Mechanical Alchemist

The inflatable life raft wasn't fast, and poor track conditions at sea meant that Su Lun and his companions eventually failed to catch up with the slave ship.

After drifting for nearly two days, they finally reached the coast.

Instead of heading to Blizzard City, the two of them crossed mountains and valleys, planning to go deep into the Silent Deep Woods to the sacred lake of the Dalu tribe, "Lake Gaius."

The Silent Forest was vast, consisting mostly of mountains and primitive forests, and the journey was rugged. It would take several days to get from the coast to the Sacred Lake.

Although Su Lun's spider spear was excellent in complex terrain for teleportation, it was far less enduring than Yuta, who had lived in the forest since childhood.

Running and traveling all day, the silver wolf's body was clearly more suitable.

Yuta didn't mind being ridden, and Su Lun gladly accepted, happy for the leisure.

Riding on the soft back of the wolf wasn't too bumpy, and Su Lun, finding the journey idle, took the opportunity to read and carve a puppet on the wolf's back.

Seeing him reading, Yuta moved even more lightly, as if gliding along with the wind.

After several days together, the two gradually became acquainted. During their casual chats, Su Lun learned that he was probably the first and only human who had ever ridden a Druid.

After all, Druids held a high status among the Dalu tribe as priests who communicated with the deities, and riding one was considered very disrespectful.

Unless the Druid was willing.

....

The Silent Forest was a primitive forest that had existed for countless years, and the dense woods were full of towering giant trees. It wasn't rare to see trees with a height of a hundred meters and a size that required dozens of people to encircle. Branches and leaves formed a continuous canopy. In some areas, the leaves were so dense that no light could penetrate. It was cold, damp, and full of hidden dangers.

Apart from the trails made by wild animals, there was no clear path in the forest. Odd magnetic fields could even render a compass useless.

If it had been Su Lun alone, even if he wouldn't get lost, he dares not move as fast.

Here, various predators lurked everywhere.

Those with souls were manageable since they could be sensed. However, the deadliest were those soulless creatures like insects and plants.

Luckily, they had Yuta, a competent guide.

As they moved swiftly, she introduced Su Lun to the strange creatures of the forest.

"That is a 'Mist Sprite,' it looks like a ghost but is actually a type of woodland fae. It occasionally makes people lose their way, but it's harmless," she said.

"That black tree over there with the red fruit is a 'Devil Tree.' It's actually a tree-shaped demon that emits a smell to lure prey. That's just its canopy decoration, its main body is hidden underground, very dangerous. Even a second-tier forest giant bear cannot escape its vines..."

"Those are 'Black Spur Ants.' Don't underestimate them; they are highly venomous and very vengeful. If you accidentally step on a few, they can chase you for dozens of kilometers and then completely devour you. They are one of the several creatures in the forest you must not provoke..."

"That fallen leaf area is often where 'Titan Forest Serpents' hide to ambush their prey. Their skin matches the color of fallen leaves, making them hard to spot. If you enter their strike zone, even wild buffalo can be swallowed whole..."

"The Silent Forest is vast, stretching north to the Endless Ice Sea; further east, there is the very tall Mount Rug. The elders in my tribe say that there are dragons on the mountain. No one knows what lies beyond the God Mountain. Some brave souls from my tribe have gone there, but no one has ever returned. Even we, the Dalu tribe, occupy only a part of the forest…" she continued.

"..."

Su Lun also heard many legends about the Dalu tribe from Yuta, learning a lot about the peculiar magical creatures of the forest.

Her speech was filled with reverence for nature.

This was also the Dalu tribe's attitude towards the world: they did not see themselves as masters of the forest, but as part of it.

...

Yuta was very swift, easily scaling cliffs and crags.

After sprinting for a whole day upon reaching land, by evening, they had arrived deep in the Silent Forest.

As the sun was setting, Yuta did not continue traveling but stopped in a clearing in the forest where sunlight could still reach.

She said to Su Lun, "Let's camp here for the night. Unless it's necessary, it's best not to wander in the forest at night. That would attract many nocturnal beasts. There are quite a few fourth, fifth, even sixth-tier magical creatures here. Encountering them could be dangerous, but they generally stick to their own territories and don't roam about..."

"Mm."

Su Lun responded affirmatively and jumped off the wolf's back.

Yuta looked around once more, apparently quite pleased with the camping spot, "This place gets sunlight, is dry, and will have fewer insects."

As she spoke, her body hair quickly receded, and she reverted to her human form.

The evening sunlight filtered through the branches, transforming into ribbons of golden satin. The light and shadow played over her body, casting a golden glow. In the wilderness, her uncovered exquisite body was a pleasing sight, embodying wildness, strength, and purity, with beautifully graceful contours.

Even Su Lun couldn't help but take an extra glance.

In his eyes, he seemed to see a radiant sculpture of Wen Yu, beautiful not in a lustful way but in a manner truly integrated with nature.

Yuta noticed his gaze, her wolf ears playfully twitched, then she modestly covered herself slightly.

It was just a slight turn of her body, but with the halo flowing, it seemed as if the golden satin too could not hold onto her smooth skin, sliding off her handsome face, falling across her elegant shoulders, and then gently touching her comely back...

She wasn't shy, and with a slight smile revealing a pair of small sharp fangs, she asked, "Mr. Su Lun, in the eyes of your people, is being naked considered very rude?"

Su Lun diverted his gaze, looking into her eyes, and replied with a smile, "Quite delightful."

Yuta listened with a turn of her crystalline eyes, the hint of a smile on her lips as she chose to remain silent.

The slight smile at the corner of her eyes seemed to acknowledge that Su Lun was complimenting her.

Having donned her clothes, she then said, "Mr. Su Lun, please wait here for a moment, I'll go get some food."

"Hmm."

Su Lun wanted to say that he had dry food on him, but before he could speak, he watched Yuta leave him with a stunning view of her back, vanishing into the dense forest.

....

The Dalu tribe was still in a primitive state in terms of material life.

They primarily relied on hunting and gathering wild fruits in the forest for food.

Therefore, various tribes were scattered throughout the forest, each with its own hunting territory.

In recent years, many tribal members had been captured by human slave hunters, causing a sudden decrease in the population. This had gradually forced them to shrink their hunting grounds within the forest.

Soon, Su Lun understood why Yuta had chosen to camp here now.

There was still a trace of light in the sky, but as the sun set higher in the west, it soon could no longer penetrate the dense forest.

Su Lun felt the light around him suddenly darken.

This was not a human city where lights lit up at night. In the primitive forest, there was no source of light, casting everything into pitch darkness.

It was simply not suitable for travel.

The night wind howled through the trees, and sounds of unknown animals snapping twigs could occasionally be heard by his ear. In that endless darkness, it seemed as if pairs of eyes were staring at him.

Although Su Lun had come from an underground city and was familiar with darkness, he too felt a sense of danger in this jungle.

Behind him stood towering trees, making him feel like an ant on the back of a giant.

In the face of nature, humans were truly insignificant.

Suddenly, Su Lun felt a flickering sense of enlightenment in his heart, not knowing exactly what it was.

He sat down cross-legged and began to meditate.

Before long, he ultimately failed to grasp that fleeting insight.

Su Lun didn't feel any regret and calmly gathered some dry branches to start a fire.

The light of the fire dispelled the darkness, bringing an inexplicable sense of security in this endlessly dark night.

He sat by the fire and took out the "Black Hole Doll" he hadn't finished earlier in the day, continuing to carve it.

Now his understanding of the Space Law had improved significantly. The puppets he had previously made had many areas that could be improved. Since he didn't have to ride on the back of a wolf to hurry through, he could fully focus on crafting with the eight-armed spider spears. The anticipated finished product was expected to perform much higher than before, even easily devouring tier four spells.

Su Lun soon became engrossed in puppet crafting.

As he was absorbed in his work, a rustling sound soon reached his ears.

The footsteps were light, and he knew Yuta had returned.

Yuta came over, dropping the approximately two to three hundred pounds of wild boar she had been carrying on her shoulder to the ground, joyously saying, "Mr. Su Lun, we're in luck today. I didn't go far to hunt down a 'Mountain Wild Boar'."

Su Lun glanced at the robust animal, "Wow, it looks like we're in for a treat tonight."

Feeling like he should do something, he added, "Do you need any help?"

Yuta shook her head, "No need. It will be ready soon."

As she spoke, she skillfully began to skin the wild boar and clean its innards with a small knife in her hand.

While dealing with the boar's head, Yuta let out a surprised "Oh... there's a Demon Crystal too."

Su Lun looked at the blood-stained yellow Crystal Core in her hand, feeling slightly curious.

It was his first time seeing a Demon Crystal being extracted from a monster's body.

A fully charged tier-one Demon Crystal could sell for several thousand Risos in the market.

In this Silent Forest, treasures were everywhere, a gift from nature.

Having quickly processed the boar's hide, Yuta then smeared the meat with a berry resembling blueberries that she had picked from the forest.

The bloody meat was skewered on sticks and placed over the fire to roast, and she threw some specially scented branches into the fire.

Soon, the aroma of the meat wafted through the air, golden and dripping with juices.

Su Lun originally thought that without spices, the taste of roasted wild boar wouldn't be ideal.

However, the Dalu tribe's secret recipe made the roasted meat incredibly enticing, with a sweet aroma of fruit and meat mingling in the air.

It didn't take long for the surface layer of the meat on the rack to cook thoroughly.

Yuta sliced a few large chunks with a small knife and placed them on a cleaned, huge leaf.

She handed it to Su Lun, "Mr. Su Lun, try the craftsmanship of our Dalu tribe."

Yuta, back in the forest, seemed free and at ease, her happiness reflecting on her face. A gentle smile always lingered at the corners of her mouth.

Su Lun picked up a piece with a fork and knife and put it into his mouth. One bite down, it was crispy and smoky, the rich meaty flavor swirling around his palate and providing immense satisfaction. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Mmm, delicious!"

Indeed, it was the tastiest roast meat he had ever had.

Yuta, hearing this, laughed happily.

...

The wild boar on the grill was chopped into pieces.

The Druid Miss, enthusiastic in her demeanor, had rescued the tribe members.

Su Lun didn't need to lift a finger, as Yuta always took thorough care of him.

The two were no longer strangers, and Su Lun didn't shy away from Yuta. Even while eating, he multitasked, tinkering with his puppet.

While eating the roast meat, Yuta grew curious, "Mr. Su Lun, I see you're always carving this puppet. Is there something special about it?"

Su Lun explained, "I'm a Puppet Master, and this is my puppet."

Upon hearing this, Yuta's face filled with confusion: isn't controlling that strange iron giant your job, and now it's made of wood?

Curious, she asked, "I can feel a powerful force from these puppets. But how do they fight?"

The system of human alchemists was vastly different from that of the Dalu tribe, too complex to explain in a few words. Su Lun thought about it and explained, "I can control it with threads, similar to a spider's."

"Oh."

Yuta blinked, clearly not entirely ignorant of artificial grafting: "Is it part of your human alchemy, the alchemical grafting?"

"Yes."

Su Lun nodded, not elaborating further.

"I see…"

Yuta didn't know if she understood but continued eating her roast meat.

While eating, she even added some more to Su Lun's plate.

The Dalu tribe didn't have many complex things.

Their growth process was simple as well—hunting, fighting, eating, sleeping, praying... and then they became stronger. Strength was bestowed by their bloodline and deities.

Talking about grafts, Su Lun remembered the main purpose of his journey to the North and asked, "By the way, Elder Yuta, I have a question to consult you with."

"Just call me by my name, Mr. Su Lun. We are friends, no need for formalities."

Yuta smiled kindly, then asked, "What is it?"

"Hmm."

Su Lun nodded, then continued, "It's about the question I asked you earlier. I was wondering where in the forest there's a group of 'Nightmare Spiders'? I need a third or possibly fourth-tier lord-level spider for making alchemical grafts."

"I do know a few places in the forest where such spider groups exist. One such area is in the hunting zone of our 'White Wolf Tribe.'"

Yuta thought for a moment, then responded.

She paused, then, shifting the topic, she added, "However, adult 'Nightmare Spiders' are generally second-tier, and it's rare to see third-tier ones. It's even less common for such spider groups to have a lord monster. At least I have never seen one. Perhaps some might be hidden in certain caves."

Su Lun listened, not too surprised.

"Lord-level" monsters were indeed rare.

But if the quality was too low, he felt it wasn't suitable as material for his grafts.

Yuta saw what Su Lun was thinking, and added, "The forest is vast; it shouldn't be hard to find a lord spider. Once we get to the Sacred Lake, I'll ask other tribes for you, they might know."

She paused, then stated confidently, "If not, I'll accompany you to look for one."

Su Lun smiled and said, "Hmm. Thanks in advance."

Only after entering the forest did he truly appreciate that having the Dalu tribe's help could indeed save him countless amounts of time.

"By the way, Mr. Su Lun…"

At that moment, Yuta thought of something else and asked, "The Nightmare Spider you're looking for, is it to make alchemical grafts? I mean, isn't there something else that could substitute? There are many, many magical beast species in the forest… If it's not that one, maybe another could suffice?"

Su Lun said, "Yes. I need a creature skilled in mental manipulation..."

The materials for making grafts were naturally not limited to one kind; his former teacher Sereya had introduced him to many alternative materials in the blueprints she had given him.

"Nightmare Spiders" were just one of the targets he knew of that were easiest to obtain.

Yuta: "Mind control?"

"Hmm."

Su Lun looked at her as if something had occurred to him.

He thought about how in the Adventurers' Guild, it was always said that Silent Forest contained many species that had been extinct in the outside world, and perhaps Yuta knew something else.

He then listed a few species that satisfied the "Mental Tentacles" blueprint and said, "There are also the 'Nightmare Octopus,' 'Thousand-Eyed Centipede,' 'Heartstealer,' 'Abyssal Evil Eye'..."

Listening to this string of names, Yuta suddenly caught onto a word and asked, "Heartstealer? Is it that evil race with flesh tentacles as whiskers?"

Su Lun heard her description, which was exactly like in the books, and curiously asked, "Have you seen one?"

Yuta's face showed a very solemn expression, "I have not seen one. But... I know that such things exist in the forest."

She seemed to recall some unpleasant memories, and her expression darkened.

....

Hearing this, Su Lun was genuinely surprised.

There were Heartstealers, a "mythical breed" creature, in Silent Forest?

This was a creature of myth and legend, supposedly extinct long ago.

He had even specifically asked Mr. Jing, and even she had not heard of their existence anymore.

And now there were actually some alive?

The species that appeared in myths were all no simple matter!

If he could really use such creatures as implant material, it would definitely be a T0 level choice.

Su Lun couldn't help but feel excited.

But seeing Yuta's uneasy expression, he guessed that this might involve some secrets of the Dalu tribe, hesitating over whether to inquire further.

At that moment, though, Yuta took the initiative and said, "In the far north, in 'Cursed Valley,' those evil kinds of species are present. But it is the territory of the giants and a 'forbidden land' where the elders of our tribe do not allow us to go."

Su Lun: "The territory of the giants? Forbidden land?"

Having built sufficient trust through their previous battle at sea, Yuta did not hold back and slowly said, "Yes. The reason for our Dalu tribe's decline actually began with the battle in 'Cursed Valley' five hundred years ago..."

Su Lun's expression also hardened, realizing that he was indeed touching on some secrets of the Dalu tribe.

A thousand years ago, the Dalu tribe had many true Druids of the seventh and eighth rank.

Now the highest were only fifth rank. If the lineage was unbroken, then where did those high ranks go?

Before Su Lun could ask, Yuta explained his doubts, slowly revealing the tribe's greatest secret, "Five hundred years ago, there was a massive earthquake. In the very north of the forest, a sinkhole formed, revealing an ancient ruin—that is now known as 'Cursed Valley.' The great god of nature issued a divine decree that it was a 'source of calamity.' We of the Dalu tribe then guarded that place to prevent the calamity from spreading. Unfortunately, the appearance of the ruin attracted a powerful giant from the deep sea who sought to seize the objects within the ruin. It had huge wings, octopus whiskers, and emitted a terrifying, mind-clouding low... Then, the great battle occurred."

"We do not know what exactly happened, but those who participated in that great battle died, and very little information was passed down... Our tribe won the battle, but all the high-ranking Druids died, and the four Holy Artifacts of our tribe were also lost. We lost our ability to communicate with the great god of nature. The lineage of our Dalu tribe was thus interrupted..."

"Later, when it was known that we no longer had supreme strength, humans broke the covenant, and slave-catching squads appeared in the forest, more and more... Without high-ranking Druids, we simply could not resist, losing countless tribespeople over the years..."

"..."

Hearing this, Su Lun also roughly understood the entire decline of the Dalu tribe.

But listening to Yuta's description, he felt a strange feeling in his heart.

Why did that "source of calamity" feel like a gateway to a dangerous dimension?

The "Deep Sea Giant" that had annihilated the high ranks of the Dalu tribe seemed at least to be a ninth rank being.

It might not be unlike the Fallen Angel from Old Lington of the "godly rank."

But the information was too vague, leaving him with numerous questions.

Returning to the topic of Heartstealers, Yuta said, "Our ancestors didn't let us go to the north, and we have always abided by this teaching. But later our Dalu tribe encountered too many difficulties, almost leading to our extinction. Thirty years ago, some tribespeople wanted to go and check, trying to find the four Holy Artifacts and the lineage, to find a way to communicate with the gods again. But it was then that they encountered those creatures, the 'Heartstealers,' and many tribespeople died in a great catastrophe. Since then, Cursed Valley became a forbidden land for our tribe..."

....

After listening to the whole story, Su Lun also fell into contemplation.

The issues involved were quite troublesome: ancient ruins, Holy Artifacts, a great battle...

But upon reflection, it didn't seem like an unsolvable problem. Experience new tales on empire

Now that the Dalu tribe was weak, but still existed, it meant that those Heartstealers were not impossibly strong.

Moreover, Heartstealers themselves did not possess combat abilities, their troublesome aspect was their ability to control other creatures.

Assuming from the strength of the highest-ranking fifth-rank present in the Dalu tribe, a Heartstealer should not be able to control a sixth-rank creature. That meant that thirty years ago, the Heartstealers were probably third or fourth rank (though he couldn't rule out a hidden boss).

Looking at it this way, this matter seemed worth considering.

And if it involved ancient ruins, that also meant... a huge opportunity!