Mechanical Alchemist

Jiek seemed to be tracking someone.

He moved in stops and starts, frequently using obstacles for cover, but his tracking skills were hardly exceptional.

He had pulled up his overcoat's collar high and wore a uniquely designed pair of wind goggles, covering most of his face. Su Lun recognized them as the wind gear he had given to Jiek before from an inflatable life raft, confirming his identity.

Only when Su Lun noticed his limping gait did he realize the man had lost a leg. Footprints on the ground alternated between a full imprint and a round hole. Upon closer inspection, he saw that Jiek's left leg was replaced with a wooden peg-leg prosthesis.

At this, Su Lun felt a twinge of confusion.

How had a wealthy family's young master suddenly lost his leg?

Since it was on his way, Su Lun followed for a few steps and glanced at the people ahead. With a slight discernment, he immediately recognized whom Jiek was tailing.

It was a young woman wrapped in a lavish fox fur cape. Despite the howling wind and snow, she was very particular about her appearance. Heavily made up and not fully covered, her snow-white neck and plunging neckline were exposed. Wasn't this Marian, Jiek's stepmother?

There was also a man, affectionately linked arm-in-arm with her, who was not Benson but a man carrying a broadsword on his back.

Su Lun remembered, this man seemed to be Benson family's guard captain, Raman.

Just from the intimate manner between the two, Su Lun had a rough guess of the situation.

It was likely the typical plot of a remarried young wife conspiring with her lover to seize the wealthy husband's assets.

Such audacious behavior suggested that Benson was probably dead.

Su Lun had a favorable impression of the kind-hearted middle-aged merchant. After all, Benson had "saved" him and Mr. Jing once at sea.

However, he only glanced and no more.

As bloody as other people's family affairs were, he had no intention to delve deeper.

What was more surprising to him was that Jiek was tailing a third-rank professional without being detected?

Glancing again at the wind goggles on Jiek's face, Su Lun appraised them and took some interest, "Not bad, creatively using multiple mirror refractions to weaken the target's perception."

He had previously noticed that Jiek had an excellent talent for mechanics, and now, seeing the clearly handcrafted alchemical wind goggles, it was obvious the young man had made them himself.

As the Blizzard City district was not large, it wasn't long before Su Lun watched the couple enter a four-story luxury hotel.

Meanwhile, Jiek stopped at the entrance, posing as a passerby.

Not in a hurry to leave, Su Lun wanted to see what he was up to.

At this moment, he saw Jiek move to a window, appear to measure the position, and then stop at a lamppost. He surreptitiously looked around, then, concealing his actions with his clothing, pulled from his chest a... timing bomb connected to a mechanical alarm clock?

Jiek quickly buried the bomb in a pile of snow then took cover behind the mailbox at the entrance of the nearby post office.

Su Lun found this entertaining and stopped in his tracks, leaning against a nearby wall, "A liquid alchemy bomb? Delayed explosion with a... directional blasting device?"

The homemade bomb was rough, with no casing to conceal it, leaving almost all its mechanisms exposed.

But even such a bomb seemed to brighten Su Lun's eyes. Being adept at various mechanics himself, he had almost instantly understood the bomb's structure and principles from a quick glance.

The design was not particularly sophisticated, but the concept behind it was very unique.

"He's not using standard gunpowder but a more unstable liquid state. A specially formulated nitro compound, unseen on the market—did he concoct it himself? The potency does pose a lethal threat to a third-rank professional. But... relying on a bomb alone isn't enough to kill that Raman."

Looking at the location of the buried explosive, he harbored some doubts, "Precision-directed blasting? Did he predict that someone would definitely jump out the window? Interesting..."

With only a slight thought, Su Lun instantly understood that Jiek probably had another setup inside the hotel room.

...

Because of his Soul Perception, Su Lun sensed Marian and guard captain Raman moved up to the third floor of the hotel, then rushed into a room, and couldn't wait to start undressing and getting intimate.

But while the two were in the throes of passion, just as they lay on the bed and were about to go further, suddenly, a "boom" echoed, triggering a violent explosion.

The sound of shattered glass filled his ears as the blast and flames burst from the second room on the left side of the third floor, projecting outward for over ten meters.

Two disheveled figures plunged downward from the building.

After all, Captain Raman was a third-rank melee combat professional, and his reflexes were extremely quick. He sensed the danger the instant the explosive device was triggered, and, protecting the woman, they blasted through the window using the explosion's shock wave.

Seeing this, Su Lun let out a soft sound of surprise, "Ah, so that's what this is."

The explosion in the room had not caused more damage, meaning that Jiek had strictly calculated the explosive dosage; he didn't intend to hurt the innocent.

If he had been more ruthless, he could have used a large quantity of explosives and blown up the entire floor to ensure success.

Moreover, what was clever about Jiek's setup was that the room explosion was clearly not to kill the targets immediately but to prepare for a second explosion!

Even a third-rank professional dazed by the first blast wouldn't expect to be attacked by a second explosion after being blown out of the window.

Su Lun watched as the two figures landed right next to the lamppost on the street corner, precisely where the explosives were buried, and couldn't help but admire inwardly, "Such meticulous planning, such precise demolition!"

From these aspects, Gek seemed young, but in terms of temperament and wisdom, he was outstanding.

But, didn't this guy want to be a designer?

How come he has such high talent for messing with bombs?

A thought flashed through Su Lun's mind.

Just as they hit the ground, the half-naked woman and man had not yet reacted when suddenly, with a "boom," they were upheaved by the blast of a bomb once again.

This time, the two were precisely blasted against the wall by the terrifying surge, hitting it hard with a "thud," and limbs and blood splattered.

The elegance they had before was now replaced with utter dishevelment.

The woman's right thigh was blown off at the root, the white bone and mangled flesh starkly exposed, and she immediately fainted.

Unfortunately, the man was still wearing close-fitting leather armor. Although he also spat out a mouthful of old blood, it was not fatal.

Su Lun looked on, without any hint of surprise.

To be able to achieve this with a bomb was already the limit.

....

After being bombed twice in a row, Raman was not so slow to realize he had been ambushed. The moment he hit the wall and fell, those eyes that resembled those of a wild wolf immediately locked on the cloaked figure by the mailbox, who had a completely different reaction to the commotion than the bystanders!

With a "swoosh," Raman kicked off the ground and had already rushed in front of the cloaked figure.

Because he was unarmed, he grabbed Gek by the neck and hoisted him up, bellowing, "Damn you, who are you!"

Perhaps intending to see who it was, he violently ripped off Gek's goggles with a slap, revealing a young but resolute and coldly smiling face.

"Bastards..."

Gek's face twisted with a manic sneer as he struggled to grasp Raman's wrist. It was at that moment, with a "click," a mechanical lock in his palm snapped into place.

The two were locked together like handcuffs, at least unable to break free for that instant.

Raman saw the explosives wound underneath Gek's cloak, and his eyes bulged instantly, like copper bells, his face finally revealing a look of extreme horror.

Gek was determined to die together with the murderer who killed his father!

Killing a third-tier professional with his own hands was already the most perfect plan he could conceive.

But then...

Something unexpected happened.

Desperately, Gek realized that the bomb didn't explode!

He had no way of knowing that just moments ago, a thin thread had silently appeared and disarmed the key triggering mechanism of the bomb.

At that moment, the voices of the patrol yelling echoed on the street, with more than a dozen guns pointed at the heads of the two: "Nobody move!"

Su Lun watched as the two were taken away, then followed.

A bomb genius dying like that would be a waste.

....

The hotel was on the main road of Blizzard City, and the patrol responded quickly. They arrived at the scene the moment the explosion occurred, preventing the situation from worsening.

Because only a hotel room and a street lamp were destroyed, Gek wasn't charged with a severe crime.

Benson's fur business had a certain reputation in the city. After he explained the reason, the city guards didn't execute him immediately.

But Blizzard City has its own rules.

No matter whether justified or not, once involved in violence, one must be punished.

Gek was stripped and hung on the cold wooden cross in the town square to endure a day and a night of "exposure punishment."

As for Raman, although he acted unethically, he did not break the city laws and therefore was not punished.

Su Lun didn't think he had the ability to rob a law court, nor did he need to.

As long as the crime wasn't serious, there was a way out of "exposure punishment."

Following the rules, Su Lun paid the security team a bail fee, with instructions not to let the person die, and then waited to collect him the next day.

Having once received a favor at sea, today he could consider it repaid.

Besides, he also thought it would be good for Gek to experience the cold wind.

Some things needed to be experienced personally in order to be understood.

Just like Su Lun himself had once died.

....

Su Lun left the City Guard and headed to the black market within the city.

The black market in Stormwind City was different from other places. It wasn't secretive, but almost everyone knew about it. It was a trading market specifically built for pirates and some not-so-legitimate businesses. Reputable merchants had other places to go; the black market was a frequent haunt for pirates, criminals, and smugglers.

It was not on the surface, but underground.

Upon finding the "Blackbeard Tavern," Su Lun coincidentally sensed three familiar souls.

They were the three who had escaped from the Red Shark Pirate Group before.

At this moment, they were quarreling with the tavern owner, their faces red and ears burning with intensity.

"Oh, damn it! You 'Red Sharks' took the ransom and swore to me that the hostage was alive. Now where is the person, where? How do you expect me to explain to the people from the Tulip Commerce Guild?"

"Damn it, our brothers in the gang are all killed by someone, and you're still asking for an explanation from us? We can just refund the money to those guys!"

"It's not about the money, it's about reputation! Do you understand, it's about reputation!"

"..."

Pirates also had their own rules, without reputation, one cannot survive in the underworld.

After listening for a while, Su Lun gathered that the three men wanted to find help to track down the murderer who had annihilated their pirate group.

He didn't pay much attention, figuring that if he encountered them later, he would simply kill them.

After exiting through the back door of the tavern and passing through a few guarded doors manned by burly men in leather jackets, he descended into the underground.

Going down the iron staircase for more than ten meters, Su Lun immediately heard the noisy chatter.

This was a street paved with dark red tiles, flanked by various crowded buildings, with neon lights of various colors making the streets fairly bright, exhibiting a prosperous and bustling scene.

The surface was chill to the bone, but this underground street was quite warm. The web of intertwined, dense steam pipes above provided sufficient heat to this subterranean space.

The street was teeming with people, the vast majority of whom were adventurers in leather jackets and boots, with exposed weapons and unfriendly faces. There were also many people in cloaks and masks. Su Lun, blending into the crowd, did not stand out.

The black market had all sorts of things for sale, from storefront shops to street stalls.

Various alchemical material shops, controlled military weapons, smuggled liquor, hallucinogenic potions...

As long as it was profitable, almost anything could be found here.

Of course, the price of most goods was much cheaper than in the precious markets.

Su Lun found the "Dark Elf's Grocery" where Boren often went to offload goods.

The shop was crammed with a variety of merchandise, offering very little space.

The owner was a plump Black woman.

When Su Lun arrived, there were a few other people in the shop selecting goods.

The plump storekeeper greeted Su Lun, "Customer, what do you need?"

Su Lun: "I'll take some 'Ocean Breeze'."

Upon hearing this, the plump storekeeper knew that a familiar figure from the circle had come and beckoned him over to a compartment in the shop.

There was a soundproof barrier.

Once in the compartment, Su Lun got straight to the point, "I want the batch of goods that 'Poison Frog' Boren sold here before. The price is negotiable."

The plump storekeeper glanced at Su Lun and, without asking further questions, took out two Storage Rings, saying, "Everything that hasn't been sold is here, aside from what's been already disposed of."

Su Lun checked the items and saw that they were mostly jewelry and gems looted by the pirates; none of them were his possessions. He then directly asked, "I'm looking for two rings, they look like this."

As he spoke, he drew the approximate features of the two rings on a piece of parchment beside him.

The plump storekeeper clearly remembered and her eyes showed sudden realization: "Oh, I remember these two rings, both are high-level alchemical items. However, they've already been sold."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun's brows furrowed, and he asked, "Can I know to whom they were sold?"

The plump storekeeper didn't say directly, instead glanced at him and simply said, "You should know, that's against the rules."

It's not that the rules can't be broken; it's that one can't talk without enough money.

Su Lun understood the drill and took out a stack of banknotes.

"This, well..."

The plump storekeeper tapped the thickness of the banknotes with her finger before reluctantly saying, "This morning, a young girl bought them. I don't know her, she seemed to be a foreigner."

Su Lun added more money, asking, "Is there more precise information?"

Seeing the money, the plump storekeeper finally gave detailed information, "She has freckles on her face and big braids, looking young. She seems well-mannered, likely from a large city. She bought some adventurer's supplies, seemingly preparing for an adventure in the forest. You may encounter her at the Adventurers' Guild. Of course, if you're willing to spend the money, you can ask the 'Smuggling Gang.' They should be able to get more information."

Su Lun said hearing this, he knew he could not extract more information and took out a stack of money, entrusting, "This is for purchasing information about myself."

The fat shopkeeper understood and replied with a brilliant smile, "Of course, no one will hear about your visit from me."

Su Lun turned around and left.

He did not expect the other party to definitely not sell him out.

But the black market had its own rules; at least in non-special circumstances, these people would still get the job done once they took the money.

....

Su Lun had not anticipated that the goods would not go smoothly; he only hoped that the person who bought his ring had not left Blizzard City yet.

Wherever there is a place to spend money, willingly spending money can save a lot of effort.

Finding the local snakes, the efficiency of getting things done is very high.

Su Lun did not blindly search on his own but sought out the "Smugglers' Gang" in the black market. He offered a substantial reward for a missing person commission and also inquired about the main materials needed for his third-stage breeding gear.

Then it was just a matter of waiting for news, so he strolled around the black market.

The northern ice plains have many special products, such as Frost Iron Ore, Demon Cores, high-grade lumber, and some special magical beast materials.

Now that Su Lun was advancing, he exactly needed some high-grade materials to create his intricate puppets, so he scavenged quite a few good things in the black market.

Moreover, to Su Lun's surprise, he actually saw a lot of things from Old Lington!

For instance, those mechanical devices that clearly did not match the style of Ruying technology, he even saw several sets of Frost Giant Battle Armor from the Old Lingdun Inner City's city guard. There were also some parts that were obviously dismantled from large mechanical equipment. It seemed like these were things that pirates had taken apart from the inner city's laboratories...

Upon inquiry, these items really did come from pirate channels and were quite numerous in the black market now.

Many of the mechanical devices were different from ground mechanical systems; thus, very few people were genuinely interested in buying them.

Only then did Su Lun feel that he had picked up a great bargain, spending over a hundred million to acquire a bunch of equipment.

With these items, his research on mechanical puppets would progress much faster.

However, he also realized that mechanical research was indeed a hugely money-consuming field. This trip to the black market, casually buying some small machines, almost emptied his coffers.

Fortunately, good news was also on the way.

The efficiency of the local snakes was indeed very high.

It wasn't long after Su Lun put up the reward that he received an accurate response.

The person he was looking for was in the "Star Hotel" in the north city.

Su Lun did not dare to delay and went directly to the north city, where he met the girl who had bought the ring.

Upon asking, the items were indeed in her hands.

Su Lun also heaved a great sigh of relief.

However, the girl's attitude made it difficult for him.

...

"I am called Katyusha, an apprentice 'Astrologer,'" she said. "How would you like to be addressed, sir?"

"You can call me Nicholas. I'm sorry, Miss Katyusha, those two rings are keepsakes left to me by my elders. There was an accident earlier, and that's why they ended up in the black market. If possible, I would like to buy them back. What do you think would be fair for you to part with them?"

"But... my teacher said that the ring is very helpful for studying, and I really need it. If I lose it, I'm afraid I won't be able to find such good alchemical items again in the future."

"..."

Su Lun knew that if he were in her shoes, he wouldn't believe someone who came out of the blue claiming the treasure was theirs.

He arranged to meet her at the hotel's café, planning to talk things over.

Facing this young girl with freckles on her face and her flaxen hair tied into a thick braid, Su Lun acted polite and gentlemanly.

Since the other party had purchased it with money and was acting courteously, it would not be proper for Su Lun to just kill her and take the items.

Moreover, he noticed a problem.

If it had been before, he would have thought she was just an ordinary girl from the city coming for an adventure.

But now, with Soul Perception, this "Katyusha's" soul was very elusive.

It seemed like his perception was being interfered with.

For example, by some special cursed item.

Realizing this, Su Lun felt there was something wrong with the situation.

If he really needed to take action, he wasn't sure he would have the upper hand.