Mechanical Alchemist

Su Lun cleaned up some traces of battle in the storeroom, ensuring no one could trace those obvious combat marks back to him.

Then, he carefully wandered through every level of the cruise ship.

The bottom cabin, a dense area of civilian passengers, had turned into scenes of hell. Almost all humans had mutated into monsters, dying in grotesque and horrifying states. Due to the loss of the Blood Refining Altar, the bodies of the monsters had shrunk, turning into oddly shaped mummies.

In the areas with clear signs of fighting, the bodies had merged into various multi-faced creatures, dried up like gnarled old trees. Various bits of flesh hung on the walls and floor, giving one goosebumps at a glance.

Su Lun collected some specimens of the not-yet-dead multi-faced monsters and threw them to Dr. Banks in the Minor Void Realm for research.

By the time he arrived at the banquet hall again, half an hour had passed.

...

The banquet hall was in chaos, the people still unsettled.

The previous bustling auction now had less than two hundred survivors.

Or rather, out of nearly five thousand people initially on board the ship, including those who had luckily hidden in their cabins, only so few survived.

It was lucky he had dealt with the Archbishop of the Giant Hermit's Society, or they might have faced total annihilation.

Su Lun first truly comprehended the term "Evil God."

When he arrived at the banquet hall, he didn't greet anyone but found a relatively clean sofa in a corner to rest on.

Nearby, Miss Kama and Roberts were being surrounded by a group of students from the Royal Academy, engaging in conversation.

The two had displayed exceptional combat abilities in the recent battle and had earned everyone's respect.

Especially for people like Alexis, calling it life-saving gratitude was not an exaggeration. They all gathered around, expressing their thanks.

"Miss Kama, your Puppetry Technique is so powerful, it must be the legacy of some great master lineage, right?"

"Yes! We are mechanical puppeteers from the Boiyel family, descendants of the Puppeteer lineage of Seraya from a thousand years ago."

"Oh, I heard about it when I was taking a puppetry course at the academy, the Boiyel lineage's mechanical puppetry technique is unrivaled, the longest-existing puppet master lineage in the world..."

"Ah... If I had known puppetry was so powerful, I should also have advanced as a Puppet Master."

"Blanco, it's not that easy. Miss Kama's level of puppet mastery, not to mention needing very powerful puppets, also requires over a decade of hard training in puppet control. It's very difficult."

"Miss Kama, this time you and your younger brother saved me, my father and mother will definitely hope I invite you to our home as guests to express our Roberts family's modest gratitude. Please also let me have this honor."

"I..."

Miss Kama was somewhat at a loss, unsure how to respond to those invitations.

She knew too well that the real resolution of this crisis was due to her teacher, and her own merits were minimal.

Roberts, with his keen observation, had noticed Su Lun's return the moment he arrived. Already having no interest in these dull social interactions, he desired to return to his teacher's side.

However, Su Lun just waved his hand, signaling to pretend they didn't know each other.

His disciples couldn't always stay under his protection; they needed to spread their wings and experience the world on their own.

Roberts immediately understood Su Lun's meaning.

Though he found the social obligations dull, he still stayed with his sister among the students, engrossed in his mechanical cube, not bothering with others around him.

Su Lun sat quietly in the corner, unnoticed like an invisible presence.

His gaze wandered,

Kit was still entangled with that "Ruth" from the military intelligence service,

Caroline was severely injured and unconscious, her subordinates were urgently administering aid, and it seemed she would not die.

...

The long-range communication device on the "Queen Rodrica" cruise ship was completely damaged and could not contact the outside world.

However, almost as soon as the signal was lost, the owning company, Sun Shipping, noticed the anomaly.

After all, there were several minor nobles and the son of the Senior Councilor on board, so the company's leaders could not take it lightly. They calculated the location of the incident and immediately dispatched nearby ships for rescue.

At dawn, a medium-sized cruise ship, "Gold One," had already arrived in the nearby waters.

Seeing the full extent of the battle damage on the ship, the crew of the rescue ship were also taken aback. They had expected a reef encounter or a magnetic storm, but the sight of corpses shocked everyone.

Upon understanding the reasons, the "Giant Hermit Cult," this evil cult, made its first appearance in public view.

Since there were only two or three hundred survivors, there was no need to dispatch a very large ship for transfer. A group of people directly boarded the Gold One cruise ship and left the scene.

To prevent any further attempts on their lives, those minor nobles immediately contacted their families to send help, and the true circumstances were revealed.

Soon, over a dozen warships from the Luying Royal Navy arrived and picked up Alex's group of minor nobles.

Kama and Aberc and their siblings already had their own identities, needing no disguises. The Poyle family, being hereditary barons, would continue to carry on this surname proudly.

As ordinary passengers were not entitled to board the navy ships, Su Lun, not wanting to cause any trouble, returned to Lingdun with the cruise ship.

His two disciples now also had the ability to protect themselves, and it was time to give them their own space to grow.

...

Days later, the cruise ship was already in sight of the port of Kaketro at the southern city of Lingdun.

The cruise ship sounded its long, melancholic steam whistle, signaling to the people on the dock that it was about to berth.

The passengers also began to pack their bags, preparing to disembark.

Su Lun stood on the deck, looking from afar at that city enveloped in dense fog, his gaze profound.

This was the imperial capital of Luying, renowned as a holy ground for alchemy, Lingdun.

In view was the ancient city, predominantly in shades of grim gray. A gray haze visibly enveloped the city's skies. Through the mist, one could see the Gothic spires of buildings and variously shaped steel bridges. In the sky floated slowly moving steam airships...

This was a city of steam and steel.

In a world where extraordinary powers existed, the development of mechanical technology was incredibly slow, and the mechanization of Lingdun City had barely changed in a thousand years. Ancient steam engines had operated in this city for a millennium, consuming coal that was difficult to count. The towering chimneys continuously spewed waste gases into the air. The air was always filled with particulate matter, leading to very poor air quality and a slightly toxic fog throughout the city.

Even from a distance, Su Lun could smell the dry, coal smoke that irritated the throat.

This place was more suited for wearing gas masks than the underground city of Old Lington.

Before long, the cruise ship docked.

Passengers gradually disembarked from the gangway.

Su Lun checked his pocket watch, noting the ship was half an hour later than the scheduled time to dock. He muttered to himself, "I hope she hasn't been waiting long."

He carried his luggage off the boat.

The dock was crowded with locals holding signs to pick up passengers, along with thieves, loafers, and porters mingled among the crowd.

The moment Su Lun's feet touched the ground, several groups surged towards him.

Vendors selling cigarettes, liquor, and offers of more illicit services... as well as those who took the opportunity to try and snatch his pocket watch and Storage Ring.

Su Lun had no intention of paying them any mind; he followed the crowd and squeezed through.

Just then, a thug who seemed to be from a local gang approached him closely and mysteriously whispered, "Hey! Brother, need an Awakening Potion? The real deal..."

An Awakening Potion was a hallucinogenic drug because of its strong addictive nature.

Although common in the field of alchemy, it was also banned by the laws of Luying.

What is banned, yields enormous profit.

Su Lun had seen it all before; in Old Lington, this was also one of the main sources of income for the gangs.

He had no interest in dealing with such a drug dealer, but unexpectedly, the guy sneezed as he approached him.

Hearing that, Su Lun's gaze sharpened slightly. He had already walked past, but he turned back to look at the guy, suspicion rising in his mind: A follower of the Giants' Hermit Society?

He carried that kind of stimulant perfume that only followers would sneeze at.

"Achoo!"

"Achoo!"

After two consecutive sneezes, the young man wearing a duckbill cap rubbed his nose and muttered to himself, "Ouch, I caught a cold yesterday, why do I keep sneezing."

Then, Su Lun confirmed that the guy must have that kind of parasite inside him.

Seeing that Su Lun stopped as if interested in the potion, the duckbill cap hastily opened his cheap suit to display a row of tubes filled with red potions, and added, "Brother, want a few? The real deal! I assure you, there's nothing like my stuff in the entire Lingdun."

Su Lun looked with a flash of light in his left eye and immediately identified it.

[Diluted Awakening Potion]

Details: A potion made from human-processed blood crystals that invigorates and awakens the mind for several hours after ingestion, with a high chance of inducing mental hallucinations, highly addictive; contains small amounts of external god parasites; clearly overly diluted.

Upon seeing the identified information, though his expression remained unchanged, Su Lun instantly took the matter more seriously.

This potion is made from human-processed blood crystals, and it contains larvae of parasites?

He had thought that the Giants' Hermit Society was only infiltrating the upper echelons of Luying on a small scale, but they made this hallucinogen and directly poisoned the lower classes.

Considering the potion, and recalling what had happened on the Queen Rodrica cruise ship, a possibility sprung to mind for Su Lun: Is the external god trying to use this method to refine the entirety of Lingdun?

Lingdun is the capital of Luying, hosting the most high-order alchemists and guarded by Tier-9 experts; even an external god would not dare act wildly here.

But now, it was confirmed that the Giants' Hermit Society had infiltrated the Luying royal family and elite class, now corrupting the lower class with this drug.

The consequences were unforeseeable.

Although not many people consumed hallucinogens, even if it was just one percent, with tens of millions in the population of Lingdun City, that was several hundred thousand!

If an outbreak like what happened on the Queen Rodrica occurred, the entire Lingdun City would become a true zombie hell!

A vast conspiracy immediately surfaced in his mind.

Su Lun then remembered the fragmented memories of that separated Archbishop, as if another piece of the puzzle was put in place.

As these thoughts flowed, the man in the duckbill cap urged, "Brother, you taking it?"

Su Lun took a dose of the potion and applied a bit on the back of his hand, then smelled it.

As a former gang member, he had the basic skills to test the product.

After smelling the scent and appearing fairly satisfied, he asked casually, "How much?"

The man in the duckbill cap, realizing he was dealing with a pro from his testing method, tentatively said, "One hundred fifty lira a dose."

Su Lun didn't respond to him and turned to walk away.

"Hey, hey, hey! Brother, if you're really interested, I can give you a discount."

The duckbill cap hastened to stop Su Lun and explained, "It's a bit pricey, but I swear, there's no other good like mine in all of Lingdun right now."

Exclusive?

Su Lun sharply caught something and sneered, "Such good goods are not easy to come by, no one but a Great Alchemist could produce it..."

It seemed sarcastic, but it was actually a probe.

Hearing this, the duckbill cap indeed hurried to explain: "You seem to know your stuff. Ever heard of 'Vaughn Brothers Club'? I won't lie, it was our gang's alchemy big shot who made these, I can't reveal specifics, but I guarantee the quality is unquestionable..."

Su Lun did remember this name.

Lingdun City had dozens of gangs in its several districts.

This "Vaughn Brothers Club" was a small gang based near the dock.

Was this gang a distributor?

Or followers of the external god?

The few potions in front of him were obviously diluted, a common practice among gangs.

Gang members who got their hands on 100% pure goods sold them for 100 lira.

Then they could dilute it into two doses of 50% purity, each sold for 60.

This way they could earn a little more.

As long as there was some effect, people would be tempted by the cheaper price.

Dilution was much simpler than mixing pure substances, nearly devoid of any technical content.

But it was certain that this guy really had a "source."

At their first meeting, Su Lun did not appear too eager, as that would only arouse suspicion.

He flat-out said, "One hundred twenty each, give me ten to try out. If the goods are indeed good, I'll come back to you."

The duckbill cap guy, seeing business coming his way, also brought out the potions and volunteered, "Alright then, if you really find them good after using, come look for me. My name's Bax, I'm always around the docks, just ask anyone."

"Okay."

Su Lun was straightforward, paid the money, and put away the potions.

This kind of small fry was just spreading goods around, they didn't know much.

Su Lun still had things to do and planned to come back to this matter once he was free.

He placed the potion into the small void realm and handed it over to Dr. Banks for research.

...

Su Lun passed through a passenger corridor, climbed a few steps up, and was already by the street.

This was a steam train platform.

The southern city district was an old town area, mostly populated with commoners, and steam trains were the most basic means of transportation for the general public.

The ground was pitted and full of historical marks, with black water everywhere. Some manhole covers on the streets still emitted whistling hot white steam.

When Su Lun first arrived, he saw armed mounted police patrolling the street on shiny-coated horses in pairs.

These knights, who should have been made obsolete by steam motorcycles, were still the most important patrol force in Lingdun City because the nobility favored this sense of ancient ceremonial spirit that highlighted the city's character.

At this moment, next to the platform stood a slender young girl who was looking around as if waiting for someone.

Although it was only afternoon, the fog and the obstruction from tall buildings made it impossible to see the sun. An expanse of gray haze, the sultry steam, and a gust of breeze blew open the girl's thick black hair, revealing a pale, pretty side profile.

Su Lun recognized the newcomer and walked over.

The girl just then turned to look.

In an instant, she recognized the old friend before her, her eyes suddenly brightened, and she greeted him warmly, "Mr. Su Lun!"

Su Lun looked at the girl who had changed a lot and smiled, "It's been a long time, Miss Lena."

Lena beamed a bright smile, "Yes, it has been a while."

Maybe three years?

Su Lun silently counted the time in his heart, realizing that it had been quite a while since he left Old Lington.

He scrutinized Lena, only then realizing how much she had changed.

The last time he saw her, Lena was a green schoolgirl; now she had become a stunningly beautiful young lady.

She wore a finely tailored suit that perfectly outlined her figure while making her appear very smart. People from Old Lington all seemed to have an extremely fair and delicate skin, which, coupled with her straight black hair, gave her an aura of pure beauty. It made her stand like a beacon of light in this dim district, attracting the side glances of passersby.

Perhaps it was because the elder butler "Mage Ram" Anthony, who was waiting by a motorcycle, looked so stern that no one dared to approach her.

Seeing an old friend made Su Lun feel very good.

Back then, during the underground trials on the outskirts of Old Lington, they had shared hardships. Their escape from the inner city was also made possible thanks to her acting as a "hostage," and they had kept in close contact ever since, naturally developing a deep friendship.

Speaking of which, he had acquired the "Black Scythe" during that time he met her, and the two famous rifles, "Lightning Snake" and "Blue Demon," had been gifts from her...

The two shared too many memories.

The cruise ship was delayed by half an hour, and Su Lun felt a bit embarrassed, "Sorry to have kept you waiting, Miss Lena." Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

"Not at all."

Lena, like greeting a long-lost friend, generously opened her arms wide.

Su Lun also walked up and gave the girl, who was now half a head taller than two years ago, a warm hug.

As he embraced her, a faint fragrance entered his nostrils, and the good feeling of reuniting with an old friend instantly thickened.

After embracing for a few moments, the two finally parted.

Lena blinked, her clear eyes shimmering.

She glanced at Su Lun and exclaimed, "Wow, Mr. Su Lun, you've become even more handsome~"

Su Lun shook his head, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and smiled, "Miss Lena has truly become even more beautiful."

Lena tilted her head and smiled happily, "Really?"

Su Lun nodded his head, not stingy with his praise, and seriously responded to those expectant eyes, "Yes, you look even better."

He noticed that it wasn't just her appearance that had changed, Lena's personality had also significantly transformed. At least the shy little girl who used to blush easily was now openly hugging and jesting.

Lena's eyebrows remained lightly raised in amusement, as if she had much to say. But then she pointed to the steam locomotive parked nearby and said, "Mr. Su Lun, let's get on the train and then talk."

"Mhm."

Su Lun nodded his head and glanced at the old butler waiting by the car, calling out, "It's been a long time, Mr. Anthony."

Anthony's old face broke into a rare smile and said, "Mr. Su Lun, it's been a long time indeed. Let's get in the car; it's too crowded here."

He pulled open the door.

"Mhm."

Su Lun nodded and gestured for the lady to board the train first.

Lena, unhesitant, grabbed Su Lun's hand and they boarded together.

Once the door was closed, they were immediately in a private space just for the two of them. Just like the old-fashioned carriages in Lingdun, the nobility structured their steam locomotives to ensure privacy, with separate compartments for passengers and drivers.

The carriage also featured soundproofing, and once the door closed, the noise of the busy street outside was completely cut off, as well as the loud noise from the steaming boiler.

The two sat on soft leather cushions.

Lena directly addressed the purpose of their meeting, "Mr. Su Lun, about the special metals you messaged about earlier, I've managed to gather a lot again, and they are now stored at the cargo dock warehouse, ready to be picked up. Also, those large machinery lathes you needed, I've contacted the seller and am negotiating the purchase; we should have them in a week or two..."

"Mhm. You've worked hard."

Su Lun nodded his head.

They hurried to the dock to get their hands on that batch of materials as soon as possible.

The War Workshop in the small void realm had almost come to a halt due to a lack of materials.

It was also thanks to Lena and others operating in Lingdun that they could manage these military-regulated special metals.

Previously, Mr. Jing mentioned that the Reis family's company had established a firm footing in Luying and Lena's performance had been incredibly striking, surpassing her father's and rapidly becoming a pivotal figure in the company.

Seeing her now, Lena had indeed grown a lot.

At that moment, he sensed something and asked, "Lena, have you advanced to the third rank?"

Lena nodded, her face wearing an expression like a little girl wanting praise, "Yes, besides running the company, I've been working hard to get stronger."

But immediately, she changed the tone, "But compared to Mr. Su Lun, I am still far behind!"

Su Lun smiled and said nothing.

As Lena spoke, she pulled out several newspapers from the seat, pointed at the black-and-white photo on one, and said, "I saw you appear in the newspaper before and only then did I realize how impressive you've become. '1V200,000', my god! You wouldn't believe because of that battle in Roman Kingdom, puppet masters have become the hottest profession in Lingdun recently. The prices of related materials have skyrocketed several times, and crows have become the most fashionable pets! The local alchemy guild is even holding a 'National Puppet Master Contest'..."

"Hehe."

Su Lun chuckled.

He glanced and realized that this was a newspaper from nearly a month ago. The photo on it was of himself in the Colosseum of Moros, cloaked in a bidirectional cape, wielding a black scythe... Although the photo didn't capture the overwhelming aura that enveloped him, it did manage to capture the disdainful temperament he had when his eyes were bloodshot from the fight.

It really looked quite appealing.

Miss Lena, who seemed to collect such newspapers, skillfully flipped through several pages, all discussing that battle, pointing and saying, "And here... and here..."

As she talked about someone else's story, she grew more and more excited.

Since it was just the two of them in the carriage, she sat very close to him quite naturally and intimately.

Su Lun looked at the newspaper, but his gaze inadvertently swept across and caught sight of a bright white expanse.

Lena wore a neat and trim suit, but the white shirt underneath featured a fashionable lace design. Originally, where the buttons should have been there was instead a long vertical opening, revealing a large patch of her fair, tender skin. The subtly prominent silhouette was as attractive as it was tantalizing, hinting at hidden allure. This outfit perfectly showcased the aesthetic beauty of a mature woman's figure.

The material and design of the clothes were top-notch.

In normal circumstances, one might not have noticed anything.

But as she was seated like this, without consciously holding her jacket closed, one naturally caught sight of the white expanse.

Su Lun instantly averted his gaze.

But in his mind, he couldn't help but make a comparison.

He remembered having seen this girl's figure before. Although it hadn't been bad, it was also the age of awkward development, with only a slight protrusion.

Well... she really has matured a lot now, it can hardly be concealed.

Just right in her prime, even without the support of a bra, still proudly unrestrained.

Now a third-tier professional, Lena obviously had a good perception.

How could she not have noticed that glance?

That's when she realized her clothes were open.

If it had been before, she would definitely have blushed.

But now, although a barely perceptible change flickered across the depths of Lena's eyes, she boldly asked, "Mr. Su Lun, do you think this dress looks nice? This is the most fashionable women's design in Lingdun City, and it was custom-made by Sabina's personal tailor~"

"It looks quite nice."

Su Lun nodded and curiously asked, "You and Sabina are close?"

With her eyelashes fluttering slightly, Lena smiled radiantly: "Yes, because we both come from Old Lington. Sabina has been with me these last two years, helping me a lot. She also taught me many things... this outfit is one of her styling tips. She even said that Mr. Su Lun, you would definitely find it very attractive."

"..."

Suddenly, Su Lun felt like he understood something.

Taught her a lot?

Given what he knew about Sabina, could it be she taught Lena some bizarre knowledge?

A crafty look flashed in Lena's eyes as she added, "Sabina was supposed to come meet you too, but she is currently investigating some special intel and couldn't get away today, so she couldn't make it."

"Oh."

Su Lun didn't mind either.

Sabrina worked in intelligence, so it was better for her to stay hidden.

Miss Lena seemed unconcerned about the clothes issue, already displaying the composure and confidence of an office "queen." Probably because Su Lun was by her side.

She continued to share some recent intelligence...

Steam vehicles drove through the streets of London City, with buildings flashing swiftly past on the roadside.

The southern district of Old Lington was the old part of town, where the buildings were all very ancient. Ragged beggars were everywhere on the streets, a breeding ground for crime and gangs.

The two chatted about some facts while reminiscing about the past, creating a fairly harmonious atmosphere.

Suddenly, Su Lun's gaze caught a large building under construction on the roadside.

Pointed rooftops, a bell tower, grand stone arches, and those stained glass windows steeped in religious atmosphere all suggested this was no ordinary building.

In front of the building, nuns dressed in their habits were distributing porridge and bread to the poor, with a long queue assembled.

The lower class in Old Lington lived in very harsh conditions, and it wasn't rare for homeless people to starve to death daily.

Watching Su Lun's gaze, Miss Lena said, "That's the new church. The 'Faith Act' originally wouldn't have passed in the council, but Queen Charlotte used the royal prerogative to bypass the council and push the act through. Later, for some reason, two Senior Councilors also voted in favor, and now the entire Empire of Luying no longer prohibits religious beliefs. Particularly, various believers from the four countries in the north have come to Luying to evangelize... Conservatively estimated, there are at least fifty different sects in Lingdun City now."

"..."

Su Lun listened with a frown.

He thought about that guy selling hallucinogens at the docks and understood Mr. Jing's words more clearly.

"Alchemy civilization must absolutely not let believers of gods take power! Oh, by the way, Mr. Su Lun. There is another very important piece of intelligence to be cautious about."

Just then, Miss Lena thought of something else and added, "Just a week ago, Duke Rafael officially passed the council vote and obtained the sixth 'Senior Councilor seat.' The specific reasons are unclear, but it's said to be due to his strong military capabilities being recognized by the other five Senior Councilors. Sister Sabrina also reminded us to be extra cautious as there has been intelligence of a suspected 'Umbrella Organization' structured espionage agency recently in Old Lington."

"Oh?"

Su Lun's eyes immediately showed contemplation upon hearing this.

Previously, he had used a mechanical octopus to attack a submarine, so Duke Rafael probably already knew that neuro-mechanical technology had leaked.

Originally, Rafael was just a lord from a remote place, his reach couldn't extend to the capital.

Now he had suddenly become a "Senior Councilor"...

This couldn't be ignored.

....

As Su Lun and Miss Lena were heading to the freight docks,

at the Customs Office in Kaketro Port, the communicator rang.

"What, you say 'Lei Cat Trade Company's' contraband has a buyer coming to pick it up?"

"Yes, Chief. The warehouse has already received the pickup request form and confirmed this information."

"My goodness, we've waited so long, and finally a buyer has come. Quickly gather the men, get ready to make arrests! Inform the Councilor, say we have a lead!"

"Yes, Chief!"