When Everlearn reached the venue of the Source Optimisation class, he was fully blown away.

While the Mech Design class had booths filled with incomplete, ongoing creations of different modular gadgets, the Source Optimisation class was filled with them: MECHS!

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed in shock, his jaw dropping.

All over the lab, stored in white glass pillars, were full-on Mechs.

Some were humanoid, with defined features, huge or lean bodies, most of which had weapon nozzles for hands, and some had shapes completely different from the humanoid form.

One such Mech was a spider-like robot, featuring a total of eight robotic legs suspended in the prism.

At the centre of most of these Mechs, there was a hole, which Everlearn reasoned must be where their cores ought to be, and it was empty.

Turning away from the mech prisms, he found glass boxes on the wall where there was an array of mech cores and energy conduits lying around on the tables.

At first, he had been lost on what Source Optimisation could mean, but judging by the materials hanging around, he now had an inkling.

If the Mech Module class focused on the physical construction of mechanical gadgets, this room was dedicated entirely to the lifeblood of the machines, their energy sources and performance systems.

STEP

STEP

STEP

The sound of footsteps echoed, followed by a question.

"And who might you be?"

Everlearn turned behind him, finding a woman walking toward him.

She was dressed in an ocean-blue lab coat, carrying a large pad in her hands.

Ruby green eyes, slightly furrowed, stared at Everlearn, who stood upright.

"I'm Everlearn. Everlearn Snowfall," he responded, witnessing a gleam cross through the lady's eyes.

"The newly promoted second year?" she asked.

He nodded. "That's correct."

"It's a good thing you came almost half an hour before class," she said, walking toward him while rapidly tapping on the pad.

"I'll send you the notes," she said.

He brought out his device.

It was a scan, just like with Chloe, and he quickly took it, finding the information rapidly downloaded into his device.

"The class is currently at Chapter 3 of the notes: Core Integration and Feedback Loops."

"You'll have to study the first and second chapters on your own, but if there's anything you don't understand, you can always bring it back to me," she explained, and he nodded.

Even if he had been promoted to the second year, it would be going too far for the academy to request the instructors start their teachings from the beginning just for him.

Instead, they passed him the notes, and he would have to comprehend the topics while bringing up any questions he might have.

That made more sense, but in a way, the promotion wasn't all good and no bad.The downside was that he could end up with a lower understanding or experience compared to the other students, simply because he had been absent from class.

"Understood. Instructor…"

"Callana," she replied.

"Instructor Callana, can I get a quick summary of what the Source Optimisation class really focuses on?"

"I mean, the Mech Module class was quite clear when it comes to the naming, but Source Optimisation is quite vague," he said.

She hummed quietly, a thought flickering through her mind.

"Since the explanation isn't really given in the notes, I guess I can quickly take you through it," she said, resuming her walk toward a Mech prism, and Everlearn tagged behind.

"When you think of Source Optimisation, you can think of working with core energy, efficiency, and power systems."

"In short, the class focuses on improving or optimising Mech performances," she explained.

"Not by adding or upgrading, but by making sure that every mech build part operates at 100% of its maximum capabilities."

"No lags, no delays, and this extends even to the most important defining factor in the Mech: the cores."

She tapped a button on the screen, and the prism opened, white smoke billowing out as robotic hands revealed the humanoid Mech inside.

"This is a humanoid battle Mech."

"It looks pretty… rough," Everlearn mused.

While it was indeed a Mech, it also looked awkward, with some parts larger than usual and certain areas not streamlined.

"That is on purpose," Instructor Callana explained.

"Each Mech in this prism is less than 30% optimised, only a halo of their true potential."

"The main lesson of the class, and the final goal, is to raise these Mechs from 30% optimisation to at least 90% optimisation."

"And how is 90% optimisation achieved?" he asked.

"Many ways, each unique for a Mech. But it all boils down to a few non-negotiables:

"Firstly, optimising the Mech's energy core, whether it is nuclear, plasma, photon, or any other energy source.

"Secondly, learning to maximise output without overheating or wasting energy."

"That can be achieved by learning how different Mech modules interact with the energy source."

"And speaking of the roughness, humanoid Mechs designed to run will also have to be streamlined to handle friction better, meaning smoother bodies."

"But it's not just speed. The weapons, sensors, and other components also have to be optimised for peak efficiency."

"That can mostly be done by calibrating reactors, actuators, or mech hydraulics, and includes tuning energy output for different combat scenarios, long-range, heavy fire, stealth," she explained at length.

"Many of these topics have yet to be touched, so you don't have much to worry about," she added, tapping on a terminal as the Mech was replaced into the glass.

"Avoid reactivating anything."

"Damage, intentional or not, costs massive points deduction, so be careful."

"I will advise sitting and waiting until the class begins," she said before walking toward a door in the lab.

Everlearn had no idea how much Mechs cost, but if Mech gadgets cost up to millions, then it was safe to say the price of full Mechs would be ridiculous.

And when he looked around him, at the various Mechs in the prisms, he mused quietly,

"Safe to say I'm standing beside hundreds of millions of Nvdollars."

It made sense now why she had warned him about that before leaving.

As she instructed, he sat and waited.

Soon enough, all the students were in, and the Source Optimisation class began.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.