Workshop 37, Zone F. Assembly Area.

A four-meter-tall Steel Giant stood silently. After several months of optimization, the appearance of the "Pacifista" PX-0 had changed considerably.

Its overall armor was much heavier, now featuring pauldrons and vambraces. Around the iconic "Divine Punishment" main cannon on its chest, an even more intricate Rune Array was inscribed.

The most striking change was its additional weaponry: its left arm held a translucent Rune Light Shield, while its right gripped a three-meter-long, ancient Magic-guided Long Spear, its tip glinting with a chilling light.

"DSeek, report PX-0’s final calibration data."

Allen stood on a lift platform, looking levelly into the steel monster’s eyes. In his own deep blue eyes, streams of data scrolled by at high speed.

[Project Code: PX-0 (Pacifista Prototype)]

[Power Level Assessment: Quasi-Wizard Level (Sustained Output) / Official Wizard Level (Burst)]

[Upgraded Modules: Melee Defense & Offensive Weaponry, Logic Core (Spirituality Enhancement)]

[Current Status: Standby (Emotional Fluctuation: 12% - Mildly Irritable)]

’Irritable?’ Allen raised an eyebrow. ’It sure has a temper when it wakes up.’

Ever since he had "spiked" the Control Core with some special ingredients to avoid the Mechanical Realm’s notice, PX-0 had become a bit... high-maintenance.

For instance, the light in its eyes wasn’t a steady glow but pulsed like a breath, giving off a surly "don’t mess with me" vibe.

To build this "Polygon Warrior," he had not only thrown in an ancient weapon but also sunk a huge chunk of his savings.

’This is the smell of Magic Stones,’

Allen thought, both proud and pained by the cost, as he reached out and patted PX-0’s hard leg armor.

He then pulled up a detailed cost sheet. Though he had seen it countless times, looking at it still made his blood pressure skyrocket.

[PX-0 Final Cost Analysis:]

1. Basic Materials (incl. Energy): 27,650 Magic Stones

2. Beam Attack System (Prorated): 9,800 Magic Stones (incl. Volcanic Fierce Ape soul & 7x Transformation Crystals).

3. Melee Weapon System (Prorated): 17,500 Magic Stones (Magic-guided Long Spear & Light Shield).

4. Workshop Equipment Depreciation & Energy Costs: 1,100 Magic Stones.

Total: 56,050 Low-Level Magic Stones.

’Over fifty-six thousand Magic Stones...’ Allen’s mouth twitched. ’This isn’t a Golem; it’s a money-devouring beast wrapped in iron plating.’

If he hadn’t saved half the cost by harvesting a massive amount of materials during his two trips, the expense would have crippled him financially.

Of course, this was the cost of a prototype. PX-0 was the first large Golem he had designed and built, and it was currently his most important combat asset. Allen had poured his heart and soul into it, even equipping it with weapons that exceeded standard specifications, striving to make it an all-powerful warrior.

But for future mass production, relying solely on hunting for the key materials needed to fire the main cannon was unsustainable. He would have to buy the commercially available Transformation Crystals.

Whether for potential future wars or for manufacturing a mature product to sell, he had to design a true mass-production model.

The design blueprint for the mass-production Pacifista, "PX-1," was one of the fruits of his labor over the past few months.

Compared to the material-intensive PX-0 prototype, the PX-1 had been slightly downgraded:

First, it had no expensive ancient armaments and wasn’t even equipped with melee weapons.

Second, the main cannon’s firing core was replaced with a commercial, Official Wizard Level Transformation Crystal. A single one of these was as effective as a combination of five Volcanic Fierce Ape crystals. The trade-off was a 15% reduction in the main cannon’s power, and the armor was swapped out for cheaper magic materials.

The Control Core was also planned to use the soul of a more common ape-type Magical Beast, resulting in a more refined and stable final product.

But even so, DSeek’s estimated cost for a single PX-1 unit was still as high as 31,000 Magic Stones.

’I’m broke.’

Allen sighed, closing the blueprint projection for the PX-1.

His account balance was now cleaner than his face.

Although "New West" sent him a few thousand Magic Stones in profit each month, it was just a drop in the bucket for the bottomless pit of Golem manufacturing, not to mention he also had to maintain his high-intensity training.

Allen knew very well that the combat power of an Alchemist grew exponentially.

In the early stages, their own bodies were pathetically weak, but once they amassed enough resources and numbers, they became a one-man army.

He now had a PX-0 with the destructive power of a First-level Wizard and over a dozen "Spider Slayers" for scouting and harassment. For an apprentice, this setup was already a crushing advantage.

But to truly get started, he still needed his own workshop and a profitable product.

His Pacifista had not been tested by the fires of war. Even if he built a few mass-production models now, he wouldn’t be able to sell them at all.

This was a contradiction that could only be resolved after he advanced to an Official Wizard. Right now, there was simply no way.

"DSeek, display my cultivation progress."

[1. Second Core Matrix: 20/36 (First Core Matrix fully inscribed)]

[2. Second Mind Sub-thread: 11/15]

[3. Core Witchcraft: 2/3 (Awaiting inscription)]

His nearly six months of seclusion hadn’t just been for designing the PX-1.

Fueled by a massive amount of cultivation resources, many new Will Runes had formed in Allen’s Sea of Consciousness.

’Advancement isn’t far off.’

Allen clenched his fist, feeling the Magic Power surging within him.

After completing the first Core Matrix, his total Magic Power had taken a leap. He could now cast over fifty Low-level Witchcraft spells in one go and still have power to spare.

Unfortunately, an Alchemy Wizard’s combat strength was all concentrated in their Golems. The Meditation Method didn’t provide any amplification for Witchcraft; otherwise, he could have experienced what it felt like to be a human turret.

[Current Account Balance: 4,312 Low-Tier Magic Stones.]

[Interest-Free Loan Limit: 26,841.4 / 50,000.]

With the money he had now, not counting the loan, he couldn’t even afford to build a chassis.

He didn’t like loans and didn’t want to draw on it again. Being in debt always made him feel uneasy.

He had to find another way to get Magic Stones. He already had a few half-baked plans in mind, but they all needed time to execute.

The most pressing matter, however, was something else.

He raised his head and looked toward the workshop’s Meditation room.

Advancement!

As long as he became an Official Wizard, the resources he could command and the platforms he could access would all undergo a qualitative change.

Allen quickly adjusted his mindset, suppressing his financial anxiety.

He had two tasks ahead of him.

First, he had to go see his mentor and submit his "graduation project"—the PX-0—for evaluation. This was the key to whether he could receive the third Core Witchcraft.

Second, after the evaluation was complete, he would continue his seclusion, converting his monthly income into cultivation progress to advance to an Official Wizard as quickly as possible.