After completing his initial preparations, Luthar finally left the confines of his workshop.

  His crimson robes caught the sunlight as he stepped through the district of Orario. The city bustled with life—merchants calling out, adventurers ughing over recent kills—but wherever he walked, the crowd parted with instinctual caution.

  Perhaps it was the unsettling hum of servos, or the mechanical arm coiled behind his back like a predator at rest. Maybe it was the faint scent of incense and machine oil that clung to him—a strange blend of the sacred and the industrial.

  But if anyone were to name the true reason they gave him space, it would be the things that followed him.

  Two servo-skulls floated silently beside him.

  Because they were covered in metal pting and stylized paint, they no longer inspired raw fear—but behind them was a hulking humanoid servitor, its armored frame moving with eerie precision. One arm ended in a spinning chainsaw, the other in a compact ser cannon. Exposed pistons hissed with every step.

  His first stop was one of the poorer districts, where buildings leaned on each other like drunkards and the air carried the sharp tang of alchemical brews. Luthar moved past narrow alleys and uneven cobblestone paths until he reached a stretch of rundown market stalls and shuttered shops.

  His red mechanical eye scanned for vacant buildings—finally, he spotted one. A crooked "For Lease" sign hung on the doorframe.

  It would suffice.

  Within the hour, the paperwork was processed through a Guild intermediary. He paid the fee, secured the workshop, and registered the location under his personal authority.

  Next task: field testing.

  Without wasting time, he headed for the upper floors of the Dungeon.

  Inside was retively quiet—only the occasional screech echoing through the stone corridors.

  When Luthar activated his chainsword, its mechanical shriek echoed off the walls. The weapon's teeth spun into a blur, vibrating with brutal precision.

  A single goblin, drawn by the sound, lunged at him with a crude knife. Luthar simply stepped forward and swung—cleanly bisecting the creature. Green blood spshed across his robes, only to vanish seconds ter as the corpse dissolved into a magic stone.

  When a trio of goblins emerged from a side passage, Luthar gave a mental command.

  The rge servitor surged forward, smming one goblin into the wall with bone-shattering force. The servo-skulls hovered higher and fired their ser weapons, turning the other two into ash and crystal.

  Luthar gave further instructions—continue killing, collect crystals.

  As his machines carried out the clean-up, he began his real work.

  Sometimes he killed. Sometimes he only removed limbs. Each action was carefully observed and cataloged. What tissues reacted violently to pain? What organs held potential? Were they structurally viable for conversion?

  An hour ter, a bag filled with neatly sealed monster cores hung at his side. But not all goblins had been killed.

  Three were intentionally left alive—restrained and gagged, bound with high-tensile cables. They twitched weakly with each step the servitor took, dragged like livestock.

  Luthar didn't spare them a gnce.

  They weren't beautiful girls, deserving of attention or sympathy.

  They were test subjects—maybe for chemical trials, maybe as servitor prototypes. If successful, he wouldn't need to worry about manufacturing more ter.

  To the average adventurer, goblins were walking coin purses.

  To Luthar, they were puzzles waiting to be taken apart.

  ---

  By the time he exited the Dungeon, two adventurers from the Ganesha Familia moved to intercept him.

  "Whoa there, friend," the taller one said, raising a hand to stop him. "You can't just walk around town dragging monsters behind you."

  Luthar didn't stop. "They are restrained."

  "That's not the point," the second one added. "Monsters aren't allowed outside the Dungeon. Even if they're tied up, it's illegal. They're supposed to be killed down there."

  Luthar's mechanical eye focused with a faint whir. "Do your people not also break rules when convenient? Besides, I have a secure facility for research."

  The two looked at each other, skeptical.

  "Look, unless you've got Guild approval, you're not allowed to bring Dungeon monsters into the city. What Familia are you even with?"

  "I operate under the divine will of the Omnissiah."

  The younger one blinked. "I've never heard of that god."

  The taller adventurer narrowed his eyes. "That's not a registered Familia. Are you messing with us?"

  Luthar's voice remained calm. "I am not affiliated with your so-called Familias. And if you wish to stop me, I suggest you speak with your own gods first."

  The chains on the goblins rattled as the servitor took a step forward. Both adventurers tensed, hands drifting toward their weapons.

  The younger leaned in, whispering, "Should we do something?"

  The older one sighed. "Let's check with the Guild first. If he's lying, senior members can deal with him."

  Luthar raised his hand and pulled out a paper. It was an official Guild permit, stamped with glowing seals. It clearly said he was allowed to take live monsters out of the Dungeon for research.

  The younger adventurer leaned in. "…Huh. It's legit."

  The taller one grunted. "Tch. Just be careful not to release them accidentally."

  Luthar said nothing more.

  As he resumed walking, dragging the goblins behind him, one of them let out a muffled scream.

  This time Neither adventurer moved to stop him.

  By the time Luthar returned to the Crimson Church, the sun was already dipping behind Orario's walls, dyeing the sky a burnt orange that bled through the high windows. He dragged three twitching goblins behind him, their limbs occasionally spasming as if in protest.

  The front doors opened with a mechanical groan, sensors registering his presence. Servo-skulls drifted from their wall cradles, scanning the struggling creatures and clearing a path toward the containment lift below.

  The goblins growled and thrashed, but the energy shackles held firm.

  Then—

  "KYAAAAAAAA!!"

  A piercing shriek echoed through the hall like a proximity arm. Luthar's mechanical eye twitched at the pitch.

  Hestia stood at the far end of the corridor, face pale, finger outstretched.

  "Wh-Wh-What are those?!"

  Luthar didn't break stride. "Specimens."

  "Specimens?! You brought monsters back here?! Into the church?!"

  "They are restrained. They will be deposited in the b's containment bay."

  "They're goblins! GOBLINS! Do you know what goblins do?! They bite! They stab! They are terrible"

  Hestia stormed up to him, filing her arms. "you are not bringing monster into my home"

  "it's my home."

  "it's a church and I am a goddess so that's my home You can't just drag goblins through the front door likegroceries !"

  "They are not groceries. They are biomass1. Possibly useful biomass."

  "biomass,biomass you can't convince me to allowed these monsters to be here"

  Luthar ignoring her protest, order a servitor to take them inside his b and contain them.

  "see out of site out of mind you should get used to it or find a new pce."

  Hestia was visibly trembling. "how can I sleep peacefully when I know there is a monster in basement"

  Without missing a beat, Luthar handed her a small wrapped bundle.

  She blinked. "What is this?"

  "Food. I acquired it on the way back."

  "…You got me Food?"

  "They are high in protein I predicted your agitation and accounted for appeasement."

  She stared at the bundle… then huffed.

  "You can't just buy forgiveness with Food, you know."

  He said nothing and left for the basement b.