[1-200] THE MECH TOUCH

Chapter 165: Mancrof

Ves learned a great deal from Master Olson's personalized lecture. She tailored her teaching to him in a way that constantly challenged his assumptions while never straying beyond his capabilities.

She loved to illustrate her point through examples. Many times, she brought up various designs and noted what they did right and what they did wrong. Then she changed to a different but somewhat similar design and prompted Ves to do the same.

While he didn't always answer correctly, the speed in which he internalized her lessons surpassed her expectations. His rapid progress allowed him to go through a lot more topics.

"Battle mechatronics is the study and application of machines purposed for war." She noted at the start. "In the mech industry, this specifically refers to designing and optimizing a mech for melee combat."

Any mech designer with ambitions to design an original mech required some knowledge of battle mechatronics. It provided them with a number of approaches on how to design and shape the overall frame in a way that maximized its power and efficiency.

Ves learned many different methods on how to apply his new knowledge. He learned to look at mechs with a different eye. He could tell how fast a mech could run by the length and configuration of its legs. He could also estimate the amount of power a mech would be able to exert from the proportions of its various limbs.

Besides refreshing the basics, Master Olson focused much of her valuable time on teaching him how to toughen up a mech. Ves already learned to increase a mech's integrity through increasing its redundancy and compartmentalization. Those worked best at mitigating ranged damage.

No matter how much he increased a design's RF and CF, it all meant nothing if a huge impact shook the fragile internals. Certain sensitive parts such as processors and tiny mechanical components wore out really fast if subjected to heavy shock.

Master Olson therefore taught him how to mitigate these impacts by hardening the most sensitive components. Besides adding a large amount of buffer materials, he also learned few clever design tricks that could dampen and negate heavy impacts.

At the end of the session, his master looked at him with a tired but satisfied expression. "You have a very bright and focused mind. You're a perfect pupil. It is unfortunate that you have passed the optimal age for me to induct you as a core disciple. You must walk your path on your own."

Ves didn't mind her regretful words. He cherished his freedom. Becoming her core disciple meant he'd be able to obtain a lot of opportunities as well as frequent tutoring from one of the greatest mech designers in the star sector. Anyone else would kill their mothers for such a chance.

"I'm grateful for your efforts, master. Your teachings have truly opened my eyes."

The specific content of her lecture went beyond the basics of what he might learn from a course in Leemar. Master Olson added quite a bit of personal insights in her teachings.

As a specialist in mechanics and engine design, she possessed a unique design philosophy on how to design a mech. Master Olson heavily favored designing mechs that were built to last. Experiencing such a perspective from an eminent master was a privilege enjoyed by very few mech designers. He essentially started with a leg up from his competition.

Once Master Olson cut off the call, Ves sat back in his stateroom and internalized what he learned. His master had also passed on a supplementary textbook that provided him with the underlying data and formulas to apply the various methods.

Fortunately, it didn't come with the ridiculous security measures that the Clifford Society liked to use on its more valuable books. As Ves already understood the essence of the field, he only required a week to master its contents. He called up his Status.