Mechanical Alchemist

Soon, eight pirate ships docked at the port.

Su Lun squatted in the pile of slaves in the cabin, listening to the noisy movements on the wharf outside, without any emotional fluctuation.

Since the ship was docking and it was time to disembark, pirates finally came to remove the slaves' hoods.

Having squatted for many days, the slaves were dizzy and disoriented, and a few sick individuals in the corner who were barely breathing were slightly sluggish, earning whiplashes across their backs that snapped crisply.

"Line up and follow quickly! Don't fucking dawdle!"

Su Lun also endured a couple of lashes.

After stepping out of the cabin onto the deck, he was finally able to breathe fresh air instead of the stuffy atmosphere inside, and his expression brightened for a moment.

Su Lun observed the bustling dock with an expression indistinguishable from the other slaves, a dull look coupled with a hint of curiosity. It seemed he wanted to know where they were being sold to, but the curiosity in his eyes flashed only briefly before disappearing.

Mining, hard labor, land clearing, fighting... It made no difference.

The slaves lined up and walked down from the ship, heading towards the city gate along the dock's pathways.

"Tokster Void Royal Alchemy Academy" was surrounded by a white stone wall that spanned most of the island, reaching a hundred meters high and majestic in appearance. Unfortunately, now only remnants and ruins remained.

Two groups stood at the city gate: a group of mechanical warriors and another group of pirates.

Their gazes were sharp, carefully scrutinizing every individual entering the city.

Su Lun knew they were searching for spies attempting to infiltrate the city and was not the least bit worried.

He had a thorough understanding of everything within the encampment, so he had no reason to feel nervous. Amongst the gatekeepers were those with sensing capabilities, and normally, Su Lun's fourth-tier status could not be concealed. However, he possessed a very special mechanical alchemy device called an "Energy Fluctuation Disruptor."

This was Mafa Empire's latest spy device, several of which were seized when a submarine was intercepted.

Mafa's mechanical warriors could discern the tier of practitioners because their helmets were equipped with energy observation devices. Working similarly to the methods of sensing professionals, these devices could accurately capture the outflow of energy from living beings to determine their tier. Moreover, the machinery was even more precise, with less margin of error.

But if energy fluctuations could be observed mechanically, they could also be disrupted.

Hence, the disruptor existed.

This was cutting-edge technology currently unmatched by any power on the market.

Su Lun had tested it before and even fourth or fifth-tier practitioners could be deceived. Now, wearing it on his person, he entered the city with no trouble.

...

The North Sea Fleet had been operating in this secret domain for several years, and although it had almost cleared the cursed space within the academy's main building only in the last six months, this ruin still housed many void monsters.

The situation here was quite similar to Old Lington.

Both were ancient ruins, both had a space channel still leaking energy from a foreign dimension, and over countless years, the creatures had developed their own ecological system.

As Su Lun walked, he could clearly feel the spiritual power fluctuations of monsters in the sewer below. The complex network of caves was an ideal environment for them. Near the space rift that resembled a vertical pupil, dense spatial energy continued to seep out, marking the location of the space channel.

Even though it was midnight, the city was brightly lit, and pirates carrying weapons could be seen everywhere.

Some entertainment venues like taverns and brothels were open and bustling with activity.@@novelbin@@

Not only were there military tents in the city, but there was also extensive construction as the pirates built new structures, making it a bustling city.

The buildings flew the flags of the North Sea Fleet and the banners of "Void Fleet" divisions.

Su Lun could tell that King Oleg of the North Sea was likely planning to turn this place into a stronghold of his own.

For the purpose of long-term development.

Normally, humans had a high chance of mutation when integrating with virtual materials, but living for an extended period in an environment rich with virtual energy could improve a practitioner's spatial affinity, increasing the chances of successful integration.

It was like Old Lington, where the locals had a high affinity for dark spiritual power.

In a few years, the North Sea Fleet would produce a large number of practitioners with spatial abilities, and it was not impossible that some strong high-tier practitioners would also emerge.

This was undoubtedly the foundation of Lord Oleg.

"Yo~ the quality of the female slaves that arrived today is quite high."

"Tsk tsk, there's entertainment tonight. Just went to a cursed space yesterday and earned enough points, time to have some fun."

"Hahaha, your Squad Ten is indeed lucky. The mission you completed last time cleared an A-level cursed space, and you've earned enough points not to work for the next half year..."

"Haha, indeed."

"..."

Su Lun and the other slaves were herded into the city, among them several female slaves, barely covered by tattered rags. Along the way, the pirates couldn't help but point and comment. To call this a secret realm, it wasn't much different from a prison, except for the rare arrival of fresh women.

Having been marched the entire way, the female slaves were sent to the Pleasure Pavilion. Su Lun and the male slaves were locked in a dark dungeon within the city to continue their confinement.

However, unlike before, the slaves had just been locked up when they were rewarded with a hearty meal.

The slaves all knew all too well that a good meal likely meant that work was coming.

In the dim, lightless cage, the slaves eagerly devoured the distributed food.

Compared to the daily meager helpings of water and black bread, the current meal of mashed potatoes with meat and rum was a feast.

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No matter the task, even if it was walking to the gallows, having a full stomach before death wasn't so bad.

To call it 'last meal' wasn't an exaggeration at all.

Su Lun was well aware that female slaves could be sent to brothels, while male slaves were cannon fodder filling the cursed spaces.

The survival rate for slaves sent to explore these secret spaces was less than one percent.

Surviving once didn't guarantee survival the next time.

And Su Lun didn't behave any differently, eating the food distributed by the prison guard.

Before long, with their bellies filled with food and drink, a fourth-tier pirate lieutenant walked atop the cage.

Swinging a whip, he snapped it against the cage with a "crack."

This was the way they disciplined slaves, signaling everyone to listen to him.

The slaves, as if by conditioned reflex, anxiously looked his way.

"You are slaves, and in other places, you would be slaves for life! But here in the North Sea Kingdom, you have another choice..."

"Now, I offer you an opportunity, and that's to join in exploring the cursed spaces. I won't lie to you—the mortality rate is high. But if you can complete the mission, you can survive. And if you earn enough points, you can even join our North Sea fleet, escape slavery, and become official crewmen..."

"..."

Su Lun quietly listened to the lieutenant "painting a big pie."

The words were very straightforward: by participating in the exploration of cursed spaces, not only was there a chance to survive, but also an opportunity to escape slavery.

For slaves, the draw was indeed huge.

In Ruying, as long as you are a slave, you are a slave for life. Their status was the same as mules and horses, the personal property of slave masters. Those with good luck might be slaves in a plantation for life. Those with bad luck could end up mining until they died or being used as human shields on the battlefield...

So having the chance to escape slavery was definitely a formidable temptation.

The quality of this batch of slaves was high, most of them war slaves from various territories in Ruying, with quite a few second and third-tier professionals.

Su Lun knew when boarding the ship that this was a deliberate selection for the development of the cursed spaces.

The pirates naturally hoped that the slaves would be more proactive in their response, rather than sending hordes of the living dead with no will to live to their deaths.

At the end of his speech, the lieutenant shouted again, "So, those who wish to explore the cursed spaces, raise your hands! Once you decide to participate, you can eat the same food every day as you did tonight!"

It seemed like he was asking whether they were willing.

But actually, there was only one choice.

Either you volunteer, or you're forced to go.

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone excitedly raised their hand.

"I'm willing to go!"

"And me!"

"Count me in. I'd rather die than live as a slave!"

"..."

Su Lun knew there were pirates' plants among the group, but as soon as these people spoke up, the atmosphere indeed heated up.

This encouraged the slaves who were still hesitating to raise their hands one after another, fearing they would miss the chance.

Seeing it was about right, Su Lun also raised his hand.

...

While Su Lun was still in the cell.

In a luxuriously decorated building in Ruins City, the lights were bright as a group of people discussed an exploration plan for the cursed space.

Even in the ruins, the princess from the Mafa royal family enjoyed the best living conditions.

However, because the "Royal No. 7" had been hijacked and the main culprit had not yet been found, Princess Stika had been in a bad mood for the past few days.

The "unstable planar passage" was difficult to pioneer, and the people from the North Sea Fleet were not in a hurry either. Even if they couldn't fully explore, the space could provide them with a continuous supply of low-level cursed materials. Given enough time, there would always be a day when a solution would be found. If they could, like Duke Rafael, secretly develop for a few decades, they would certainly build a formidable Void Fleet for Lord Oleg.

But the situation had now changed.

The submarine attack meant the secret of the space sanctuary had been exposed.

All forces in Luingdom coveted the space sanctuary. If its treasures weren't excavated quickly, there was a risk of unforeseen complications.

The magic lamps lit up the room brightly.

A group of people sat around a luxurious mahogany round table.

At the head of the table, Princess Stika, with a grim look on her face, asked, "Dr. Bachar, how are things on your end?"

"Yesterday, we just attempted a formula for a 'Void Endurance Potion' that we acquired recently. The test result is that it can increase the endurance of low-level professionals by 15-23% and significantly raise the probability of integrating with Void materials. However, its effectiveness is not ideal for high-level professionals..."

The speaker was a big-bearded old man in a white lab coat.

He was the principal scientist brought by Princess Stika, Bachar Pearson.

Even in the academic circles of the Mafa Empire, he was a renowned figure, specializing in biotechnology and mechanics.

He was also the key person sent by Mafa for the joint development of the Void Relics!

A few days earlier, because of the hijacking of "Royal No. 7," Bachar and several senior scientists had come ashore, so they were not captured along with the others, making Princess Stika not feel the situation was completely dire.

As long as this man was around, they could find a way to bring another batch of equipment from Mafa.

Continuing, the bearded old man said, "Based on the current intelligence, this Void Academy had conducted a lot of research to enhance human Void endurance. Moreover, several had achieved considerable results. In those records, I stumbled upon the possibility that this academy had once developed a special potion capable of altering human bloodlines—the 'Void Gene Potion.' This potion directly alters the genetic chain, granting a permanent increase in spatial affinity, akin to obtaining an additional talent of a 'B-040-Void Patron.' So, my suggestion is, if we can acquire those research findings, we could quickly put together a group of professionals with high spatial tolerance..."

Hearing this, everyone in the room was shocked.

Man-made B-level bloodlines with rare Void abilities?

Even if such a potion truly existed, it would undoubtedly be challenging to produce, but its value would be beyond imagination!

Upon hearing this, Princess Stika looked up at the man in the white suit sitting on her left and asked, "What do you think, Mr. Samikina?"

The man in the suit, with a genteel smile devoid of a pirate's roughness, responded, "Your Royal Highness Princess, I've also heard of that potion. It's associated with a man named 'Herbert Hillbilly.' But despite our multiple ventures into the cursed space, we have never found such a person in the academy, nor any information about him. So I even doubt whether that project exists at all. Or perhaps, the existence of this person was deliberately 'erased' by the Void Academy for some special reason. To find clues, we would need to venture into even more dangerous regions, such as... T-Zone experimentation areas."

This man was none other than the fleet admiral of the "Void Fleet," a seventh-tier professional, Samikina J. Luo.

Although there was no bounty on him in the outside world, his strength was definitely among the top in the North Sea Fleet.

Princess Stika listened to their words, her expression inscrutable.

If this "Void Gene Potion" truly existed, she had to have it!

After pondering for a moment, she said, "You have all heard. Now, what are your thoughts?"

At this, the various staff members began to speak up.

"The dean of the Void Academy holds the key, perhaps even the pivotal point for lifting the entire cursed space. We could figure out a way..."

"There is an archive in the library where you can find some hidden information…"

"The 'T-Level Test Zone' must have some research materials; perhaps we could find some physical information…"

"…"

These were the members of the Mafa Royal Think Tank, who were also very experienced in breaking curse spaces.

They quickly came up with several feasible plans.

Around the round table, Samikina listened without speaking, but as he listened, a sneer crept onto his lips.

To him, these fools from Mafa were steeped in arrogance, not taking anyone from the North Sea Fleet seriously, not even him, the fleet commander.

When they had finished speaking, Samikina, with a tone of ridicule, said, "Blunt force is definitely not going to work. The dean currently possesses the strength of at least a seventh-tier professional and is proficient in void magic. Even if Lord Oleg himself were here, he wouldn't be able to kill him in a short amount of time. Moreover, once inside the academy, no matter how many more people we organize, we could never be the opponents of the whole academy. If we become hostile, all the teachers, professors, and students will become our enemies. By then, we might even lose our last chance of survival. As for the library, we have almost turned over every region with access without finding any clues. As for the top floor, only the professors of the academy have access…"

At these words, the staff group found their voices again.

"We could find a breakthrough from that 'Royal Investigation Group Leader' in space. I have analyzed the data; his authority is very high. He should be able to access the top level of the library."

"There was no movement on the airship, but once we disembarked, there was a chance."

"I have assessed the combat risks. To control that guy, we need at least three fifth-tier professionals, or even better, one from the sixth tier. Although there is still some risk, if we want to make progress quickly, we have to take risks."

"Indeed, if we don't take some risks, the cursed space could take years to break open without any progress."

"…"

Upon hearing the word "risk," the fleet commander Samikina snorted coldly.

He glanced at the staff group again, as if suppressing anger, narrowed his eyes, and said, "Your points are taken. But once we find the clue, it will likely still point to the 'T-Level Test Zone.' Given the current situation, going there is essentially a death sentence. I already lost one of my most capable lieutenants in an attempt to explore that region. So, who do you think should go?"

His words made it clear; he was unwilling to risk any of the fleet's sixth-tier professionals.

Upon hearing this, everyone at the round table fell silent.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Princess Stika seemed to have made a decision. After pondering for a moment, she said emotionlessly, "This mission shall be led by Major General Tatiana from the Royal Guard."

Samikina raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised, but chuckled lightly, "That would be best."

Princess Stika continued, "Another thing—lately, various forces have been watching us, so the slaves that are sent in should preferably not survive. Mark out a few of the most dangerous spots and arrange for them to explore."

...

Su Lun had spent a few more days in prison, well-fed and cared for.

When he had nothing to do, he would visit the 'War Workshop' in the small virtual space to see the construction progress, which made time fly swiftly.

He wasn't worried about not being able to enter the cursed space.

Now that the submarine was intercepted, Su Lun guessed that Princess Stika and the North Sea Fleet would probably suspect a leak of the secret coordinates and would accelerate their exploration pace. Especially that underdeveloped, most dangerous yet treasure-packed 'Unstable Plane Channel.' Using the lives of slaves for trial and error couldn't be more fitting.

The fact that none of the slaves from the recent group returned served as the best proof.

On this day, which was the fourth day of his imprisonment,

Su Lun and over a dozen other slaves were crammed into the prison cell.

While the others were chatting away, he lay against the wall, sleeping.

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard outside the cell.

Su Lun slightly opened his eyes and murmured, "That 'Unstable Plane Channel' could be entered once every three days, and the last batch has been consumed. It should be time for the second batch…"

The footsteps grew closer to their cell,

and while the other slaves grew nervous,

Su Lun remained calm. Fortunate as ever, he overheard the conversations—it was indeed the 'Unstable Plane Channel' they were heading for.

As expected, the prison door was opened and the leading pirate said, "You can come out now!"