Chapter 7

"Magical armor is just one type of armor, its function is to enhance the user's strength. In contrast, the mechs of technological civilizations are driven by pilots who are merely accessories of the mech."

The elf mentor bluntly pointed out the fundamental difference between the two.

In science fiction novels and movies, mechs are actually a combination of machinery and a pilot, with the pilot being a component of the mech.

No matter how outstanding an individual pilot is, their role is to maximize the mech's combat power. Their goal is to bring out the mech's performance, and their skill lies in their operational techniques, while the combat power still depends on the mech's performance.

Piloting skills are indeed important, but the mech's performance is the foundation. When facing a mech from a generation or two ahead, the combat power gap is so large that operational skills cannot make up for it, and even aces can be easily defeated by ordinary pilots... Of course, there are always those freaks who can drive a Zaku and outperform a Gundam, but let them try driving a Zaku to challenge a planetary fortress.

As for Axi's magical armor, from a functional perspective, it is truly a suit of armor.

Armor is a tool used to protect the body in armed conflicts, compensating for the weaknesses and fragility of the human body, and magical armor is no exception.

It enhances the user's strength, allowing them to exert greater combat power.

It protects the user's body, allowing them to survive longer on the battlefield.

If we compare it to technological creations, it is more akin to a single-soldier auxiliary combat platform rather than a giant combat machine.

The divergence between magic and technology lies in whether the mech or the pilot is the primary focus.

Technology emphasizes the capabilities of the mech, its performance, and mass production. The mech is the primary metric, and the pilot is merely a replaceable, optional "component."

On the other hand, the focus remains on the human. The mech is just a tool for the user, and the goal is to achieve personalized characteristics that mass production cannot, by selecting and assembling components that suit the user to enhance their overall combat power.

"Each profession has its own standards for choosing armor. Knight armor often develops in the direction of being large and robust, with components that enhance strength and defense being the most valued. Archer armor is equipped with numerous calculation and surveying instruments, and mobility is essential, while defensive capabilities can be ignored..."

Under the teacher's explanation, Luo Xia gradually understood the design philosophy of magical armor.

The mech is just an auxiliary, and the user is the core. The equipment enhances the user's strength and defense.

In terms of design philosophy, this is not fundamentally different from the alchemical weapons of the magical era.

In Axi, which evolved from a magical civilization, the performance of magical mechs is important, but the individual's own abilities are the most crucial.

Due to the near-limitless potential for individual strength, the "human" becomes the protagonist, and magical armor remains a highly functional tool.

Under this design philosophy and demand, the size and basic attributes of magical armor are not important. What matters is the functional components it can equip and the assistance it can provide to the user.

The row of old magical armors in the hangar, mostly around three meters tall, is the result of time and battlefield testing.

In technological civilizations, mechs are often huge because a large size can bring stronger firepower and combat strength.

However, when the pilot is the core, an overly large mech can easily become a target on the battlefield. A height that can accommodate the necessary functional components for practical combat is sufficient.

"Besides the essential defensive capabilities, a mage's magical armor is most important for its mana storage and magic amplification functions. The latest research trend is to integrate the functions of a mage tower into magical armor, but the cost remains prohibitively high."

"Living accessories are also necessary, but don't go overboard. Getting addicted to virtual reality in the cockpit and missing combat opportunities is bad enough, and one student drowned in a leak during a battle while taking a bath in the mech. I refuse to acknowledge that student..."

In today's Axi, even powerful individuals who can destroy stars will bring their magical armor when traveling through space.

It is not only a combat platform but also a platform for living and communication.

The magical armor and mechanical engineering of Axi have gained fame across the multiverse thanks to the interstellar knights.

"Do not rely too much on magical armor because it has its limits, while you do not. Even if it enhances your strength threefold, there will still be individuals thirty times stronger. There are too many people who can dismantle mechs with their bare hands. However, do not reject the help of magical armor. It can provide you with the abilities and characteristics you lack. Often, the difference between you and your opponent is just a small margin..."

"Borrowing a famous quote from Queen Geline: 'There is no strongest magical armor, only the one that suits you best. Magical armor is your other half, your home. Choose your future partner carefully, guided by your true heart.'"

Originally in a good mood, the female mentor suddenly felt depressed.

"Enjoying your magical armor is good, but don't go overboard. Those who stay inside all the time and get dizzy and nauseous when they come out have been called 'armor dwellers' in recent years. The most extreme cases have even married their magical armor, becoming new social news."

"I don't want any new armor dwellers among my students. Yes, there were fourteen in the last class, so our goal this time is single digits."

Armor dwellers? Luo Xia thought of that sister who ate and drank... apparently not used the bathroom, but solved all three meals inside the armor, spending very little time outside. It seems she is from Axi and is one of those new armor dwellers.

"Now, let's have two students demonstrate. Class president, come up. And one more... the daydreamer in the back row, yes, the one who laughed foolishly in Sophia's class, Half-Mu Ling, come up and demonstrate for everyone."

Pointing at himself in surprise, Luo Xia couldn't believe he had been chosen again.

"Yes, you. How dare you daydream in the first practical class? I'm not targeting anyone, and I have no personal grudge against Mu Ling. Even if in stories, dark elves are either promiscuous or prostitutes, while Mu Ling are pure, innocent little angels... I swear by my late mistress from three hundred years ago, those unscrupulous merchants who monopolize biotechnology are the farthest from purity! A small cosmetic surgery drained my savings for ten years."

Luo Xia knew this. The Mu Ling, from whom he inherited his bloodline, were said to be at the forefront of biotechnology, excelling in cloning and limb regeneration.

If this was understandable, what followed...

"Damn, the more I think about it, the angrier I get. Those damn lolicon perverts. That bastard said he liked big-chested girls, so I gritted my teeth and spent a fortune on a G-cup enlargement surgery. But before the first course was even finished, that bastard ran off with a Mu Ling hybrid."

"He said he liked purity, but Mu Ling are only pure in appearance! Those little bitches used cosmetics and cosmetic surgery to drain our life savings, and they even charged me double because I'm a gray elf. Humph, I don't have a grudge against Mu Ling for stealing my boyfriend, I just hate their fake purity."

Hey, hey, that's a personal grudge!

"No, it's a public grudge. You can ask the gray elf mentors in our academy; none of them have been spared by Mu Ling. Gray elves and Mu Ling have never gotten along!"

Can a teacher act like this? Is it okay for an educator to say such things publicly?

And, did you just reveal something you shouldn't have? When you mentioned the G-cup enlargement surgery, the female students' eyes were shining! They can't wait... Wait, why are there 'they' too? Boys, what are you looking at? Can't you have a little decency?

The next moment, Luo Xia found himself the center of attention.

Why are you so excited? Why are you staring at me? I'm just a Mu Ling hybrid from Earth; I don't have such magical surgery techniques.

"Hey, do you have that...?"

The mischievous girl elbowed Luo Xia teasingly.

After their initial friendly meeting, the Earth-born Su Nana had become increasingly indifferent to their hometown bond, seizing every opportunity to embarrass Luo Xia. Luo Xia suspected he had unknowingly offended her.

"Sis Nana, don't cause trouble. You don't need it!"

As a counterattack, Luo Xia deliberately answered loudly, drawing the attention of the excited boys to a certain area.

The black-haired braid, the black-framed glasses, and the NICE body—this was Su Nana's first impression.

"That's right, Sis Nana doesn't need it... ouch!!"

A flying metal can hit the boy who spoke out of turn.

But don't misunderstand; it wasn't Su Nana who suppressed the commotion, but the already enraged elf mentor.

The next moment, she glared at Su Nana, but seeing her subdue the troublemaker, Luo Xia, she nodded in satisfaction and did not further vent her anger.

"It hurts, why so much strength?"

At this moment, Luo Xia realized why he had been targeted by the gray elf mentors these days, even though he hadn't done anything wrong.

Being targeted wasn't just a feeling; it was a reality.

To openly say she hated Mu Ling and that Mu Ling could charge gray elves double, was racial discrimination legal here?

"Of course, it's legal, but it's not discrimination; it's differential treatment. This isn't a single-race Earth. Since racial differences exist, differential treatment is the norm."

The teacher's explanation made Luo Xia think deeply about the underlying meaning.

Seeing Luo Xia still puzzled, Su Nana came over and patted his shoulder hard.

"Drop your Earthly common sense. Would you rather live in a sewer with slimes and underground ratmen, eat grass with minotaurs, or move into a tomb with your undead roommate from today?"

Although Su Nana's words were heartfelt, Luo Xia wanted to complain... Thank you, Nana, for your patient advice, but can you stop the backhanded compliments? My shoulder is about to break.

Let go of my neck, stop pretending to be a life mentor and continue the backhanded compliments. Just because I commented on your NICE body, are you so resentful? Can we still be friends?