[201-400] THE MECH'S TOUCH

Chapter 218: Undermine

"Perhaps I'm going at it the wrong way."

Ves tried to kill the image embedded into a copy of the DarkSpear's design in various ways. No matter what kind of weapon he materialized in his mind, the stubborn manifestation of the Last Spear always parried his attempts.

Each time he got rebuffed, his mental stability took another hit. His brain became so disarrayed that he had to halt his attempts to kill the image.

"Maybe that's the problem. I'm not treating it with respect."

Ves realized he fell into the trap he often accused others of falling for all the time. His design was not some commodity to be used and discarded at will. It possessed its own determination to live, at least in his conception of how the multiverse worked.

Despite his strong visualization, Ves could never really rule out that everything that happened earlier was just a figment of his imagination. The further he delved into the X-Factor, the more he relied on intuition instead of theory backed by solid science.

Still, the image was so strong that it couldn't be imaginary. His headaches felt very real.

After trying and failing to take the forceful approach, Ves tried to use a gentler means to coax the image.

"I need you to be able to wield a pair of daggers. Will you let me change your fighting style?"

The manifestation objected strongly to this change. He wielded the spear like it was his sacred duty. Even if he shifted his profession from a royal guard to a slinking assassin, he never got rid of his determination to slay his enemies with the weapon of his choice. Taking up a pair of daggers made the manifestation feel dirty.

Ves only had himself to blame for these personality traits. In his original vision, the DarkSpear focused completely on wielding its spear to its maximum effect. He threw no consideration to any alternatives due to a lack of carrying capacity. Even adding in a backup knife ruined its balance.

Against the intractable Last Spear, Ves made no headway in achieving any sort of compromise. The manifestation did not even leave the door open to negotiation. He didn't even blame the stubborn creation for refusing his overtures.

Even if Ves expressed his sincerity, his patience had a limit.

Perhaps he could make another attempt by starting over, but Ves did not wish to leave this problem unfulfilled. There might be a time in the future where he had to make some changes on the fly. If he still didn't possess a solution to this problem, he'd be facing constant setbacks and delays.

He took a step back and tried to parse the situation. The manifestation inhabiting the copy of the DarkSpear design never showed any signs of tiring. Where did it get its energy? Was it inexhaustible or could Ves slowly chip away at its reserves?

If he could figure out this puzzle, he may be able to come up with a means to wear down this stubborn image.

Then he thought about how the X-Factor centered around the unity of the mech designer, mech and mech pilot. Leaving the pilot out of consideration, what if Ves forcibly tried to change the design with an overriding image? Could he impose his own vision over the original design and therefore change the fundamental makeup of the X-Factor?

As much as Ves treated the images like living beings, they exhibited many traits that left them open to exploitation. "They exist in the imaginary realm and have to obey the rules that govern their existence. They aren't solid in a way that makes them unassailable. If I can chip away at their foundation, I can open a crack in their defenses."

Ves took a break in order to get his mind back in order. He played around with Lucky and cataloged the gems he excreted lately. The cat lately complained about an insufficiency of high quality minerals, so Ves had to order a new shipment of premium ores to stop Lucky's badgering.