Mechanical Alchemist

Su Lun descended from the treehouse to the ground and had not walked far when he saw Yuta and a young member of the White Wolf Tribe waiting for him under a tree.

"Arcu, I've told you, a hundred of you wouldn't be a match for Mr. Su Lun, and you're still not convinced."

"Hmph! I refuse to lose to a human! Although he's the 'Pledged One', but... but I still want to fight him. Even if you stop me now, sister, soon Gary, Dar, Umon... they'll definitely come too!"

"Have it your way. Just don't blame me when you get thrashed later."

"..."

Seeing the young boy scolded by Yuta without a comeback, naturally, it could only be her own little brother, Arcu.

Arcu watched Su Lun approaching with a look of defiance.

Yuta, on the other hand, smirked slyly.

As Su Lun walked over, he discovered that they had slept in the treehouse for three days.

Now everyone in Emerald Holy Land must know about his unusual relationship with Yuta.

However, Yuta didn't mind at all, so naturally, Su Lun didn't feel uncomfortable either.

But looking at the young Wolf Tribe member who had come to challenge him, his expression was a bit peculiar.

Even though the women of the Dalu Tribe were mostly attractive, Yuta was one of the top few in the tribe. Besides, being a respected Druid, the White Wolves were naturally very popular in the Emerald Holy Land.

Having taken someone from the Dalu Tribe's "vegetable patch", and an outsider human at that, it was no surprise that Su Lun was treated this way.

As for Arcu, the more he looked at Su Lun, the more displeased he felt, shouting, "Human, I challenge you to a duel!"

Knowing Su Lun's strength, Yuta was not worried in the slightest, she simply blinked and said softly, "Although he's my brother, Mr. Su Lun, you don't have to be polite when hitting him."

Hearing this, Su Lun didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

This was indeed the kind of treatment only a real brother could expect.

"Oh."

This time, Su Lun agreed to the challenge.

As Yuta said, perhaps giving him a good thrashing would save a lot of trouble.

He also knew the customs of the Dalu tribe, that only true warriors would be recognized.

Upon hearing Su Lun accept the challenge, Arcu finally breathed a sigh of relief, "Good! I'll wait for you by the river in the village!"

With those words, he walked towards the forest.

....

Yuta, hearing Su Lun accept the challenge, was also visibly excited.

Although she knew he could win, he still needed the tribe's recognition.

With no one else around, she joyfully jumped into Su Lun's arms.

Now that they were in an intimate relationship, they didn't need to "observe formalities" like before.

She wrapped her arms around his neck like a koala and said, "That brat Arcu does need a good lesson, lest he always thinks too highly of himself, ignorant of the ways of the world."

Su Lun smiled and held her with one hand to keep her from slipping.

The Dalu Tribe's leather skirts were thin and revealed much; touching them felt soft. The hindquarters of the White Wolf Tribe were already well-developed, and even in human form, the tight, toned muscles felt excellent.

"Ah~ Mr. Su Lun seems particularly energetic today..."

Yuta teased him, not really minding.

After being affectionate for a moment, Yuta got down.

The two walked towards the forest exterior.

But as they walked, Su Lun suddenly sensed something and looked south.

Seeing his expression, Yuta asked, "What's wrong?"

Su Lun frowned and after a moment said, "It seems someone is thinking about me."

It wasn't the kind of thinking that meant malice, more like someone was reminiscing.

Was it that direction... could it be that girl Katyusha?

He didn't dwell on it and followed Yuta out of the forest.

.....

It seemed there weren't a few in the Holy Land from the Dalu Tribe who wanted to beat up Su Lun.

When Su Lun and Yuta emerged from the forest, there were already dozens of people on the large meadow by the river.

Su Lun remembered a few names, Gary from the Black Bear Tribe, Dar from the Golden Leopard Tribe, Umon from the Grey Wolf Tribe... all were present.

Looking carefully, even the treetop heads from the village huts across the river, curious about the duel, had popped out quietly to watch.

The elders of the tribe were also curious about the strength of this "Pledged One."

As soon as Su Lun arrived, everyone turned to look at him in unison.

Yuta wore a radiant smile, bright as the warmth of spring.

This smile made the group of young men on the other side, flush with vigorous blood, unable to contain their fury, casting ever more resentful glances at Su Lun beside her.

Su Lun's expression remained unchanged as he casually sauntered over.

A duel was a duel, nothing fancy about the process.

After Su Lun stepped onto the makeshift arena that had been cordoned off on the grassy field, sure enough, those kids' hostility diminished considerably.

No matter the outcome, by taking up the challenge, he had earned their respect.

...

Arcu was not weak by any means.

Among this group of apprentice Druids, he was also among the very best.

Probably at the peak of the second tier, on the verge of breaking through to the third tier.

But for Su Lun, without any special techniques, such a level posed no threat at all.

The duel began, and the onlooking apprentice Druids were all screaming at the top of their lungs, as if they wished they could take the stage themselves and thrash the human who had 'stolen their vegetables'.

Even though he couldn't understand Dalu's language, Su Lun knew they were cheering Arcu on.

On the other hand.

Su Lun had only one cheerleader, and that was Yuta.

The Miss White Wolf's face was adorned with a bright smile as she cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and shouted in the common tongue, "Mr. Su Lun, fight on~"

Her voice alone seemed to drown out several dozen others.

It was as if she was somewhat excited to see her little brother about to get a beating.

Arcu frowned upon seeing Su Lun just standing there, showing no intent to prepare for battle, and instantly felt underestimated. He questioned, "Aren't you going to release your alchemical enhancements?"

Su Lun sighed faintly but gave no response.

After all, this was just a sparring session, not a real enemy, so he naturally wouldn't use his full strength.

If he were to really go all out, he estimated that the fight would probably be over in two or three rounds at most.

It wasn't that Arcu was weak, but because all of Su Lun's combat skills were designed to kill—"killing techniques" prepared to take down his targets.

Not to mention forbidden objects, puppets, or silk threads, his combat skills alone would be enough trouble for him.

Arcu, though young, was also very smart.

He had guessed that Su Lun was very strong.

His sister had told him so, and although he verbally disagreed, his heart had never once doubted her.

He just wanted to confirm it, so he said, "Then be careful, I'm going to make a move. I'm very fast."

Listening to these words, Su Lun nodded, "Hmm."

The next instant, Arcu didn't waste any more words, and with a fierce push off the ground—

"Whoosh" went the sound.

It was as if a bomb had been planted under the grass, which instantly exploded into a large pit, and his figure aggressively lunged forward.

"Indeed quite fast."

Su Lun muttered to himself, his gaze slightly intensifying.

Arcu's speed was indeed quite fast among second-rank melee combatants; even an alchemist of the same rank might not be able to react in time.

Yet, despite the speed being fast, Su Lun could see it all clearly under his All-knowing Eye.

He watched the figure charging toward him and didn't act cocky, assuming a combat stance.

Although Su Lun rarely utilized combat techniques in his usual battles, he was truly proficient in various styles of combat techniques, and his physical fitness wasn't much less than that of a third-rank melee combatant's.

Just as his arms were raised, a massive force struck them.

"Hmm... the strength isn't bad either."

Su Lun wasn't at all surprised and inwardly complimented Yuta's brother for his indeed impressive strength.

He deflected the blow with a simple motion, dissolving the force into nothingness.

As the impact from the collision had yet to dissipate, Su Lun used the momentum to deliver a side kick that landed heavily on the figure's waist.

The Dalu Clan possessed a beast gene, and their innate combat talents were strong. Arcu, having been kicked, retreated with agility, effortlessly neutralizing the blow and looking for an opportunity to disengage and attack again.

Unfortunately, Su Lun wouldn't give him that chance!

Su Lun's combat reaction and thinking were so fast that he'd calculated various countermeasures even before his opponent made a move.

He never took his opponents lightly, not even in a sparring match.

He had already anticipated the next few steps when his foot kicked out.

Watching Arcu dodge his kick, Su Lun was not surprised in the slightest.

His foot hit the ground hard, and with a "snap" of air blasting, he used Stepping on Air to swiftly disappear from the spot.

Before Arcu could react, Su Lun had already reappeared in his retracing arc, launching a punch.

....

Arcu was greatly astonished; he hadn't expected his opponent to follow up so quickly!

Looking at that expressionless face, he realized just how strong the other was.

But he wasn't weak either!

Arcu's eyes hardened, and suddenly some fine fur appeared on his handsome face as he entered a semi-beast transformation.

With this slight change, he was able to catch the punch mid-air.

"Not a bad reaction."

Su Lun slightly raised an eyebrow, inwardly praising the move.

However, if it had been to the death, the opponent would have been dead!

Su Lun didn't mind giving Yuta's brother a taste of the real deal.

He surged forward once more.

.....

Nobody expected the encounter to be so fierce from the get-go!

In an instant, the entire riverside grassland was filled with echoes of punches, with ongoing cracking sounds everywhere.

The apprentice Druids were stunned, their eyes brimming with excitement.

"This human... oh, no, Mr. Su Lun is quite formidable."

"Indeed, not bad. But he's still a whole rank higher, so it's only natural he's at this level."

"Just watch, Arcu hasn't transformed yet. That kid is considering his sister's face, not wanting the human to lose too badly."

"I don't think Arcu can definitely win. Haven't you seen that Mr. Su Lun hasn't released his alchemical enhancements either?"

"Many human alchemical enhancements are not externally visible. That Mr. Su Lun's strength is on par with Arcu's, obviously he's augmented by a strength-focused enhancement."

"No wonder Yuta sent him a lifelong wolf claw, he does have some skills."

"...."

They watched, chattering among themselves.

The resentment in their eyes also diminished a lot.

Su Lun's strength had finally become "acceptable" in their eyes—at least barely so.

Meanwhile, Yuta, who was watching the battle, was exceptionally excited. Her clear eyes were full of Su Lun's shadow, as she cheered intermittently, "Go, Mr. Su Lun!"

She knew that Su Lun was a formidable Puppet Master and had expected him to dispatch a few puppets to resolve the fight. She never anticipated his hand-to-hand combat skills would be so strong!

....

The battle was fierce, and it seemed Arcu hadn't gained the upper hand.

But Su Lun knew that perhaps out of consideration for his "brother-in-law" status, Arcu wasn't using his full strength either.

Though the Dalu tribespeople did not have Alchemy enhancements or various methods like Alchemists, their beast transformation talents gave them remarkable combat power.

After dozens of exchanges, Arcu, understanding that he couldn't do a thing to Su Lun without transforming, suddenly pulled back to create some distance, dropped to all fours, and took on a crawling stance.

At the same time, a cold glint flashed between his fingers and disappeared; sharp claws emerged, and his body sprouted thick fur. Upon closer inspection, his entire being had turned into a majestic white wolf, even bulkier than his sister when she transformed.

Although it lacked some of the shrewd and ferocious maturity, it already possessed an oppressive and fierce aura.

The White Wolf spoke with a human voice, "You need to be careful. I'm getting serious now!"

Su Lun looked on with a slight smile and nodded in acknowledgment.

He anticipated Arcu's next move by focusing on the muscles rippling beneath the White Wolf's fur.

What surprised Su Lun even more was that the White Wolf suddenly leaped powerfully, creating visible ripples in the air beneath its feet, like waves in water.

"Eh...you learned 'Stepping on Air' after seeing it once?"

Surprise brushed Su Lun's mind.

The mastery of "Stepping on Air," a mystic-level movement technique, required extreme skill and talent to find that momentary pause when stepping on air.

Many high-ranking professionals couldn't perform it at all without the right feel, even if their muscular strength was sufficient.

Who would have thought that Arcu would pick it up on the spot?

His talent was indeed astounding.

Su Lun knew he could no longer afford to be careless and became a bit more serious as well.

He rapidly formed the sorcerer's seals with his hands and chanted softly in his heart, "Flesh Alchemy: Hormone Rampage!"

Hormones surged into his body, instantly giving him a feeling of explosive energy.

However, Arcu's speed was faster!

After transforming, he became several times quicker than before, charging over like lightning, and before Su Lun could even react, his claws reached Su Lun's chest.

"So fast!"

Su Lun certainly saw him in a new light now.

Among the second-tier close-combat professionals he had encountered, Arcu was definitely the strongest, absolutely overpowering others of his level!

But no matter how strong, he was still second-tier.

Su Lun anticipated his trajectory and knew he was too late to block. At that moment, his hands, previously forming the sorcerer's seals, changed again, sparking with the speed of lightning as he chanted, "Mystic Art - Vajra!"

The next instant, a "thud" like the toll of a bell reverberated across the entire riverbend.

The powerful shockwave of the touch instantly whipped up a green tide on the lawn, even the onlookers' robes billowed from the blast.

....

Su Lun felt the power of that claw, which was nowhere near as fierce as it appeared to be.

He naturally understood that Arcu had probably held back to avoid hurting him.

But...with his level four gold-based "Vajra," if it was just an attack of that magnitude, even if he was standing still, the opponent couldn't touch him.

Level four magic against level two did seem like a bit of bullying.

He smiled and shook his head, saying to the incredulous White Wolf opposite him, "You don't need to hold back. Otherwise, you cannot defeat me."

The transformed White Wolf, Arcu, had a complex look in his eyes.

Although he had moderated his strike, which could smash even rocks, how could it be that Su Lun was unscathed?

He finally understood that this human, as his sister had said, was truly powerful.

Yet, this only fueled his competitive spirit!

He shouted earnestly, "Alright! Mr. Su Lun, I'm going to use magic now, be careful!"

Hearing himself addressed as "Mr. Su Lun" instead of simply a "human," the corners of Su Lun's mouth lifted slightly.

The Dalu people really were kind-hearted.

Direct with their feelings, once they accepted you, they harbored no other thoughts in their hearts.

....

Su Lun had initially thought this friendly bout would hold no more surprises.

In terms of combat techniques alone, Arcu, no matter how strong, stood no chance.

But unexpectedly, Arcu actually used magic.

A true Druid could listen to the voices of all things, harness the power of nature, and cast spells that transform into various animals.

The White Wolf chanted a spell, and suddenly the weather shifted dramatically.

Strong winds howled in the sky and dark clouds swiftly covered the grassy plain.

With a crack of thunder, a downpour began, and amid the clouds flickered restless, serpentine lightning.

Such a display was truly formidable and intimidating.

"The force of nature powering wind, rain, lightning...a triple-elemental spell?"

Su Lun watched, curious, no longer in a rush to act.

Druidic casting was an entirely different system from Alchemy. With the power of faith, they were able to release various elemental spells more readily.

Yet Arcu's use of a triple-element spell indeed caught Su Lun's eye.

Still, there was that old problem—if it couldn't break through "Vajra," all the flashy spells were just for show.

"No, there's wood element too!"

The next instant, Su Lun sensed something and realized that the grass beneath his feet was growing wildly, entwining around his legs like vines, binding him in the blink of an eye.

Su Lun looked on, his eyebrows slightly raised in approval: "To think he actually laid an ambush in advance, his mind isn't bad at all."

At this thought, he raised his eyebrows as well, realizing that if he didn't pull out some other tricks, he probably wouldn't be able to hold out.

Although it wouldn't result in a loss, being trapped by those plants could still land him in a very embarrassing situation.

After all, the lightning building up above, the wind sharp as blades, and the clearly perception-altering and teleportation-limiting rain were the real joint killing move.

....

"When did Arcu learn to secretly cast four-elemental hybrid spells? Wow, with this move, he's definitely going to win!"

"Ha-ha... This time Su Lun is going to take a big hit! It might not be very polite, but it's so satisfying. He's the one who took away Sister Yuta!"

"Right, that's it! Now he'll understand the strength of us from the Dalu tribe, and treat Sister Yuta better in the future."

"..."

The onlooking young druids clenched their fists in excitement, watching Su Lun about to get hit as if they were the ones in the arena.

Yuta, who was nearby, looked at Arcu casting his spell, her eyes full of satisfaction, muttering to herself: "To think this child has already reached this level... he's been very hardworking."

But in a blink, her gaze shifted, even more curious about how Su Lun would respond.

After all, she knew that from beginning to end, Su Lun hadn't been taking it seriously.

....

Su Lun saw the lightning about to strike him and a resigned look appeared in his eyes.

The power of this spell compelled him to use some of his signature moves.

Feeling he had fought enough, he thought about ending this spar.

The plants around him had already woven into a barrier, enclosing him.

Su Lun didn't attempt to destroy the plant barrier. As the spell quickly completed, a spatial rift suddenly appeared beside him.

Then, his entire figure vanished from the spot.

For the first time, Su Lun used his Spatial Ability.

He "Flashed" to appear beside the White Wolf, who was about to spew Wind Blades.

Arcu was dumbfounded, momentarily at a loss.

Like a smoker choking on a puff, the Wind Blade Technique in his mouth was forcibly swallowed, and tears were almost squeezed out of his eyes.

The next second, his brain registered what had happened, revealing a bitter smile with a slight sigh.

He had no intention of continuing the spar either.

The forces of nature dissipated, and the thunderclouds in the sky instantly extinguished, losing their aggressive momentum.

Sunlight broke through the clouds, shining again on the riverside meadow.

As the dark clouds scattered, the air still carried a heavy mist, creating a beautiful rainbow.

Arcu transformed back into his human form, looked at Su Lun, and said earnestly, "I lost."

Reflecting on the encounter, he realized that Mr. Su Lun had been sparing him all along.

If the Spatial Ability had been used earlier, he would have fallen sooner.

No, even before that.

If they had fought in earnest, he felt he wouldn't have even had the chance to cast a spell.

"Mr. Su Lun is really powerful, to think he can also use spatial spells..."

Arcu's expression was very composed.

He acknowledged the strength of his sister's husband, indeed far surpassing his own.

Su Lun gave neither agreement nor disagreement, but also smiled and said, "You have good talent; you will definitely be strong in the future."

Listening to this, Arcu seemed to realize something, his previously furrowed brow suddenly relaxed, as if he had found peace of mind.

The observing young druids immediately lost their fire, and no one doubted "Mr. Su Lun's" strength anymore.

At that moment, Yuta also hurried over and, looking at her brother, said, "I told you, Mr. Su Lun is very powerful."

This was an expected outcome, and she showed no surprise, but she did look at a disappointed Arcu, offering consolation: "But our Arcu did well too, he has made great progress."

To her surprise, her usually argumentative brother didn't argue back at all, simply saying, "Yes, Mr. Su Lun is very impressive, I lost fair and square."

Yuta felt that her brother's demeanor was somewhat strange.

....
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On the other side of the river bend, inside a treehouse.

The Deer Tribe Chief and Wolf Granny were also watching the battle from a distance.

Seeing the outcome, both elders had amiable smiles on their faces.

The Deer Tribe Chief remarked with a sigh, "Very strong indeed."

Wolf Granny replied, "Yes, throughout the entire fight he didn't use any prosthesis, Alchemy was only used in a few close combat professions. According to Yuta, his main profession is that of an impressive Puppet Master."

The Deer Tribe Chief stroked his beard under his chin with a full smile, "Living as long as I have, I'm quite eager to see just how astonishing Su Lun's Puppetry Technique is."

.....

As Yuta said, beating up her brother would save a lot of trouble.

After the duel, there were no more Dalu youths in the village who sought to challenge Su Lun.

And because of the duel, everyone became clearer about his relationship with Yuta.

The elders in the tribe sent their blessings, and the children greeted him with joy and excitement.

An atmosphere of friendliness and harmony.

Su Lun originally planned to rest for a few days, to clarify the situation in the "Cursed Valley" to the north, before setting out for the "Heart Stealer."

But unexpectedly, the next day a situation arose.

Yuta's brother and several passionate young druids secretly left the Holy Land to support the "Grey Wolf Tribe" to the north that was being besieged and overwhelmed by humans.

News came that a very powerful enemy had appeared.

It was not a slaving team, but a crack troop from the Lu Ying royal family!