Mechanical Alchemist

Su Lun did not rush to make contact with "Butcher" Banner.

Now that this fellow has also come ashore and even joined the fleet of the King of the North Sea, there would be plenty of opportunities to make contact later. He needed the right moment so as not to arouse suspicion.

Two people died at the neighboring table, which did not cause much disturbance. However, it gave the patrons some understanding of the ruthlessness of this newly promoted captain of the fourth fleet.

Su Lun quietly drank at the bar, occasionally chatting with the bartender.

He drank a lot of alcohol and heard plenty of news.

What the patrons discussed most was naturally the recent sea prison raid incident.

How the fourth fleet had severely beaten the Royal Navy of the Luying Empire, rescued Ninth Fleet Captain "Gluttonous Grand General" Yixier Peion, and released some very famous "Big Shots."

In the pirate circles, pirates thrashing the Luying Navy naturally made for the most exhilarating topic.

Su Lun listened and roughly formed some ideas, then returned to the hotel.

...

The next day, all sorts of news about the fleet from the King of the North Sea filled the skies of Blizzard City.

Su Lun went directly to the informant, where he bought a scroll containing the most detailed intelligence.

Then, as expected, he heard the news about the reformation of the ninth fleet.

The pirates of the entire Blizzard City became lively.

Normally, large pirate groups seldom recruit massively unless they have suffered great reductions in numbers.

After all, the spoils from robbery were limited — too many people would mean not enough to go around.

And joining the North Sea Fleet was many individual pirates' ultimate dream.

To get aboard was akin to securing a "job for life" in pirating — fame, a stable salary, access to the best resources, and opportunities for advancement.

But joining a great pirate crew had its pros and cons.

The advantage was, with this status, one basically didn't get messed with in the pirate circles.

With the protection of "King of the North Sea" Oleg, a top-tier power, there was no need to fear enemies or bounties. Ordinary bounty hunters didn't dare provoke such top-level pirate crews. And even without robbery, there was a fixed salary. Not entirely dependent on luck.

But the disadvantage was it attracted too much attention, making it easy to become a target.

The Royal Navy of Luying Empire was very keen on pursuing large pirate crews, as it counted as military merit. The higher the bounty on the pirate, the greater the merit.

So, large pirate crews had to be very cautious with their movements.

Once their whereabouts were exposed, they very likely could be surrounded and trapped.

Just like the previous annihilation of the ninth fleet by Duke Rafael's elite naval fleet — once they received accurate information and mounted an attack, the chances of being severely damaged were enormous.

Then there were the bounty hunters.

Ordinary bounty hunters indeed didn't dare to provoke, but those who dared were not ordinary.

It's like when the "top ten bounty hunters" came, they would wreak havoc.

Low-tier pirate fodder were easy to be harvested en masse.

The risk of being cannon fodder was great.

However, any pirate with a little fame was basically already a wanted criminal and a ruthless villain, so these risks did not matter much to them.

...

After breakfast and reviewing the intelligence, Su Lun leisurely left the city.

When he arrived at the docks of Blizzard City, it was already crowded with people.

Oleg's ninth fleet now only had a few bare commanders left; they had to regroup, get a new ship, and recruit crew members. Those guys had set up a recruitment event at the dock that resembled a job fair, bustling with noise.

The opportunity was rare, and some smaller pirate crews joined ship and crew alike, quickly assembling twenty or thirty ships.

The docks were awash with the black skull flags of the North Sea Fleet.

Being the crème de la crème of the pirate circles, the ninth fleet, though short-staffed, was not just recruiting anybody. To join, one needed to have a particular skill.

Such as sailors who could handle sails, anchor men, navigators, artillerymen...or perhaps your name being on a bounty order.

Su Lun, dressed in pirate attire, followed the long queue, preparing to try and register to join.

He looked lethargic, but his gaze constantly surveyed the surroundings.

Off in the distance, the most striking figure was a fat man, resembling a mountain of flesh.

Even amidst the swirling snow on the docks, the man shamelessly displayed his layers of pale flesh on his belly. His eyes squinted, and his hair was plaited into long braids that coiled around his neck several times. He sat there beside a large iron pot that constantly simmered with meat soup, busy eating even while recruiting. His greasy hands showed no concern as they dived into the bubbling broth, continuously stuffing large chunks of meat into his mouth.

Despite his unattractive appearance, he was none other than Yixier Peion, the Ninth Fleet Captain known as the "Great Glutton." A seventh-tier professional, he was a top-tier Great Pirate with a bounty as high as 2.177 billion.

Su Lun glanced at him briefly before swiftly averting his eyes.

If stared down by such a powerful individual, he probably wouldn't even have a chance to flee.

However, what slightly turned Su Lun's head was the fact that next to the mountain of flesh stood a middle-aged man in a black suit.

The middle-aged man wore a round hat, had high cheekbones and a goatee, emanating a firm look in his eyes.

He held an ordinary cane, his trousers were crisp, and his shoes were shiny; his appearance from head to toe was meticulous.

The suit's cut seemed like it belonged to upper-class society in Luying, resembling a particular old gentleman. But on closer inspection, his clothes were starch-washed to the point of whiteness, and his shirt was slightly yellowing, indicating he likely lived frugally.

Yet, even so, merely standing there, the man distinguished himself with a dignified air that made him stand out starkly from the scruffy pirates surrounding him.

"Could that be...?"

Upon seeing him, Su Lun immediately thought of the intelligence he had received earlier.

During the jailbreak led by the fleet of the King of the North Sea, many serious criminals were released.

Among them was a high-profile figure who was sentenced to life imprisonment.

As Su Lun noticed the middle-aged man in the suit, so did the queueing pirates nearby.

The others were also curious about the man's identity, and someone voiced their question.

"Hey, look, who is that guy with the hat?"

"He looks like a noble lord, not like us pirates. What's he doing next to Lord Peiwen? He seems to be quite respected by the big man."

"That's Zolas D. Andres, a real big shot from the capital of Luying!"

"Is he famous? Why haven't I heard of him?"

"You might not have heard of his name, but you would have heard of his students. Especially one named 'Thomas Hobbs'..."

"Could it be the former Prime Minister of Luying, the leader during the Mist Moon Revolution?"

"Exactly! That's why I said he's a top-tier big shot we could never meet in our lifetimes."

"..."

Su Lun listened to the hushed conversations nearby, his face showing a shocked expression for the lively scene.

But in fact, he had already known about the origins of Zolas.

Although the guy was only a professor at the Royal Academy of Luying, he was one of Luying's most famous political scientists, economists, and revolutionary theorists.

If it weren't for the queen's restoration, his students might have overturned Luying's monarchic dictatorship, transitioning to a "constitutional monarchy."

Su Lun had previously taken the time to learn about the "Mist Moon coup," which was a real turning point in social progress.

Unfortunately, it never came to pass.

After the queen's restoration, most of Zolas's students were executed or imprisoned. Because he hadn't directly participated in the coup, and many big shots pleaded on his behalf, he wasn't killed but was sentenced to several hundred years of imprisonment and exiled to a remote island overseas.

Unexpectedly, he had now fallen into the hands of pirates.

Su Lun watched as he gave the crowd of pirates stern looks, guessing what the King of the North Sea was probably thinking.

Criminals from Luying were the best source of recruits for pirates.

It was very likely he planned to retain such a political talent.

Even though Su Lun felt this situation seemed slightly serendipitous, he wasn't particularly interested in the King of the North Sea's plans. He followed the queue and moved forward.

....

The recruitment site consisted of a few simple wooden tables, with pirates staring sternly at those in line, and others jotting something down on parchment.

Yixier Peion, the "Great Glutton," was nearby, alongside a few ranked fifth-tier captains, their oppressive presence enveloping the whole area, making it difficult for anyone with ulterior motives to not reveal their flaws.

Su Lun, able to perfectly control his emotions, walked forward with an expression slightly tinged with nervousness, just like everyone else.

"Name, place of origin, any special skills."

"Johnny, from the West Wind City in the southern county of Fang Anlugos. I'm an excellent musketeer. Oh... I've also studied cannon firing before. Because I offended a noble young master, I'm wanted..."

"Do you know how to operate the T5 series anti-ship cannons?"

"That's what I studied before."

"Hmm... from today, you are part of our Ninth Fleet!"

"..."

Recruiting pirates was just like joining the gang in Old Lington back in the day, no fancy rituals involved.

If a wanted criminal had skills, they were recruited on the spot.

Moreover, Su Lun had been prepared.

He had thoroughly studied the personnel structure of the pirate crew before.

Musketeers were a dime a dozen, but good artillerymen were rare. Crucially, artillerymen didn't need to appear on deck often, had fewer tasks, yet were an essential role on the ship. It was the ideal disguise identity.

Indeed, under the scrutiny of a pirate wrapped in a red headscarf, Su Lun operated the cannon briefly, showed off his gun skills, and smoothly boarded the ship.

His peripheral vision also caught the registering clerk writing his alleged background as "Johnny" on parchment.

They would probably confirm this with informants later.

....

Su Lun and those pirates fortunate enough to be recruited boarded a medium-sized sailing ship called "White Eagle."

Three days later, the fleet set sail from Blizzard City, heading to Pirate City in the north.

No one troubled them as the ships set sail, and Su Lun knew his disguised identity must have passed inspection smoothly.

In just a few short days, the Ninth Fleet recruited thousands of pirates and sailed the seas in a formidable display.

Su Lun became an "apprentice pirate."

The life of a pirate was monotonous, doing nothing all day.

Aside from pillaging, they were free to do as they wished.

Playing cards, boasting, and then sleeping.

As an artilleryman, he didn't need to work on deck and was quite idle all day. Su Lun didn't display anything special, spending his days playing cards in the cabin with a group of pirates, winning some, losing some, and he became familiar with a few of the pirates.

He also noticed that each ship actually had a few "informants" who were continuously observing and testing the backgrounds of these newcomers.

Su Lun's fabricated background was almost flawless and no one detected any loopholes.

Previous pirate frenzies had nearly halted the majority of commercial activities in the North Sea, and they hadn't encountered any merchant ships to rob.

Therefore, the fleet headed straight for Pirate City.

The sea voyage was entirely uneventful.

The only slight mishap occurred on the third night when they encountered a deep-sea leviathan.

It was a[Deep Sea Purple Glow Eel]over one hundred meters long that could easily sink ships.

To the fishermen and pirates who made a living on the sea year-round, it was one of the unstoppable "natural disasters."

If a small pirate crew had encountered it, they would likely have been annihilated.

But in this Ninth Fleet, there was a seventh-tier fleet captain called "Greedy Grand General," Yixier Peion.

Su Lun watched as that man swallowed the hundred-meter-long eel alive!

[B-010-Glutton King]'s second awakening ability, capable of devouring targets to gain a substantial boost in attributes. His seventh-tier gold alchemy armor, [Whale Mouth Swallow], devoured sea whirlpools in a single gulp, a terrifyingly non-human strength.

Under the King of the North Sea, a host of powerhouses gathered.

When Su Lun saw this top-tier pirate's strength, he hid even deeper.

...

Pirate City was named Hasteling.

In the pirate circles, it was also known as "Golden City of Eternal Night."

That was the largest gathering point for the pirates of the North Sea and also a haven of sin, a true melting pot of squandered gold.

It was said in Pirate City, as long as you had money, you could enjoy the treatment of an emperor.

It was the largest black market in the North Sea, possessing the most comprehensive and beautifully priced alchemy materials. All kinds of customs venues, gambling dens, arenas, major hallucinogenic potion trading markets, arms smuggling routes, and hired killings... everything legal under Luying, and illegal—whatever could satisfy human desires, was available here!

Further north from Pirate City were the four nations of the northern continent: Mountain Hermit, Frost, Roman, and Morning Veil.

Su Lun had previously inquired about the situation in this sea region through a communicator with Mr. Jing.
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These four countries of the northern continent had actually existed for a thousand years.

But back then, they weren't called by these names, they were known as "Land of the God's Legacy."

This plane was an alchemy plane, and although no divine-tier beings existed anymore, the worship of deities had never ceased from ancient times until now.

During the several thousand years that the Atlia Empire existed, magicians had always been mainstream. Thus, those devout followers were exiled and ostracized to distant overseas locations.

Now, the region of these four northern countries was a land of exile for various deity worshippers over countless years.

Apart from the deities lauded from mythological times to the present, like the stars in the sky, numbering countless, the phrase "one hundred and eighty thousand deities" came to be.

However, not all devotees were like the Dalu clan, who still received responses from the deities. Those exiled overseas lost almost all of their faith in the gods.

Yet, for various reasons, many bizarre heritages of divine power, evil legends, darkness forces, evil weapons, foreign secret techniques, and classics... were left behind.

The four countries of the northern continent, like an unseeable depth of water, were dangerous, mysterious, and filled with the unknown.

Even after his travels, Sir Isaac reflected, "This is a very complex and mysterious place."

....

That day, a loud shout suddenly came from the deck.

"Brothers, we're about to reach Hastelin!"

"Secure the cannons in the cabin! Hold tight, we're entering the vortex area!"

"..."

Hearing this, Su Lun and a few artillerymen in the cabin checked the cannon's chains, then also went up to the deck to watch the excitement.

Looking out, they saw dense reefs and a vast area of whirlpools not far away.

It was marked on the sea chart as one of the North Sea's most famous coordinates—the "Devil's Sea."

It also served as a natural barrier for Pirate City.

Beyond the reef zone, was Pirate City.

This region of sea vortices, due to its complex currents and special wind directions, could only be navigated by experienced navigators who maneuvered the wind sails on wooden ships through the whirlpools.

Although wooden ships were agile, they had a significant disadvantage in large wars, and tactical battles and sieges almost had no advantages. Hence, the current Royal Navy of Luying and nobles who could afford it had all switched to steam-powered ironclad ships.

However, ironically, ironclad ships couldn't navigate this area of reefs.

The Royal Navy of Luying was unable to penetrate deep enough to eradicate them, and this was the most critical reason for the rapid prosperity of pirate ships over the decades.

Rain and wind struck his face as Su Lun stood on the deck, gazing at the reef-seas before him, his look growing more profound.

It felt like riding a roller coaster, with his center of gravity starting to spin.

The newcomers were visibly excited, and pirates who had been to Pirate City shared their experiences.

"I'll tell you, Hastelin has the top-notch pleasure quarters; any kind of girl you want is there! When we get off the ship, we can really have some fun..."

"Hey hey, those of you who haven't been might not know, but the geishas of Hastelin are unmatched in the world, you can't see them anywhere else. The legendary 'First Beauty of the World' is in the country of Mountain Hermit..."

"I've heard about it too. But these legends have been around for over ten years, that 'First Beauty' must be faded now, right?"

"Hey, I'm also curious. But someone went to see her this year and said she's truly matchless, a beauty of the human world. That figure, that face, that dance, it could haunt a person, making them never forget for a lifetime. They say it's because of those bizarre and ghostly gods, a bit sinister, but she's fucking beautiful. If I could have her just once, I'd be willing to shorten my life by thirty years..."

"..."

Going ashore to resupply was the event the crew most looked forward to.

With less than half a day's voyage left, these men were already anticipating their debauched arrangements after disembarking.

Su Lun listened to the stories from the mouths of others, his gaze distant, murmuring in his heart, "Finally getting there huh. Mountain Hermit country, Rune Old Man's place..."