Mechanical Alchemist

The first draft, check back later for refresh. Dead people.

At the end of the line, several unfortunate souls were unexpectedly severed by an unknown space entity, their crimson guts spilling out onto the ground.

The others didn’t know what was happening, but Su Lun sensed the barely perceptible spatial fluctuations.

In the instant the attack happened, his "All-Seeing Eye" caught a glimpse of the monster’s shadow, which resembled a skinned human with a scythe-like tongue, identified by a name called "Void Aberrant·Scythe-Tongued".

It was an unforeseen creature, not accounted for in the intelligence.

This creature was strong and fast, specialized in spatial teleportation, and posed a fatal threat to third and fourth-tier professionals. Killing a few lower-tier slaves was, of course, a cinch for it.

When the attack occurred, Su Lun expected it but a streak of doubt flashed through his mind, "Strange, it wasn’t that old geezer but a creature from the lab itself?"

He had identified that the "Scythe-Tongued" monster was a result of the laboratory accident at this "Laboratory Zero", a mutated version of the dead research personnel.

Su Lun felt there was something amiss, but he swiftly drew the most rational conclusion with his logical thinking skills: it was an accident.

....

After a moment of panic among the crowd, calm was restored.

After all, only a few slaves had died, and nobody cared about their lives or deaths.

However, the team stopped moving, everyone cocked their guns, all displaying heightened vigilance.

Dean Mason looked at the corpses, his eyes revealing a hint of sorrow, and said, "Captain Tadjina, I think we better not proceed any further. There are a lot of contaminants in this laboratory, and even I am unsure of what it has turned into. If we continue, I fear for the safety of the investigation team members..."

Hearing this, Major General Jina coldly interrupted, "Continue forward."

Losing a few slaves was inconsequential for the royal mechanical guard Major General.

Seeing her resolute attitude, Dean Mason glanced at the bodies on the ground, sighed deeply, and could say no more.

The team continued towards the depths of the laboratory.

With people starting to die, it meant they might be about to face even more brutal slaughter.

As Su Lun continued to follow the team, he kept a careful eye on the old man’s every move, his mind alert to the highest degree.

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The monsters couldn’t kill him, the only one who posed a fatal threat at the moment was the old Dean himself.

He analyzed in his mind, "I sensed the spatial fluctuation, this old man definitely has the strength to detect the monster in advance. But he didn’t stop it, obviously, there’s something fishy. The people of Mafa didn’t point it out, seemingly afraid to start a conflict right there..."

His thoughts racing, Su Lun suddenly felt something was amiss.

After carefully observing Dean Mason’s expression and considering, "But, his attitude doesn’t seem feigned."

Logically, if he wanted to find a place to silence someone, he wouldn’t advise the investigation team to turn back.

Looking at his emotions, they didn’t seem faked at all.

An acting master?

Su Lun dismissed this possibility. He himself was an expert on emotions. This old man was a superior order than him, but he didn’t show the slightest hint of deceit in his emotions, which made it highly unlikely.

"Could it be a reverse psychology tactic, the more he prevents us, the more it makes people want to delve into the depths of the laboratory?"

Su Lun felt, that would be what Ying Ai would do.

...

The investigation team continued downward and indeed, more than a dozen more were suddenly killed.

But with increased vigilance, the group also managed to kill a few of the ambushing creatures.

Gradually, as Su Lun watched Dean Mason, who was leading the team, he grew more convinced that something was wrong, "We’ve gone this deep, and the old man still hasn’t silenced anyone? What is he waiting for..."

Now, there were two key figures in the investigation team, one was himself, Su Lun, who had visited the fourth level of the library, and the other was the team leader, Major General Jina.

Su Lun felt that if he were in the old man’s shoes, he would definitely find a way to eliminate these two people trying to get close to the truth.

But just now, Su Lun had felt several times almost as if amidst the chaos of the monsters’ slaughter, it was a chance to fish in troubled waters, but the old Dean didn’t act, which was perplexing.

So far, only some insignificant others had died.

"Is there something else hidden?"

An intuition told Su Lun that everything he had deduced before seemed somehow incorrect.

An experimental lab accident definitely occurred here. What exactly happened?

What role did "Herbert Hillbilly" play in this accident?

Although Su Lun was certain he was still alive, where on earth could he be?

Now that the "Void Invasion" is about to erupt, any further delay would be extremely detrimental to him.

While thoughts were whirling through Su Lun’s mind, Major General Tatiyana had already ordered her deputy to lead these several hundred people into several teams to investigate various parts of this laboratory.

Gunfire could be heard everywhere; clearly, they had also encountered monsters.

It was then that he suddenly realized something, "Eh... something’s not right. This woman’s purposefulness is too strong, her choices at multiple intersections didn’t show the hesitation and caution they should have. It’s as if she knows the layout of this place?"

The "Zeroth Laboratory" was full of complex tunnels and many forks, as well as spatial restrictions.

Normally, it is unwise to split forces and explore when faced with an unknown and obviously dangerous area.

Yet she, a top military officer with abundant combat experience, had done just that.

"Could it be that they obtained detailed intelligence from the leader of that investigation team’s NPC?"

Su Lun sensed something.

At the same time, he was also curious about what was written in the dossier held by Major General Tatiyana, why she was adamant about coming to this "Zeroth Laboratory," and what exactly she wanted to find.

Just then, the team seemed to have reached the core area of this underground laboratory, which was a huge space of several thousand square meters.

Upon entering, the first thing everyone saw was a variety of densely packed equipment and glass vessels containing Void monster materials.

[Void Dragon Lice Skeleton (Silver)], [Black Flash Wing Dragon’s Magic Muscle (Gold)], [Dragon Lice’s Black Magic Skin (Dark Gold)], [Locovaren Worm King’s Brain (Legendary)], [Void Mantis’s Lethal Claws (Gold)]...

The beams of magic lamps shone on various rare Void materials stored in those glass vessels, which were of at least silver grade, some even legendary.

These materials, with their strong curse properties, were definitely top-grade Void materials for crafting alchemical implants, their value immeasurable.

Furthermore, the place that was obviously a materials warehouse contained even more treasures.

Although the core area was in shambles, evidence of a fierce battle, it did not dampen the excitement of the newcomers in the slightest.

Upon seeing these items, the Royal Mechanical Legion maintained their quiet due to discipline, but the several hundred slaves rushed in ecstatically like they were mad.

"Hahaha, we’re going to be rich this time! With these materials, we can earn enough points to be freed from slavery."

"Hurry, grab them! Whoever gets them, keeps them!"

"That was mine first! Whoever the fuck tries to steal from me is getting beaten to death..."

"..."

The slaves had fallen into madness, excitedly stuffing various materials and treasures into storage rings.

For the large items they couldn’t fit in, they simply carried them on their backs.

Even just taking one of these high-quality materials out could grant them freedom and vast wealth.

Not just for those slaves desperate to survive and escape bondage, even Su Lun found these materials quite tantalizing.

Materials aside, there were also many experimental data, documents, manuscripts, and detailed reports of research projects... Those were the truly priceless items.

But where others fell into madness, he became ever more calm.

All this way, aside from the unlucky dead, there didn’t seem to be any great danger.

Moreover, the actions of Ma Fa’s people were very strange.

Major General Tatiyana did not stop the slaves from looting; after all, once outside, everything would definitely be confiscated, nothing would leak out.

Witnessing this scene, Dean Mason’s face turned unsightly, seeming unable to comprehend the investigation team’s looting behavior. He cautioned everyone, "The Zeroth Laboratory was once an institute where the Academy concentrated its high-risk projects, storing many dangerous experimental subjects, specimens, and materials. Everyone be careful and try not to touch anything."

It was at this moment that Major General Tatiyana spoke up with a peculiar request, "Dean Mason, please grant me level one administrative access; I need to investigate the ’T11 Experimental Area’."

Upon hearing this, the Dean’s face changed drastically, and he quickly responded, "The T11 Experimental Area is extremely dangerous. It contains that mutated monster. You cannot go there!"

Su Lun looked to the side slightly upon hearing this.

This was information he had not possessed, apparently something Ma Fa’s people had found in the investigation team leader’s records.

The old man was very firm in his stance, and Su Lun thought that Major General Tatiyana would not persist, but to his surprise, her attitude was extraordinarily firm at this moment.

She took out a sheepskin scroll bearing the royal crest and said sternly, "Our investigation team has its own judgment, and we do not need your reminders, Dean. This is an order passed by the council, just give me the authority and that will do!"

As soon as she spoke, the dozens of mechanical warriors beside her subtly formed a battle array, showing signs they were ready to take action.

Level One Authority?

So this is what they were really after?

Not that "T11 District"?

Su Lun squinted at everything before him and thought: "Planning to play hardball? Where do they get the confidence from?"

At the same time, he felt that old Dean Mason was far too patient. With the situation as it was, how could he not have killed everyone already?

Su Lun’s first reaction was that it suited him just fine, with Mafa and the others taking the thunder for him, saving him a lot of trouble. Since Mafa and his team were daring to make a move, they must have some level of assurance.

But... something about the way things were unfolding was increasingly off.

Su Lun had anticipated that Dean Mason would want to silence them, that Herbert Hillbilly hidden in this lab would intervene, and both sides would engage in a fierce battle, right?

But now the old man hadn’t made a move, and these people from Mafa are kicking up a fuss about "Level One Authority"?

Dean Mason’s intelligence was very high, almost like a real person.

He was about to say something, when just at that moment, a sudden sound of doors closing echoed through the tunnel.

This "Laboratory Zero" was equipped with many defensive measures to prevent contamination leaks. The corridor was also built with especially sturdy materials that could prevent energy from leaking out, even possessing special enchantment walls that could block Spatial Displacement.

Su Lun had previously observed it, but since his chessboard could still operate, he didn’t pay it too much mind.

But now, someone had activated a mechanism, and the doors began to close.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"...

A succession of closing door sounds came from the distance to the near, and finally even the core area’s several doors completely descended and sealed off.

Everyone was confined within this area of several thousand square meters.

Dean Mason looked at the imperial investigation team with disbelief and asked, "You... those people just now, did you arrange for them to activate the lab’s emergency safety device?"

Major General Jina emphasized again, "Please cooperate, Dean, and give me the authority!"

Dean Mason didn’t understand why she insisted on the authority, and after a moment of stunned silence, he suddenly grasped something. His face turned deathly pale, and an aura of authority burst forth as he yelled angrily, "My God, do you realize what you are doing? This foolish act could even bring a disastrous calamity to the entire plane!"

After a pause, his face filled with uncontrollable rage and sad expression, he added, "I finally realize why he lured you to ’Laboratory Zero,’ so this is it! Ah... you’ve been tricked."

"..."

Su Lun had never seen the old man lose his composure like this, and his heart skipped a beat.

He finally realized that things were not going as he had expected.

Mafa and his people were hell-bent on obtaininng that "authority," seemingly set on doing something major.

"Damn it, the clue left by Herbert Hillbilly was flawed from the start."

At that moment, Su Lun also finally understood why the timing of the "Void Invasion" varied.

...

Seeing Dean Mason’s attitude, Su Lun immediately realized that he had been misled by the clues in the notes, and Mafa and his companions had been misled by the clues in the archives!

He immediately realized that this old man was not the evil villain he had expected!

At least, this guy never had any intention of silencing the investigation team from the beginning.

Su Lun analyzed in his mind, "According to previous intelligence, if we do not interfere with the actions of the investigation team, those NPC always enter the planar gate. Shortly after entering, the ’Void Invasion’ breaks out. Therefore, the true reason for the monsters invading the academy is the action of this investigation team entering Laboratory Zero!"

"Now that the investigation team’s archives were intercepted by Mafa and his group, they have obtained that intelligence and came here directly! There must be a piece of special intelligence in those archives pointing here, which allowed Mafa and his people to find the lab’s emergency safety device to shut the doors, leading to the current situation..." Discover exclusive content at novelbuddy

Su Lun figured out some of the cause and effect.

But at that moment, Major General Jina waved her hand grandly, "Take action!"

At her command, the group of mechanical warriors behind her suddenly pulled out a series of strange firearms, and upon firing, a blue electric arc net converged in the air.

This was a cursed space, not the real world, so Mafa and his team didn’t have that many scruples.

Killing monsters, seizing treasures, and breaking the cursed space was the ultimate goal.

Su Lun could have reacted in advance, but upon assessing the identified situation, he immediately chose to stay.

"Micro Particle Energy Arc Gun," this gun has minimal lethality, its sole use is to disrupt elemental energy in the area, making it very difficult to concentrate Alchemy.

These guys trapped the old dean here, restricted Spatial Displacement, and even used such high-tech methods, obviously plotting to ambush and kill him!

"These guys really are prepared to kill the dean!"

Su Lun also understood their plan.

In the entire Void Alchemy Academy, only the sealed environment of this laboratory could possibly kill this old man capable of Spatial Displacement at will.

Although he hadn’t fully grasped the complete causes and consequences of what was happening, he absolutely would not let Mafa and his people kill this old dean!

But just as Su Lun was about to take action, a bizarre scene unfolded.

...

The groups that left earlier activated some kind of emergency safety device, not just closing the door but also releasing a very terrifying monster.

At that moment, a strange creature that looked like a mud monster from a sketch, made entirely of black lines, emerged from a crack in the floor and formed a nearly ten-meter-tall, fierce, and terrifying Void monster before everyone.

Su Lun watched the transformation process of this monster, his eyes betraying his shock.

"Void Bivector Worm Aberrant"

Detailed explanation: A monstrous aberration created by Herbert Hillbilly fusing the spinal fluid of a Void Queen, it is a Void creature that can freely shift between two and three-dimensional states. It has the power to reduce three-dimensional objects to two dimensions, extremely dangerous; it is also the ’Queen’ of the Void Worm race, capable of initiating Telepathy to summon billions of its kind.

"Spatial Dimension Reduction?"

Su Lun was also shocked as he looked at this identified ability.

It turns out that Space Law involves not only Teleportation, containment, but also Dimension Reduction, a power so divine it could be called "miraculous."

But none of that mattered anymore.

Seeing the word "Queen," and recalling the top-secret files obtained by Mafa and his people, he suddenly realized something and exclaimed in his heart, "I finally understand, ’Void Invasion’ has been Herbert’s own self-directed conspiracy from start to finish! It was all to bait outsiders into releasing it and then take the opportunity to assassinate the dean, seize authority, and completely open the Void Plane channel."

"But why... would he do such a thing?"

Su Lun thought of the words in the notebook, which didn’t seem like made-up "short essays."

That Herbert Hillbilly was a Magician who loved the world.

"Right, he was already mutated when he wrote this notebook! Some contents of the notebook are true, while some might have been written under the control of his twisted and mutated mind’s will."

Su Lun thought of Pestoya’s condition before. (Mr. Jing’s sister)

Her soul and that of a Fallen Angel were as one, yet she had no idea of her other half. She was oblivious to the deeds of the Fallen Angel.

This Herbert, after fusing with god-tier Void materials, mutated into a monster. Could it be that some of his actions were not under his own control but driven by the "monster’s" will?

"Herbert knew the mutation was irreversible, then deliberately reported to the academy and had himself locked up in ’Laboratory Zero.’ After he fully mutated, the monster’s will took over, realizing it had no hope of escaping. Thus, it could only use this pretext to lure the imperial investigation team here!"

Su Lun roughly figured out everything.

...

After the appearance of this monster, the tentacles on its head kept trembling, as if emitting some kind of biological signal. The next instant, the laboratory suddenly shook violently like an earthquake.

Void Invasion... it erupted just as expected!

Su Lun, seeing the storyline before him completely reversed, narrowed his eyes.

The safest option would be to run away while the two BOSSes were engaged, but then, he would have to give up all the fortunes here.

Moreover, the curse space storyline would proceed in its original direction, and it would likely not be broken.

Su Lun’s thoughts raced in his mind, quickly assessing the risks of various plans.

He found that things might not be so bad after all.

Although the process didn’t unfold as he might have guessed, the outcome was the same; at least the two major BOSSes had clashed head-on.

This allowed Su Lun to adapt his original second-half plan as well.

It just looked like the entity he now needed to help defeat wasn’t the old dean but the Bivector monster.

The old dean, facing the creature before him, knew that things had become irreversible and with a bitter face said, "Herbert was once my best friend, and the most talented Magician of the academy over several hundred years. Reclusive, steadfast, kind, and lover of life... but he mutated due to his research into some very dangerous projects. I always wanted to help him restrain it, but the gradually dominant will of the mutated creature thought I was trying to harm him. He gained the ’Void Bivector Force’ and I couldn’t kill him, nor did I have the heart to do so. I could only seal him in Laboratory Zero. Little did I know... it would lead to a catastrophe."