FACE SLAPPING THANH’S

2. How it continued: 

 [CHARACTER PROFILE: ALEJANDRO (ALEX) TIERRAFELLER] 

ALERT: USEFUL TOOL FLAG. (Character can be used and discarded as necessary.)

Age: 16 

Affiliation: Tierrafeller Family (One of Mexico's Richest Families) 

Rank: Heir 

Elemental Control: Wood/Earth/Metal 

Likeability meter: 31/100 

Bio: A charismatic member of the Tierrafeller family, Alejandro's got the kind of good looks that should come with a warning label. And the talent? Let's just say if talent were gold coins, he'd make Midas look like a guy struggling with his piggy bank. This kid can manipulate wood, earth, and metal like a puppet master in a marionette theater. His family traces back to a long line of ancient elemental masters. But did Alejandro follow the prestigious path of the elemental elites? Nope. Instead, he decided to dive headfirst into engineering, much to his family's horror. Imagine the holiday dinners: "Alejandro, dear, why can't you be normal and just levitate something?" Dressed to the nines and armed with manners so polished they'd put royalty to shame, Alejandro's charm is as effortless as a cat landing on its feet. But don't let that dazzling smile fool you. It hides a secret… 

Stat Info: [LOCKED Until Likeability reaches 50] 

Likes: Engineering, Fashion, Snow-ball fights, Tamales, Churros…> 

Dislikes: Family pressure, Superficiality, Cats, Being underestimated... > 

SECRETS: Alejandro_secret_video.mp4, 1140.jpg 

[Click to expand Additional Info…] 

- - -

"Interesting," Steven nodded, reading the profile. He glanced around the room, aware that he was now the only one working, and the surrounding people were 'silently?' judging him with an intensity usually reserved for circus performances. 

"Hey," Thanh snapped first, annoyance splashed across his face like a thrown cherry pie. "You're presenting this? You must be joking."

Auditioning NPC 1 chimed in, "You'll be lucky to get a 30." Then added, with a sneer, "Imagine building something even my dog would reject."

Alejandro looked at Steven, his expression broadcasting: *Must be nice not having expectations.* If looks could talk, Alejandro's would've written novels.

(Never mind the 'silently' part).

Thanh continued his glare-throwing competition, while Alejandro perfected his "hmph" like a classical symphony. (Hey, you're not Zero, what's with the hmph's?)

Finally, Steven walked up front and set his work on the teacher's table, shrugging. 

Thanh, more arrogantly, shouted out: "I bet my entire semester's allowance that this fails. That stone is trash, and so is your idea. Accept it."

"Ok." Steven agreed, looking back at Thanh. "Do you… even have an allowance?"

"YOU!" Thanh steamed. 

MECH TEACHER 1 picked up Steven's creation, his face looking like someone just handed him a fruit cake. "Do I really need to check this?"

Steven looked at him. "Yeah."

The MECH TEACHER finally picked it up, "Well, this looks... rather amateurish. It looks like something my five-year-old made. The soldering could use better technique; it honestly looks like you've never touched a tool in your life-"

In the background, Thanh's snickers provided a subtle commentary.

"So, LIKE… if you had a 'video'," Steven stared… "for reference."

"B-but," the teacher stammered, his eyes looking to the side, "This is very technically built! It has no errors in the building process, and the materials chosen look exactly like how I would choose them."

Thanh interjected, "Sir, he used a fleckle though."

Auditioning NPC 1 again: "Imagine using a stone most of us use to skip across ponds."

"Yeah, why did you choose to use Quartz Vulpestone as the core for your IEB?" MECH TEACHER 1 asked, intrigued.

Steven blinked, still lost. 

Dieze's pop-up appeared: ["A fleckle (noun), scientific name: Quartz Vulpestone, is one of the more common 'syntrophism stones' that is found in every climate from icy tundras to hot deserts. Also known as the fool's foxstone, compared to other foxstones, its chemical inertness makes it a poorer choice for most projects…" X]

"Well, it has thermal properties, right?" Steven shrugged, sounding as sure as a cat on roller skates.

"Stop talking out of your hat," Thanh snapped.

The teacher started to laugh, a sound that filled the room like a concert. "No way, did you figure out a catalytic pairing… interesting… between the fool's foxstone and the juice of an orchid amberberry!"

Steven nodded, pretending he knew what an orchid amberberry (or a catalytic pairing) was. 

Dieze's explanation came in handy again: ["Orchid amberberries are cheap and common, and abundant for cultivators to find. Though the older ones like hundred-year or thousand-year orchid amberberries or older, are harder to find, and the more common ones are used for minor medical purposes, along with slight stimulant properties."]

Dieze added: ["Catalytic pairings optimize chemical reactions by combining specific catalysts (like two puzzle pieces fitting together). In this case, this catalytic pairing taps into the full potential of the 'fleckle' which in normal circumstances, would never happen." X]

"Nice fluke," Thanh scoffed, digging his soles into the ground. "How do we know it even works?" 

"Well, let's test it out then," the teacher announced with a spark in his eye. His hands began to dance, moving with the practiced grace of a puppeteer piloting some imaginary marvel. As if responding to an invisible pull, a sleek and compact mech strolled over.

Standing no taller than a door frame, the mech was a thing of beauty, every inch of it engineered to perfection. Its metallic surface gleamed under the workshop lights, reflecting a world that seemed to bend to its mechanized grace. Its limbs were articulate and smooth, marrying power and elegance in a seamless fusion.

MECH TEACHER 1 approached the contraption with the familiarity of an old friend. With a precise touch, he pressed down, and a slot slid open, almost silently. The old core was removed, and Steven's creation was inserted.

For a moment, the mech seemed to die. Its lights dimmed, and its body slumped like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

"S-see, I knew it wouldn't work," Thanh crowed, his voice filled with a mixture of relief and triumph. His eyes glinted, but the room's focus remained fixed on the dormant mechanical marvel.

The silence stretched, heavy with anticipation and judgment, all eyes glued to the mech's lifeless form. The air seemed to crackle with uncertainty, a charged moment that held the balance between success and failure. 

Then the mech teacher started moving his hands, and the previously lifeless mech sprang to life, moving with a tempo that left the room breathless. It seemed to fly around as if unfettered by any earthly constraints, dancing and prancing in the air with a freedom that made the very idea of strings seem like a hindrance. The mech's movements were so fluid and agile, they made the teacher's fingers, which were already moving at an incredible speed, appear almost too slow to guide it. Performing tricks that defied logic and expectation, the mech's display was a dazzling spectacle like poetry in motion.

"You know..." the MECH TEACHER 1's voice softened. "When I was still working for my master's degree, we always knew that the fool's foxstone had potential, but many scientists have tried and failed to succeed." He turned to the rest of the students, his face beaming. "THIS IS Brilliant! Simply brilliant!"

Thanh's face went through an Olympic-level routine, settling into shock. Alejandro's jewel-hued eyes widened, his "hmph" silenced. And Tasnim… looked impressed. 

"So, what's my score?" Steven asked, dryly. 

"99. I-I- would give you a hundred or more if your building skills were better," the teacher announced. "Alright, now with all scores in order…" 

MECH TEACHER 1 started ranting about something, while Steven looked noticed a popup: 

- - -

| 'Achievement Unlocked: The Start of the MECH DIV Genius! [+1 Dexterity] [+1 Mechanical Insight]' |

- 'Ding!' 

['Unlocked skill: MECH BUILDING'] 

['Your current MECH Building LV is Lv 1.']

['Skill Description: With this skill, your ability to understand, design, and build mechanical constructs is greatly enhanced. Your mechs will have increased agility and responsiveness. Further advancements will unlock additional capabilities and enhancements.'] 

['Note: This skill may be leveled up through continuous practice and innovation in mech building and design.']

- - -

3. The third task… 

MECH TEACHER 1 led them to a lecture hall, telling the students to take a seat. His eyes gleamed with a mix of excitement and trepidation, as he opened a 3D-presentation on a hologram: "Alright, let's discuss something important... As you all know, the BATTLE of the FRESHIES is next week!"

Steven blinked. 

"The BATTLE of the Freshies," MECH TEACHER 1 sighed, enunciating each word with exaggerated precision. "It's the most influential event in our academic calendar! An event of technological prowess, martial mastery, and weapon-wielding wonderment. And let's not forget the prestige! The power! The glory! Oh, and some funding for our division." (The last part was said in a strained way.)

Alejandro leaned back in his chair, eyebrows raised. "And?"

"And," MECH TEACHER 1 said, deflating slightly, "we've lost. Consecutively. Every single time. We used to get at least 1 or 2 placed rankings! And now, every year, half of the number 1 rankings belong to the martial and weapons divisions!"

Tasnim's coughed, rubbing the top of her bandana, "So… this division flops every year."

MECH TEACHER 1 nodded solemnly. "Indeed. And that's why we need fighters. Combatants. Who's with me?"

Thanh and Tasnim raised their hands. Alejandro did too, but with a hesitant glance at Steven.

"Excellent!" MECH TEACHER 1 exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Alejandro?"

"I'll fight," Alejandro said, crossing his arms, "but as an independent. No division backing."

"What about you, Steven?" MECH TEACHER 1 turned his head.

The class turned their heads to look at him. (Why were they looking at him?)

"I haven't made a decision yet." Steven answered, shrugging.

MECH TEACHER 1's mustache seemed to droop in disappointment. "Very well, then." His eyes flicked to Steven, a spark of something unspoken in his gaze. "Come with me, Alejandro, Steven. We have much to discuss."

He led them down a series of winding corridors filled with the clatter and hum of machinery, each step echoing the pulse of the mechanical heart of the division. They stopped outside an ornate door with intricate gears embedded in the frame.

"This," MECH TEACHER 1 announced, "is the office of the Vice Head of the Mech Division. I believe you two have potential. Great potential. I'd like you to reconsider fighting for our division. Think about it."

With that, he knocked briskly on the door and strode away, leaving Steven and Alejandro standing in the dimly lit corridor, the weight of expectation hanging heavy in the air.

The door creaked open, and a voice from within called, "Enter."