Chapter 208: Chapter 202: The ’Pauper’ with a Monthly Income of 640,000

Inside the workshop’s core control room, a holographic projection divided the entire strategic zone into a dozen or so sectors. The once sparse map was now covered in glowing dots representing friendly units.

[Report, Commander. As of today, the quarterly report for Zone 18 has been compiled.]

Allen sat in the comfortable chair custom-made for him, watching as the projection before him switched to a familiar financial statement.

[New mineral veins discovered and put into production this quarter: one new medium-sized black-striped iron mine and one rich fire-element crystal cluster mine. Total controlled mining sites: 7.]

[Production Statistics: Total ore extraction this quarter increased by 157%. Equivalent monthly net profit: 645,000 Low-Level Magic Stones. Monthly equipment and Golem maintenance expenditure: approximately 75,000 Magic Stones.]

[Current actual controlled area of the zone: 34,650 square kilometers.]

"A monthly income of six hundred and forty thousand..." Allen murmured to himself.

Three years ago, a sum like that would have had Allen laughing in his sleep.

This monthly income was enough to make even a Second-level Wizard green with envy, but he knew better. The six hundred thousand a month barely touched his hands before it was gone, poured instantly into the bottomless pit of his production lines.

His gaze fell to the very bottom of the report.

[Current Liquid Assets: 324,700 Low-Level Magic Stones (approx. 324.7 Mid-Level Magic Stones).]

[Financial Status Assessment: Tight liquidity. The commander is advised to control the impulse for expansion.]

Three months ago, he had been a "millionaire" with over a million in assets. Now, his cash reserves had shrunk by seventy percent.

"How am I getting poorer the more money I make?"

Allen sighed, tossing the metal cube he had been fiddling with onto the table. It was a high-purity Mithril ingot of considerable value, yet he treated it as carelessly as a brick.

’Where did all the money go?’

A detailed chart unfolded before Allen’s eyes. Every line item of expenditure pointed to a new construction project or an upgrade plan.

[PX-2 ’Flame Demon-2’ Production: 420,000 Low-Level Magic Stones.]

[Two new mining site garrisons (standard configuration): 348,600 Low-Level Magic Stones.]

[Six new ’Storm Falcons’: 97,800 Low-Level Magic Stones.]

[Six new ’Demon Eye III’ units: 18,000 Low-Level Magic Stones.]

[’Freedom Gundam-2’ Production (43% progress): 310,000 Low-Level Magic Stones.]

[Golem Legion Energy Storage Upgrade Plan (70% complete): 150,000 Low-Level Magic Stones.]

[New industrial mining and logistics Golems: 18,000 Low-Level Magic Stones.]

[Underground transport network expansion: 12,000 Low-Level Magic Stones.]

[Construction of three volcanic Magic Power furnaces and investment in ’Furnace Workshop’: 200,000 Low-Level Magic Stones.]

[First Golem Legion expansion: 316,000 Low-Level Magic Stones.]

[Total Investment: approx. 1,580,000 Low-Level Magic Stones.]

Allen looked at the staggering numbers, feeling a mix of pain and pleasure. Behind the massive investment lay the promise of even greater output and a more solid foundation for his enterprise.

The six newly built Storm Falcons and the Freedom Gundam formed a rapid response team, tasked with patrolling day and night between the seven mining sites.

Although the large Magical Beast populations in his territory had been cleared out, stray Magical Beasts or unwelcome visitors from underground still appeared occasionally. With this mobile force, he could now provide support to any front at a moment’s notice.

In addition to the active-duty PX-2 "Flame Demon," a second unit of the same model, "Flame Demon-2," had rolled off the production line. It was currently soaking in a lava lake, acting as a sentry.

The First Legion, still structured as a combined arms brigade, had also undergone a round of expansion. Its current strength was:

Spider Slayer II units, 20 Purgatories, 5 Pacifistas, 10 Demon Eye II aerial fortresses, 3 Demon Eye III units, 12 Storm Falcons, and two levitating transport ships.

The total value of the First Golem Legion had reached 750,000 Magic Stones—30,000 more than the production cost of a single Freedom Gundam.

This also showed that in the Wizarding World, the power gap between mighty beings could not be bridged by sheer numbers alone.

However, the Golem Legion’s diverse strike capabilities and numerical superiority were an indispensable part of Allen’s overall strength.

His Zone 18 was now like a rapidly expanding behemoth, converting everything it devoured into Mechanical Bodies and Golems.

Although his liquid cash had decreased rather than increased, his total assets had grown explosively.

Across the entire zone, his blue territory on the map had expanded southward once again. Three enormous volcanic Magic Power furnaces, like three beating hearts, were set along the shore of the lava lake, continuously pumping cheap Magic Power into his industrial empire.

An underground network spread like blood vessels, connecting seven mining fortresses that were armed to the teeth.

[Workshop automation has reached 92% completion.]

[The Control Cores for Level 1 and Level 2 Golems are now fully sourced from market-standard models. With multiple pre-loaded tactical protocols, their autonomous decision-making capabilities have improved by 25%.]

Jarvis continued his report.

Automating workshop production was a long-term project for Allen. With this new milestone, he was largely freed from the process. He no longer needed to personally produce every Golem’s Control Core. He just had to stock the components, and Jarvis would automatically handle the assembly.

"Very good," Allen nodded. "This way, I’ll have more time for my own training."

He pulled up his training progress.

[1. Third Core Matrix (Wizard Stage): 2/36]

[2. Third Mental Sub-thread (Wizard Stage): 14/15]

[3. Active Witchcraft (2/3): High-Level Magic Shield Technique, Short-Range Blink.]

[4. Core Witchcraft (1/3): Conditions met to inscribe a second Core Witchcraft.]

Even though he had been dizzyingly busy lately, Allen had made sure to train for at least five hours every day.

The third mental sub-thread for the First-level Wizard stage was about to be fully inscribed, and his second Core Matrix was already complete. This meant he could now inscribe his second Core Witchcraft, a prospect he was very excited about.

"Looks like it’s time to go to Forged Fire Fortress," Allen said softly.

He needed to purchase a Core Witchcraft from his mentor, Mercer. A spell that he once thought was astronomically expensive at 8,000 stones now seemed cheap.

More importantly, he planned to start laying out the construction of a "Second Workshop." With his energy problems solved, production capacity was his only remaining bottleneck. He would use this trip to purchase equipment for the Furnace Workshop as well.

’Sigh. This is probably going to be another huge expense.’

"Commander, the test data for the ’single-pilot light combat armor’ has been compiled."

Jarvis’s voice cut through Allen’s self-pity.

"Play it."

The scene changed, and a test recording appeared.

Over a barren wasteland, a streamlined suit of red and gold armor performed supersonic maneuvers at low altitude.

Allen himself was inside, testing it. The suit was only two meters tall and form-fitting, using Anti-Gravity Runes to fly. It was equipped with beam weapons in its palms and the soles of its feet.

Unlike in the movies, it didn’t have a miniature reactor in its chest. Instead, it had a chest cannon. Since the technology to miniaturize Magic Power furnaces didn’t exist yet, Allen himself had to power the suit.

This was a product of Allen’s nerdy side, a little something he whipped up in his spare time. Codename: "Mark I."

"Flight posture is stable. The Palm Cannon’s output is equivalent to a Low-level Witchcraft. The chest-mounted cluster cannon’s instantaneous output can reach a peak of 1,000 Magic Power fluctuation."

Allen looked at the data and nodded slightly. "And its defenses?"

[Thin-layer Titan-alloy armor, combined with a miniature AT Field. It can withstand three full-power attacks from a First-level Wizard.]

"Still too fragile," Allen commented with a dismissive purse of his lips. ’Me wear it? That’s a death wish. In this world, charging into the fray wrapped in a tin can is incredibly foolish.’

[It can be controlled directly by the user’s thoughts. If a miniaturized Magic Power furnace is developed in the future, it could also support a remote-control mode.]

"Yes, remote control is the key," Allen nodded. He had no intention of fighting on the front lines himself.

He was a Wizard, a commander, not a front-line grunt.

If a situation ever required him to fight personally, it would mean his Golem Legion had already been wiped out. In that case, this suit would only be useful for running away.

"However..."

Allen stroked his chin, a merchant’s cunning glinting in his eyes. "This cool design, plus the gimmick of ’it flies and shoots instant fireballs’... If we sell it to those stu—ahem, brave Wizards heading off to explore the Abyss or other planes, it should fetch a nice price."

Once his technology improves significantly, he might even be able to build a truly practical, pilotable mecha.

After all, not every Wizard had a powerful Golem Legion at their command.

For many lone-wolf Wizards, a suit of personal armor that could drastically increase their combat effectiveness would be an irresistible temptation.

"Jarvis, add this project to the ’Export Catalog.’ We’ll see if there’s a market for it when we get to other planes. Note: high-end customization, limited release."

[Recorded.]

The Export Catalog was something Allen had created in imitation of most Alchemy Wizards—a series of armaments available for outside sale.

His current products included: the Demon Eye II, the Storm Falcon, the Jumping Spider, the Spider Slayer II, and the Purgatory.

So far, he had only managed to sell 20 Purgatory units to Victor. The rest of his products had garnered no interest, which he could only blame on his current lack of impressive achievements or reputation.

It was said that the products of renowned Alchemy Masters were so astronomically priced that people had to wait in long lines and still couldn’t get their hands on one.

Just as Allen was lost in thought, planning for the future, Jarvis’s voice sounded again.

[Abnormality detected.]

Allen’s gaze sharpened instantly.

[In Zone 19, Commander Victor’s industrial construction activities in the volcanic region came to a complete halt three days ago.]

[All Golems deployed on the northern border of Zone 19 have been withdrawn to his core workshop area.]

[According to feedback from the Demon Eye III cluster network, Commander Victor’s patrol radius has shrunk significantly, and some of his reconnaissance Golems have also been recalled.]

Allen frowned. Victor suddenly halting his expansion and even pulling back his defensive lines was not a normal sign.

"Analyze the reason," Allen commanded.

[Analyzing behavioral patterns...]

[Commander Victor’s past behavior indicates a preference for a steady and continuous expansion strategy. This comprehensive pullback is inconsistent with historical data.]

[Hypothesis 1: An unknown and powerful Magical Beast horde has appeared deep within Zone 19, forcing him to halt his expansion.]

[Hypothesis 2: Commander Victor has discovered a rare resource that requires him to concentrate his forces for extraction or protection, thus the defensive contraction.]

[Hypothesis 3: Commander Victor has acquired a powerful piece of Alchemy Technology or intelligence and is currently focused on internal integration, leaving no capacity for external matters.]

Allen stared at the area on the holographic map representing Zone 19, which had suddenly gone "quiet."

"Could it be a powerful Magical Beast horde..."

Allen murmured to himself. The density and danger level of Magical Beasts in Zone 19 were already higher than in Zone 18. If a threat had appeared that even Victor found troublesome, it was certainly no ordinary matter.

"I wonder what’s going on over there," Allen said, tapping his fingers on the armrest.

Victor’s unusual behavior added an element of uncertainty to his upcoming trip to Forged Fire Fortress.

"The First Golem Legion is to remain stationed near the lava lake to guard against any developing situations in Zone 19."

[Order confirmed.]

"Jarvis, prepare the Odyssey. We’re leaving. And bring that special gift I prepared."

’Forged Fire Fortress,’ he thought, ’here I come again.’