Allen sat on the sofa in the workshop lounge, his fingers flying across his personal terminal.

Glands from a Shadow Demon Spider—the precious magical material that could grant a Mechanical Body the Shadow Travel ability—were still impossible to find on the market, despite their high price.

He’d had a standing buy order posted for nearly a month, but he hadn’t heard anything back.

Since he couldn’t get his hands on the game-changing material, he would just have to double down on conventional performance upgrades.

"DSeek, create a new model, ’Spider Slayer I,’ based on the original Spider Slayer."

[Project created.]

"Design objective: Maximize single-unit combat effectiveness and swarm-synergy capabilities, without relying on special abilities."

Allen’s mind raced like lightning. "Upgrade the structural material to Black Patterned Magic Steel and reinforce the key load-bearing nodes. Enlarge its volume by fifteen percent—I want more power output!"

[Updating model... Structural strength increased by 37%. Weight increased by 22%. A minor decrease in mobility is projected.]

"For the sniper module, replace the energy Transformation Crystal with a ’Focusing Blue Crystal.’ I want you to crank up the range and power."

[Weapon system design complete. Effective range increased to 1,200 meters. Single-shot power increased by 35%. A significant decrease in operational endurance is projected.]

"Then add another Mid-Level Magic Stone to the power bay. And now for the most crucial part: the Control Core."

Allen closed his eyes. In his Sea of Spirit, the runic structure of the "Swarm Link Formation" slowly rotated.

"Directly inscribe the ’Swarm Link Formation’ and write in the coordinated combat module. Make sure they can act as a single entity without my direct control, and also coordinate with the Pacifist."

[Control Core schematic generating... Calculating cost...]

Lines of data flashed through Allen’s mind before settling on a final result.

[Estimated construction cost per ’Spider Slayer I’ unit: 1,480 Low-Level Magic Stones.]

"That’s acceptable." Allen opened his eyes. "Let’s go with that."

He pulled up his account. Last month’s profits from his mutual aid group and academic tutoring service had just been deposited, totaling 4,050 Magic Stones.

Without hesitation, Allen placed an order from the list of material suppliers. The cost for five "Spider Slayer I" units was paid instantly, cutting his account balance in half.

’Money really does just slip through your fingers.’

For the next few days, Workshop 37 in Zone F was once again a whirlwind of activity.

Six "Fortune" drones tirelessly hauled and shaped the newly delivered materials.

Allen, meanwhile, devoted himself entirely to the delicate work of etching the Control Cores and assembling the weapon systems.

Two days later, five brand-new killing machines crouched silently in the assembly area.

They were larger than the original prototype. Their bodies, forged from Black Patterned Magic Steel, possessed a unique, dark metallic luster. The blades at the tips of their six-jointed legs glinted coldly, and the sniper modules housed in their heads were visibly thicker and longer.

Allen gazed at his new creations with satisfaction. He raised his left hand and activated his newly purchased Alchemy Bracelet.

After a ripple of spatial energy, all five "Spider Slayer I" units, along with the massive "Pacifist" PX-0 prototype, were transferred into the bracelet’s dimensional storage.

The workshop was suddenly spacious.

Allen glanced at his personal terminal. His account balance had dropped to just over 7,000 Magic Stones.

’Time to check in on my increasingly capable "manager."’

Vera had sent him several messages recently. The Apprentice Service Center she was managing was mostly set up, and she urged him to come see it when he had a chance.

He sent Vera a reply: On my way.

Stepping out of the workshop, Allen hopped on his Flying Skateboard and headed straight for the new address Vera had sent.

The skateboard flew smoothly above the academy plaza, the biting wind whistling past his ears.

Allen looked down at the neatly arranged buildings and the apprentices bustling below when a thought suddenly struck him.

’The Flying Skateboard is convenient, but it’s just a personal transport tool.’

’When I need to deploy my Golem force quickly, I can’t just have them run there on their own. That would be too inefficient.’

’Once my Golem legion grows, I’ll need to design a dedicated aerial transport.’

’It’ll need decent cargo capacity, flight speed, and stealth capabilities. It could serve as both a transport platform and part of an aerial command node.’

Lost in thought, Allen landed at his destination.

It was a two-story building on the edge of the academy’s apprentice trading district, and it was much larger than Allen had anticipated.

A brand-new wooden sign hung by the entrance, bearing a line of large, elegant script: "New Western Apprentice Service Center."

The corner of Allen’s mouth twitched when he saw the name.

He stepped inside. The first-floor lobby was bright and spacious, divided into several sections.

There was a dedicated reception desk, a lounge area with sofas and coffee tables, and a dozen or so glass-walled consultation booths.

Many apprentices were sitting inside, talking with upperclassmen who looked like teaching assistants.

The whole lobby was bustling with people, yet it remained orderly, filled with a mix of academic and commercial energy.

"Allen!"

Vera’s delighted voice called out from the second floor. She hurried down the stairs, a genuine smile lighting up her face.

She wore a tailored women’s Apprentice Robe, her hair was tied back immaculately, and she radiated an air of confidence and competence.

"So, what do you think?" Vera asked, a hint of pride and anticipation in her voice. She spread her arms wide as if presenting her own kingdom. "This is our new headquarters!"

"It’s incredible," Allen said with genuine admiration. "Even better than I imagined."

"Of course! Colin and I made sure every single Magic Stone you gave us was put to good use!" Vera said, lifting her chin proudly.

Just then, Colin emerged from one of the consultation booths. He beamed upon seeing Allen and hurried over. "Boss, you’re finally here! Please, come on up. We’ve been waiting for you."

Allen followed them up to the second floor, which served as the office and teaching area. Individual classrooms were laid out in neat rows.

Vera pushed open the door to the largest office. "This one’s for you."

Allen stepped inside. The office was huge, complete with a small reception area. Its massive floor-to-ceiling window overlooked the academy’s main thoroughfare, offering an excellent view.

"You two have exceeded my expectations."

Allen sat on the sofa and looked at the two managers standing before him. "I’ve always believed that excellent employees should be compensated accordingly."

He paused, then said something that made both of their hearts skip a beat.

"Starting this month, I’m raising your salaries to two hundred Low-Level Magic Stones per month."

"T-Two hundred?!" Vera and Colin exclaimed in unison.

"Boss, this... this is...!" Colin began rubbing his hands together in his excitement.

"The value you’ve created for me is worth far more than that," Allen said with a wave of his hand.

"’New Western’ has a lot of potential, which means you’re going to be even busier. I need you to be fully committed."

Vera took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling. She nodded solemnly, her eyes blazing with determination. "You can count on us, Allen. We absolutely will not let you down!"

Allen was pleased with their reaction. He leaned back on the sofa and changed the subject. "By the way, who came up with the name ’New Western’?"

Vera’s cheeks flushed slightly. She pointed to herself, a little sheepishly. "I... I did. I felt like we’re pioneering a new style of learning, plus we’re located in the academy’s west zone, so..."

"It’s good."

Allen nodded. "It’s very... spirited."

What he didn’t say was that the name reminded him of a famous English-language school from his past life, making it feel strangely familiar.