This first couple arcs are a fantastic tale of industry intrigue and competition. There are awesome set pieces, mystery, exciting battles, all of which contribute to the overall plot. The second half is just a Star Trek rip off that even the protagonist can wait to end. Its boring, and has no clear weight on the main plot. There no stakes, no mech designs, no other fun characters (except Ketis way later) This isn’t the first time I’ve seen an author shoot there story in the foot by introducing a long and, at the end of the day, waste of time arc. Maybe theres a huge pay off at the end, but several hundred chapters to get there means you’re milking the story for your readers money more than advancing the plot.