Mechanical Alchemist

Previously, Dr. Banks had left biomarkers on those warships left behind by the mages of the Divine Plane, so the Dawn Group has always had a rough understanding of the fleet's coordinates.

Now, sailing to the periphery of the Old Dragon Kingdom Ruins, they have discovered that those ships are within a few days' journey nearby.

Although it is unclear how those individuals managed to reach such remote waters, the markers have not moved for a long time. It's likely they encountered some special circumstances, or perhaps the enemy realized something and intentionally stopped to use as bait...

Regardless, Su Lun felt that he needed to confirm the situation first.

It wouldn't be long until he was nearby anyway; his initial plan was to get closer before going over to gather some intelligence.

Unexpectedly, at this time, Pandora, who had been stealing the Power of Faith in the Silver Dragon Kingdom, sent a message, saying that she had found a very important clue.

...

One day, on an unnamed deserted island not marked on any nautical chart.

The Eternal Night continued sailing the seas, while Su Lun alone, following the spatial coordinates left by Pandora, teleported to the island.

The island bore plenty of traces of human activity.

According to Pandora, the night before, a fleet of over one hundred thousand had moored here to rest for the night.

It was a funeral fleet from the Silver Dragon Kingdom.

Su Lun also found it incredible.

Because this deserted island was already near the Old Dragon Kingdom Ruins, according to the nautical chart, it was even closer to the core of the ruins than the Dawn Group.

But how was that possible?

On their journey here, Su Lun knew all too well the numerous dangerous creatures the Dawn Group had encountered to reach this place.

An ordinary fleet would simply not have the capacity to withstand such risks.

Yet, mysteriously, not only did the funeral fleet arrive here.

They also sailed smoothly all the way, encountering no mishaps whatsoever to reach these depths?

Su Lun naturally didn't believe it.

But Pandora was now on that fleet, having witnessed the entire voyage herself.

From her observations, various indications suggested that there seemed to be a secretive force protecting these people, and it was highly likely connected to the individuals from the Divine Plane.

That's why Su Lun came personally.

To avoid being detected, Su Lun didn't teleport directly onto the ship.

After carefully examining the traces on the deserted island, he teleported again, heading towards the next set of spatial coordinates left by Pandora.

After a few teleports, he already saw the fleet of over a hundred ships on the sea's surface.

Su Lun looked at those single-masted sailboats known as "Great Oar Warships" in the Dragon Country Waters and frowned.

These boats had a shallow draft, primarily powered by sails and rowing, utterly unsuitable for long voyages. A little bit of strong wind and waves could flip them over.

Yet, it was this kind of ship that had sailed deep into the Dragon Country Ruins without sinking, which was nothing short of miraculous.

Su Lun, fearing the presence of perception masters on the ship, dared not get too close to spy and asked Pandora about the situation on the ship. She said that she could teleport, and so he directly teleported over.

The scenery around him changed instantly, from the sea surface to a cramped and dim cabin.

Su Lun knew the space on the ship was limited, but it was only the moment before his teleportation that he realized just how small it was.

He had teleported here using the spatial coordinates on Pandora's necklace, and upon arrival, the two of them were squeezed tightly together.

This corner that seemed like a storeroom was surrounded by cargo.

The space, originally barely large enough for one-and-a-half individuals, now left them no choice but to press close together.

Warm and full arms, a touch smooth and fine.

Then, he saw a figure wearing a cloak just one foot away.

Su Lun looked up to see the stunning face of Pandora.

She raised an eyebrow and explained, "Don't look at me like that. It's not bad that there's such an independent space on this ship."

Listening to her words, Su Lun extended his senses and found it to be true.

This single-masted sailboat, originally designed for three to five hundred people, was now crammed with over a thousand.

Like those slave ships that Ruying used to run, the cabins were jam-packed with people like cargo.

As Pandora said, having such a place to stand and a small window for ventilation was already the best "single room" on the ship.

Not just this one, but all the ships within his sensing range were the same.

However, more puzzling to Su Lun than the crowding was why there were so many people?

Moreover, many of the souls felt through his perception on the ship were not powerful, likely ordinary people. It seemed odd anywhere you looked that the royal family of the Silver Dragon Kingdom would bring so many commoners for a funeral.

Seeing his thoughts, Pandora spoke, "These people only know that they have come to conduct a funeral service for the king. But I think it's not that simple..."

Su Lun listened thoughtfully.

The one being memorialized was, of course, Gracie the Eighth, the former king of the Silver Dragon.

Initially, during the battle between the two gorgons outside the outskirts of the royal capital Aike, the members of the royal family who managed to escape were turned to stone.

Later, a prince ascended the throne as the new king without considering lifting the curse on the former king; they directly arranged for people to conduct a funeral, stating that a sea burial in the Old Dragon Kingdom was the greatest respect for the old king.

But, does conducting a funeral require a hundred thousand people?

To travel deep into such dangerous waters at that?

Also, what was the mysterious force that ensured their safe arrival?

Doubts surfaced one after another, and Su Lun felt it all felt too familiar a set-up.

At that moment, Pandora roughly explained the situation and gave her conclusion, "I suspect these people have been brought here to be 'sacrificed'."

```

"Sacrifice?"

Su Lun listened and fell into deep thought.

He had also considered this point, which is why it seemed so familiar.

Once, during Dawn Group's adventures in the four nations of the Northern Continent, they had encountered the same pattern.

Back in the Roman Nation, at the Temple of Aghaparnon, the priests had used a treasure as bait to attract hundreds of thousands of adventurers to set out on a sea journey, only to discover in the end that it was a sacrifice to the fake Sea King god of the sea ruins, in exchange for favorable weather and good harvests.

And looking at this funeral procession, it seemed to be cut from the same cloth.

Some evil fake gods needed sacrifices to gain power, while humans could reach some sort of agreement with these evil gods through sacrifice.

With that in mind, the conspiracy behind the funeral became gradually clearer.

...

Su Lun was lost in thought.

Neither of them spoke.

Tucked in a cramped corner, they could even hear each other's breath clearly.

They maintained this position for a while, and Pandora seemed to feel a bit uncomfortable, so she shifted her body slightly.

With this movement, they ended up even closer to each other, and even through a layer of thin clothing, the graceful figure was distinctly felt.

Su Lun was distinctly aware of a large soft warmth pressing against him, which brought him back to his senses and he looked over at her.

But there was not a trace of discomfort on Pandora's face.

Her beautiful eyes shone brilliantly as she continued, "When I was collecting faith before, I discovered that the current King of the Silver Dragon Country is closely related to the white-robed wizard Garcia you mentioned and is likely a follower of one of the deities of the Divine Plane. This funeral sacrifice is probably orchestrated by those mages from the Divine Plane..."

At this point, she paused for a moment and added, "These days I have also found that the faith in the Silver Dragon Country is very complex, with many fake gods emerging. Among those that have gained a foothold is a faction called 'the Sect of the Grey Mist.' They worship a fake god called 'Lord of the Grey Mist,' who can bless the fishermen's harvests and safety at sea. And I found followers of the Grey Mist Sect on the ship, whose prayers, during their worship, directed a current of the Power of Faith toward the deep sea in the direction we are heading..."

"I see..."

Having heard this, Su Lun had almost completely understood the whole story of the matter.

Now that the long-distance teleportation formation on Rainbow Island was gone, those folks from the Divine Plane were left without reinforcements. Even if they have several Mage legions numbering in the tens of thousands, the likelihood of them finding the "Mimir's Spring" deep in the Dragon Country Waters alive was incredibly slim.

Therefore, they inevitably needed some external force.

Just like how they previously cooperated with the Gorgon chieftain, it was probably the external help they leveraged.

But since "Medusa" Helen killed that Gorgon, they now had to find another ally.

A fake god who could control the ocean couldn't be more suitable.

It just so happened that the current royal family of the Silver Dragon Country were followers of the Divine Plane, which made it easy to mobilize the public for sacrifices.

Thus, in the name of the funeral of the previous King, they had these over a hundred thousand people come for sacrifice.

And then they reached an agreement with the fake god in exchange for a smooth arrival at the deep sea?

After pondering, Su Lun drew the above conclusion.

Although all this was just Pandora's speculation, when combined with the current situation, it was practically factual.

Seeing that he had also figured it out, Pandora then said, "There are also a group of mysterious people on the main ship, which I suspect to be the wizards from the Divine Plane. Not to startle them prematurely, I didn't attempt any probing."

Her reason for joining was naturally her interest in the "Lord of the Grey Mist's" Divine Power of Faith.

She didn't shy away from her motives and said directly, "Thus, I plan to act during the sacrifice, stealing the fake god's faith. But after coming here, I realized that these waters connect to the hellish plane and the ancient Divine Power is dense here, which is extremely beneficial for me. It's beneficial for other entities as well. That fake god has formed a false godhood here, which might possess some special abilities. So, I might need your help."

"Sure."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun nodded without hesitation.

Pandora was now a core force of Dawn Group, and when she asked for help, naturally, he would not refuse.

Moreover, Pandora was currently very strong; if she could become even stronger, Dawn Group would gain more confidence in the upcoming full-scale war.

...

Su Lun mentally connected all the dots and felt Pandora's plan was a good one.

If they could eliminate that fake god, they would also directly disrupt the treasure hunt planned by those from the Divine Plane.

Considering this, he asked, "When do you think the sacrifice will take place?"

Pandora responded, "It should be soon. I can sense that the Divine Power of the fake god in the nearby waters is getting stronger with each passing day. In three more days at most, we should reach the target waters."

Su Lun nodded at her words, "Sure."

Waiting for two or three days was manageable. By not revealing themselves now, they could catch the fake god by surprise when the time came.

The two discussed some more details and roughly settled on a plan.

However, looking at their cramped surroundings, Su Lun wondered how they could possibly stay like this for two days?

Their corner was actually one of the better spots. In the outside cabin, with a ceiling height of over two meters, there were three tiers, and everyone was curled up on the floor, packed together tightly like sardines in a barrel, unable even to stand upright.

Pandora noticed his slightly odd expression, and without the slightest care, her exquisite face revealed a mischievous smile as she teased, "Oh, you seem a bit uncomfortable?"

"..."

Su Lun rolled his eyes at her words.

He knew Pandora's remark was not any flirtation of a romantic nature, but purely looking for some amusement.

Probably because she was used to being the lofty Moon Reading God in front of others, having someone to talk to normally meant she didn't need to maintain the dignity of a deity.

It occurred to Su Lun that she had only Mr. Jing and himself as people she could communicate with normally.

Being a deity seemed rather dull, he thought.

Perhaps there was also a bit of vengefulness from when Pandora was initially captured by Su Lun?

Regardless, Su Lun was not going to take it seriously.

```

But under the current circumstances, with two people squeezed into this narrow space, there's inevitably a great deal of bodily contact.

Yet oddly enough, Pandora needs to stay here to sense the situation with the Evil God, and Su Lun can't just take her into the little void world.

And he himself must remain on the ship, ready to respond to any emergency that might arise.

It seems the two can only maintain this arrangement.

Pandora probably feels that after two academic studies of alchemically created bodies, there's hardly any privacy left regarding her body where Su Lun is concerned, so she's always been very generous with her attitude, which was essentially: look if you want to look, touch if you please.

Even occasionally, she would amuse herself by flirting deliberately, passing the time during this dull voyage.

Su Lun originally didn't mind, but he couldn't resist the teasing and the Bewitching Technique. (Since the deity of the moon also governs sexual desires, this is also one of her secret techniques of divine practice.)

In the end, he was overwhelmed and defeated.

So Su Lun had to cut open some of the cargo with silken thread, just enough to expand the space for the two to sit and stand.

And so time passed, and it was two days later.

...

Su Lun was used to the Eternal Night, a super large-scale sailing warship, so suddenly being on this single-mast small boat, he felt somewhat unaccustomed.

On the Eternal Night, even if there were waves, the cabin was relatively stable. But on a small boat, even a slight wave felt like a world turned upside down.

However, paradoxically, it was this shallow-drafting boat—that looked like it should have sunk a hundred times over in these waters—that had managed to travel all the way without incident.

No severe storms were encountered, and even the larger sea creatures could be avoided.

Su Lun was gradually realizing that Pandora was right: the "Lord of the Grey Mist" indeed had some tricks up his sleeve. At the very least, to keep those high-level sea beasts and mutant creatures away, there must be a corresponding formidable ability.

It was going to be very tricky.

On the evening of the third day, the sunlight outside the window dimmed.

Su Lun and Pandora were hiding in a corner of the cabin in meditation.

Outside the window, the fog had grown dense, and the fleet had come to a halt.

Su Lun opened his eyes and glanced at the black mist outside the window.

This was already the edge of the central zone of the Old Dragon Kingdom Ruins. He calculated the distance, the volcanic connection to the hell plane in the legend was just a little over half a month's sail to the east.

The air was thick with hellish energies, and the people on the ship were showing signs of slight mutation. Wait a few more days, and most of them would likely turn into monsters.

Su Lun frowned slightly, as if he had thought of something.

The closer he got to this area, the more he felt something was off.

But he couldn't pinpoint the source of this unease.

Looking at Mr. Crow, who was dozing off on his shoulder. Since receiving that fragment of the undead plane a few days ago, Mr. Crow had been eating well every day, his feathers becoming especially lustrous and vibrant, suggesting that it was about to advance.

It was very quiet, giving Su Lun some confidence.

At that moment, outside, there suddenly came the sound of water rushing, as if someone had dumped a large amount of something into the sea.

Furthermore, the fleet was not resting as usual like the past two days but gradually gathering together.

Su Lun thought to himself, "Is the sacrifice about to begin?"

Pandora also opened her eyes next to him, sensing something, she said, "The Power of Faith outside is converging; that creature should be appearing soon..."

As she spoke, her face was very serious, appearing as if she was gradually entering the state of moon reading.

Listening to her, Su Lun's expression also became stern, anticipating a fierce battle soon.

He notified the Eternal Night of the potential need for support, ready to head there at any moment to call for reinforcements.

And he had a feeling that this sacrifice somehow had a connection with the Dawn Brigade.

...

At this time, calls were heard from the deck.

"Get some people to move the burial goods onto the deck!"

"Hurry up! Everyone get moving!"

"..."

At that shout, the people on the boat where Su Lun and Pandora were hiding were busy moving the cargo up before dumping it into the sea.

Many still thought these were burial goods for the royal family, not realizing they were sacrificial offerings.

As the boxes of goods were carried away, these people seemed completely oblivious to the presence of Su Lun and Pandora in the corner, each busy with their tasks.

Su Lun and Pandora were both waiting for the right moment.

However, as they waited, Su Lun let out a soft exclamation, "Huh... are those siblings on the boat too?"

With the hundred-odd ships in the fleet now gathered together, in his perception, he had detected two familiar soul fluctuations on another ship.

It was none other than Bennett and his sister Isabel from the Miraculous Legion.

Su Lun had a good impression of these two siblings, and to some extent, he felt a certain bond with them.

Not just him, but also the people of the Miraculous Legion were almost all in the fleet.

"They were also made into a sacrifice?"

Su Lun pondered for a moment and then understood.

The Miraculous Legion was loyal to the former King and firmly against the faith of the heavenly planes.

With the new King ascended, it was only natural for them to be sent here for burial as sacrificial offerings.

Because he had some affection for them, Su Lun decided to notify them.

Moreover, the people from the Miraculous Legion were strong fighters; the few hundred of them together could be a significant force.

With that thought in mind, he turned to Pandora beside him and said, "I'll be back in a moment."

Pandora nodded, not uttering another word.

At this moment, her presence was ethereal and elusive, divine power subtly overflowing from her, and her eyes shone like two crimson moons, looking incredibly eerie.

She had already transformed into the "Great Deity of Moon Reading."

...

Su Lun sensed a direction and, with a teleport, he appeared in the cabin of another ship.

This was the flagship, much larger than the one he had previously been on, with many private cabins supplied for the higher-ranking Knights.

When Su Lun teleported in, Bennett was on deck, gesturing for people to dump the burial goods into the sea.

Only his sister, Isabel, was in the cabin, her face clouded with worry, as if pondering something.

It wasn't until the room suddenly had an extra person that she abruptly turned around, drawing the dagger at her waist, and her figure disappeared on the spot.

Su Lun felt the blade against his neck and easily blocked it with two fingers, meanwhile saying, "It's me. Su Lun."

Knowing Isabel was a skilled assassin, he had not planned to cause any commotion, and so he directly restrained her completely.

Upon hearing his voice and taking another look, Isabel exclaimed in astonishment, "Mr. Su Lun?"

She had never expected to encounter that formidable overseas expert whom she had met once before.

Seeing her tense muscles relax, Su Lun let her go.

Isabel asked again, "Sir, how come you are here?"

Su Lun glanced at her and countered, "What are you all doing here?"

Upon hearing this, a trace of sorrow flitted across Isabel's brows, and she honestly replied, "We are here for His Majesty the King's sea burial."

Su Lun's acute awareness caught the change in her expression; clearly, she too realized that matters were not so simple, and he inquired further, "Do you know who's on the other main ship of this fleet?"

Isabel didn't know why he was asking but answered truthfully anyway, "I don't know. They say it's the Mage for the burial."

From her reply, Su Lun confirmed that Bennett and the others were completely unaware as well.

Time was of the essence, and he bluntly stated, "You and the others on the ship might have been made sacrifices for a sea ritual. The person on the other main ship might not be a Mage but someone from the divine plane."

At these words, Isabel's face drastically changed. Her eyes shifted in shock, murmuring to herself, "That explains why the royal household would send so many people..."

Su Lun had no intention of elaborating and directly said, "Call your brother here, I have something to tell him. Be careful not to let anyone notice."

"Yes!"

After pondering seriously for a moment upon hearing these words, Isabel nodded.

Although she did not feel well-acquainted with the man before her, her brother had always said that he was trustworthy.

For such a significant matter, she didn't hesitate and ran up to the deck.

Soon after, Bennett walked into the cabin with a puzzled look on his face.

Seeing that it was Su Lun, he was equally taken aback.

But when Su Lun explained the ins and outs of the situation, Bennett too was massively shocked.

He had already speculated many suspicious points about this burial journey, and now with Su Lun's explanation, how could he not understand?

Indeed, he was loyal to the Gracie royal family, but not to the current King!

Now that he, his family, and the brothers of the Miracle Legion were being used as sacrifices, how could he remain silent?

But at that moment, the sacrifices had already been cast into the sea.

Suddenly, the ship began to shake violently.

Outside the window, the mist had turned as black as ink, and an indescribable evil will had quietly arrived.

Watching unflinchingly, Su Lun whispered, "The Evil God has come!"

The Bennett siblings' expressions changed at the same time, and they tightened their grip on their weapons.

...

It was during this descent of the false deity amidst the fog that Pandora's voice came through the communicator: "We can act now!"

Hearing this, Su Lun's sorcerer's seals instantly flickered, and he disappeared from the cabin.

He didn't go directly to trouble the outer god but instead teleported onto another main ship.

He had already pinpointed the location of those Mages, and upon teleporting into the cabin, he saw two seventh-tier Mages leading a small magic squad, chanting incantations in front of a massive magical Formation.

As soon as Su Lun expanded his domain, he unceremoniously struck, decapitating the group before they could even react.

With his current strength, killing a small squad of Mages was as easy as flipping his hand!

However, his goal was not these few Mages; disrupting the ritual was just the beginning.

Their plan was for Su Lun to act first, and then when the pseudo deity exposed its methods, Pandora would launch a sneak attack to steal the divine power of faith!

As expected, the moment Su Lun disrupted the ritual Formation, the will within the black fog suddenly displayed rage and aggression, charging towards the ship where Su Lun was.

At the same time, a distant and terrifying voice echoed: "Foolish humans, you dare to desecrate the greatness of a deity!"

This voice resonated in the mind, accompanied by an almost worshipful faith-based pressure.

"Hmph!"

Su Lun snorted coldly, his expression stern.

Behind him, the shadow of the Reaper rose, instantly dispelling the daunting negative state.

A mere false god, and it truly thought it was a deity?

With Su Lun's current strength, he certainly didn't fear any false gods!