In the workshop’s control room, a massive light screen was divided into several real-ti monitoring windows.
On the main screen, the war between the Crystal Shell Giant Scorpions and the Dream-Weaving Demon Spiders had reached a fever pitch.
A black torrent of carapaces clashed madly with a translucent swarm of spiders. Corrosive venom, severed limbs, and shattered shells filled the air.
This bloody, chaotic scene was reflected in Allen’s deep blue eyes as a series of pulsing data streams.
"Jarvis, casualty ratio."
"Reporting, Commander. Six hours into the battle, the Crystal Shell Giant Scorpion population has lost nine adults and thirty-seven young. The Dream-Weaving Demon Spider population has lost twelve adults."
"Both sides are out for blood."
This was a primitive brawl with no tactics to speak of, a pure release of hatred and instinct.
But it was precisely this chaos that bought him the most precious commodity: ti.
"According to model projections, a conflict of this intensity is expected to last for one week. Afterward, both sides will temporarily cease hostilities due to excessive losses."
"A week?" Allen raised an eyebrow. "That’s too short."
He needed a protracted war of attrition, one that would ideally cripple both populations and give him enough ti to complete his initial accumulation of capital.
"Jarvis, connect to the fortress’s trading market."
The light screen switched, and a dazzling array of goods once again filled the display.
"ntor’s product list. Mining Golems. Get six more."
"Command confird. Unit price: 3,000 Low-Level Magic Stones. Six units total: 18,000 Low-Level Magic Stones, equivalent to 180 Mid-Level Magic Stones."
"Warning: This expenditure will consu 92% of your liquid assets. Risk assessnt: Extrely High."
’Risk?’ "The biggest risk is not having enough firepower and not having strong enough troops."
’Although building them myself would be the cheapest option, ti is of the essence. I have to start mining imdiately.’
He clicked "confirm" without a mont’s hesitation.
"Current Balance: 1.6 Mid-Level Magic Stones."
He was back to square one.
But a fire ignited in Allen’s eyes; even his chanical Mind couldn’t suppress the burning fla of his ambition.
"Jarvis, update the production queue."
"Start simultaneous production of twenty Spider Slayer Mark IIs. As for the remaining production capacity, max out the ’Jumping Spider’ production line!"
"Calculating... Insufficient inventory."
"All the Black-Patterned Iron that’s been mined, aside from the portion submitted to the ntor and what’s needed for current production tasks, convert the rest into materials for producing the PX-1!"
"I don’t need savings. I just need an army ard to the teeth."
The entire workshop, a war machine lying dormant beneath the wasteland, instantly began to operate with an unprecedented, frantic efficiency.
Half an hour later, six brand-new Mining Golems appeared directly in the workshop via the fortress’s remote teleportation service.
Allen didn’t even go to receive them personally, directly dispatching a squad of Spider Slayers to escort them to the mining area.
The mining area’s productivity instantly multiplied several tis over.
The monthly net profit from the original three Golems, converted to Magic Stones, was over 30,000 Low-Level Magic Stones. Now, it had skyrocketed to 100,000 Magic Stones.
At this mont, the roar of machinery beca the sole lody within the workshop.
The next day, five Spider Slayer Mark IIs completed assembly, rolling off the line to silently join the queue of standby units.
On the third day, "Jumping Spider" kamikaze Golems were churned out one after another, densely packed into half a warehouse. Their Control Cores all ca from those unlucky rock lizards.
Allen stood on an inspection platform, looking down at the "assets" he had churned out in just a few days.
Twenty Spider Slayers, five hundred Jumping Spiders.
This Steel Legion stood silently, too nurous to fit inside the factory any longer.
Although it was still nothing compared to a true Golem Legion, in the barbaric Zone 18, it was barely enough for self-preservation.
"Not enough, not enough... It’s still not enough," Allen muttered to himself.
"Jarvis, prepare to produce two PX-1s. Non-stop, around the clock."
"Understood. Beginning production preparations."
Imdiately after, the skeletons of two brand-new PX-1s were erected in the center of the assembly area, their forms slowly beginning to fill out.
A constant stream of ore was produced every day. The mid-level refining equipnt’s production capacity was pushed to its limit, forcing Allen to buy a small transport Floating Ship.
Aside from what was used for production, the other refined Black-Patterned Iron ingots were directly exchanged for materials, which were now being shipped out in batches.
Five days later, he once again turned his gaze to the monitoring screens.
The intensity on the battlefield was beginning to decline, just as Jarvis had predicted.
The Crystal Shell Giant Scorpions were clearly showing signs of fatigue. A few of the leading adults seed to be gathering their forces to retreat.
Although their carapaces still shone, the Dream-Weaving Demon Spiders were masters of Mind Attacks. Despite the scorpions’ nurical advantage, fighting on the spiders’ ho turf had cost them dearly.
’Thinking of a truce?’ Allen’s eyes turned cold. "I haven’t agreed to that."
He imdiately flew near the battlefield of the two clans, carrying a bizarrely shaped launching device.
This was a remote delivery device he had jury-rigged. It used Runes for acceleration and could accurately launch small objects over five kiloters away.
"Jarvis, pinpoint the center of their battlefield for ."
"Target locked."
Allen took sothing out of his spatial briefcase—it was an enhanced "Right of Final Interpretation" Alchemy Bomb.
He loaded this "gift" into the crude launcher.
"A little present to wake them up a bit."
The Rune lit up. WHOOSH—!
The Alchemy Bomb traced an arc invisible to the naked eye. After flying through the air for a few minutes, it landed right in the center of the battlefield, where the fighting was just about to end.
BOOM!!!
A huge mushroom cloud erupted.
The few Magical Beasts still entangled in the final throes of combat were sent flying. While the "Right of Final Interpretation" could hardly inflict serious injuries on Mid-Level Magical Beasts of this caliber—only concussing them enough to vomit blood—the bomb’s audiovisual effects were staggering.
The red light in the compound eyes of the scorpion leader, which had been ready to retreat, suddenly flared intensely.
SKREEEEE—!!!
Madness completely replaced any thought of retreat.
It abruptly spun around, its massive pincers smashing wildly against the ground. It led its remaining troops in another charge toward the Crystalized Forest.
On the other side, the Dream-Weaving Demon Spider’s queen also seed to sense the malice contained within the "gift" and let out an enraged shriek of its own.
The battlefield, which had just begun to quiet down, erupted once more in an even more brutal fashion.
Allen watched all of this with a blank expression, like a god moving pieces on a chessboard.
’That’s more like it.’
He turned, ready to return to his workbench and continue optimizing his "Golem" designs.
As far as he was concerned, the war had now beco background music. The urgent matter was to climb the tech tree and expand his production capacity.
’Even after they finish trying to kill each other, they’ll need a good long while to rest and recuperate.’
The remote delivery device he had developed was his new experint. Since beam weapons weren’t very effective against the Crystal Shell Giant Scorpions, he would try to blast them to death with bombs. He planned to create a new Golem similar to a missile launcher vehicle.
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