Veteran's Urge

With Kerby and Hanz' teams coming for repairs then queuing up in quick successions, Sy had more time to himself and finally finished Vii's design.

Grinning ear to ear, he previewed the three materials with great satisfaction. If they were miraculously generated, even if they were just juveniles - their overwhelming intelligence could potentially help Sy in deciphering the xeno artifact. He only needed to create lessons for them from basic to advance tech archive. Mecha was not added to their Specialty as he was planning to bring the three in his virtual workshop where they could easily learn it.

Sy showed discontent when the thought occured to him that the three girls would have a better environment in the Federation to grow. Nonetheless, he will compensate to what the Union lack, by providing them the high standard education he inherited from the Federation. The only thing he needed to prepare was their needs. Clothes, tablets, computers, books.. abundant stock of candies and chocolates - he will need some advice.

For now, while he was here in his virtual workshop, he would have to figure out how to earn more money until Niel's mech facility was modernized. He navigated his game status. The Straggler S1-2 in the market was evidently not sold as his gold or credits had not gone up.

The virtual workshop was not yet ready to be publicized to the loyal people of Logria. Sy, still comforted by the silent peace, did not want to give up that harmony yet.

Since his only customers were the aviators, he was planning to buy the virtual license of the Mathilda 800, so he would have no restrictions in doing what he want with it. However, they would eventually advance to the next tier making this decision obsolete in the long run. Although, there would be more customers, he had no desire in revising the aging bird for a long time. Furthermore, it's virtual license cost 1,000,000 Gold, and he would need to buy the base version of the mech for 3,000,000 Gold in order to start making his own modifications on the flying mech.

His gold coffer would be nearly empty by then, leaving him with little options. Only advantage was that he could start customizing the aviators' mechs. Wasting 1,000,000 Gold just to tinker with the Mathilda 800 was not a good investment for him. What he wanted to do was preserve the Gold, use a small amount and profit big from it.

As such, the lower gens would be a good target where kids and young adults were in abundance. He would have to be careful not to go overboard in customizing it. The game system could easily reinstate it in the higher gen just like his Straggler S1-2. It could not afford a mech with high specs akin to a 4th Gen mercilessly obliterating 2nd or 3rd Gens.

Sy chose the 3rd Gen, Tier 1 - the gatekeeper mechs where kids struggle to solidify themselves as legit pilots who surpassed the 2nd Gens.

Since he did not need to make any notable difference in its arsenal and armour, he only needed to innovate the appearance of the mech and make it look cooler. The children would love it.

A mech immediately grabbed his attention. On the screen, a slim mech with a feminine figure was displayed. Sy thought for a moment. This would hook male adults if he managed to make it even more excessive in appearance.

However, they were not his targeted customers. It was the young boys that he wanted to give a new horizon who would easily idolize male figures. He swiped to the next mech. There were various kinds of mechs, seemingly illogical and inefficient - one was the pistoleer that he was currently viewing. Although it looked cool with its dual pistols, there was nothing it could dish out to threaten other mechs. The pistols themselves could fire energy blasts at a decent rate, but they did not have enough power to punch through opposing mech's armor.

The mech was the Pistoleer - Felian X. It was a light mech sporting a layer of armors which was an inch thicker than the standard light mech. Decent engines promising an adequate speed. Inspired from tv shows, the mech's role was only for show.

"This is it!" Sy made a sudden decision. He bought the mech's license for 1,600 Gold, and then paid another 5,000 for the mech itself.

The Pistoleer - Felian X was basically trash. Sy's hands shook, wanting to rip it apart and correct this mistake of a machine. However, he contained himself, and started working around it, smoothening the sharp surfaces of the mech. He took out the limbs, improving their torsions in order for the mech to stand in cool angles. After that, he used the fabricator to craft some aesthetics, which did not really contributed to the output of the mech, such as a cowboy hat and a kerchief.

After a resplendent paint, Sy was satisfied and took a step back. The two pistols look futuristic with the deceptive art he applied. After contemplating of the best way to advertise his product, he registered the new mech in the game system.

[The Strongest Pistoleer - Felian X]

"Hehe.." Sy was pleased with his business mind. Now, this name would bait children into checking his mech. Little did he know that even adults would fall for this trick.

With the game system able to auto produce his new product, he paid 11,000 for another two. He then put the mechs on the market, pricing each at 10,000 Gold, double the price of the original. Even though, he did not improve anything, his efforts for the aesthetics should be paid well.

Sy only needed to wait for his new mech to be noticed. It might take days, but he had all the time. Kerby and Hanz' teams were a bit longer to return. He wanted to know how they were faring with the new tactics he taught them.

Suddenly, new notifications appeared.

[The Strongest Pistoleer - Felian X has been purchased by flusteredDex]

[The Strongest Pistoleer - Felian X has been purchased by Azbeaker]

[The Strongest Pistoleer - Felian X has been purchased by DraxCuti]

[You received 30,000 Gold]

'It's only a minute and they were all sold. Hehe.' Sy enabled the game system to auto produce the mech whenever someone wanted to buy.

With only an hour passed, he sold 66 pistoleers, profiting of about 297,500 Gold.

Sy discovered that there was a review section of his product, and he immediately dive into it. Most of the comments were negative. People were protesting for a refund.

[The audacity to name your mech like that. How thick-skinned are you?]

[Wow! Just because it became cooler, it also became the strongest!]

[Thanks for nothing, Vulcan444. You just wasted my 10,000 gold!]

Sy was entertained by their reaction. It was nothing personal. It's just business.

The people who were deeply wounded by this did not stop at criticizing The Strongest Pistoleer - Felian X, but also went to his other product, the Straggler S1-2, to rant.

[I can see that this is you first amateur attempt of a scam, Vulcan444. Now that you become more experience, you went for The Strongest Pistoleer]

[Vulcan444, you remove this now. No one will fall for this.]

While Sy tried to think of a way to clean his tarnished reputation, Gregory had entered a match with the Straggler S1-2. He finally had a decent grasp of the interface, realizing that there were actually three types of ammo for the Buster Twin Cannons. First was the HE. The second, APR or Armor Piercing round. Third was the AAR(Flak) or Anti-air rounds.

There were also the autocannons on the side of the head that can be armed with three types of ammo same as the twin cannons.

-----

Meanwhile, on a training ground, a Straggler S1-2 violently shook, copying the actions of its pilot. space commandeer was laughing in a sinister way in the cockpit.

"Thales.. you should see this mech." space commandeer or Graves muttered. He was in his mid forties, but still sported an athletic and muscular body. A veteran of countless battle, he had easily learned how to manipulate the complex interface of the mech he was currently piloting.

Accessing the game system, he entered a match but not before he chose the type of opponents he would be facing.

[4th Gen, Tier 4]

"Hehe-hahaha, I won't be satisfied facing some trainees. I need to go all out." Graves murmured alone, his eyes bloodshot. The anticipation of what he can do with the Straggler S1-2 overwhelmed him to the core. He had never experienced a mech bond with its pilot like this one.

It already occured to him that this mech had a more advance computer system than any other mechs. With the Straggler moving the way he wanted to and responding way faster than any 5th gens, the veteran will take it to the next level, and show its true potential.