Mechanical Alchemist

"At least a four-element magician, Mr. Hei is indeed terrifyingly strong..."

Su Lun looked at the man in the black robe, who, after finishing casting his spell, retracted his aura and became indistinguishable from an ordinary person, and sighed softly with a complex expression.

Although he had suspected that the former vice-principal of the Black Tower Academy would be formidable when they first met,

seeing Mr. Hei in front of him effortlessly perform a high-level spell, he still found it unbelievable.

However, coming back to the point, shock was secondary.

Su Lun knew he had been discovered, and he felt it was now time to carefully think about how to handle the situation so as not to be mistaken by these big shots, who came to the ruins for procurement, as a petty thief coveting from the sidelines, and inadvertently get killed.

And as this thought crossed his mind, the few black-robed ones who had finished dealing with the grave garden lamp bearer also turned their attention elsewhere. Of the five, the two who had not taken action seemed to have noticed something. One of them turned his head and looked towards the bunker.

Their gaze met precisely at the ventilation point.

Su Lun couldn't see the face hidden beneath the man's cloak, but in that moment of eye contact, he felt as if he saw a hidden smile in the cloak man's eyes.

It was the kind of amused smile a cat gives when it spots a mouse.

Fortunately, it was not "murderous intent."

And in that split second when their eyes met, the arm beneath the cloak man's cloak suddenly lifted, making a gesture as if to throw a card.

Before Su Lun could even react, the golden card left the man's hand, spinning through the air, shooting into the vent as precisely as a bullet.

"Clang~"

A sharp sound.

The card lodged into the wall and then exploded into white smoke.

Before the smoke had even cleared, an incredible scene unfolded.

The cloak man who had thrown the card hundreds of meters away, suddenly materialized inside the bunker.

Su Lun, taken aback by this instant teleportation, did not make any misleading moves but spoke decisively without waiting for the other to act, "I am a friend of Mr. Hei."

....

As it turned out, birds of a feather flock together.

Mr. Hei himself was a true gentleman, and so were the people from his organization; none of them were bloodthirsty.

After Su Lun mentioned Mr. Hei's name, the card-ability cloak man uttered a soft sound of surprise and gave him a glance. But without another word, his figure disappeared into a burst of white smoke, returning to hundreds of meters away.

His arrival was sudden, and so was his departure.

Then that guy must have said something, and the five cloak people all turned their gazes towards the bunker.

But it was just a glance before they lost interest.

They were busy dealing with the soldiers' strange corpses and the very dangerous hexagonal copper lamp. It seemed they had no time to pay attention to this "lost Scavenger," who for some reason was present in this place.

Su Lun thought it pointless to keep hiding, so he decided to open the mechanical door he had made himself and finally stepped out of the bunker for the first time in a month.

At that moment, the black-robed spell caster who had put aside his work walked towards him.

As he approached, he lifted the cloak covering his head, revealing the amiable face of a middle-aged man, naturally, the mysterious Mr. Hei.

Seeing the hairier Su Lun, Mr. Hei first looked slightly puzzled, probably not matching him with anyone familiar.

But he seemed to have noticed something thereafter, took another glance at the spot behind Su Lun, and showed a trace of realization.

That was precisely where the invisible undead had been standing.

The subtle noise had not escaped his perception.

Something invisible?

The[Oz Ice Man's Shroud]is no secret as to whose hands it is in now.

He instantly recognized who this person claiming to be his "friend" was.

Mr. Hei smiled and greeted proactively, "Young Su Lun, long time no see."

Su Lun also stepped forward to meet him, nodding in response, "Mr. Hei, it's been a long time."

```

...

Mr. Hei always gave people a sense of approachability.

Without waiting for Su Lun to speak, he said in a joking tone, "I've been hearing about you quite frequently lately, you've really stirred things up in Old Lington and Dawn Camp, haven't you?"

After a pause, he continued, "Now not only the officials but also the black market, the Oliver family, the Crow Gang, and the Steam Party have all put a hefty bounty on your head, just waiting to claim it..."

Su Lun chuckled dryly.

He wasn't surprised by the news at all.

He had seized that fortune from Young Master Danze and had killed a few second-tier professionals, so being wanted was within reason.

Mr. Hei spoke, and after giving the long-haired Su Lun another glance, he teased, "But looking at you now, it seems that friend Su Lun doesn't need to worry about the warrants anymore."

Su Lun shrugged his shoulders and modestly said, "You flatter me."

After the pleasantries, Mr. Hei got to the point and asked, "By the way, how come you're here? This is after all the central ring of Dawn City, and moreover, the 'Mist Tide' has just ended. There's a lot of extremely strong anomalies and weird creatures around..."

The implication was clear, large Scavenger groups led by top-tier professionals were only cautiously active in the central area now, so how could he, a first-tier professional, be here?

And, at this particular time too.

"It's quite a coincidence, I was being hunted down..."

Su Lun briefly mentioned the process of being hunted down by the Oliver family.

Then, with a somewhat helpless gesture toward the bunker behind him, he added, "Then, I hid in that bunker for a month."

"You've been here for a month?"

Upon hearing that, Mr. Hei, whose eyes had always been untroubled, now showed a hint of surprise and curiosity.

It wasn't something that could be survived by merely hiding.

The 'Mist Tide' was full of dangers, not just the various monsters from the abyss, but the violent dark spiritual power alone was not something ordinary people could withstand.

The flicker of doubt vanished as Mr. Hei seemed to think of something. He didn't speak it, but a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

"Yeah... roughly something like that."

Su Lun felt that the "X Serum" wasn't exactly a secret he couldn't talk about, Mr. Hei probably knew about it too, and there was no harm in mentioning it.

But the other party didn't ask, so he didn't bring it up either.

....

While the two were conversing, the other four cloaked figures had already cleaned up the remains of the dominant anomaly and tidied up the battlefield.

They didn't even say a word to each other, commmunicating with a glance, and then dispersed on their own.

It was like those ad hoc groups that disbanded on the spot after completing their tasks.

Three cloaked figures left, and one stayed behind. That was number nineteen.

Number nineteen was a mechanical warrior, equipped with many advanced mechanical augmentations, such as iris recognition, voice recognition, skeletal contour recognition, and other special physical recognition methods. She had previously collected data on Su Lun and now, with just one glance, she recognized him.

She walked over, nodded in greeting – that was her way of saying hello.

Su Lun didn't mind, for a cold mechanical warrior to say hello was already quite a good treatment.

Since the battlefield was dealt with, it was naturally not appropriate to stay for long.

Mr. Hei called out to Su Lun, "The noise from hunting that anomaly just now wasn't small, it might bring some troublesome creatures. Let's go, we'll talk while walking."

"Hmm."

Mr. Hei didn't probe into Su Lun's secrets, and in a mutual understanding, Su Lun didn't inquire why they were here or why they had hunted that dominant anomaly.

Nor did he try to learn the secrets of this mysterious "third-party organization."

Of course, without asking, both parties had already guessed part of it.

....

The three walked towards the east, in the direction of the ruins' exit.

```

With Mr. Hei and Number Nineteen, two super bodyguards protecting him, Su Lun no longer needed to be as excessively cautious as when he was alone.

He had just been thinking that with second-tier blueprints and materials in hand, he would need a Forging Master. Unexpectedly, he had stumbled upon Mr. Hei.

Just as he was about to voice his request for help, Mr. Hei seemed to sense something and spoke first, "Remember when I first met young friend Su Lun, you were an aspiring professional running around for a first-tier prosthesis. To think, after a few months, you're about to advance to the second tier."

Surprised by these words, Su Lun asked, "Mr. Hei, you can tell that I'm about to advance?"

"Yes."

Mr. Hei naturally read between the lines of Su Lun's question.

It wasn't about whether he had figured it out, but how.

He clarified directly, "The amount of dark spiritual power you exude with your breath is extraordinary. That level is beyond the reach of any first-tier professional. In fact, it's more than what many second-tiers possess."

"I see..."

Su Lun found it somewhat unbelievable, thinking it must be some special perceptive ability.

Considering it was Mr. Hei, who could casually perform advanced spells, Su Lun found nothing strange about it and went on with his request, "Then... Mr. Hei, I have an audacious favor to ask of you."

"Is it about preparing to forge a second-tier prosthesis?"

Mr. Hei smiled.

"Yes." Stay connected with empire

Su Lun, now used to Mr. Hei's prescience, nodded.

He took out the blueprint while saying, "I've found the perfect prosthesis blueprint and materials for myself, but ordinary forging masters can't handle this prosthesis, so I must trouble you..."

Mr. Hei cast only a brief glance at the blueprint Su Lun had handed over and said with a peculiar expression, "Isn't this the renowned Trickster Lloyd's signature prosthesis? Did you kill him?"

Blueprints held tightly by wealthy families would not be sold; the only explanation was robbery by murder.

"No."

Su Lun shook his head, adding, "I destroyed his alchemical puppet and cut off his legs. So I was lucky to get the blueprint."

Mr. Hei, not privy to this information, showed an intrigued expression when he heard Su Lun's account.

He then asked Su Lun, "Did you find the right main material? Lloyd made his name with this prosthesis, largely because he found the 'Tismoxing ironworms.' Only special silk can maximize the potential of this prosthesis..."

"I have."

Su Lun nodded and then took out a head with silvery hair flowing from it.

Mr. Hei suspected that Su Lun had the materials prepared, but even he, a widely knowledgeable Scholar, was briefly taken aback when Su Lun suddenly produced a human head.

He recognized it after a moment and asked with a tone of disbelief, "The Wailing Witch's head? And... a second-tier 'Infinite Hair' at that?"

"Yes."

Su Lun nodded and inwardly marveled at Mr. Hei's extensive knowledge, as he had identified the origin of the material at first glance.

An ordinary appraiser might not recognize this item.

Mr. Hei asked, "This is an extremely rare material, how did you obtain it?"

Su Lun, seeing Mr. Hei's curiosity about the head's origins, elaborated further, "Previously, I joined a team to hunt relics in the wilderness, and it just so happened that the Oliver family's scavenging team ran into us. Then I got dragged into a cursed space... So, that's roughly what happened."

About a month ago, at the bell tower street, a fierce battle took place where seven second-tiers chased down a first-tier professional, and two were killed and another two were crippled. Probably the Oliver family was too embarrassed to publicize this defeat.

No need for detailed explanations, someone like Mr. Hei could naturally infer the ins and outs of the situation.

Hearing this almost "bizarre" tale, Mr. Hei couldn't help but show a very strange expression, "Heh... I wondered why the Oliver family was so frantic to issue a warrant for you, so that's the reason."

Even Number Nineteen, who had remained silent the entire time, looked at Su Lun with a strange gaze upon hearing about the battle: You, a first-tier professional, managed to overwhelm a large hunting group?

Mr. Hei didn't press further and took the materials, returning to the previous topic, "Now that I've gotten the 'Furnace Lamp of Volgan,' the forging of the prosthesis will be quick. In at most three to five days, you can have the finished product."

After a pause, he added, "By the way, did you find the right materials for advancement?"

"No."

Su Lun shook his head and then inquired, "I'm looking for advancement materials related to 'spatial ability,' but it seems they're not easy to find."

"Hmm, spatial ability is indeed a good fit for the Puppet Master profession,"

Mr. Hei nodded after hearing this but wore a regretful expression, "I don't have any clues about such materials either. However, Dawn City will soon welcome a great Scavenger surge, and many ancient relics will appear. Spatial materials are scarce, but that doesn't necessarily mean there will be none. The Scavengers' Guild is a good place for information dissemination, so you might try your luck there. I'll also keep an eye out for you..."

"Hmm."

Su Lun nodded, having the same thought himself.

The information commission had been posted in the Scavengers' Guild for a month, and it was unclear if anyone had heard anything.

"As for the matter of the prosthesis, I'll have to trouble you then."

As he spoke, he did not forget the rule of commissioning, and added, "Then, may I ask what kind of remuneration I need to offer?"

Last time it was a favor, this time he had none left.

The master craftsman's fee would not be cheap.

Mr. Hei smiled, seemingly not having originally planned to charge.

But suddenly, he seemed to remember something and changed his statement, "However, come to think of it, there is actually something you could help with."

Help?

Su Lun was initially puzzled upon hearing this.

Was there something that such a high-level expert needed help with?

But he also said, "Please tell me."

Mr. Hei: "You're going to the Scavenger camp now, right?"

Su Lun: "Hmm."

Mr. Hei did not rush to speak, instead turning to exchange a glance with number nineteen beside him, seemingly asking her opinion, and she gave her tacit agreement.

Only then did he say, "If possible, I would like you to help Miss Nineteen gain entry into the camp."

Su Lun: "???"

Mr. Hei explained, "You know, she was once a super mechanical warrior, with outstanding combat mechanisms, but she lacks some living skills. I think she would find herself in far fewer troubles if she were with you. Of course, it's just about getting into the camp."

Number nineteen, standing beside him, listened to Mr. Hei's assessment of her and seemed completely unbothered by it.

She, a war machine created specifically for killing, indeed lacked many of the emotions and social graces of a normal human.

...

Enter the camp?

Just that?

Su Lun felt that this "commission" was really something Mr. Hei had come up with on the spur of the moment.

Upon hearing about entering the camp, his first reaction was: This woman is going to stir up some major trouble again!

No, it should be said that this time it's their "third-party organization" looking to cause some sort of trouble.

However, Su Lun had no curiosity or intention of inquiring further.

If Mr. Hei had something to say, he would naturally say it; if he didn't, it meant that it was definitely the kind of affair where "knowing only brings trouble."

After thinking it over, it didn't seem too difficult to manage, so he readily agreed, "Alright!"

If it was just about smuggling someone into the camp, this commission was practically a grade D difficulty.

Before, Su Lun had been worried that his identity as "Johnny" was blown, and that the conspicuous abomination of a body, whether invisible or not, could no longer be brought into the camp.

But without the abomination and the scythe, he wasn't entirely sure he could come out unscathed if anything went wrong.

Now with Nineteen, a super combatant, accompanying him, it was perfect.

The two fugitives could also provide mutual support for each other.

Moreover... there was this mysterious "third-party organization."

Besides the two of them present, the three who left earlier were definitely top professionals—this power was absolutely capable of forcibly taking down the camp.