Mechanical Alchemist

PS. Got writer's block, this chapter is a bit of a filler.

In the central square of Morlos, Su Lun had an unexpected encounter with Vincent F. Van Gogh, one of the top ten bounty hunters. Su Lun always felt that this man's intentions were rather intriguing.

Encountering the same person twice could only mean two possibilities.

It could be a coincidence.

Or it might not be a coincidence.

Su Lun always preferred to assume the worse options.

It was beyond doubt that the information about "Princess Frostmoon," Princess Scatty, was top-secret. Even the best-informed intelligence broker in Morlos knew very little about it.

Yet, this man had handed over such crucial information so freely.

It forced one to doubt his motives.

Upon further reflection, this sort of intelligence could likely only be handled by spy structures like the ones operated by Emperor Luying's military intelligence.

Oh, no.

Su Lun suddenly thought of someone.

Katyusha.

Having experienced the capabilities of the Katyusha family in Mountain Hermit, Su Lun guessed that the lineage of that poetry-loving girl was certainly extraordinary.

Such top aristocrats were limited to a handful throughout the entire Luying Empire.

Now that he thought about it, only such deeply-established aristocrats could afford to employ legendary hunters of such caliber.

However, without contact with Katyusha, Su Lun could not confirm it.

This mysterious fellow in front of him certainly wouldn't reveal anything voluntarily.

But fortunately, he always meant well.

Su Lun reflected on how he came to know Katyusha, during the time in Blizzard City, when he reclaimed his two rings and had a drink...

Then there was another drink in the Dalu tribe's sacred land, during which he was also bitten.

Looking back now, the emotions were genuine, but those encounters might not entirely have been coincidences.

The first time in the Cursed Valley with the death soldiers, the second time with Abe Yasukazu in Mountain Hermit...

This Van Gogh, his approach seems somewhat familiar.

No one hands over information for no reason.

Su Lun felt, was he perhaps listed as some "little rich lady"?

Although he felt that he really got along well with that girl, it wasn't enough for a widely experienced noble lady to keep him constantly in her thoughts.

It is like those little princesses from great noble families who always want to see the world outside, then come out, meet some people, learn about the lives of the lower classes, and eventually, tired, they must return home.

Perhaps there are other motives.

Su Lun always had a premonition that before he could meet Katyusha again, things seemed about to unravel.

....

Van Gogh stayed in the central square painting the sunset, and Su Lun did not chat much with him.

He directly went to East City Walrus Street, the pub district in the city.

The adult entertainment industry in Roman is quite developed,

in Morlos's red-light district, one can enjoy services unavailable elsewhere. Not only are there professional dancers, but also captured female warriors with exceptionally flexible bodies.

This is where pirates, adventurers, and speculative businessmen like to spend their money.

Su Lun was not there to visit brothels.

He walked through the crowds of giggling women, passing by a lavish establishment marked "Golden Rose," pausing briefly in front of it.

This was the largest brothel in town.

There was a crowd at the door, consisting of men, women, and children.

"Baron! Baron! Baron!"

"Hero! Hero! Hero!"

"..."

The people cheered the name of Baron Optra, the "King of Fighting," who is the current shining star of Roman.

After all, not many who undertake the "Hero's Trial" return alive, he is a hero worshipped by all.

The last one was several years ago.

Leaning on his umbrella disguised as a walking stick, Su Lun sensed a very strong soul fire inside the brothel.

In that guy's room, there were probably more than ten weaker soul fires, entwining with each other.

She must be a professional lady.

Su Lun felt that under the current circumstances, there was no way he could meet her.

This kind of "hero" is now one of the big shots in Roman, probably not so easy to see.

Su Lun noted the soul flame that looked like a blazing lion and had initially planned to leave.

However, in his perception, he discovered another familiar soul flame in a room of the brothel.

Was it the young man who had chatted up a puppeteer apprentice named Kama at the Beck Street market earlier?

He had just been proposing to a girl there, and now he was mingling in a brothel, was this okay?

Su Lun shook his head and didn't bother with such trifles.

He contacted Qiantiao and spent some time soaking in a bathhouse.

The grand bathhouse in Roman was indeed good, though not as exquisite and elegant as the volcanic hot springs in Mountain Hermit, but it had its unique charm.

After the bath, he felt refreshed.

At night, they found a hostel and stayed there.

....

The next day, it wasn't until the afternoon that Su Lun and his companions left the hostel.

The events at the "Central Gladiator Arena" ran all day, but the truly intense matches involving high-level professionals usually took place after evening.

Su Lun, Qiantiao, and Lolota dined at a streetside restaurant.

The table was rudely adorned with dozens of pounds of magical beast meat, a few brick-sized loaves of bread, and a strong liquor brewed from tundra wheat, called "Bocasa."

These were all specialties of Roman.

While eating, Su Lun said, "The local snakes have sent word that no one can meet the gladiators before the matches, but if Kai survives, they could arrange a brief meeting afterward. I've arranged everything."

"Mm."

Qiantiao nodded expressionlessly, with Su Lun beside her, she usually had nothing to worry about.

She just replied, "Since Princess Scatty brought Kai over from Pirate City, she likely wouldn't let him die so easily. Even in the gladiator arena, Kai's second release, 'Red Demon,' is almost unmatched among his peers. We probably don't need to worry about his safety for now."

Su Lun thought the same and said, "Mm. If it's in the gladiator arena, it really isn't easy to carry out a forced rescue. Plus, I heard that the slaves from Mafa all wear very special slave collars. I need to go check it out to see what the situation is..."

Qiantiao: "..."

Before long, the three had eaten and drunk their fill.

They walked leisurely towards the main street.

... Continue your journey at My Virtual Library Empire

Gladiatorial combat is the favorite sport of Roman citizens, and watching duel matches is their favorite form of entertainment.

By the time the three arrived at the arena, it was already crowded with people.

"Hey, have you heard? The beast 'Hell's Mouth' captured earlier will perform tonight. His opponent is that strong 'Red Demon' Kai, who won three deadly matches the day before yesterday."

"I've heard too. That guy seems to be a strong slave gladiator from Mafa. Many people believe that he's this year's most likely candidate to achieve the 'Hundred Victories.'"

"Yes, I've heard that too, came here today especially to see it. It's been a long time since we've seen such a strong outsider."

"..."

The people on the street were abuzz with conversation.

Tonight's major event was Kai's elite match, which was rare for high-level professionals.

Encountering one was like a grand festival; almost the entire city would come out to join in the excitement.

As Su Lun walked, he listened to the information from people around him.

Soon, they arrived at the forecourt of the gladiator arena.

This was an ancient gladiator arena over a thousand years old. Time had yellowed the white main structure and visibly left marks of rainwater erosion. This enormous cylindrical building was made up of countless thick, sturdy stone columns. The arches, small round windows, carvings, and fruit body sculptures were all extremely exquisite and distinctive.

Earlier, Su Lun had not understood why Roman people liked gladiatorial combat so much, even the ordinary guards at the city gates were elite soldiers.

Now, seeing the identified gladiator arena in front of him, he finally understood.

His pupils dilated as his gaze encompassed the entire arena,

[Molossus Central Gladiator Arena]

Details: This is an arena blessed by the War God Tyr; don't be fooled by the arena's mere thousand years of history, the stones are ancient relics from the ancient War God civilization from countless years ago; the stones, imbued with the blood of numerous gladiators and lingering valorous spirits, have some magical effects; gladiators fighting in the arena are inspired, with a chance to receive the 'Blessing of the Valorous Spirit,' grasping the ancient valorous spirits' combat techniques, cultivation techniques, and skills, and achieving sudden insightful breakthroughs; the braver one is, the higher the probability to receive the blessing.

Seeing the thick blood mist that hovered over the arena floor, Su Lun realized it was the indelible valorous spirits of the gladiators.

In these nations with belief in the divine, there always seemed to be miracle-like phenomena.

"So participating in the gladiator matches can also lead to understanding combat techniques and breakthroughs in realms."

Su Lun marvelled inwardly as he watched.

This arena was essentially a large "inheritance ground".

However, a gladiator match was no ordinary contest; even if it wasn't a "death match", the casualty rate was still very high.

The gladiators trained through this method indeed possessed formidable combat skills.

But for the Romans, who feared not death, the arena was indeed the quickest way to increase their strength.

...

Money could always solve a lot of problems.

Su Lun found a local scalper outside the arena and bought several expensive tickets with seats.

The three followed the crowd in and managed to find their spots within the sea of people.

Their seats were already occupied by a group of muscular men.

Su Lun flashed his tickets, and Qian Tiao drew his knife, only then they managed to reclaim their seats.

The arena was very large.

Even the central combat area was about the size of two or three soccer fields.

At that moment, the gladiator match was in full swing.

The sound of weapons clanging, "clang," "clang," "clang"...echoed throughout the space.

Previously in Old Lington they had been doing gang work, so Su Lun and Qian Tiao were accustomed to various underground black fights and death duels.

The blood-soaked sand of the current fight didn't offer much novelty to them.

However, the gladiators here were far more professional in terms of martial skills, weapons, and combat awareness.

The gangs were just scrappy fights, whereas here it was a stage for professional gladiator performances.

Spear, axe, shield, Wolf Fang Club, flail, knife, sword...

All kinds of weapon routines were visible.

Even Qian Tiao was vibrant, constantly admiring the gladiators' adept fighting skills.

The Roman nation's centuries-old battle techniques were indeed remarkable.

After all, since it wasn't a performance, the pace inside the arena was very fast, and sometimes a match might end just after an encounter.

The three had barely sat for a moment when several matches had already ended.

Within the arena, there were three types of gladiators: the professional Roman gladiators, the slave gladiators, and curious outsiders who entered the competition.

And there, Su Lun noticed a crew member from the Dawn Group joining in for the thrill!

It was the giant's tribe leader, Hengke.

The moment this guy appeared, Su Lun's eyelids twitched.

Qian Tiao and Lolota, however, were quite excited, even cheering with flags.

Fortunately, he won.

The strength advantage of the giant tribe was still very effective in the arena.

With a few swings of the Wolf Fang Club, Hengke dented the opponent's shield, and with a final heavy smash, he embedded his opponent into the wall, ending the fight.

Several more fights ended quickly afterward.

Su Lun also spotted the "Sacred Judgment Group's" royal knights.

Those wearing slave collars, tattered military uniforms took the stage, and the audience instantly erupted.

Because matches with slave gladiators were almost always "death fights," they were extremely fierce.

The opponents in these fights were usually the boldest Roman gladiators, confident enough to challenge those who had to gamble their lives in battle.

The spectacle of the fight was very strong.

Indeed, the battles started off extremely intense.

Three fights in, one royal knight was dead and another severely injured.

Su Lun watched expressionlessly, the gravity in his eyes never wavering.

Every few deaths, it was clear they were pushing Barrett to show up sooner and rescue them.

Su Lun couldn't think of any way for Barrett and his group to rescue these people in the city.

This was also why Barrett had chosen to leave with his group previously, for it was the most crucial reason.

This batch of "bait" was lethal, but they couldn't help but take it.

...

Finally, the last fight of the evening arrived.

Unarmed gladiator matches were alright; the death rate wasn't too high. Once weapons were involved, even if not fatal, the likelihood of disability was still very high.

But usually, the bloodiest would definitely be the "Beast Fight"!

The last match was the beast fight.

It was then that they finally saw Kai take the stage.

"Kai!"

"Kai!"

"Kai!"

"..."

As the protagonist of tonight's event entered the arena, the audience erupted in a tide of cheers.

His opponent was a monster over ten meters long. It had a body that constantly writhed like an earthworm, and its head was bud-shaped, opening to reveal a dense array of spine-chilling, sharp teeth.

This was the "Mouth of Hell," a lord-level burrowing magical beast.

Although this one was only level four, it hid underground and could easily prey on level five magical beasts as its food.

For humans, it was lethal.

The monster was released from the iron cage and charged straight at Kai. It looked bulky and clumsy, but as it moved, it secreted a mucus-like slime from its nose, and with a single spit, it expelled a thick acid that burned the ground, having a very wide range of attack.

Even for Kai, this monster posed a lethal threat.

Kai wore only simple armor and a helmet. As he unleashed his second-stage Red Demon form, his skin turned to a magma-like red texture, and a dominant aura instantly overwhelmed the entire venue.

A fierce battle ensued between man and beast.

Qian Tiao was also taken aback and softly exclaimed, "Has Kai progressed to level five as well?"

Su Lun frowned deeply and replied, "Hmm."

He understood all too well by then, no wonder the princess wanted to bring Kai here, she likely aimed to rapidly create a top-tier professional.

The "Moloss Central Gladiator Arena" indeed had effects that allowed breakthroughs of bottlenecks and rapid enhancement of combat power.

Although the mortality rate was high, it was completely negligible for a Mafa Royal Princess.

If he died, it was just the death of a slave, no loss at all.

If he managed to progress to a higher level, that would be a real asset.

Kai had great potential, and progressing to level six was almost a certainty. Bringing him to this arena now might truly give him a chance to achieve a "hundred consecutive victories" and then undertake the "Hero's Trial" to progress to level seven!

A level seven gain, Who wouldn't want that?

The fight was extremely intense, and the cheers of the audience surged higher with each wave.

Su Lun, watching the perilously close calls faced by Kai, also wore a look of concern.

However, outsiders couldn't intervene in such matches.

Instead, his attention was drawn to the collar embedded in Kai's flesh around his neck.

After identification, Su Lun's gaze sharpened as he murmured to himself, "Now that's going to be tricky."

Qian Tiao glanced at him and asked, "What's the matter?"

Su Lun answered, "Kai's soul fluctuation is a bit odd, I suspect trouble on that side, probably using some secret technique to warp his will. Moreover, his neck is shackled by the 'Mechanical Slave Collar', which is technologically advanced and can only be unlocked with a specific key. Moreover, the person holding the key can control his life and death at any time."

The manipulation of will wasn't surprising. Since "Princess Frost Moon" wanted Kai as her slave, she would certainly demand absolute loyalty.

There are plenty of mental spells and potions on the market that can slowly alter a person's will and perception.

With slow trials, eventually, they could successfully "brainwash" Kai.

But Su Lun wasn't unprepared.

Using a higher-priority mental secret technique to twist it back wouldn't be a big problem.

To others, it might seem helpless.

But in Su Lun's hands... there was also a "Pandora"!

After all, she was the "Great God of Tsukuyomi." Her divine arts for mental suggestion, in terms of tier, were definitely higher than any other mental methods Su Lun knew on the market.

He had already planned to ask Pandora for help, to place a mental suggestion in Kai's mind.

As long as there was no resistance, it could almost succeed instantaneously.

Even if Kai had indeed been brainwashed by Princess Frost Moon's people by then, when Pandora reactivated the suggestion, he could completely recover his cognition.

But... the "Mechanical Slave Collar" would be very tricky.

Identified as, if forcibly destroyed, the implanted poison device would immediately trigger,

Listening to this, Qian Tiao's expression also turned troubled as he asked, "So you mean, we not only need to rescue someone, but we also need to get the key?"

Su Lun's gaze deepened as he nodded and said, "I'm afraid so..."