Mechanical Alchemist

Mr. Hei approached academic research with an extremely rigorous attitude.

When Su Lun posed that question and thought of a solution, he immediately put it into action.

They didn't linger in the tavern for long before heading onto the streets and diving into a workshop rented out to Scavengers for forging equipment.

They stayed there for a full day and night.

Originally, Su Lun just wanted to get some advice and then slowly improve on his own.

Unexpectedly, Mr. Hei also took a keen interest in the tricky puppet, giving him a lively practical course on rune symbols and puppet making.

As the two holed up in the workshop, inspiration continuously sparked, resulting in many brilliant design ideas.

What started as a verbal inquiry turned into a research and development practice session for a new tricky puppet.

Su Lun once again witnessed the old gentleman's extensive knowledge, which seemed all-encompassing...

As long as Su Lun could think of it, Mr. Hei could almost always offer corresponding suggestions and solutions.

Third-level runes, third-level enchantments, and even Mr. Hei's own unique alchemy techniques, along with ancient alchemy black technology, were piled onto the puppet...

In the end, the two of them crafted a genuine finished product out of the alchemical puppet material—the "Black Hole Doll".

The final product far exceeded Su Lun's expectations.

Whether it was concept, material, functionality, or anything else, it reached the level of top-tier puppets.

....

This day and night of study benefited Su Lun greatly.

If he were not otherwise engaged, he truly wished to continue learning from Mr. Hei for a while longer.

However, this key member of the "Mirror Organization" obviously had more important issues to attend to at the camp.

It was already remarkable that he could take a day off to help Su Lun make a puppet.

Although Mr. Hei did not follow a career path related to spatial magic, that didn't prevent him from having delved into a significant amount of spatial magic theory. Su Lun even obtained some "Spatial Magic" formulas and magic scrolls from his collection.

However, to turn the spell scrolls into a skill he truly mastered still required a long way to go.

...

After Mr. Hei left, Su Lun continued to hole up in the workshop for a few more days.

Compared to their peers of the same rank, Puppet Masters had one major advantage: they could usually use puppets of a higher tier than themselves in battle.

The "Black Hole Doll", to say nothing else, had the ability to absorb third-level elemental magic spells, which already made it a nemesis for the vast majority of third-level magic magicians.

Even though he still couldn't overpower them, facing head-on, Su Lun felt like his chances of being instantly killed by area-of-effect spells had been greatly diminished.

Moreover, he had now successfully fused with a new alchemical prosthesis—the "Thousand Threads - Lion's Mane Ballad", which took his puppet manipulation skills to new heights.

Once he released the prosthesis, it was like the former Trickster Lloyd covered in threads, multiplying the number of threads he could control, not limited to what his fingers could handle. The number grew by hundreds and thousands.

In addition, Su Lun had an advantage no other Puppet Master possessed—the Eight-Armed Spider Lance prosthesis!

Following the fusion with curse features, the Spider Lance also leveled up.

The lance was already covered in myriads of fine hairs, which now came into great use. The hairs acted like fingers, making the control of threads extremely precise and easy.

In essence, as long as Su Lun could multitask effectively, he had enough "fingers" to manipulate the threads.

....

One night, Su Lun teleported once again to Sabina's room at midnight.

Surprise visits had become so routine for the Gang Lady that she seemed to greet them with open arms, as if expecting him.

After thoroughly discussing the plan of action into the early morning, Su Lun finally teleported back out.

The next day, at noon.

Su Lun got in touch with an opportunistic merchant, "Iron Cripple" Magitan.

This guy was a rather reputable merchant in Old Lington's black market.

Having had his leg broken by a rival in his early years, he subsequently fitted a mechanical leg, which led to his nickname.

Lacking in combat strength, his connections were extensive nonetheless.

He often had access to goods others couldn't get and dared to deal in stolen goods that others wouldn't touch.

Previously, when Su Lun shopped in the black market, he had dealt with this man a few times.

But now Su Lun also knew from Sabina that this guy was actually a covert agent for the "Umbrella Organization".

No, to be precise, he was a double-dealing information merchant.

As long as the price was right, he would sell any piece of information.

....

In the Black Baron Tavern.

Su Lun deliberately disguised himself, using a prosthetic scalp to make himself Baldy and then donned a wig and a Zorro mask to cover his face.

He lowered the brim of his hat as he drank, and when it was the right moment, he watched a man with a mechanical leg limp in.

Su Lun called out to him and said to the bartender, "Another drink, please."

Magitan came over, unabashedly picked up a drink, took a swig, and then said, "The pal here tells me you've got some goods to sell?"

As he spoke, he took the opportunity to size up Su Lun.

A crafty black market merchant like him could easily see through those not-so-clever disguises.

Su Lun calmly replied, "I've got a batch of shady goods I need to unload in bulk, let's see if you can handle it."

This term is slang used by the black market for selling stolen goods.

Upon hearing this, Magitan was somewhat displeased, feeling that he was being underestimated, and said, "Brother, setting everything else aside, as long as you have good stuff, even if it's worth one or nine billion, I can take it off your hands right away."

Su Lun said, "My cache is worth about seven to eight billion. And I want cash."

With that, he took out a storage ring that contained some samples.

This was a rule of the black market, known as "showing samples."

It lets the buyer know you indeed have good goods in hand.

Magitan, upon hearing a quote of seven to eight billion right off the bat, still held a trace of contempt.

After all, a transaction of that magnitude was simply not possible from an individual Scavenger.

But as soon as he looked at the storage ring, his gaze froze there.

The samples were nothing special, just a few items.

Gold Beast Tamer materials [Beast Tamer's Whip], silver alchemy materials [Abbas's Flesh], a few second-tier advancement materials, and alchemical plant settings.

Yet, it was these few items that made the black market dealer's gaze stiffen for a moment, as if he had been struck by an Illusion Technique.

He tried taking one out, only to find they were real!

These black market dealers were all experienced "Appraisers"; they could tell if an item was good or not at a glance.

"This..."

Magitan, seeing sample materials of gold and silver out of the gate, for a moment thought he was looking at the catalog of some large auction!

Looking again at the man across from him, sipping his drink with a calm demeanor, he immediately realized this was indeed a grand transaction worth seven to eight billion.

The contempt in his eyes was swept away, replaced instantly by a look of great joy. He gestured grandly to the bartender, "Open a VIP room upstairs; I've got business to discuss with this boss."

Changing rooms was just as Su Lun wished, but he calmly added, "Let's stick to the rules, I want to see the cash."

Magitan also knew he was dealing with a knowledgeable seller and naturally didn't beat around the bush: "Sure thing!"

As he spoke, he surreptitiously sized up Su Lun once more, then signaled to his manager to arrange a few matters.

....

Snakes have snake paths, and rats have rat paths.

Despite being a black market merchant, "Iron Cripple" Magitan led the way directly to the VIP room that others couldn't get—a privilege reserved for the Black Baron.

They went to the private room and ordered fine wine.

Magitan opened the wine and warmly toasted Su Lun, "Brother, just wait a bit, no more than ten minutes, and the cash will be here. Rest assured, everything will be done by the book, and you won't be shortchanged."

Su Lun didn't mind; he clinked glasses and drank.

After some small talk, Magitan ventured to ask, "Brother, level with me—are those goods of yours really worth seven to eight billion?"

"Not a penny less,"

Su Lun said, still with a calm voice, "It's just that these goods are a tad hot, so I'm looking to sell at a discount."

"Worry not, I can handle even the hottest goods!"

Magitan was not only unworried upon hearing this, but even pleased.

The hotter the goods, the higher the profit margin.

He solemnly patted his chest, "Brother, since you've come to me, you must have heard of 'Iron Cripple's' reputation—I don't need to say much, I've got plenty of money, good credit, and numerous channels..."

Su Lun didn't waste any more words and took out a case he had with him, then opened it to offer a quick glimpse of what was inside—what appeared to be a tightly packed case of storage rings, easily a couple hundred.

"..."

Looking at this, Magitan's gaze became somewhat strange.

His keen eyes also discerned some details.

Trading companies do use large quantities of storage rings to deliver their goods sometimes. But in those circumstances, the storage rings are usually brand new, or at least of similar quality.

These storage rings, however, had a polished shine, indicating they were used for a long time.

Typically, Scavengers use their storage rings for life, and unless someone dies, the rings wouldn't come into the market.

That meant...

Were these one or two hundred rings all taken from corpses?

Did this guy kill hundreds of people?

Or did he just happen to come across some big Scavenger team that got wiped, and he picked them up?

But since it was said they were hot goods, they definitely weren't just picked up...

Seeing this, Magitan's expression suddenly became a bit complex, and he glanced again at Su Lun, swallowing hard.

Suddenly, he felt a bit reckless being in the same room with such a man of unclear origin.

Although he had dealt with countless stolen goods before and had interactions with various big thieves and criminals on the wanted list...

For some reason, this time, it unnerved him.

....

The rule is, no verifying goods until the cash arrives.

Magitan, after all an old hand at such dealings, kept up his polite demeanor even though he had his doubts, incessantly urging Su Lun to drink more.

While they drank, he constantly watched surreptitiously, and when he realized the man in front of him was wearing a wig, his inner thoughts became even more intense.

Su Lun naturally noticed that the guy kept sizing him up, but pretended not to know.

After all, his intention was to let people guess his identity this time.

Soon, a few burly men in black suits arrived.

Entering the room, they took out an iron box from their storage rings and upon opening it, it was filled with "cursed crystals."

This type of alchemical energy is also currency, one piece valued at ten thousand lisos, more convenient than cash.

After checking the credentials, Magitan finally said, "Brother, you've seen the money, can I check the goods now?"

With several burly men in the room, this guy suddenly sounded much more confident.

Su Lun spread his hands, indicating his indifference, and said, "As you wish."

His gaze never once strayed to those burly men, who were clearly there to show force.

Merely a few level one professionals, no threat at all.

There were many storage rings, so Magitan and his two assistants began to check and inventory the goods one by one.

While inspecting the goods, they took notes of the values in a notebook.

At first, nothing out of the ordinary appeared, and the three of them counted normally.

However, as they continued, one of the guys suddenly turned pale as if he had seen something shocking, dropping the storage ring from his hand as if he had been electrocuted.

"Clang~"

This unusual noise instantly tensed the atmosphere in the room.

The burly men had quietly reached inside their jackets, unfastening their gun holsters.

They had seen all sorts of oddities in the black market business.

Could it be that there was a bomb inside the storage ring?

Magitan's first reaction was that this was a case of swindling swindlers.

But glancing at Su Lun, who still appeared indifferent, he thought he might have judged the situation wrongly.

He scolded his overseer sharply, "Don't you know the rules of receiving goods?! Can you afford to compensate if you break the guest's item?"

This was also a code phrase, hinting for the guy to explain what was inside.

There were code phrases for bombs; they couldn't be said outright.

To avoid a direct confrontation with the criminals.

But the guy was clearly flustered and didn't know how to describe what he saw, stammering, "No, boss, this..."

While he was speaking, he picked up the storage ring and with trembling hands, he had the look of someone about to cry.

"Hmph! Useless trash!"

Magitan cursed, but he also sensed impending trouble.

This was an old pal who had followed him for years and would never make such a rookie mistake.

So he took it and looked for himself.

Wasn't it just some normal goods? Firearms, alchemical prostheses, mechanical parts, potions, alchemical materials...

Hiss... why does this badge look so familiar?

This little umbrella symbol...

Shit!

Isn't this the identity badge of a cadre from the Umbrella Organization?

In that instant, Magitan recognized where the item came from, and a thousand curses ran through his mind.

As an undercover agent for the Umbrella Organization, how could he not recognize this badge?

If the person is alive, the badge is with them!

Now that the badge was here, did it mean that the man in front of him had killed a cadre of the Umbrella Organization?

What if it was found?

Magitan instantly snuffed out this ridiculous hope.

Catching a glimpse of the box with over a hundred or two hundred storage rings, could they all be found?

The seasoned black marketeer was no longer calm in his heart.

His shock was not merely about the revelation, but he also felt a chill on his neck...

The bodyguards in the room provided no sense of safety whatsoever.

Although all duels with weapons were forbidden in the camp, what wouldn't a madman who dared to kill an Umbrella Organization cadre dare to do?

In Magitan's mind, he was already automatically searching for the faces of criminals with a ranking of S or above.

This man in front of him seemed to really match one of them...

...

"What's the problem, Boss Magitan, is there an issue with this item?"

Su Lun, unfazed, smiled and said, "Of course, I told you in advance that the item is a bit hot to handle. You said it wasn't a problem, right?"

The storage rings in the box were haphazardly placed, and Su Lun himself didn't know what these people had seen.

But it was nothing more than a few such things.

It's not counterfeit, all spoils from my own kills.

Some of the military equipment collected previously from personnel we took down in Old Lington Inner City; the spoils from killing three second-tier members of the Umbrella Organization and a bunch of first-tier professionals in the outskirts; and from that time with the witch's hair, the killings of a few from the Oliver family...

Oh, even the earliest times, in the cavern accompanying the academy during trials, scraping up the loot from the student Jack, the two assistants Daniel and Rosa, and that second-tier assassin...

I used to be afraid of exposing my identity, afraid of being revealed, so I didn't dare to show these spoils in the market.

Now that I've become an "SS wanted criminal," those charges of murder are just a drop in the bucket...

Might as well sell them off in a bundle.

...

Any problems?

More than just problems!

You say this batch just runs a little hot?

Dammit, your stuff is like a red-hot iron ball, no one on the black market dares touch it!

Whoever takes it is signing their own death warrant.

Listening to Su Lun's light words, Magitan feels as if he's being threatened.

Now that the words are out, does he dare say he won't take it?

After all, as an informant for the Umbrella Organization, his psychological quality is pretty good.

Though Magitan is cursing a storm inside, he still says with a smile on his face, "No problem! Like I said, no matter how hot the goods are, I, Magitan, will take them!"

He's just someone who works in intelligence; fighting is the fighters' job.

Now, the thing to do is not to provoke the man in front of him and save his own skin.

Su Lun, seeing his attitude, nods in satisfaction, "Hmm, I've always said Magitan the boss is trustworthy. Now that I see, indeed you haven't disappointed."

Pausing, he adds, "I'll look for you again for the next deal."

"Of course~"

Upon hearing this, Magitan's smile hides his inward cry of despair.

Big brother, please don't come looking for me...

I damn well don't dare earn this money!

Then, the black market boss began to check the goods.

Looking over each and every storage ring, he breaks into a cold sweat.

Those military equipments, their origins can be recognized at a glance...

Those second-tier materials, you can tell whose famed expert has been killed and stripped of them...

As Magitan checks, he curses inwardly, "Dammit, how come the wanted poster doesn't say this guy's killed so many second-tier strongmen!"

The items are definitely hot, all clearly ill-gotten gains.

He no longer feels like examining them closely; a glance at the storage rings is enough to know that the normal selling price of this batch surely exceeds one billion.

A bid of seven to eight billion would make sense.

....

Su Lun observes the expressions of everyone in the room.

While others may not have noticed anything unusual, he knows that Magitan must have guessed his identity.

But, that's just as well.

With this little twist, the inventory check suddenly becomes much faster.

What should have taken hours now only takes minutes.

Struggling to remain calm, Magitan says, "I've finished checking this batch, and it's indeed good. What price do you have in mind, sir?"

Fearing that Su Lun is there to make a forced sale, he doesn't press with the usual aggressiveness but asks tentatively.

Su Lun states his price without expression, "Eight hundred million."

Magitan, hearing the price, is relieved instead of haggling, "Deal!"

He gestures his bodyguards to take off the storage rings and adds, "In one storage ring, there are cursed crystals worth one hundred million. The last two cases contain cash."

Su Lun gives it a brief glance, noticing it's full of "cursed crystals" and large denomination banknotes.

He doesn't bother to count, smiling, "Boss Magitan really is straightforward!"

A handshake and the deal is complete.

With the storage rings in hand, Su Lun prepares to leave.

Magitan watches the man about to leave, just about to breathe a sigh of relief.

That's when Su Lun, reaching the door, suddenly turns and says, "Oh, I've heard Boss Magitan has vast connections and can acquire anything. I have a business proposition, wonder if you're interested."

Magitan dare not declare disinterest, responding, "Please, esteemed guest, speak."

Su Lun speaks nonchalantly, "I'm looking for some secret tomes related to puppets, preferably of the mystic arts level. If you could obtain 'Trickster' Lloyd's 'Mystic Art: Puppet Theater,' even better. The price is negotiable." Explore stories at empire

Magitan cannot refuse, simply saying, "I can try."

"Good, I'll contact you later."

Without further conversation, Su Lun leaves the private room with a smile.