Mechanical Alchemist

Both of them walked in the darkness, going deeper into the ground.

Leina watched as the corridor plunged into the depths of the earth, not an exit, and her heart's trepidation grew stronger.

She felt as if she were stepping closer to an abyss with every move...

Finally, unable to bear the eerily indifferent atmosphere any longer, she asked cautiously, "Mr. Su Lun, where are we going now? Aren't we going back to the surface?"

Looking around timidly, she probably thought that if anything were to happen in this environment, no one would hear her even if she screamed her lungs out.

"..."

Hearing this, Su Lun turned his head to look at her. He pondered for a moment before he spoke, "You don't think you're safe now, do you?"

"Ah?"

Leina felt somewhat guilty under his gaze, as if she could see the word "foolish" etched on her forehead.

Su Lun thought for a moment, then explained, "The noise from the explosion can travel far, enough to attract assassins to check it out. The mutated monsters are just a means of murder, but the mastermind behind them... is a person. If they find out you're not dead, do you think they will come looking for you?

If we go out now, I can guarantee that there are assassins waiting outside for you to deliver yourself to their doorstep."

If rescuing someone was as simple as dealing with a few mutated monsters, he wouldn't have hesitated multiple times before deciding whether to take action.

That mastermind is what he truly feared.

....

"Ah? I... I..."

Upon hearing this, Leina's mind seemed to be instantly bombarded with conflicting information, leaving her speechless.

She had been too preoccupied with being chased by monsters to think carefully. Then for the first time, she changed clothes in a strange environment under the watch of a stranger, and her head was still buzzing with confusion.

As she listened to him, she quickly understood.

Now, she realized that the man in front of her was indeed as her aunt had said, possessing an almost inhuman calm under any circumstances. (The original words were about how he behaves at the gambling table or something along those lines, anyway, that's the gist of it. It's not important anymore.)

Thinking of this, Leina realized she had indeed asked a very stupid question.

Such a smart gentleman must have also guessed her foolish and naive thoughts from before.

Her face reddened, she timidly expressed her apologies for her wild guesses, "I'm sorry..."

"..."

Su Lun did not pay much attention to her, seemingly indifferent, and continued to move forward.

In an attempt to relieve the awkwardness, Leina thought for a moment and then took the initiative to ask, "Mr. Su Lun, aren't you curious about why the trial went wrong? And who the mastermind is?"

Su Lun frowned slightly, as if he found her somewhat bothersome.

Probably because the claustrophobic environment made this lady feel uneasy, making her want to talk for some comfort. But in their current situation, was it really the time for small talk?

Indeed, women only affect the speed of drawing a gun.

He replied indifferently, "Not curious."

"..."

Leina's expression turned awkward.

Su Lun observed that she still wanted to say something, so he thought it best to nip this meaningless chatter in the bud.

He considered for a moment, then said in one breath, "If I'm not mistaken, your father must be critically ill or retiring, and then as the first in line to inherit the consortium, you are supposed to take over. Unfortunately, you also have some uncles and male cousins with strong mercenary intentions and...

the mastermind behind this attempt on your life, is probably a direct relative who would most likely inherit the consortium if you died, right?"

At these words, the shock in Leina's crystal-clear eyes intensified, and she exclaimed in disbelief, "Ah... how... how do you know that?"

"..."

Su Lun's lips curled slightly, feeling unamused.

After all, due to the undeveloped entertainment industry and communication in this world, the lower classes couldn't get a taste of the high society.

But this kind of family power struggle has been played out in the novels of Su Lun's previous world, and in real life among the major conglomerates. All the stories about a gambling king stubbornly clinging to life, the power struggles among his wives; the son of a certain chaebol in Korea forcing his father to abdicate; the wealthy prince pursuing the bodyguard and lover who cuckolded him...

Reality is bloodier than fiction.

The wealthier they are, the crueler they are to their kin.

There are no new stories.

Su Lun felt he had talked enough and fell silent.

However, the upside of his lengthy explanation was that Leina indeed took the hint, twiddled her fingers and quietly followed behind him.

She felt that this man seemed to guess everything.

Cool and collected like a monster.

....

As they delved deeper, the stench in the sewer became increasingly intense.

While walking, Su Lun suddenly realized something and turned back to look at the pained expression on Rena's red-flushed face, a helpless wry smile appearing in his eyes.

He had been preoccupied with other thoughts and forgot that this girl was clad only in a thin shirt, not even owning a gas mask.

But it seemed that since Rena had been dealt several verbal blows earlier, she was too embarrassed to ask for anything.

Su Lun shook his head slightly and then took out clothing, a musket, a dagger, and some bullets from the storage ring.

"The technology for bulletproof vests in the outer city is primitive and heavy, wearing one would greatly impair your agility. It's your choice. Without a bulletproof vest, you have no room for mistakes and must remain highly vigilant throughout. The catacombs are very dangerous, and a moment's carelessness could be lethal. But if you do wear it, should danger arise, you won't be able to escape..."

Rena took the heavy bulletproof vest, which was dozens of times heavier than the academy's battle uniform. Just as she was about to put it on, she heard Su Lun's analysis, hesitated, and with a timid response said, "I... I better not wear it."

Su Lun put away the bulletproof vest, then pointed to the musket hanging at her waist and reminded her, "Try out the musket to get a feel for it, but don't fire. The firearms in the outer city are not as refined as those at your academy, so the recoil will be significant. Just be mentally prepared in case you need to use it.

The other one is a runic musket, given to me by Charlie before, and it should suit you. But the alchemical bullets are limited, so please don't fire at will unless it's necessary..."

"Oh."

Rena felt that even though she understood everything, in front of this man, it seemed as if she understood nothing at all.

It was like she was a puppet being manipulated; whatever Su Lun said to do, all she could respond with was "okay," with no space for refusal.

Before this man even opened his mouth, he had considered everything.

The clothes belonged to men's garments from Su Lun, and they were very large on Rena. In the end, she still wore only that thin shirt, not even trousers, leaving her thighs exposed. Fortunately, the darkness camouflaged the embarrassment on her delicate face, and since Su Lun did not spare an extra look, she didn't feel too awkward.

Her shoes also didn't fit, so she went barefoot. However, as a Catwoman, she had naturally enhanced toughness in the muscles of her feet, so walking barefoot wasn't a problem. It was just that stepping in the damp sewer felt disgusting.

After distributing the equipment, Su Lun spoke again, declaring, "All right, from now on, maintain a sufficiently safe distance from me. Don't talk to me, don't make any unnecessary noise... Stay absolutely quiet."

"Ah?"

Upon hearing this, Rena looked perplexed.

Su Lun did not conceal his intentions and explained directly, "From now on, you are the bait. Based on the strength of the enemies that might appear, I will decide if I can save you once again. Don't look at me with that kind of expression. If you're with me, the enemy will just opt to take us both out in one go. I'm just an ordinary thug from a gang; only if I survive, you can survive..."

Su Lun had another unspoken thought: if the enemy proved invincible, he would not hesitate to abandon the "bait."

He paused, then added, "Of course, the ideal scenario would be that those enemies think you got killed by a mutated monster and don't come after us."

"..."

Rena listened, flabbergasted, her pretty face filled with a mix of awe and incomprehension.

Right, she thought, there were Assassins.

When she thought about it, his words seemed... to make sense?

But as sensible as they might be, something felt off to her about what he was saying.

Didn't gentlemen of high society, even in the face of Death, prioritize the lives of their female companions first?

Why would Mr. Su Lun send me to be the bait?

Although she had never experienced such a sudden event, Rena still felt as though the plot shouldn't unfold this way.

She wanted to ask, but didn't know what to say, as he had seemingly covered all bases with his reasoning.

Su Lun sensed the gaze of aggrieved stealth from behind but showed no intention of looking back. He quickened his pace, increasing the distance between them and said as he walked, "I'm just an ordinary guide... saving you was also in consideration of Sister Qian Tiao being your aunt."

Not claiming too much credit for himself would attract less trouble.

And by doing a favor for the grand boss Qian Tiao, it would be easier to communicate later.

Moreover, Su Lun's actions weren't about feigning indifference; they were the most logical choice.

Because he understood human nature all too well.

In the face of such a proud noble lady, being kind to her would be taken for granted, as she is accustomed to such treatment in her everyday life; however, when she realizes that your kindness comes with a price, then she will truly start to value it.

Bait is more valuable than dead weight.

To be a good bait, one must have the resolve of being bait.

In short, a fawning fool gains nothing while equivalent exchange is the eternal truth.

If you want to be saved, you must pay the price.

Though his words were harsh, this was also the method that Su Lun believed had the greatest potential to preserve Rena's life.

He was acutely aware that the Assassins daring to target this young lady were no simple foes.

PS. Sorry for the late update. Please vote~