Mechanical Alchemist

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Dr. Banks was the most pure kind of "Magician" dedicated to Alchemy.

He didn't like being a pirate, nor was he interested in wealth or political power. He only loved studying alchemy and biology, exploring the mysteries of life, and benefiting the whole of human civilization.

Otherwise, with the technology he mastered, he would have been a highly esteemed guest in either of the two great empires, or serving under any noble, enjoying endless glory and wealth.

Previously, Dr. Banks had expressed his interest in "New Dawn City," but then Su Lun followed the fleet to Mountain Hermit, and the matter was postponed.

Now, he had formally expressed his wish to join.

In other words, Dr. Banks was now "one of us."

Su Lun also felt that it was a great boon, finally contributing to his senior sister's still-ethereal "New Dawn City."

....

Crafting potions took a long time, and Su Lun hadn't gone out at all. So he just opened another room next to room 206 at "Shark Hotel," where he set up his own mechanic workshop.

During this potion crafting period, with the help of Dr. Banks, Su Lun successfully deciphered the structural design of the mechanical octopus.

The technology contained within this mechanical octopus was highly advanced; "neural technology" and "mechanical technology" were already cutting-edge, not to mention the disguises and misdirections used by Duke Raphael for keeping the technology secret.

Truly cracking it would undoubtedly count as a top-tier challenge.

If it had been anyone else, even the best mechanic from the Mafa Empire, with a finished product in hand, it might have taken years to analyze and decrypt each part.

But Su Lun and Dr. Banks specialized in this field, and they smoothly worked out the complete design drawings.

The advantage of having a finished sample was that Su Lun didn't need to spend time and energy trying to test various data.

Like the composition of materials, mechanical structure, stability, energy source, optimal state...

Everything was well-designed and tested for practical use in combat.

Skipping various experimental stages and following the diagram allowed for mass production.

However, Su Lun didn't have access to the abundant resources like Duke Raphael, nor did he have large-scale forging equipment and workshops.

He could only manufacture in a "small workshop."

But he also had his own advantages, such as his hand-drawn runes and plating, which were much higher quality than those obviously produced on assembly lines.

And because it was small-scale production, Su Lun could also select some rarer and more special materials, adding some other practical features to the mechanical octopus.

The performance of the resulting mechanical octopuses could thus be greatly improved.

Su Lun's modest goal was to start with thirty to fifty units.

Only when they were a swarm did they have fighting strength.

...

Two days later, Su Lun walked out of the hotel's temporary laboratory.

Dr. Banks had crafted a batch of "Mutant Suppression Potion" tailored to his condition, which would ensure that he wouldn't turn into a monster due to demonic mutation for at least the next year.

Su Lun breathed a sigh of relief.

A year was enough time for him to do many things.

He made a long shopping list for himself.

First, he needed to go to the seafood market to buy some live octopuses suitable for mechanical transformation.

Then he would go to the black market for materials.

And along the way, he might pick up some information.

...

```

Su Lun went to the alchemy black market at the bottom of the fortress, a path he knew well. The place had quite changed since his last visit.

In addition to the familiar pirate loot fence shops, there were now some very "well-funded," official-looking stores.

By their names, they seemed to be large enterprises from the Mafa Empire.

Su Lun browsed around and found that these large shops offered a rich variety of high-quality, yet affordable goods; the key was that even non-locals didn't have to worry about being cheated anymore.

Ever since Zolas D. Andres, the great politician, had arrived, Pirate City had clearly been moving towards legitimization.

Moreover, among the shops opened by Mafa merchants, there were several "military hardware stores," selling Mafa's military industrial products!

Guns, mechanical arms, mechanical skeletons, assault boats, torpedoes, rocket launchers...

These were military-grade equipment that was decades more advanced than the average pirate gear prior to this.

They were even on par with the military equipment of Luying forces.

Most importantly, the prices were unbelievably cheap – truly "factory direct prices"!

Realizing this, Su Lun immediately recognized the sinister intentions of the Mafa Empire.

Trouble was brewing behind the scenes in Luying.

Previously in the North Sea, Luying's navy was able to chase pirates everywhere – the pirates hardly had the capacity for a head-on confrontation mainly due to the vast gap in equipment. That was the most crucial reason.

Now that Mafa was supplying the North Sea pirates with an abundance of high-quality but cheap equipment, their combat capabilities would skyrocket. Their raiding radius would vastly expand, and the number of their targets would also increase. They could even siege and occupy various noble territories...

This would definitely give the official navy of Luying a constant headache, and could even force them into an embarrassing situation of fighting on two fronts.

Besides,

what's more ruthless was...

Su Lun actually saw various job postings for military factories in the black market!

Although Pirate City was behind in development, after centuries of existence, it had a large population. Aside from the able-bodied young men who could go to sea as pirates, there were many elderly, weak, women, and ordinary folks.

Before, the people on pirate ships were utterly reliant on luck – they ate what they captured. But now, they had entered into an industrial society, which took those once considered "burdens," and turned them into fully utilized citizens, providing a sustainable ecology of development for the North Sea population.

The significance of this move was extraordinary, with long-lasting impacts!

The "North Sea Kingdom" lacked neither mineral resources nor an abundance of riches. It was merely its remoteness and the restrictive controls of the Luying Empire that left it impoverished and underdeveloped.

But with this single reform, the whole North Sea had been invigorated.

With the support of Mafa's technology and economy, it was foreseeable that in the next few years, the economic strength and population of the entire North Sea would experience explosive growth.

As the "North Sea Kingdom" grew stronger, the Mafa Empire, being too far across the sea, would hardly be affected negatively, and could even continue to benefit from the spoils of war.

For Luying however, this was undoubtedly a severe threat.

If things were to develop, "North Sea Kingdom" could even potentially rise to form a tripartite balance of power alongside Luying and Mafa.

"That Zolas D. Andres truly has a great talent for statecraft..."

Witnessing the changes in the black market, Su Lun couldn't help feeling a deep sense of awe.

Being bandits on one side and developing their industry on the other, wasn't this the same development path followed by the empire on which the sun never sets?

It would be strange if the North Sea Kingdom didn't prosper.

...

The advantage of the black market was its combination of good quality and low prices, which had become even more economical with the establishment of Mafa's large enterprises.

Su Lun walked through the black market, purchasing many alchemy materials he needed.

He inquired about "void materials," but unfortunately, nobody knew their origins – Oleg had done a good job keeping it a secret.

However, some low-grade void materials had made their way onto the market.

```

Su Lun wasn't particularly interested.

After browsing for a while, he took the cable car to the "Colorful Conch Market" next to the fortress.

It was a flea market with many small vendors, often a good place to find treasures.

No sooner had Su Lun gotten off the cable car than he heard the boisterous cries of the hawkers.

It was several times busier than his last visit, with crowds surging through the market.

"Whale oil, top-quality whale oil, only five thousand Lisuo a barrel, come and buy..."

"Sunken treasures just fished out of the sea, porcelain and relics from the era of the Atlia Empire..."

"Hey, brother! Just snatched a young female slave, twenty thousand each, want two..."

"Unopened warehouse mystery boxes, interested bosses, come and talk."

"..."

Su Lun strolled past various stalls along the way.

Not only were there more people in the market, but the goods for sale were also more diverse. With advanced technology brought by Mafa, the pirates' treasure-hunting and plundering abilities had greatly increased, and there were indeed many fine goods.

The All-knowing Eye was looking all along, indeed spotting many ancient items worth some money, but of little use.

As he walked, Su Lun bought a few small items, but didn't encounter anything that truly interested him. Nor did he find any research instruments from Old Lington like he had stumbled upon last time.

After making a round, he intended to leave, but suddenly he heard a not too loud hawker's call from a corner, "Highest quality sailing charts, at a low price..."

Su Lun didn't care much, as everyone in such a market touted their wares as "the best."

Moreover, the vendor looked sneaky, like a scalper selling fake tickets.

But just a casual glance, and Su Lun let out a light eureka.

To his surprise, he found that the sheepskin maps on the small stall were exquisitely drawn, beyond expectation.

The handwriting, scale, and current markers were all very clear.

This quality was indeed the best hand-drawn version of a sailing chart he had seen so far!

"Could it have been stolen?"

That was Su Lun's guess.

Such "artisanal" grade sailing charts were pricey, even rarer than the printed editions. They were usually collectibles owned by certain nobles.

Appearing in Pirate City, they could only have been plundered.

The vendor in front of him, clad in a ragged cloak covering his face, looked young, like one of the professional thieves commonly seen in Pirate City.

It was not unusual for them to come to fence goods.

"How are you selling this nautical chart?"

Su Lun stopped walking and asked.

When he returned from Mountain Hermit, the Dawn team took a detour because they were unfamiliar with that sea area. They ran into storms and rocky areas and nearly suffered a significant loss.

If he had a more precise chart, it would provide much more security for sailing.

Upon hearing a customer interested in the sailing chart, the vendor seemed hopeful and hastily explained, "Which sea area's chart are you interested in? A thousand for one near Hastelin, three thousand five hundred for the southwest Devil's Sea, six thousand Lisuo for the Chaotic Winds area near the Berman Archipelago, there are also ones going to Luying... If you need some specially detailed custom charts, it might take some time. Depending on the detail level, prices vary. Oh sir, although you might find the prices slightly high, I can assure you they are the best sailing charts available, they will provide the most accurate navigation insurance for your voyage!"

He spoke with his face hidden, as if afraid of being recognized.

"That comprehensive?"

Su Lun thought there were just a few charts, but he realized upon a closer look that the vendor had dozens of sheepskin scrolls in his canvas bag.

He randomly unrolled one, and all were of very high-quality hand-drawn sailing charts.

Looking at the handwriting, one could tell they were all drawn by the same cartographer.

Furthermore, what surprised Su Lun even more was that, judging by the vendor's tone, it seemed navigation charts could be customized?

Could they have not been stolen?

"Count how much it all costs, I'll take them all."

After carefully examining several charts, Su Lun made his decision immediately.

He himself had harvested many navigation chart memories and could easily distinguish that these were indeed the finest sailing charts available on the market, impeccable from both a drafting and a professional perspective.

Navigation charts were an essential strategic resource for any pirate crew, even considered a "heirloom" for navigators, and when used well, they could even affect the safety of the crew members.

For their Dawn Crew, these would be very useful.

The more, the better.

"You want them all?"

Upon hearing this, the vendor seemed somewhat surprised but quickly came up with a total, saying, "There are twenty-seven shares of navigation charts here, with an original price of 158,300 riso. You can just give me 150,000."

Not bad with calculations...

Su Lun glanced at him, musing to himself.

In the pirate circles where many couldn't even perform basic addition and subtraction, quoting a price like this was a remarkable ability.

And the price was indeed not expensive, at least relative to this quality, it was very cheap.

He cheerfully paid the money and casually asked, "If possible, may I know who the cartographer of these navigation charts is? My ship, we need such an excellent sailing master."

It was a tentative question, but upon hearing this, the vendor, like a snake whose tail had been guessed, immediately became very cautious, "Sorry, the charts were picked up by me."

Saying this, he seemed to want to leave the market straight away.

Watching his reaction, Su Lun's gaze sharpened slightly, but he wasn't surprised.

In the Atlia Empire, apart from the royal cartographers, the act of privately drawing navigation charts was a serious crime, especially such detailed charts.

Even in Pirate City, Oleg probably wouldn't want to see Atlia forces acquiring precise navigation charts near Hasterling.

Private trading of precise navigation charts was a dangerous act.

But Su Lun was even more certain that the person who crafted the charts was directly related to the vendor before him. He didn't press further, instead asking, "Oh, that's a shame. But if I want more such navigation charts, how could I contact you?"

At this question, the vendor finally stopped, clearly conflicted.

He wanted to make money but feared exposing his identity.

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Well... post a reward at the guild, and I will contact you when I see it."

"Oh, okay."

Su Lun watched him disappear into the crowd and didn't follow.

It seemed that the vendor was likely in need of money; otherwise, he wouldn't take the risk of selling navigation charts.

And in Su Lun's view, he probably wasn't the cartographer.

After all, a master cartographer would likely be an excellent sailing master.

If he were an excellent sailing master, he would certainly not be short of money in Pirate City.

He would be a scarce talent that all major fleets would vie to recruit.

Su Lun thought that perhaps the vendor was telling the truth that the items were "picked up," or maybe "copied"... the source might come from some famous navigator.

Now that he had a way to contact, Su Lun planned to look for an opportunity to reach out later.