The former knew how tough it was to overpower the well-equipped guards. The latter was still struggling a lot in trying to perform basic maneuvers with his virtual light skirmisher!

Ves couldn't really supply any good solutions to both problems. If there was one thing Ves had learned during crisis periods, it was better to pull the trigger decisively rather than hesitantly!

"DWARVES!" Ves shouted as he flared up his Spirituality once again! "Silence your quails! I know you are afraid, but gaining your freedom is anything but easy! The tall folk may be aware that there is something hidden underneath their outpost, but that is no excuse to falter when you are closer to success than ever before! As long as we take one more step, the rest of the galaxy will open up for your people!"

"B-But my lord! We don't have enough weapons! Our battle wagons aren't fully armored yet! Our other preparations aren't close to finishing!"

"Your strength has already grown by leaps and bounds since my presence has graced upon your people." Rion's body calmly spoke while radiating a sacred aura. "Believe in my craftsmanship. Your god will not forsake you! Are you willing to continue to live the rest of your lives in the dark and dangerous mining tunnels of Desala X?"

"NO!"

"Are you willing to fight and possibly sacrifice your lives in order to give your children a life without shackles?"

"YES!"

"Are you able to prove through your thoughts and deeds that you are humans?!"

"WE ARE!"

"Then count down the final hours and prepare for the greatest struggle for your fellow dwarves, because we will rain hell on the tall folk!"

"FREEDOM TO THE DWARVES!"

"DEATH TO THE TALL FOLK!"

"GLORY TO VULCAN!"

The rebel movement worked harder than they had ever done. Motivated by Vulcan and urged on by the tall folk carpet search, the dwarves were fully committed to finishing what they started!

There was no room for hesitation or doubt. Though plenty of dwarves feared what was to come, Ves observed them very closely to see if any of the rebels might crack and spill the beans to the tall folk.

As long as a single traitor emerged among their group, the rebellion would definitely fail!

Master Gion Greybeard knew this as well, and he already had his loyal cadre in position to keep an eye on every dwarf.

After an exhausting and frenetic day of work, Ves gathered the dwarves in a corner of the underground base.

"You have worked hard." Rion's body smiled at the sweaty and exhausted dwarves. "It brings me joy to witness your diligence and dedication. Work is not just about bettering others. It is also about bettering yourself. In order to give you a taste of what it is like to work for yourself, here is one of the rewards you can look forward to once you become free!"

He pulled a large sheet covering a large object, exposing a dozen barrels!

"What is this, my lord?"

Ves did not reply immediately. Instead, his possessed body approached one of the barrels, cracked it open and retrieved some of its contents with the help of a transparent mug.

The yellowish, bubbly liquid and foreign fermented aromas immediately attracted the attention of all of the dwarves.

"This.. is the nectar of the gods, the ambrosia loved by gods and deities, the liquid that does more than quench your thirst! This is nutrient beer!"

Every dwarf looked both shocked and fascinated at this divine creation!

Ves couldn't help but chuckle. He knew that heavy gravity variant humans developed a peculiar liking for alcohol due to their altered metabolism and physique.

Whether purposely or accidentally, the geneticists who developed these breeds of humans continually reinforced their affinity for alcohol.

Ves wanted to take advantage of this well-known trait in order to motivate the dwarves once more.

As he handed his mug to Gion Greybeard, the dwarf thanked Vulcan profusely before taking his very first sip.

His eyes lit up with wonder and ecstasy. Every other dwarf waited for the verdict of their eldest and most respected leader.

Gion practically shuddered as his eyes rolled backwards. "This.. this.. is truly a divine creation! Thank you Vulcan for giving me an opportunity to taste such a wonder medicine!"

Rion's body smiled and clapped. "What are you waiting for, dwarves? Grab a mug and drink to your heart's content! All of you deserve it for gaining this god's approval!"

A huge cheer erupted from the gathered dwarves before they stormed over after picking up the mugs that Ves had prepared for their convenience.

Ves inwardly smiled as he saw the dwarves begin to drink and revel for the first time in their lives.

He never expected to express his craftsmanship in the form of homebrew beer. He never expected to utilize his casual knowledge on how to ferment the contents of nutrient packs in this way!

Though his first attempt at brewing craft beer was a piss poor attempt, none of the dwarves said no to a drink!

"For freedom, victory and Vulcan!" The dwarves toasted.