Mechanical Alchemist

Naval battles are best fought with cannons.

Especially when there is a gap in the quality of equipment, the side with the advantage can crush the enemy from a distance with cannon fire, thus minimizing combat losses.

And as it happens, cannon operation is a compulsory subject for students of the "Royal War Academy."

The professional soldiers Barrett brought along with the Judgment Corps were all students of the Royal Academy, and nearly all of them were certified "senior gunners" or "expert gunners."

As a result, when the three warships of the Dawn Corps launched a volley of a hundred cannons, the cannonballs seemed guided by precision, covering the enemy vessels including the "Old Albatross" a few miles away with minimal deviation.

With such firepower, it wouldn't take many rounds to sink the enemy.

Even without using any spells

Su Lun also guessed that there must be experts among the enemies, since they were escorting valuable treasures.

Therefore, cannons were also the most suitable means of probing.

Before the battle began, Su Lun considered all possibilities.

He was convinced that the enemy would most likely choose to flee since the pirate ships had been pursued for days and must have some special acceleration devices.

But he never expected that the second the cannons roared, an astonishing scene took place, stunning everyone in the Dawn Corps.

...

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"..."

The thunderous roar of cannon fire was deafening.

Su Lun stood on the deck, squinting as he watched one cannonball after another hurtling towards the enemy ships.

Some cannonballs fell into the sea, creating waves over a dozen meters high; some hit the pirate ships, blasting cracks in the sails, masts, and wooden hulls...

There were a total of five enemy ships huddled together, which would normally make the best targets.

However, it was at this moment that the people of the Dawn Corps realized there was something abnormal; the cannonballs hit three of the ships as expected, penetrating and exploding...

But when they struck the other two vessels, the cannonballs were stopped by an invisible barrier in mid-air, detonating in visible ripples of air pressure!

Seeing this, everyone in the Dawn Corps got a shock.

Barrett, as if recognizing something, immediately issued a warning, "Bad news, there's a seventh-tier professional on the enemy ships!"

Hearing this, Su Lun's face suddenly changed.

He had sensed something amiss when he observed the priests from the Temple of Aghaparnon.

He had assumed that the escort team would at most have sixth-tier professionals, but withstanding a barrage from a hundred cannons was definitely not something a sixth-tier professional could withstand!

Su Lun immediately realized there might be a highly sensitive big shot on the enemy ship!

A thought flashed through his mind, and he guessed something, "Could it be Princess Mafa from Mafa, or maybe some big shot from the temple?"

If it were the North Sea pirates, they would not hide such things.

People from the temple, on the other hand, might...

But now in the whole North Sea, those needing to hide their tracks and accompanied by top-notch experts, the most likely person was Princess Stika!

"Clever tactics... intentionally leaking the information of the 'Old Albatross' escort, making it seem like a diversion. In reality, the person was really mixed in with the escort fleet!"

Su Lun immediately understood something.

This move by Princess Stika was probably to avoid those from "God's Hands," like Van Gogh.

The assassins wanting her dead were all drawn by the royal guards of the Moros city-state, allowing her to slip away unnoticed.

But why appear here?

Su Lun, looking at the ongoing sacrificial ritual, guessed that the princess must have some motives for coming here.

He thought it was an ordinary interception, never expecting to catch such a "big fish."

However, what the actual situation was no longer mattered; he ordered directly, "Continue the bombardment! Everyone, prepare for battle!"

The situation now was, since they had encountered each other, neither the enemy nor they would show any mercy.

At Su Lun's command, the second round of ammunition was quickly loaded, and in a short time, flames burst from the cannon muzzles again.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"..."

The sound of cannon fire continued incessantly.

Although Su Lun didn't watch to see what the "sacrifice" was for, since those people would rather endure the cannon fire than flee, it indicated the ritual was of utmost importance and couldn't be interrupted.

Whatever the enemy was attempting, the Dawn Corps had to disrupt it!

Even a seventh-tier professional couldn't withstand a salvo of cannon fire for long.

....

Naturally, the enemies wouldn't allow the Dawn Corps to continue the bombardment.

Just then, the crows in the sky started cawing loudly.

Su Lun sensed danger approaching; his gaze sharp as a hawk, he observed everything on the sea surface.

Almost at the same time, Tanni reported urgently through the communicator, "Captain, there's a huge sea monster attacking us from the water! It seems to be the legendary 'North Sea Leviathan - Kraken'!"

"A sea monster?"

Su Lun had naturally heard of the legend of the "North Sea Leviathan" that pervaded the North Sea.

There was said to be an enormous tentacled creature in the deep sea, with a body as large as an island, capable of easily dragging a large warship into the depths.

Su Lun's expression darkened as he shouted, "Leave the sea monster to me! Captain Barrett, Sister Chian, Dr. Banks, guard against the enemy's seventh-tier headshot."

Chian and the others responded in unison, "Understood!" Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire

Saying this, Su Lun leaped up to the ship's rail, looking out to sea.

His eyes could vaguely see a massive dark shadow swiftly swimming towards their battleship, and the waves on the sea surface began to churn.

Time was of the essence, and Su Lun clasped his hands in the sorcerer's seals, uttering a crisp command, "Armament Release!"

Behind him, the eight-armed spider spear unfurled, and with another shift of sorcerer's seals, dozens of glass jars appeared out of thin air.

Once the glass jars were opened, dozens of mechanical octopuses clattered into the water.

In this battle, Su Lun couldn't afford to be careless. He hadn't expected to employ so many mechanical octopuses, but now he had to deploy them all into the sea.

The tentacles of the mechanical octopuses extended ten to twenty meters, but they paled in comparison to the colossal shadow under the sea.

Fortunately, there were enough of them. Fifty mechanical octopuses hit the water and immediately became entangled with it.

It was then that Su Lun could clearly see the true form of the sea monster as it drew close to the surface.

It was indeed a super-sized octopus.

[North Sea Behemoth - Kraken]

Details: A sixth-rank dominating deep-sea behemoth; bloodline of ancient myth, a titanic titan sea beast; length of one hundred eighty meters, weighing over three hundred seventy tons; it possesses powerful tentacles and suction cups, controls the power of the water element, capable of long-range jets; its mucus has strong corrosive properties; its skin is flexible and has a power weakening layer, allowing it to easily deflect conventional physical attacks;

Reading the information, Su Lun's gaze slightly narrowed.

He had long wanted to find the giant octopus passed down through generations among the Roman fishermen, but he didn't expect to encounter it here.

But it also relieved him.

This huge sea behemoth was almost invincible in the sea, and just this one creature could easily sink the three warships of the Dawn Group.

With its massive body, even the Black Scythe would struggle to make a cut.

If it weren't for the mechanical octopus army, the Dawn Group would have really suffered a huge loss.

...

Before the "North Sea Behemoth" could approach the three warships at the surface, the mechanical octopus army swiftly swam towards it.

Even so, a thirty-meter-long tentacle covered with terrifying suction cups flailed out of the water. With a "slap," the resulting wave almost flipped a warship over.

Su Lun's gaze turned steely, and he hurriedly commanded the mechanical octopuses to swarm and kill.

All members of the same species, all adept at strangulating attacks, seven to eight mechanical octopuses latched onto a tentacle and quickly wrapped around it tightly.

To better control the mechanical octopus army, Su Lun had specifically studied the physiological structure of octopuses during these days, becoming extremely familiar with the way these creatures exerted force.

He wasn't aiming to kill it, but at least to trap it.

Even though the "North Sea Behemoth" had strongly corrosive mucus on its surface, the runes and coating layers that Su Lun had painted on the mechanical octopuses during this time now came in handy. For a short period, the enchanted coatings on the mechanical octopuses were not easily corroded.

And so, before the giant sea behemoth could emerge from the water, it was pressed down and struggled in the sea, unable to unleash its fury.

Beneath the sea, fierce battles raged on, and above, torrents surged.

The three warships of the Dawn Group swayed unstably amid the waves, but luckily, the deputy commanders inside the gun decks all had sufficient naval combat experience, and the cannons never ceased firing.

Although the hit rate was slightly off, a battery of a hundred or so cannons firing volleys would always strike plenty of targets.

The Magic Army's highly accurate artillery characteristics were also fully demonstrated in this battle.

At this distance, the enemy could not organize any effective counterattack.

After only a few rounds of cannon fire, five of the enemy's pirate ships, apart from the two shielded by barriers, the other three had their hulls shattered by the cannons, burning fiercely as they slowly sank.

The sea was littered with pirates falling overboard, their cries of anguish mingled with the waves, carrying across the source.

...

Not only were Su Lun and his group caught off guard by an unexpected encounter with a "big fish," but the crew of the "Frost Moon Princess" on the "White Beard" were even more bewildered.

Three ships suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started firing upon meeting, but now it seemed that even the "North Sea Behemoth" couldn't sink them?

The sounds of cannonballs cutting through the air were incessant, and the explosions were continuous. Princess Stika's face grew very grave as she saw this scene, "What is going on, why hasn't the 'Kraken' sunk their ships!"

She was well aware of that deep-sea monster, an almost invincible beast in the ocean, certainly not something a few wooden ships could withstand.

And now it was useless?

One of her subordinates hastily reported, "Your Highness, those people have some special means to control the sea monster. It looks like some mechanical octopuses."

"Duke Raphael's men?!"

Upon hearing this, Princess Stika's face grew even more somber.

Her first reaction was "assassin."

The enemy's preparations were well-informed and targeted, they must have solid intelligence.

Only then did Stika realize that the prophecy was referring to the present moment.

At this time, Carlo Meldis, known as the "Lord of Thieves," also wore a grim expression and spoke, "Your Highness, we have no advantage in an artillery exchange; this cannot continue. I will find a way to kill them. Otherwise, our situation will become very bad."

The energy barrier that blocked the cannonballs was his doing, and without him, the two ships would have been sunk already.@@novelbin@@

As soon as he spoke, a Priestess from the Temple of Aghaparnon turned pale with shock, disregarding decorum, she urgently interjected, "But the divine ritual is not yet complete, if the 'Sea King' becomes enraged, we... we will have wasted all our efforts! Moreover, interrupting the sea ritual midway could bring unpredictable... terrifying consequences!"

"Hmph!"

Hearing this, Meldis snorted coldly, "I am employed by the Magic Emperor, not your Roman. What do I care about your rituals?"

As he said this, the overbearing presence of a Seventh Order powerhouse made it difficult for others to breathe.

Hearing this, the Priestess turned anxious, but dared not speak further.

All she could do was turn to look at Princess Stika.

Unfortunately, Princess Stika's face was veiled in darkness, yet she did not speak.

Because she knew very well that even a Seventh Order professional could not withstand the bombardment of artillery fire for an extended period.

To protect the two ships, not to mention the rapid consumption of Spiritual Power, if a significant amount of power were spent on this matter, even her own situation would become very dangerous.

Although she was also aware of the dire consequences should the ritual be interrupted, once she ascertained that this was an "assassination" targeting her, the choice between life and protocol became immediately clear.

Thinking this, Stika said, "Mr. Meldis, be careful."

Meldis immediately understood, "Got it!"

This also implied another meaning: if things turned sour, prioritize saving me.

With that said, the "Top Ten Legendary Bounty Hunter" retracted his domain barrier, stepped down, and leaped onto the sea surface.

...

The experts of the Dawn Group were all on deck, constantly watching the enemy warships in the distance.

Just then, everyone saw the energy shield on those three ships suddenly disappear, and a figure leaped onto the sea surface, rushing toward them at high speed.

The lookout on the mast immediately shouted, "He's coming! Everyone be careful."

Su Lun issued the command, "Continue firing, sink those two ships!"

At the same time, Barret, along with Qiantiao and Dr. Banks, leaped into the sea and rushed towards the figure.

The professional draped in a black cloak was indistinct, but as they moved, a monstrous shadow with the heads of a ram, a snake, and a lion rose behind them.

"A Rank Two mythical beast talent [A-044-Chiramer]!"

Watching this anomaly, Su Lun immediately recognized the talent and even guessed the identity of the newcomer.

This talent was rare, a secondary awakening, and also level seven, there could only be one person.

It was one of the "Top Ten Legendary Bounty Hunters," the 'Thief Emperor' Carlo Meldis!

Su Lun felt a sense of foreboding and immediately warned everyone through the communicator, "Be careful, that's the 'Thief Emperor' Meldis!"

He truly hadn't expected that what seemed like a regular bout of piracy would encounter such a renowned top-tier powerhouse.

The strength of his Dawn Group was not weak, but they still lacked top-end combat power.

Although they were ready for battle, a head-on clash would certainly lead to heavy losses.

But the presence of this legendary bounty hunter confirmed to him that on the opposing ship was none other than the Frost Moon Princess of Mafa!

"No, they still don't know the true strength of our Dawn Group!"

Suddenly, a plan flashed through Su Lun's mind.

If it was truly so, perhaps they need not fight to the death...!

At that moment, Su Lun held a black sickle in his left hand and pulled out the [Bow of Time Curse from Chronos] in his right.

He was well aware that he had no place in a battle of this level, only these two sealed items could pose a threat to the enemy.

...

The battle was imminent.

The 'Thief Emperor' Meldis, seeing three people descend from the opposing ship, first sneered in disdain, "Without even forming a domain, they're not very strong..."

Lacking a domain also meant their power was at most sixth rank.

Such enemies, whether three or five, posed no threat.

But the next second, seeing the golden Rakshasa Woman appear behind Qiantiao, Meldis was stunned, blurting out as if seeing a ghost, "A Rank Three awakening [Rakshasa Woman]... How is this possible! There's actually someone in this world who has achieved a third awakening talent?"

Observing the thunderclouds of "Thundering Hell" gathering in the sky and the soaring Sword Qi, Meldis frowned.

How could he, a professional a full rank above, feel danger from a lower-ranked professional?

Meanwhile, his gaze turned to the figure that had transformed into a giant ape and he recognized, "The 'Ferocious Beast' Barrett?"

But he was also surprised, "Why is this guy here?"

This glance seemed to solve the mystery at once.

On the distant ship, Princess Stika also recognized Barrett and immediately realized that these people were the "mysterious force" that had caused a stir in Moros City-State that night.

Dr. Banks' methods were even more peculiar. As he leaped into the sea, the vast expanse of water turned pitch black, as if poisoned, and seabirds began to drop, insects dying in droves.

In just a moment, the group collided.

Even facing three opponents, Melidis still held the upper hand.

As soon as he activated his "void domain," be it Sword Qi, toxins, or physical hammering, the damage inflicted on him was very limited.

Compared to the three in front of him, he was more wary of the person on the distant ship who held a bow and sickle.

At this moment, Su Lun stood at the bow, having already drawn the "Bow of Time," his expression grave.

However, he did not aim at the 'Pirate King' Melidis, but instead pointed his bow at the cloaked figure surrounded by several people on the "Whitebeard."

He was well aware that Barrett and his two companions could hold out for a while, but they definitely had no chance of winning.

Dragging this out, the situation for their Dawn Group would only get worse.

The only advantage the Dawn Group had now was that the other party did not know their true situation.

"Continue the bombardment! Sink them as soon as possible!"

"Yes!"

Another piece of good news was that the members of the Dawn Group were very effective; the cannons on the three warships didn't stop, directly hitting the enemy's last two warships as well.

...

Su Lun did not hesitate and, after drawing his bow, immediately let an arrow fly.

"Arrow of Time" could ignore most defenses and hit the human body.

One of the guards stood in front of Princess Stika and was instantly drained of life by the light arrow, turning into a mummified corpse.

Seeing the corpse beside her, Stika turned pale with fright; she recognized the infamous sealed weapon longbow from the Lu Ying Military Intelligence Department — the "Chronos' Bow of Time Curse."

What was even more terrifying was that as soon as the first arrow had arrived, the second was already on its way!

A sealed weapon on its own wouldn't normally have caused Stika such alarm.

But seeing another one of her subordinates die, the unknown in her heart turned into fear in an instant, "How is it possible, how did that guy not suffer from the curse backlash?!"

And from afar, she could see that the man on the opposite deck had already emotionlessly drawn the longbow, ready to fire the third arrow.

....

Su Lun's mastery of "Master-level Archery" was no joke, and even Princess Stika's guards, despite desperately trying to dodge, could not avoid it.

In order to avoid the eyes of Lu Ying spies, she couldn't bring the Magic Empire's experts with her.

To have hired one of the "Top Ten Hunters" was already not easy, and those few fourth-tier guards were now utterly unable to provide her with any sense of security.

A sealed weapon without any curse backlash was just that unreasonable.

It could make even the top professionals

Su Lun was pained in his heart for using the "Sand of Time," but he didn't hesitate to release two arrows in succession. This decisive momentum scared the people of Magic Empire and also made 'Pirate King' Melidis wary of acting rashly.

The legendary bounty hunter knew all too well that if he continued to tangle with Barrett and the others, the Princess Stika he was protecting would meet her end right there and then.

This guy was also incredibly tough; even as Barrett's trio forcefully tried to keep him from approaching the ship, he repelled the three of them with a single blow, then the sorcerer's seals concentrated, and suddenly the Octagram Array lit up beneath his feet: "Fire Mystery - Holy Light Sword!"

Suddenly, he condensed a long sword emitting scorching white light in his hand, pointing it towards Su Lun.

As the Light Sword aimed at him, Su Lun instantly felt chills down his spine.

The murderous intent of a seventh-tier professional was palpable, even across several miles of sea.

At the same time, he also understood that this guy was likely accepting a hire from Mafa mainly because he was after the space relics.

[A-044-Chiramer] Possesses an extraordinarily high affinity for the laws of fire, space, and darkness.

That guy probably needed space materials too.

...

Against a seventh-tier spell, Su Lun would almost certainly have died if he took it head-on.

But his expression showed no sign of retreat, resembling very much the "death warriors" of the Luying Intelligence Agency. His longbow fully drawn, he fired another arrow.

The light arrow once again took the life of a guard beside Princess Stika.

And at the same time, that seventh-tier fiery spell formed by the laws materialized before Su Lun, leaving no room for avoidance.

Just then, a towering alchemical golem teleported in front of him. The Light Sword pierced the golem's abdomen, revealing a silvery metallic luster. The higher law was scorching the "wound," not healing quickly.

A gargoyle of this level was far from enough to stop a seventh-tier professional, but it ultimately blocked this lethal attack.

Su Lun's face was without a ripple as he drew his longbow for the fourth time and fired another arrow.

This time, another guard by Stika's side was killed.

Beside her, there were only two "shield bearers" left.

Almost at the exact moment when Su Lun shot the arrow, another seventh-tier spell "Shadow Magic Arrow" came hurtling toward him.

With the gargoyle not fully restored, its stability would be greatly decreased.

This time, it might not be able to hold back the attack.

But at this critical moment, a lovely figure quickly blocked in front of Su Lun, punching the shadow arrow away.

Su Lun looked relieved, "Phew... So she finally made a move."

Turning his head, the person who had acted was none other than the masked Pandora.

Her alchemic body was invulnerable to all sorts of laws at a certain level, and a seventh-tier professional could not injure her. At least, a ranged spell like that was still far from enough.

....

Seeing yet another mysterious and powerful figure with strange methods appear,

Princess Mafa finally showed a change in color.

How could she not see that this was clearly an attempt to "assassinate" her?

A few people were holding off Melidis, and the master archer with the "Bow of Time Curse" started killing people.

Now that someone capable of taking a seventh-tier spell head-on appeared, Princess Stika felt her life was hanging by a thread.

At the same time, Su Lun's fifth arrow was drawn, once again aiming at her.

Scared out of her wits and unable to care about anything else, she quickly used her communicator, "Mr. Melidis, stop bothering with those assassins and take me away! The ritual has gone wrong, the 'Marine Ruin' could appear at any moment!"

Fussing with a bunch of assassins wasn't worth it.

Even if she could kill them all, it wasn't worth risking her extremely valuable life.

In the distance, Melidis frowned upon receiving the order.

He suspected that the mysterious woman who could withstand his attack wasn't very strong and that she only had a peculiar body.

Perhaps... another test would reveal the truth.

But the reality was that the situation no longer allowed him to delay. If he wasn't certain he could kill the archer quickly, Princess Stika was in danger. Moreover, the "Marine Ruin" could not be underestimated.

Melidis' eyes flashed with hesitation but he also immediately left the battlefield and ran towards a few sunken ships.

Then, to the shock of the Dawn Group, he took Princess Stika with him, tore a special scroll, and after a few flickers, their figures disappeared from the surface of the sea.

Seeing this, Su Lun seemed unsurprised, exhaling a long breath, "Finally, they're gone."

If they really wanted to win, the Dawn Group should have focused all their strength on surrounding and killing that 'thief emperor' Melidis.

But the chances of a devastating loss were high.

But Su Lun didn't want to see that happen.

That's why he had been so resolute about killing Princess Stika, betting on this outcome.

The princess valued her life even more.

She would surely retreat first.

...

Pandora was willing to help, and Su Lun actually had a good chance of killing the princess.

But he didn't do it.

And he couldn't kill her.

Because Su Lun knew very well, they couldn't deal with 'thief emperor' Melidis for now.

Even if they could, the Dawn Group would suffer heavy losses.

On the other hand, keeping the princess alive would keep that guy wary.

Just like now.

An intense battle ended abruptly, and the members of the Dawn Group seemed not to understand what had happened.

Watching the enemy truly vanish above the sea, Chiramer came over, puzzled, "Why did that guy run away?"

With a sigh, Su Lun replied, "Princess Stika probably thought we came to 'assassinate' her. Unsure if we had any further tricks up our sleeves, she didn't dare to gamble with her life, so she ran away."

Speaking of which, his expression was complex.

He really hadn't expected so many coincidences, encountering a mysterious Princess Mafa and a legendary hunter.

Seems like luck wasn't on his side...

But, what's done is done, nothing much to say now.

Su Lun looked at the seabed, the mechanical octopus was still entangled with the North Sea monster.

He said, "Dr. Banks, help me anesthetize that big guy under the water. Everyone else, go clean up the battlefield over there."

Dr. Banks replied, "Got it!"

The other members of the Dawn Group also began to clear the battlefield.

The people were gone, but the precious sacrifices and the treasures on the "Old Man Whiskers" hadn't escaped.