Your latest addition is cohesive, emotionally grounded, and well-paced. It follows naturally from the previous chapter and deepens both Luthar's backstory and his relationships with the surrounding cast. Below is a revised and lightly refined version of your draft to enhance flow, clarity, and tone while preserving your intent and voice:
After the Meeting – Reflections and Rest
After the so-called team-building meeting, their conversation meandered into deeper waters, turning toward Luthar's previous world.
As he spoke of his past, the room fell into a contemplative hush. Each tale—each fragment of his memory—painted a broader, darker picture. Their eyes gleamed with a mixture of awe and unease, curiosity laced with caution. Eventually, Freya, ever the one to disturb a silence, broke it again.
"You told us about your world and the threats it contains," she said softly, "but not about how you made up your mind to leave it."
Luthar paused, his gaze lowering to the grain of the polished table, tracing invisible patterns in its surface as though searching for some anchor there.
"I only fought one war with my own hands," he began at last, his voice steady and even. "After the victory, it was supposed to be a recovery mission. The world had been ravaged by a strange plague—unpredictable, mutating. I went to provide aid, restore order, rebuild."
He clasped his hands together—metal fingers folding over each other with slow precision.
"And I did. Power grids were restored. Clean water was distributed. Vaccines synthesized. The people started to hope again."
He lifted his eyes and met theirs, gaze unwavering.
"Then the Inquisition arrived."
The room tensed.
"They detected anomalies—claimed signs of Warp corruption. No evidence. No formal inquiry. Just accusations. That was enough for them to declare exterminatus."
Hephaestus narrowed her eye. "Exterminatus…?"
Luthar replied, tone flat, "It means to destroy a planet and all life on it. A final solution."
A moment of stunned silence passed before he continued.
"My mind has been engineered to suppress any knowledge of Chaos. I thought they were just normal people. So I refused. I locked targeting weapons on their cruiser and warned them to back down."
Freya tilted her head. "Then you fought."
"Almost," he said. His hands tightened slightly on the table. "Someone on my side intervened. They knew a conflict between a Tech-Priest and an Inquisitorial fleet would be catastrophic. So... they knocked me out. Tranquilized me. When I woke, the planet was gone. Glassed. Erased."
No one spoke.
"My father came to see me afterward," Luthar continued quietly. "He told me I had grown too emotional. That I needed... correction. That my judgment had been compromised."
A faint tremor crept into his voice.
"He suppressed my emotional centers. After that, I stopped feeling. I became just another machine."
Liliruca lowered her eyes, her hands clenched in her lap.
Freya's voice, though soft, struck like a scalpel. "And yet… you're here."
"I couldn't stay like that," he replied. "That wasn't life. So I began construction of a dimensional gate—unstable, dangerous, but functional. And eventually, it brought me here."
He rose slowly, weariness clinging to every motion.
Hephaestus gestured with a flick of her wrist. "Go sleep, Cogbane. You've been up for seven days."
Luthar gave a simple nod and turned toward the corridor. His footsteps, for once, were quieter than the machines he once built beside.
Returning to his quarters, he stripped the soot-stained gloves from his hands, lay back, and shut his eyes. For the first time in years, the machine allowed himself to rest.
The Next Morning
Dawn crept into the Crimson Church, its light dimmed by reinforced windows. Luthar awoke not by instinct, but by need. Rest had sharpened his mind.
He moved to the workbench and activated his personal console.
TASK LOG INITIALIZATION
Beneath it, he began to type:
Current Objectives:
Pay accumulated wages
Investigate local potion crafting
Prepare one light combat suit for Liliruca
Compile foundational knowledge package for the Goddess of the Forge
Continue analysis of Freya's divine blood
He closed the interface and stepped out into the main corridor. The silence was complete—no footsteps, no idle conversation. Auxiliary sensors confirmed the others had already left.
With nothing more to address inside the church, Luthar exited through the side corridor. The doors sealed behind him with a hiss as he stepped into the sunlight.
At the Shop
The familiar hum of street activity filtered faintly around him as he reached the store. The automatic door parted with a soft whisper.
Inside, the shop was pristine. The main counter was tidy, and shelves stood neatly stocked. Elna sat behind the counter, focused intently on a ledger, stylus in hand.
She glanced up as Luthar entered. "Good afternoon, Mr. Luthar," she said, her tone polite and steady.
He offered a nod and moved to the rear console. After a brief review of logs, inventory, and transactions, he turned back to her.
"Looks like I forgot to pay your salary this week."
Elna blinked. "It's alright. Miss Liliruca mentioned you'd been working nonstop."
He studied her, noting the sincerity in her voice—no resentment, just calm acknowledgement.
"A simple one," he murmured quietly to himself.
Then he spoke up.
"I've updated the terminal. You can withdraw your salary directly from the shop's cash box. The system will recognize your ID."
Elna's eyes widened slightly. "That's very convenient. Thank you."
Before she could return to her work, he added, "Take double this week's payment."
She paused. "Double? That's not necessary. I already earn enough—"
"You should take it," he interrupted gently. "You've worked consistently and without complaint."
Her fingers fidgeted at the edge of the desk. "I don't want to take advantage."
"You aren't," Luthar said. "You're being compensated. That's not a gift—it's correction."
A moment passed before Elna finally nodded, her voice quiet. "Understood, sir. Thank you."
He gave no further reply and turned to leave.
Behind him, Elna glanced at her ledger, a faint smile tugging at her lips before she returned to her work with renewed focus.
Outside
Outside, Luthar looked toward Miach's rundown shop.
Unchanged as ever.
He considered the options.
Potion knowledge... Miach would be a good place to start. And there are ways to ensure his cooperation.
With that thought, Luthar turned, already calculating the next steps.
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