The Mech Touch novel Chapter 7059

The Star Designer taught him a few simple but ingenious solutions that he could add to the Larkinson Network like expansion modules.

These additions did not change the fundamentals of the kinship network, but added vital new security and efficiency gains that should allow the Larkinson Network to remain competitive in the next decade.

Ves was very grateful to the Web Mistress for these gifts. Their earlier talk already made him feel this meeting was worth it, but it would have been better if he also obtained more concrete and readily applicable solutions at the level of a Star Designer.

Of course, two hours had not yet gone by, so there was still plenty to talk about.

"I am grateful for the assistance that you have given me, but I still feel the Larkinson Network needs additional protection against potential enemies." Ves said. "The best way to avoid getting attacked is to make yourself untargetable. I don't like how the Larkinson Network is so exposed. Is there any way to hide it and prevent enemies from approaching it in order to tamper or destroy it at a time of their choosing?"

The Web Mistress did not look surprised that he made this additional request.

"There are two general approaches that you can choose from. The first approach is to shelter it behind a defense that is strong enough to deter most of your enemies. This can range from your own ace pilots, a god pilot, a specialized construct developed by a Star Designer or… the Red Kingdom."

Ves frowned. All of these suggestions sounded unacceptable to him. The Larkinson Clan needed to maintain its sovereignty.

Relying on the protection of his own ace pilots sounded nice, but they were not strong enough to impede a True God-level opponent.

Placing its Larkinson Network under the protection of third parties such as other god pilots essentially subordinated the Larkinson Clan to one of the other major powers.

Of the god pilots he had opened up relations with, neither option sat well with him.

Choosing the Evolution Witch was a terrible idea for many reasons. It did not matter that she had entered into an alliance with his mother when they were both awful individuals. This madwoman had proven to be quite temperamental and was not above resorting to coercion and intimidation to make Ves dance to her will. She was an option of last resort.

Seeking the protection of the Destroyer of Worlds was much more acceptable. She was much friendlier and genuinely respected him. Unfortunately, she had a duty to the Rubarthan Pact and did not answer to the Larkinson Clan. Ves did not want to put her in a position where she had to deal with conflicting loyalties.

As for the two remaining options, relying on a construct developed by a Star Designer or seeking shelter from the Red Kingdom itself both amounted to the same problem as before.

Ves simply did not want to rely on the goodwill of a third party to protect the Larkinson Network.

That was just begging for him and his clan to get stabbed in the back during a time where they could least afford betrayal.

"What about the other approach?" Ves asked, indirectly making it clear that he did not like to pick the previous options.

"You hide the Larkinson Network. You obscure it from sight, either by making it less visible and conspicuous, or placing its nexus inside a large and powerful anomalous zone that scrambles every ingoing and outgoing signal." The Star Designer laid out. "The former is too difficult for you to accomplish. I am perhaps the only individual who can help your kinship network hide in plain sight, but it will require a considerable amount of time and resources on my part to complete this transformation. Your minor favor cannot cover the material costs and more importantly the opportunity costs of this commission."

"How… how expensive?"

"The only payment that you and your clan can offer me is the delivery of high-grade superdimensional matter. I will require enough armor-grade and weapon-grade superdimensional matter to construct 4 full superdimensional medium mechs, delivered within 6 months starting from this day. Do not think I am overcharging you. When I am done, your Larkinson Network will be the most well-hidden kinship network in the Red Ocean. Most god pilots will not be able to sense it, and only a small number of other Star Designers should be able to detect it if they make a concerted effort to locate it. I do not anticipate that any ancient phase whale can stumble upon it. Not without help."

The Web Mistress offered what she considered to be a fair transaction, and Ves did not think she was lying on this front.

The potential rewards indeed sounded tempting. Making the Larkinson Network invisible to all but a handful of True Gods largely fulfilled his demand and could make it much less vulnerable against attacks by third parties.

Unfortunately, the Web Mistress clearly told him that this measure did not go far enough.

Sure, only a handful of human True Gods would still be able to detect the Larkinson Network, but that alone already negated much of the outcome that Ves desired.

He and his clan had most to fear from strong opponents, not weaker ones. Ves did not blindly assume that he and his fellow Larkinsons would be able to maintain friendly or neutral relations with every god pilot and Star Designer.

If the Red Association ever fractured, a future may arise where the Larkinson Clan may ultimately become rivals or enemies with some of those powerful leaders.

It would be nice if they could not threaten the Larkinson Network so easily at that point.