Mechanical Alchemist

Young Master Eli watched as Leyna remained so resolute and didn't dare to advance any further.

They had originally thought that facing such desperation, a young lady who had been brought up in luxury would surely back down.

But to their surprise, she showed no inclination to negotiate and chose to fight to the death instead.

"Hmph! A woman who doesn't know what's good for her, don't blame me for not being polite!"

Young Master Eli gave a cold snort, just about to retreat.

Just then, an out-of-place voice suddenly emerged.

"Um... Young Master Eli, I hear, we have some unfinished business?"

All eyes shifted to see the masked man leaning against a stone pillar inside Leyna's camp.

Although he stood with Leyna's group, he seemed not to fit in.

Leyna, feeling a slight sense of guilt and puzzled, said to the suddenly vocal Zorro, "Mr. Zorro, you..."

Before she could finish, "Zorro" interrupted her with an indifferent tone, muttering to himself as if he were talking to himself, "After all, I promised Sister Qian and that person to protect your life as much as possible. Naturally, I must be diligent and responsible."

That person?

Leyna was momentarily puzzled upon hearing this.

But reality did not allow her to ask in detail.

...

Because he was wearing a gas mask, Eli did not recognize him and questioned, "Who are you?"

The masked man calmly replied, "I am Zorro. Seems like Young Master Eli forgets easily?"

"Heh, it's you."

Something clicked for Young Master Eli, and with narrowed eyes he took a moment to appraise the masked man, chuckling dismissively, "So, what, you have come to beg for mercy now?"

"No."

Zorro shook his head with a smile, "I am here to borrow something from Young Master Eli."

Eli scoffed coldly, "Oh? And what would that be?"

Zorro, with a tone that sounded like a joke, said, "I'd like to borrow your head for a moment."

"Heh..."

Eli laughed as though he'd heard a laughable joke, full of scorn, "Just you?"

I have a few hundred men with me, not even that third-rank old man dares to speak up, and you think you can take me down?

"Mm-hmm."

To this obviously mocking question, "Zorro" surprisingly nodded seriously.

As he spoke, he played with the dagger in his hand, his wrist flicking to produce a beautiful flourish of the blade, his tone still casual, but the murderous intent in his eyes gathering, he added, "I also wanted to say, you shouldn't stand so close. At this distance, these few people won't be able to protect your life..."

Before he even finished speaking, the killing intent burst forth suddenly.

The three elders beside Eli were the first to sense something, their expressions changing dramatically as they bellowed a warning, "Young Master, be careful!"

While Zorro's words still echoed in the ears of the crowd, they suddenly heard a "bang" as the sound of stones shattering resonated.

Looking closer, the stone pillar that "Zorro" was leaning against seemed to have been struck by some invisible colossal force, instantly cracking into countless web-like fractures.

"Crack," "crack," "crack"...

Following the dense series of splintering sounds, the force spread, and the whole pillar, already unable to withstand it, immediately shattered into chunks of rock, exploding violently.

The onlookers could only watch in disbelief as the pillar, nearly one meter in diameter, inexplicably shattered.

The moment the explosion sounded, a shockwave ripple finally burst forth from the spot where "Zorro's" back foot had been tensed.

After a brief delay, a "snap" of air exploded, piercing eardrums.

Upon looking again, the figure of "Zorro" in front of them had already dissipated.

It was a visual illusion,

The person had vanished from the spot.

....

The previously calm and collected "Zorro" suddenly burst into action.

The lower-tier professionals hadn't realized what was happening yet, but the two third-tier professionals present had preemptively caught "Zorro's" movement.

The two third-tiers simultaneously changed color.

Butler Anthony, already transformed into his demonic goat form, was shocked, "Mr. Zorro is this strong?!"

Only he, a close combat class professional like him, could understand just how terrifying this instantaneous movement technique was from merely observing the cracking pillars.

He had never imagined that a bounty hunter, who had appeared so ordinary up until now, possessed such impressive physical capabilities.

Thunder Sword King Nero spotted the technique of stepping on air at a glance, and his heart shockingly exclaimed, "Stepping on Air!" Stay connected via empire

This was a secret technique even he hadn't mastered; to think he was witnessing "Zorro" pull off such a move.

The subtle skill of stepping on air might seem simple, but it required extraordinary talent to master!

It was then that Nero understood why "Zorro" had made that remark earlier; with the ability to charge forward, no matter how strong the second-tier bodyguards were, they couldn't protect Young Master Eli's life within fifty meters!

"Not good!"

Nero's heart seized with urgency; he naturally couldn't stand by and watch Eli get killed right before his eyes.

Almost the moment he noticed "Zorro's" explosive move, he suddenly swung his sword, blasting out a sharp Sword Qi that shot forward dozens of meters in an instant.

But...

As another third-tier professional on the scene, how could he let things go as planned?

Butler Anthony snorted coldly, his figure transforming into a streak of light, perfectly intercepting the Sword Qi in the middle.

Transformed into a demonic goat, his formerly aged features disappeared, his body now brimming with explosive power.

Upon this contact, Anthony's hands, covered in white hair, enveloped a vortex of air, incredibly blocking the Sword Qi with his bare hands!

The reactions and exchange between the two third-tiers were extremely swift, almost taking place in the blink of an eye as the pillar collapsed.

Nero's Sword Qi was fruitless, and at this moment, the vanished figure of "Zorro" reappeared, already dozens of meters away.

Young Master Eli also realized that something was terribly wrong. The immense fear of facing death changed his complexion, his mind screaming for help!

But his throat was utterly incapable of voicing the cry.

Instinctively, he wanted to dodge, but his body just couldn't keep up with his mental reflexes. He could only watch helplessly as the figure flashed before him.

A pitch-black poisoned dagger crept silently towards his neck.

As crisis descended, the Three Disasters Elder of ice, thunder, and earth also responded.

But how could their spells ever be faster than a close combat class professional using "Stepping on Air"?

Among them, the earth-element Baldy with his strong defensive capabilities, the only close combat professional, moved first, positioning his body in front of Young Master Eli. At the same time, his skin shimmered with an earthy luminescence, indicating his intention to withstand the attack head-on.

If "Zorro" had charged straight forward, he would have collided with a full embrace.

....

But would Zorro proceed as they wished?

The "Stepping on Air" technique was not only fast but also known for its abrupt stopping and change of direction!

Before anyone could react, another ripple explosively burst in the air.

"Zorro" stepped on air once more, abruptly changing direction, his figure tracing a "ϟ" shape in mid-air, effortlessly evading Baldy's interception.

Young Master Eli caught a glimpse of a figure from the corner of his eye, but before the image could transfer from his retinas to his brain, he suddenly felt a chilling sensation at his waist.

The sharp poisoned dagger precisely sliced through the weak spots in his protective gear, craftily creating a gash.

In an instant, the wound was exposed to the air, turning black rapidly as foul-smelling pus spurted out.

Before Young Master Eli could utter a word, his vision darkened, and he collapsed, his breath as thin as a thread!

....

"Zorro" had severely injured Young Master Eli, protected by many experts, stunning everyone present.

Watching the man fall, the sounds of "Stepping on Air," the "pat pat pat" of the exploding air, only then echoed in everyone's ears.

Time seemed to pause for an instant as those people finally recovered from their shock.

"Quick, administer the antidote to Young Master!"

"Damn it, stop him!"

"Protect Young Master!"

"..."

The scene descended into chaos.

Not far away, the Thunder Sword King, Nero, witnessed this scene and his eyes widened in astonishment, "Wasn't the intelligence report about a mere ranger? This seems like a professional assassin? And a third-stage Stepping on Air, such exaggerated burst speed, how strong must this guy's body be?! When did such a powerful expert appear among the second-rank professionals?"

With this "Stepping on Air," even he felt a considerable threat.

Obviously, Nero's first reaction was that this "Zorro" was problematic!

How could someone so strong be just a somewhat famous bounty hunter?

"Could it be a hidden card laid down by Carnegie Reyes?"

Nero's eyes darted around, his mind raced with too many unanswered questions.

But reality didn't give him the chance to think more.

Because by then, the battle had already ignited.

Enzo's assassination attempt on Young Master Eli lit the fuse of the powder keg.

Guns fired in a cacophony.

After severely wounding Young Master Eli, "Zorro" continued moving nonstop, charging directly into the Clark family's main force.

His speed was such that even second-rank professionals couldn't react, let alone the ordinary guards.

Because they had arrived in haste and relied on sheer numbers for strength, the group had not even formed a defensive formation.

Now, taken by surprise, "Zorro" was like a bullet easily piercing through the enemy's defense. Moving like a ghost with nimble maneuvers, his sharp dagger left cunning trails of blood where it traced gaps in armor and bulletproof vests.

"Don't fire wildly, careful of friendly fire!"

"Use area control spells!"

"Deploy the heavy mechas, stop him!"

"Use net guns! Use net guns!"

"..."

The enemy was in disarray.

Because of "Zorro's" presence, most of the Clark family's firepower was drawn to him, significantly reducing the pressure on Lena's side.

Though the Reyes family's numbers were few, their equipment was exceptionally sophisticated, plus they leveraged the defensive advantages of the terrain and their position. Several heavily armed mecha warriors blocked the front, unleashing a barrage of firepower, holding ground for the moment.

However, if the standoff continued, it would inevitably lead to a dead end.

Moreover, no matter how formidable "Zorro" was, he was but one man.

Among the enemies were second-rank experts,

Previously he had the advantage of a surprise attack and they didn't react in time,

Now that he had killed someone, although mixing within the crowd, his speed had slowed down.

Two second-rank assassins tangled up with him.

Daggers clashed, sparking flashes of light with each contact.

Even though "Zorro" still held the upper hand for the moment, with the enemy's overwhelming numbers, once caught, he too would face certain death.

And the area spells from the magic wielders were taking shape...

"Zorro" was obviously aware of this and didn't give his enemies a chance to surround him.

He charged in, wreaked havoc for a round, injuring dozens, and then immediately sprinted towards the perimeter of the encirclement, looking like he intended to break through and escape.

If they let him disappear into the mist, with his speed, no matter the number of pursuers, catching him would be impossible!

....

The people near Lena, seeing that Mr. Zorro was now at the edge of the battlefield, let out a sigh of relief.

In this situation, escaping was all that mattered.

But just at that moment, the unexpected happened.

Normally, it's quite difficult to catch up to a professional assassin who can "Step on Air," yet there are certain special alchemical items.

"Don't let him get away!"

Seeing Mr. Zorro intent on escaping, a figure among the enemy suddenly increased their speed several fold, reaching an unbelievable speed.

While "Mr. Zorro" was still mired in the crowd, the person abruptly surged forward to intercept him. Their speed was even a fraction faster than Stepping on Air!

That very moment, the difference in speed brought the two into contact.

The person threw a punch at "Mr. Zorro's" head, and even though he twisted his body in an effort to divert the force, he was still struck in the mask, halted, and sent flying backwards.

Mr. Zorro flew backwards, but without much surprise. He murmured to himself, "Tsk tsk... capable of accelerating time, must be that 'Watkins's Pocket Watch' the guy mentioned. Indeed, just as I thought. If he were here, he could probably wipe out all these guys..."

A punch to the face sent the gas mask flying.

After landing on the ground, "Mr. Zorro's" demeanor suddenly changed from before. There was no intention of a desperate fight,

and rather unheroically, he raised his hands,

He... made a gesture of surrender?

At that moment, realizing that their target was no longer resisting, someone suddenly shouted, "Take him alive!"

With that order, the lethal tactics also came to a sudden stop.

Only then did everyone see clearly that beneath the mask was a face with blue skin.

From a distance, Lena and Butler Anthony, who had seen "Mr. Zorro" before, were greatly surprised.

They discovered that this blue-skinned person was not the dashing Mr. Zorro they had met before!

....

This blue-skinned "Mr. Zorro" was naturally not Su Lun.

It was Kai, who had merged with X serum and advanced to a second-order assassin.

Kai, looking at the crowd closing in on him, raised his hands in surrender.

He had not a hint of the resignation of a captive on his face; instead, he wore a radiant smile and muttered, "Just as he said, upon seeing the 'X Serum,' you definitely wouldn't dare to kill me."

Hearing this, a middle-aged man with a grim expression stepped forward.

He took a careful look at Kai's blue skin and, seeing that Kai's mind was completely clear, recognized the effect of the "X Serum."

This revelation also shocked him greatly.

Where did their "X Serum" come from?

And how could someone inject it without becoming deformed?

This was the very reason he had ordered that they take a living capture.

They were people from the Umbrella Organization and naturally cared little about family feuds.

The middle-aged man, ignoring the ongoing fierce battle among the three major families, shot Kai in the leg,

with caution, likely to prevent Kai from using that kind of speed to escape again.

After firing the shot, he asked in a deep voice, "Who gave you the potion?"

Kai was shot in the thigh, the alchemical bullet tearing through his muscle. He stumbled, nearly falling over.

Though his forehead was covered in cold sweat, his face showed no sign of pain. Instead, he grinned, saying, "You'll know soon enough."

The middle-aged man's eyes narrowed as his expression grew more solemn, guessing what was happening, "Are you stalling for time?"

"Yeah... just noticed?"

Kai, looking at the cursed space's glowing gate that had suddenly intensified nearby, gave a sly smile, "Tsk tsk... Perfect timing."

Before the people in front of him could react, they suddenly noticed that everything around them had changed dramatically.

Everyone then realized that due to some special condition, they had been swept into the cursed space!