Mechanical Alchemist

After enjoying a hearty breakfast at Rich Lady Lena's apartment, Su Lun stepped out, feeling refreshed.

He had arranged to meet Mr. Hei today.

Besides catching up, there was much he needed to ask in person.

Mr. Hei, employed as an inconspicuous librarian at the "Lingdun Royal Parliamentary Library," spent his days there immersed in books, organizing, and occasionally restoring ancient texts. Inconspicuous, yet this was the intelligence core of the Dawn Organization in Lingdun.

The library was located in the Franklin District—a zone without a clear divide between affluent and common classes—teeming with headquarters of various large and medium-sized enterprises, a hotspot for the work-lively elite populace.

Su Lun rode his steam motorcycle from the apartment across two city areas, taking half an hour to reach the library.

It was a very impressive set of buildings with a classical Gothic style, adorned with a beautiful golden bell tower and various other turrets. It was the most magnificent structure Su Lun had ever seen in Lingdun.

He parked his motorcycle near the library plaza, then walked over.

The weather was nice today, and the fountain plaza was bustling with many people feeding the plump pigeons with bread crumbs.

Where the wealthy gather, even the pets are fatter.

He contacted Mr. Hei, who was currently in Section A of the library, organizing ancient texts.

Su Lun checked the guide map and entered through the library's main entrance.

The library was open to everyone, but admission required proper attire.

In Lingdun, a decent ensemble including a top hat, leather boots, and a walking stick was valued at no less than ten thousand lire.

Most commoners could never afford such an expensive attire. Thus, although the library appeared open to all, it effectively barred the lower classes.

Allowing only a fraction of people access to knowledge was still a gesture of grace from the nobility to the commoners.

...

Su Lun stepped into the library as if entering a maze constructed of books.

This "Parliamentary Library" was known alongside the "Lingdun Royal Academy Library" as the largest libraries of their time.

Over two hundred million cataloged items were housed in the public areas of the library, with numerous societal donations still increasing that number annually.

The collection included books, manuscripts, newspapers, scrolls, stamps, artwork, and assorted curious cursed objects. The book area alone contained texts in over a thousand different languages, encompassing artifacts from numerous civilizations and ages.

All in all, it was enormous.

The library was brightly lit, a few people seated on mahogany chairs flipping through books.

As he walked by, Su Lun felt a tickle of desire, wishing he could have such a library within his own "little void realm" to carry with him.

The deeper he delved into alchemy, the more he revered the vastness of knowledge.

Soon, Su Lun reached a corner in Section A.

This was a book sorting area, free of outsiders, only admitting librarians.

He saw Mr. Hei meticulously organizing a large pile of ancient scrolls on the second floor as he arrived.

Su Lun called out, "Mr. Hei... long time no see."

Mr. Hei chuckled and responded, "I hardly deserve the 'Mr.' anymore. We mustn't mess up our seniority..."
Enjoy exclusive chapters from My Virtual Library Empire

He was a student of Mr. Jing, and Su Lun was Mr. Jing's junior disciple.

By seniority, Mr. Hei should actually call Su Lun "little uncle."

Su Lun would never presume so much respect, as this elderly gentleman had always been a revered sage, elder, and previously in Old Lington, he had solved many major problems for him.

Moreover, Mr. Hei was a true Scholar.

Despite Su Lun himself having amassed a variety of knowledge, it was mostly from pirates and warriors—how many books could they read? Excluding the repetitive, both the depth and quantity were far behind Mr. Hei.

With respect in his heart, upon seeing Mr. Hei, Su Lun still teased, "Should we each keep to our own? I'll still address you as 'Mr.', and you can call me 'little uncle'?"

Mr. Hei, far from offended, burst out laughing, "Hahaha..."

They both knew that the titles did not matter to them.

Mr. Hei gestured to a nearby chair, "Su Lun, just find a seat anywhere you like."

As they were no strangers, Su Lun didn't stand on ceremony; he pulled out a chair and sat beside Mr. Hei, immediately showing great interest in the collection of ancient scrolls on the table.

Mr. Hei noticed his interest and explained while pointing to the scrolls on the table, "Sorry, I wanted to meet elsewhere, but I'm just overwhelmed with work."

Su Lun wasn't bothered by this.

After a pause, Mr. Hei continued, "This is 'Cimbrian script,' recording a very rare interrupted civilization. An adventure team excavated it last month from a sunken ship in the South Sea, and it was just delivered to the library yesterday. This one box of scrolls, if searched for in all of Lingdun's libraries, likely wouldn't yield a second box..."

Those characters seemed almost magical, and sparkle danced in the Scholar's normally tranquil eyes as he spoke of them.

Su Lun had never even heard of this interrupted civilization, but looked on with interest as he queried, "It seems to record some kind of alchemy?"

Mr. Hei's scholarly expertise was immediately apparent, "Yes. Those texts preserved so well must inherently house valuable knowledge. Due to knowledge gaps, the translation isn't very precise, but it roughly records an ancient technique for refining seawater..."

"Oh."

Su Lun listened and learned.

He increasingly envied the "treasure magnet effect" of a capital like Lingdun.

Adventurers from Lingdun traveled worldwide seeking treasures, unearthing ancient relics. Yet ultimately, almost all valuable findings were transported to Lingdun.

Especially items like ancient relics.

Because only in a major city like Lingdun could people afford to buy these; only here was there a sufficiently knowledgeable expert team to translate them, uncovering their true value.

Simply observing these few scrolls in the library might represent a rarity completely unattainable in a commoner's lifetime.

And Lingdun is a vast empire.

Lingdun City had accumulated a thousand years of heritage, inconceivable to outsiders.

This heritage was also why it was called a "sacred land of alchemy."

Su Lun felt nothing but admiration, pure and unadulterated.

And when he compared himself to others, he felt increasingly like a nouveau riche.

He felt he needed much more knowledge to enrich himself.

In this library lay endless knowledge, as vast as the boundless cosmos.

Mr. Hei had chosen such an identity to conceal himself, out of both interest and career advancement.

Su Lun thought that, after seeing the world, retiring as a librarian would be a fine choice indeed.

...

Upon their reunion, Su Lun curiously sensed Mr. Hei's soul fluctuations, raised his eyebrows in astonishment, and directly asked, "Mr. Hei, just how powerful are you now? I feel like you've become incredibly formidable."

If it weren't extraordinary, he wouldn't have asked.

He knew Mr. Hei had also advanced to the fifth order, but he seemed as inscrutable as the ocean.

Even facing sixth or even seventh-order professionals he had met before, Su Lun had never felt this immeasurable depth.

Those eyes brimming with wisdom seemed as if they could see through everything.

Mr. Hei didn't respond directly but instead laughed, "Su Lun, my young friend, you're the formidable one. That battle in the City-States of Morlos, facing two hundred thousand enemies by yourself, no one else could achieve... Now you're considered the 'strongest professional' in the eyes of the younger generation of Lu Ying."

Listening to these words, Su Lun didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said, "Mr. Hei, please don't flatter me too much. Don't you know the truth?"

Mr. Hei's eyes twinkled with mirth, not entirely joking, "I'm not making this up; it's written just like that in the newspapers. At the very least, even a seventh-order professional wouldn't be able to defeat so many enemies under those circumstances.

In the presence of a scholar, Su Lun didn't have the gall to boast, so he returned to the original topic and asked, "So, what is your power level now?"

Mr. Hei thought for a moment and said something ambiguous, "Knowledge makes me fearless."

"..."

Su Lun rolled his eyes, his expression almost speaking for itself: Speak plainly.

Seeing his mocking expression, Mr. Hei finally thought and replied solemnly, "Well... to be honest, I guess no one below the seventh order could defeat me."

Hearing this, Su Lun felt like he got the answer he wanted and said, "I think you are being modest."

Given this old man's modest character, to dare to say this meant it was probably an understatement.

Anyone else might take this to mean... undefeated below the seventh order!

Even though Su Lun felt he was very powerful, he never dared to claim to be invincible below the seventh order.

Like that time he encountered the puppeteer behind the "Ghost Bride," with those dark magic puppets, he wasn't sure he could defeat anyone, whether they were fifth or sixth order.

But Mr. Hei daring to say so must mean he had some assurance.

As strong as ever...

Su Lun silently admired.

Having been personally taken as a disciple by Mr. Jing, Mr. Hei's talent was unquestionably superior.

This old man had it all, only being a bit too low profile for his taste.

Though one of the most learned men of the era, he always behaved like a naive school-age child, always maintaining a modest and reserved stability.

After some small talk, Su Lun and Mr. Hei discussed serious matters.

The recent situation in Lu Ying, the current state of the Dawn Organization, and the reactions of the major forces...

Learning that Mr. Jing and others had gone to the province of Senodia, and that the organization was doing well there, Su Lun breathed a sigh of relief.

He also shared the clues he had discovered the day before with Mr. Hei.

At least to let the intelligence organization of Dawn prepare in advance.

Their conversation lasted from morning until afternoon.

If Su Lun didn't have other matters to attend to, he would have really considered staying in the library for a few days to seek guidance and learn.

As they parted, Su Lun gave Mr. Hei a "Void Tolerance Elixir" and a space material he had previously acquired that was highly compatible with the Scholar profession.

...

Not long after, Mr. Hei escorted Su Lun to the library entrance, "This professional material really suits me, Su Lun, you are thoughtful."

It wasn't just the material, but also the rare "Void Tolerance Elixir," that would greatly enhance his spatial affinity.

For a scholar like him, this enhancement in strength would be more terrifying than for most, that affinity would cause a qualitative change in his spatial techniques!

Su Lun didn't mind these features.

Not to mention the connection with Mr. Jing and their belonging to Dawn—Mr. Hei had also helped him a lot back in Old Lingdun.

Mr. Hei then said, "By the way, Su Lun, about that copy of 'Isaac's Alchemy Manuscript' you wanted—I've checked, and it's really in the Royal Academy Library. But it isn't easy to take out. It's a permanent collectible of the Royal Academy, and even members of the royal family have no rights to gift it to anyone. So... the only way to obtain it is through some extraordinary measures. However, the library has highly sophisticated security spells, and even now, I haven't figured out any way to circumvent these spells."

"Oh?"

Su Lun frowned upon hearing this.

He wanted not only the content within to craft "Isaac's Giant Strength" armament but also the manuscript itself.

It was left by Sir Isaac and besides the knowledge, was a formidable treasure in itself.

Su Lun felt it necessary to collect his sect's treasures, especially since his teacher Sereya mentioned that there was a great secret hidden in the manuscript.

However, it seemed not so easy to acquire.

Mr. Hei said, "I think you should take a look yourself when you have time; your 'All-knowing Eye' talent might see more."

Su Lun nodded, "Mm."

Visiting the Royal Academy of Lu Ying was also one of his plans for the upcoming days.

To inspect that manuscript, and also to visit his disciple Gek who loved researching bombs.

Mr. Hei added, "Also, you might consult Kit. He's an expert in breaking various spells and decoding locks, maybe he could help. Besides, he would probably be quite interested. After all, the treasures in the Royal Academy's Treasure Gallery are considered the 'ultimate challenge' for thief-type professionals. The last one to succeed was one of the top ten legendary hunters, 'Thief King' Carlo Meldis..."

Su Lun listened and smiled.

As they were parting, Mr. Hei added, "Danny has opened a potion shop at 171 Rodon Street in the Queen's District. When you go there, remember to tell him that I've already found the batch of ancient potion manuscripts he was looking for. He can come and pick them up anytime..."

Su Lun nodded, "Okay."

...

Before long, Su Lun rode his steam motorcycle to the Queen's District.

Rodon Street is the location of the headquarters of the "Lurion Pharmacists Guild," and it is the only place in the empire where one can certify as a senior pharmacist.

This district gathers pharmacists from all over the country, hence it also has Lurion's largest market for potion materials.

Potion studies is one of the most important fundamental disciplines within alchemy, which Su Lun himself mastered. Recently, his experimental research had been lacking some materials, and Dr. Banks had also issued a long list of items, so he decided to make the purchases himself.

After parking his motorcycle at the corner, Su Lun browsed the market with great interest.

Various shops with hanging signs offered a dazzling array of potion materials, and Su Lun casually visited a few.

One has to admit, this Rodon Street bulk distribution market truly deserves its status as Lurion's largest market for potion materials. One could find almost every potion material needed!

In the shops, there were also various finished potions for sale, from the lowest-grade healing medicines to life extension elixirs worth millions. Everything was available.

As long as you had the money, you could buy nearly any potion with the desired effects.

The pedestrians on the street were bustling, including pharmacists and professional merchants, with a large portion being adventurers coming to buy potions.

Being a main distribution center, the potions here were much cheaper than in other places.

However, after walking around, Su Lun only bought a few urgently needed materials before calling it quits.

It's not that he didn't want to buy more, but the materials were really too expensive!

Su Lun had been mixing in the northern sea pirate circles, accustomed to pirate black market's "bone-breaking prices."

Now at a regular market, he found the prices of those materials outrageously high.

In Pirate City Hastelin, what one could buy for a thousand lisos might cost ten thousand or even tens of thousands here.

The materials were on average four to five times more expensive, some even dozens of times more.

Su Lun gave up the idea of sweeping goods.

Though he was not short of money, there was no need to waste it like this.

These matters were better handled by Rich Lady Lena's trading company.

No middlemen, more suitable for bulk purchases.

Su Lun did not linger longer in the market. Watching the door numbers, he walked past the bustling Rodon Street. When he reached number 150, he was already in a very remote corner.

After circling for half a day and not finding his destination, he asked a local and then found number 171.

The shop was hidden in a dim alleyway.

It was somewhat like a village in the city; behind the glamorous commercial district of Rodon Street, there was a cluster of very old houses, where many laborers who moved goods for the medicine market lived.

Seeing the door number he had struggled to locate, Su Lun muttered, "No wonder Mr. Hei said it was hard to find..."

It was a very small shop, only sporting a small sign "Danny's Potion Shop."

Compared to the big shops on the main street, this was practically no different from a street stall.

However, the shop was closed.

Su Lun, who didn't want his visit to Lingdun City to be widely known, hadn't informed Danny of his arrival.

But he knew there were people inside the house, and not just a few.

With a pinch of a sorcerer's seal, a person cloaked in a cloak appeared.

Emerging from a mini spatial realm, Dr. Banks looked at the shop sign, his voice clearly agitated, "Is this Danny's shop?"

Su Lun nodded, "Hmm. They should be on the second floor. There are quite a few people there."

Just as the two were hesitating whether to knock, a young face with a peaked cap appeared on the second-floor roof.

The person cautiously asked, seeing the two obviously suspicious characters, "Who are you looking for?"

Su Lun looked up, and despite the hat obscuring the face, he recognized the person and called out, "Kai?"

He had felt there was a strong third-tier professional upstairs but hadn't expected it to be someone he knew.

It was none other than the former captain of the Old Lington Cross Society, Kai, who had a life-saving bond with Su Lun.

The peaked cap wearer was stunned for a moment when called by his name, "Su Lun?"

Once he saw Su Lun's face clearly, his expression turned incredulous, and excitedly exclaimed, "Oh my God, is that really you!"

Kai jumped down nimbly and gave Su Lun a warm hug.

Su Lun, looking at his old friend, was also very happy.

The alley was clearly not a place for idle chat. Kai suggested, "Let's go inside and talk!"

As he spoke, he knocked on the closed door of the potion shop and shouted, "Anisha, open the door quickly."

Listening to the footsteps of someone coming downstairs inside, the door soon opened.

It was a young nurse in isolation gear, a young girl with large eyes who sized up Su Lun and his companion, asking, "Mr. Kai, a new patient?"

Kai did not explain much, "No. An old friend of Danny and me."

"Oh."

The nurse named Anisha turned and went upstairs, "Then Mr. Kai, please entertain your guests, I need to go help Dr. Danny change a patient's dressing."

Kai, "Okay."

Su Lun looked at the few ready-made potions in the shop and casually asked, "Why is the shop not open?"

Kai looked somewhat solemn and said, "These days, a strange disease has been rampaging through the city. There are too many patients, and if this continues, we won't be able to accommodate them all."

Before Su Lun could think further, they had already ascended to the second floor.

In a small room, more than ten sickbeds were separated by curtains, and a figure in a white coat was busily attending to them.

He seemed extremely focused, and didn't even realize two more people had entered the room, only saying, "Anisha, inject the patient in bed three with a dose of 'T3 antiviral'."

Kai had intended to call Danny to greet an old friend, but Dr. Banks stepped forward instead.

He barely glanced at his own son, instead focusing on the patients in bed three, and said, "The T3 level antiviral isn't enough to suppress the symptoms of the patients. You need at least a T5 level. Add five milliliters of 'mercury neutralizer' to neutralize the sepsis in the patient's organs."

Hearing this, Danny didn't turn around, and continued in conversation, "There's no T5 left. Let's use T3 for now. I'll figure out the potion later..."

Having said that, he then realized that someone had said something.

Turning around, he saw a stranger standing beside him.

Though he couldn't make out the face clearly, a familiar sense of closeness suddenly surged within him.

Danny wasn't sure who he had seen, but when he turned his face, he recognized Su Lun and exclaimed, "Su Lun?"

Su Lun nodded and smiled, "Long time no see, Danny."

Seeing an old friend, Danny could hardly conceal the astonishment in his eyes.

Since it was Su Lun...

Danny already knew his father was still alive; it was only because of those mutation suppressants sent from Pirate City that he had managed to survive.

So, this person was his father?

Dr. Banks also spoke, his tone complex, "Danny, are you doing alright?"

Hearing this, Danny's eyes brimmed with tears.

...

The father and son reunion was joyous beyond words.

Unfortunately, both had mutated, their appearances completely changed from before.

They couldn't briefly sum up each other's experiences with just a few words.

However, they had barely started reminiscing when the coughing of patients interrupted them.

Banks used some advanced potions he carried with him to temporarily suppress the patients' symptoms.

Su Lun watched the whole process, his gaze very solemn.

To him, the patients seemed to exhibit symptoms typical of the "Red Death".

This was confirmed by Danny as well.

"This is a new contagious disease, initially thought to be transmitted through rats. Infected individuals, particularly on their faces, develop red spots, often accompanied by dizziness, severe pain, and bleeding from the pores. I've tried many methods, but have yet to find a cure. Certain advanced potions can suppress some of the symptoms, allowing patients to temporarily survive, but unfortunately, ordinary people cannot afford the cost of these high-level injections."

He paused, then added, "Moreover, I've noticed that the well-informed speculative merchants have already started hoarding goods. Any potions or materials that can suppress this disease have skyrocketed several times in price, and they continue to soar... It's difficult to even purchase the materials to concoct potions."

Dr. Banks looked equally solemn as he said, "Judging by the symptoms, it should be the legendary 'Red Death'."

Danny, not knowing what was happening, asked puzzled, "Father, what is this disease?"

Dr. Banks and Su Lun exchanged a glance, sighed slightly, and said, "Let's go downstairs to talk about it."

The patient was stable for the moment, and Danny finally managed to step out of the sickroom.

They talked as soon as they reached downstairs.

Danny had disfigurements, and his facial features were frightening, which is why he didn't like making public appearances. However, since he had once been saved by the slum dwellers of Old Lington, that experience left him with a good will towards the lower classes. So after coming to Lington, he opened a small potion shop where he sold affordable potions on a daily basis to treat some of the local people.

Nurse Anisha was one of the previous patients. When Danny had cured her from a certain death, the girl stayed to work as a nurse in the shop.

Although old friends meeting might have had many things to discuss, their conversation revolved more around the "Red Death".

In the underbelly of Lington, this "Blood Terror" was silently spreading; the sinister conspiracy of that wicked Outer God was progressing.

Fortunately, Dr. Banks was an expert in this area. Having seen these cases, he also had some ideas about treatment strategies.

However, a large number of clinical trials were still needed for testing.

At this time, no one could be sure how long it would take.

This only made Su Lun more urgent to find out exactly who was spreading this disease and who was the supplier of the parasitic potion!

...

With professionals like Dr. Banks and Danny studying the Red Death, Su Lun didn't need to worry.

In the evening, he arrived at a café by the Lokwarren River called "The Enigmatic Bird".

He and Sabina had agreed to meet there at seven to go together to the "Full Moon Misunderstanding".

Su Lun ordered a coffee and sat in a corner seat by the window, a position that allowed him to observe most of the café.

The window gave a perfect view of the renowned Linden Iron Bridge.

This suspension bridge was a landmark of Lington, capable of automatically lifting its surface on both sides to allow ships to pass whenever a large vessel sounded its horn.

After sitting down, Su Lun took a few sips of coffee and checked his pocket watch; there were still fifteen minutes to the appointed time.

But just then, a woman whose face was largely covered by a scarf hurried into view. She scanned the people in the café and instantly spotted Su Lun in the corner.

With a light step, she walked over, all the while unwinding her scarf.

That shiny wave of red hair was the first thing to catch his eye, followed by that voluptuously charming smile—could it be anyone but Sabina?

Su Lun looked at this enchantress of a maid who he hadn't seen for a long while and raised an eyebrow in a smile.

Sabina didn't sit across from Su Lun. Instead, unashamedly, she sat right next to him.

Her sultry body pressing against him, the enchantress maid wrapped her arms around her master's neck, and with a coquettish glint in her eye, she pouted, "Sir, sorry to keep you waiting!"