Mechanical Alchemist

Abel was released from the "Boyle Mechanism Puppet Heart," and from then on, there was one more person in Su Lun's laboratory.

It was here that Su Lun finally realized the brilliance of his senior, Robert Boyle.

By creating such a core to transmit the "mechanical puppetry" technique, it ensured the inheritance of his knowledge and also selected suitable descendants to carry on that knowledge.

Having been trapped within that core for five years, Abel's gains were anything but ordinary.

His talents were not only directly unraveled in certain special environments but, more importantly, his mentality had grown.

Dedicated study of alchemy is extremely tedious and lonely, especially the more advanced it gets.

Su Lun now had a profound understanding of this.

It required extraordinary discipline and perseverance.

Many with exceptional talents ultimately return to mediocrity, defeated by their own mentality.

Being able to stay in a "cage" like the puppet core for five years, Abel already possessed the most important qualities of a top alchemist.

With great talent and a strong mentality, he was a piece of raw jade of unmatched beauty.

It was fortunate that his sister Kama had been patiently encouraging him over the years, and that he had met Su Lun.

Abel was also very diligent, exhibiting an extraordinary talent for learning alchemy.

With a photographic memory and the ability to multitask, he picked up all the basic knowledge very quickly.

He found the tedious alchemical texts fascinating, grasped combat and firearms swiftly, and could rapidly comprehend complex mechanical knowledge...

Even without fusing any augmentations or professional materials, he could manipulate basic puppets with just his agile fingers.

Su Lun also liked this disciple very much.

And when he heard Abel say, "Teacher, I think the human body is too frail and limits many functions, my dream is to transform myself into a mechanical puppet..." he knew that this fellow would also forge an extraordinary path as a puppeteer.

That was the taboo of the Puppet Master lineage—an Explosive Modification Sorcerer.

Su Lun was very supportive of his idea.

The inheritance of puppeteers was never static; they constantly explored and progressed by standing on the shoulders of their predecessors.

The path that Su Lun himself wanted to take was that of a "mechanical puppet master."

And the Boyle lineage of mechanical puppets also held endless potential for development. He hoped that Kama and Abel would continue to advance further on this path and bring it to greater heights.

Unfortunately, the "Boyle Mechanism Puppet Heart" had not been fully repaired, and most of the inherited knowledge inside was still undecipherable.

To repair it, the best way Su Lun could think of was to get another green dragon crystal for replacement.

But dragon crystals... it was wishful thinking.

Dragons have been around since the Mythological Era. Mr. Jing said there were islands in the Western Sea where dragons lived, and Tanni's Naga mother had mentioned it too.

But such creatures, born as dominators, could not be judged by common sense in terms of combat power.

To kill a mature dragon, Su Lun guessed it would take a magicians of the eighth or ninth rank to stand a chance.

It was not something to consider in the short term.

However, it was fortunate that Su Lun's knowledge was now very rich, and he had also stripped away the mechanized puppet knowledge of the "Thousand Mechanism Puppet Hand" Vasili Tyermidó. At least it was enough to instruct the siblings for the next ten or twenty years.

...

With one more person came more vigor and liveliness.

The master and disciples spent their days holed up in the laboratory, conducting experiments.

Although he was accustomed to solitary research, Su Lun found the added bustle in the laboratory quite pleasant.

With two disciples who were also two handy assistants, they saved him a lot of worry.

The Sea of Ruins was vast, seemingly endless. The Dawn Brigade had sailed for eight or nine days without finding the River of the Underworld that led out.

Su Lun was busy every day; he had too much to research. Mechanical armor, crafting the "Siren Doll," solidifying the gargoyle's combat abilities, inscribing his body with "Ximing Laiwa's Sea God Runes," researching and improving mechanical octopuses, creating new mechanical octopuses...

His days were packed, so the time seemed to fly by.

One day, in the laboratory.

The three of Su Lun were as busy as usual.

```

At the workbench, two people with eight-armed spider spears were engrossed in tinkering with puppets.

The one with the dark gold spider spear was Su Lun, and beside him, Abrek was practicing carving first-order runes on a golden spider spear puppet.

As a legacy of the Puppeteer lineage, Su Lun would not let down his direct disciple.

He had taken out rare materials he collected on ordinary days to refine a first-order alchemic replacement gear for Abrek, an "Eight-Armed Spider God Spear." Even though it was a golden-quality spider spear core material, it had more control attributes and a higher compatibility with the puppetry magician.

Abrek liked this replacement gear very much and became quite skilled at using it in just a few days.

With two disciples, there was much that Su Lun no longer had to do himself, such as recording experimental data, for Kama was a very meticulous assistant.

At that moment, Su Lun was inscribing runes onto his own body, and he thought of something and said, "Kama, go and see how Dr. Banks's "Heart-Devouring Demon Eggs" are being cultivated. If we can get a mature Heart-Devouring Demon sooner, then I can prepare advanced replacement gear for you all. Although it's not as effective as those captured from natural environments, it can't be more suitable for your current levels..."

Su Lun's own path was indeed good, but it wasn't something just anyone could follow.

Without the blessing of two S-class talents, others could not digest those replacement gears and advanced initiation materials he used.

Kama, filled with joy, compliantly replied, "Yes, teacher."

Having a good teacher had allowed her to learn so much knowledge.

Not to mention this teacher was wealthy and generous, possessing even more treasures than their former great family.

Speaking of which, Su Lun added, "Also, don't just stay in the lab all day, you two. There's a lot I can't teach you. When you have time, go up to the deck, interact with Tanni and the others from the Dawning Group more, and get to know the other companions. Combining work and play can make learning more efficient."

Kama obediently said, "Okay, teacher."

But Abrek couldn't help saying, "Teacher, let sister go mingle on her own. I feel that the lab suits me better, learning brings me joy~ Besides, aren't you always in the lab too? Everyone says you're amazing because you worked hard. I'll work even harder in the future; I want to be as awesome as you!"

Upon hearing this, Su Lun smiled.

Combining the teachings of Sereya and his own experiences, he said, "Now is the time for you to accumulate knowledge, so it's best to stay in the lab. But in fact, combat is the quickest shortcut to progress, especially for puppetry. This world is vast, and you need to see it for yourselves. Alchemists need sufficient knowledge and experience to support your dreams. Once you get stronger, you'll have to venture out on your own."

Kama thoughtfully chimed in, "Ah, Loloita said that Teacher Qiantiao said the same thing."

Only then did Abrek seem to understand something, "I get it, teacher."

The three of them continued their chat, and suddenly, Tanni's voice came from the communicator, "Mr. Su Lun, come take a look quick; we seem to have arrived at the entrance of the 'River of the Underworld'!"

Hearing this, Su Lun muttered to himself, "Finally we've arrived."

...

The sea ruins had chaotic magnetic fields, and without starlight or moonlight, it was impossible to determine direction. They were fortunate that the Dawn Group had the "Black Sam's World Sea Map," a treasured nautical chart, which guided them all the way westward.

When Su Lun arrived on deck, everyone was gathered at the rail, staring out at the distant black maelstrom that was thousands of kilometers in diameter, shocked beyond belief.

"My God! Such a huge maelstrom, I've never seen or even heard of anything like it in my life!"

"Are we really going to sail our ship into it? Once in, we won't be able to come back up."

"Hahaha, it's time to test the young fellow Tanni's skills. We're all depending on him now."

"Oh, Mr. Su Lun is here."

"Hello, Mr. Su Lun~"

"..."

Seeing Su Lun, everyone greeted him in turn.

After responding, Su Lun wasted no time and leaped onto the mast.

From his high vantage point, he turned his gaze toward the great whirlpool shrouded in a faint mist.

Vast, pitch black, terrifying, unknown, imbued with ancient mystery...

Even sending out black crows, one could not see the bottom of that maelstrom. It was like a bottomless pit, swallowing endless seawater, as if it led straight to another world.

The sea ruins were just as the legends described — the end of the ocean, where the dead waters were buried.

Su Lun contacted Mr. Jing to describe what he saw and confirm once again that this was "probably" the entrance to the River of the Underworld.

At that moment, Tanni was showcasing his exceptional ship-handling skills by circling the maelstrom.

Behind the Sunrise Group, a few dozen ships followed.

Everyone watched the maelstrom that resembled the gaping maw of an abyssal demon, unsure of how to decide.

As Su Lun observed, Tanni suddenly asked from the helm, "Mr. Su Lun, should we go down? If we keep circling, the maelstrom will suck us in. Otherwise, we need to leave quickly."

Upon hearing this, Qiantiao, Barrett, Dr. Banks... everyone turned their eyes, waiting for his decision.

```

```

Although Su Lun often stayed in the lab and seldom showed face, everyone from Dawn Squad knew he was the core of the team.

Upon hearing this, Su Lun's eyebrows furrowed, and he appeared very cautious. After all, this wasn't the same sea ruin that Sir Isaac had visited before. This decision was tied to the lives of every member of Dawn Squad.

But it seemed there was no other way to leave the sea ruin.

After a moment's contemplation, he first asked, "Tanni, are you confident about going down?"

"No problem!"

Tanni, with his professional assurance, continued, "The whirlpool is quite large, and the wind direction is stable. We just need to follow the vortex pattern downward. The strength of 'Eternal Night' is enough to keep us from being torn apart by the whirlpool. It's just that once we go down, we won't know what's there. And we won't be able to come back up."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun glanced at Qian Tiao and the others and received a firm look in response.

All members of Dawn Squad had absolute trust in him.

After calculating all the possibilities in his mind, Su Lun didn't hesitate much and said, "Then let's go down."

"Okay."

Tanni's serious response came through the communicator, followed immediately by a command, "Helmsmen, take your positions! Prepare to enter the whirlpool!"

At the chief navigator's command, everyone held their breath in concentration.

After adjusting the sails, the "Eternal Night Emperor" charged toward the gigantic whirlpool.

This act of madness immediately dumbfounded the dozens of adventure squads that had followed Dawn Squad.

"Black Panther Squad," privy to some inside information, and their leader "Red Nose" Myles, an experienced adventurer, didn't hesitate to order his subordinates to throw away the heavy gold and silver treasures from the ship and followed suit.

The other ships, however, hesitated.

With such a huge whirlpool, not to mention whether they could safely descend, the idea of abandoning the treasures they had risked their lives for was something that no one could decide on the spot.

...

Dawn Squad paid no attention to those strangers.

"Eternal Night" quickly entered the exaggerated swirling currents of the whirlpool, the traction of the water on the ship growing stronger and its controllability decreasing.

"Stow the jib, control the main sail! Drop the half lance to stabilize the hull!"

"Hold tight, we're about to hit the waves!"

...

Tanni's exhausted roar echoed through the communicator.

Under his command, the ship's hull, at nearly a ninety-degree vertical angle, gained speed as it rode over the whirlpool's undulating waves.

Everyone's hearts were in their throats, their expressions ranged from grave to excited to anxious.

Though a sea emperor-class battleship is strong, it seemed so feeble and powerless when confronting the forces of nature. A single mishap in operation could result in the ship being torn to shreds by the immense force of the currents in moments.

But after one fierce collision, the entire ship suddenly stabilized.

The tremendous centripetal force glued everyone's feet to the deck, which looked very dangerous, but like a train on the right track, it actually became stable.

At that moment, Tanni's excited voice came through the communicator, "Hahaha, we've passed the dangerous part, we've successfully entered the stable flow zone of the whirlpool!"

Upon these words, a collective sigh of relief swept across the deck.

Su Lun, looking down into the pitch-black whirlpool, bottomless to sight, had eyes gleaming with excitement.

It was a sensation of plummeting into an endless abyss.

Having faced the abyss, fear faded away, replaced by limitless courage welling up in his heart.

Qian Tiao felt the same way; exchanging glances, they both saw the fearlessness in each other's eyes.

Beside them, Lolota, Kama, and Abek were novices to such phenomena, their little faces filled with tension.

...

The whirlpool seemed truly endless, leading into boundless darkness.

Amidst the anxious faces, expectation slowly began to surface.

This was also part of the joy of adventure, the route ahead always filled with the unknown. Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire

Within a very short time, the "Eternal Night" had descended vertically for about ten kilometers. Suddenly, everyone's vision was met with a soft blue glow.

```

After a moment of violent collision, the ship felt as if it had plunged from a waterfall into a river, and the flow of water became gentle.

Darkness surrounded them, but clusters of spiritual bodies, similar to blue jellyfish, drifted through the water.

Su Lun assessed them and found, to his surprise, they were actually "spirits of the dead".

Joy filled his heart as he exclaimed loudly, "We've reached the 'River of the Underworld'!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces lit up with happiness.

Seeing this river meant they were on the right path, and there was a great chance they could make it out!

At that moment, Su Lun called out again, "Everyone, throw down your 'Opales Silver Coins'!"

Upon his command, everyone tossed a silver coin they had prepared into the water as a bribe for the ferryman of the underworld, to redeem their souls that were supposed to head to the netherworld.

With a splash of coins hitting the water, members of the Dawn group closed their eyes.

According to legends from the Roman Kingdom, a black river known as the "Agron River" raged through the underworld, with its tributaries spreading across every major plane. The souls of the deceased would drift along this river to the underworld. Spirits had to pay a silver coin to the ferrying deity to safely cross the river; otherwise, they would wander lost and in pain on the banks of the river of discomfort, unable to find their rest.

Su Lun, too, closed his eyes for this was the rule above the River of the Underworld. Should one truly see the ferrying deity, they would have to take their place guiding souls and could never return. Only upon the arrival of a successor could they leave for the underworld.

...

The Eternal Night sailed slowly upstream, the faint sound of water trickling by the ear.

Mr. Jing said that the River of the Underworld gathered all the dark laws of this plane, and sailing upstream would cleanse one's spirit, allowing insights into the mysterious aspects of dark laws.

Their entry into the Sea Ruins was accidental, but it turned out to be a great opportunity.

An opportunity that most people could never touch in their lifetimes.

The members of the Dawn group all closed their eyes, some sitting cross-legged, others standing or lying flat, carefully contemplating.

Su Lun practiced dark spiritual power and had comprehended the "Law of Death"; the aura of the River of the Underworld felt extremely comfortable to him.

For the first time, he sensed a distinction in the Law of Death.

The "Law of Death" was like a large tree, and its leaves were all shades of green—light green, pale green, crystal green, dark green, to the densest black.

Su Lun felt that he had only comprehended one of its leaves, a green neither rich nor weak.

He could acutely sense that behind him lay complete darkness, but they were heading towards a direction where the laws became fainter and fainter.

...

It was hard to tell how long had passed, perhaps several hours, or even several days.

Suddenly, everyone perceived light.@@novelbin@@

Su Lun opened his eyes and, upon looking, saw the long-missed blue sky and white clouds, as well as the comforting sun.

The gloom that had accumulated in the realm of the dead cleared away, and his entire soul felt transparent.

"Hahaha... We've finally returned!"

"Oh, that damn dead spirit smell in the Sea Ruins, I never thought the sea breeze could smell so good!"

"..."

On deck, everyone erupted into celebration, immersed in the immense joy of their adventurous return.

Emanating from the River of the Underworld, it seemed as though everyone had undergone a cleansing of the soul. It was an indescribable feeling, but their faces were filled with the look of fruitful gain.

For the first time in two hundred years, the Eternal Night was bathed in sunlight, its fearsome black sails imposing under the rays.

The flag of the Dawn group flew proudly atop the mast.

Not far away, the ship of the "Black Panther Group" caught up with them.

'Red Nose' Myles, needing to return to Luying for his mission, and guessing that the Dawn group had other matters to attend to, waved goodbye to Barrett.

Though much treasure was lost, they also brought everything back with them, making the trip, overall, a good haul.

After bidding farewell to the Black Panther Group, Tanni used the sextant to ascertain their approximate location and reported, "Mr. Su Lun, we are now several thousand miles from where we first entered the Sea Ruins."

Su Lun had not forgotten that their primary goal this time was the "Void Relics." He said, "Set sail forth!"

Cheers erupted from the crew, and sails were hoisted.

The Frost Moon Princess would probably never guess they had survived their ordeal in the Sea Ruins.