Antikythera didn't feel the need to worry about his floor's operations as he made his way back. The stairs of Nazarick, in their length, only allocated him more time to consider potential consequences of this sudden transference. There were many variables to consider, but for the time being, the most important one was the logistics within the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

  The outside world could wait, he decided. The inhabitants of his home came first, and should the comfort be found cking, then he would take from the ecosystem outside to feed the cking parts of the tomb. Material compensation, as it was, would not be enough, however.

  He needed to find a way to gather materials simir in quality to those which could be found in the nine realms. But where would he be able to get that? The answer y outside, naturally. If there were species familiar to him, then he could perhaps ask the doctors of his floor to begin selectively breeding them until he got a desired cattle that could be harvested for materials, which would act as a satisfactory substitute for the ones they were cking.

  Potions, hm. Would an abundance of them in a local creature's system mutate the fauna? There was a high possibility. Magic was quite influential in the sense that biological beings subjected to the energy would see effects nigh immediately after exposure. Magic was present in the world, which meant that there should already be magical beings existing locally.

  That would make the task of mutating them further much easier. Antikythera cached that particur conclusion for future endeavors. There was still more to do, such as finding ways to grow alchemical herbs for potions. There needed to be a system in pce that would cycle through the feeding process of his candidates for selective breeding and recycle it once an unsatisfactory new generation of children came about—or if the previous generation was ckluster compared to the newer ones.

  He should mention this to Albedo in the future. Again, that was cached in the recesses of his nigh-infinite memory. The report, Sakai would write, and then he would leave her to deliver it to Albedo while he went outside the tomb to oversee Mare's work in terraforming the local area into a more desirable swamp-like environment. His Lord should appreciate the change.

  Antikythera killed his mental processes once he reached his floor. The sound of hammers had been picked up by his audio receivers a few stairwells back, and the screams of pain from his organic workers echoed, mixing into it to create a strange symphony that would no doubt be pleasing to Demiurge's ears. To Antikythera, however, it was no different from a series of beats that he could not appreciate.

  He simply did not understand it. The sound of metal, yes, that was something his artificial heart was close to. But the screaming? It merely detracted from the glory of steel rather than adding to its song.

  One of the organics passed out at his feet as he made his way to the control tower. Augmented nurses rushed to pick the creature up, and Antikythera took the time to ask them if the man would have a repcement. They naturally answered no. Concerning. Automatons moving the generators would only be detrimental to the factory's workload, as they were better suited for tasks such as making weaponry, not producing energy.

  When he reached the control tower, he entered and greeted the floating nervous system in the vat built at the center of its inner chambers.

  "Sakai, how is everything? I have confirmed in my meeting that the tomb has relocated somewhere, and I have also been recently informed that we are going to start cking organics to man the power generators?"

  Instead of the nervous system answering him, a woman appeared before him. Antikythera knew Sakai had been monitoring the situation, so he had no doubts she would give him a proper answer to his inquiries.

  Sakai stood tall, her form shimmering like a mirage, a blend of sharp edges and ghostly translucence. She wore a perfectly tailored business suit, the deep bck fabric overid with a faint, almost ethereal glow that flickered at the edges as if it existed in two realities at once. Her matching trousers, crisp and seamless, carried the same holographic quality, creating an uncanny illusion where light passed through just enough to blur her silhouette without fully rendering her invisible.

  Her presence radiated authority, an unspoken command that weighed down the air around her. Every step she took was measured, each movement precise, as if dictated by an internal clockwork that brooked no dey. The cold intensity in her gaze was sharp enough to cut steel, and right now, all of it was directed at the logbook in her hands. She held it with a vice-like grip, her fingers twitching slightly as she flipped through its pages with rapid efficiency.

  The glow from her form cast faint refractions onto the book’s surface, making it seem as though the pages themselves were caught between two dimensions. Every detail, every figure, every notation within those lines was subjected to her scrutiny, her gre digging into them like a scalpel. To anyone watching, it was clear—Sakai had no patience for errors, no tolerance for inefficiency. And whatever was written in that logbook had either met her impossible standards or was about to be torn apart by her piercing analysis.

  "I have checked and confirmed your concerns about cking organics to power the factory, Antikythera," the holographic form of Sakai frowned. "Yes," she said matter-of-factly. "I do believe we will have to tap into our fusion reactors soon."

  "Concerning." Antikythera mulled over the problems of initiating the emergency protocols of using their more fusion-based power source. "With Nazarick beginning to ck resources, I do believe we will need to find fresh organics to man the cranks soon, lest we consume more of the tomb's already depleting resources."

  "Shall I send scouts outside in search of fresh organics?" Sakai looked at Antikythera with eyes brimming with expectation. One holographic eyebrow raised in confusion when Antikythera shook his head. "No?"

  "No. Tap into the emergency reserves for now," the Automaton said. "It will st us for years if the need arises, and caution is better for our current situation since we do not know what the world beyond the tomb holds."

  "I see." Sakai nodded. "I'll initiate the emergency power protocols... It is done."

  Outside, the sound of something whirring echoed across the factory. It slowly rose in crescendo until it became an all-consuming noise before dying down.

  "I want you to make two copies of the report for the current production efficiency of the factory as well as its problems," Antikythera ordered as he made his way out. "And Sakai?"

  The hologram tilted her head.

  "Tell Aoi, Hana, and Asuka I'll be coming to visit soon. I have an important job for them which involves their expertise."

  "I'll get to it, Antikythera." Sakai bowed.

  Antikythera turned away. Now, if he was correct, Mare should be waiting for him outside.