Mechanical Alchemist

Su Lun always thought he had hidden himself very well.

After all, the fact that "Isaac's Alchemical Notebook" had remained undetected in the gang's warehouse for so long proved that his initial plan to deceive everyone had been successful.

But what he couldn't figure out was why, even after the goods had been delivered to the inner city, they were still robbed.

The high-ranking members of the organization had previously questioned him via communication why he had omitted such important information and why they had arranged for a "Lei" to join the escort team, who not only took the manuscript but also caused such a commotion...

How the hell would I know!

The strength of the ordinary gang members in the outer city—isn't that clear to you?

The members of the Cross Society on Green Street are merely shrimps; who in the gang doesn't know that?

The only professional in the escort team was the kid Kai, and he wasn't even at the scene, so who knew he'd have a "little brother" who's an almost second-tier expert?

A firearms expert, suspected to have a gold-quality spider alchemical implant, who masters the spell "No-Shi"...

If an ordinary professional could possess even one of these qualities, they'd definitely be a core member of the Cross Society, yet Su Lun hadn't revealed a slightest hint of it before.

Su Lun felt wronged when questioned by his superiors.

Are you sure you don't want to investigate if there's any defected elite from a special institution in the inner city, instead of asking when the outer city raised such a monster?

Could such elite first-order professionals possibly be cultivated in a place like the outer city, where resources are scarce?

And another thing!

With the Security Bureau, Mechanical City Guard, and numerous experts in the inner city, they can't even handle a first-order professional?

Su Lun felt that those guys had become too complacent because of their safe living environments, losing their basic hunting abilities.

No matter how strong, Su Lun was still a first-tier professional!

Even just a quarter of an hour ago, when Su Lun was notified to join the joint ambush, he couldn't believe that the unknown little gang member named "Su Lun" had just killed twenty or thirty pursuers in the inner city and escaped?!

But now,

seeing everything in front of him,

he believed it.

Just a minute ago, he had heard the report through the communicator that three second-tier officers from the umbrella organization participating in the pursuit had all been killed.

....

Su Lun blocked Su Lun's way, his expression complex.

Was it because he possessed a "Cursed Weapon"?

How could Su Lun not recognize that large black scythe? It was with that very "Cursed Weapon" that they had broken into the vault of the Cross Society headquarters.

The scythe was then taken away by an accomplice.

Later, when he heard no news of the accomplice returning to the city, he thought he had died in some corner of the sewers, but who would have thought... it ended up in this kid's hands?

The power of that cursed weapon was indeed formidable, almost beyond solution, but its cursed nature was also fatal. It was impossible to use it as a regular weapon.

Yet, even with the cursed weapon, the black scythe, a professional who kills three people in succession with it should have exploded to death by now!

Su Lun hadn't caught up with the previous fight, and now, watching Su Lun who greeted him with a smile, he thought he hadn't been exposed.

Then, unexpectedly, he was struck down by a fierce blow without warning.

....

"Fuck! How did this kid suddenly turn violent—could it be that I've been exposed?"

If one could hear Su Lun's thoughts at the moment, that would certainly be the curse.

Confused, the immense terror of death approaching instantly made his hairs stand on end.

As the black scythe swung down, a spacetime rift immediately appeared in front of Su Lun.

If this strike were to land solidly, it would split his entire neck diagonally in half.

But Smoke Ghost was, after all, an established second-order professional of many years.

Although Su Lun's movements were fluid and he had the advantage of a surprise attack, his slashing motion was too predictable. As soon as he began, Smoke Ghost instinctively sensed the danger and started to evade with all his might.

However, the space rift caused by the black scythe was simply too fast.

With a swing of the blade, the rift was upon him.

A sharp "swish" as metal cut through silk sounded, and blood sprayed, as an arm dropped to the ground with a thud.

Smoke Ghost's body, meanwhile, dissipated into dense fog, instantly merging with the surrounding mist.

"Didn't kill him, huh..."

Su Lun looked at the broken wall, his pupils slightly contracting.

The Octopus Spear was yanked, and his robes tore, pulling out a few "Wailing Dolls" and "Sneering Dolls" to protect all around his body.

He tightly gripped the black scythe in his hand, staring intently at the surrounding dense fog.

Not being able to kill Smoke Ghost with one strike was also within expectations.

The reason he had successfully killed those three second-order professionals from the Umbrella Organization before was chiefly because they didn't know about the black scythe in his hand, nor did they notice the "invisible living corpse," completely off-guard.

But Smoke Ghost had already seen the scythe on him and instinctively was on guard.

Moreover, Smoke Ghost had a very special ability.

Su Lun had often heard Kai boast about how formidable his old team captain, Smoke Ghost, was and had even detailed Smoke Ghost's strangely unpredictable ability in combat that he had witnessed.

Just now, despite Smoke Ghost trusting Su Lun's words and walking out without any guard, this crafty old fox also had habitual defensive measures.

The mist that constantly floated behind him was a cover, possessing an ability similar to "refracting shadows."

You see a person before you, but their actual position isn't there.

It's like a fish in clear water, you aim for the shadow with a harpoon, but you'll surely miss.

This is extremely practical in combat. The enemy aims for his heart, fires, and then finds the shot goes through thin air or hits a non-lethal spot.

That mist could even confuse all kinds of perception used by professionals.

So, that strike just now was also just Su Lun's prediction of Smoke Ghost's approximate location.

Being able to chop off an arm was already a good result. (Don't ask why he didn't slash horizontally. A wide-ranging horizontal slash would inevitably lead to a fatal backlash.)

....

Having an arm severed in their first confrontation, Smoke Ghost was filled with anger, but also a profound wariness.

The moment Su Lun revealed his killing intent, Smoke Ghost genuinely felt an imminent threat of death.

Seeing the "click-clack" drifting runes and grotesque dolls around Su Lun, alongside the black scythe he clutched in his hand, Smoke Ghost didn't dare show his face from within the fog, fearing another blow.

"How did you get [Xiupunos's Night Scythe] in your hands?"

The voice arose from all directions, echoing like in a valley, making it impossible to pinpoint his location.

Su Lun watched with the corner of his mouth lifted, sneering, "What do you think?"

Within his perception, that "malice" also dispersed, as if it was everywhere around him.

The fog could hide all traces of his being.

A most troublesome ability.

From within the fog, a cold laugh came: "Hehe... what if it is? You've already swung once, dare to swing a second time and the curse's backlash will immediately claim your life!"

Smoke Ghost thought Su Lun was unaware of the curse properties of the black scythe and specifically reminded him.

"Oh?"

Su Lun laughed casually, showing his white teeth and replied with a taunting tone: "Whether I dare swing a second time, why don't you come out and test me?"

Smoke Ghost was right.

The curse rebound was directly related to the physical strength of the user. A normal person's body was far inferior to that of a rune zombie. Striking twice in a row would most likely result in immediate death on the spot.

But the Smoke Ghost did not know that Su Lun had precisely controlled the power of the spatial rift.

The cut just now had been close enough, and the wound was not big. The rebound would be much smaller than last time in the cave.

If his damage calculations were correct, he figured he could strike at least four or five times before triggering an immediate rebound.

As soon as he said this, there was indeed no sound from within the smoke.

The Smoke Ghost did not dare to gamble with his life.

Besides, he did not need to show himself to kill someone.

"How come... Mr. Sang Bu is afraid to show himself now?"

Su Lun continued to provoke with his words.

Both chose this moment for a verbal confrontation, each with their own intentions,

Su Lun wanted the enemy to speak up, reveal more flaws, and to lock onto his location.

And the old schemer, Smoke Ghost, wary of the black scythe in his hand, did not dare to show himself, yet still spoke. In fact, it was to disguise his "invisible killer move."

The smoke growing thicker around seemed innocuous apart from obscuring vision, but in reality, it hid deadly intentions.

Su Lun, looking at the anomalies on the data panel, sneered. He was not flustered and directly took out the "Plague Doctor's Beak Mask" he had acquired earlier and put it on his face.

Because... there was a special fire poison in this smoke that even a gas mask couldn't filter out!

Seeing Su Lun suddenly taking out a gas mask and putting it on, the Smoke Ghost realized that his tactic had been seen through.

He had harbored some disdain, as his fire poison was a mixed damage spell of smoke and spell, which ordinary gas masks could not filter.

But upon seeing the peculiar beak design, the Smoke Ghost immediately exclaimed in surprise, "Is that Sergei's beak mask?"

Then, he realized something, and shock spread through the smoke again, "Did you kill Sergei?"

"Yes... Mr. Smoke Ghost, it will be your turn soon."

Su Lun continued his verbal onslaught, having roughly pinpointed the Smoke Ghost's location from the emotional fluctuations a moment ago.

But at a squeeze of the black knife, the guy disappeared again.

A few trick dolls were also patrolling nearby. The moment an opportunity arose, he would not hesitate to swing his blade down.

Meanwhile, Su Lun continued to taunt, "I'm also curious, how did you become a member of the Umbrella Organization... Mr. Inside Agent?"

A scornful laugh came from within the smoke, as the Smoke Ghost guessed Su Lun's thoughts, "Heh... You're trying to enrage me?"

The mist had now spread throughout the entire alley, no one would enter, and the voices could not get out.

He knew that as long as he did not show himself, that "Su Lun" was as good as dead!

In a contest between clever minds, victory and defeat lay in the details, and now it was about who could keep their cool.

Su Lun glanced at the increasingly thick mist around his body, "Oh? You think that without showing yourself, the fire poison will definitely kill me?"

The Smoke Ghost responded disdainfully, "Haven't you already felt it?"

"Heh heh..."

The smile in Su Lun's eyes grew increasingly ferocious.

He indeed had already felt the damage from the fire poison.

Looking at his skin, the burning sensation was fiercely stabbing at his nerves, a severe pain unbearable for ordinary people.

This thick white smoke not only scorched the heart, lungs, and respiratory tract but also permeated through the pores. In just this short moment, Su Lun had already felt a fiery burning sensation on his skin. His skin was gradually drying out and heating up, slowly turning the yellow-brown of tree bark after a fire, then gradually becoming a layer of charred ashes.

Without the Smoke Ghost lifting a finger, if things dragged on, he would be burned alive.

Moreover, reinforcements from the Umbrella Organization were continuously arriving. He could not delay and had to force the Smoke Ghost to act!

He had some reservations, but now, seeming to have no choice, Su Lun pulled out a green syringe, glanced at it, and decisively jabbed it into his neck.

Amid the smoke, the "Smoke Ghost" witnessed the scene and let out a cold laugh, "Healing medicine? Heh... you think too little of my 'Ash Poison'."

With his head tilted, Su Lun pushed in the potion, and a cooling sensation immediately surged to his forehead.

The sneer on his face became even more unfathomable as he mocked with a dismissive tone, "Oh... really?"

Because he could see his own data panel, he had once thoroughly tested the healing data of various healing medicines.

He also knew very well that even the best potion he had at the moment couldn't negate this kind of ongoing, cumulative fire damage.

But the moment this potion went down, a miraculous scene occurred.

The skin on Su Lun's body that had just been scorched and dry began to slowly heal!

Moreover, as if the healing was overflowing, his entire being was pulsating with a mighty life force, completely nullifying the burn damage of the fire poison.

"Huh..."

Seeing this, a light exclamation came from within the smoke.

Clearly, the Smoke Ghost was also astonished and asked, "What potion is this?"

"Do you want to know?"

Su Lun felt that his current state was excellent and taunted with a grin, "Too bad, I won't tell you."

However, after the violent energy healed the injury, it didn't settle down. Like a dam bursting, at first, it moistened the soil with spring water, and soon after, it became a violent flash flood, rampaging through his meridians and muscles. It seemed to want to destroy everything, to rebuild chaos.

So this was the feeling of a "Pre-Mutation Precursor"?

Su Lun felt that sensation as if a balloon were about to burst, teetering on the edge of life and death.

But it was also within his expectations. Unperturbed, he injected another potion into his neck. The coolness poured into his brain, instantly suppressing that explosive feeling.

Good.

The potion Su Lun injected wasn't an ordinary one, but the [X Serum Original Liquid] and [Mutation Suppression Medicine]!

The serum would transform his body, causing the cell activity to surge several times within a very short period, greatly enhancing his own healing ability.

Although it wouldn't reach the level of that "Abomination Warrior" from before, it seemed to be enough to withstand the fire poison.

....

The serum had only a 75% success rate, but at this critical moment, there was no room for Su Lun to hesitate.

The Smoke Ghost was clearly buying time, and if the delay continued, even if Su Lun could kill him, he wouldn't be able to escape the city in the end.

Besides, he had another plan for choosing to inject the "X Serum."

He had already used the Black Scythe once, and the backlash would appear in an hour.

Although the wound wouldn't be significant, to be on the safe side, his best option was to find a skilled doctor to help save his life, like Danny on Green Street, for instance.

But!
Your next journey awaits at empire

Currently under siege and needing to leave the city, he had no chance to wait for treatment.

Moreover, to kill the Smoke Ghost, he would need at least another slash at best!

When the double backlash of the curse erupted, his situation would be dire.

So, he thought of this "fight poison with poison" approach.

The super recovery ability brought by the "X Serum" could help him preserve his life to the maximum extent upon the sudden appearance of a wound.

The serum could not only solve the immediate problem of the fire poison but also the hidden threat of the backlash.

A 75% success rate was already enough for him to make a decision.

And.

After injecting the potion, Su Lun also gained the confidence to take the offensive!