Mechanical Alchemist

This table was set up by the high rollers themselves.

The stakes, the rules, and the croupier were all decided by the gamblers. The gambling house didn't interfere in any matter, only taking a commission.

Su Lun looked at the stacks of cash on the table that resembled bricks, probably amounting to over ten million.

There were a total of six gamblers, besides Su Lun himself and one other, the other four were all together.

Looking at their practiced techniques, some cheated while others covered or stirred up trouble, it was obviously not their first time doing this.

They probably thought of the other as an addicted gambler, an easy mark.

The big sister figure could afford to lose money, but she couldn't afford to be made a fool of.

Su Lun pressed his handgun against the croupier's forehead and watched her with interest, and said, "I'll count to three, show your sleeves, or I'll blow your head off."

Su Lun wasn't just making an empty threat.

He was truly daring enough to shoot and kill.

"One!"

"Two!"

"..."

The croupier, intimidated by his fierce killing aura, turned pale, her forehead already breaking out in cold sweat. Under such pressure, she inadvertently looked towards the mastermind behind her for help.

Seeing things falling apart, Cyclops, beside her, suddenly flipped the table while shouting, "You motherfucker, looking for trouble because you lost money, huh?"

Clearly, he was playing dumb.

With the table flipped, cards and bills flew everywhere.

Now, catching the cheat was impossible.

Taking advantage of the commotion from flipping the table, the croupier also disposed of the cards. Discarding the "evidence," she felt relieved and suddenly became defiant, looking at Su Lun triumphantly and flashing a mocking smile as if to say, What can you do to me now?

Pirates don't reason much; whoever has the bigger fist is the law.

This Cyclops was not someone to mess with.

Seeing the boss flip the table, the group of pirates around Cyclops drew their weapons, ready to fight. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire

"Boss, this woman is clearly picking a fight, let's get her!"

"Yeah, if she can't handle losing, she shouldn't disgrace herself at the gambling table! Fucking bitch!"

"Hahaha..."

Not only did the group flip the table, but they also cursed.

In pirate speak, there's no such thing as verbal decency; they swear whatever ugly words come to mind.

....

Su Lun watched, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. Although he wasn't intimidated by these people, he hesitated on whether it was worth starting a fight.

Killing these people wouldn't be difficult.

But after all, this place was a pirate's den. Causing a big disturbance might be difficult to settle afterward.

He, being alone, wasn't much troubled about it.

But now that one other was a pirate captain, if things became uncontrollable, it might be difficult for her in the future.

However, just as Su Lun had this hesitant thought, a gunshot suddenly exploded beside his ear.

"Bang."

The croupier, who was flaunting just moments ago, had her head blown open like a smashed watermelon, with crimson tissue splattering everywhere before everyone's eyes.

The entire room was stunned on the spot.

Su Lun glanced sideways and saw it was the stoic one other who had fired the shot.

Her fiery temper leading to violence wasn't surprising.

What intrigued Su Lun was that one other, who never used guns, seemed rather proficient?

However, watching her fire the gun, Su Lun's eyes narrowed slightly, and a dangerous gleam appeared, his heart also stirring with anticipation: Tsk tsk... this is getting exciting.

In that instant of the gunshot, the young girl beside one other suddenly drew her sword.

"Clang."

The sharp longsword was unsheathed, and a cold gleam flashed across the gambling hall.

With the sword in hand, the girl, who just had a soft and tender face, suddenly became stern and fearless.

"Huh... is she an apprentice you've taken in?"

Su Lun looked at the girl whose demeanor had drastically changed, realizing why she was accompanying one other and holding her sword.

Just by watching the situation, Su Lun knew she was a promising swordsman.

Standing there, she herself seemed like an unsheathed sword, exuding sharpness.

....

The moment one other fired the gun, it was as if a signal had been sent.

Suddenly, intense footsteps clattered from the stairwell entrance.

Groups of sumo wrestlers with flamboyant tattoos charged down.

Su Lun found them very familiar. Weren't these the capable leaders brought out by the Cross Society?

Afterward, about twenty to thirty fearsome people followed, each with furrowed brows and imposing demeanors. Among them were three seemingly naive yet unusually burly ice giants.

"Captain!"

"Captain!"

"..."

The crowd reached the gambling hall and positioned themselves behind Thousand Blades Rakshasa.

In an instant, her isolated situation was bolstered.

What was once a one-against-many scenario suddenly showed signs of a group beating.

Although these newcomers were not of very high rank, mostly second or third tier, their presence was intimidating. The severity in their expressions resembled that of gladiators indifferent to life or death.

Su Lun had seen too many of such people at the gambling stalls of the Cross Society, and he was familiar with this temperament.

Seeing this, a glint of curiosity passed through his eyes; it appeared that Thousand Blades Rakshasa's pirate gang had reached such a scale.

Upon seeing these people, Su Lun felt his involvement was no longer needed, so he holstered his gun and stepped aside to enjoy the show.

Though, from the beginning, this group had never troubled Thousand Blades Rakshasa anyway.

....

Suddenly, someone died. If this had been any other gambling stall, the gamblers would probably have scattered in fright by now.

But this place was a nest of pirates.

Those coarse old men with yellow teeth and beauties tattooed with anchors on their arms were not frightened by the gunfire; instead, they gathered around to join in the excitement.

As they watched Cyclops's group being overwhelmed by Thousand Blades Rakshasa and her crew, some began to jeer.

"Hahaha... 'Cyclops,' you're scared by a woman? Don't be a wimp, fuck it up!"

"Shush, don't fucking stir things up. Haven't you heard of that one's reputation?"

"'Cyclops' Soke? I know him..."

"I'm talking about the other one!"

"You mean that woman is someone significant?"

"You haven't heard of 'Thousand Blades Rakshasa'? I didn't recognize her at first, but now that I see the Giant Three Brothers..."

"Hiss... The female sword fighter from the new Dawn Pirate Gang? The one who supposedly overturned a whole ship of the great slaver Yujins by herself, killing everyone brutally?"

"Yep!"

"..."

The crowd engaged in hushed whispers, revealing the background of both parties.

Now, even those who didn't recognize Thousand Blades Rakshasa immediately knew her.

Then a collective gasp was heard.

Su Lun stood among the crowd listening to the fragmented conversations, and he realized that in a short time at sea, Sister Thousand Blades' notoriety had become quite prominent.

A female sword fighter?

Tsk tsk...

Hearing the gossipy crowd's explanations, Su Lun also learned that the other party was from the "Iron Crocodile Pirate Gang."

Their captain, 'Cyclops' Soke, was a fourth-tier with a bounty of over ten million.

He wasn't very famous though, Su Lun had only vaguely heard the name before.

....

Cyclops glimpsed the group behind Thousand Blades Rakshasa, now realizing they were not so easy to bully. After hearing the whispered hints, he understood he had messed with a fierce woman.

But now in a difficult position, he could only stubbornly say, "Hey, what do you mean by this?"

Thousand Blades Rakshasa coldly replied, "Did you really think I'm foolish? Can't you see that you're cheating?"

Cyclops, looking at the croupier whose head had exploded on the floor, scoffed coldly, "You're fucking accusing me out of nowhere? What evidence do you have that I'm cheating? You've killed the croupier, I could say you're just picking a fight!"

Thousand Blades Rakshasa gave him no room for excuses or thoughts of reasoning.

She cut to the chase, "You have two choices, follow the rules of the underworld and compensate, or deal with my sword!"

"You're threatening me?"

Cyclops's eyelids twitched violently, and his gaze grew icier.

Although he hadn't met them before, he had heard of several new notorious players from the North Sea, including one who played with crows, one who tinkered with machines, and this 'Thousand Blades Rakshasa.' None were pushovers.

The sword in her hand wasn't just for show; she was truly a killer.

Cheating was cheating, but no evidence was found. After all, Cyclops was a somewhat famous pirate captain. If he were to back down now, he couldn't continue mixing it up at sea. His temper flared, and he suddenly burst out, "Fuck it!"

With that command, the entire gambling hall instantly erupted into chaos.

Muskets fired wildly, swords flashed erratically.

This was just daily life for pirates, if you don't comply, you fight.

Infighting among pirate crews for dominance and ruthlessness was all too common.

Robbery and brawls were normal, all lived by the edge of the blade with no laws to abide by, relying solely on strength to make their point.

Might makes right.

This was also the only rule of survival for a pirate.

Just like King Oleg of the North Sea, invincible and thus crowned; those who couldn't defeat him simply took a detour around him.

Bang, bang, bang...

Thud, thud, thud...

Pirates fighting had no particular method, just chaotic melees.

Su Lun too was in a corner, occasionally firing a sneaky shot.

However, after seeing the methods of that Cyclops, he finally realized why that person wanted to meet in this tavern.

It turned out it wasn't just her gambling addiction flaring up, but also because of this fellow.

"A Rune Magician? So I've encountered one already..."

Su Lun watched as the Cyclops bit his own finger and then drew a mysterious pattern on his face, suddenly bright golden mysterious runes lit up all over his exposed skin.

Together with his crocodile skin armor, this fellow became impervious to blades and guns.

Bullets sparked off him without leaving a mark.

He could even catch the long sword slashes of Thousand Blades Rakshasa with his bare hands!

It wasn't just the defensive "Earth Rune"; the color of the runes on his skin changed, and there were variations of "Fire Rune" and "Wind Rune"...

The biggest characteristic of the Rune Magician lineage was to treat the body as a cursed object under preparation, engraving runes into skin, bones, and flesh, achieving the effect of a "human curse object".

....

Two pirate Captains, their combat equally matched.

The crews too, fought life and death battles.

Endlessly intense.

But Su Lun, the "third party," seemed rather inactive, just hiding among the crowd firing occasional shots, avoiding getting too involved. This also led to scornful looks from the spectators.

However, what others didn't know, Su Lun knew very well.

Thousand Blades Rakshasa was strong enough not to need his concern.

She hadn't even used her second stage Rakshasa powers, so she clearly wasn't fighting seriously.

The fight was so fierce because Su Lun knew, she probably wanted him to clearly understand the opponent's rune abilities.

After watching for a while, Su Lun confirmed, this was what he was looking for.

"It's indeed a lineage of the Rune Magician. However, the level seems a bit lacking..."

Su Lun murmured in his mind.

He was searching for the lineage that could craft the "Imitated Original Runes," a high-level skill. But from this guy's understanding of runes showcased, he was still far off.

However, he did have a lead now.

Since this guy was from the Rune Magician lineage, from him, he should be able to find out where this lineage originated.

As Su Lun pondered, he occasionally fired a few shots.

....

As the two pirate crews were fighting fervently, in another tavern not far from the Sailor's Tavern, a group of brawny men who still exposed their chests despite the cold weather were drinking.

They were Vikings.

The leader, named "Whaler Chris," a captain of the third team in the seventh fleet under King Oleg of the North Sea, was a Great Pirate with a bounty over a hundred million.

Stormwind City had already been breached by the pirates, and the spoils divided, naturally King Oleg's men took the lion's share. They had also dispatched such a team captain to oversee this location.

"Boss Chris, there's trouble brewing over at Sailor's Tavern. 'Iron Crocodile Crew' and 'Dawn Crew' have started fighting."

"Never heard of them... a new crew that recently went to sea?"

"The captain of the 'Iron Crocodile Crew' is the son of Rune Old Man, Sok."

"Ah, that guy, he seems a bit familiar... What happened?"

"Apparently, Sok was caught cheating at cards. The other party is that notorious newcomer 'Thousand Blades Rakshasa.'"

"Heh, let them fight if it's just over a game of cards. Just remember to have the losers reimburse the damages."

"..."

....

As it turned out, Thousand Blades Rakshasa's side was indeed much more formidable.

Su Lun guessed correctly; her crew, including those three giants, were indeed gladiatorial slaves rescued during a previous raid on a slave ship.

Gladiators in Emperor Luying's Empire were slaves, and even if they escaped, without a household registry, they couldn't settle anywhere in any Luying territory. Even if they hid and kept a low profile, returning to a normal life was difficult, and they were always at risk of being captured again.

So, most of them followed Thousand Blades Rakshasa and became pirates.

Their combat prowess was naturally exceptional.

But what surprised Su Lun even more was that little girl.

Previously appearing genteel, she chopped people up like a "Little Thousand Blades."

A ten-year-old girl had managed to kill several in a group of grown men, her clothes splattered with fresh blood.

The outcome was also very satisfactory.

Thousand Blades Rakshasa had been hiding her true strength to control the scene, and with Su Lun sniping from the side, that "Iron Crocodile Pirate Group" was defeated step by step.

In the end, the Cyclops was nearly chopped to death in the chaos before he finally surrendered and agreed to compensate.

....

Before long, Thousand Blades Rakshasa and her group walked out of the now-ruined sailor's bar, heads held high.

In the pirate world, winning a fight means you are right.

Thousand Blades Rakshasa spotted Su Lun waiting in a nearby alley, exchanged glances, and smiled faintly.

Turning to her crew members, she boisterously exclaimed, "Lolota, distribute the compensation money to the brothers. Everyone, have a great time and drink up. Keep an eye on the communicator, we sail in five days!"

The crowd cheered joyfully, "Alright! Captain is mighty!"

The little girl with the ponytail, holding the handles of several knives, returned to her genteel demeanor, resembling the captain's personal steward. She took out the compensation money they had received and handed it to everyone.

The crew members dispersed amid high spirits, heading off to spend their money on drinks.

Thousand Blades Rakshasa led the small aide along the snow-covered streets.

Along the way, the ponytailed girl counted on her fingers the remaining money, meticulously calculating. After careful accounting, she found a significant shortfall. She then cast a somber gaze at her captain and said, "Master, shouldn't we save some reserve money? Our ship needs maintenance, the sails need replacing, there are many places requiring money..."

Thousand Blades Rakshasa dismissed the concern, "We are pirates, you know~ money will come!"

"But..."

The ponytailed girl wanted to say more, but the sword she carried slipped and fell, forcing her to quickly pick it up, looking somewhat flustered.

At that moment, they happen to pass by the mouth of an alley.

Leaning against the wall, Su Lun greeted with a smile, "Long time no see, Sister Thousand Blades."

Seeing a familiar face brought joy to both of their faces.

Thousand Blades Rakshasa casually hooked her arm around Su Lun's shoulders, "Come on, let's go somewhere else to catch up."

Su Lun, his arm sinking into a soft embrace, couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time.

The ponytailed girl behind them watched their intimately casual demeanor, her expression blank.

Only then did she realize that the helpful gunman was actually an old acquaintance of her teacher?

.....

There weren't many places still open for chatting in Blizzard City,

apart from hotels, bars, and brothels.

Not in the mood for drinking, and having gambled enough already, Thousand Blades Rakshasa directly led Su Lun to a building booming with the sound of steam chimneys.

A sign hanging at the entrance read "Great Day Bathhouse."

Thousand Blades Rakshasa's three great loves were practicing with blades, soaking in baths, and gambling.

Having already bathed together many times in Old Lington, they were more than familiar with each other's company. Su Lun glanced at her chosen spot, showing no surprise, and naturally followed Thousand Blades alongside her into the bathhouse.

However, Lolota, who followed them, looked extremely bemused, as if witnessing something inconceivable.

As she stepped into the bathhouse, she hesitated, took a half step back to double-check the sign, and then confirmed something: her own captain was actually entering a bathhouse with a man?

In Blizzard City, unlike the delicate bathhouses in Old Lington, especially in the pirate community, bathhouses were straightforward brothels.

The pink-lit atmosphere alone was less than decorous.

Lolota, who had never been to such a place, entered with a heart full of trepidation.

Upon entering, several flamboyantly dressed ladies were greeting guests in the hall.

"Three distinguished guests!"

Their voices, distant and echoing, traveled down the hall.

With the steam boiler next door, the room was very warm, and the ladies were lightly dressed, revealing deep cleavages and thighs up to their hips, their faces carrying flirtatious, seductive smiles.

Lolota, unable to fix her gaze, was extremely nervous.

Su Lun and Thousand Blades Rakshasa, both products of the gangster world, were unfazed.

Thousand Blades hurriedly waved her hand, demanding, "Get the best private room. The hottest water, the finest medicinal baths, only the best of everything."

"Certainly, boss."

Seeing the unusual trio of a man, a woman, and a little girl, the madame and proprietor initially paused but brightened up hearing Thousand Blades's domineering tone.

A waitress led Su Lun and the others upstairs.