Chapter 169: Showcase

Chapter 169: Showcase

Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

169 – Showcase

What astonished the trainees even more was that Masamune High-Tech wasn’t the only company presenting at today’s showcase. As soon as the impressive presentation by CEO Kato Daichi concluded, another individual took the stage to introduce their company’s power armor in a similar fashion.

ArmsTech, a military-industrial complex formed by the collaboration of Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest defense contractor, and Northrop Grumman, the fourth largest, introduced their new power armor, ‘Titan.’ Additionally, Hanwha Defense and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) from South Korea presented their power armor, ‘Army Tiger Mk-1.’

Germany’s defense companies also joined forces to create ‘Zukunftspanzerung Tech,’ unveiling their new armor series, ‘Jäger,’ which further heightened the excitement in the auditorium.

“The design of the Jäger series is rugged but practical. I like the more military feel compared to other products.”

“I’m curious about its performance when worn.”

Not all participating companies brought results that dazzled the trainees. Some power armors from countries with relatively less advanced defense technology were so crude that they seemed to have applied only the basic design released by the Liberal Clan.

Some countries even showcased power armors with external protective armor made from thick titanium alloys instead of monster materials.

“The Grizzly series from Canada uses the powerful output of the mainframe to adopt titanium alloy armor that is over 50% thicker than the previous models...”

The trainees began to murmur among themselves, exchanging opinions. They speculated that Myung-jun had a specific reason for showcasing power armors with such clear performance disparities.

As expected, once the showcases concluded, Myung-jun took the stage again to explain the distribution method for the power armors.

“While we have prepared enough power armors for all trainees, unfortunately, not everyone will be able to wear the power armor of their choice. Since the quantities prepared by each manufacturer vary, we will leave the decision of who gets which power armor to the discretion of each manufacturer.”

A trainee raised their hand and asked, “Aren’t we the ones choosing?”

“Of course, we considered that method as well. One of the options we contemplated was allowing trainees to choose their preferred power armor based on their newly measured Gate Scores, starting from the top ranks. However, we ultimately decided on a method where each manufacturer contacts the trainees they want to wear their equipment and offers appropriate conditions for providing the power armor.”

“May I ask why?”

“That’s because the power armors you’ll be wearing are not fixed-performance items.”

Myung-jun explained that, as highlighted by the manufacturers during the showcase, each power armor reflected the unique technological strengths of its manufacturer. Therefore, the current power armors might not perform optimally if worn by someone incompatible.

“For example, you might think that the Grizzly series from the Canadian manufacturer Saberheart is significantly inferior to the Kabuto series from Masamune High-Tech. However, unlike the Kabuto series, which uses monster materials for its external armor, the Grizzly series has the advantage of being able to replace its armor with spare parts immediately if damaged.”

Myung-jun glanced at the CEO of Saberheart, who nodded with satisfaction. He continued his explanation.

“Heavier power armors will perform better when worn by Awakeners with strong physical abilities. Similarly, power armors with enhanced utility will be more effective when worn by Awakeners with high versatility scores. Moreover, the power armors you’ll be wearing are not in their final state.”

Like many other trainees, Luthando hadn’t shown much interest in the Grizzly series. Its heavy appearance and plain design seemed inferior compared to the power armors from other manufacturers. However, Johnson’s statement that the series was developed specifically for him piqued Luthando’s interest.

“You mean this equipment was designed with me in mind?”

“Yes. Ever since the Liberal Clan sent over the data for selecting power armor recipients, I’ve been a huge fan of yours.”

“That’s an interesting story. So, you’re saying the Grizzly series will perform better with me wearing it than anyone else?”

“Absolutely. Just look at the size. Most power armors have internal adjustment mechanisms to fit various body types, but the Grizzly series doesn’t. Instead, we filled that space with additional muscle support systems. It’s designed to be significantly heavier yet capable of similar speeds compared to other power armors.”

“Can I try it on?”

“That’s exactly what I was hoping for.”

As Luthando approached the power armor with slow, deliberate steps, the front armor disassembled, revealing the internal structure of the Grizzly armor. Inside was a cockpit meticulously designed to fit Luthando’s muscular build perfectly.

“Unless someone has the exact same height and build as you, Mr. Luthando, this power armor won’t fit them. It would either be too tight or too loose somewhere. But for you, it fits perfectly,” Johnson explained.

As Johnson had said, the Grizzly armor enveloped Luthando’s body like a custom-tailored suit. Satisfied with the excellent fit, Luthando still showed a hesitant expression towards Johnson.

“Indeed. I can feel that this power armor was made precisely for my body. Just wearing it makes me feel several times stronger. The heavy-looking external armor feels light and manageable, adjusted perfectly to my strength. I think other power armors might feel too light in comparison.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Johnson replied.

“But...”

“But?”

“The design feels a bit too rugged,” Luthando said hesitantly.

Johnson burst into hearty laughter and looked at Luthando. “Mr. Luthando, the reason we designed the Grizzly series with a rugged exterior is that we didn’t know your design preferences. Since we’ll be redesigning it later, there was no need to focus on the design now.”

“You mean...”

“Of course, the external armor will be completely redesigned. We’ll create a design that reflects your preferences 100%.”

With that, Ben Johnson pulled out a notepad and pen from his inner pocket. “Just tell me. What style of design do you want?”

This moment marked the historical event when the first Grizzly series power armor, which would later be hailed as the best power armor among strength-type Awakeners, found its true owner who would make its name known to the world.