Chapter 7350: Ves’ Advantage After addressing and casting aside many distractions, Ves finally freed enough time to conduct his studies on the Ixith Goliath. As he transferred to the highly secure lab compartment, he began to familiarize himself with the findings made by other researchers. He surveyed the basic data and tried to fit that into his incomplete theoretical model. Due to his greater contact and familiarity with the Ixith Goliath, Ves possessed more insights on the massive creature. This caused others to ask many different questions. He answered them as earnestly as possible, though he cautioned the researchers that his analysis was highly subjective and lacked scientific rigor. Nonetheless, the process of freely sharing knowledge and opinions with each other elevated everyone’s mood and boosted their productivity. Before they arrived at Yernstall, they were not so different from each other. Their expertise and allegiances may differ from each other, but during the following weeks, they were all human researchers who had been brought together to pursue a common goal. "Our work determines how quickly and how extensively our race and civilization may benefit from the research specimen." Ves addressed the eclectic mix of scientists and engineers. "Our lab instruments may be limited and our permissions even more so, but we are the pioneers of an entirely new branch of technology. Our labor will build the foundation of a potential solution to many different problems. We can be the saviors of red humanity, but only if we forget our borders and work as a united people." Though his words might not convince the researchers to drop all of their guard against each other, they undoubtedly helped to promote a more beneficial atmosphere at the labs. In order to encourage this mindset further, Ves deliberately restricted external communications even further. He did not want people to contact their respective superiors and receive orders that might turn out counterproductive in fostering earnest cooperation. Of course, Ves had his own selfish motivations. The Larkinson Clan was not big enough compared to the major players. Its research institutions had grown considerably due to continuous investments, but they were still far behind the truly impressive R&D institutions. While Ves already made a deal that ensured that the Larkinson Clan gained extensive access to the common research results of all of those cutting-edge institutions, the keyword here was ’common’. More specific and specialized discoveries and design applications did not fall within this category. This ensured that every major player could comfortably invest in their own trump cards without worrying about premature leaks. The terms of the agreement meant that the Larkinson Clan could not completely sit back and relax while freeloading off other people’s works. Another reason why Ves wanted to promote cooperation was because he had greater ambitions. He wanted to develop his own unique design application, one that was deep enough to make a difference and advanced enough to make it difficult to replicate. In order to fulfill this goal, he needed to obtain a broad enough base of understanding of the mechanics behind the Ixith Goliath. This was why he moved around and checked in on everyone’s research efforts. It did not matter whether he understood the complicated science behind their studies. He recorded all of the data and stuffed it somewhere safe so that he could make better use of it at a later date. Talking to so many people not only allowed him to get into contact with so many different perspectives, but also broadened his horizons. "Many of our colleagues have become obsessed with the Mentalist Crystal, but I think they are overlooking the real treasure." One biotech researcher told Ves. "As far as I am concerned, the neurological organs surrounding the large crystal are the true core of the Ixith Goliath. The mutated voribugs have discovered how to tap into the ’willpower’ stored inside the crystal in a controlled manner. I am currently trying to map out and decipher the bioprogramming of the alien race. As long as we can obtain a ’blueprint’ of the core neurological systems and translate it into a format that humans can understand, we can potentially replicate the process of generating stolen resonance on the same crystal." "Your theory is quite sound." Ves said with an impressed voice. "You will have to start out from scratch, though. From what I have observed so far, the mutated voribugs have developed a completely independent approach to biotechnology. They use different theoretical models and standards." The researcher nodded. "That is true, but the Rubarthan biotech industry has already made a start of reverse-engineering the biological systems adopted by the mutated voribugs. I can take advantage of their results so far and apply them to the Ixith Goliath’s neurological systems." "That sounds convenient. Will you be able to achieve faster results?" "Not as much as you think. The depth and complexity behind the neurology of a Level 8 Goliath is many times greater than that of a low-level cannon fodder bug. The expansive use of high-grade materials is also hindering my work. Scan results are fuzzier and less precise than I would like, and it is much more difficult to simulate their operations in our existing computer systems. We are forced to cooperate with simulation program developers to upgrade and perfect their existing products. The only other alternative is to conduct live tests, but there are too many restrictions." Live tests required the taking of samples. This was heavily restricted because the bigshots back in Yernstall wanted to obtain a research specimen that was as intact as possible. The state of the frozen Level 8 Goliath was already far from perfect. The Riot Mark III had extensively damaged the monstrosity before it finally entered into stasis. Further damage could exacerbate these wounds and lead to the permanent loss of valuable organic structures. For these reasons and more, most researchers did not have permission to take samples. The most senior scientists that did enjoy this privilege could only use it in a very limited fashion. While all of this hindered their own research, it couldn’t be helped. Their status and capabilities weren’t high enough to entrust them with greater responsibilities. Ves reached out and patted the other man’s shoulder. "Do your best. Whether you can be selected to conduct experiments after we have arrived at our destination depends on your ingenuity. This is your chance to get involved in the next big trend." After speaking a few more words of encouragement, he continued to circulate among the labs and absorbed everything relevant as if he was a sponge. Once he had completed his rounds, he settled down and began to organize his gains. His tentative ideas gradually became more solid as he filled up more and more gaps. When Gloriana came to check up on him, she inquired what he had on his mind. "I think it is possible for us to generate stolen willpower on an artificial basis before we arrive at Yernstall." "What?!" His wife reacted with shock. "Are you joking?" Ves responded with a confident smile. "Of course not. I am tentatively sure we can pull it off. My theoretical model is still untested, but I am confident that I have figured out enough of the mechanics to get close enough to the truth." "This..." She still could not believe her husband. "It is not as big as you think. I only want to conduct a small-scale experiment in order to develop a proof of concept. We can manage it in time as long as we take shortcuts and simplify as many variables as possible. I cannot do it alone, though. I need your help as well as the help of others. This will have to be a team effort." Gloriana raised her eyebrow. "You need my help as well?" "Yes." Ves responded as he stared at her head or more precisely what was inside of her skull. "You are the only person around who has a rare and exclusive cranial implant set that is based on Mentalist Crystal fragments. That not only gives you much greater personal experience with these miracle crystals, but should also give you a more intuitive understanding on how to interface with them. I need you to work on how to build a bridge between a stored source of willpower and the rest of the experimental device." "That is... a reasonable argument. However, have you thought that we do not have any spare Mentalist Crystals on hand? You already used the one that you previously obtained from the Hunting Association on the Ultimate Module of the Minerva Mark II." Ves nodded. "That is true, Gloriana, which is why we can only make due with creating an artificial substitute. It won’t be nearly as good as the real thing, but it is better than nothing." She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "...I will trust you on that. Please give me as much data as possible so that I can begin my work. No. Give me access to the object that you claim can function as a substitute. I need to observe it myself in order to determine the veracity of your claims. I do not want to waste my time on an experiment that was never viable in the first place." "I knew you would ask this question. I have already retrieved the item from my vault and kept it somewhere safe. Follow me, please." Ten minutes later, Ves and Gloriana exited a secure chamber. The latter’s expression no longer showed any skepticism or incredulity. "I had forgotten that you had taken those spoils." She said. "I still have doubts about whether we can effectively make use of them in the short amount of time we have available, but... it is worth an attempt. That I can agree upon. I can work with this. While I am convinced that the Mentalist Crystal plays an essential role in moderating and controlling the core processes of generating stolen resonance, if you only want to create a proof of concept, then our standards will not be as high. I will need to go back and study more academic literature related to Mentalist Crystals before I can give you a basic plan." "Go ahead, honey. I have already spoken with a number of people about obtaining greater access to confidential research reports. Mentalist Crystals are one of the hottest resources in the Red Ocean. There are many parties that have developed their own unique insights and understanding of them. Obviously, we can’t obtain all of them, but what we can get at this point should already be enough to make a start." "I will do my best, but please take into account that I am not deeply versed in biotechnology. This has been your interest more than mine, Ves." "That is okay." Ves smirked. "I think you are misunderstanding my intentions. It is not my goal to construct a biomechanical device. Biotechnology is strange and messy. My familiarity with it is not enough to complete my goal. I intend to replicate a very simplified version of the relevant processes of the Ixith Goliath in a mechanical construct." His wife widened her eyes for a moment. "I... see. This is your unique advantage. Unlike others, life is a plaything in your hands. You can instill life in any mech or object as long as you work earnestly enough. I understand now. This... has potential. If you can truly make your device out of conventional technology, then it will be much easier for me to develop the necessary bridge!" They enthusiastically exchanged their thoughts and fleshed out their ideas even further. "If this is the case, why not make it out of archetech?" She suggested. "Archetech is derived from the biological systems of the arche race, so it is more ’natural’ to use this tech base to simulate a process that is anchored to life." Ves shook his head. "Let’s not overcomplicate matters. We need to keep it simple. We can think about using archetech if we want to make a more feature-complete product."