Mechanical Alchemist

Su Lun stuffed all the books on the shelf into his storage space like ants moving house.

The breadth of Sereia's knowledge made the text in these books crystal clear, with hardly any missing parts.

The two also cherished this rare mentor-apprentice time.

Sereia taught wholeheartedly,

and Su Lun studied with full concentration,

asking any questions that came to his mind.

Noticing the spider spear on Sereia's body, he asked, "Teacher, what rank is your spider spear growth suit fused to?"

Just like the eight-armed spider spear, his own compared to Sereia's was vastly different.

Sereia smiled and said, "First rank."

Naturally understanding what Su Lun was thinking, she continued, "The design drawing I used to fuse my spider spear growth suit was much cruder than the gold blueprint you have now."

"Teacher, then your..."

Hearing this, Su Lun grew even more perplexed.

If they were both first-rank growth suits, why was there such a big difference?

"Are you wondering why my spider spear seems so powerful?"

Seeing Su Lun nod, Sereia smiled again and explained, "Master Nicolas Flamel from the Ancient Era originally created alchemical growth suits to give alchemist magicians some combat abilities, as well as to compensate for certain human physical deficiencies, by transplanting limbs from different species. However, the significance of alchemical growth suits is not limited to this; it also represents a magician's understanding of biological alchemy. A growth suit can be said to be the foreign creature a magician understands best. Many only know how to use it without seeking to understand, which is a misconception. Do you know why 'creating life' is the ultimate challenge of alchemy? Because organisms are currently the most complex entities known in the world. This is an understanding of the hierarchy of life, and our growth suits also provide us with a shortcut to understand organisms..."

Sereia's explanation was thorough, and Su Lun understood it well.

He once thought that a growth suit was just a piece of equipment with level restrictions, like his spider spear, which would be useful at the first and second ranks, but would become "outdated" by the third and fourth ranks.

But in reality, that wasn't the case.

Every person's growth suit is "equipment with growth potential," becoming stronger and more perfect as the magician's understanding of the biological limbs and curse characteristics fused.

The prerequisite is that you have to learn, to understand everything about this type of biological limb.

In theory, as long as one has thorough understanding, one could obtain everything by the principle of equivalent exchange.

This is the magical aspect of alchemy.

Just like his "Spatial Ability," he currently only knew some basics and was far from truly understanding the Space Law.

When he really understood it, this ability would gradually become stronger.

This was what Sereia meant by the real gap between the true masters.

....

Refining "Isaac's Alchemical Heart" would take about a whole day.

The master and disciple spent the entire day chatting in the alchemy laboratory.

Su Lun also noticed that as time passed, the scenery in the room began to distort, like the tape in a cassette, with light and shadow twisting.

He knew this was a sign that the energy was almost exhausted and the space was about to collapse.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat melancholic.

Su Lun felt heartfelt respect for this teacher he had known for only a day.

It was a respect from the levels of scholarship, cognition, and spirit.

This was a mentor-apprentice relationship missed by a thousand years.

Sereia, however, appeared calm. She accepted the fact that she had already died and faced this separation straightforwardly.

Her face wore a warm smile as she looked at Su Lun and said, "You know, you are my only official disciple."

Hearing this, Su Lun respectfully bowed.

The time to say goodbye had come.

Suddenly remembering something, Sereia took a ring off her finger, and with her finger as a pen, she swiftly wrote a string of text on the ring and handed it to Su Lun, saying, "I'm giving you another small gift."

[Sereia's Blessing]

Focus +21

Insight +2

Luck +1

Description: A ring filled with blessings, engraved with 'To my disciple Su Lun';

Details: A seventh-rank alchemical product, with the [Concentration]effect, it enables the wearer to study, cast spells, and work with more focus and efficiency;

Although it wasn't a cursed item, it was fortunate that it was of high grade.

Just like a first-tier gold equipment compared to an eighth-tier base equipment, the panel attributes were worlds apart.

All the attributes were very practical and would greatly aid his learning in the future.

Su Lun looked at the golden ring with a slightly complex gaze and wore it on the index finger of his right hand, "Thank you, Teacher."

"Don't be so formal. After all, you are my student. Oh, right..."

Cereya glanced at Su Lun, probably thinking of her daughter, also took off another ring, and refined it for a while.

Handing it to Su Lun, she added, "When you see Pestoya, give this to her. As a mother, I truly owe her a lot..."

Su Lun nodded earnestly, "Hmm."

Just then, the ground shook slightly, and the space began to collapse.

A nine-pointed star formation suddenly appeared under Cereya's feet again. She glanced at it, formed the sorcerer's seals with her hands, and exclaimed, "Release!"

At that moment, a red brilliance passed, and two items floated above the alchemy formation.

One was a Hexagonal Ancient Lamp, naturally Volgan's Furnace Lamp.

The other was a heart enveloped in layers of runes.

Unlike the lively pounding before, the heart had lost its vitality after being refined and had completely turned into a metallic luster, resembling a mechanical heart.

However, Isaac's Alchemical Heart had many newly added, seemingly intricate and mysterious alchemical components, making it immediately discernible as extraordinary.

Isaac's Alchemical Heart

Quality: Epic

Details: An alchemy organ implant crafted from a deity-tier organism's heart; a magnificent creation fit to be chronicled in history; provides an unending flow of dark spiritual power; a minimum of fifth-tier containment value S+ rating, with dark spiritual power exceeding 300W, and a less than 10% chance of integration abnormality; for users not of the Fallen Angel bloodline profession, 100% chance of abnormality if fused below the eighth tier; massive increase in dark spiritual power recovery efficiency and overall bodily resilience upon fusion; significant enhancement to Fallen Angel bloodline purity... Experience new tales on empire

(Don't be caught up with why 'Epic' is higher than 'Legendary'; that's just how it's set in this book)

Upon seeing the details of this item, Su Lun knew it was no ordinary object.

The two sealed items he had were "Legendary," but this heart was "Epic."

And yet, the grade was secondary.

The most crucial benefit was that, after integration, Su Lun would attain the legendary "infinite mana"!

The heart of a deity possessed special law abilities, creating its own domain and naturally breathing in its realm, converting all forms of energy into dark energy.

It was like an inexhaustible spring.

Moreover, after implant fusion, it would even enhance the purity of the "X serum" in one's bloodline, and bodily attributes would surge tremendously.

This object could truly be considered a treasured jewel.

Cereya held the heart in her hand and said, "The curse tolerance level required for this heart organ implant is very high; you need to be at least at the fifth tier before you can possibly integrate it. As a Puppet Master, the more puppets you control later on, the more dark spiritual power you will need. This implant harmonizes very well with you. Use it wisely, and it will bring you much convenience. For the rest, you have the 'All-knowing Eye,' and there's no need for me to elaborate further..."

"Hmm."

Su Lun listened with a grave expression.

But he also felt like sighing in front of a mountain of gold.

The item was excellent, but the fusion conditions were extremely exaggerated.

His current dark spiritual power was less than 3W, whereas fusion required nearly a hundredfold increase.

To utilize this treasure was still in the distant future.

But evidently, his teacher had thought of this as well.

With time pressing, Cereya didn't dawdle. She formed a single-handed sorcerer's seal and, with her other hand holding the heart, she struck towards Su Lun's chest, uttering softly, "Godslayer Seal·Forbidden!"

Su Lun hadn't even had time to react when he suddenly felt a burning sensation on his chest.

He looked down to see a hole singed through his shirt, and a nine-pointed star mark had appeared on the skin of his chest.

After completing all of this, Cereya explained, "But the energy leaking from this object is too violent for your current tier, and even keeping it in a storage space would cause abnormalities. I have sealed it within your body, and from now on, it's as if you have a source from which you can draw dark spiritual power for cultivation at any time. Listen carefully to the method for unsealing..."

Su Lun found this extraordinary.

The means of a top-tier Magician like Cereya were truly incredible.

He hadn't anticipated that she would use such a method to let him benefit from it beforehand.

Suriname also gave it a try and quickly grasped the essentials.

The Isaac's Alchemical Heart was now sealed at the surface of his body, much like an organ implant. And this nine-pointed star seal acted like a "faucet."

When opened, dark spiritual power flowed out.

As much as is drawn out, that much comes forth.

This solved a major problem in Su Lun's practice.

He had been thinking before that, only in this Dawn Relic area, was the dark spiritual power abundant, with absorption efficiency being at least dozens of times that of Old Lington.

If possible, he even planned to cultivate here until he could no longer ascend.

But then, he faced another big problem.

That was, this underworld was just a "mine," and to break through to higher levels, he always had to go to the surface.

He also wanted to experience that broader world.

Afterward, once he went to the surface, "dark spiritual power" would be extremely scarce, and cultivation at that time would be a major issue.

Using cursed crystals or energy-converting formations could work, but such methods of cultivation completely burned through money.

Su Lun didn't think he had the financial resources to support that.

Now, Isaac's Alchemical Heart perfectly solved this problem.

One had to say, as a teacher, Sarya really thought thoroughly.

Su Lun suddenly realized why Mr. Jing and the others were trying to snatch other divine body parts.

Apart from limiting the Fallen Angel from obtaining the power of its real body, it was probably also for this reason.

....

Space had begun to collapse, Sarya's body also started to dissipate, and she imparted her last few words.

"There's not much time left. I won't say much else. In the other few notebooks, there are also several alchemical implants that Isaac researched. If you find them in the future, they may greatly aid you on your path..."

"I don't know where death's end is, perhaps the underworld of myths and legends, or maybe complete dissolution. But I vaguely feel that if one day you comprehend the 'Law of Death,' we may have the chance to meet again... Grow strong, my disciple."

"But your heart is with you, and once you leave, the Fallen Angel will be able to sense it. It will definitely come looking for you. Be careful, no one knows what will happen..."

"..."

Su Lun listened attentively, nodding now and then.

Sarya's figure had already begun to dissipate from the feet upwards, "Alright, time's up..."

Su Lun bowed deeply, "A respectful farewell to my teacher."

Sarya showed a loving smile, and before completely disappearing, she said one last thing, "Oh, right. If possible, take care of Pestoya for me in the future. She's been alone in the cursed space for a thousand years, her temperament might be a bit odd, you be more accommodating to her..."

"Yes, teacher."

Su Lun responded, and when he looked up again, Sarya's final smiling face was dissipating before his eyes.

....

The surroundings transformed, the bright alchemical workshop turned into the gloomy, dilapidated ruins.

The ruins of the central prison within the pentagram lay before his eyes, Su Lun's gaze hazy.

He touched the area over his heart, where the seal still burned hot.

Everything felt incredibly real, yet it had vanished before his eyes.

The apprentice-mentor bond, which had spanned a thousand years, had formed and concluded so swiftly.

Sarya's words still echoed in his ears, and Su Lun's thoughts drifted afar.

At that moment, Kai not too far away spotted him and called out, "Su Lun, are you okay?"

Apart from Kai, the only survivors were Miss Lena and the old butler, Antonry.

"Yes, I'm fine."

Su Lun naturally knew that those few would survive, so he was not surprised.

In that cursed space, it would have been easy for Sarya to kill anyone.

As for Oliver and Clark's families, nearly a thousand in number,

they were naturally all buried in the space.

The threads that Sarya had spread across the entire prison made collecting anything convenient, and the spoils of war all fell into the pockets of Su Lun, her disciple.

The elite teams from the two major families, their equipment, implants, supplies, materials needed for office...

Their value was incalculable.

It was not in vain that he had entered and exited the prison eight times before, calculating this ambush.

Of course, Su Lun felt that the greatest gain was meeting his teacher, Sarya.

Kai was used to it by now.

Su Lun always managed to pull off some surprising feats.

Even in situations that seemed certain to end in death.

But surviving this time was completely beyond both Lena's and Anthony's expectations.

In the past, whether it was the encirclement by several major families or that "T-level" cursed space, it had felt like an inescapable death trap to them. Not even someone from the main family could have saved them.

Unexpectedly, the situation turned around.

The ones who survived were them!

And all of this was because of the man before them, who appeared so graceful and amiable.

Lena looked at Su Lun, whose appearance had greatly changed, and while somewhat incredulous, she also obediently called out, "Mr. Su Lun."

Su Lun smiled at her and greeted her formally in the identity of "Su Lun," "Hmm. Long time no see, Miss Lena."

"Thank you, for saving me again."

Lena had no illusions; she understood that her survival was entirely because of the man before her.

Su Lun simply smiled noncommittally.

Having survived the ordeal, the previously suffocating pressure that had made it hard for Lena to breathe vanished, and so did the persistent worry that once marred her pretty face. She blinked and, unable to restrain her curiosity, she asked, "Mr. Su Lun, how... could you be Zorro?"

"Now is not the time to talk about this,"

Su Lun gently shook his head, opting not to explain any further.

His gaze fixated on the depths of the ruins, he said in a serious tone, "You must leave the ruins right away. It won't be long before something significant happens here... It's best to stay as far away as possible from the ruins."

"Hmm."

Listening to his tone, Lena's expression also turned solemn.

She had an indescribable faith in Su Lun's words. Despite her many questions, she didn't ask further and merely nodded.

Kai, who was standing by, heard this and asked, "What about you, Su Lun?"

Su Lun: "I still have things to do, and it will be very dangerous for you to be with me."

Now that Kai had witnessed Su Lun's true strength, he naturally knew that such a "monster" didn't need his concern. He simply said, "Hmm, then take care of yourself."

Lena added, "Please take care, Mr. Su Lun."

....

Although the old butler Anthony hadn't spoken all this while, at the moment of departure, he looked back for an instant. His eyes were full of complexity as he silently remarked, "What a monstrous talent..."

Even though he had heard of the notorious SS-ranked fugitive Su Lun, he had never met him.

And he certainly never imagined that this man had been in their team all along.

The blue-skinned young man called "Kai," who had disguised himself as "Zorro," had already left him astonished.

But to think, Su Lun was even more exaggerated, to an extent that was beyond comprehension.

Observing the young man with a gentle smile on his face, no one would believe that his combat power could be so astonishing.

Even Anthony, a genuine third-tier, felt a chill up his spine.

If it were an enemy... he probably would have been killed already.

Images rapidly flashed through Anthony's mind.

Having witnessed Su Lun's puppet army brutally confront the elite forces of two major families, kill the "Thunder Sword King" Nero, and survive a battle with the bespectacled man who was obviously a top-notch expert...

No, perhaps he had already killed him.

Moreover, he couldn't shake the feeling that Su Lun seemed unfathomably profound.

But in the end, none of it mattered anymore.

The enemies were wiped out,

And they had survived.

Anthony finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The conspiracy of the grand families to kill off the Reynes' main house had utterly failed, and the Oliver and Clark families would likely suffer significant losses from this.

Just surviving along with Miss Lena was already the best outcome.

The group of three quickly withdrew, their figures vanishing in the thick mist of the ruins.