Mechanical Alchemist

The hunchbacked old man in black clothes used an umbrella to block Su Lun's slash.

The two immediately disengaged and created some distance between them.

As the old man retreated, he closed his umbrella and his fingers flurried through enchanting movements, almost instantly conjuring sorcerer's seals.

Seeing this reaction speed, Su Lun knew he was dealing with a formidable opponent.

The old man in black fixed his gaze on Su Lun in front of him, though his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of Yuta and the others in the forest behind.

Clearly, he had no intention of letting them go.

The sorcerer's seals formed instantly, and he slapped the ground with one hand, "Spirit Summoning Contract: Hellhound!"

As Su Lun observed the old man performing the sorcerer's seals, he knew they weren't the usual elemental spell configurations and had his guards up. However, he never imagined it would be necromancy!

Necromancers are extremely rare in the alchemy field, even rarer than Puppet Masters.

They usually employ ancient contracts, offering sacrifices for an equivalent exchange to summon creatures from other-dimensional planes to assist in battle.

As the spell was cast, a black Seven-Pointed Star Formation pattern suddenly appeared under the old man's palm.

The formation seemed to open a spatial gateway, and Su Lun immediately felt a strong aura of death overwhelming him.

This smell would make anyone else feel dizzy and nauseous, but he found it strangely comforting.

"Is this contract summoning a creature from a necromantic plane?"

A thought flashed through Su Lun's mind.

He didn't need to guess much further, as at that moment, the necromantic array flashed with a black light, and suddenly five ugly, giant hounds engulfed in black flames appeared.

[Hellhound]

Description: A third-tier hell creature with a trace of divine lineage; adept in dark flame spells, tracking, and has a remarkable biting force;

Su Lun looked at these headless demonic hounds and knew they posed no threat to him.

The old man, evidently, intended them to chase after Yuta and his group.

Sure enough, after a fierce barking session, the demonic hounds dashed into the dense forest like lightning.

Su Lun wasn't particularly worried; Yuta and his crew were strong, and there was no immediate danger.

"This is the depth of the royal family's heritage..."

Su Lun sighed internally.

The hunchbacked old man before him, who he had encountered at the fourth-tier, was completely out of his league.

However.

If the opponent had tactics, his were not inferior!

While the old man was forming seals for summoning, Su Lun also took out a black-and-white chessboard.

Who knew what strange abilities the enemy might deploy; he had no intention of letting him escape.

With a flash of light, the two appeared within the space of the chessboard.

....

"Huh..."

The hunchbacked old man sensed the space shifting around him and let out a light huh.

Instinctively, he immediately lifted the black umbrella in his hand.
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Su Lun showed no courtesy, lunging forward with his Ship-Cutter in hand.

This guy could block the Ship-Cutter; his melee capabilities were indeed strong.

But at equal levels, how could a fleshly body compare with machinery?

If he could kill with the mecha or perhaps pry some secrets from his opponent, that would be perfect.

But the old man was extremely decisive; after only a few exchanges, he realized that even if he wouldn't be defeated, he definitely couldn't break through the mechanical armor.

While dodging, as Su Lun watched him unhesitatingly take out a piece of meat, chew it briefly, and swallow it,

Su Lun's eye twitched as he observed the dark piece of meat.

[Cursed Corpse Chunk]

Description: A piece of meat over three thousand years old, which, after special curing, has acquired miraculous powers; consuming it can greatly enhance necromantic affinity and improve resistance to certain necromantic curses; high probability of contracting corpse poison.

Being able to swallow a millennia-old piece of rotten meat without batting an eyelid, Su Lun understood why necromancers weren't very sociable.

Being harsh on oneself naturally results in great effects.

After swallowing that piece of rotten meat, the old man's body emitted steaming black vapors, his aura abruptly changed, wrapped in black mists, and he looked terrifying.

The scent of the living vanished from him in an instant, and he appeared as though he had crawled out of a grave.

Su Lun immediately guessed what that guy was planning to do, feeling a fresh sense of great enlightenment in his heart.

"So it's possible to evade part of a curse's backlash using such an unorthodox method?"

He thought in a flash that if he ever heard uncontrollable whispers again, could he also use this method to suppress them temporarily?

However, eating rotting flesh... seemed a bit hard to stomach.

The thought vanished in a flash.

This guy, obviously knowing he couldn't kill Su Lun, was planning to use the power of that umbrella.

However, since he had identified the properties of the human skin umbrella, Su Lun also felt confident about his chances.

He also wanted to test whether his hypothesis was correct.

If he was right, this guy was dead!

.....

The hunchbacked old man was decisive, even willing to endure a curse backlash to use this tactic, which was not to be underestimated.

After consuming that piece of meat, the old man's sorcerer's seals rapidly changed, quickly forming into a spell pattern Su Lun had never seen before, and he exclaimed softly, "Incorporation · Release!"

Just then, a pair of blue phosphorus-fire wings congealed behind him, lifting him into the air, and his figure became even more ghostlike.

Su Lun watching the incorporation, twitched at the corner of his eye, "Gold quality incorporation, the wings of the phantom species 'Phosphorus Sparrow'?"

This time, he truly realized how extravagantly wealthy the Luying royal family was.

Their heritage was absolutely staggering...

Su Lun himself had survived many near-death situations, which had earned him the few restricted items he now possessed.

This guy, with cursed items, incorporations, and cultivation techniques all of superior quality, was enough to incite envy.

The incorporation not only enhanced movement speed but also increased affinity with necromancy; the match between the incorporation's attributes and abilities was very high, and his aura became even stronger.

Furthermore, the blue phosphorus fire on the wings was very effective in burning through the threads condensed by Su Lun's fourth-tier Space Law.

This made Su Lun's plan to kill the opponent solely with his mechanized armor fail.

With these wings, at least for the short term, he wouldn't be able to kill that guy.

The hunchbacked old man used this wing incorporation not just for teleportation to save his life.

But to give himself peace of mind to execute that particular spell.

Su Lun didn't use his powerful moves to stop him.

The first reason was that he wasn't sure he could definitely kill him.

The second reason naturally was to let him go ahead and use that spell.

After all, using it would greatly burden the guy.

Then there would be a chance to kill him.

And that spell, unless there was an unexpected turn, wouldn't affect him too much.

....

Su Lun's set of "Ship-Cutter IX Form Mechanized Armor" included a helmet made of invigorating alloy, so general mental spells had no effect on him.

The hunchbacked old man clearly realized this, which is why he resolutely used that cursed black umbrella.

Su Lun gave him the opportunity, and the guy finally used it.

As a complex array of sorcerer's seals formed, the old man's aura suddenly soared, and he emitted a low ghost-like voice, "Dark Domain: Nightfall!"

The vast checkerboard space was instantly enveloped in pitch darkness, like asphalt.

Su Lun felt as if he had been blinded by the nightfall, seeing nothing but darkness before him.

Not only was his sense of sight stripped away, but his hearing and touch vanished too.

He couldn't even feel his own body, as if only his lonely soul remained there, lost in thought.

It proved that in an environment of absolute darkness, fear could intensify a hundredfold.

If one were to remain in such a state for a long time, their spirit would eventually spiral out of control and break down.

But Su Lun was unusually calm.

This feeling made controlling his negative emotions much easier.

He even took the time to carefully experience this stripping of the senses, thinking to himself, "Using cursed items to execute a domain that seems like something only a seventh-tier professional could use? Tsk tsk, such a miraculous spell. With this move, probably most professionals would have their eyes wide open in complete darkness. My checkerboard space should also pull off something like this, close the doors, turn off the lights, it would be perfect..."

Being deprived of the five senses, for most people, meant being like lambs to the slaughter.

But Su Lun had Soul Perception, and he clearly sensed the opponent's soul fire, so he was not at all flustered.

However, what puzzled him was that the old man's soul fire form had changed from the initial human form to a shape with horns on its head and fleshy wings on its back.

"A mythological series talent, [A-029-Hell Messenger]? No wonder he dared to use that cursed umbrella so potent it's considered a restricted item..."

Su Lun recognized the origin of the shadow, but he was not surprised anymore.

The population of the Emperor Luying's Empire was vast, and even with a talent awakening rate of one in a million for level A talents, there were still quite a few.

Moreover, those who woke up with rare talents generally gathered under the nobles.

It was not strange for people of the royal family to possess such level A and B talents.

However, if it were just that, Su Lun, protected by his mechanical combat suit, wouldn't have had a major problem.

He couldn't sense the opponent or attack, but the opponent couldn't kill him either.

Obviously, the power of this dark umbrella was far more than just that.

When darkness fell, Su Lun suddenly heard a wailing scream beside his ear.

He clearly blocked his hearing, so where did this sound come from?

Su Lun immediately realized that it was a spiritual attack from the vengeful spirits.

These were the over eighty thousand vengeful spirits imprisoned by the Human Skin Umbrella, now attacking his mind.

This made Su Lun feel as if he had fallen into an abyss paved with the souls of the wronged, with hands of evil spirits trying to drag his thoughts into an endless abyss.

This was somewhat similar to the sonic attack of his "Nightmare Doll."

It was a range release; even if one didn't succumb in a short time, the longer the duration, the more chaotic the spirit would become, leading eventually to a mental breakdown.

What made Su Lun more curious was, how did this technique penetrate the vibranium helmet and affect his true body?

Tsk tsk… interesting.

"It must be the 'Necromancy Spell Penetration' feature of the dark umbrella, so powerful. Doesn't this mean that in the future when facing mechanical warriors, even if I don't use the Reaper's scythe, I also have a way to kill the opponent?"

Thoughts flashed through Su Lun's mind,

and he already considered the dark umbrella as his spoils of war.

Now, he had roughly figured out the effects of this cursed dark umbrella.

The testing was almost done.

It was time to end this.

Moreover, after that old man employed this technique, his aura had significantly weakened a lot.

The exhaustion of this "Dark Domain," as identified, was enormous!

If he let this domain continue, it could directly drain that hunchbacked old man dry.

But Su Lun himself wouldn't be able to hold out that long.

The spiritual attacks of those vengeful spirits were getting stronger, and even though he suppressed them, he felt increasingly irritated.

At that moment, his expression suddenly became stern, planning to make one last attempt.

If his guess was correct, it also meant that he might be able to control this cursed dark umbrella!

....

The hunchbacked old man seemed to think Su Lun had succumbed to the control of "Nightfall" and confidently stepped closer.

The old man got very close, probably wanting to find any flaws in the mechanical combat suit.

But just then, a sudden change escalated!

His eyes suddenly hardened, and he saw a silhouette of a cloak and scythe appear behind the Mecha.

It was the second stage Reaper's ghostly shadow!

"This!!!"

Seeing this, the hunchbacked old man instantly panicked, a fear from the depths of his soul.

Others might not recognize what this apparition was, but being a Necromancer, he clearly knew much more about the taboos of death!

He recognized the origin of this shadow, and his eyes went blank: "This is the S-level talent 'Death Reaper,' and a second stage awakening? How... how is this possible!"

Vengeful spirits are just minor ghosts; wouldn't they shiver at the arrival of the Grim Reaper?

As soon as the ghostly shadow of the Reaper appeared, the tens of thousands of vengeful spirits within the domain of Nightfall, like cats whose tails had been stepped on, panicked and changed shape. They had been greedily inhaling human breath moments before, but now they were terrified and bolted back into the floating dark umbrella in mid-air, daring not to show themselves again.

Su Lun's senses also instantly recovered, and his vision cleared.

"Pff~"

Seeing his technique broken, the hunchbacked old man's face turned red, and he couldn't help but spurt out a mouthful of blood.

The curse rebounded against him several times over, due to the forced breaking of the technique.

And just when his mind was still dazed, Su Lun would not give him a chance to catch his breath!

The threads that hadn't appeared before now densely materialized into solid form.

"Controlling Threads Secret Technique·Caged Bird!"

Su Lun had long locked onto his opponent, and once he made a move, it was a thunderous strike, leaving no chance for a turnaround.

Masses of silk threads controlled the field, not yet burnt through, as a mechanical arm quickly gripped the neck of the hunchbacked old man, firmly locking it in place like a vise.

A crisp snapping sound of bones breaking echoed.

The shock on the face of this hunchbacked old man hadn't faded before he completely lost his vitality.

His body went limp, turning into a corpse.

Su Lun watched as wisps of gray mist floated from the corpse in his hand, casually selecting a few interesting ones and devouring them.

'You have stripped "Roksh Luweio" of his soul, obtaining some "Fragments of Dark Laws," "Fragments of Space Law"'

'You are now aware of some usage details of the "Runic Human Skin Umbrella"'

'You have gained the understanding of a specific "Contractual Spirit Summoning Technique"'

'You have acquired extensive knowledge related to "Necromancy Techniques" and "Necromancy Runes"'

'You have mastered some information: "Information on the strong of the Sacred Judgment Legion..."'

'You have learned some "Royal Secrets of the Luying Dynasty"'

'Spiritual power +6.3'

Having digested the stripped information, Su Lun's eyes sparkled, "Heh... The people of the Luying royal family really have extraordinary knowledge!"

This guy definitely was the highest-quality tier-four professional he had stripped, his understanding of laws so solid, far stronger than those half-baked pirates he'd stripped before.

Su Lun's thoughts drifted.

Many of his ideas had greatly changed.

Although the Luying empire was a declining one, from some of the "Royal Secrets" he had stripped, like those of Roksh, there were many more high-level practitioners in the Luying royal family.

And the information this guy knew was just the tip of the iceberg; the entire empire was a massive, frightening "old monster."

"The strength of the Luying royal family really should not be underestimated..."

Su Lun mused to himself.

Having digested the memories, he also understood that Roksh's techniques were not so simple.

It just so happened that Roksh encountered Su Lun's "Reaper Phantom," which he countered.

Otherwise, even facing a tier-five professional, this guy could have shown considerable combat power.

Too bad.

This further convinced Su Lun of the thought that an alchemist must be well-learned.

Learning more always helps, reducing the chances of being countered.

...

As Su Lun digested the memories, two glowing objects slowly condensed from the corpse.

One was a crystal skull, a silver initiation material of the dark series, which could greatly enhance the capability to comprehend dark laws after advancement.

The tier-four gold outfit "Phosphor Peacock Wings" also condensed.

If Su Lun had no better options, these two materials were also somewhat compatible with his profession.

Even if not used, they could still fetch a good price.

The items were all high-grade, which was also the biggest reason this guy could use the black umbrella and withstand the curse backlash.

Thinking of the black umbrella, Su Lun turned his gaze over it once more.

He held the umbrella in his hand, a chill and bizarre sensation shooting straight to his forehead.

Yet strangely, there was a sense of familiarity.

The death aura on the black umbrella seemed to really like Su Lun's death laws.

Just by touching it, Su Lun noticed a difference, his heart thrilled, "With this item in hand, my soul perception range has expanded nearly fivefold!"

Not to mention its other effects, just this functionality alone made it an extremely practical cursed object for him!

He had already had a hunch, and now upon handling it, it might actually be feasible.

With his understanding of death laws, using this black umbrella, the negative consequences of curse backlash would be very low!

For Su Lun, this was certainly an item that could be used immediately!

His storage ring still contained many materials, potions, and scriptures of sorts.

However, now was not the time to thoroughly experience them.

If there were no surprises, someone should be chasing after him!

Su Lun packaged the items quickly, unraveling the chessboard space.