Mechanical Alchemist

Only when the head of the fifth-order gilded giant fell and the grey mist began to emerge did Su Lun confirm that he had died.

The battle seemed perilous, with the second-phase Red Demon critically wounded, and the others from Thousand Paths sustaining various degrees of serious injuries.

But, in fact, it was not the case.

Seeing Mr. Hei remain composed throughout, Su Lun knew that things were probably within this man's control.

Su Lun had observed the entire battle,

and now, upon reflection,

he also noticed some discrepancies.

He guessed that Mr. Hei must have encountered fifth-order professionals before, or at least was clear about the capabilities of a fifth-order.

That's why his calculations were so precise.

Otherwise, to set up an ambush for a completely unknown fifth-order powerhouse, they would not have come with only five people.

It was as if everything was just right, not revealing more of the "Mirror Organization's" forces than necessary, just enough to kill him.

Moreover, Su Lun felt that even without the Reaper, Mr. Hei probably had other methods to kill the guy.

If one were to mention sealed artifacts, those top experts likely had no shortage in their hands.

After all, Su Lun had witnessed them possessing a "Volgan's Furnace Lamp."

Dawn Relic was a treasure trove, hiding too many high-order alchemy products from the ancient times.

"Mirror Organization" definitely had plenty of good stuff at their disposal.

Just like the weapons used by Thousand Paths during the fight earlier, they were clearly out of the ordinary.

Thoughts whirred through his mind, connecting one "coincidence" after another.

Su Lun felt as if he understood something.

Ever since he found out that the "§" symbol of the Mirror Organization was the mark of Sir Isaac of Dawn City, he had guessed that this organization's understanding of that ancient history buried in the dust far surpassed the Black Tower's.

He vaguely felt that Mr. Hei knew about the issues with his own talent through certain channels.

After all, the origin of his talent was the altar at Storm Manor.

....

The grey mist was right before his eyes, but Su Lun wasn't in a rush, and he casually walked over.

It was like visiting an elder's home; however tempting the food was, you couldn't just help yourself without the host's permission.

Having successfully killed the enemy, the cloaked figures quickly cleaned up any traces at the scene and then dismantled the sealing barrier.

They nodded towards Mr. Hei without saying much, much like last time, and dispersed on their own.

From the end of the battle to their departure, it took only three to five seconds.

Only Mr. Hei and Su Lun were left on the scene.

Mr. Hei removed his cloak, revealing his characteristic amiable smile.

As expected, he looked at Su Lun and got straight to the point, "I heard from the teacher that you might need this corpse..."

The teacher?

This appellation...

Upon hearing it, Su Lun felt slightly puzzled.

But in communicating with a "mind reader" like Mr. Hei, there was no need for beating around the bush. The conversation had reached this point, and he knew Mr. Hei must be aware of his talent.

Without confirming or denying, Su Lun just smiled and walked forward.

Devouring the grey mist was his top priority; the rest could wait.

This stripping was like the opening of floodgates, a torrent of memory shards violently surged into his mind.

'You have acquired 8 memory shards of "Grote Lester."'

'You received a piece of intelligence: "The situation in the empire is getting worse, and those pirates in the North Sea have become increasingly rampant. Last month, the trade convoy's steam airship was attacked, probably by a squad leader under the 'King of the North Sea.' Oh, those damned rascals..."'

'You have received some information: "Miss Teresa is getting more and more beautiful, but it seems she's been ignoring Young Master Ewen lately. The Duke probably intends to form an alliance with the Rega Land family through marriage, which would increase our say in the empire..."'

'You have comprehended a wealth of knowledge on the Flesh Alchemy Technique and mastered the "Diamond Body".'

'You have acquired the "Muscle Overload Micro-Control Technique" and mastered the "Extreme Air-Stepping Technique."'

'You have mastered a vast range of "1-5th order Alchemy Knowledge."'

'You've comprehended the incomplete fifth-order metal laws.'

'You've grasped some fragmented memories: The Duke's coastal territories, the Black Tower Mine on the reef, the Luying Empire, the Mechanical Sect...'

'You've mastered a large number of combat fragmentary information, combat experience +424'

'Spiritual power +4.3'

This was the first time Su Lun had stripped such "intense" Soul Shards.

He didn't have time to digest the detailed contents of those memories.

Suddenly, it hit him like the after-effects of drinking alcohol, his head felt heavy, and he felt drowsy.

It wasn't just the quantity of the knowledge, but also the quality!

This directly elevated his comprehension of the laws significantly, an impact far from the "gentle" experience he had when absorbing the Soul Shards of first and second-order professionals.

One was like a river flowing into the sea, and the other was like a torrential flood entering a river;

It was as if skipping straight from the Stone Age into the Steam Era, the mere sight of the vast gap between rules and tiers of laws was enough to make one feel dizzy and disoriented.

....

Not knowing how long he had been in a daze, digesting the massive amount of memory shards made Su Lun feel as if a long time had passed.

When his gaze refocused, there seemed to be an additional gleam of wisdom in his eyes.

"Indeed, too strong a Soul Shard will impact the main consciousness..."

Su Lun felt fortunate that he was capable of perfectly controlling and separating various other emotions to ensure the clarity of his main consciousness. If an ordinary person possessed this "Reaper" talent, they might not absorb much before they merged their own consciousness with the harvesting consciousness, turning into a "mental fusion aberration."

This S-level talent, albeit powerful, was not so easy to control.

It was like watching a movie,

You could see yourself as an audience member, gathering information;

But you couldn't immerse yourself to the point of becoming the protagonist, believing yourself to be a character in the story.

In this regard,

He, the patient, seemed to be a very "fitting" candidate for awakening this talent.

As for the gains,

They were too many to count...

Su Lun couldn't organize them all for the moment.

He gained innumerable fighting techniques, two complete skills.

The most precious was the understanding at the level of laws.

With the perspective of a high school student, even if one was a "scientific underachiever," revisiting elementary knowledge became instantly straightforward.

The first, second, and third tiers of Alchemy knowledge felt thoroughly integrated; even if they were not "of the gold element," an understanding of one opened the way to the rest;

As for the fourth and fifth tiers of knowledge, there were also some fragmented shards.

Although not yet forming a complete system, it was like seeing stars in the vast ocean, at least pointing out a general direction for the future.

After digesting the contents of the memory shards, Su Lun's eyes quivered gently, his heart experiencing a profound shock that lingered for a long time.

He murmured, "Endless Sea, Twilight Ruins, Ancient God Sites, Plane Fragments... So the world outside is this vast, with other races besides humans..."

So vast, so very vast...

This world was a hundredfold more fascinating than he had ever imagined!

....

Mr. Hei had already collected the materials from the corpse.

Seeing Su Lun's gaze clear again, he smiled warmly and asked, "How do you feel, Su Lun my friend?"

Being honest, Su Lun replied, "A bit dizzy."

Mr. Hei was not surprised and said, "Your spiritual power was about to spiral out of control. If you don't find a suitable Secret Technique to train and control that spiritual power soon, the situation will not be optimistic."

"Hmm."

Su Lun nodded, feeling acutely aware of this hidden danger.

But he did not dwell on this topic. Instead, he asked, "Mr. Hei, did you just mention your teacher?"

By now, he had confirmed that Mr. Hei indeed knew that his talent was "Reaper." Discover more content at empire

But what he was even more curious about was, in Old Lington City, who could be a teacher for the "all-knowing and omnipotent" Mr. Hei?

"Yes."

Upon mentioning "teacher," Mr. Hei's face was filled with respect. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Hmm... you can call him 'Mr. Jing,' and he is also the leader of our organization."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun realized the origin of the name of the "Jing Organization."

He immediately thought of his previous speculation.

Could it be that Mr. Hei's teacher—the one he had suggested saw a fifth-tier professional—was this very "Mr. Jing"?

Mr. Hei did not elaborate further but beckoned Su Lun to follow, saying, "Let's go, we can talk as we walk. Someone will come soon."

"Okay."

Hearing this, Su Lun followed Mr. Hei into the deeper, darker reaches of the cavern.

Due to the space barriers, the previous battle had left few traces in this stone chamber.

They took the bodies with them, leaving nothing behind.

Mr. Hei looked at Su Lun and smiled, "I used to be quite curious about what your talent was, Su Lun my friend, but it eluded me. It was only after the teacher told me that I learned you had awakened such an extremely rare talent."

Su Lun chuckled lightly in response.

Curiously, he asked, "Can your teacher discern a person's talent?"

"You don't need to be surprised. After all, the teacher is a scholar of extensive learning, and his understanding of Dawn City's history is beyond what others can imagine."

As Mr. Hei spoke, he seemed to be reminded of something, hesitating slightly: "Teacher's abilities are very special... but explaining it in detail would be quite complicated."

He didn't seem inclined to expound further, instead changing the subject: "If you're truly curious, you can ask him yourself the next time you meet. I think the teacher would be quite willing to solve your puzzle..."

Very special abilities?

Su Lun pondered for a moment.

Perhaps Mr. Hei was reluctant to discuss the secrets of that "teacher" behind their back, so he didn't ask further, but his mind instinctively conjured up the cloaked figure he saw at the "1911 Hotel."

He didn't even know whether that person was male or female, and probably wouldn't recognize them if they met again.

But from Mr. Hei's tone, should he have seen them somewhere else?

....

The two walked and talked along the way.

Su Lun also discovered that Mr. Hei's invitation was indeed the wish of the leader.

As per the old rules, present a gift, exchange equivalently, and also entrust him with a task.

Su Lun watched as Mr. Hei handed over a golden card and a sealed wooden box, not particularly surprised, "So... you want me to go into a cursed space and deliver this thing?"

Mr. Hei corrected Su Lun's words, smiling and saying, "No, not me. It's the teacher's intention."

Su Lun listened with increasing curiosity.

Although he knew Mr. Hei had no reason to send him to his death, he always felt something was off.

Mr. Hei didn't wait for Su Lun to guess wildly and plainly revealed the significance of these items: "What is sealed inside the wooden box is something brought out from the Black Tower laboratory by number 19. Under no circumstances should you open it outside, or else it might draw attention. After entering the space, find an ancient remnant named 'Sereya' and hand over the items to her."

After taking a breath, he continued, "Didn't I mention last time about the founder of your Puppeteer profession? Miss Sereya was actually the greatest forging Grandmaster and Puppet Master in Dawn City a thousand years ago. With this card as a token, you'll be able to communicate more easily."

The task itself was clear,

but listening to Mr. Hei, Su Lun's expression became increasingly strange: "Mr. Hei, may I ask... why did your teacher choose me?"

If possible, he definitely wanted to get his hands on the spiritual power secret technique of the Puppeteer.

However, it seemed that Mr. Hei had arranged everything for him.

Between the token and everything else,

it all looked like a "mouse trap with bait," didn't it?

But he knew, Mr. Hei had no motive to harm him.

And it wasn't necessary to go through such trouble.

Mr. Hei didn't hide anything and directly stated, "Because that 'Isaac's Alchemy Manuscript' is in your possession."

Su Lun: "???"

What does the notebook being with me have to do with anything?

And at that moment, Mr. Hei said, "Fate is an endless chain of cause and effect, and the development of the world itself follows this principle and causal relationship. That is a notebook touched by fate. If it didn't belong to you, it wouldn't be in your hands."

"..."

Su Lun found this very familiar.

On reflection, wasn't that the exact wording written in the notebook?

Although he knew this world had some strange and mysterious powers,

this...

still seemed somewhat unreliable.

He'd inadvertently come into possession of the notebook, which now appeared utterly useless.

And considering the situation, it was certain Mr. Hei knew the contents of the notebook.

So if I were to hand the notebook over to you now, wouldn't it then belong to you?

At that moment, as if seeing through Su Lun's internal complaints, Mr. Hei chuckled and uttered a profound statement, "You should know that Sir Isaac, who was hailed as a 'Demigod,' possessed a talent known as the 'Fate Controller.'

After a pause, he looked at Su Lun, who was still confused, and made a rare joke: "So, you don't need to ask me why, because fate is inscrutable, and I don't know either. Hahaha..."

Hearing this tone, Su Lun didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Mr. Hei continued, "I've heard from the teacher that the manuscript records an ultimate secret of alchemy. But the manuscript touches upon a strand of the law of fate, one of the supreme laws of the world, and nobody can clearly explain what it is. So, all we can do is wait and see how things unfold. But for now, it seems most appropriate in your hands..."

"..."

Su Lun felt like he listened for nothing.

At first glance, it seemed to make sense. But upon further reflection, it was as if nothing had been said.

But with Mr. Hei admitting his ignorance, the topic was closed.

Moving on from the manuscript, Mr. Hei discussed the details of this commission, saying, "You might have guessed something, but don't mention it. Certain supreme beings possess indescribable powers. Once Their existence is mentioned, They will sense it."

"Hmm."

Su Lun nodded.

The manuscript detailed the method for crafting an alchemical augmentation known as the 'Heart of Isaac.' Thinking about the items number 19 took and the need to find a forging Grandmaster, the objective was self-evident.

Legend has it that gods must not be named directly.

He didn't ask further on that matter.

....

As they walked, Su Lun inquired about the "task" details, and Mr. Hei answered them all in detail.

His relationship with the Jing Organization was becoming increasingly close, and now there was no need for formality in their conversation.

Su Lun directly asked the most critical question.

"Mr. Hei, is that curse space dangerous?"

"The teacher said it is, but it won't be fatal to you. And if it's you... it would even be safer than if we went."

"Is it still because I have the manuscript?"

"That's one of the reasons."

"..."

Hearing there was no fatal danger, Su Lun also dismissed his concerns.

The more he understood about this world, the more he felt that Mr. Hei was trustworthy.

Moreover, he could sense from Mr. Hei's words that the "teacher" had an extraordinary understanding of the Dawn Relic.

Otherwise, others simply wouldn't know what lies at the core of the relic; they just knew there was a curse space there, along with an ancient remnant named "Lady Seria."

Furthermore, Su Lun himself was not one to shy away from risk.

Receiving a fifth-order Soul Shard as reward was actually more than enough for him to take the risk, even to the point of risking his life.

Such supreme knowledge was of great significance for the future of Su Lun, who was currently a "prisoner"!

Moreover, that space contained the exclusive spiritual secret technique of the founder of the Puppeteers that he needed most, so naturally, he had to make a trip there.

The two walked leisurely through the caves, with no pursuers catching up to them.

Su Lun also seized this rare opportunity to ask some of his questions.

What he was most curious about was Mr. Hei's omniscience, so he asked, "Mr. Hei, how do I feel like you know everything? Could it be that your awakened [Mind Reader], can also be used in knowledge learning?"

Mr. Hei smiled, probably having anticipated that Su Lun would be curious about this question, and clarified, "The [Scholar] profession I hold is a very special one. It practices the 'Law of Wisdom.' And my awakened abilities were also selected around the needs of the profession. My first-order awakening ability is 'eidetic memory,' second-order is 'brain domain development,' third-order 'heart of understanding,' fourth-order 'glimpse of truth'... Of course, the most important are the 'teacher's' instructions, plus some special opportunities. My talents could not be considered supreme, but I am diligent."

"Mr. Hei, what is brain domain development?"

"According to ancient texts, the potential of the human brain is actually limitless. But due to some reasons, it has been restricted, and its utilization is very low, so ancient magicians have thought about developing the extent of brain domain usage... however, it is also very dangerous."

"..."

Su Lun suddenly realized something as he listened to Mr. Hei's explanation.

But it was obvious that Mr. Hei was being modest.

To be so powerful without cheating,

and to say his talents couldn't be considered supreme... as if!

Listening to Mr. Hei's career planning, Su Lun suddenly started thinking about his own advancement to the third-order.

Controlling puppets... brain domain development?

Seems like a great fit.

Listening to Mr. Hei's description, it felt a bit like upgrading a computer's processor, enabling the brain to process more information efficiently.

"Brain domain development" was actually a concept in his previous life as well, but it was still theoretical.

In this world, ancient alchemy could do it with some extraordinary materials.

Su Lun felt that this world held too many hidden secrets...

But, the materials for developing the brain domain are not easier to find than spatial materials.

They are serendipitous and cannot be sought.

This could only be a future plan.

The two chatted for a long time.

Mr. Hei now probably felt that Su Lun has the strength worthy of learning some truths, so he no longer spoke in riddles.

If asked, he would almost certainly answer.

And he could answer like an encyclopedia!

Su Lun greatly benefited from this conversation.

And at that moment, he thought of another question he was very curious about, "And... Mr. Hei, I see that the members of your organization can all awaken their talents a second time. Is there a shortcut to talent awakening?"

One could say that, aside from Kai, all the people Su Lun had seen who had awakened their talents a second time were from the "Mirror Organization."

This inevitably made him suspect whether Mr. Hei and the others had a special method of awakening talents.

Turns out that wasn't the case.

It was just that their recruiting threshold was "second talent awakening."

As Mr. Hei put it, without a "second array awakening," except for some with special abilities, most had almost no ability to fight above their rank.

They could only be "targets of observation."

Just like the fifth-order professional they encountered before, a regular third-order would likely die after just one encounter!

Not much use for charging into the fray.

Mr. Hei: "A second-stage talent awakening can only be realized through life-and-death experiences, there are no shortcuts. Some laws of everything in the world are equal, like talent. The lower the rank, the easier it is to awaken, and the higher it gets, the harder it is. The difficulty of a C-rank talent awakening the second time is far lower than that of a B-rank... An A-rank talent that can awaken a second time, they have all gone through great hardships and have supreme talents..."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun thought,

Even A-rank is so difficult...

What about S-rank?

Two S-ranks?