Ves felt apprehensive about the upcoming test.
He needed to know whether his true body held a second personality, one that held a completely contradictory stance towards the deification of phase lords.
There were several objectives to this test.
The primary one was to confirm the existence of this second personality.
Another goal was to ascertain the hostility of the other version of Ves.
Was it possible for the Larkinsons to develop an amicable relationship with this alter ego?
Aside from that, the Larkinsons also wanted to find out how to put the genie back in the bottle.
Was it enough for Ves to fold his true body, or did they have to meet other conditions in order to bring back his original personality?
The upcoming test could provide Ves and his fellow answers with all of the answers to their questions.
This was why it was so important to conduct it as quickly as possible.
They could not adequately plan for the future until they obtained solid data that could prove their theories and dispel a large amount of disturbing rumors.
As the news about Ves' potentially compromised state continued to circulate within a limited community, far more than just the Larkinsons desired clarity about the consequences of engaging in phase lord body cultivation.
All of this urgency forced the Larkinsons to speed up their preparations and conduct the test on the same day of the assassination attempt.
Suffice to say, Ves would rather take the rest of the day off, but the circumstances did not allow it. He changed to an upgraded nanosuit before entering a reinforced and shielded chamber that was large enough to fit his new true body as well as a handful of mechs.
The First Sword Mark III stood ready to subdue Ves.
Her Decapitator and her 33 sword fey were far too sharp and lethal for this purpose, so the Design Department had hastily prepared a hull-grade superdimensional rod that roughly matched the dimensions of the Decapitator.
The rod was exceptional enough to pierce through a spatial barrier with relative ease, but was still blunt and solid enough to non-lethally brutalize the flesh of a large and stubborn organism.
It was the perfect tool to subdue a certain naughty phase lord!
Ves felt intimidated by the sight of the First Sword Mark III wielding her new punishment rod.
The makeshift weapon could easily bash in his skull if the ace swordsman mech employed her full strength!
Fortunately, Saint Dise possessed enough skill and control that she should be able to exert just enough restraint to keep her attacks under control. Ves trusted her to apply the right amount of force.
"Alright, I am here. When do I start?"
"Please wait a moment, sir. We are still calibrating the newly installed scanner systems. This will take a few more minutes."
Soon enough, everything was ready. When Ves received the signal to initiate his transformation, he took a deep breath before he slowly unfolded his true body.
He gradually increased in size. His new nanosuit did an excellent job of keeping his body covered while at the same time gathering lots of data on his changing internal condition.
One of the strangest aspects of this gradual transformation was that Ves did not remain idle while he unfolded his true body.
He called up the incomplete design of the Arboreal Project and began to conduct actual work on the organic Carmine mech design project.
His multidisciplinary work involved mech design, biotechnology and Carmine Systems. This was not the sort of work that an average Journeyman or Senior could complete.
It was a crude way to determine which personality was in control of Ves' true body.
Of course, there was a possibility that Ves' alternate personality also knew how to design mechs. It would be a lot more difficult to distinguish any differences if they possessed the exact same skills and experience in designing mechs.
This was why Gloriana and several other mech designers who collaborated with Ves in the past paid close attention to his work.
A work always reflected its creator. If Ves suddenly experienced an abrupt switch in personality, his contributions to the Arboreal Project would definitely take on a different character!
No matter how much Ves' second personality tried to hide his emergence, his radically different attitude towards a range of different topics would definitely bleed into his mech design!
The transition from Ves to his other personality happened abruptly.
When his true body expanded to a height of roughly 3.5 times of a mech, he immediately ceased his mech design work.
His expression changed as well. A sense of subdued arrogance had taken the place of nervous anticipation.
After taking one careful look at his surroundings, the still-expanding phase lord straightened his back and assumed a defiant posture.
"I have no intention of hiding like a rat." He declared with an augmented voice that made it even more obvious that a different personality had taken over. "I am not as weak and lacking in confidence as my weaker self. I am a god. A superior being has no reason to feel ashamed."
The First Sword Mark III took an exaggerated step forward while bringing her new punishment rod to bear.
"If you are god, then you should easily be able to bear my attacks." Saint Dise spoke while increasing the intensity of her Saint Kingdom.
There was no way for Ves to compete against a superdimensional ace mech. His new change in personality did not come with a direct power boost. It would be stupid for him to accept this challenge!
"Ahem, there is no need to resort to intimidation. Hierarchies exist among gods. I have no objection to admitting my inferiority against a well-equipped saint. If you think that you can force me to deny my own godhood through this method, then think again. The truth is staring in your faces, yet you refuse to acknowledge it due to your human preconceptions."
Multiple people frowned. This new personality of Ves harbored strange ideas that his original self would never voice!
At least this other personality was willing to talk, if only to avoid an embarrassing smackdown.
"Before we proceed, it would be helpful if you choose a designation for yourself." Maria Abselon said. "How do you wish to be called?"
"I am Ves Larkinson." The phase lord declared shortly after he had reached his full height. "You do not comprehend who you are addressing. I am a god. I am the master of this divinely blessed form. The previous Ves you have spoken with is merely an undesirable remnant that refuses to admit reality. His weak and mortal mind cannot possibly control this fine body, so I have emerged to embrace what he has denied. Between the two of us, I am clearly the superior Ves!"
"..."
"We shall call you Sev." Gloriana decided.
"I refuse to relinquish my name."
"Dise." Gloriana mentioned.