Though James could have been spinning a tale of nonsense, Ves did not believe this was the case.

The revelations on the power of will largely conformed to his own observations.

It was just that Ves was still too clueless about ace pilots and god pilots to know how important it was for them to develop their willpower.

The end goal of every mech pilot who wanted to reach the top was to evolve their will to a height that allowed them to live on it. To Ves who constantly gained a greater appreciation of spirituality, this sounded like a completely alien means of ascension!

Ves had to take a fair amount of time to take stock. Though he still disliked James, he had to admit that his spiritual advisor was definitely earning his keep in the clan!

"Earlier, you said that we are different from the mech pilots who develop their wills. What role does the power of will play for us? Also, aren't you supposed to be a mech pilot?"

"To answer the latter, I am, but that does not mean I have to follow the same path as every other mech pilot." James calmly answered. "Though it may seem unimaginable to the likes of you and every other mech-crazed citizen of human civilization, I am not particularly interested in becoming an existence that is sustained by will alone. My talents lie elsewhere."

Oh, Ves could believe that. James hadn't piloted a single mech during this excursion. Just like any cult leader, the Living Prophet excelled at scamming and hoodwinking people!

"As to how mech designers differ from mech pilots, well, that is something you can figure out yourself, Ves. Both god pilots and star designers are immensely powerful. They are gods in human form, but they express their might differently. To put it into terms that you are accustomed to, they have pursued different specialities."

"I see. Then what makes mech designers special, exactly? Are we dependent on the power of will as well?"

"No. While I have some insights on how mech designers reach greater heights, I am not one of them myself. I believe it is better for you to explore this on your own. All I can say is that unlike mech pilots, mech designers take the more common path of developing their power of thought. Just because mech pilots must eventually get rid of it doesn't mean it is useless. Willpower is just more suited to their roles."

Ves scratched his head again. He had been doing this several times as he struggled to understand all of the implications of what James was saying.

Right now, he felt awfully envious at mech pilots for being able to develop their willpower into something amazing. Ves felt rather lacking that he wasn't doing something like that.

Was cultivating willpower something exclusive to mech pilots and potentates? What stopped Ves from doing something similar? Was it truly possible for a single human being to cultivate both willpower and spirituality to their highest forms.

The Living Prophet seemed to know what Ves was thinking. "Don't think about it, Ves. I told you earlier that when ace pilots reach the threshold of their upper growth, their power of thought has become a hindrance. Do you really want to spend the effort to grow both powers, just so that you have to shatter one of them? Also, don't think that mech designers can casually develop their power of will on the side. Your minds are wired differently when you reach the rank of Journeyman."

That was a pity. Ves thought that his remarkably high control and perception of spirituality would allow him to do what others could not, but evidently there were hard limits.

Perhaps he could force it, but Ves had no ambitions to develop the power of will at the cost of compromising his mech design ability. What would he do with strong willpower if he couldn't even pilot a mech? It was completely counterproductive!

He recalled the reason why he summoned James in the first place. As much as he wanted to explore these novel aspects in greater detail, it would be pointless if Task Force Predator failed to overcome the intercepting pirate fleet.

"Let's get back to my original question. I asked you how a battle network would be different if I centered it around an expert pilot instead of an entity like the Superior Mother. How does the inclusion of willpower affect this dynamic?"

James tapped his fingers against the surface of the desk. "Gods like Qilanxo and the Superior Mother sustain themselves by cultivating their power of thought. As for expert pilots, the power of thought is merely an enabler to their power of will. Now, let us consider your so-called battle network. What do you think the mech pilots who are caught in this web prefer. The combination of will and thought or just the power of thought?"

When put in this way, the answer sounded obvious.

"Mech pilots don't seem to have much use for the power of thought in isolation. Standard mech pilots have developed neither powers. Just gaining the power of thought alone is not that helpful if their will remains weak."

Maybe that was why the efficiency of the Penitent Sister battle formations was so low. The Superior Mother may be powerful from a spiritual standpoint, but she did not do anything to enhance the wills of the mech pilots connected to her crown.

Perhaps this was also why most of the mech pilots weren't able to persist for a longer time. The demands on their feeble wills was simply too much.

This made Ves wonder if adding an expert pilot, whether they used as the central focus of a battle network or merely one of its participants could make a substantial difference.

"Is it possible for expert pilots to share their power of will to the other mech pilots in the network?" Ves asked.

James smiled but did not provide a direct answer. "I cannot say. You are the inventor of battle networks. You should know better than I about this subject. What does your logic say?"

"I think.. the asymmetrical neural network that has propelled my cousin Ghanso to fame is proof that the power of will can be shared."

The only question was how compatible the other mech pilots would need to be in order to sync up with the expert pilot. The requirements must be extremely strict. So strict in fact that Ves actually wanted to know how Master Huron prepped the mech pilots that fought alongside Venerable Ghanso.

"Whatever you do, don't underestimate the power of will." James warned Ves with a serious tone. "Expert pilots have cultivated their willpower with the help of their power of thought, but the same can't be said for other mech pilots. What is the nature of will?"

"Belief in self. Perseverance. Intent." Ves summed up his previous answer.

"Now try and imagine transplanting these will components to another person's mind. Do you think that this will go well?"

"..Maybe not. In the worst-case scenario, the expert pilot might turn the other mech pilots in the battle network into her copies."

Whether this was good or bad depended on how much he cared about the weaker mech pilots.

From a rational standpoint, turning different mech pilots into carbon copies of expert pilots sounded like a great deal! As long as Ves was willing to lose the individual personalities of the mech pilots in questions, he would be able to gain a lot of mech pilots who possessed similar traits as that of an expert pilot!

Still, despite the great attraction of this development, Ves would never allow this to happen to his own clansmen! He and his clan valued their individual wellbeing. Overriding their wills with the will of another person was no better than suffering mind death!

"Your worries may be unfounded, Ves." James added. "Expert pilots have great control over the power of will. If they do not wish to inadvertently cause harm to their comrades, then they just need to restrain themselves."

"That is a relief. If my battle network can only be utilized by standard mech pilots, then much of its potential is lost. That would be a great shame."

The two spiritually-enlightened individuals spoke some more about battle networks and willpower. Ves wanted to obtain a bit more clarification so that he did not develop any wrong ideas about what he had just learned.

Of course, as wise and all-knowing as James appeared, Ves constantly reminded himself that this fellow wasn't entirely trustworthy. So far, he only learned about the power of will from a single, obviously biased source. A source that definitely held ulterior motives.

Ves would be a fool to believe in James just because he sounded authoritative over this subject!

As a researcher, Ves always possessed the urge to verify what he discovered. When it came to something as vital and hidden as willpower, he had to be extra careful and know for sure that the theories he gained were accurate.

If he made any mistakes, he might spark off a disaster when he was ready to implant a battle network in Commander Dise!

The two men began to wrap up their discussion.

"Is there anything else I should take into account when I make my next battle network?" Ves earnestly asked.

"I do have something I wish to say, though it is not necessarily related to your current endeavors."

"Then say your piece."

James took a slow breath. "There are more forms of power than just the two I have mentioned. Just like how most of humanity has discovered how to harness kinetic energy, thermal energy, electrical energy, gravitational energy and so on in the form of technology, there are many more expressions of power that are less accessible. Some are only found in aliens. Others are more easy to access. The power of thought just happens to be the most universal power to individuals like you and me. We are blessed in that regard."

Ves was inclined to believe this. There was so much that he and humanity were still ignorant of. Reality was much more grand than anyone could ever imagine. Just the Milky Way Galaxy alone still hid countless secrets that could revolutionize the way people lived.

"Noted. Is there anything else?"

"Hmmmm. We live in the Age of Mechs. Any power that is conducive to mechs is in vogue now. That does not mean that other expressions of power have become extinct."

"How did people strengthen their will before mechs?" Ves suddenly asked.

He had been wondering about this for a while now. He didn't think it came out of nowhere.

"That is something for you to explore for yourself." James grinned. "I'll leave you with a hint. We humans are actually defective in this aspect. Most life in the galaxy is defective when it comes to cultivating their willpower."

"What?"

That was quite a negative-sounding statement!

"You heard me, Ves. We humans are weak in developing our willpower. Although it sounds harsh, it is not untruthful to describe us as defective. A more ideal form of life should be capable of developing a much stronger will and sense of self. We humans are far from reaching this standard. We are like cripples who have to rely on external aid such as hover chairs to move around."

Ves looked scandalized! Equating heroic high-ranking mech pilots as paralyzed cripples who weren't able to move without a tool was a pretty radical statement to make!

If James ever uttered this description in the midst of a group of mech pilots, he would have instantly been beaten black and blue for his temerity!

Even though Ves merely admired expert pilots, he too felt that James had gone far. Perhaps the Living Prophet was making a factually truthful statement. That did not mean he should phrase it in the most pejorative method possible!

"I don't agree with your tone." Ves replied with a restrained smile. "Humanity has always relied on external tools to achieve greatness. We are married to technology, and there is nothing to feel ashamed about that. Mech pilots are not burdened by mechs. They are enriched by mechs. This is what I believe!"