Mechanical Alchemist

Several days later.

The sky was drizzling.

Marked on the map of the Dragon Country Waters as "Troll Sea," which had a danger level of three skulls.

Thirty years ago, when the Black Sam Pirates had passed through these waters, they encountered some Titan-blooded trolls of enormous size. These monsters were terrifyingly strong and could easily lift a three-masted ship with their bare hands.

They were still around.

However, they had mutated into even more terrifying distortion zombies, and there were quite a few of them.

The Dawn Squad sailed into these waters as if entering the den of some monster.

Without warning, the monsters threw rocks from an island, drawing in numerous other creatures from the surroundings for combat.

Cannon fire resounded over the sea, echoing dozens of miles away.

"Fire support! Fire two volleys!"

"Quick, there are monsters approaching from the sea, deploy the whaling team to take them out before they damage the ship!"

"Service squad, pay attention to divert the newly attracted monsters on the periphery, focus our fire first and take down that ugly big fellow!"

"..."

Aboard the Eternal Night, the crew was engaged in a fierce battle.

Suddenly, the lookout on the crow's nest issued a frantic warning, "Careful, incoming rocks!"

No sooner had those words fallen than dozens of rocks, each several meters in diameter, shot over from a nearby island like torrential rain.

The whistling sound of the rocks cutting through the air was like meteors, terrifying in their force.

Just as the rain of stones was about to strike the Eternal Night, Lo-Lot and a group of swordsmen leaped up from the deck. Together, they drew their swords and swiftly formed a net of Sword Qi in the sky.

In an instant, the incoming boulders were sliced into countless smaller pieces.

Although most of the stone chunks fell into the sea, some the size of watermelons still densely pelted the hull, banging on it like cannonballs.

This kind of firepower, launching dozens of ten-ton stone balls like cannonballs, was utterly impossible for humans.

But for the 300-meter-tall, eighth-order lord, the Titan Zombie, it was just a handful of "small stones."

Indeed, it was 300 meters tall.

The creature was even more massive than the hull of the Eternal Night!

On a distant island, Su Lun, Qian Tiao, Barrett, and No. 19 among other elite fighters were surrounding and attacking this lord-level distortion zombie.

It was an enlarged troll with a humanoid torso but its head had mutated into a mass of tentacles and pus-filled fox face. Its belly, which yawned open, was filled with densely packed sharp teeth. Besides being able to spit acid that easily melted steel, this belly also acted like a bottomless pit, emitting countless crimson tentacles to devour everything around it. It could even consume cannonballs, Sword Qi, and various types of alchemy.

The battle was intensely fought.

For most monsters, their size was directly proportional to their combat strength.

Their massive bodies granted them monstrous strength and armor-like flesh.

And this Titan Zombie was no different; its 300-meter-tall body possessed strength and an almost unsolvable defense that humans couldn't match.

Because of its massive body, even Su Lun's black scythe and Qian Tiao's Sword Qi slashes on its rotting flesh were barely noticeable.

In terms of "HP," it was not much inferior to an eighth-order silver dragon the Dawn Squad had previously hunted.

However, thankfully, although the monster was high-ranking, it was clumsy and moved on two legs. Compared to the previously encountered dragons that could fly, it was much easier to deal with.

As long as they carefully avoided its attacks, the problem wasn't too big.

After a fierce battle lasting over half an hour, Su Lun and the others finally slew the beast.

With the lord monster dead, the nearby undead creatures quickly dispersed.

...

Cleaning up the battlefield was handled by a specialized disposal squad, and after the big fight, Su Lun and the others returned to the ship.

On the deck, Bartholo looked at the corpse in the distance, his brows still tightly furrowed.

It was not only the melancholy of revisiting an old place but also a hint of solemnity.

Su Lun approached and asked, "Senior, have you noticed anything?"

Barrett had not engaged in the battle earlier, primarily because it was unnecessary, and secondly, because he had a bad feeling about the "Angel of Justice" talent of subject nineteen. All along, he felt as if something was coveting them.

Out of caution, he did not let Barrett, a top-tier combatant, intervene. If something indeed went wrong, they would have a fallback.

Barrett, deep in thought, replied, "Undead creatures usually lack high intelligence. The accumulation of so many monsters nearby attacking us seems unusual."

"Hmm."

Su Lun had also noticed this point.

The density of regional creatures has an upper limit, and they wouldn't gather together without a special reason.

He asked, "Senior, do you think someone has done this intentionally?"

Barrett said, "It might not necessarily be humans. It could also be some special entities. The Old Dragon Kingdom Ruins are said to be the battleground of ancient gods, and too many ancient secrets are buried here. Besides, the eruption of Hell Volcano brings many undead creatures from different dimensions. It's only too normal to encounter things beyond human comprehension."

"..."

Su Lun frowned slightly and said no more.

Since they had killed the deformed monster in the Golden Sea a few days ago, they hadn't had a moment of peace, and the monsters were becoming more numerous.

But if it were just monsters, it would be manageable—they could fight or flee.

What they feared was encountering some "supernatural" entity beyond their understanding.

Just like the swarm of creatures they encountered today, something felt off.

Su Lun glanced again at Mr. Crow on his shoulder, who had not made a sound, indicating that the situation was not yet fatal.

They had come prepared to take risks, so there was nothing to shy away from.

Soon, the crew dealt with the corpses of the monsters, and the Eternal Night continued its voyage.

As a precaution, double watch was set on deck, and some sophisticated energy fluctuation detectors were installed, such as "Sub-Sonic Wave Detectors," "Psychic Sensitivity Instruments," and "Thermal Energy Fluctuation Detectors"... Mafa's research in this area over the years had been extraordinary, and the equipment was now capable of replacing most sensory methods.

Of course, there were also Tanni and his mother Frida.

Multiple safeguards nearly eliminated all possibilities of unwittingly falling into danger.

The workmen also smeared dragon dung on the hull, which deterred some lower-ranking monsters from disturbing them often.

And so they sailed into the night.

.....

After entering the Ancient Dragon Kingdom Ruins, in order to avoid attracting monsters with light, the Eternal Night had not been illuminated at night.

The darkness of the night was not too bright; the black-sailed ship moved across the pitch-black sea, blending into the night like a ghost.

The air had already begun to fill with a faint gray mist, the essence of hell.

It was similar to the dark spiritual power of Old Lington, a type of death-oriented aura. Prolonged inhalation could risk mutations.

However, for Su Lun, this type of aura not only had no adverse effects, but he also found breathing it quite pleasant. The deathly impurities within the aura, he could now easily digest, which was beneficial.

Therefore, he hadn't been cooped up in his cabin practicing but had been wandering on deck at night.

Those on watch, wearing gas masks, greeted him as they saw him.

"Mr. Su Lun!"

"Hmm."

Because of the battle during the day, Su Lun felt something was odd, so after walking around, he didn't return to his cabin but jumped up to the mainmast instead.

On the robust mast, Tanni was meditating.

She had realized the "Thunders of Hell" Sword Intent, inspired by the Netherworld. Now facing real hell aura, she felt an indescribable enlightenment. Moreover, the closer they got to the heart of the Old Dragon Kingdom Ruins, the more refined the natural laws of the world seemed. For the two of them, who could assimilate the hell aura, it was a rare cultivation opportunity.

The two didn't speak but meditated in silence as usual, sitting not far from each other.

Time swiftly passed, and before they knew, it was midnight.

The moon in the sky had already been completely obscured by the dark clouds, and the Evernight, devoid of light, seemed submerged in a pitch-blackness so dense one could hardly discern where the water ended and the night began.

With Tanni as a top-level navigator, there were no worries about hitting a reef, and the Evernight continued to glide smoothly towards its predetermined direction.

Su Lun placed the rune-laden black umbrella on her thigh, her senses extending over the entire ship.

All she could hear was the rushing sound of water.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes wide!

"Has someone come?"

Su Lun was also surprised.

Just now, a strange pulse of a soul had appeared on deck.

Even without using her eyes, Su Lun could now familiarly distinguish the soul of every one of the tens of thousands of members in the group.

That's why she noticed this uninvited guest instantly.

Noticing something amiss, Su Lun opened her eyes to look around.

With just a warning glance, Tanni immediately became alert and opened her eyes.

The two exchanged looks, and she immediately understood, her hand already stealthily resting on the hilt of her sword.

This reaction was because Su Lun had sensed that the newcomer's soul pulse was extremely strong!

It was so strong that she thought it might be some kind of "soul monster" rather than a human.

Even when she had encountered Master Pierre, a ninth-tier mage in Old Lington, his soul had not vibrated with such intensity.

The sudden appearance of someone in these lifeless waters sent a chill up her spine, no matter the circumstances.

"Where did 'he' come from?"

"What does 'he' want to do?"

This guy is clearly so strong, yet he sneaked aboard the ship, which was very odd.

"Eh... he's actually coming straight here?"

However, it didn't take long before Su Lun was even more astonished to find that the guy was heading straight for the mainmast.

She instantly realized that this person seemed to be coming for her?

Being able to pinpoint her location so accurately in the dark, Su Lun thought of a possibility—that the other party could also discern soul strength!

And in the entire Dawn group, her soul was the strongest.

Bartholomew had joked before, saying her soul was as strong as a monster's, indeed.

Thinking of this, Su Lun suddenly had a flash of insight: "Could it be a fellow practitioner who cultivates the soul?"

Sure enough, a few moments later, that soul pulse moved noiselessly to the base of the mainmast, and then "floated" up!

Yes, floated!

Without alarming any sentinels, he had floated up.

Although Su Lun couldn't see the floating figure with her own eyes, Old Crow on top of the mast saw everything clearly.

Old Crow was a raven of death and could see any form of spiritual body.

Su Lun watched with a furrowed brow but decided to strike first.

As the intruder vaulted up, she abruptly drew the rune-laden black umbrella and swung it fiercely behind her.

Simultaneously, there was the metallic clink of a sharp blade being drawn from its scabbard, and Tanni's eyes snapped open as she slashed her sword down.

The rune-laden black umbrella had a special effect—it could strike the soul!

And Tanni's slash could inflict lethal physical damage!

Now the combat prowess of both was considered top-notch among alchemical professionals, and with their well-established coordination, it made evasion impossible for the intruder.

Sure enough, the surprise attack was highly effective!

The sneaky guy initially intended to approach, but did not expect to be greeted by a blade and a club as soon as he arrived.

Su Lun had no idea how his opponent maintained this traceless "invisible" state, undetectable even by spatial perception.

Since his approach did not trigger any response, it meant that "he" was not a physical entity.

It was probably some special kind of magic device.

But at such close distance, Su Lun had confirmed that this was definitely a living person!

An enemy with malicious intent!

As long as it's a person, it can be killed.

At the moment of the outbreak, Qian Tiao's blade moved faster than Su Lun's.

The man probably felt that his abilities could ignore the slashes, so even though he was ambushed, he wasn't much panicked.

Qian Tiao's blade sliced through the void, as if cutting through air, not hitting anything at all.

However, the purpose of this blade was not to harm the enemy, but to keep the enemy in this ghost-like state!

Right after the Sword Qi swept past, Su Lun's rune-imbued black umbrella followed closely.

Then, the miraculous scene unfolded; on the seemingly empty mast, as if something was hit by the rune-imbued black umbrella, a semi-transparent figure immediately appeared.

Su Lun looked on and sneered coldly in his heart.

Just like the first time he encountered the "Curator" and was stunned by his club, the person before him apparently did not expect a weapon that could directly strike at the soul.

As soon as the semi-transparent figure appeared, one could visibly see his expression stiffen in "shock."

Seizing the opportunity, Qian Tiao's freshly slashed sword returned with "swoosh swoosh" over a dozen strokes, cutting the man into more than a dozen pieces with a flurry of domineering sword blossoms.

"Killed?"

Su Lun's hand was still waving in mid-air, but his eyes narrowed slightly.

Because he could distinctly feel the collapse of the opponent's soul, a clear sign of death.

But it shouldn't have been this easy...

Su Lun thought to himself, just planning to reap the enemy's soul to secure the victory when a bizarre scene unfolded before his eyes.

He watched as the soul that had just shattered was suddenly gathered together by an unfathomable force and then appeared hundreds of meters above the sea surface.

Seeing this, Su Lun's pupils suddenly contracted, "Resurrected..."

He wasn't surprised that such a strong enemy couldn't be killed on the first attempt, managing to ambush him was already good enough.

But what was unexpected was that this guy had mastered such a divine technique.

Su Lun himself had been resurrected before, how could he not know that this guy had actually died and then been resurrected?

But looking at the other's attire, he immediately wasn't surprised anymore, muttering to himself, "Archbishop in red from the Angelic Plane Holy Army, an eighth-tier Archmage, no wonder he could borrow divine power..."

And in the Angelic Plane, the ranks of the mages are strict; rank is status, and their robes have distinct markings.

Not every eighth-tier Archmage wears this kind of red robe, but those who wear it are definitely Archmages.

Moreover, those with such gold-threaded red robes have high positions in the Church.

At least, this guy was the highest-ranking individual from the Angelic Plane that Su Lun had encountered!

But what Su Lun couldn't figure out was, why would this guy appear in the Dragon Country Waters?

Moreover, did he come alone, or were there others?

Su Lun squinted into the depths of the night.

No matter what, being sought out like this, tonight seemed a bit out of the ordinary...

The folks from the Angelic Plane had been severely injured so many times, they must have quite the assurance this time for making a move.

Last time three ten-thousand-men groups were eliminated, had they come with ten or eight this time?

However, what Su Lun hadn't expected was, after watching for a long time, it seemed that only this one guy had come?