Mechanical Alchemist

Su Lun set down the puppet and gently grasped at the void in front of him with one hand.

It was no longer the sensation of touching the air,

as if the space under his claw had become a thin membrane that could be easily torn.

He gathered the dark spiritual power in his palm, and a pitch-black hole in the void appeared before his eyes.

Then he reached his hand into it.

Miraculously, a section of a hand slowly extended out a meter away.

He was very aware that his palm was still connected to his arm, but there was a meter between them.

"Tsk tsk, so this is what it feels like to have mastery over space..."

Upon seeing this, Su Lun could not hide his delight. His hands instantly transformed through sixteen sorcerer's seals, and as the dark spiritual power circulated within him, a "black hole" his own height appeared in front of him.

He stood up and walked straight into it.

Then, as he stepped out, his front foot was already emerging several meters away, and his whole person appeared there as well.

This was true "Spatial Teleportation,"

not the kind of movement that was so fast it couldn't be caught by the eye.

Su Lun savored the feeling for a moment, a hint of a smile spilling over his lips.

Although the operation was clumsy, it was his first time experiencing the sensation of "teleportation."

It wasn't entering some sort of temporal tunnel; it was simply the "canvas" of space being folded, and by taking just one step, he moved from one spatial coordinate to another.

But at the same time, this attempt revealed some shortcomings to him.

Su Lun pondered for an instant, analyzing to himself: "The distance of the Spatial Teleportation is directly related to the amount of dark spiritual power infused. To achieve precise control over the destination and instant seal teleportation, I still need to improve a lot of proficiency..."

"But where do I learn those spatial techniques..."

Su Lun frowned, feeling a bit of a headache.

If it hadn't been for the skills he had stripped from a fragment of Edward's, just fumbling with this most basic spatial displacement ability would have taken him a great deal of time.

Besides, what he craved even more was that "hand-spun black hole" technique!

"Eh..."

At that thought, Su Lun's occupational habit as a Puppeteer flared up again, and a spark of inspiration flashed, "I can't do the complex sorcerer 'hand-spun black hole' with my current body. Why not make a spatial puppet with an absorption device? Wouldn't that achieve a similar effect?"

Having mastered Spatial Ability now, creating a real spatial artifact was within his reach.

For instance, a spatial puppet?

That wouldn't be an inferior space like those of ordinary rings, but a real "foldable space" capable of containing living corpses and scythes!

Just like the hat of a Magician, it could be accessed any time, accommodating everything a regular space could hold.

The thought arose, and the first reaction in his head was a little dwarf holding a purple gourd.

"How about, making a puppet version of the gourd brothers with runes?"

Su Lun's mind was suddenly hit with inspiration.

....

Now that Su Lun had mastered Spatial Ability, crafting a storage ring was as easy as blowing bubbles.

But what he needed now was not a Storage Ring, but a "foldable space" that could hold living corpses and sealed objects.

The inferior space of ordinary storage rings was like a bubble in water, ready to pop with a single press.

A "foldable space," on the other hand, was like a bubble floating on the water's surface, unrestricted by water pressure; it could expand almost infinitely with sufficient power.

Several days later,

Su Lun finally succeeded in creating a space carrier, collecting the scythe and the living corpses into it.

But since the detestable living corpses needed air to breathe, he had to create an opening in the space carrier.

For easy carrying, Su Lun also thought of a hat and eventually fashioned a Magician's "top hat."

Because he felt it was appropriate to use magic under the guise of Edward's tricks. It would allow him to practice spellcasting anytime without being readily noticed.

But he wasn't in a hurry to go out; instead, he continued fiddling with his new idea.

He wanted to create the envisaged "Black Hole Doll."

That day.

The bunker was filled with various puppet parts, alchemical objects, and rune materials.

This temporary hideout had become a veritable puppet workshop.

Su Lun was engrossed in tinkering with a puppet arm.

Mechanical and puppet designs often had a lot in common.

His expertise with mechanics had reached a level of proficiency, and applying it to puppets came naturally to him. He fitted the puppet arm with a trigger-style mechanical design, so that once the mechanism was triggered, the arm would unfold like a fan blade. Upon closer inspection, the six spread out fan blades formed a complete Hexagram Array...

While screwing on bolts, he muttered something under his breath.

"The arms of this puppet are hollow tubes, the insides etched with 'Whirlwind Runes', activating to create suction. When it encounters elemental spells, it can directly absorb them..."

"Etching 'Reverse Whirlwind Runes' inside the mouth could allow it to not only suck in but also spit out. Or perhaps, include a pressure storage device?"

"As for the energy source of the runes, we could directly use cursed crystals as 'batteries'..."

"..."

"Done!"

In no time, Su Lun assembled the puppet, producing the first version of the "Black Hole Doll."

He manipulated the puppet with threads, trying to move it around, and it felt pretty good.

....

"Now, it's time to witness a miracle..."

Su Lun looked at his new creation, quite satisfied.

Then, he brought out a "Phosphorus Fire Doll" and planned to test the "Black Hole Doll" against it to see if its effectiveness met expectations.

Multitasking allowed Su Lun to control both puppets simultaneously with the threads in each hand, like gladiators in an arena, they fought each other.

One glowing bright with red runes all over, spewing phosphorus fire;

The other spreading its arms into a fan shape, with blue wind runes swirling, quickly forming a vortex of suction...

The initial test proceeded normally.

A small jet of fire was directly absorbed into the void within the puppet's belly.

However, as the intensity of the flames increased, problems arose.

The "Black Hole Doll," having absorbed the fire, suddenly cracked from the high temperature; moreover, the suction power of the arms was not enough to fully absorb the increasingly large flames.

With a "clang,"

The puppet, unable to bear the load, exploded with a bang.

Su Lun frowned at the broken puppet pieces on the floor, rubbing his chin as he pondered.

"The suction is nowhere near strong enough... If it encounters higher-level spells, this degree of suction wouldn't be sufficient. A mere 'Second Order Whirlwind Rune' can't satisfy the need for full coverage absorption head-on. Furthermore, the fire would scorch the space, which requires the puppet material to be highly resistant."

He took careful notes in his notebook: 'December 13th, first experimental test of Black Hole Doll failed. Body fragmented after exposure to second-level phosphorus fire... Analysis of causes, material strength insufficient, defects as follows...'

However, a single experimental failure didn't shake Su Lun's confidence.

The fact that it could absorb small flames at least proved that his idea was viable.

He quickly thought of a way to improve it.

"As for the strength of puppets, it's hard to find high-grade materials, but the alchemical automaton left by the 'Trickster' Lloyd is of sufficient quality and already a finished product; a little modification should meet the requirements. But runes are a bit more troublesome..."

"For greater suction... one could try retrofitting the puppet arms into a more complex spiral structure like a mechanical jet propulsion device. But the key lies in the runes; a compound rune could produce greater attraction, a combination of wind plus lightning elemental runes might work well. Ideally, an 'energy recycling system' would be created that could convert absorbed energy directly into puppet power..."

Su Lun furrowed his brows at that thought.

He suddenly realized that his own knowledge was insufficient to support his creativity.

He was not yet proficient in the field of runes, especially not in the higher-order runes of the second and third tiers, from which he had not gleaned much experience.

He knew something about runes but was far from being able to create rune combinations.

But if he couldn't do it himself, he could ask for help.

"It seems I need to consult Mr. Hei next time, he is well-versed in all kinds of runes and should be able to help me solve this problem. The 'Thousand Threads' implants must also have been ready by now..."

With that thought, Su Lun's tightly furrowed brow suddenly relaxed.

He began to pack up his tools and materials inside the bunker.

Finally, he was planning to go out.

Having absorbed the materials, his rank was now stable.

The key point was that he had almost figured out his Spatial Ability, and that qualified him to go out and "roam."

It had been over half a month since he had received any news from the outside, but without a doubt, an "S" might have already been added to his wanted poster.

Those who wanted to claim the bounty on his head could probably line up from Dawn City to Old Lington.

He didn't have the privilege to roam freely before.

But now...

Su Lun felt that he should be about ready.

Although he was still a Tier 2 prospect and hadn't learned any implants or advanced skills.

Ordinary Tier 2 professionals hardly posed a threat to him anymore.

High skill, high agility, high perception...

In a direct confrontation, Su Lun's stats could crush over ninety percent of his peers, even those seasoned Tier 2 professionals.

Even when facing Tier 3 professionals, although he couldn't win, with his Black Scythe and Spatial Teleportation ability, he also had a fair chance of escaping...

....

After Su Lun finished packing, he clasped his hands together, and his sorcerer's seals were instantly formed.

It was as if he were opening a door; he simply lifted one hand, and a portal appeared in front of him.

He stepped through and upon a second glance, his figure was already outside the bunker.

"Spatial Teleportation" required a large amount of dark Spiritual Power, and the farther the distance, the consumption increased almost exponentially.

The more frequently the spell was cast, the higher the consumption as well.

But Su Lun, who needed to practice the proficiency of spatial control in teleportation, was not stingy with his dark Spiritual Power.

Moreover, he had one huge advantage.

His dark Spiritual Power reserves were much more plentiful than those of an average Tier 2 professional.

The "X Serum" had enhanced his body's tolerance for dark Spiritual Power.

This meant that not just at Tier 1, but at every rank, he would have a higher tolerance for dark Spiritual Power than ordinary people and could store and absorb more dark energy.

Su Lun believed that a "high mana consumption" ability like Spatial Teleportation would become stronger in his hands in the future.

He took a few steps, then teleported a few meters.

After walking a bit further, he teleported another few meters.

As long as the dark Spiritual Power in his body stayed above a safe level, he would continue to practice.

He wanted to test the precise consumption in various teleportation scenarios...

So that in the battles of the future, he could calculate down to the last detail.

If anyone saw him, they would surely be startled, flitting in and out of the faint mist, like a ghost...

....

A few hours later, Su Lun avoided some Scavenger groups and returned to the Dawn City camp.

However, he didn't rush to enter, but instead hung upside down on a cliff, looking down at everything in the city from a high vantage point.

The city had transformed anew since a little over half a month ago.

Buildings and steam chimneys soared high above the city walls. Scavengers were everywhere, the streets were crowded with people, and the noise was so loud that it could be heard from a far distance...

A scene of prosperity and bustle.

Although far away, Su Lun could still see everything very clearly.

The number of guards at the city gate was thirty-five per squad. The defenses on the city wall were thinner on the eastern side, and one could even clearly see the white paint number "BS-2213" sprayed on the mechanical armor of the guard whose gaze was focused at the moment...

Before, at this distance, it would have been absolutely impossible to see clearly with the naked eye.

Reflected in Su Lun's eyes, the bustling traffic of the city flowed, and he murmured, "My vision has been greatly enhanced, as well as my night vision and the ability to distinguish high-frequency targets. As expected, after advancing, the innate capabilities of the 'All-knowing Eye' have also improved."

The innate abilities of a Transcendent can become stronger with development and occupational advancement.

On his way to the camp before, he had noticed something abnormal with his eyes.

On the way back, he had encountered a mutated lightning sculpture.

This kind of flying creature's diving speed is faster than a bullet. To a normal person, watching it catch its prey, especially in poor light, seems like a glitch, a flash spanning a hundred meters...

This is what is commonly referred to as "Physical Blink."

It's because the eye's capture of light changes faster than the nerve response time; missing out a segment of the visual light capture makes it appear as if it's teleporting.

But Su Lun discovered that his current vision could clearly capture the silhouette of the lightning sculpture.

This has a huge impact on combat.

For example, say.

Previously, he dodged bullets by predicting the direction of the gun barrel.

But now, he could clearly capture the entire trajectory of the bullet, not just the two moments of firing and hitting.

In combat, especially against those who can "Physically Blink" in close combat professions, this is incredibly useful.

Now, Su Lun's vision could even capture every detail of a fast-moving target's actions like slow-motion replay. By seeing the movements clearly, he could anticipate and react in advance.

He could fight, he could flee.

However...

The capabilities of the 'All-knowing Eye' have indeed been enhanced, but it seems 'Death Reaper' hasn't changed much.

Thinking of this, he suddenly remembered the secondary awakening of innate abilities that Qian Tiao had mentioned to him before.

According to the words of the gambling-addicted lady, that is the true qualitative change.

Thinking of this, he also felt some anticipation about what these two "S-grade" innate abilities would be like after their secondary awakening.

But he didn't dwell on it, because the secondary awakening is something you come across by chance and can't seek out.

If one is often on the edge of life and death, the probability might be higher.

Su Lun felt that ordinary people probably wouldn't want to awaken any abilities through such means.

Before long, after observing the routes to escape in case of trouble, he walked towards the camp.

....

Although Su Lun wouldn't mutate in a high spiritual power environment, he still needed to return to the city to buy supplies. He also needed to contact Mr. Hei to get his 'Thousand Threads' alchemical planting gear and to ask some questions.

Moreover, Su Lun had now advanced to the second rank, but there were still two needs that hadn't been met: one was the secret technique for spiritual power, and the other was the spells for various spatial magics.

The Dawn City Ruins were vast, and it was impossible for him alone to find what he needed.

The Scavenger Guild was a good place for that.

Su Lun planned to go to the city to browse the Scavenger market, to see if there were any bargains to be had.

If he didn't find any, he would post a reward offering for information on "Spatial Magic."

The Scavenger Guild might just provide the information he needed.

Perhaps, the omnipotent Scavengers had encountered that 'Magician' Howard in some other cursed space, or through other channels, had obtained some spatial magic.

But before that, Su Lun had one more thing to do.

He planned to have a "heart-to-heart" talk with the Gang Lady, Sabina.

When it came to information, who knew more than the Chief Intelligence Officer of the Umbrella Organization?

Before, he wasn't sure he could win a fight, and even if he did win, he wasn't sure he could escape, but now...

It was time to avenge that night's ambush.

Moreover, Su Lun also planned to try the 'High-class Succubus Ownership Contract' he had obtained in the cursed space to see if it would work on that woman...