The Mech Touch novel Chapter 2157

2157 /7079

Chapter 2157 Solok Reyva

Task Force Predator departed the Cinach System with incredible momentum. Numerous light carriers, combat carriers and some swift logistics ships moved in unison towards one of the nearest Lagrange points.

Once there, the fleet practically transitioned into FTL in unison. With over 40 carriers of different shapes and sizes making up the bulk of its composition, it didn't take much of a guess that the Larkinson Clan was about to go off on an expedition to the Nyxian Gap!

A lot of observers in the system immediately sent messages to other parties. As one of the most prominent Journeymen in the star sector, Ves already knew that his movements would be tracked.

There was no way to stop it as long as he and his fleet remained in civilized space. If he wanted to shake off pursuers, his task force would have to enter within the realm of the Nyxian Gap.

That would take a while. Until then, Ves could spend his time on numerous matters.

The first issue he addressed was setting some solid goals for his excursion.

Once his implant connected to the Rim Exchange, his consciousness entered Granada Prime, a virtual city set aside for associates originating from the nearby star sectors.

A butler-like android with a curly moustache immediately greeted his arrival.

[Welcome back to the Rim Exchange, Apollo Radiant.]

Having entered the virtual portal of the Rim Exchange a few times before, Ves had grown used to Gamma-Gamma-Hogan's presence. His personal attendant actually provided him with numerous useful functions.

"Have I received any mail?"

[You have received 351 messages. Of these messages, 351 of them have failed to go past the filters that you have configured. The total amount of messages that await your perusal is 0.]

That was to be expected. During his previous visits, he couldn't resist spending some time to tweak and update his Apollo Radiant avatar. Its ornate, clockwork-like bronze shell became even more exquisite. His raised mech affinity elevated its quality further, allowing him to stand out from other low-level associates!

There were hardly any stupid people in the Rim Exchange. The Rim Guardian Fraternity specifically approached the best and most promising professionals in the galactic rim to take part in the Rim Exchange.

Combined with the fact that Granada Prime was filled with associates from the Komodo Star Sector, it did not take long for some of them to equate the Apollo Radiant avatar to the male half of the Miracle Couple!

Ves had no intentions of hiding the connection. His avatar advertised his current design ability, and conveyed his distinctive design style. On top of that, it also carried one of his characteristic glows. As the only mech designer able to incorporate them in mechs, the evidence was rather conclusive!

Previously, Ves deliberately flaunted his avatar on the streets of Grenada Prime in order to attract attention and solicit offers.

It was too bad that most associates sought to leech from him or take advantage of him. This was why Ves did not react with surprise when Hogan filtered out all of the 351 messages his Apollo Radiant avatar received.

"Hogan, please convert to my second avatar."

Within the snap of a second, his artful appearance as Apollo Radiant disappeared. In its place was a humanoid avatar that looked anything but elegant.

Consisting of rusted steel and other garbage materials, Junkyard Joe was the antithesis of his former Rim Avatar. It looked like a shambling mess and every movement caused something inside to rattle or squeak. Its construction was so poor that it was already at risk of falling apart!

If that wasn't enough, a ratty, oil-stained piece of canvas covered the avatar's form, making it seem as if he was some kind of beggar in some neglected space station!

No one should be able to associate Junkyard Joe with Apollo Radiant. The differences were night and day. Even the worst Novices would have been able to cobble up something better!

The ugly lips of his avatar bent into a crooked smile. "I won't be disturbed this time."

There were no limits to how many Rim Avatars an associate could make. The way the Rim Exchange was set up, it was easy to maintain anonymity. Ves did not wish for other associates to learn which missions he wanted to pursue.

"Stay here Hogan and continue to monitor my messages. Please continue to monitor any announcements relating to high-priority missions."

[Very well, sir.]

When Junkyard Joe stepped into the public areas, the avatar hardly attracted any attention. Those that did study its construction only became repulsed by what they saw.

Ves had practically taken every lesson he learned from Gloriana and performed the exact opposite! His mech was crooked, unbalanced, asymmetrical and filled with so many flaws that it would have constituted as torture to his fiancé!

What he found amusing was that he was hardly the only associate who played this game.

Multiple associates designed ugly and misleading avatars to obscure their identities and avoid attracting attention. Other people already knew that there was no point in approaching these kinds of people.

Ves even received some accolades from fellow connoisseurs!

"I love your creativity, Junkyard Joe." A crab-shaped avatar made out of rotting wood raised its malfunctioning claw. "You're in my top 10 list!"

"Thanks."

A human-sized cleaning bot stumbled upon his path next. "Wow, you look like you crawled straight out of a pirate dump. Can you teach me how you're able to keep your avatar working at such horrible quality?"

"Get lost!"

Okay, maybe Ves had overdone it a little. Fortunately, he didn't encounter too many interruptions before he reached the Merit Hall.

Hundreds of associates, some of them accompanied by their android attendants, looked up at the huge projected bulletin boards. Numerous missions issued by the Rim Guardians blinked on it. Ves immediately approached the section of the hall that allowed him to view the missions related to the Nyxian Gap.