Mechanical Alchemist

Su Lun stayed in Sabina's room until well past midnight and, before dawn could break, he teleported away again.

After this nocturnal raid, he couldn't help but sigh with relief. If his willpower hadn't been decent, his attribute panel would have visibly diminished.

The taste of a succubus is not something a mere mortal can endure.

Sabina had two forms, one when she was transformed and one when she wasn't.

One was the fiery and seductive succubus, the other was the haughty and arrogant Gang Lady...

The feeling and touch of each were entirely different experiences.

She could be as gentle as a well-bred lady, not lacking the voluptuous charm of a noble lady, and also the domineering attitude of an arrogant queen...

Sabina could always subtly switch between various roles she played.

She knew what Su Lun wanted, and she became that.

She always teased to perfection.

An ordinary person with such a succubus maid would lose years off their life at the very least.

It was also fortunate that his body, modified by "X serum," was much stronger than before.

Su Lun felt that his... body was still fine.

But this time, it was worth it.

After all, he gained a major player of the Umbrella Organization and acquired half of the Umbrella Organization's intelligence network.

....

The next morning, Sabina awoke from her light sleep.

Throwing off the covers, her stunning, unclothed body was completely exposed to the air.

Not bothering with a nightgown, Sabina walked barefoot on the soft carpet to the full-length mirror in her room and admired her own captivating figure in the mirror, her eyes growing more tender.

Who would have known that despite last night's activities, she felt not only unwearied but also appeared more radiant and voluptuous?

Perhaps thinking of something, a gentle smile appeared on her lips as she murmured, "I'm looking forward to Master growing stronger~"

The reason she chose to submit to Su Lun was partly because she was compelled, but more importantly, she sensed his unlimited potential.

Even now, Su Lun was the most astonishing young man she had ever seen. With the strength of a first-order professional, he had thrown Old Lington into chaos, a feat unrivaled.

Whether it was temperament, methods, strength, or something else, he was an excellent candidate.

At least, in her eyes, none of those so-called geniuses from the Inner City could compare to him.

Would Master become a powerful "Demon King"?

Sabina, looking at herself in the mirror, smiled.

She thought having a master was quite a good thing.

In ancient times, the power and beauty of succubi doomed them to become the playthings of other powerful clans. A succubus without a Demon King was always destined for a life of misfortune; such was fate.

Just like the tragic history of her other family members.

Sabina didn't remain naked for long, donning a finely spun, figure-hugging red dress that concealed her superb figure. After straightening up the bed to erase traces of the night, she left her room.

Walking downstairs.

One by one, the members of the Steam Party gang stood up to greet her.

"Gang Lady!"

"Gang Lady!"

"..."

These underlings and lieutenants weren't just there to protect the Gang Lady; they were also following Banner's orders to fend off any unwelcome suitors who didn't know their place.

Regaining her haughty Gang Lady demeanor, Sabina nodded to her followers, "Good morning, everyone."

Passing by Tommy, she suddenly felt playful and reached out to pinch his face, stretching the skin long.

Tommy, displeased, broke free and snapped, "You old witch, what are you doing!"

Sabina, unfazed, tapped his head and smiled with a hint of mockery, "Practice your abilities well. Be more vigilant on a daily basis, don't let someone sneak in without you noticing."

Speaking of which, she left the room.

The gang members followed her out as well.

The underlings also noticed that the Gang Lady seemed a bit different today and, slightly puzzled, they whispered among themselves behind her back.

"The Gang Lady seems to be in a good mood today..."

"Yeah, seems like the negotiations with the Oliver family last night went smoothly."

"Oh..."

....

Early in the morning, Su Lun paid a visit to the Scavenger Guild.

It was still early, yet Storm Manor was packed with Scavengers coming to accept and post tasks.

Recently, the number of tasks had skyrocketed, the total was now more than ten times what it had been a month earlier.

The task display screens in the guild hall had been moved from indoors to the open-air courtyard. Two additional giant screens had been installed, displaying the scrolling task information like a train timetable, overwhelming to behold.

Su Lun stood in front of the guild's large task screen for nearly an hour, quickly scanning through most of the posted news.

However, he didn't find the intelligence he wanted.

Whether it was Spatial Spells or Secret Techniques of the psyche, it seemed none were posted.

But he also noticed that atop the screens were high-reward tasks set for exploring the central region of the ruins, led by pioneer groups formed by the rich and powerful families from the inner city. They offered good money, had the best equipment, and were led by true experts.

Not only were there second-tier professionals, but he also saw a few tasks led by third-tier professionals.

This was a situation one simply didn't see on an ordinary day.

Su Lun marveled as he watched, "It looks like Duke Raphael's precious daughter really is coming. But what exactly is in the ruins that the higher-ups of the Black Tower are so anxious to explore..."

The top-tier professionals from the inner city were all big shots who neither lacked money nor needed to risk their lives scavenging.

Yet now they had come to Dawn City, suggesting the pressure provided by the Black Tower was substantial.

If it had been before last night, Su Lun might have been very puzzled.

But now, with the information from Sabina, he understood why.

He didn't linger, instead, he left his secret message in the bulletin board section.

This was the agreed-upon method of contact with Mr. Hei.

After leaving the Scavenger Guild, Su Lun swaggered around various taverns, purchasing some intelligence from the info brokers.

But none of it was what he sought.

He knew these matters couldn't be rushed.

New intelligence on the ruins surfaced every day; with enough asking around, he was bound to get news eventually.

Besides, there was no need to hurry now.

Previously, he had been wary of the Umbrella Organization's informants lurking everywhere, but now with Sabina, the maid, he didn't have to worry anymore.

His face wasn't in the wanted system, so he was safe wherever he went.

He could wait for the news to come to him.

Moreover, even if an accident did occur and he was targeted by some special methods, Sabina would be the first to know and inform him.

After all, when dealing with an SS-level fugitive, only senior intelligence officers within the Umbrella Organization were qualified to order a manhunt.

....

However.

Su Lun hadn't expected that Mr. Hei would reply so soon after he posted the secret code; it was by the afternoon when he received a response.

What he did not anticipate was that Mr. Hei himself was also lingering in the camp.

...

The Windmill Tavern.

A table by the window in a corner.

It wasn't long before Su Lun waited when an elderly gentleman dressed in a meticulous suit approached him.

Mr. Hei took a seat and greeted him, "Young Su Lun, it's been a long time."

Looking at this sensitive figure who was also a wanted man brazenly showing up in the city, Su Lun was quite surprised, "Mr. Hei, aren't you worried about being discovered?"

Mr. Hei explained with a smile, "I just happened to find an interesting little alchemical artifact. To others, I don't look like what you see."

"Oh."

Su Lun had a sudden realization.

Mr. Hei gave Su Lun a glance, his eyes brimming with wisdom as if he saw through everything, and then said, "It seems like young friend Su Lun has successfully advanced to the second rank. Congratulations..."

He didn't beat around the bush and directly took out a storage ring, "The alchemical prosthetic you wanted has also been refined for a while."

After a pause, he added in a meaningful tone, "That witch's head of yours was a very rare material, it took me quite some effort to refine it. However, the prosthetic requires a high distortion tolerance value..."

Mr. Hei didn't say this because he doubted Su Lun's capability to assimilate the high-grade prosthetic.

In his memory, this young man before him possessed an uncommonly rational and calm demeanor and naturally wouldn't do things he wasn't certain of.

His words were more out of admiration and sentiment.

"Heh heh..."

Su Lun chuckled and brushed it off vaguely.

Looking at the storage ring on the table, he was already anticipating it.

He looked at Mr. Hei and also showed his respect, "Thank you for the trouble."

Mr. Hei smiled nonchalantly, as though he had thought of something else, and then said, "I heard about the commotion you caused at the [1911 Restaurant]. The boss originally intended to personally handle the strange occurrence on the third floor, but to his surprise, by the time he was ready to intervene, you had already almost resolved the situation..."

"Ah? Was that person your organization's boss?"

Su Lun was a bit surprised upon hearing this; he hadn't expected that the cloaked person from before was the head of the "Mirror Organization".

Listening to Mr. Hei's deferential tone when mentioning the boss, it was apparent that the boss possessed respected strength and character.

Su Lun was even more curious about who that cloaked person was.

"Haha..."

Mr. Hei laughed but didn't seem to intend to respond to the question.

...

The two sat down and chatted idly for a while, sharing a few drinks.

At this point, Su Lun asked, "Mr. Hei, do you have business in the camp this time?"

"Indeed, there is something,"

Mr. Hei didn't hide it and said outright, "There's a big shot from the higher echelons of the Black Tower coming. I'm here to assess the situation and arrange some necessary preparations."

Su Lun guessed what this might be about and asked, "Princess Theresa from the Duke's estate?"

At that, Mr. Hei's face showed a hint of surprise, "Eh... How did you come by this intelligence?"

"Well... it's a long story."

Su Lun felt it was necessary to explain Sabina's situation a bit.

If she were to be casually eliminated as an enemy by these big shots at some point, it would be a great loss.

Although Su Lun wasn't exactly a 'Mirror Organization' person, to outsiders, he was.

In a sense, Sabina could be considered an ally as well.

However, he was curious; the intelligence about the external town leaders' arrival was all deduced, yet from Mr. Hei's tone, he seemed certain that it was the young miss from the Duke's family who was coming?

Su Lun organized his thoughts, saying, "I happened upon an ancient contract in the ruins..."

With tact, he explained briefly while also making it relatively clear.

As Mr. Hei listened, his face, which was always as tranquil as an ancient well, actually showed an increasingly strange expression.

After listening,

He looked at Su Lun with a meaningful smile, "Every exchange with young friend Su Lun always yields unexpected gains..."

Su Lun, of course, understood that Mr. Hei had noticed the deficiency in his vitality and didn't mind the teasing in his tone.

The two had interacted multiple times and were quite familiar with each other now; there was no need for too much formality in their conversations.

Now that he had the prosthetic in hand, he hadn't forgotten what Mr. Hei had said before, and asked, "By the way, Mr. Hei, you mentioned last time that once I reached the second rank, you might have information about some spiritual secret techniques?"

Mr. Hei looked at him and responded with a question instead of an answer, "Your profession is 'Puppeteer,' correct?"

"Hmm."

Su Lun nodded in acknowledgment, having no doubt that this rare profession would be known to someone like Mr. Hei, the Scholar.

Mr. Hei continued, "I've learned about this very strong profession through some special channels. Moreover, I know that the founder of the 'Puppeteers' was once a well-known figure in Dawn City... So, that founder certainly had a mental Secret Technique that perfectly matched the profession."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun showed a look of realization and asked, "Are you saying that you know the 'founder's' whereabouts?"

If it were indeed the profession's founder, the Secret Technique would undoubtedly be the most suitable.

Mr. Hei nodded and said, "At the very least, the intelligence I have points to traces of that individual in a cursed space within a relic. But I regret to say that, according to current intelligence, the danger level of that space is 'T-grade.'"

"T-grade?"

Su Lun frowned slightly upon hearing this.

If even Mr. Hei deemed it "T-grade," one could imagine how dangerous that space must be.

However, since no one had ever returned alive, how could Mr. Hei know about it? Experience more on empire

But now that there was a lead on the exclusive mental Secret Technique, why think about anything else?

Su Lun naturally didn't want to give up.

He thought that the old gentleman might have access to other sources of information, but instead of asking directly, he took a roundabout approach and asked, "Mr. Hei, do you think I have a chance of obtaining that mental Secret Technique?"

"Hard to say..."

Mr. Hei shook his head, guessing Su Lun's intentions, and added with a smile, "Let's talk about this when the time is a bit more ripe."

Upon hearing that he hadn't been completely rejected, Su Lun also joked, "Could it be that once the Duke's young lady arrives, there might be a turnaround in the situation?"

Mr. Hei raised his eyebrows noncommittally and responded, "You're quite smart. But this matter is rather complicated, and with many unclear circumstances, it's too early to talk about it now."

"Hmm."

Since that was as far as the conversation could go, Su Lun didn't dwell any further on the topic.

But having finally met a 'know-it-all' face to face, he certainly wasn't going to let the opportunity slip by so easily.

Thinking of his "Black Hole Doll," Su Lun then said, "Mr. Hei, are you in a hurry to leave? If not, I have some questions about rune knowledge I'd like to consult you on."

Mr. Hei was never stingy about imparting his alchemical knowledge. Hearing Su Lun's sincere request, he replied, "I did have a little matter, but it's not urgent right this moment."

Hearing this response, Su Lun didn't hesitate and immediately said, "Now that I've acquired Spatial Ability... I have an idea to create a rune puppet that can absorb elemental Spells. But I've run into some problems..."

He described the issues he was facing in detail.

Upon hearing problems related to professional knowledge, Mr. Hei also grew very serious.

Indeed, the Scholar immediately identified the problem upon hearing Su Lun's design and nodded in approval from time to time.

After listening, Mr. Hei didn't forget to praise him, "Your idea is indeed quite good. However, your knowledge of runes is too patchy. Lacking a solid framework, it will difficult for you to venture into higher realms in the future..."

Su Lun didn't mind being "schooled" and replied, "I am trying hard to learn. But rune knowledge is profound and wide-ranging; mastering it is a long road..."

Considering that Su Lun had a self-taught background, achieving such a level was quite impressive.

Mr. Hei spoke out of his recognition of talent.

He didn't say much more and just said, "The direction of your idea has no major issues, combining wind and thunder elements indeed can increase suction strength. However, for high-level runes, the puppet's material requirements are quite high, especially for composite runes, you must also consider the compatibility and conflict of different elemental types. Moreover, if you want to create a puppet that can absorb the majority of elemental Spells, you're best off using third-tier runes. I think you could try combining a third-tier 'Storm Rune' with 'Little Thunder Sea'..."

"..."

Su Lun listened carefully, all seriousness.

As he listened, he realized that Mr. Hei's knowledge of Puppetry Technique was profound as well.

However...

Although the way the old headmaster taught was scientific and progressive, from materials and structure right up to third-tier runes – a realm typically ventured by only the top professionals – Su Lun gradually began to feel bewildered.

His knowledge of runes was mostly fragmented, and only recently had he improved somewhat after cramming from textbooks.

But as he listened now, he understood some parts, but he couldn't piece it all together.

Fortunately, Mr. Hei took this into account. After explaining some principles for a while and seeming to open the floodgates of his own inspiration, he thought that mere words were no longer satisfying; with a grand gesture, he said to Su Lun, "Come, let's find a workshop and do some practical work."

"Great!"

Su Lun agreed enthusiastically.