The Mech Touch

Product introductions were always so fun to Ves.

He loved designing mechs, but he also loved sharing them to an audience!

Though mech designers often acquired the stereotype of a science nerd, deep within their hearts, they craved for validation.

What was the point of pouring their hearts and souls into developing a great creation, only to stuff it inside a closet? What was the worth of a mech design that was never put to use and never saw the light of day?

Such scenarios deeply frightened Ves! If a time ever came when his mech designs no longer received the attention of at least a single person, his heart for his profession would die!

This was not an exaggeration!

Practically every artist and creator desired praise. Hardly anyone spent hours, days, weeks or even years to create something just so they could admire it in the comfort of their homes.

Deriving satisfaction from yourself only stretched so far. In order to make all of the blood, sweat and tears that mech designers like Ves poured into advancing their craft, they needed to find people around them who told them how great they were and how much they appreciated his work!

While it sounded rather crass, even the most powerful and successful people in human space were unable to ignore this urge!

Craving validation was as human as the desire to procreate! This was because these urges were baked in the human DNA!

Therefore, Ves was not surprised that he liked to show off his mech designs. The grander the show, the better! His vain design seed was lapping it all up, becoming more excited at the prospect of spreading his products to a much wider audience than he had ever reached before!

As a designer of mechs, he held an ardent desire to make as many people use his products as possible! Just words of appreciation weren't enough to placate him. Only when people forked over their hard-earned money in order to obtain a copy of his work would he feel truly validated at the highest level!

It was like partaking in the greatest stimulant in the galaxy! Not even Axelar enjoyed a high as the one that Ves enjoyed when his Desolate Soldier model surpassed 1 million sales!

Right now, as he held a dramatic presentation in a huge, darkened hall which was only selectively illuminated, Ves gained the confidence that he might exceed his previous high point!

Though his Doom Guard came with some very troublesome elements, he believed in its utility! He sincerely believed that countless customers would fare much better once they purchased his products.

He just had to do his best to convince his audience to feel the same way!

He gazed his eyes towards the unnerved members of the audience that accepted his challenge and stood in the lighted zone in front of the podium.

Each of them stood close enough to experience the approaching glow from the Doom Guard. Most of them weren't able to pierce through the darkness and see the striker mech in full glory.

All they could count on was the faint contours of light bouncing off its exterior, the sense of weight emanated by its heavy footsteps and the indescribably uncomfortable sensation radiating from this machine!

Sometimes, the unknown was much more frightening than the known. Practically anything could be hiding in the shadows, and the dramatic narration provided by Ves only pushed their imagination deeper!

"I have always propagated the principle that mechs are alive." He gently said, his deceptively soft voice caressing everyone's ears. "Everyone who is familiar with my work knows that I have poured my heart into creating works that earn admiration. From the Aurora Titan to the Desolate Soldier, each of these mechs are living paragons if put in a human society. However.. what if the mechs aren't as benevolent? What if a mech.. has succumbed to evil?"

The question sounded absurd, but the people in the hall didn't think so! Even the people tuning into a broadcast of the product reveal also felt a sliver of discomfort! No matter the distance, the unknown mech's glow still managed to reach them through the projection!

"There are monsters in the dark." Ves grinned as he became caught up in his own excitement. "Space is vast, limitless but also very dark. The sanctuary of light which humans like us take shelter in is very rare in space! Light represents safety. It is the only barrier that protects us against the monsters in the dark. Yet, what if a monster exists that has mastered the use of light? What if the protective sanctuary that you have always taken for granted suddenly becomes a spotlight that signals your vulnerability?"

A pregnant silence ensued.

People gulped.

Challengers fidgeted on their feet.

Yet nothing happened in the dark hall.

Just as the heightened tension started to fade, a sudden sound emerged from the mech in the darkness!

POOM.

An oval red light suddenly shone in the dark!

The third eye of the Doom Guard suddenly shone like an ominous beacon in the dark!

Unlike the third eye of his other mechs such as the Bright Warrior and the Deliverer, the Doom Guard's extra ocular decoration didn't shine in the pure and reassuring shade of white.

The third eye that came to life at this moment looked anything but benevolent! A small stretch of darkness suddenly lit up in ominous red! The pupil of the third eye seemed to have taken on the resemblance of the eye of a devil!

The red radiating from the third eye began to fall upon the challengers standing just in front of the podium, eliciting plenty of fright in response!

"Ahhh!"

"I give up!"

Several dozen challengers quickly withdrew. They rapidly pushed through every person in the way and fled desperately to the back of the hall! Their nerves had already started to fray when the Doom Guard's glow first set upon them, but the sudden emergence of this devil eye hovering in front and over their frail human bodies was too much for them to bear!

By far, these initial dropouts mostly consisted of civilians who only participated for the fun of it. Journalists, mid-level bureaucrats and other average people simply didn't possess the mettle to endure the threat of death!

No matter how faint, the glow of the Doom Guard always touched some of the deepest fears of people! Like a predator in the dark, the mech whose shape hadn't come to light yet was like a predator that regarded them all as snacks!

THUNK.

THUNK.

THUNK.

As the mech slowly resumed its march, the pressure on the challengers increased. Every second, at least one of the people standing in the light couldn't take it any longer! They screamed or yelped or simply dashed away as fast as their feeble human legs allowed!

Meanwhile, the mech began to expose a bit more of itself. A portion of its head became exposed as a blood-red hexagon surrounding the third eye came to life.

The appearance of this feature added an occult-like impression to the unknown mech! The monster in the dark became a lot more unfathomable in everyone's imagination!

The mech slowed its footsteps as it neared the front of the podium. The glow affecting the moods of the challengers became stronger, and the rate of dropouts increased by the second!

Hundreds had already left, and the trickle soon turned into a flood!

The sanctuary in the light turned more and more desolate as the density of people dropped. The thinning of the crowd made the remaining challengers feel uncertain.

Humans always took comfort in numbers. The presence of so many human comrades bolstered their courage as they took faith in their collective!

Yet now that the weak-hearted started to retreat in droves, the confidence of those who remained started to fray!

Only the most battle-hardened veterans and notable exceptions such as Master Willix remained unmoved! Everyone else started to feel stifled by the sheer sense of terror running through their minds!

The discordant ripples from the Doom Guard also disturbed their balance. The physical nausea produced by their bodies in response to the shifting frequency of spiritual vibrations nibbled at their confidence even further.

Hardly anyone experienced such discomfort before! Those who never stepped on the battlefield simply didn't know what to do in response to such unknown stimuli!

Though the mech in the dark had slowed its advance as it came to the front, hundreds of challengers still remained.

They represented the best, the most confident and the most disciplined individuals in the audience.

Ves studied them carefully. Just as expected, the majority consisted of military veterans or seasoned mercenaries.

Yet that wasn't all. A surprising amount of noble scions managed to put up a brave face under pressure. Ves may have underestimated the mettle of the aristocratic class. Each of these future leaders conveyed a sense of will and determination similar to that of Imon and Casella Ingvar!

Plenty of civilians managed to bear the pressure as well up until now. Each of them possessed some reason or trait that allowed them to withstand the proximity of the Doom Guard for one reason or another.

Though Ves somewhat expected that the Doom Guard's glow wasn't omnipotent, he was disappointed at the amount of challengers who remained.

Even if they gritted their teeth or shook on their feet, these brave individuals exhibited the courage that made humanity great!

This was not what Ves wanted to see!

If he passed so many people, he would have to meet his promise and provide all of them with Doom Guards for free!

While Ves may be charitable every now and then, he wasn't in the habit of donating so many machines! Mechs needed to cost something in order to make them valued.

He silently sent another signal with his implant, which activated one of his contingencies.

As the red third eye and hexagon shone behind and above his head, Ves resumed his speech.

"Space is dark. Space is endless. It is filled with both wonders and horror. The mech that you are sensing right now is just one of the examples that you can find in space."

The floor began to rumble again.

Thunk.

Thunk.

Thunk.

The impacts sounded different from before. Though the footsteps landed almost simultaneously, the most discerning among the audience quickly realized the truth.

There were multiple mechs stepping onto the podium!

The rumbles grew louder as the darkness began to spawn more terrors!

As the distant glows began to overlap with the glow in the front, Ves began to feel the added pressure as well.

Aside from the mech pilots, Ves was exposed to the highest concentration of his own creation's glow! Whatever the challengers endured, he had to endure as well!

As the others mechs slowly advanced across the broad podium in a line, the mood in the hall descended even further.

The overlapping glows didn't outright magnify the resulting combination in a straightforward fashion, but the pressure on the challengers became undeniably stronger!

"The monsters in the dark… never tend to be alone."

Once the additional mechs stopped besides the initial Doom Guard that stepped forward, they no longer took another step.

POOM!

Instead, they lit up their scarlet eyes and hexagons in unison, causing the entire audience to cry out in shock!

"They come in a group!"

A wall of hellfire red flames suddenly came to life! Its brightness momentarily lit up the hall and blinded the audience! An incredible amount of heat washed over their bodies, and the sound akin to the activation of several flamethrowers thrummed through everyone's ears!

The sanctuary of light suddenly turned into the most dangerous place in the hall to many challengers!

Uncaring of their dignity or determination, they turned around and fled the approaching rush of flames!

The huge, billowing wall of flames passed through Ves' lonesome body and slammed into the challengers that somehow remained!

"Ahhhh!"