Licensing the technology for the "Spider Slayer" and the "Ah Fu" butler went exceptionally smoothly.

Allen barely had to say a word.

To the Alchemy Apprentices of the Black Tower of the Forge, a project that could reliably make money was more attractive than anything else.

Out of every ten Alchemy Apprentices, nine were flat broke, and the last one was constantly flirting with bankruptcy.

The only hurdle was the need to first pay a hefty "security deposit" to ensure they wouldn’t run off with the designs.

Even so, two Advanced Apprentices from relatively well-off families gritted their teeth, scraped together the Magic Stones, and signed the contract.

Allen watched their pained expressions and calmly put the contract away.

He wasn’t after this paltry profit. His goal was to ensure that after he left, the supply chain for "New West" would remain intact, allowing the brand to continue operating.

With all that taken care of, it was time to leave.

That morning, Workshop F-37 was empty. All the production equipment had been shut down and cooled, with only a few "Blessing" series Mechanical Bodies performing the final cleanup.

Allen stood in the center of the workshop, taking stock of his assets for the journey ahead.

Before him, four Steel Giants of differing forms stood silently.

On the far left was his first creation, the Pacifist prototype, PX-0.

After several upgrades, its armor looked even more ferocious, giving Allen an immense sense of security.

Standing beside it were three brand-new, mass-produced PX-1 models.

They had no melee weapons, and their armor had been replaced with more cost-effective Magic Steel, but their three "Divine Punishment" main cannons, their power undiminished, still exuded a heart-stopping, oppressive aura.

At the feet of these behemoths, twenty "Spider Slayer Mark IIs" lay crouched on the ground, their dark armor blending almost seamlessly with the shadows. Most of them had been upgraded from his older models.

"DSeek, final inventory check."

[Inventory check complete.]

[Large Combat Units: PX-0 Prototype ×1, PX-1 Mass-Production Model ×3.]

[Medium Combat Units: Spider Slayer Mark II ×20.]

[Small Reconnaissance Units: Demon Eye ×5.]

[High-Explosive Alchemy Bombs, "The Final Say": 20 units.]

[Assorted Grenade Models: 3,152 units.]

[Assorted Landmine Models: 188 units.]

[Auxiliary Units: Ah Fu and the "Blessing" series Factory Servants ×12.]

[Other: Assorted Scrolls, potions, spare materials, and Cultivation Materials, with a total value of approximately 5,400 Low-Level Magic Stones.]

Listening to the report in his mind, even Allen himself couldn’t help but be astonished.

A Space Ring definitely wouldn’t be enough to hold all of this.

For this reason, he had spent another twelve thousand Low-Level Magic Stones to order a large spatial briefcase through the association’s internal channels. It looked unremarkable on the outside, but its internal space was large enough to fit a small villa.

After sorting and stowing all the Mechanical Bodies, bombs, and materials into the briefcase, Allen glanced at his account balance.

Easy come, easy go.

[Current Account Balance: 41,298.6 Low-Level Magic Stones.]

This was his final net worth after withdrawing his share of the funds from "New West."

He glanced around the workshop where he had spent the last two years, the place that had witnessed his entire journey from an apprentice to a First-level Wizard.

Now, it was empty.

Allen’s Mechanical Mind didn’t allow him to indulge in sentimentality.

He took one last look, then turned and walked out the main door.

He first went to the academy’s administration center to terminate his workshop lease.

The apprentice at the registration desk did a double-take upon seeing the lessee’s information but said nothing.

His mentor had promised him a free, equally-equipped workshop in the Molten Iron Mountain Range. Otherwise, the cost of purchasing such a setup would have been far beyond his means.

Next, he walked into a heavily guarded building beside the administration center—the Magic Stone Reserve Bank, Seven Towers Alliance branch.

This was a financial institution under the banner of the Mystic Code Council, one of the three giants of the Wizarding World. Its reputation and security were considered top-tier throughout the entire Wizard Universe.

"Hello, sir. How may I help you?" Behind the counter was an apprentice from the Contract School, dressed in a uniform and wearing an impeccable smile.

"I’d like to open an account and transfer all the money from this card," Allen said, handing over his academy identification card.

The process was completed quickly, and Allen received a black Crystal Card. When he probed it with his Spiritual Power, a new set of numbers emerged.

[Balance: 412.98 Mid-Level Magic Stones.]

Transactions between Official Wizards were typically conducted using Mid-Level Magic Stones, which had an exchange rate of one hundred Low-Level Magic Stones to one Mid-Level Magic Stone.

Looking at this number, just a little over four hundred, the small bit of satisfaction Allen had felt from his sudden surge in assets instantly vanished.

In the world of Advanced Wizards, a little over four hundred Mid-Level Magic Stones might not even be enough to buy a single high-grade material.

’Still have to work hard and make more money,’ Allen cursed inwardly.

Before leaving the bank, he spent another ten Mid-Level Magic Stones on the latest personal communication terminal, saving the contact information for Vera, Colin, Lina, Victor, and others.

He figured it would be difficult to contact the outside world from a frontier plane.

He composed a short message and sent it out to everyone.

[I am leaving the academy today to continue my studies on another plane. Take care, everyone.]

After taking care of everything, Allen went to the Black Tower of the Forge. He didn’t go directly to his mentor, but first returned to the dorm room he hadn’t lived in for a long time.

He had planned his future path here and built his very first "workshop" with his own hands.

[Host’s emotional fluctuations detected. Associated concepts: ’Nostalgia,’ ’Farewell.’ Humanity Value +2%.]

The notification from DSeek sounded in his mind.

The corner of Allen’s mouth twitched, but he made no comment.

He gave the room one last look, closed the door, and headed for the tower’s finance office.

Behind the finance office counter was the familiar face of Barton, his expression clearly saying, "Don’t bother me."

Seeing Allen approach, Barton glanced up, seeming somewhat surprised.

"I’m returning my ID card." Allen placed the card signifying his student status on the counter.

Barton took it and tapped a few times on the Magic Guide Terminal, refraining from his usual sarcastic remarks.

He tossed the deactivated card back to Allen as a souvenir.

Just as Allen was about to turn and leave, Barton suddenly spoke up.

"Hey, kid."

Allen stopped and looked back at him, his expression saying, ’I knew you were going to say something.’

Barton leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed.

"Heard you’re going to be working with Lord Mercer?"

Allen raised an eyebrow. ’News sure travels fast.’

"Yes."

"Hmph," Barton snorted. "Guess you’ve got a good eye, kid. But don’t think you’re set for life just because you’ve latched onto a powerful backer."

He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice.

"A War Plane isn’t some ivory tower like this academy. People die there all the time. And the ones who die most often are cocky geniuses like you."

Finished, he waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing a fly.

"Get lost. Stop being an eyesore."

Allen gave him a surprised look. The words were harsh, but reading between the lines, he could sense... a warning?

’Did this guy have a change of heart?’

Allen didn’t say anything more. He just nodded and turned to leave.

The final farewell was in his mentor’s office.

When he pushed open the door, he discovered that Mercer’s Teaching Golem was not alone.

Victor Iron Flame was there as well.

Seeing Allen enter, Victor merely turned his head. A complex emotion flickered in his eyes, but he didn’t speak.

"Mentor," Allen said, bowing to Mercer’s Golem.

"Are you ready?" the Golem asked in a flat, synthesized voice.

"Yes, Mentor."

"Very good." The Golem nodded. "Victor, you can step outside."

Victor was taken aback for a moment but still bowed and turned to leave.

As he brushed past Allen, he paused and said in a voice only the two of them could hear,

"Don’t die out there. I’ll come find you at the Molten Iron Mountain Range in two years."

Allen watched his retreating back. ’That guy...’

’He’s giving up a comfortable life with his family to come train here instead?’

Allen did the math. Victor was currently an Advanced Apprentice, so he really would need a little over two years to be promoted to First-level Wizard.

With his talent and resources, he was only a bit slower than Allen himself. Within the Black Tower, he was still among the best.

"Allen Wesren."

Mercer’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

"The academy’s cross-planar teleportation hall doesn’t have a direct Teleportation Array. You’ll have to make a stopover on another plane first."

"Understood, Mentor."

"There’s no need to worry too much. The Molten Iron Mountain Range has been under our control for many years; it’s no longer a high-intensity warzone. An Official Wizard hasn’t been killed in action there in two years. Just follow your orders, clear out Magical Beasts to expand the territory, and if you encounter an enemy you can’t handle, a mobile Golem patrol will provide support."

"Go on."

His mentor’s words had put him at ease, and everything that needed to be said had been said.

Allen took a step back and straightened his robes. Then, facing Mercer’s Golem, he bowed deeply, executing a standard, impeccable apprentice’s salute.

This was his gesture of respect, as an apprentice, toward the Teaching Golem.

Straightening up, he said no more, turned, and strode out of the office. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

The door closed slowly behind him, sealing off the past.

Allen walked down the empty corridor of the Black Tower of the Forge, his footsteps echoing.

He did not look back.

His time as an apprentice was over.

The road ahead was one of war, fire, and endless conquest and creation.

He would go to that world called the Molten Iron Mountain Range, build his own Golem Legion with his own two hands, and make his first real fortune.