The Mech Touch

Now that Veronica gained a proper understanding of artifact cultivation, her outlook on this subject had changed.

It was impressive how greater knowledge and understanding could produce a significant shift in cognition.

Artifact cultivation was a double-edged sword. It promised great power and benefits, but could easily bring doom if anything went wrong.

Not all artifacts were benign. Some did not come with any nasty security measures. Others would try their best to drain their holders if they possessed the wrong qualifications!

As Veronica processed all of the information that she received, her mother casually waved the crown in her hands as if it was nothing but a tacky-looking trinket.

"Artifacts are shortcuts to power, no matter whether they were designed for this purpose or not. These objects are ultimately static to a degree. They are made and programmed to fulfill specific purposes, which means that it is always possible to take advantage of them as long as you understand their properties well enough. Who created them? What is their purpose for doing so? Who are their intended users? The more answers that you can obtain, the easier it becomes for you to develop an effective artifact cultivation method."

"I see. I have the feeling that you haven't been able to obtain too many answers relating to the symbols of authority?"

"That is correct." Cynthia sighed. "In order to devise a new cultivation method for your incarnation, I need to obtain a large amount of information. While I am familiar with a number of secrets relating to the symbols of authority, that is far from enough for me to work on them with confidence. The greatest obstacle is the fact that I cannot physically examine the Iron Resonant Crucifix Crown. I am only able to proceed based on second-hand information or inferences derived from my own crown."

In other words, Cynthia made use of the Golden Laurel Wreath Crown to make assumptions about the Iron Resonant Crucifix Crown.

This was a decent approach, but hardly a perfect one. The two possessed many similarities, but they were not the same. The fact that they originated from the blood of different immortal gods made a massive difference by itself!

"If this is the case, then the cultivation methods might not completely work according to your expectations." Veronica pointed out. "Combined with other shortcomings, your new artifact cultivation method does not sound reliable."

"That is true. I have encountered challenges to tailor this artifact cultivation method to Vulcan. He is most compatible with creation cultivation. He is also dependent on deity cultivation to spread his awareness and further his growth. Both of these aspects are vital to him, so I have sought to create a hybrid cultivation method that preserves them both."

Veronica understood this logic easily enough. She did not want Vulcan to lose either of these traits.

Even though Vulcan did not possess a physical body to create any real products, he could still make 'virtual' ones due to his control over the Mental Simulation Training System!

As the host of the MSTS, Vulcan was like a god to this imaginary reality. He composed all of the rules and created all of the active combat scenarios that mech pilots and living mechs used for training.

If this was not creation, then what is? Vulcan already had a habit of creating all kinds of different crafts in order to exercise the craftsmanship that he learned from all of the artisans who came into contact with him. The dwarves who followed the Iron Emperor were especially fanatic about providing spiritual feedback to their supposed god!

Although Vulcan had not made any noticeable accomplishments throughout the years, he still made substantial gains on an iterative basis. Even the fact that he was cultivating the wrong method did not hinder him too much at this stage.

Of course, just because he was doing fine did not mean that his situation was ideal. He could be doing so much better if he wasn't held back by various circumstances!

Now that Veronica not only got started in cultivation science, but also regained full access to her highly knowledgeable mother, Vulcan finally gained an opportunity to go back on the right track!

He could finally ditch the Heart of Steel Mantra that had been provided and modified by the Mech Designer System!

After Cynthia explained how difficult it was to devise a hybrid cultivation method when subjected to so many constraints, she finally introduced her work.

The True God effortlessly utilized her power to project an image of Vulcan.

Of course, it was the version that looked like a stereotypical dwarven blacksmith version of Ves.

"Myaow! Vulcan is a human as well, you know! I look much more handsome that way!" Veronica complained.

A hand softly tapped on the cat's head. "Hush now. Unless a deity cultivator is strong-willed enough, he will always take the shape that is an amalgamation of the expectations of his believers. This is one of the side effects of this approach."

The Lady of the Night did not stop at creating an image of Vulcan. She began to overlay it with four different points of lights that surrendered the incarnation like planets orbiting around a star.

"I call it the Metal God Method. Its name may sound pretentious to your ears, but its harsh requirements and upper limit are so impressive that it is fitting. While this new method is anything but refined, I am proud of what I have been able to make. It was worth it for me to spend several weeks combining so many different factors together."

Veronica looked awed at the projected image. It did not look simple. Cynthia portrayed Vulcan as if he was a genuine god. The power of metal exuded from his form. The incarnation did not exert too much aggression, but it looked as if he could definitely absorb a lot of blows.

Most notably, the dwarven spirit proudly wore an iron crown above his head. Vulcan carried himself in a manner that clearly showed that he was in charge as opposed to his choice of headwear!

"Is this what Vulcan can become?"

"Yes, but only if Vulcan is able to practice properly without any major complications. I do not consider this to be finished work. I will likely have to make adjustments based on Vulcan's feedback. Only then will I become confident enough that you can practice it safely."

Though Veronica felt a little apprehensive about her mother's lack of confidence, she did let this hold her back. She possessed enough trust in her mother to believe that her work was good despite the fact that it was an experimental product.

So what if Vulcan had to assume the identity as a test subject? She had conducted countless experiments in the past, many of which yielded amazing results!

"So what are these glowing lights?"

"They are the representations of the four major cultivation approaches that I have combined in the Metal God Method. These approaches can be grouped up into two deeply connected pairs."

Cynthia decided to address the simplest pairing first.

"Let us look at the artifact cultivation and qi cultivation aspects first. I have transplanted many elements of the Heart of Steel Mantra to the new method. I have done my utmost to ensure that Vulcan does not have to discard all of his current cultivation results. Instead, the new method should easily assimilate the existing Heart of Steel and continue to develop from this point."

It was like a takeover in this regard. The smoother the process, the less value got lost during the transition.

"I have already explained the advantages and disadvantages of the Heart of Steel Mantra in the past. Suffice to say, I put great effort into removing the latter while preserving the former. I erred on the side of caution, which means that I have cut elements even when that weakens the desired effects. I have tried my best to retain as much of its increase in mental defenses as possible. Vulcan will need it because of the crown."

Cynthia pointed towards another point of light. "The Iron Resonant Crucifix Crown is made from the blood of an immortal god. It may appear to you as a metal object at the moment, but its essence is so much greater than that. Based on my studies of the Golden Laurel Wreath Crown, I have devised a means for Vulcan to gradually siphon a minute fraction of the vast amount of qi locked inside a symbol of authority. If everything works correctly, Vulcan should be able to accelerate the growth and strengthening of his Heart of Steel."

Veronica looked impressed. "That is brilliant. Using the crown is always a risk, but this way Vulcan will always strengthen his mental defenses. If this scheme works as intended, then the Iron Resonant Crucifix Crown will never be able to take control over Vulcan because it is always feeding the defense mechanism that prevents it from exerting any influence!"

If the crown tried to remain subtle, then there was little need for the Heart of Steel to exert its defenses.

If the crown tried to act more overtly, it would increase the resistance produced by the Heart of Steel!

Although there was still a vulnerability at the earlier stages, so long as Vulcan cultivated the Metal God Method long enough, even gradual accumulation should be enough to defend against surprise attacks!

"Growing the Heart of Steel is important for many reasons." Cynthia told Ves. "It not only helps Vulcan defend against the crown, but it will also increase your incarnation's connection to the metal element. This will offer fantastic benefits to the other two modes."

She pointed towards the second pair of cultivation approaches.

"Let us address creation cultivation first. Vulcan is clearly not a being that is suited for combat. While it is possible to change that, I personally do not recommend you do so because he will be wasting his talents. Since he has a high affinity towards craftsmanship, I have tried my best to incorporate elements of this into the Metal God Method. I have even imparted a select amount of techniques related to Divine Blacksmiths when possible, but that does not mean that Vulcan can match all of the capabilities of one. He is much more suited to become a generalist, a god who is able to create many different varieties of products made out of metal. Do you understand?"

"I think so." Veronica replied. "I suppose that Vulcan might eventually be able to forge excellent swords, but nothing at the level of the Heavensword."

"That is not entirely true. It is not impossible for Vulcan to be able to do so, but he must find his own way in order to accomplish this challenge. A Divine Blacksmith is usually able to become one by taking advantage of a full inheritance. Vulcan only has access to some of the basics of this profession. If he wants to improve, then he must either find a way to learn the more advanced theories and techniques, or make use of his own conditions to create a new inheritance for himself. I highly recommend the latter approach. His potential is far greater. The ancient blacksmithing traditions will only hold him back and shackle him to the past."

Veronica possessed a lot of curiosity towards Divine Blacksmiths. She wanted to know how they worked.

Even if Vulcan did not aim to gain all of the capabilities of a Divine Blacksmith, it was still useful to use the techniques of one as reference materials.

"So how can Vulcan seriously engage in creation cultivation when he doesn't have a physical body?" The cyborg cat asked. "Should he continue to create all kinds of stuff within the MSTS?"

"He can do so. I have made express adjustments to the Metal God Method in order to accommodate this activity. The benefits of doing so will not be great, and they will become increasingly less consequential as Vulcan grows stronger. At a certain point, he can only make meaningful progress if he utilizes his craftsmanship to craft a physical object."

"Err, how can we make that happen? Do I have to develop a highly realistic android that Vulcan can control?"

Cynthia chuckled. "No. There is no need to create a new body for your incarnation. He can borrow existing ones instead. This is why deity cultivation plays a vital role in the new method. There are so many eager dwarves who worship Vulcan every day, particularly the makers among them. Why not reward their faith by letting Vulcan descend onto their bodies and use their hands and tools to create the works of a god? The more Vulcan practices his craft through the bodies of his worshipers, the more his capabilities rise. Those who have received the honor of hosting a god will always benefit from this! Not only will they be able to experience the work of a god first-hand, but Vulcan's temporary possession will also leave enduring gifts behind."

Veronica's purple eyes shone brighter.

If Cynthia was correct about this, then everyone benefited from this scheme!

This was not an ordinary application of deity cultivation. By combining it with creation cultivation, Vulcan could not only make all of the physical products that he wanted, but would also reward his worshipers in a more tangible fashion!