Mechanical Alchemist

The fog over the sea gradually thickened, and the bright moon was also hidden within the dark clouds, reducing visibility over the ocean more and more.

The midnight seawater was somewhat icy, as Su Lun soaked in the water, silently making his way toward the slave ship.

What had started as a midnight slave liberation raid suddenly turned into an intense sea battle.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"..."

The violent sounds of artillery fire erupted in rapid succession, bursting eardrums.

Pirates' cannons generally couldn't match those of the wealthier merchant ships, so they had little advantage in naval combat.

Those pirate ships, neglected and lacking maintenance for years, couldn't withstand as much damage as the merchant vessels either.

But for either side to successfully sink the other was no easy feat.

When a wooden sailing ship was hit by a cannonball, the projectile would pierce the ship's body, which was coated with runes and plating, and land in the cabin, scattering wood chips everywhere, causing quite a commotion but making sinking it difficult in a short time. Only with good luck, such as breaking a mast or hitting the ammunition cabin, could one deal a devastating blow to the vessel.

Therefore, if the combatants were evenly matched in strength, the sea battle often lasted a long time.

For several hours, perhaps even several days.

Of course, there were high-level alchemy bullets that could shatter such wooden ships with a single hit. But the cost of one such bullet might be more than the price of a sailboat, affordable only to great nobles and imperial navies, and unlikely to be used in such a degree of naval warfare.

....

The two sides continued to exchange relentless artillery fire.

The pirate ships had a numerical advantage, with about twenty-odd silhouettes of ships in the mist.

But whether it was a chase with the navy or a robbery, pirates wouldn't engage in prolonged artillery duels.

They were more adept at boarding combat.

No, in this world where alchemical augmentation was common, boarding wasn't even necessary. Pirates could use their augmentations to fly in from the sky or swim up from the ocean depths.

Wing augmentations, waterlung augmentations for underwater breathing, sharkskin augmentations...

These practical augmentations were the favorites among those who made their living at sea, possessing strong survival capabilities.

Flying in the sky was still easily targeted, but underwater, it was much safer.

Su Lun advanced quietly through the water, watching countless pirates diving off the opposing pirate ships.

Once those fellows entered the water, they swam like fish with great speed.

All sorts of fins, flippers, tails, and stealth devices... helped the band of pirates quickly approach the merchant ships.

The hand-to-hand combat upon boarding began as well.

The first wave of fodder pirates to board and engage in close combat were mostly low-ranking, first and second-tier. Undetected, Su Lun took out two who happened to come across him underwater.

At this distance, he was finally able to make out the entire pirate fleet's arrangement and let out a sigh of relief, "Good thing only one squadron came..."

Although all those pirate ships flew the flag of the King of the North Sea, the secondary flags also identified their allegiances.

This was the Fourth Fleet of Oleg, team seven "Silver Wolf," led by Carrol.

Some of those ships, Su Lun had even seen before, during the grand battle at Black Reef Harbor when he chased in the tower.

Oleg was the confirmed overlord of the Northern Sea.

Their official squadron leaders were at least fifth-tier professionals, and even the reserve leaders were fourth-tier. Elsewhere, these were the equivalent of great pirate captains.

Su Lun had previously visited the "Bounty Hunters Guild" and learned a lot about many great pirates' details.

Included among them was this Carrol.

The man was once the captain of the guard for a noble, involved in an affair with the noble's wife. After being discovered, he slaughtered the noble's entire family and was wanted by the empire, forcing him to flee and become a pirate. His talent, augmentation, and cultivation technique were all superior, and his strength formidable.

Pirates paid particular attention to rank and face.

One's position on the deck revealed the difference between "squadron leader," "vice-leader," and "small team leader."

Even as a spectator, a big shot would stand in the "center position" rather than hiding in a corner.

Su Lun watched from afar as that bearded man in cold iron mail on the main pirate ship and identified Carrol.

By his side, there was a gothic woman with half-shaved head and black teeth.

Su Lun recognized her at a glance, thinking, "The captain of team nine 'Instigator' Heidevich. One specializes in controlling mind magic and the other in close combat, both fifth-tier. It seems they are dead set on taking out Hozier this time..."

However,

These two were gunning for "Fist of Justice" Hozier, and he had nothing to do with them.

Seeing this, Su Lun's thoughts became more active.

Having only one squadron meant that at least he would not have much trouble ensuring his own safety.

....

The sea battle raged on.

At this moment, Hozier seemed to realize that he was in big trouble today.

He hadn't counted on the merchant fleet being of any assistance, so rather than waiting to be surrounded by pirates, he and his men took control of the captured ship and attempted to break through to the west.

As he fled, several pirate ships immediately set off in pursuit, and naturally, two fifth-tier squadron leaders from the main ship joined the chase.

Seeing this, Su Lun's heart surged with joy: "What a golden opportunity!"

....

Another piece of good news was that the slave ship carrying Yuta and the others didn't attract much attention from the pirates.

It was a vessel specifically designed for transporting goods and slaves; the pirates, being savvy, knew it was full of "valuable merchandise." If they were to sink it, the robbery would be entirely pointless.

Moreover, the merchant's side, even knowing that the slaves had taken over the ship, wouldn't waste ammunition to sink their own vessel in the face of more vicious pirates.

Thus, the already not-so-powerful slave ship remained unharmed amidst the cannon fire.

Upon seeing this, Su Lun immediately spoke into the communicator: "They're after Ho Qi! Yuta, throw all the cannons and cargo overboard and set sail. Head east and leave this sea area as fast as you can!"

A prompt response came through the communicator: "Okay!"

No sooner had he spoken than the cannons and cargo were seen being discarded into the sea from the ship.

With the heavy items thrown overboard, the draft of the slave ship lightened considerably, and its sailing speed immediately increased.

Listening to the distant sounds of battle, Su Lun figured the two squadron leaders must have engaged Ho Qi. He no longer hesitated and, after several instances of teleportation, arrived beneath the very ship.
Your journey continues with empire

He leapt aboard the deck, where Yuta was busy organizing her people to manipulate the sails and discard any unnecessary items into the sea. Apart from freshwater and food, everything that could be thrown overboard was tossed into the ocean.

The two exchanged a nod of understanding.

Gratitude filled Yuta's sparkling eyes. "Thank you, Mr. Su Lun."

Without the man before her, there would be no rescue operation happening now.

She then spoke a sentence in the Dalu language to her people.

Upon hearing this, the sub-humans one by one expressed their sincere thanks, bowing respectfully to Su Lun.

Su Lun thought he had understood two words: "warrior" and "thank you."

He shook his head, signaling everyone to continue working the sails; this was no time to relax.

The pirates behind them certainly wouldn't just watch as this merchandise, worth billions, got away.

....

Though Ho Qi, the 'Fist of Justice,' had brought upon them a major problem, he also saved Su Lun and the others a lot of trouble.

At least they obtained keys to the explosive collars and the magic-suppressing chains, and once the Dalu people were freed, they also regained some combat strength.

The humans of this plane were mostly alchemists, with no divine faith.

But the Dalu were different.

They worshipped the "Nature God."

Their strength was also a gift from the deity.

Natural warriors, they harbored the ability to shapeshift and cast spells.

The rather small slave ship had been crammed with thousands of sub-humans; now freed, they were far from short-handed.

Though their ranks were not high, with hundreds of them rotating to cast wind spells to propel the sails, the ship gained an extraordinarily swift speed.

Hence, the two pirate ships pursuing them had almost no chance of catching up through speed alone.

It was Su Lun's first time witnessing what "magic" truly was, and he found it somewhat miraculous.

Through devout prayers and incantations, spells took form.

This was entirely different from the spellcasting he was familiar with.

Alchemists performed their craft solely based on the "principle of equivalent exchange," harnessing natural elements to form spells through formulas-like rules summarized by alchemical predecessors.

Meanwhile, the Dalu's spells seemed to communicate with some will through incantations, manifesting in a simpler manner.

Su Lun didn't quite grasp it, but it seemed that their spellcasting utilized part of their own power and part of the power bestowed by their deity.

Essentially, the nature of magical incantations was an acknowledgment of faith.

In other words, one method of casting spells was a reasoned "science," while the other was "occultism."

He didn't dwell on it much because at that moment, the pirates on the ships behind them, seeing their quarry slipping away, frantically gave chase.

It wasn't ships, but a group... capable of void displacement!

....

"These winged flight grafts, they actually contain the spatial law?"

Su Lun's pupils narrowed as he observed the group unleashing their grafts to fly—resembling mantises, fleas, and also like aliens.

It wasn't mere physical flight; as they flapped their wings, the purple patterns on them flashed, and the wearers teleported forward by tens of meters.

Others might not have noticed anything, but to Su Lun, a practitioner who had awakened spatial ability, those spatial fluctuations were very obvious!

A quick assessment revealed the significance of these wings.

[Void Wings]

Details: First-tier black iron quality alchemical graft, wing grafts produced by a specific insect from the void plane, containing spatial displacement abilities; adaptation value rating C+ or above, mutation probability not exceeding 20%; after integration, a slight increase in the host's toughness and agility, with a chance of comprehending some rudimentary applications of the spatial laws.

Being low-tier practitioners, the pirates only had one or two types of grafts on them.

Normally, Su Lun wouldn't give these underlings a second glance, but now that he looked at their grafts, he was genuinely amazed.

"Could it be that those guys have found a 'void plane' seal channel?"

Su Lun looked at the information displayed and his expression turned slightly odd.

He knew that apart from the "Abyssal Plane Channel" beneath the Dawn City Ruins under Old Lington, this plane once had many spatial channels connected to other planes.

But among the plethora of information Su Lun had harvested, no one had ever seen this kind of "void equipment."

This meant that the pirates under the King of the North Sea had either found a secret plane channel or poked into the lair of a void monster, and that's how they obtained these materials?

Spatial ability is an extremely rare and strong combat power.

Let alone flying equipment!

The combat enhancement for professionals would be an absolute qualitative leap.

Looking at the current situation, the King of the North Sea might have a large group of subordinates equipped with void equipment.

This force was not to be underestimated.

"Really shouldn't underestimate these pirates..."

Su Lun narrowed his eyes as he watched the pirates chasing after them, expressing his thoughts internally.

It seemed now that this vast ocean was full of endless opportunities and treasures. He wasn't the only lucky one.

...

The pirates closed the distance by dozens of meters in a blink, quickly catching up.

The people on the boat could even see the scornful smiles on their faces.

Yuta, who was beside him, also lost color on her face, "Damn it! That leading pirate is a fourth-class professional!"

On the ship, all the Dalu people, she was the only third-class one.

Though there were many among the Dalu, they weren't without the power to fight. But if a fierce battle did break out, no one would be able to stop that fourth-class professional, which would surely result in heavy casualties and deaths.

Su Lun's eyes shifted, his mind quickly pondering.

One fourth-class, two third-class, and also some first and second-class. To him, the problem wasn't too big.

But if a real fight started, that spatial displacement ability would be very tricky, and he couldn't guarantee he could take them down immediately.

Moreover, killing these few was a minor issue, but behind them was a complete Great Pirate group. The King of the North Sea was not so easy to provoke.

On the other side, two or three dozen boats were waiting. If a big commotion broke out here, certainly some superior would come to reinforce.

Among the pirate squad leaders, there might be those with special abilities beyond the intelligence gathered.

Such as the Curse Magician known as 'Crow' Gwenb.

Facing unknown enemies, one must not be careless.

Otherwise, you wouldn't know how you were hit when the time comes.

Su Lun's thoughts flashed through his head in an instant, and quickly, he came up with a plan.

Seeing the pirates were about to board the ship, he hastily said to Yuta beside him, "When they come on board, don't resist. They probably won't kill. I have a way to get them to leave!"

Upon hearing this, Yuta was startled at first, "But..."

Although she wasn't very familiar with Su Lun, she could sense that he was only a third-class professional.

The other side had fourth and maybe fifth-class. Was he planning to go alone?

Too dangerous!

Yuta's expression turned resolute, "I'll go with you!"

"No, you stay on the ship!"

Su Lun's tone left no room for refusal.

Without time to explain further, he added, "They'll definitely come for me in a minute. You seize the chance to leave. Don't worry about me, I have my ways to escape."

Yuta looked at the man's determined gaze, unsure of what to say, "You..."

That gaze seemed to have an inexplicable power to convince.

Could he really do it?

Without giving Yuta the chance to speak, Su Lun leaped off the ship.

....

The dozen or so pirates flying toward the slave ship also saw Su Lun jump overboard, but didn't care at all.

In their eyes, he was just a coward fleeing from battle.

The leading fourth-class professional was named Suleiman, and he had earned himself a domineering pirate nickname, "Void Blade."

Since successfully integrating the fourth-class silver void equipment, he had become the reserve captain of Squad Seven.

Though he didn't have a bounty yet, it was coming soon.

As long as they killed Hogg this time, they'd immediately make a name for themselves throughout the North Sea.

He felt with this void ability, sooner or later he would become a Great Pirate known throughout the region!

With the winged equipment retracted behind him, Suleiman landed steadily on the slave ship and glanced at the group of sub-humans with frosty faces, letting out a strange laugh, "Yo... this batch of goods is not bad."

The female sub-humans of the fox and wolf clans were indeed visibly beautiful at a glance.

At this remark, lascivious smiles hung on the faces of the dozen or so pirates behind him.

Yuta had already shown her fangs and claws, hesitating in her heart whether to make a move or not.

If it were just her, she would definitely not surrender without a fight, even if it meant dying in battle.

But behind her were a group of her tribespeople.

Suleiman brandished the blade glowing with purple light in his hand, the source of his confidence.

The unique pressure of a fourth-order professional instantly swept across the entire ship, and he barked loudly, "I don't care if you understand or not. Right now, go to the hold and stay put, or don't fucking make me kill people!"

As he spoke, he provocatively pointed the blade at Yuta, the leader...

As long as these subhumans made the slightest move, he wouldn't mind killing one to warn the others, and immediately there would be a large number of heads rolling.

Yuta was fearless; her azure pupils gleamed with a wild beast's sharp fierceness.

She thought of what Su Lun had just said and couldn't help but look towards the distant sea.

Just at that moment, as if a giant whale was breaching, there was a loud "whoosh" from the sea, and suddenly a figure emerged, a ferocious... iron giant!

Yuta had never seen a combat mecha before and could hardly conceal her shock at the odd entity, "That... Is that Mr. Su Lun?"

A few pirates also heard the commotion and glanced over, only to see the mecha warrior wielding a Ship-Cutter chopping towards their pirate ship, all astonished, "Military mecha armor? People from the Mafa Empire?"

....

Indeed, this was the "Colonel-class Ship-Cutter IX Mecha Armor"!

Su Lun certainly didn't delude himself into thinking he could take on a pirate group head-on.

Besides, he couldn't guarantee that there weren't other professionals with mysterious powers among the pirates.

Donning the mecha armor was more than appropriate.

This set of armor had previously been tested in a great battle at Gadronte Harbor and was a handy weapon, with a helmet possessing special anti-curse treatment.

Once adorned in battle armor, it would be very difficult for even a fifth-order mysterious magician to kill him.

In order to draw attention and prevent the pirates from continuing their pursuit, there was no better means than the mecha armor.

To prevent pursuit, the pirate ship could not be left intact.

And the "Steam Battleship Cleaver" equipped with the armor was essentially a super battleship cutting weapon!

The mechanical Ship-Cutter, though incapable of unleashing "Sword Qi" or other ranged attacks, with a vibrating blade, could easily slice through wooden sailboats.

With one wide, powerful swing, it carved a gash in the hull of a pirate ship.

A few more "slashes" and that gap immediately became a gaping hole.

Seawater rushed in instantly, and the large pirate ship looked as if it would soon sink.

What's the most significant concern for a mecha warrior?

It's being able to withstand and deliver hits!

Su Lun controlled the combat mecha, fearless, like a War God in human form.

The rain of bullets rattled against the mecha armor, but that did not impede his movements one bit. Steam from the boiler gathered power, and a blast of white steam from his feet stirred up great ripples on the water's surface. With a leap, the mecha surged toward another approaching pirate ship.

Su Lun jumped onto the deck and, without hesitation, chopped down fiercely, cleaving the iron-hard coated mainmast in two!

The mast collapsed, scattering the henchmen in all directions.

With all the strong fighters gone to intercept the slave ship, the remaining rabble was as ineffective as ants biting an elephant against Su Lun.

Powerless to stop him, they could only watch as he swung the Ship-Cutter like a giant windmill, severing all the masts on the ship.

As they saw their two ships taking on water and starting to capsize, the Heidevich of the "Void Blade" from the distant slave ship bellowed in rage, "Damn it!"

This was the nest egg he had saved in anticipation of one day becoming a legitimate captain...

And now, in the blink of an eye, it was being hacked to pieces?

"I'll kill you!"

Boiling with rage and no longer caring about the slaves, Suleiman flew back.

After all, in his eyes, a set of Mafa military armor was worth countless times more than a shipful of slaves!

He glared at that mecha warrior, his eyes full of hatred, yet he also sneered, "Hmm! Mecha warrior? Others might not be able to handle you... but don't you know my Void Armor is specifically designed to counter mecha warriors?"

....

Su Lun, of course, saw the group of pirates flying back. He even clearly saw the contempt on the face of the leader.

He wasn't surprised in the slightest.

This diversionary tactic was precisely to wait for their return.

Su Lun didn't rush to flee, identifying the fourth-order armor in the other's hand and musing, "Tsk, tsk, that armor does indeed counter mecha warriors quite effectively... no wonder he's so confident."

The Void Sickle

Details: A fourth-order silver quality alchemical implant; the sickle of a creature unique to the Void Plane, containing spatial teleportation ability, that can ignore obstacles in its slashes; containment value rating B+ or above, aberration probability no more than 15%; after fusion, substantially increases the resilience and agility of the host, and highly likely to gain some understanding of the use of Space Law.

As Su Lun read this, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly, also with anticipation, "Gift-wrapped 'experience of space'..."