The Dream of Childhood

The Dream of Childhood

"Oh? Tell me, why did you choose mecha design?"

Leng Yaozhu asked curiously.

She was a Four-Word Battle Armor Master herself, so she knew a thing or two about related professions.

As far as she knew, most boys chose side professions like mecha maintenance or blacksmithing. Fine, meticulous work like design was usually dominated by female Soul Masters.

She herself was also a very skilled Mecha Manufacturer.

"Hmm..."

Faced with the question, Qiangu Wuji pondered for a moment before giving a vague explanation.

"I'm just interested in it. I mean, designing a Battle Armor for myself sounds really cool."

He wasn't about to admit that he'd been influenced by a certain tokusatsu show.

Before he'd been transported to this world, he'd been a fan of tokusatsu.

Whenever he watched the protagonists get into danger on TV, shout a few chuunibyou lines, transform in a flash, and don some incredibly cool armor before defeating their vicious enemies, he'd been captivated.

Looking back, those shows were pretty childish, but there was no doubt they'd once been the stuff of countless people's dreams.

Now he'd grown up, and the hot-blooded passion of his younger years had faded. Still, mecha and armor would always be a timeless romance for men.

What the heck? Why was I getting more and more excited the more I thought about it?

Qiangu Wuji sat there for a while, and one image after another surfaced in his mind—the armor designs from the TV shows he remembered from his previous life.

Thinking about those cool suits of armor excited him. He dug paper and a pen out of his schoolbag, then bent over the desk and started sketching.

"What are you doing?"

Curious, Leng Yaozhu couldn't help leaning closer to take a look.

"I got an idea. I want to draw it out and see how it looks."

Qiangu Wuji didn't even look up.

Seeing this, Leng Yaozhu smiled.

The way Qiangu Wuji looked now really was just like any other child his age.

Sometimes she felt that although her son was smart and exceptional, he was far too mature—nothing like a six-year-old.

That was a good thing, of course, but as his mother, she couldn't help feeling a little regret that she rarely got to see his childlike side.

But now she realized that her son did have a side that was just like any other child.

As expected, no matter how exceptional Wuji was, he was still a child!

Leng Yaozhu smiled knowingly and said nothing. She rested her chin in her hands and quietly watched her son's handiwork.

A few minutes later, a hint of surprise appeared on her face.

Wuji was this good at drawing?

On the sheet of paper in Qiangu Wuji's hands, the initial outline of a suit of armor had already taken shape.

Leng Yaozhu had assumed that no matter how talented her son was, drawing was a first for him, so his work couldn't be all that impressive.

But now, he'd surprised her. The drawing wasn't finished yet, but the outline already looked convincing. Once it was complete, it surely wouldn't turn out too badly.

Wait, when did Wuji learn to draw? How come I didn't know?

Leng Yaozhu was full of questions. She'd watched her son grow up and knew what he could do better than anyone.

"Whew... Done." Just as she was racking her brain over it, Qiangu Wuji finally finished his masterpiece. He stretched and let out a long breath. "I feel like it's still missing something!"

He finished it?

That fast?

Leng Yaozhu stared for a moment, then took a closer look. Only then did she realize that the suit of armor on the paper was indeed complete.

It was a style of armor she'd never seen before, a full-body suit in black and luxurious gold, with a long sword in the right hand and a shield in the left. Its design was quite imposing.

But the most eye-catching part was the armor's belt, a handspan wide. At the very front of it sat a strange, circular device.

Looking at it, Leng Yaozhu asked curiously, "Wuji, what's this belt for...?"

"Oh, you mean this?" Qiangu Wuji glanced where she was pointing and explained casually, "It's an energy-sensing device I came up with. The user just needs to channel Soul Power into it to summon the Battle Armor."

In fact, it was the device the heroes in Armor Hero used to transform. He'd only explained it this way because he didn't know how else to describe it.

"Channel Soul Power?" Leng Yaozhu gave him a strange look. "Are you saying that the Battle Armor can only be used after you channel Soul Power into it?"

Qiangu Wuji nodded.

He knew this way of activating it was terribly outdated by the standards of this world's Battle Armor system.

But how could it be a proper transformation without the step of channeling energy?

A transformation needed its own activation method, just as the West couldn't lose Jerusalem and the 3D community couldn't do without Tifa.

It was a matter of principle, and one he wasn't willing to compromise on.

Seeing him nod, Leng Yaozhu sighed, rubbed his head, and said with a smile, "No matter how exceptional you are, you're still only six."

"Leaving aside the problem with how you activate it, this design is also far too outdated. In a Soul Master's battle, Battle Armor is ultimately just an aid. What determines victory is the person wearing it."

"In that situation, Battle Armor should be designed to be lightweight. The lighter it is, the better it performs."

Leng Yaozhu looked at the armor on the drawing again.

She didn't deny that Qiangu Wuji's Battle Armor design was novel. Neither the full-body coverage nor its unique activation method had an equal anywhere in the Federation.

But for a truly top-tier Battle Armor Master, this design would just be a burden.

A Battle Armor Master's relationship with their Battle Armor was all about using it as naturally as their own limbs. They only needed a thought for it to cover their body.

But this was her son's first work, after all. Leng Yaozhu couldn't bring herself to discourage him.

So after saying all that, she changed her tune and offered some encouragement.

"Wuji, don't be discouraged. This is your first try, and you've already done a great job."

That was certainly true. For someone who'd just started learning design, Qiangu Wuji had already shown an ability that left most children his age far behind.

"Mom, you don't have to comfort me. I know I didn't do a good job." Qiangu Wuji wasn't satisfied with such praise, and shook his head modestly.

At that, Leng Yaozhu rubbed his head again without saying a word.

A little while later, she stood up and picked up the design sketch from the table.

"Whatever else, this is your first work. It'd be a shame to throw it away, so let's keep it as a memento."

With that, she walked over to the wall and raised her hand. With a little force, she pressed the entire sheet into the wall.

When she was done, she turned around and smiled with satisfaction.

"A record of my son's growing up."