Mechanical Alchemist

Just as Su Lun had anticipated, Abek came to compete for the prize.

This copy of the "Four-Color Elemental Heart Core Structure Diagram", personally annotated by Master Rufan Hormont, was indeed of great use to Su Lun at present.

He just happened to have an original "Four-Color Elemental Heart" left by the ancient goblin civilization in his hand. With the knowledge from this copy, it was highly likely that he could make some new breakthroughs in the current stage of his energy core research. If he truly managed to mass-produce high-capacity elemental hearts, his mechanical puppet legion would climb another rung in combat effectiveness.

Su Lun had other plans and did not discuss them with Abek. After giving a few warnings, he went to the motorcycle parking lot.

His intuition told him that Augustus, wearing the Vampire Ring, was suspicious, and he planned to follow and investigate.

Ceremonies were still ongoing at the venue, and many steam motorcycles were parked in the lot, none having departed yet.

With a glance, Su Lun noticed several luxurious steam limousines parked prominently.

One of the extravagant classic carriages bore the noble crest of the Rodriguez family.

Through Soul Perception, Su Lun detected that there were people in the vehicles nearby, evidently guards watching over the cars.

Without drawing attention, Su Lun walked past, but instead of approaching that vehicle, he quietly left a spatial mark on a white limousine.

He had previously observed the noble crests; this was the vehicle of Miss Elsa Bach, who tied for the championship.

Then Su Lun walked straight to his own steam motorcycle, started it up, and rode out of the parking lot.

He also knew from lip-reading that those young nobles would be having a celebration party at a nightclub tonight.

With top-notch nobles, there would surely be experts at counter-tracking. Ordinary methods of tailing would be useless and might lead to being discovered.

Su Lun was in no hurry; he left a mark, planning to see if he could catch any fish later.

...

Su Lun was busy and had only managed to free up half a day to watch his two disciples compete.

After the competition, he returned to Lena's apartment.

The "Multi-Layer Detonative Thermite Bomb" by Gek was successfully completed and was undergoing the final precision tests. In a few days, the Royal Alchemy Academy was having a Victory Day celebration ceremony. Security at the library would be focused on the ceremony, and Kite planned to make his move then.

Su Lun had no need to worry about this; his intention was to make the mechanical prostheses for Gek before the celebration ball so it wouldn't affect his life in the future.

After dinner in the evening, Su Lun sensed the spatial mark he left behind; the vehicle belonging to Miss Elsa Bach had started moving in the northern city.

He then rode out on his motorcycle.

Estimating the route of the marked vehicle, Su Lun found that the place where the young nobles were partying tonight seemed to be in the nightclub district along the Lokwarren River.

Conveniently, it wasn't too far from Lena's apartment.

So, Su Lun set out on his motorcycle.

It had grown dark, and the Lokwarren River bank lit up with a dazzling array of lights. Near the Linden Iron Bridge, the lights shone brilliantly; this was the upscale nightclub district favored by the nobles.

It wasn't as bustling as the nightlife on Fox Gem Avenue in the Queen's district, but it was opulent enough.

Su Lun soon arrived riding his motorcycle.

Most high-end nightclubs in the area operated on a membership basis. Unsure of which bar the young nobles had chosen, he didn't rush in, but instead, he started wandering around nearby.

Lington's weather had been gloomy with incessant rain recently, and as he arrived, it started to rain again right on cue.

After nightfall, the neon lights of various clubs were already lit, casting an extravagant spectacle in the primary hues of cold violet, red, and blue.

Su Lun walked into a dim alley and lit a 7-brand cigarette.

It wasn't so much a nicotine craving as it was a desire to add a bit of the nightlife's smoky scent to himself.

This was a back alley behind a bar, piled high with empty bottles. Fat rats squeaked as they rummaged through the garbage cans, while rainwater gathered by the roadside, flowing into the sewers with a gurgling sound.

With nothing better to do, Su Lun hopped onto a low wall and squatted there, smoking.

Just like when he used to shake down the black markets in Old Lington, he knew these dark alleys could sometimes be livelier than the bars themselves.

For instance, at that moment, a couple engrossed in passion stealthily entered the alley and were intensely entwining in a corner where the light didn't reach, completely oblivious to the fact that someone on the low wall was taking an interested notice of it all.

Hiding in the shadows and spying on the whole world gave one a reassuring feeling.

Before long, the amorous couple left, satisfied, and Su Lun sensed that the vehicle he had marked had stopped in a parking lot two hundred meters away.

Calculating the distance to the parking lot, he immediately knew where those noble sons and daughters were partying tonight.

It was a high-end club called "Gustav's House of Music."

In the darkness, Su Lun's face took on a slightly different color.

Gustav was the real name of the great writer Fujiwara Hayato. This fellow had written a tragic novel in his early years titled "The House of Music," which was about a trite love story born from a bar encounter.

He wasn't famous while alive, but now he was incredibly popular.

Of course, the bar had nothing to do with the great writer.

It was just a name the club owner had chosen to appeal to the nobles who liked to affect a pretense of refinement.

The target had arrived, and as Su Lun finished his cigarette, he prepared to leave.

But just then, by coincidence, a woman hurried into the alley from the outside. Not bad-looking, with a head of shoulder-length hair that denoted class, she wore a sharp black-and-white business suit with suspenders, likely from the working class of the wealthy district. Her steps were slightly unsteady, as if she were drunk.

And as if someone had set their sights on her, she had walked in hastily to hide from something.

As soon as she entered, several men in leather jackets, clearly gang punks, followed with lecherous smiles on their faces. Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire

Su Lun glanced at them and guessed that some sort of base assault was about to unfold.

Such occurrences were far too common in the nightlife district.

He had thought about lending a hand.

But almost at the same time, Su Lun sensed something that piqued his interest.

The woman was a second-order professional, while the punks were merely first-order.

It seemed that the roles of prey and hunter were not as they appeared.

Then came the slick operation.

With the use of some potion, the woman easily knocked out the punks and after searching them for some object, she shoved the unconscious men into a garbage can.

Those guys would likely stay in the cold, foul-smelling garbage can until dawn.

All the while, the woman had no idea that someone had been crouched in the darkness all along, watching the entire scene.

"Tsk tsk, interesting..."

Su Lun witnessed a robbery for reasons unknown, found it mildly intriguing, but had no interest in watching what came next.

Watching the woman walk away, he finally stepped out of the alley.

...

In front of him stood a castle-style building with pointed rooftops.

Su Lun had never been to this "Music House Club" before.

He glanced from afar at the hanging price list which was very expensive. The prices for drinks were two to three times higher than those at an average nightclub, effectively filtering and purifying the clientele.

Those coming in and out were either obviously wealthy or assorted glamorous socialites.

Su Lun had changed into a decent suit that made him look like a dentist out to unwind after work.

He headed straight for the club's main entrance where a server welcomed and led him inside.

The layout inside the club wasn't much different from other bars: there was a dance floor, a bar, booths, and private rooms – all under an ambiance of ambiguous intimacy, dim lighting, and opulent confusion.

The decor was just more luxurious, adorned with classical accents preferred by nobility.

Although the club seemed quiet from the street, barely a whisper of noise to be heard,

it was actually quite lively.

The dance floor was crowded and the booths were about seventy to eighty percent full.

Upon entry, the pulsating music infiltrated his ears, exciting the rhythm in one's body.

Clearly, the phonograph playing the music was of a higher quality cursed object. This kind of widespread sound pollution caused a deep sense of spiritual delight.

What Su Lun found even more peculiar was that the ladies serving drinks were all dressed as nuns.

Because it was a high-end club, the quality of the attendants was very high, with pretty faces and tall figures.

Each of them wore black and white veils adorned with crosses and other sacred ornaments, looking holy and dignified.

However, the lower half of their attire consisted of very sensual black skirts with slits up to the waist, allowing patrons to clearly see lacy stockings and binding ropes as they walked, revealing their long beautiful legs unobstructedly.

It was a very sophisticated form of eroticism.

The server explained, "This is the latest theme of our club—'Customers Are Deities.'

In the world of alchemy, people have little reverence for deities, so nobody takes offense at this theme.

Su Lun couldn't help but find it quite novel and chuckled.

At least, it was much classier than the weary bunny girls seen in other nightclubs.

He casually ordered a pint of dark beer that cost him several thousand lira, and took a seat at the bar.

Because he sensed that Miss Amelia and Augustus were there, celebrating in an upstairs private room.

...

Not long after Su Lun entered the "Music House Club," in a deserted alley in the bar area, two mysterious individuals were busily engaged.

If Su Lun was there, he would definitely recognize the short-haired woman as the one who had previously robbed the gangsters.

At this moment, the short-haired woman was changing into a high-slit black and white nun's outfit.

As she changed, she muttered in a low voice, "Hey, old man, can't you have a little faith in me? It's not the first time I'm handling such an assignment. What's with the mistrustful look?"

The old man with grey-white hair responded, "Oh, Amelia, you know you've messed up assignments before... Your kindness doesn't fit with this society; it could be your downfall."

Hearing this, the short-haired woman shot him a glance but said nothing.

The old cowboy continued to earnestly advise her, "Listen to me, find the client's daughter and get out of there as soon as possible. Don't stir up trouble, you hear me! This is Razor Gang territory, and I don't want any trouble. Moreover, there's clearly something fishy about this case. Someone who kidnaps a rich man's daughter without asking for ransom or seeking revenge isn't involved in ordinary human trafficking. It's likely tangled up with some scandals of the nobility, not something small-time detectives like us should touch..."

Before he could finish, the short-haired woman impatiently interrupted him, adding, "I got it! I got it! Old man, you've repeated yourself many times already. I'll come out as soon as I complete the assignment; I won't mess around!"

"..."

The old cowboy listened, smacked his lips, seemingly helpless, and let out a slight sigh.

...

Su Lun was sitting at the bar inside the club, like any ordinary patron, occasionally sipping a drink to pass the time.

He flirted with the approachable attendants now and then but showed no intention of leaving.

He still needed to observe what the group of young nobles upstairs was up to.

Moreover, after entering, Su Lun also noticed some anomalies.

This seemingly normal club had a secret room underneath the wine cellar.

And those secret rooms obviously had devices that disrupted sensory perception probes, even distorting Su Lun's spatial perception.

This was not your average basement.

Quietly taking out a black umbrella, Su Lun then clearly perceived several people confined within the mysterious underground room.

This significantly piqued his interest.

Old Lington did not ban the slave trade, so it was normal for nightclubs to have captive slaves, and gangs engage in illegal human trafficking.

But that was usually in low-end establishments; a high-end club like this wouldn't have such.

What's more, what baffled Su Lun was that those people confined in the secret room were clearly professionals.

Even though their rank wasn't high, all being first and second-order, they definitely shouldn't be club hostesses.

"Who could be imprisoned there?"

Su Lun pondered in his mind.

Just then, an incident that further intrigued him occurred.

A new wave of patrons arrived at the entrance, and Su Lun noticed that one of them had a soul fire that felt very familiar.

Even without looking, he knew it was the short-haired woman who had robbed the gangsters in the alley earlier.

"What's she doing here?"

Su Lun's eyes shifted, finding it quite coincidental.

With a sidelong glance, he saw the short-haired woman head towards a dark corner.

Two seconds later when she reappeared in his sight, she had undergone a transformation, her coat now exchanged for a server's sexy nun outfit.

"Huh? Interesting..."

Observing her magic-like change of clothes, Su Lun immediately realized, "Could she be going for those people imprisoned in the basement?"

Ordinary customers didn't need to disguise themselves to come here.

She had previously knocked out those gangsters, obviously taking things like the door entry keys.

The short-haired woman seemed very professional, akin to a detective or spy. Without attracting anyone's notice, she smoothly blended in and slipped deeper into the club.

Su Lun was unperturbed, sensing everything throughout the process.

The woman was clearly prepared and professional enough, as she managed to avoid some of the club's surveillance lines, quietly heading towards the wine cellar.

Su Lun thought she must be here to save someone.

And judging by her professional methods, it was highly likely that she would not be discovered.

So he quietly watched the drama unfold.

However, just as Su Lun was taking an interested look at the woman's actions, his pupils suddenly shrank, "A strong entity has come?!"

At that moment, within the range of his Soul Perception, a very peculiar fluctuation suddenly appeared.

That soul fluctuation felt even more peculiar than the one from the sixth-tier Augustus upstairs.

It was like... the familiar aura of hell.

"..."

Su Lun sat at the bar without any visible reaction, silently drinking his wine.

Even without looking, he sensed that the "expert" had entered the club and then sat down not far from him.

"Is it coming for me, or is it a coincidence?"

Su Lun couldn't be sure.

But he thought it should be the latter.

He hadn't expected that just by coming to follow a lead and have a drink, he would encounter so many strange events.

Inside the club, the lights flickered, and on a reflective piece of iron in front of him, Su Lun clearly saw the man's face. It was a disheveled old cowboy with graying hair.

...

Although Amelia had entrusted her father to not follow her, Spiritual Detective Jerome, worried about her safety, had also quietly followed her into the club.

He chose an inconspicuous spot and sat down at the corner of the bar.

But just then, his intuition told him something was off about the environment.

The moment he extended his perception, he suddenly felt like a cat with its tail stepped on, his whole body bristling with hair, goosebumps instantly cropping up all over.

"Shit!"

He cursed inwardly.

It was an indescribable terror, as if sitting next to the Grim Reaper, that sent chills down his spine.

"Could it be that something is going to happen tonight?"

Jerome was greatly alarmed internally.

Always cautious, he immediately sensed that something was amiss.

He knew there was a young doctor sitting not far from him, and the source of danger was from there.

But he dared not look, nor did he dare make any sudden moves.

After waiting a good while, since the person made no movements, Jerome finally felt he could breathe smoothly again.

"It seems it's not for me, just coincidence..."

Jerome figured the other person mustn't have noticed him, then sensed again, "Strange, why is his soul so terrifying? When did such a person appear in Linden?"

The person continued to drink morosely, but the more tranquil he was, the more uneasy Jerome felt inside.

He finally decided to test the waters.

While paying the bartender, he took out a dirty sheepskin purse.

Then he reached in and rummaged around.

There was a brief jingle of metal coins, and Jerome got a coin. Just as he was about to pull out the purse, his glance caught the crimson bloodstain on the coin, and the corner of his eyes twitched, his forehead breaking out in cold sweat at once, internally screaming, "My God! How many people has this guy killed to make me touch this bloodstained coin?"

Jerome didn't dare to take the coin out, but after weighing it, he found it light, revealing a strange expression in his eyes, "And yet... the judgement says he should not go to hell? Strange, I've never seen such heavy bloodshed, but 'Sacred Judgment' deemed him good?"

Though puzzled, Jerome breathed a sigh of relief inside.

At least, he was not an enemy.

...

That old cowboy thought Su Lun hadn't noticed him.

But little did he know that from the moment he walked in, Su Lun had been paying attention to every move he made.

The guy was indeed strong, but what was with his mysterious actions?

Although the guy was concealing it well, Su Lun could see clearly that he was sweating, stiff, and his complexion alternated between pale and flushed... looking like he was having quite a tumultuous inner struggle?

However, when Su Lun witnessed the man taking out that sheepskin purse, his gaze grew somewhat peculiar, "Is this guy divining?"

[Betrayer's Purse]

Explanation: This is a dark divining magical instrument that can determine if a target is guilty; according to legends, the dead from hell used it to judge whether a human soul should go to hell;

Su Lun glanced from the corner of his eye, seeing the information identified by the All-knowing Eye, and guessed something, "This magical instrument is used to divine people? Don't tell me he's divining me."

If it's the principle of proximity, then among the bar patrons around him, it's only himself who's a bit odd.

"Could it be that this guy has noticed some flaw of mine?"

Su Lun was somewhat surprised, then thought to himself, "He must have some special talent, or a professional ability. To use this purse, he must not be an Alchemist but a god's follower..."

He wore a jammer, so in theory, those in perception-based professions should not have been able to detect him.

But the fact that he took out the purse directly suggested he must have noticed something.

And he hid it very well.

If it weren't for Su Lun's All-knowing Eye, no one would have noticed this act of touching money without energy fluctuation was divining.

Su Lun watched the old cowboy who showed no malice towards himself and did not "sneeze," so he left him alone.

The two of them just continued to drink silently, without speaking.

In Su Lun's perception, the short-haired woman had already infiltrated the wine cellar smoothly and then went deeper into the basement.

Her action was decisive, just like when she robbed those gangsters in the back alley earlier.

...

After a while, Su Lun glanced at the clock above the bar.

Within less than ten minutes, the silhouette of the short-haired woman appeared in his field of vision.

At this time, she was accompanied by a blonde young lady who was obviously trembling with fear.

This soul fluctuation belonged to one of the people who had been imprisoned in the basement just now.

Seeing the short-haired woman emerge, the Old Cowboy next to her didn't sit back down; he walked straight out of the club.

Witnessing this, Su Lun realized, "So these two are in cahoots..."

They had come to rescue someone.

But they didn't save the others, which meant they were likely private detectives, not official personnel.

To avoid trouble, they only rescued their target.

Su Lun saw nothing improper about it.

Taking one person out of the club was easy, but taking several could probably lead to detection, and then no one would be rescued.

Moreover, given the current situation, those who were imprisoned in the basement were clearly involved in something secretive.

Getting involved would mean big trouble.

Su Lun watched as the Old Cowboy, covering for the short-haired woman, left the club with the rescued person, and he had no intention of catching up to inquire about the situation.

Because in his perception, someone had discovered that there were fewer people in the basement.

....

Soon after the short-haired woman rescued someone, a fourth-tier professional entered the basement.

He was the boss of the Razor Gang, Lawrence Hilby.

The Razor Gang was an old gang in Old Lington, still on the underworld scene after the "Black Stone," one of the three major gangs in Old Lington, went legitimate.

Though their control over the nightlife wasn't extensive, their influence was extraordinary.

Because standing behind the Razor Gang was a certain Senior Councilor!

"Damn it! How could there be one person missing!"

Lawrence discovered that someone had been taken and turned pale with fear.

No one would have expected that a gang boss accustomed to murder would tremble with fear at the sight of one missing person, murmuring to himself in a panicked and frightened manner, "I must not let the master know there is one less person, or I'm a dead man..."

The absence of a first-tier maiden wasn't normally a big deal.

Just have the brothers abduct another.

But he was acutely aware that if the master knew the secrecy of the chamber had been compromised, he and his family would be taken care of immediately.

With this in mind, Lawrence made a decision on the spot.

He didn't even inform anyone to pursue the little thief; instead, he quietly erased everything, as if nothing had happened.

...

On the other hand, Su Lun noticed someone had gone to the basement, and despite discovering fewer people, there was utterly no commotion in the club.

"Strange, they don't even bother to chase when someone is missing?"

Su Lun was still pondering why the fourth-tier guy's reaction was so odd when,

just then,

he suddenly detected that after the group of young nobles upstairs finished their revelry, "Augustus" came out alone.

Then, in Su Lun's perception, that person went straight to the cellar alone.

"It's for him!"

In an instant, a lightbulb went off in Su Lun's head, and he suddenly understood what was really going on with those people in the basement!

He watched as "Augustus" entered the basement and after a short while, the other six soul fires extinguished.

"I should have thought of this earlier... the Vampire Ring! Those imprisoned people are that old monster's sustenance!"

A flame suddenly flared up in Su Lun's heart.

The Vampire Ring granted extended life and eternal youth, but it required the consumption of virgin blood to mitigate the curse's backlash.

That old creature had lived until now, killing who knows how many innocent maidens.

Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed across Su Lun's eyes, filled with an inexplicable anger: "This is the nobility, huh..."

...

After Augustus came out of the underground chamber, his face showed dissatisfaction, a look of unfulfilled appetite.

Razor Gang boss Lawrence was drenched in cold sweat by that chilling look, keeping his head down, not daring to make eye contact.

"Lawrence, I seem to recall telling you, if it's only of this quality, next time there should be at least eight, not seven."

"Yes, my lord! But please understand my difficulties... most professionals above first-tier typically aren't young, and it's very hard to find suitable virgins. True virgins are very rare in the slave trade. The big academies in Lington have them, but most have backgrounds. If we abduct too many, there will be big trouble behind us. Recently, I've even heard that people on the street are asking about 'this batch of goods'; if I'm not careful, I might draw attention..."

"You don't need to worry about the police station, no one will trouble you. Just do as you see fit. Remember, if anyone snoops around this matter, deal with them immediately. If you encounter someone troublesome, contact me at once, and I'll send someone to deal with it. Also, if it's like this next time, you know the consequences."

"Yes, my lord!"

Augustus left quietly without saying more.

...

Su Lun hadn't expected to stumble upon this big secret by coming here this time.

So that "Augustus" had been using the gang to find young girls as a means to alleviate the curse's characteristic?

But for families like the Rodriguezes, which were among the top-tier nobility, a few civilian deaths truly weren't a big deal.

Su Lun sensed that "Augustus" had returned to the upstairs private room, and he lost any further interest in staying.

Even if he wanted to take action, without a surefire way to kill, he could not make his move.

After finishing the wine in his glass, Su Lun was ready to leave, but just then, he suddenly felt the short-haired woman he'd sensed leaving earlier was back again.

"What is this woman up to?"

Su Lun watched her as she, just like before, blended into the crowd and entered the club, then changed into a nun's habit.

Realizing this, he immediately understood that this woman was intent on rescuing someone again.

But now everyone in the basement was dead; if she went there now, not only would she fail to rescue anyone, she would also be discovered.

With that thought, Su Lun sighed slightly and approached her.