Allen finished his morning "Advanced Rune Engineering" class. The Wizard lecturing today covered "The Practical Applications of Trigger Runes," and the content was quite abstruse.

His main consciousness followed the professor’s train of thought, while his first sub-thread worked in tandem with DSeek to cross-reference the lecture with his own "Node Self-Destruction and Rapid Reconstruction" protocol, searching for new paths to optimization.

When the class ended, Allen closed his notebook, stood up, and left the lecture hall.

"Sir, your schedule. At 9:30, you have a meeting with Master Mercer Iron Star."

Ah Fu’s voice sounded at Allen’s side, its volume precisely controlled so that only he could hear it clearly.

"Let’s go."

Allen had planned to take Ah Fu to see his mentor today, so he had left with the golem that morning and had it wait outside the classroom. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Its footsteps echoed crisply in the hallway as it followed three paces behind Allen. With its immaculate tuxedo and impeccable posture, it cut a unique figure among the bustling crowd of robed apprentices.

The apprentices in the hallway stared in curiosity.

They had seen Factory Servants—those clumsy lumps of iron that hauled heavy loads in mines and workshops—but they had never seen one so painstakingly modified.

They teleported to the ninth floor. The metal door to the mentor’s office was ajar, and the sound of conversation drifted out.

Allen walked in to find that his junior, Victor Iron Flame, had already arrived.

He was standing before their mentor, his posture ramrod-straight.

Beside him stood a behemoth, a full two meters tall.

The thing looked as if it were designed entirely for heavy industrial operations, brimming with brute force.

Its stout limbs were covered in heavy armor plating, its surface etched with orderly Rune Circuits. Its right arm was particularly monstrous—a giant, powered mechanical limb. It looked as if it could topple a wall with ease just by standing there.

Upon seeing Allen and Ah Fu, Victor’s gaze lingered on the golem’s tuxedo for a moment, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"Weisren, it seems your understanding of a ’servant’ is still stuck at the level of domestic service for the mundane aristocracy," Victor said.

Allen ignored the provocation, calmly walking to the other side of the room to bow to Master Mercer, who was behind his workbench.

"Mentor."

Ah Fu stopped behind him, standing at attention with its hands folded in front, like a true aristocratic butler silently observing its surroundings.

Master Mercer’s eyes swept over Victor’s heavy-duty servant before turning to Allen’s "Ah Fu."

"You’ve both brought your creations. Very good."

Mercer’s words were as direct as ever. "Victor, your heavy-duty servant’s maximum single-arm output is 3,700 kilograms. An excellent technical achievement."

Hearing his mentor’s praise, Victor lifted his chin slightly.

Mercer continued without pause. "Allen, your creation is... interesting. A modular design philosophy, and a complete social etiquette protocol... Did you really write an entire butler system for a Factory Servant in a single night?"

’It seems Master Mercer has already inspected Ah Fu’s internal structure and Control Core using a method I don’t understand.’

"It’s a component of efficiency, Mentor," Allen replied.

"An excellent support unit shouldn’t just execute commands. It should also be able to anticipate needs, optimize workflows, and complete tasks with minimal communicative overhead. Etiquette is one module in that system. Its purpose is to lower the user’s psychological aversion and increase collaborative efficiency."

"Sophistry," Victor scoffed. "A Mechanical Body is a tool. Tools only need obedience and power."

Mercer glanced at him. "Victor, your Mechanical Body is powerful, but its energy conversion efficiency is a bit low. Some of it is being wasted as heat and noise. There’s still room for optimization."

"Allen, your Mechanical Body is lacking in materials and maximum output, but you’ve compensated for its functional limitations with an expandable design. Your calibration of the Control Core is also quite refined."

Mercer walked between them and summarized, "The two of you represent two different paths within the alchemy school’s Macro-Construction discipline. One is resource-driven: using top-tier materials and powerful energy sources to overwhelm any problem. The other is system-driven: using superior structure and design to solve problems."

"There’s no absolute right or wrong, only different applications. It appears both of your design and manufacturing abilities have merit, and you’ve already surpassed the level of a standard Factory Servant."

He continued.

"Starting tomorrow, you will study under me, focusing on courses such as ’The Principles of Steel Golem Design’ and ’The Practice of Steel Golem Manufacturing.’ We will have class once every two days. The rest of the time is for you to manage your own studies and practical application."

"These two courses, in particular, place extreme emphasis on practical application. You must design, build, debug, and calibrate with your own hands.

"As it happens, in six months, the Black Tower of the Forge will hold its traditional apprentice competition. It’s limited to new Advanced Apprentices who have been studying at the Black Tower for less than three years. Both of you are required to participate. I’m not demanding exceptional results; this is to hone your abilities."

Blue streams of data flickered in Mercer’s eyes.

"The competition’s challenge is to design and build a basic Mechanical Body, but I want you to design yours to the standards of a ’small combat golem.’ This will be your primary assignment for the next six months."

A combat golem!

A fire instantly ignited in Victor’s eyes. That was his area of expertise.

The Tieyan Clan’s armories were filled with war machines of every model. He was confident he could use his family’s resources and technology to crush any opponent.

Allen, meanwhile, was rapidly assessing the progress of his own specialized coursework.

"One last thing," Mercer’s voice rang out again. "You are now qualified to inscribe your first Core Witchcraft. This will be a cornerstone for your future path, and it is irreversible."

He looked at them both, his voice growing grave.

"The first Core Witchcraft I will teach you is called the [Hive-Link Formula]. It is a prerequisite for controlling multiple Mechanical Bodies."

"The cost to learn this Witchcraft is eight hundred Low-Level Magic Stones. Once the fee is paid, I will personally guide you through the inscription during tomorrow’s first class."

Eight hundred Low-Level Magic Stones.

Victor didn’t bat an eye. To him, that amount was nothing more than the material cost for a single powered arm.

"I have no objections, Mentor," Allen replied.

"Very good." Mercer turned and projected an image: the ruins of a dilapidated city.

"Regarding the competition, I have one more thing to add. This year’s theme is ’Urban Pacification.’ The Golems you design must be able to operate in a complex urban environment. The objective is to eliminate designated targets as quickly as possible and with minimal collateral damage."

"This is the battlefield for Mechanical Bodies. Think carefully. Use your creations to show me your answer."