Mechanical Alchemist

The prisons a thousand years ago were not much different from those in Old Lington.

The dark, closed underground space, cramped cells, cold runic iron bars, the walls were built with large chunks of blue stones like bread, and every few meters there was a dim gas lamp on the wall.

The air was slightly damp, carrying a stench of decay like that of a sewer.

It was probably to dispel the moisture and foul smell that there were burning fire pits in the corridor outside the bars, with firewood crackling as it burned.

Intense gunfire could be heard.

The prison seemed very large, with the sound of gunfire echoing on and on.

.....

The spiritual power of darkness in the prison had become very dense, so thick that it seemed it could cause deformities at any moment.

Kai paid no attention to the gunfire outside, greedily breathing in a few mouthfuls.

The rich dark spiritual power made him feel very comfortable.

Although his thigh had been shot through, it did not hinder him from suddenly drawing a dagger and effortlessly cutting the throats of two elite members wearing Clark family uniforms in the same cell.

Coincidentally, in the cell opposite him were Miss Lena and Butler Anthony.

Seeing the change of scene, the old butler firmly held Lena's hand, and only then did he relax.

Suddenly dragged into the cursed space from the midst of fierce fighting, both of them had looks of shock and bewilderment.

However, they naturally also saw Kai killing people in the opposite cell.

Although they did not know who this blue-skinned stranger was, they knew he was a friend rather than a foe.

Through the iron bars, Anthony asked, "Young man, what exactly is going on here? Where is Mr. Zorro?"

Kai was attending to the gunshot wound on his leg. The super regenerative power from the "X Serum" was visibly healing his torn flesh.

Upon hearing the question, he looked up at the two of them, his tone slightly strange, "Zorro? Hmm... he should be arriving soon."

As he spoke, Kai looked at the old butler who seemed to be testing the strength of the iron bars and stopped him, "Oh, right. He told us to stay inside the cell and not to go out, or we might run into trouble. The prison guards outside... they cannot be killed."

Hearing this, Anthony seemed to realize something, startled, he quickly asked, "Was it Mr. Zorro who activated the cursed space just now?"

Kai didn't intend to hide anything and casually said, "Yes."

Upon hearing this,

both Lena and Anthony were shocked.

They had thought it an accident, considering it too coincidental that they were swept into the cursed space during a battle.

Was it really man-made?

And this was a "T-level" space, right? Listening to this strange man's tone, that Mr. Zorro seemed to know some "secrets" that others did not.

At this moment, Lena looked at Kai, who was treating his wound, and said, "Sir, the through-and-through wound on your leg has elemental damage, which will prevent the wound from healing. I have a specific healing medicine here. If you need it..."

Before she could finish, Kai didn't hesitate, grinning openly with a bright smile, "Thank you."

Lena tossed the potion over and nodded, "I should be thanking you... By the way, sir, what should I call you?"

She was very aware that this man was strong; they wouldn't have been dragged into this if he hadn't stayed behind.

It was also because of her that he was injured.

As Kai poured the medicine on his wound, he reintroduced himself, "Miss Lena, you can call me Kai."

He paused, then shook his head dismissively, "You don't need to thank me. 'Zorro' asked me to come and take his place, and to protect Miss Lena, you, in the meantime."

Having said that, a light smile crossed his face as he glanced at Lena, "You can thank him later when it's time."

"We should be grateful."

Lena felt somewhat puzzled.

Even if it were Mr. Zorro, there wasn't much of a connection.

It seemed somewhat of a stretch to say it was because of Aunt Qiantiao's relationship.

Without thinking too much, Lena apologized again, "I'm sorry for getting you involved in such a troublesome affair."

Kai merely smiled noncommittally.

....

As the young lady spoke, Butler Anthony, naturally, did not interject, but listened silently by the side.

He also guessed at Kai's identity in silence.

Suddenly, thinking of something, Anthony looked at Kai and, testing the waters, asked, "Mr. Kai, if I may be so bold, are you the one who injured Geiger previously?"

As Butler Anthony, naturally he would deal with all the intelligence held by the family.

He knew far more than Miss Lena did.

In fact, when he saw Kai burst into action earlier, he had thought of something.

Such an impressive professional surely couldn't be some unknown nobody.

Moreover, a professional capable of "Stepping on Air" were few and far between in Old Lington.

Then, his mind went to that nickname in the recent intelligence reports, the Mysterious Lone Wanderer known as "Hyena".

That man who had once slaughtered the "Steel Cannon Wild Hunt Group" and nearly killed the "Gun King" Gage all by himself, seemed to possess a ghostly agility.

Although the reports mentioned that he was just a rank one professional, there was a bit of a gap compared to the one in front of him.
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But those daring to oppose the major families of the inner city, seemed to have no one else to their name.

Kai glanced at the old butler, seemed to ponder for an instant, and then lightly exhaled one word, "Yes."

At that, Anthony's pupils slightly constricted, and his heart was already tossing and turning with shock.

The "Hyena" himself wasn't much of a problem, as the intelligence reports also described him as a lone wanderer without much background.

But he was involved in a massive trouble,

That was the "SS wanted criminal Su Lun"!

......

Miss Lena, still not understanding anything, looked at the old butler with confused eyes, noticing that his tone wasn't quite right.

Anthony didn't know how to explain and thought with a complicated expression for a moment before muttering to himself, "So it is Your Excellency..."

He looked at Kai and then something else occurred to him.

If he could guess his identity, so could others.

He directly expressed his concern, saying, "Thank you for your righteous action, Your Excellency. However, this might bring trouble. The Oliver and Clark families have a close relationship with the military of the inner city, and there might be people from the umbrella organization among their teams. If you let them get out alive, there could be big trouble..."

"Get out alive?"

Kai shook his head, interrupting his concerns, and said plainly, "No. If that guy intends to do it this way, they won't possibly get out alive."

"???"

Anthony thought Kai was unaware of how formidable top-ranking professionals were, especially since there were but a few rank three professionals in all Old Lington.

His concern did not lessen, but instead intensified as he explained, "But... The elites from the two big families are strong. That 'Thunder Sword King' Nero is very powerful, and even I am not certain of defeating him. And the Three Disasters Elder, if they join forces, no one among the rank two professionals could stand against them..."

Kai shrugged his shoulders, with an expression of agreement on his face as he said casually, "Mr. Anthony, I quite agree with you."

Anthony grew more puzzled upon hearing this.

However, after a pause, Kai's tone suddenly shifted, and his eyes deepened as he continued slowly, "Although I also think it's unlikely. Whatever that guy says he can do, he always manages to do it."

Anthony frowned deeply upon hearing this.

The day's events were filled with too many surprises, making him feel somewhat unreal.

He suddenly thought, could it be... they are planning to make use of this cursed space?

But this was a "T-class" space, a dead end for enemies, but wasn't it the same for them?

....

Meanwhile, the sound of gunfire in the hallway outside was growing more intense.

The prison wasn't just filled with this group of outsiders, but also NPC prison guards and prisoners.

It sounded like a large team was fighting and exchanging fire with the prison guards, seemingly trying to violently break open the prison's cell doors to make a break for it.

Almost all cursed spaces had one thing in common when it came to breaking the curse, and that was to fight one's way through.

As the noise outside grew louder, Kai seemed able to keep his composure, but Miss Lena and Butler Anthony appeared very puzzled.

Miss Lena asked, "Mr. Kai, should we go out now?"

Kai shook his head, "No. Although those prison guards out there aren't very strong, that guy said not to kill them under any circumstances, as killing them would lead to big trouble."

Hearing this, Lena thought for a moment and asked, "Does that Mr. Zorro... know about this cursed space?"

Kai spread his hands, "Don't look at me. I don't know much more than you do."

Before they could discuss further, Anthony suddenly looked alert and said softly, "Someone's coming."

After a breath or two, Lena and Kai could hear amidst the gunfire someone's footsteps approaching their corner of the two cells.

The footsteps were steady, betraying no haste.

As they got closer, they could also hear voices from outside carrying on a conversation.

It was like a conversation between NPCs in this space.

"Prison Guard Chief! A large-scale prison riot has broken out in Block One and Block Two, please instruct!"

"Hmm, stand your ground. The rapid response team will deal with it. I need to interrogate a few prisoners."

"Yes!"

"..."

No sooner had the voice faded than there came a man dressed in a dark blue prison uniform, wearing a grim iron mask.

Looking at the shoulder insignia, it turned out to be the very Prison Guard Chief who had been speaking.

The masked man walked to Kai's cell, "clattering" out a bunch of keys, and as he unlocked the door, he said, "Sorry for the delay, I had to deal with some issues."

Kai recognized immediately that the figure was Su Lun. Not too surprised, he was still curious and asked, "How did you become the Prison Guard Chief?"

"Having this identity saves a lot of trouble."

Su Lun explained nonchalantly.

He opened Kai's cell and then turned to unlock another iron door opposite.

Because she couldn't see past the mask, Miss Lena tentatively asked, "Mr. Zorro?"

Su Lun seemed to ponder for a moment, purposely not revealing his identity, and chuckled, "Yes, Miss Lena."

But Butler Anthony sized up the enigmatic masked man with a serious look in his eyes.

Why is it that while everyone else who comes in here is a prisoner, he is an NPC?

....

Su Lun led the three out of the prison.

Only then did Kai and his companions see in the corner of the prison corridor a few armed prison guards who did not seem very intelligent.

With their "Prison Guard Chief" Su Lun leading, they strolled past without any hindrance.

This method also surprised the three following behind Su Lun.

The gloomy corridors felt narrow and oppressive, as if shackled at every turn.

After some distance, and with no one else in sight, Su Lun finally elaborated, "The guards on this first level might not be strong, but killing them would cause much trouble. The guards below are much stronger. Once they take action, none of the escapees, especially those who killed a guard, will survive."

Upon hearing this, Kai and the others began to understand.

Butler Anthony instinctively asked, "Mr. Zorro, how strong are the guards below? And how many levels are there in this prison?"

Considering himself the strongest combatant there, he felt it was necessary to gauge the strength of the enemy and gather intelligence about the space.

He needed it to plan their escape.

Su Lun pondered for a moment before replying with two words: "Very strong."

After a thought, he explained in terms they could understand, "This prison has five levels. According to ancient classifications, prisoners below tier three are held on the first level where we were. The prisoners on the second level, though their records show them as 'beyond tier' beings, have dissipated much of their energy over time. But there, you will find beings beyond tier three. I am not aware of the situation on the third or fourth levels. But I do know there is an undefeatable presence on the fifth level. This prison is also peculiar as its exit is on the fifth level. So, anyone who wants out must go downward."

Listening to this series of explanations, Kai and his companions were filled with astonishment.

Talk of "beyond tier" and descriptions of undefeatable beings...

Lena asked, "So... is this truly a T-level space?"

Su Lun simply nodded, "Mhm."

"..."

Anthony's face twitched with skepticism after hearing this.

I understand what you're saying, but your tone...

If someone could read minds, they would definitely hear him thinking: Sir, you surely have some misunderstanding about "T-level spaces"?

T-level implies no survivors.

The content of your description certainly fits that classification.

But your tone... it's as if you're discussing a "D-level" space!

Moreover, what surprised them even more, given that it was "T-level," was where did this guy get his information?

Kai, however, seemed to know something and arched an eyebrow but did not inquire further.

Lena couldn't understand why, but watching the scene unfold before her, she felt an odd sense of familiarity.

There had been someone like this in the past, always calm and indifferent no matter the situation, providing an indescribable sense of trust, even in desperate times.

Shaking the impractical thoughts from her mind, she went straight to the point and asked, "Mr. Zorro, you seem to be quite familiar with this space?"

Su Lun walked ahead, his voice indifferent, "Mhm, I've been here a few times before."

Been here...

A few times?

If anyone said they had come out alive from a "T-level" space, anyone would think that person was boasting.

You say not only have you been here, but you've been here "a few times"?

Upon hearing this quantifier,

Kai and the others,

all had a very peculiar look in their eyes.

....

Su Lun also knew that his experiences were somewhat unbelievable when spoken aloud.

He had previously thought of using Fake Qiantiao's method, planning for Kai to take on the identity of "Zorro" to create an alibi.

And during the time he freed up his hands, he wasn't idle either.

He went over to the Olli family and killed a few people, showing his face;

then he came to the cursed space early to scout out the situation.

Su Lun had the things given to him by Mr. Jing, originally intending to come straight in and find "Madam Sereya" of the prison.

With those tokens, getting out safely wouldn't be a big issue.

But he always felt that since this was a T-level space, if he came just for business, it would be a waste.

Having the All-knowing Eye, he could naturally see all the intelligence regarding the cursed space.

[Dawn City's Central Prison]

Detailed Description: A super-large compound cursed space, T-level; once the central prison of Dawn City, this place confined countless extremely vicious criminals; if you want to stay alive, then stay in your cell and don't wander around; otherwise, the prison guards will kill all the escaping fugitives; without the pardon of that warden, you can never leave the space; requires a specific spell to open; once the space is activated, it will absorb all living beings within a three-kilometer radius.

When Su Lun saw the space's feature of "absorbing all living beings within a three-kilometer radius" for the first time, an idea immediately popped up in his mind: Assassin's trap!

This was a curse space that could be described as unsolvable.

Those who enter can only stay in their cells; breaking out would mean being treated as an "escaped convict" and killed by the prison guards.

But staying in your cell, you can't do anything.

Either die trapped or get killed.

So, in reality, there was only one way out, and that was to break out of jail and push through.

But in actuality... it was simply impossible!

The difficulty of this cursed space was truly "T-level"!

After his chat with Mr. Jing, Su Lun also knew that as time passed, the difficulty of a cursed space might downgrade due to the dissipation of energy and the lack of certain rules, weakening the NPCs inside.

Over this past millennium, the originally fifth and sixth order Magicians' remnants probably only had the strength of the second or third order, or maybe even lower.

This was also why the cursed space NPCs that Su Lun previously encountered were not of high orders.

But this place was very close to that "spatial passage," with dense dark spiritual power, keeping the cursed space well-preserved. And after all, it was a city where "Demigods" once resided, so the Dawn Central Prison had many super powerful beings confined within.

During Su Lun's previous investigation, he had already seen NPCs over the third order on the second level of the prison.

On the third and fourth levels, he estimated that there would be at least fourth and fifth order entities, or maybe even higher.

The fifth level held that "Madam Sereya," whose strength was unknown...

So, it was absolutely impossible for Old Lington's hunting team to push through!

Moreover, if Su Lun felt that he didn't do something, once Miss Lena and her team arrived, that team would be doomed.

After meeting and conversing with "Madam Sereya," he was even more convinced of his plan.

He wanted to use the space to dispose of those troubles.

And the young masters of the Olli and Clark families didn't disappoint; hearing that Lena was about to be annihilated, they indeed came to "kick her while she was down."

Then the previous scene unfolded.

....

As they walked, suddenly, Butler Anthony was the first to notice something and said with a serious tone, "Someone's coming. They seem to be after the young lady."

Su Lun seemed to have anticipated this, his tone still composed, "Mhm... just in time."

PS. Chapter two is not yet finished, will post later.