Mechanical Alchemist

Su Lun made his way toward the "Scavengers Guild" and indeed noticed some distinct gazes amidst the crowd in the city, likely belonging to members of the umbrella organization.

Their sharp eyes swept back and forth through the crowd, paying particular attention to those who were partially hidden or carrying large cases—the Scavengers.

Su Lun's half-mask was never intended to cover his face completely, just to mask his remarkable handsomeness and make him look more like a Scavenger.

Those gazes quickly moved on once they realized he didn't match the image of any wanted criminal, and no one took any further interest in him.

Soon, Su Lun arrived at the grand hall of the Scavengers Guild.

The place was bustling several times more than it had been a month ago, with a throng of people in the guild's task hall, as Scavengers crowded the entire mansion to accept and hand out quests.

Luckily, Su Lun had been cautious enough not to use the identity of "Johnny" to post the commission.

This had saved him a lot of trouble.

He checked and found more than ten pieces of information at the task management, all claiming to have intelligence on "Spatial Material."

Five of them couldn't be contacted, likely because they had left or possibly died;

Seven or eight pieces of information were unreliable, with several that were obviously fishing attempts, leaving not much valuable information.

After filtering through them, Su Lun saw a relatively credible piece from a somewhat famous professional informant, "Red Nose" Fox.

Five days ago, this guy left a message saying that a Scavenger team had discovered a creature with Spatial Ability in a newly excavated cursed space in the western part of the city. An appraiser had determined that the creature was at least a second-tier silver, with a high probability of producing advanced space materials.

Su Lun also carefully considered the address and the general description in the message, preliminarily concluding there was some truth to it.

As to whether it definitely contained what he wanted, it was uncertain.

But he planned to meet with the informant first.

After paying the commission, Su Lun left the Scavengers Guild.

....

Informant was a very lucrative grey profession in Old Lington, with quite a few of them in the black market.

Their sources of information were complex, including taverns, brothels, gambling stalls, gangs, women's circles... Some were responsible for gathering information, others for compiling it. Even their day job might involve serving the intelligence networks of major powers as "moles," occasionally leaking information for a price—whoever paid more got the intel.

Of course, with all sorts mixed together, these people were often double agents as well. Buying information might just as easily result in being sold as information.

Su Lun returned to the city and once again visited the "Black Baron" pub.

That's where "Red Nose" Fox had left his contact information.

With the 19th expected to cause a major commotion in a day or two, Su Lun felt it best to secure the needed information and leave camp as soon as possible.

Only after advancing to the second tier did he feel he had the capacity to protect himself amidst the chase from the umbrella organization and Bounty Hunters.

Su Lun entered the pub and made his way directly to the bar, casually tossing a silver coin to the bartender, he asked, "Hey, buddy, have you seen 'Red Nose' around?"

The bartender pocketed the tip and said, "Mr. Fox almost always comes here to drink at seven in the evening. Have a seat, you might just run into him."

Looking at the time and seeing he had about an hour to wait, Su Lun decided to stay and try his luck, raising his hand to signal, "Bring me a pint of rye."

The tavern was noisy all day long, much more lively than a month ago. Although it had recently been renovated, with two additional floors built, it was still bursting at the seams.

Unable to find a booth, Su Lun settled for a seat at the bar.

Glancing around, he noticed that the number of scantily-clad barmaids had increased significantly, yet they were in even greater demand.

Su Lun had intended to ask one of the girls for the latest news from the camp, but Madam informed him there were no vacancies.

But luck wasn't bad either; after waiting less than half an hour, a green-haired man with a red nose and a sly look in his eyes walked into the Black Baron tavern.

The bartender seemed to remind Su Lun by calling out, "Mr. Fox, you've arrived."

Su Lun, seeing the man's astute gaze, knew it was "Red Nose" Fox. He was familiar with the rules of the underworld and greeted him without any hesitation, "Hey, Red Nose~"

Fox, hearing him, was not shocked but rather pleased.

Being called by his nickname meant he was dealing with a customer of significance.

Su Lun got straight to the point, "I want to buy some information."

Fox came over, casually sizing up Su Lun, and said with a chuckle, "Sure, sure..."

Su Lun said directly, "I want to know about the 'spatial material' information you have."

At these words, Fox's small eyes immediately lit up, as if he'd found something interesting, and he whispered, "Oh, I remember now! Are you the commissioner who posted the 'shocking 5 million' bounty?"

This guy didn't start with the transaction, but instead remarked, "Hey, buddy, that technique of yours really works. I tried it out for a few days, and business did get a lot better. But now there are too many imitators; they're always 'shocked,' and it's hard to tell which news is actually valuable."

"..."

With a smile, Su Lun thought no wonder he'd seen so many exaggerated pieces of information at the Scavenger Guild; he had unwittingly started this ridiculous trend.

He didn't dwell on the topic and asked, "Is the cursed space mentioned in your information still there? Or can you provide information on the whereabouts of finished advanced materials?"

"It's there! The cursed space is currently being developed, and the materials haven't been extracted yet. However..."

With a calculating look in his red nose, Fox stated, "I see you've offered a reward up to five million for the information. The information I have is worth one million."

He paused, then self-promotingly added, "Although it's a bit pricey, I can guarantee that I, 'Red Nose' Fox, have the most detailed information in the entire Dawn Camp."

These information traders were all slick operators, starting their bids sky-high.

Just like vendors in an antique market, bargaining always started with outrageous initial quotes.

Su Lun listened unbothered and replied indifferently, "Based on the information you left at the Scavenger Guild, it's currently worth three thousand. If you can provide more detailed and useful information, I'll consider adding a bit more."

As he spoke, he also, understanding protocol, took out three thousand in cash.

"Hehe..."

From one million down to three thousand, Fox didn't mind at all.

He laughed as he took the money, knowing he was dealing with someone who knew the ropes, and then he went straight to the point, "Seven days ago, the 'Stag Scavenger Group' discovered a large cursed space near a dark lake in the eastern district of the ruins, close to the central ring. After exploring it, they found that it was at least a second-tier silver supernatural being. It was an ancient 'Magician' with the ability to conjure various items out of thin air. We speculate that it's definitively a type of professional spatial ability..."

Then, the information abruptly stopped.

Having received three thousand, Fox disclosed only information worth that amount.

Su Lun became interested, "Is that cursed space still there?"

"It's still there."

Fox nodded, his eyes calculating, and added, "There's been no word on anyone slaying that supernatural creature. Moreover, I can assure you that even if a large Scavenger team were to go, they wouldn't be able to deal with the cursed space in a short time."

Upon hearing that even large Scavenger teams could not handle it, Su Lun asked, "Is it an S-tier space?"

Fox shook his head, adept at whetting one's appetite, "No. It's a compound cursed space. It's difficult to say exactly what level it belongs to right now. The part that's been explored carries approximately a B-level danger. The second floor is a bit special, but it's probably just A+; as for the third floor, no one knows. No one who has gone there has come back alive, so it's tentatively rated T. Also, I'll give you a free piece of information: that cursed space is very special, and the loot will be astoundingly substantial."

"Compound cursed space" usually refers to particularly large cursed spaces where the difficulty may vary by region, often producing various cursed objects, and even potentially items belonging to the category of sealed super-tier cursed objects.

Listening, Su Lun's interest grew increasingly, and he asked, "What if I need detailed information on that cursed space?"

Fox's eyes flashed with shrewdness as he held up three fingers, "Thirty thousand for the address and basic information; for detailed information... a hundred thousand."

With an expressionless face, Su Lun took out a stack of money and placed it on the bar, not handing it over entirely, "This is a hundred thousand. I hope the information I get is worth the price."

"Rest assured, I, 'Red Nose', have been in the information trade for more than a day or two, and I still have some professional ethics."

Fox eyed the money, his smile narrowing like a fox.

He immediately took out paper and a pen, and while drawing a map, he said, "The cursed space is called 'Old Lington Hotel', a luxury hotel from ancient times. The space has a different flow of time compared to the real world, roughly 20:1; the condition to exit is quite simple, just stay in the space for 24 hours, and you'll be able to see the way out. Generally, the situation is... once it becomes night, the hotel will be contaminated by ghost fog, and all the tenants in the hotel will turn into 'aberrations.' The first floor has ninety-nine rooms; most have been explored, containing mainly first-tier Iron Rank and a few Silver Rank aberrations. The Scavenger teams that have entered and come out alive have all made substantial gains..."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun's face showed no change, but his mind began to race.

Fox continued, "The number of rooms on the second floor is unclear, with less than ten confirmed, and the danger level is high. The 'Magician' I mentioned earlier is staying in room number 2013 on the second floor... No one has returned alive from the third floor, and there is no information."

Before long, he had finished listening to the information.

Now, Su Lun had a rough idea of the cursed space known as the 'Old Lington Hotel.'

It seemed to be an ancient hotel that, come midnight, would be affected by a special contaminating energy, turning everyone into monsters.

The tenant in each room would be contaminated into an "aberration."

And listening to the information, it appeared that the Scavenger teams had been developing there for seven days, with huge rewards.

But even the first floor hadn't been fully explored...

Which meant... the risks were significant!

Fox had finished speaking and produced a rough map, promising, "I guarantee that this is the most exhaustive information about the 'Old Lington Hotel.'"

"Hmm."

Su Lun felt that was about it, that the information was indeed worth the price.

With this information, it would indeed save him a lot of trouble.

Moreover, listening to the information, he grew more confident that the ancient 'Magician aberration' in that space should be able to produce the materials he needed.

....

Having obtained the information about the cursed space, Su Lun was in no hurry to leave the tavern.

He sat at the bar, sipping his drink, his mind continuously pondering.

News of "spatial materials" had not come easily, and naturally, he had to find a way to get his hands on them.

It was unrealistic to wait for others to offer such rare advanced materials and then buy them with money, so he definitely had to visit that cursed space himself.

But there were many puzzling aspects about the 'Old Lington Hotel' cursed space.

Why were there only bosses in the cursed space, with no minor monsters?

How powerful was this "ghost fog" that it could directly corrupt the hotel's tenants into aberration-level monsters?

And the Scavenger team that discovered the cursed space, why were they willing to share it with other Scavengers? Could it be another situation like the 'White Monastery' before, where people were needed to make sacrifices to the abyss?

One question after another arose.

However, there was also some relatively good news in the information.

The space was in "survival mode", where surviving "twenty-four hours" would allow an exit.

There was no need to completely clear it by defeating some final boss.

Based on the intelligence we have, staying on the first floor isn't too risky for Su Lun at the 1911 Hotel.

Of course, he needs to avoid those rooms where the "phantom species" were found.

But the materials he needs are on the second floor of the hotel, which is currently still classified as an "A+ grade" area, with a high level of the unknown and danger.

The strength of that "Magician" is unclear, and many situations are hard to predict.

Even if he went with a living corpse, he didn't have much confidence.

At this thought, Su Lun fell into a long contemplation.

....

After nightfall, the tavern became more and more bustling.

The Black Baron Tavern was packed with hundreds, if not thousands, of people.

Su Lun sat there, drinking his drink in boredom while pricking up his ears to listen to the various conversations in the tavern.

After the "X Serum" was fully absorbed, his hearing became even sharper.

In the tavern, heavy metal rock music mixed with the sounds of conversation, creating a thunderous, raucous noise. But in his ears, he could clearly distinguish each sound—it was as if the mixed sounds were threads of different colors, and as long as he focused his attention on a particular thread, he could discern that voice from the hubbub and hear it clearly.

Even those whispers spoken in hushed tones.

"Oh dear, boss, we can't do that here, you can only touch, nothing else..."

"Huff~ seven thousand, double satisfaction."

"..."

Automatically filtering out some useless information, Su Lun focused his attention on the relic information exchanged by the Scavengers.

"Have you heard? The 'Twin-Headed Snake Scavenger Group' went to the north city the day before yesterday and got a bunch of valuable gems and alchemical ancient books..."

"A few days ago, a subgroup of the 'Iron Boot Group' went into the Central Ring, but I heard their losses were tremendous..."

"..."

As Su Lun listened, he then heard his own name.

"Hey, brothers, the Oliver family's young master is searching all over the world for that 'S wanted criminal Su Lun.' Got any news? That bounty is just too tempting..."

"I got word that Su Lun is likely dead in the ruins. After all, you know, last month's 'Fog Tide' caused heavy casualties among the Scavenger teams active in the east city. The Oliver family joined forces with various Scavenger groups to seal off the periphery of the ruins, and those who didn't escape are as good as dead..."

"Ah, what a pity. However, after that Fog Tide, a lot of strange and bizarre mutated monsters have appeared in the east city..."

"..."

Listening in, Su Lun pooled this information together, gaining a general understanding of the Scavengers' progress in exploring the wilderness over the past month.

As for the Central Ring, the casualties during the wilderness exploration were high, and progress was slow.

....

So there Su Lun sat, alone with his drink, capturing various pieces of information with his ears.

But as he listened, he suddenly caught a familiar voice coming from the second floor of the tavern.

It was an angry roar that still sounded somewhat juvenile.

"You old witch, if you have the guts, kill me!"