Mechanical Alchemist

When Su Lun emerged from room 1021, the hotel had already descended into chaos.

A mass of dark gray fog spread down from the second-floor staircase, giving this brightly lit and luxurious hotel a filter akin to the underworld, with a gloomy gray coldness in every view.

Inspection revealed that the fog was a special kind of "corpse gas".

The NPCs in the hotel had been contaminated over the past three days, and upon contact with this gray fog, they began to mutate. Their bodies uncontrollably sprouted disgusting tumors and strange tentacles... In the blink of an eye, they transformed from humans into clawing, fanged monstrosities.

Suddenly, the hotel was overrun with zombies, with constant screams and roars of agony... It was akin to a hell on earth.

From previous intelligence, Su Lun knew that this "Ghost Fog" was a gas that also highly likely to cause Scavengers to mutate.

But upon seeing it, he discovered that this "Ghost Fog" was a type of dark energy purer than regular dark spiritual power, which could also increase the upper limit of one's dark spiritual power through inhalation.

He even tried taking a few breaths and found...

His previously full and slowly increasing dark spiritual power value was rising again.

Moreover, his body had an even higher affinity for the "Ghost Fog", making breathing it utterly refreshing.

During inhalation, it also increased the efficiency of recovering consumed dark spiritual power. The amount of recovery was almost the same as what he currently expended when unleashing his implant gear and "Servant" form, with not even a hint of mutation...

This meant that in this environment, Su Lun could almost maintain his implant gear in active state indefinitely.

That was somewhat good news.

.....

Loud sounds of fierce combat came from above. It seems like Magician Edward and his group of three had engaged in battle with the old nun.

But Su Lun wasn't in a hurry to go upstairs.

Both parties were at their peak condition, and the battlefield above was bound to be extremely dangerous.

If he intervened, he might inadvertently get caught in the crossfire.

According to the thousand-year storyline, Edward's group was supposed to be wiped out.

Now... it was hard to say.

Given the abilities they had just displayed, all three were extremely strong. As long as they didn't undergo demonization, they would certainly have the strength to fight.

From the noise upstairs, the battle was intense and evenly matched, hence the ferocity.

So, he would wait.

Waiting for both sides to be weakened was the best opportunity to enter the fray.

Su Lun walked into the corridor, and after a thought, decided to check out the situation on the first floor first.

The circumstances today differed somewhat from when the previous Scavenger teams had entered.

When the last team of Scavengers entered, by the time midnight arrived, the only "wild monsters" they had to face were the staff and security on duty within the hotel. If they wanted to hunt other monsters, they had to open the doors room by room. Without opening the doors, the monsters would generally not come out on their own.

But today, due to the "Ghost Fog" erupting early, most of the guests were now in the banquet hall on the first floor.

It caused the monsters to mutate en masse, creating a chaotic frenzy of demons.

But this wasn't all bad news.

The silver lining was that because the mutation had erupted prematurely, although there were many monsters, their strength was not great.

Su Lun casually killed a [Mutated Waitstaff] in the corridor and discovered it was not a "Bizarre" level monster, at most it was an elite.

This differed greatly from previous intelligence, which stated that the lowest on the first floor were Black Iron Bizarre monsters.

Furthermore, there was another piece of good news for Su Lun.

Normally, the higher the floor, the stronger the mutant monsters became.

But now, since most of the guests were gathered on the first floor, the number of high-tier monsters on the second and third floors would be relatively less.

If he were to go up later, this would reduce the danger for him considerably.

...

[The Demonized Faceless Corpse] left a trail of wet, sticky sludge in the corridor.

Su Lun followed the trail and saw it use its tentacles, which were dozens of meters long, to catch a panicking Scavenger. Then it used its tentacles to probe into the victim's mouth and nose, quickly dessicating the person into a husk.

The Scavengers also noticed this head-blossomed creature and retaliated fiercely.

But normal bullets were practically harmless to this second-tier silver Bizarre creature. Even cannon fire only left minor wounds with little effect.

Because they were wearing head coverings, the strange creature paid no attention to Su Lun.

Su Lun knew he couldn't kill it, so he didn't waste time trying.

Since rooms 1055 and 1022 were not far apart, as Su Lun walked down the corridor, he suddenly saw a translucent shadow with an unnaturally long tongue floating by.

Upon closer inspection, this turned out to be the hanged corpse from room 1055 that had become a ghost type.

Because Su Lun had on him a "Hanging Noose," this ghost type selectively ignored him, and they passed by each other, one human, one spectre.

Without the threat of this second-tier entity, Su Lun felt as if the first floor also seemed to have no deadly dangers.

Thinking this, he directly made his way to the banquet hall, where the monsters were most concentrated.

Here, chaos reigned among the monsters, bullets flying everywhere.

The previously charming maid waitresses had turned into "Bloody Maids," the tall leggy dancers into "Desire Demons," and the ladies and mademoiselles had become all manner of bizarrely shaped zombies...

The Scavengers were engaged in a fierce firefight with the monsters.

"What on earth is going on! It's not even midnight yet, how could these ancients have mutated..."

"It must be that wanted criminal Su Lun's doing, damn it, if we'd known earlier, we should have killed him on the spot!"

"These mutated monsters don't seem to be that strong though..."

"Haha, we're going to make a fortune this time..."

"…"

When Su Lun arrived, he saw that the Scavengers had divided into two groups, hunting the monsters.

One group consisted of independent hunters, and the other belonged to the "Sand Scorpion Group".

Since most of these monsters were zombie types and most hadn't reached the level of strangeness, despite their numbers, concentrated gunfire could reap them like wheat.

But the good times did not last, as four special second-tier silver entities made their entrance, and the situation immediately turned one-sided.

In addition to the "Faceless Corpse" and "Hanged Corpse" he'd seen before, two more had appeared.

The "Bigheaded Wailing Infant" had turned into a zombie type with a massive head, a terrifying eye as big as a basketball occupying most of its skull, possessing immense strength and the ability to burrow underground;

And the "Drowned Woman Corpse" had become a ghost type radiating blue light, floating along, leaving a trail of water stains behind her.

It was these four second-tier entities that made the Scavengers' counterattacks pale and powerless.

The two zombie types were manageable, their movements were slow and they were difficult to shoot, but the Scavengers could use the terrain to avoid them.

But the two ghost types were much more troublesome, completely ignoring physical damage, able to pass through walls and float, leaving no chance to escape...

"Ah... those are ghost types!"

"Don't be afraid, we have more people, the ghost types can't control so many of us!"

"Don't fucking run! The more scared you are, the more it will target you!"

"…"

The Scavengers had theoretical experience in dealing with ghost types, but ultimately, not everyone could control the fear within their hearts.

Scared and mentally disordered, their sanity (san) dropped to a very low value, and they were immediately controlled by the ghost types' mental attacks. The spreading atmosphere of fear and the agonized screams of dying companions intensely stimulated the nerves of others, spreading contagion...

When Su Lun arrived, he watched as the two ghost types floated through the crowd, leaving bodies to fall like cut wheat wherever they passed.

For ordinary people who weren't skilled in spiritual power, there was practically no solution to their methods.

Those targeted by the "Hanged Corpse" seemed to experience an illusion of being hanged and suffocating, then instinctively made the motion to remove the noose from their necks. In reality, they would strangle their own necks, and as the sensation of suffocation grew more intense, they would grasp tighter until they strangled themselves to death in the struggle...

The "Drowned Woman Corpse" used a similar tactic, causing people to believe they were drowning and suffocating. This made them instinctively hold their breath to the point of asphyxiation. The water stains left by the dead bodies suggested that apart from illusions, the entity also had the ability to manipulate water elements...

Both ghost types were completely immune to physical attacks, which is why normal Scavengers feared them.

They might have stood a chance with a Magician specializing in magic, but independent groups hardly employed such costly professionals, so facing high-tier ghost types generally meant "total annihilation".

Even the use of "Demon Bane Bullets," the alchemical bullets designed for ghost types, was futile.

Besides not having enough bullets to kill the ghost types, even if they did manage to kill them, the special entities could revive indefinitely.

This was a deadlock.

…...

Su Lun watched from a distance, also roughly figuring out the abilities of the four second-tier entities.

Because of the "Four-Piece Anti-Trickery Set" on him, the four special creatures paid him no attention.

He also ignored those creatures.

But the other mutated monsters were very sensitive to the breath of the living, and they surged toward him.

Su Lun didn't hesitate, his guns belching flames.

From his past life's gaming experience, to fight a boss, it was best to clear out the minions first.

He wanted to clear out the monsters on the first floor as quickly as possible, to avoid any complications when going upstairs. For instance, as time passed, the monsters could become stronger; or the old nun upstairs might have some special method to summon minions to her aid...

Therefore, it was best to initiate the attack.

As long as it wasn't a trickery-level mutated monster, Su Lun's marksmanship could take care of it in just a few shots.

If regular bullets didn't work, then use alchemical bullets.

After Su Lun grew stronger, the people he killed also became increasingly powerful, resulting in him capturing more and more rich spoils of war. He had an abundance of various alchemical bullets, numbering in the thousands.

For a "Firearms Expert," ammunition was his confidence.

The mutated monsters, like sharks sensing the smell of blood, crazily swarmed him. He found a corner with walls on three sides, stood there, strapped on an ammo box, and began harvesting without expression...

Knowing that tonight was going to be a fierce battle, Su Lun did not skimp on ammunition.

"Pop," "Pop," "Pop," "Pop,"...

The rapid-fire sound of the submachine gun was continuous, occasionally interspersed with a few "Boom," "Boom" sounds of special alchemical bullets exploding.

Although the sound of gunfire was incessant, the rhythm was not chaotic.

The firepower suppression of [Blue Demon] and the precise sniping of [Thunder Snake] made Su Lun's noise alone equivalent to the firepower of a whole organized team of Scavengers in the distance.

Aiming for the eyes to explode heads, targeting joints to break limbs, stacking shots to breach defenses...

Utter calmness made Su Lun's marksmanship precise and deadly.

In fact, due to the gap in marksmanship and alchemical bullets, in a short while, the monsters he killed alone surpassed the total number killed by those several dozen scattered Scavengers.

After all, how could ordinary Scavengers, who hunt with their lives on the line, possibly be equipped with alchemical bullets costing eleven thousand each?

A single spray could mean several hundreds of thousands gone, which normal Scavengers could not afford.

This was a disparity in equipment,

and also a crushing superiority in skill.

Gradually, the pile of mutated monster corpses in front of Su Lun grew higher...

This scene, witnessed by the ordinary Scavengers in the distance, made them swallow their saliva fervently.

Merely Su Lun's spot-on marksmanship had everyone utterly astonished.

Especially the guys from "Sand Scorpion," their faces turned pale, their eyes filled with horror.

Only then did they realize how ignorant they had been before, thinking of killing this "Class S wanted criminal" for the bounty?

If those bullets hadn't landed on the mutated monsters but on them instead, they would probably have met the same fate.

Besides, Su Lun's methods were not limited to his marksmanship.

....

Most of the NPCs in the hotel from a thousand years ago were also ordinary people, and since they hadn't been fully "contaminated," they weren't considered strong even after mutating.

What was troublesome were the original professionals among the guards and guests.

After their mutations, they were at least silver-tier trickeries.

In this first-floor hall, there were at least three to four hundred people including guests and hotel staff, bound to hide some professionals.

Once the ghost fog erupted, they all came out.

Wall-crawling spiders with extreme speed, skull-crushing doctors who enjoyed knocking people's heads, meat mountains that couldn't be killed by alchemical bullets, chameleon-like invisible monsters...

These trickeries mixed in with the horde of monsters were the greatest threat to Su Lun.

But there were many mutated monsters, and Su Lun had "people" on his side as well.

Various trick marionettes stood in several rows beside him, keeping him tightly protected.

[Laughing Doll], [Wailing Doll], [Bomb-Proof Doll], [Lead Heavy Doll], [Oil Swallowing Doll], [Phosphorus Fire Doll], [Voodoo Doll]...

He now had a large amount of witch's hair strands, which greatly increased the number and efficiency of puppet manipulation he could manage.

The fine hairs on the Octopus Spear allowed for precise control of the threads, and even as Su Lun continuously fired his guns with both hands, it didn't affect the operation of the puppets at all.

These puppets also ensured that the occasional one that slipped through the barrage of fire was kept at a safe distance.

Even if there were one or two particularly tricky second-tier monsters, the invisible zombies behind Su Lun would slice their heads in half before they even got close.

With long-range means and close-combat abilities, the aberrant monsters found it difficult to get close.

....

There was enough dark Spiritual Power, and bullets were plentiful...

Originally, following this rhythm, Su Lun felt that it wouldn't be long before he could clean up the monsters on the first floor, except for those four.

But as he was fighting, an accident happened.

Just as Su Lun was killing in a smooth rhythm,

that "Giant-Headed Ghoul Infant" suddenly exploded without warning, turning into chunks of flesh scattered all over the ground...

Before he understood what had happened, the light and shadow of that "Drowned Maiden Corpse" also dispersed.

The two aberrant creatures seemed to have suffered some unseen attack and perished suddenly.

"Huh...?"

Su Lun was still firing, but as he caught a glimpse of this scene, a sound of amazed doubt escaped his lips.

He was certain that the sudden demise of those two second-tier monsters was not his doing, and neither could the Scavengers have managed it.

They had died inexplicably.

"Could it be Edward and the others upstairs did it?"

Su Lun suddenly realized something, but couldn't fathom what this remote monster-killing method was all about.

He didn't think too much about it though.

Because at that moment, his gaze fell on where the "Drowned Maiden Corpse" had collapsed.

There... a "grey mist" unexpectedly appeared!

Zombies rarely produce grey mist shards, but ghost species, being spiritual entities, have a high likelihood of producing them.

Because it was too far away, Su Lun didn't have the chance to collect the grey mist.

And within those few moments, the light and shadow fragments and flesh remnants of the two aberrant corpses seemed to be absorbed by the space, vanishing without a trace.

Looking back, the door to room 1055 in the far corridor from where the strange cries emanated, a new "Drowned Maiden Corpse" floated out intact.

And before long, a Giant-Headed Monster also came hopping gleefully into the banquet hall to continue its hunt...

They really could resurrect indefinitely.

....

However...

Upon witnessing this, a bold idea suddenly sparked in Su Lun's mind.

These four corpses truly could resurrect infinitely, but what would happen if their Soul Shards were stripped away?

This thought struck him, and Su Lun suddenly realized he had found a method to restrain these four aberrant creatures, no, perhaps even a way to kill them!

With this in mind, he no longer chose to hunker down in the corner, but ran to a position near the two ghost species, ready to put his idea into action.

Without waiting long, the "Demonized Hanged Corpse" also perished inexplicably, dissolving away.

The "grey mist" appeared once more.

Seizing the opportunity, Su Lun didn't wait for the grey mist to disappear, he rushed forward and devoured the mist.

'Gained 2 Soul Shards of "Demonized Hanged Corpse"'

'You have grasped "Mental Illusion·Suffocation Technique (Incomplete)"...'

'Spiritual Power +0.6'

As Su Lun assimilated the grey mist, his eyes lit up with excitement.

It actually worked!