Chapter 6939 The Wrong Decision Ves underestimated the mystery behind systematic cultivation. He thought that it operated on logic, structure and rules. He assumed that even if he had somehow become a mech designer and phase lord at the same time, there was no need for concern as neither cultivation methods overlapped with each other. Ves was too simple. He especially deserved guilt for looking down on phase lord body cultivation. He overlooked its potential risks and arrogantly dismissed the possibility that there was a hidden depth behind its relatively simple surface elements. The unexpected tribulation served as his reckoning. It had put him in a cage and forced him to make a choice between two undesirable choices. In truth, there was only one viable option he could select from. One of them would let him live, though he would have to sacrifice one of the core principles of a mech designer. This might not sound like a big deal considering that people lie and break the rules all of the time. Ves also acknowledged the fact that he had fewer bottom lines than most humans. He never took taboos seriously and constantly thought about breaking the rules when it furthered his interests. Yet there were still rules that he was never willing to break. Undermining the principles of a mech designer should never be considered. He dedicated his entire life to becoming a Star Designer. He let go of his obsession of becoming a mech pilot and pushed aside all other roads to power. How could he possibly change his mind and make a U-turn all of a sudden? Was this tribulation worthy to force him to give up on his ambitions as a mech designer? Hell no! If the Red Ocean thought it could browbeat Ves into assimilating into the local culture of deifying phase lords, then it had another thing coming! There was no way he would allow this stinking tribulation to induce him into the trap presented by the dilemma! Ves felt so indignant about being forced to choose between two highly unpalatable choices that he was able to manifest a greater part of himself! "I REFUSE!" He roared! His voice echoed throughout the empty space. Though no one else appeared to be present, Ves still believed that he had made a powerful point! "Neither you nor anyone else can force me to accept this falsehood! Phase lords aren't gods, and I am certainly not one either! I am human!" The reflection of his true body began to fade at a rapid pace. It was a rather alarming sight. Ves could feel that he was being exceedingly reckless by asserting his humanity. He could not predict what would happen if the image of himself faded entirely from this strange space! His intuition only vaguely told him that he would definitely hate the outcome. Yet so what? Ves could not allow the Red Ocean to force him into capitulating his humanity! Even if his stubbornness ended up backfiring and letting him get killed somehow, he would still make the same decision! Living on as a human who turned his back on his profession and principles as a mech designer was not worth it. Anyone who thought otherwise should never have been able to reach the rank of a Senior Mech Designer in the first place! "Whoever you are, you clearly underestimate the resolve of a proper mech designer! We can be just as stubborn and mule-headed as expert pilots when it comes to our core values!" Mech designers weren't average people. They were the second sons of the previous age and still maintained a lot of importance in the current age. So long as mechs remained the most important fighting platforms of the human race, mech designers like Ves played an indispensable part in human society! The responsibilities and expectations thrust upon them granted them greater honor and fame than other engineers. Mech designers deserved it as they were not only able to provide ordinary folk to fight stronger opponents while retaining a lot of personal agency, but also granted champions the opportunity to transcend their limitations! Ves felt an enormous surge of pride when he thought about all of the advancements and contributions that mech designers had made since the start of the Age of Mechs. Even if mech pilots hogged much of the glory, their successes were undeniably related to the mech designers who served their needs! Mech designers therefore enjoyed a nearly unshakeable position in human society. That granted Ves a lot of pride. He finally understood why the Terrans constantly boasted about their long heritage and tradition. Others might think that mech designers were inferior to phase lords in status and strength, but Ves did not think so at all. He believed the opposite was the case! At least mech designers retained their mortal selves a lot better than phase lords! To Ves, the process of becoming a more powerful mech designer was a process of growth and expansion. From the moment an individual crossed the extraordinary threshold and became a Journeyman, they became smarter and more skilled when working on mechs, but they still retained all of their original attitudes and personality traits. Ves had witnessed numerous cases where mech pilots completely changed in personality when they transformed into demigods. He had never seen that happen with mech designers, and he knew why this was the case. While high-ranking mech pilots constantly needed to sacrifice or limit pieces of themselves in order to reach a greater state of purity, mech designers constantly had to expand on their original selves in order to develop better products! To Ves, this meant that mech designers preserved their humanity the most even as they grew stronger in mind and spirit. Perhaps they could not avoid a more radical transformation when they finally ascended to the rank of Star Designer, but even then they did not actually lose any parts of their original selves! Ves was not afraid that she would suffer the same fate as him, as she had been left out of the tribulation. This was the perfect profession for Ves. He valued his human identity a lot, and becoming a powerful mech designer did not conflict with this value in the slightest. "I reject your logic!" Ves made a stance against the interests of the tribulation. He deliberately chose to go against his instincts and strengthen his belief in the value of his own humanity! "I am human! I am not a god! This is my verdict!" The indeterminate space seemed to shake in anger at his declaration! Perhaps the tribulation sensed his resolve. It no longer wasted any time and completely pulled the reflection of his true body away. Ves braced himself for an adverse reaction. The worst that could happen was a physical death, yet that was not his greatest fear. If he truly died, then he hoped that his distant incarnation Veronica could continue on as a mech designer! She was a rather accurate copy of himself, so she was not only able to design mechs on an independent basis, but also fight like a phase lord! Ves was not afraid that she would suffer the same fate as him, as she had been left out of the tribulation. Even if the Red Ocean wanted to target her, there was no possible way it could cross 50 million light-years just to affect the Cyborg Cat! This realization gave Ves the assurance that death was nothing to be afraid about. He could boldly choose the decision that aligned with his heart, knowing that he could tolerate the worst possible outcomes! As the reflection of his true body disappeared from the strange space, Ves waited for what would happen next. The worst outcomes did not come to pass, at least for the time being. Ves still felt no fear. He only felt curious and excited at what else was in store. Had he failed the tribulation? Was a lightning bolt about to annihilate his consciousness? Would he get scolded by an irate heavenly authority? As Ves kept entertaining different guesses, the impression of his true body returned! "Huh?" Yet even as Ves grew surprised that he might possibly obtain a second chance to make a different choice, he immediately grew more vigilant as he sensed numerous incongruities. What he originally assumed to be a static reflection of his true body actually appeared to be a body with a mind of its own! The true body possessed the spark of intelligence in its eyes. The lips curled into a smirk that was different from the way he preferred to portray this expression. When Ves smirked, he usually did so because he felt smug. When this unknown version of himself tried to smirk, it came across as an undisguised desire to ridicule others! There were notable differences between the two. Ves could immediately tell that the image of his true body was controlled by a different mind and intelligence. Seeing as Ves was not able to glean any further information besides this clear observation, he decided to address his other self directly. "Who are you?" He asked. His other self smirked wider. "I am the version of you that has acknowledged his divinity." "Well, I can at least rule out the possibility that you are another version of myself. Cool voice by the way, but can you tone down the volume?" "Very funny, my inferior self. Do you truly think that you can continue to ignore reality when it is staring at you in the face? Think about what you can do! Not only have you gained a body that can fight against mechs and other phase lords while naked, you can also produce mechs that have already produced demigods and saints. More pertinent than that, you have outright produced multiple gods in the form of your design spirits! Gaia, Helena and the Superior Mother have all become gods that have bestowed their blessings upon the human race. Even your own incarnation Vulcan has become a god!" If the real Ves could cross his arms, he would have done so already. "Hmph. None of them are gods. They are just individuals who happen to be a lot more powerful than the common human. Just because they wield greater power doesn't mean that they are gods. Most of them are still humans in my book. I reject your stance. What I am able to do is not a product of divine providence. It is a product of mortal ingenuity. There is nothing particularly divine about the manipulation of exceptional energy and materials. Even spatial abilities can be replicated by mundane machinery so long as we figure out all of the science." The false Ves clearly did not like Ves' continued defiance. His form grew more solid, but the real Ves did not gain any sense that he had regained control over his true body. Instead, it felt as if a stranger had already occupied his corporeal form! "I gave you another chance, but you have chosen to stick to your guns. You are a fool, my ignorant self. Divinity can be denied, but it cannot be erased. Pretending that you are not a deity in the flesh does not make your wish come true. You are the wrong sort of god to be able to make that happen." "What…" "You have made your bed. You must live with the consequences of your own decision. Congratulations, my naive self. You are permitted to cling to your false humanity. It matters little. If you continue to deny the divinity of your physical form, then I shall take over on your behalf! Rejoice, for I shall correct your mistakes and rule your people as the god that you have become!" What the hell was his other self talking about?! Ves had no idea what was going on anymore. He instinctively felt that he had screwed himself over bigtime, but nobody bothered to give him an explanation! It was not until his awareness left this strange space and abruptly returned to reality that he finally gained a few answers. "Sir?!" "You are injured!" "It is over, professor! The attackers have perished or disappeared!" Ves returned to a cacophony of noise, pain and confusion. The operating chamber had turned into a complete mess! The ceiling had turned into a giant hole while blood and broken parts were strewn in every direction. What was strange was that Ves had not only grown to his newly expanded size, but also held the limb of a first-class multipurpose mech in his hands! It not only looked as if he had torn it from the socket of a machine, but also acquired a lot of dents, giving him the impression that he had used it as a club or a flail! While Ves attempted to open his mouth in order to demand an explanation, he found out to his horror that he lost control over his true body. It was not Ves that was in charge of his physical form! A stranger had taken over! Ves immediately realized that his other self that had just scolded him in the strange space may have taken control over his true body during the earlier sequence. This was an incredibly frightening realization! Had he made the wrong decision?!