NOVEL WEB Chapter 1: Vol. 1 Chapter 1 - ‘The-Mech-Touch’
/'The-Mech-Touch', A revolutionary 'sci-fi' novel, based in a 'expansive-world created by 'Exlor'. It is a 'world' filled with 'interstellar-travel 'capable-civilizations, of both humans and 'non-humans.
The 'Main-Character, Ves Larkinson, possesses a 'system', that is made for 'mech-designers, helping them penultimately becoming a 'star-designer'. Ves is born into a family with a long history, of producing 'mech-pilots and warriors, they have never had a 'designer in all their generations of history.
Ves is unfortunately born without the 'ability to 'pilot mechs, forcing him to be the first 'mech-designer of the 'Larkinson Clan. In this world, Ves has a 'twin-brother, who has memories and pieces of two foreign-souls 'parasitizing his body and mind.
His name is Uhtred Larkinson, he has the memories and pieces of the soul's of, 'Uhtred of BebbanBurg' from the universe of 'The-Last-Kingdom', and 'A-random-Neet' from the '21st-century' of a 'Planet called 'Earth, infecting himself.
Uhtred Larkinson, possesses a system as well, one made for 'mech-pilots, a system that will provide him the 'means, of penultimately becoming a 'god-pilot'. Uhtred has just returned, from his studies at a 'Mech-Academy in the 'First-Tier 'Galactic-State, 'New-Rubarthan-Empire, to the 'Residence and 'Mech-Boutique, or 'workshop for Mechs'.
The home and workshop, are located in the countryside, outside of the 'capital-city', Freslin, of 'Planet-Cloudy-Curtain. It has been four years, since both the Larkinson Brothers last met, when they were both 'fourteen-years of age. When Ves left to study at the 'University of Rittersberg, a 'third-rate institute of their birth-country, 'The-Bright-Republic. Whilst Uhtred, our 'Main-Character, left for the 'first-rate 'state, to attend his respective 'institute of learning'./
/'Milky-Way' 'Galaxy-Rim', 'Yeina-Star-Cluster' 'Komodo-Star-Sector', 'Bright-Republic' 'Planet-Cloudy-Curtain'/
/Larkinson Residence/
/povVesLarkinson/
"I'll name you, Lucky, that sounds like a good name for a 'gem-cat. So 'dad' left me a system, I can use it, to get rid of the debt owed for the workshop." I was talking to myself, and the 'robotic-cat, that I 'drew from the 'lottery, given to me by my 'mech-designer system.
"Hello! Ves!" I hear, coming from outside the front-door, I could hear knocking on the door.
"Coming!" I said to whoever it was, then I got up from the sofa, to open the door. Revealing my twin, Uhtred.
"Haha! Good-day to you brother! Gods, it's good to be home." Uhtred said after I opened the door.
"Uhtred! Woah! Nice beard, it's good your home brother." I told my brother, as I grabbed him for a 'bear-hug, then I welcomed him into the home.
"Haha, you look good brother, a 'gem-cat! How do you have one? They are impossible to get this far away from the 'center of the galaxy'." My brother asked after noticing Lucky.
"It's from a 'system I just opened, 'dad left it for me." I told Uhtred.
"you have a system too!? Mine is for piloting, your system must be for designing. Awesome!" Uhtred asked then informed me, he possessed a system as well.
"Perfect you can try my work on 'Iron-Spirit', my first mission is to design a 'virtual-mech on their 'simulator. Then I have to 'fabricate and sell it." I told my brother.
"Great I need to register an 'account on 'Iron-Spirit', for my first-mission, I ordered a 'gaming-pod before arriving home. It should be arriving any minute now." Uhtred said, whilst petting-on Lucky, after he fed the 'gem-cat, some of what looked like 'metal-nuggets.
"Cool, I'm gonna hop on the game, maybe my first 'mech will be ready for sale, once your 'gaming-pod arrives." I told Uhtred then made my way, to my gaming-pod to log-on 'Iron-Spirit.
/After Ves entered the 'Virtual-Workshop, on 'Iron-Spirit', he went to work. Creating his first 'Variant-Mech, of his system-reward, the 'Fantasia 2R'. A 'light-mech 'manufactured by a company named, 'Kezia-Armaments. Meanwhile Uhtred, went to the backyard to check out his system./
/Location: Backyard of the 'Larkinson Residence/
/povMC/
"Alright, 'Status.." I said, whilst 'thinking' the word 'Status', inside my 'mind. Bringing up a 'holographic-display-panel', for only my eyes to 'see, showing me my 'stats, reading..
/Status-Panel/
/Name: Uhtred Larkinson/
/Race: Human/Primordial-Human/
/Age: 18/
/Profession: 'Expert-Candidate 'Mech-Pilot/
/Specialization: None/
/'Lavares-Units: 0.45/
/'Pilot-Points: 0/
/Attributes/
/Strength: 2.4/
/Dexterity: 2.1/
/Endurance: 2.0/
/Intelligence: 1.6/
/Creativity: 0.3/
/Concentration: 1.6/
/Neural-Aptitude: A/
/Skills/
/Boxing: Level-One (1/1000xp)/
/Throwing: Level-One (1/1000xp)/
/Archery: Level-One (1/1000xp)/
/Axe-Play: Level-One (1/1000xp)/
/Shield-Play: Level-One (1/1000xp)/
/Sword-Play: Level-One (1/1000xp)/
/Spear-Play: Level-One (1/1000xp)/
/Halberd-Play: Level-One (1/1000xp)/
/Riding: Level-One (1/1000xp)/
/Gun-Play: Level-One (1/1000xp)/
/Evaluation: 'Expert-Candidate 'Mech-Pilot, more suited to 'cold-weaponry, Recommended to use a Cavalry-Based 'Mech/
"Well, that is a lot to read, so I should ask Ves to 'design, a 'mech that rides a 'mech-warhorse?.. That does sound fucking legit though, even if it doesn't exactly 'fit in this 'era." I say out-loud to myself, whilst thinking over my plans.
I did not exactly tell the truth, to Ves, when I said I had a mission too. My system is more of a display for my 'stats, than anything else. It has no 'store or 'mission-page, it only 'displays my 'status-panel.
During my 'thinkings, I could hear a vehicle approach the residence, so I headed to the front of the house. To see, who it could be, it should be for my 'gaming-pod.
/After receiving his 'gaming-cabin, Uhtred installed the machine in his room. Then he proceeded to log-in for the first time, on 'Iron-Spirit', to 'register an 'account./
/'Iron-Spirit' was not the most played online-game on the market. However, its esports broadcasts attracted a very wide audience, allowing the game to foster a large and diverse creator's market.
The reason for the game's success could be attributed to its adherence to reality. 'Iron-Spirit' emulated reality so well that players had to buy or rent expensive simulation pods to pilot a mech. It turned the player base into an elitist club that served as a decent simulation to actual mech-combat.
As a reputable mech-simulator, 'Iron-Spirit' only featured real-mechs. The base designs sold in its virtual-store could be bought in real-life with almost the same performance. With its vast and extensive database, the game worked hard to group them together in a simple manner./
/The 'BSBH-Corporation' stuck to the creed of realism so much that its virtual-mechs had to be fabricated within its simulated-ecosystem in a realistic-manner. Only the mainstream mech-models could be bought off-the-shelf.
The true high-performing mechs in the game were all customized or original designs that could be sold for either gold - the virtual-currency - or with real-Credits. Unlike piloting a virtual-mech, 'Iron-Spirit didn't demand its designers to be a potentate, so even an average-norm like Ves could engage in its virtual-market.
'BSBH didn't want its virtual-mech market to be flooded by a tsunami of awful designs.
The 'BSBH-Corporation decided to adopt a '1-star to '5-star rating. They later added even higher-ratings with the introduction of even higher-performing models.
The game's database included many older-designs, but its library of current-designs was incomplete. Many top-notch mech designs were highly-guarded secrets. These so-called next-generation models represented the cutting-edge of mech-design.
'Iron-Spirit' featured a sophisticated matchmaking-system, and the lowest-segment was the 'Bronze-League. Every potentate who played 'Iron-Spirit' started from the 'Bronze-League. Only by winning a sufficient amount of times would one gain the opportunity to promote to the 'Silver-League, which most mech-enthusiasts consider it to be the real beginning of the game. 'Bronze-leaguers were also limited from purchasing any mechs rated higher than 1-stars, which really frustrated a lot of kids who wanted to dive right into big and modern-mechs.
Pilots can increase their League with wins and tremendous work. Leagues in order: Bronze-->Silver-->Gold-->Platinum-->Diamond
A 'Bronze-Leaguer only had access to '1-star mechs. A 'Silver-Leaguer had access to '2-star and '3-star mechs, though they could still play around with '1-star mechs if they wanted to have some fun. A 'Gold-Leaguer had access to both '4-star and '5-star mechs.
Most potentates that did not pursue a professional-career in piloting-mechs languished in this League. When one reached 'Platinum-League or further, they gained unrestricted access to every mech, even the mythical '10-star mechs. However, the higher the tier, the more expensive the mechs cost to purchase and to repair if it ever got damaged.
The fancier mechs even required weeks of in-game time to repair if they got completely destroyed. This meant that a fair number of Platinum and Diamond players still occasionally took a 5-star mech into a match for the purpose of earning some easy gold.
Matchmaking in the lowest league also didn't cross star systems, which meant that most low-tier players fought against opponents from the same planet./