[1-200] THE MECH TOUCH

Chapter 80: The Masters

"Welcome young mech designers, to the Leemar Institute of Technology's 73rd Open Competition in Mech Design. As the administrator of one of the centers of mech design in the Komodo Star Sector, and I am gratified to see so many hopefuls have arrived to take part in our event. I will go over the rules in a moment, but first, let me introduce the masters overseeing the competition."

Somehow, the surrounding area grew darker, to the point where you couldn't see your own finger if you stretched out your arm. Only Professor Marshall remained visible. She gestured towards the leftmost pillar, which lit up slowly, casting the master and everyone around it in a contrasting shadow.

"First up, let me introduce you to our youngest seat, Master Guillaume Duchamp! At the spry age of 103, he has managed to break through and receive recognition of his peers for his groundbreaking innovations in the application of liquid armor systems. This underdeveloped field is rich in potential, and Master Duchamp has steadfastly pioneered a viable path to progress for the future generation such as you!"

Everyone enthusiastically clapped without reserve. Master Duchamp was a genuine pioneer who persisted in developing a field untouched by the elites in the center of the galaxy. With the partnership of many different research institutions, he managed to lead the successful development of prototype armor that possessed both solid and liquid attributes. It was still an early product that performed only half as good as regular armor, though it did have some redeeming features. One of its major advantages was that the armor could be easily supplemented by 'pouring' more of it in liquid form.

As a relatively newly ascended master, Ves was not very impressed with Duchamp. Besides his narrow specializations, his other skills still fell behind. The only times he designed a pinnacle-level mech was when he partnered with his fellow masters.

Still, as a newcomer, Master Duchamp should also be the one most eager to attract new apprentices. The amount of people standing around his pillar was the least. A true master never worked alone. By apprenticing promising designers, not only could he expand his influence, he could also nurture a group of assistants who were able to assist him with his work.

"At our next seat, we have the eminent Master Timothy Nguyen! He has been a sitting professor of our faculty for over two hundred years, joining just after we have founded it. His contributions has been invaluable in making Leemar-2 a heaven for all things mechs. As for his mech design chops, his previous studies in shuttle systems and his current expertise in flight systems has broken many grounds. He is currently assigned as the chief designer for the Carnegie Group's frontline flight mechs."

Master Nguyen was another old fellow who rose to prominence at the beginning of the Age of mechs. He used to study shuttle design, but switched over to mechs once they became all the rage.

This three-centuries-old patriarch ruled over a dynasty of descendants, all of whom he cherishes greatly. All of his core disciples consisted of his most promising offspring. The only problem was that none of his descendants excelled enough to take over his mantle.

Though he still put a lot of effort in grooming his grandsons and granddaughters, he started to apprentice outsiders to supplement his peripheral influence. It was a pretty decent deal for those nominal disciples who did not wish to get too involved, as Master Nguyen did not demand much from them except to occasionally give a helping hand to his incompetent descendants.

He also remained a genuine master in flight systems, one of the most complex mech components to work with. Flight-capable mechs possessed a lot of mobility and could be utilized in many ways. Flight systems were also essential in operating in outer space, where there was no surface to speak of for ground mechs to maneuver. Only their immense energy requirements stopped them from being implemented universally.