Mechanical Alchemist

Su Lun had known the situation of this sea area before, but he was still significantly shocked by the force of nature before him.

"Devil's Sea" served as a natural barrier for Pirate City and was extremely dangerous. Every year, dozens of ships perished here due to mishandling. The largest whirlpools in this area could reach a kilometer in diameter, and there were various hidden reefs that even a medium-sized warship like the "White-headed Eagle" would spin wildly around.

Fortunately, the ship's experienced navigators managed to get the fleet through without incident.

Once the fleet passed that whirlpool area, the sea suddenly became calm.

Sunlight streamed through the thick clouds like ribbons of gold, illuminating a spectacular view.

"Hahaha... we've arrived at Hastling!"

Everyone on the ship cheered.

Su Lun looked at the distinctive architectural complex in front of him, his eyes gleaming with wonder.

The sea area of Pirate City benefited from the warm currents from the northwest, transforming the frigid climate into a pleasant one. Great swathes of green vegetation grew on the islands, offering splendid scenery.

On the sea, there were myriad islands scattered like stars.

The islands were uniquely shaped, mostly resembling giant stalagmites. The roofs painted in various colors looked like colorful, whimsical wooden stilt houses built atop these stalagmites, adorned with lush green trees. In the sky floated massive animal hide airships connected to wooden buildings below, with various neon signs hanging, creating a vibrant scene of lights and festivities. On the sea, antique-grade steam trains hooted as they pulled long white steam tails, shuttling between the islands like something out of a fairy tale.

The most extravagant were the wooden water fortresses at the far end, towering over thirty stories high.

Su Lun didn't know how the locals managed to construct such exaggerated wooden structures.

The fleet arrived in the evening, and as the ships slowly approached, the sky had already darkened.

When they were about two or three nautical miles from the city, lights suddenly brightened within the tall buildings.

Then, a stunning scene unfolded before their eyes.

The closely packed wooden buildings glowed a bright orange under the lights, making the entire water fortress appear as if it were cast in gold, shimmering brilliantly. The light reflected in the dark turquoise sea, making it seem as though there was a city of gold in the water too. Looking up, the sea and sky merged into one, dazzling and blurring the line between reflection and reality.

"Thirty-three floors of Golden Tower, connecting the underworld to the heavens..."

Su Lun squinted at the distant "Golden City of Eternal Night," recalling the legends about Pirate City.

Now seeing it firsthand, it truly lived up to its reputation.

This was undoubtedly the most breathtaking architectural marvel he had encountered in this world.

....

The existence of Pirate City dated back over a thousand years.

Besides pirates, there were hundreds of thousands of indigenous inhabitants.

They were descendants of once-exiled individuals, retired pirates, fishermen, convicts, and followers of the North Continent's four-nation religion. It was a diverse mix where even the great pirates dared not act recklessly.

But the fleet of the North Sea King still held some prestige.

Su Lun and his newly formed Ninth Fleet also received a warm welcome from the merchants in the City of Gold.

As soon as they entered the port, all sorts of agents and brokers eagerly swarmed up at the docks, warmly greeting them.

"Hey, big boss, tonight the 'Sun City Bathhouse' has a major performance. Shall I take you there?"

"Sir, the 'Silver Knight Casino' has a batch of performers from the Royal Dance Troupe of Emperor Luying's court. Oh, those are the exquisite dances only real nobles can enjoy!"

"At our 'Sparta Colosseum', tonight there is a fifth-tier professionals' battle against a sea monster. A big shot is running unlimited stakes, and for gentlemen who enjoy betting on fights, we guarantee your satisfaction."

"..."

It was, after all, Pirate City.

This place boasted the most developed entertainment industry in Luying, a dazzling spectacle of opulence and debauchery.

The pirates risked their lives to plunder and came here specifically to splurge. They would spare no expense from their pockets, willingly getting cleaned out at the gambling dens and brothels.

After disembarking, the fleet commander, 'Grand General Gluttony' Peion, didn't stick with a few captains and the newly recruited ruffians. He distributed some money and then entered the city.

As it was a newly reformed group, everyone wasn't really familiar with each other and there were no deep bonds of camaraderie.

The captain of the fifteenth squad where Su Lun was, didn't plan to take his "brothers" out for entertainment. He distributed money and said, "The dockside is cheapest; the best girls are always in the city. You guys can go have a look around, broaden your horizons. Just don't forget to bring your communicators; the boss said there might be major actions in the next few days…"

"Yes, Captain!"

Having been aboard the ship for almost half a month, everyone was bursting with impatience.

With money in hand, they entered the city gates arm in arm.

The treatment in the North Sea Fleet was indeed good.

With a grand gesture, the fleet commander offered Su Lun, a junior member, entertainment expenses of over ten thousand Risis. Coupled with the previous fifty thousand for settling in, it was enough to splurge in Pirate City for a while.

The lure of instant gratification and luxury was why many chose to become pirates.

Su Lun had things to do and didn't plan to hang out with those guys.

But at that moment, someone patted his shoulder, "Hey Johnny, you got any plans?"

Turning his head, it was a young man with blonde hair.

A gunner in the same cabin whom he had gotten to know recently through playing cards—his name was Sharp.

He was not a bad guy.

This fellow wasn't originally a pirate but a city defense gunner from Blizzard City. He joined the North Sea Fleet purely because his family was so poor they couldn't make ends meet and his mother was seriously ill. The settlement money was an emergency lifesaver for him.

Thinking it over, Su Lun replied, "I'm thinking about checking out the geisha house."

Sharp lost interest upon hearing this, "Hey, don't listen to Martin and those guys bullshitting. I've heard before, geishas are damn expensive. You can only feast your eyes, can't play with meat. That's a pastime for the wealthy big shots. With our money, it's enough for just a few cups of tea. If you really want to have fun with girls, brothels are much better. I heard there's a batch of war slaves recently in Pirate City, their skin smooth as soap. Let's go try it together?"

Su Lun shook his head, laughing, "Never mind. After all, I've never seen one before. I want to find a cheap place to see what the legendary geishas are like and broaden my knowledge."

"Suit yourself."

Hearing this, Sharp looked disinterested and waved his hand, quickly catching up with the previous group. He called back, "Contact me on the communicator if you need anything."

"Okay"

Su Lun nodded with a smile and entered the city alone.

....

Once inside Golden City, the space was extremely three-dimensional and complex, somewhat reminiscent of old Old Lington, with densely packed buildings everywhere. It appeared to be a city, but crossing into it felt like entering a forest of wooden buildings. The streets were very narrow, and overhead were various spider-web like pipes and aerial bridges.

The buildings in the city were mostly wooden, but there were also some steel structures and steam pipes. The architectural styles were an eclectic mix, not the Gothic style mainstream in Luying, nor the Baroque style. Instead, it was a strange assortment of styles, as if hundreds of civilizations were mixed together.

The most eye-catching aspect was the people on the streets.

Pirates from outside were immediately recognizable by their attire.

The attire of the natives was quite peculiar.

Ronin, monks, nuns, missionaries, Spartans, wrestlers, adventurers... Their dresses were diverse, their occupations bizarre, and their skin colors varied.

Many of the natives' outfits also carried heavy religious symbols.

In Luying, there were almost only alchemy magicians, but here, Su Lun saw devotees of various gods.

"108,000 gods, so many faiths all mixed together...."

Su Lun found it somewhat incredible.

Moreover, as he passed along the way, the soul fires of certain passersby were very peculiar. Among those god believers, many were strange creatures.

Su Lun observed them, and those passersby also scrutinized him with cautious and covertly dangerous gazes. Seeing the symbol of the North Sea Fleet, they would restrain themselves a lot.

The identity of a pirate, which elsewhere would be shunned by ordinary people, was just ordinary here.

This was the "City of Sin," a place with a high crime rate. Turning out someone at random from the street could likely reveal a hardened criminal. No one was indulged here, and a disagreement could easily lead to mortal peril.

Su Lun had harvested many memories about pirate ships before, so he was not completely unfamiliar with these streets.

He planned to check out the alchemy material shops for some goods, then visit a geisha house in the city.

He wanted to watch a geisha performance, not because he was really interested in that form of entertainment.

It was because the geisha was an official business of Mountain Hermit's nation.

Understanding the lineage of Rune Magicians in Pirate City was one of Su Lun's primary objectives. The "Rune Old Man" was in Mountain Hermit's nation.

Plus, he was indeed intrigued by that almost isolated civilization.

Previously, Su Lun was puzzled that the kimono and Sword Dao were quite different from the mainstream alchemy magicians. Later, he learned that Old Lington's population was filled with slaves from various places. The origin of these things was not clear even to Thousand Traces, as many were family heirlooms.

But there must be a source where there is a legacy.

None of the major territories in Luying had the custom of wearing kimonos.

Now in Pirate City, seeing those ronins and geishas, Su Lun realized that the ancestors of Thousand Traces might very likely have come from Mountain Hermit's nation.

It was certainly wise to learn more about that place beforehand if he was planning to go there.

Su Lun contacted Thousand Traces on the communicator.

That gambling-addicted lady had already been in Pirate City for a while.

According to her, she felt an inexplicable sense of belonging after arriving here and was investigating some matters.

She seemed to be in a bit of trouble now, didn't specify her location, and didn't plan to meet up first.

Considering Thousand Traces' capabilities, Su Lun wasn't particularly worried and didn't ask further, ending the communicator call.

He sensed that no one was paying attention around him, changed his appearance, and donned an unremarkable adventurer's attire, delving deeper into the city.

....

The sky had completely darkened, and Pirate City was brilliantly lit and even more bustling.

The entertainment industry was the busiest aspect of Pirate City, with various signs flashing in red, green, and pink neon lights that could blind. These places of pleasure also occupied the best spots in the city.

Pirates had a designated black market for their goods on the lower levels of the city.

Su Lun's harvested memories weren't too detailed; navigating through this maze-like water fort took him a long time before he found the alchemy materials market. Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire

It was a street like a sewer, with sewage flowing and densely packed small boats laden with cargo unloaded from the port, moving back and forth in front of the shops. Some masked figures went in and out of the shops.

This place was dark, damp, dirty... and full of little rascals eyeing the possessions of tourists.

Those sneaky teenagers could easily spot first-timers to Pirate City and would particularly 'take care' of them.

Because it was a black market, it didn't have flashy signs like regular shops.

Pirates robbing other pirates was commonplace, so for safety, pirates usually dealt with shops they were familiar with; otherwise, one might lose everything and find nowhere to complain.

Su Lun entered a small shop; his harvested memories told him this was "Sister Atang's Magic Materials Shop." The buying and selling prices were fair, and she generally didn't rip off acquaintances.

He walked straight in.

The space inside the shop was not very spacious, serving both as a storefront and a warehouse, crammed with various materials.

The air was filled with a faint scent of aromatics.

Behind the counter, an old woman resembling a witch mumbled to herself while holding a crystal ball.

She didn't even open her eyes when a customer entered.

By his side, a middle-aged man, his face full of tattoos, was looking over the ledgers, seemingly the son of an old crone.

At the sound of the bell at the door, he glanced over indifferently.

Su Lun sized them up without a sound, it was clear that these two were followers of a deity.

But he didn't know which deity they worshipped, their Soul Perception felt somewhat chilly, similar to that of a Dark Magician.

He didn't look too long and knocked on the table before saying, "Wandering through the shadows of the graves, blood instills fear into the mortals."

Pirate's slang indicating he knew his stuff.

The content of his words seemed to relate to the beliefs of the shopkeepers.

Upon hearing this, the tattooed man also knew a regular had arrived and finally raised his eyebrows, "What do you need?"

"I need some materials."

As Su Lun spoke, he took out a list filled with tightly-written materials.

The Plague God man scanned it and promptly quoted the prices, "Pink lizard marrow 800 per gram, Devil's mushrooms 3000, Grade VIII pure amethyst 150,000, a pair of three-tailed sea snake eyes 200,000, white phosphorus whale oil…"

"No problem."

Upon hearing the quote, Su Lun agreed immediately, adding, "Quantity of materials as listed on my sheet."

The prices had completely satisfied him.

If he were elsewhere, these materials would cost him at least several times more.

And that's if they were even available.

That was the advantage of Pirate City.

The booty looted there sold for much less than in regular commerce in Emperor Luying, typically fetching about forty to fifty percent of the market price. Some rare materials of gold or dark gold quality were not only inexpensive but surprisingly cheap, sometimes available at discounts as steep as twenty percent of market value.

After all, the pirates' cultivation techniques and gear were quite ordinary, leaving them with little use for high-grade materials.

On Su Lun's list were many alchemical materials that were not previously available.

With this batch, he could produce many more advanced enchanted puppets.

The tattooed man spoke again in a deep voice, "Some of the materials you've requested will need to be prepared. Pay a deposit now, and come to collect them after tomorrow."

"That's fine, let's do everything by the book."

Su Lun immediately pulled out a deposit of a million.

He knew his order was varied, and a normal shop wouldn't have everything in stock. However, these black market dealers would lend items to one another, so if it was available in Pirate City, they could find it.

This also saved Su Lun the trouble of searching various shops.

After paying, he casually inquired, "Got any special items? Cursed objects, mechanical equipment, or such..."

Su Lun wasn't just idling with the Nineteenth Fleet; he had heard through inner sources that the Mafa Empire had indeed funded Oleg's production of many cutting-edge mechanical devices.

Since there was a large-scale leak, some might have surfaced in the black market.

Moreover, with the pirates possessing many looted valuables, there was a chance he could find some steals.

If he was lucky, he might even come across information about Void Gear...

Seeing that Su Lun was familiar with the rules, the tattooed man didn't babble on. He touched the glass display cabinet slightly.

The previously pitch-black cabinet suddenly became transparent.

Su Lun's eyes shifted, and he saw an assortment of small specialty items, a flag, a set of wrist guards, a compass, a goose feather quill, among other small objects...

He had the All-knowing Eye and naturally didn't need much introduction.

[Columbus's Sailing Flag]which affects wind circulation and enhances sailing speed; [Amity's Magic Rune Wristbands (Silver)], which provide a shield defense when infused with energy; [Damaged Compass]not much use...

The items varied in quality, but all were effective alchemical objects.

Unfortunately, none were of much use to Su Lun, who then said, "Hey, I need the real good stuff."

Seeing his frown, the tattooed man modeled once more, the glass shimmered, and the items inside changed—suddenly, they were all mechanical components.

A broken mechanical arm, a steam boiler that was seventy percent new, a steel plate with a TTR logo, among small parts...

Su Lun, who had just casually asked, hadn't expected to actually find some good stuff.

In the showcase, he saw some Mafa mechanical armor remnants.

And that steel plate also belonged to the Mafa Empire's top-secret "Adamant Alloy"!

These were good items.

However, the quantity was somewhat lacking.

Not enough even to make one puppet.

"How much for these?"

"Seven hundred thousand."

"I can give at most four hundred thousand."

"Five hundred thousand."

"Deal!"

Su Lun obtained the mechanical parts.

Then the tattooed man changed the batch again, and Su Lun suddenly gave a soft exclamation, only now noticing that those uniquely styled mechanical components had been produced by Old Lington!

"[Frost Giant Mechanical Armor]," some external skeletons, neuro-mechanical components ..."

The tattooed man introduced, "This is a batch of good stuff from the North Sea Fleet..."

Su Lun naturally knew where these things came from.

Previously, Oleg's Fourth Fleet had raided Old Lington and brought out a considerable amount of underground machinery. Among that batch, there were quite a few technologically superior items.

In Pirate City, there were likely a lot of Old Lington "specialties."

He didn't show any unusual behavior and casually picked a few items he liked.

Su Lun felt that coming to Pirate City was indeed the right decision, as he had already found quite a few good items to start with.

He continued to look for goods, wanting to take all the mechanical equipment, blueprints, and materials in the store that interested him.

However, as he was searching, he suddenly felt a chill in his heart.

In his perception, a very unusual soul fire appeared not far away.

That was "The Butcher" Banner's suspicious companion!

"Okay, that's all for now."

Su Lun did not continue to stay in the store. He paid the money, took his items, and walked out of the store calmly.

Banner was in the Fourth Fleet, and their fleet was scheduled to leave Blizzard city two days early; encountering them in Pirate City was not surprising.

The "suspicious person" seemed to be selecting materials too, having spent some time in a nearby shop.

Su Lun planned to follow him. He didn't necessarily need to figure everything out in one go, but he also wanted to get a sense of what the man was up to.

Most people shopping in the black market dressed in cloaks and coats, so Su Lun was not afraid of being recognized. He had quite advanced tracking skills and was not likely to be discovered easily.

Soon after, the "suspicious person" seemed to have finished buying the materials and left a shop, apparently planning to head to the upper city district.

"Came alone, huh..."

Su Lun observed for a moment and didn't notice anyone else following the guy.

Rather than being careless, he became more alert.

If this person was as he suspected, the "Mysterious Mechanic" who modified Banner's mechanical body, then Banner would likely provide significant protection.

Coming alone either meant they were keeping their whereabouts secret, or the individual had the ability to protect themselves.

Not to be underestimated.

"Who could it be? It really is becoming more and more intriguing..."

Su Lun muttered to himself.

Watching the man turn into an alley, Su Lun thought for a moment and followed him.

But he hadn't followed for long when he immediately realized something, "I've been spotted, haven't I..."

Su Lun could sense the soul fire, so he easily caught the unusual counter-surveillance tactics of the other party.

But he pretended not to notice and continued to follow.

To him, this mysterious person was most likely from Old Lington.

If so, he had a rough assessment of the man's abilities.

Under normal circumstances, even the members of the Mirror Organization were among the strongest from beneath the surface.

This mysterious individual would be hard-pressed to surpass them.

So even if he was discovered, it wouldn't be a big issue.

Besides, with his current strength, if he truly wanted to escape, even a fifth level professional might not be able to stop him.

He was also curious as to how he had been discovered.

No sooner had he walked into the alley.

The mysterious person materialized behind Su Lun like a ghost.

Before Su Lun could speak, the other party immediately asked, "You have the scent of 'X-serum' on you. Who are you?"

Hearing this, Su Lun was immediately startled.

Yet, at the same time, he caught a keyword and instantly understood how he had been exposed.

"A talent in smell?"

Anyone capable of detecting the scent of potion and familiar with "X-Potion" was almost certainly from Old Lington.

He immediately thought of someone.

A friend from the underground, the Pharmacist Danny!

Su Lun's eyes flickered, and a wild idea crossed his mind. He began to validate, "Are you someone from Danny Banks?"

"..."

Hearing this, the mysterious person's body visibly flinched.

Clearly, he was also extremely surprised that Su Lun would ask such a question.