CHAPTER 142: THROUGH THE FRONT DOORS

The mechanical components began to combine.

Every piece floated in the air, slowly turning and locking into place as green light filled the basement.

Lucius stood back with his arms folded, watching the process.

He could feel the wind brushing against his face as each part came together...

It was like watching a god at work. Everything was joining together as if they had a will of their own.

He exhaled quietly.

’I’m glad she’s gotten better at this.’

’She can confidently assemble five things at once now,’ he thought proudly. ’That’s a good improvement from one item per spell.’

He leaned against the table and stretched before yawning.

’Phew, all that’s left is to relax.’

It was easier said than done.

They still had close to a hundred thousand drones to assemble for Luna’s production run.

Even if Villy didn’t tire easily thanks to her dwarven bloodline, using Analyze thousands of times in a row was going to be torture.

Luna’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Do you think she’ll be okay?" she asked quietly, glancing at Villy.

She was guilty for making her work like this...

Lucius shrugged. "She’ll be fine."

Luna frowned. "You sound pretty sure."

"I am," he said simply. "Dwarves are tough. They don’t know how to stop until their hands fall off."

Luna smiled though the worry didn’t completely fade from her face.

"I should probably go and look through the files for the next raid," Lucius added, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You haven’t already?" she asked, surprised.

He raised a brow at her. "Do I look like someone who does things early?"

Her mouth twitched. "I thought you’d at least plan ahead."

"Eh," he said lazily. "I’m not all-powerful. I just make it look like I am."

Luna sighed, shaking her head.

Lucius chuckled.

"Besides," he said, glancing at the floating drones, "I have to find something new. I’m tired of the same old dungeons... forests, caves, ruins. I want something different."

He pictured it in his head.

Endless trees, damp caverns, glowing stones... it all felt recycled.

’The watchers are probably sick of it too,’ he thought. ’A dungeon with an ocean theme might be good. Something fresh. I’ll have to get a pirate ship too.’

"Done," Villy said softly.

Lucius turned just as five small drones floated into the air.

He gave a small approving nod. "Good work."

Villy panted lightly but smiled. "My lord... where do I keep these?"

Luna stepped forward and raised her hand.

The silver ring on her finger glowed, and all five drones vanished into thin air... sucked neatly into the ring’s pocket dimension.

"Got them," Luna said, smiling at Villy. "You can start on the next batch if you’re ready."

The dwarf nodded, turning toward another stack of unopened boxes.

Lucius walked closer and placed a hand gently on her head.

"Don’t overwork yourself," he said. "If you feel tired, take a break."

Villy froze for a second, her face turning pink. "...Okay."

She hesitated, then looked up at him again. "My lord, are you going somewhere?"

Lucius straightened.

"Yeah," he said. "I have to do some research."

And before she could reply, he disappeared. Space folded around him, and he was gone.

Villy stared at the spot where he had stood for a moment, then smiled.

"Alright..." she whispered.

Her eyes glowed green again. "Analyze."

The next round of boxes began to tear apart.

...

Lucius appeared outside the GRIMMAW building three minutes later.

The new headquarters stood tall in front of him, its glass panels reflecting the fading light of the setting sun.

’This place is a lot farther than the old site,’ he thought. It now took two long range teleportations to reach it.

He sighed.

’I was just here hours ago.’

But he had to come back.

There were still files to check and future raids to plan.

He started walking toward the front doors.

This time, he decided to enter properly... He hadn’t been inside yet, to get the rings to the meeting room, they had used a hidden elevator at the lab to reach the meeting room, and besides he wanted to see what the government had given them.

As he stepped through the glass doors, the noise of chatter and movement filled his ears.

The interior had changed completely since the old building.

Instead of a small hall and single desk, there was now a large open reception floor.

The polished marble gleamed under bright lights. Rows of counters lined the far wall, each manned by receptionists in their uniforms... white coats with silver trim.

Dozens of people stood in line: There were regular people looking to become awakened, there were also other people who wanted to sell items to the GUILD...

Lucius slowed his pace, looking around.

It was... impressive.

A group of new recruits whispered among themselves as he passed.

"Wait... is that him?"

"It is! I didn’t think we would meet him so early!"

"Should we ask for his autograph?... I’m shy."

At the far end of the counter, he spotted a familiar face.

Miss Brown.

She was typing quickly on a computer, her desk was stacked with papers.

Her hair was tied up neatly, though a few strands had escaped down her face. She looked busier than ever.

Lucius walked up to her booth, waiting for her to look up.

When she finally did, she greeted him with the standard polite smile used for strangers. "Hello, kind sir. Would you like to register with GRIMMAW Guild?"

Lucius blinked, slightly amused.

"Or," she continued professionally, "are you here to post a mission for our Awakeners?"

He tilted his head. "Eh? It’s me."

Her eyes flicked up again, this time properly meeting his.

Her expression froze instantly.

"S-s-sir Lucius?!" she stammered. "Oh... welcome back, sir! I didn’t recognize you!"

Lucius smirked. "I was literally here earlier today."

She coughed, face flushing slightly. "Yes, of course, I just... uh... didn’t expect to see you back so soon."

He shrugged lightly. "I wanted to see how you were doing."

She gave an awkward laugh, tucking a pen behind her ear.

"Is there anything I can help you with, sir?"

Lucius nodded. "Yes. I want to look through the current raiding missions you have."

Miss Brown blinked, then quickly turned to her computer screen. "Understood. I’ll bring them up right away."