The elixirs severely impacted the conditions of the expert pilots.
After all 11 vials of elixirs had been used up, the expert pilots all went through numerous examinations and recovery processes in order to reduce the negative consequences of ingesting the elixirs.
None of them came away from this experience lightly. A few had been harder hit than others, so much so that it took half an hour for them to regain their wits.
Even now, Zimro Belson was still groaning as he rubbed his head in pain.
"Those elixirs... how can they bring so much terror? The experience of death in that illusion felt realer than the ones I've suffered within the MSTS."
"I think it is mainly because nothing we did in those illusions mattered in the slightest." Venerable Disc spoke in a resentful tone. "When the Swordmaidens fell in front me one by one, the First Sword and I could do nothing to prevent the red star from burning them into a crisp. My mech and sword threatened to melt whenever I tried to come close."
Commander Casella Ingvar grimaced as she recalled her own nightmare. "At least a star is lifeless. What 1 had to fight against was a corrupted version of the Trampier of Stars. The alien had come back to take revenge against our expeditionary fleet. Nothing could stop him. Our ace mechs crumbled in from of his collisions and the remainder of our forces shattered as soon as he began to shake the fabric of space. The entire star system seemed to tear apart due to how extensively the phase lord destabilized the entire area. No amount of Commandeering and empowering on my parr made any difference. I had no solutions."
As the expert pilots continued to swap their stories with each other, they discovered that each of them experienced different nightmares that shook them to their cores.
Although each of them experienced so much emotional distress that their resonance strengths had spiked to new heights, none of them had been able to come away without bearing additional mental scars.
"Nyaaaaaa..."
This was why the Golden Cat saw the need to make an appearance. The cat showed up unannounced and even managed to alarm the security systems of the Tarrasque for a moment!
Fortunately, Jovy Armalon acted quickly enough. He disabled the alarms and ensured the security personnel did not step in to subdue the cat that wasn't supposed lo be present aboard the heavy cruiser.
The presence of the Golden Cat clearly benefited the expert pilots. Each of them had become so shaken by their extraordinary nightmares that they had entered a rare moment of vulnerability.
The gentle warmth and love radiating from Goldie took off the edge of those raw and bleeding emotions. The cute spiritual cat infused an element of joy and positivity in the resting compartment, encouraging the Larkinson and Glory Seeker expert pilots to relax and take their mind off their harrowing experiences.
Ves and Jovy observed the expert pilots as they socialized and slowly picked themselves up after they had exited the hallucinations induced by the elixirs.
"You are surprising us all yet again, Ves." The RA Senior Mech Designer spoke. "According to the files I have access to, the majority of expert pilots aren't in a state to talk or share their feelings with each other after they have ingested an elixir. Your pilots are supposed to be in a considerably more brittle state, but they are already starting to get up and about. It is as if their recovery process has been fast-forwarded by several days."
That did not particularly sound surprising lo Ves.
"Our expert pilots have been tested plenty of times." He smirked. "Not only have they fought their fair share of challenging battles, they have also experienced plenty of defeats within our priority Mental Simulation Training System. Aside from that, 1 think our other advantages are helping them out as well. Their companion spirits appear to have escaped much of the negative impact, which provides every pilot with an oasis of peace in their minds. Finally, the Golden Cat excels under these circumstances. Her presence infuses the pilots with resilience in adversity. Her warmth and light dispels much of the darkness brought by their nightmares."
There were plenty of RA researchers that were eagerly working to record new data and form new conclusions.
The Larkinson Clan had unexpectedly introduced various new variables that could help the mechers figure out targeted methods that could reduce the negative consequences of the general cultivation elixirs in the future!
As Ves continued to stare through the one-way window, he grew reassured that none of the expert pilots appeared to have suffered any unacceptable sequelae.
"I never expected your elixirs to work in this fashion." He said.
"Oh? What did yon expect?"
"well, I thought they would work much more like modern medicine or stimulants." Ves spoke. "You swallow them, they rake effect and the recipient receives a straightforward boost of strength at the cost of stability."
"That does not sound much different from what actually occurred." jovy pointed out. "The A7-KEI formula may have taken a number of additional steps, but what is important is that it has produced the desired result in all 11 cases. That is the purpose for these elixirs. Their value is unimaginable. Have you guessed why that is the case?"
Many doubts still swirled through Ves' minds, but as he continued to go over the clues, he found it difficult to resist the most likely conclusion.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Mech Touch