Mechanical Alchemist

Su Lun hadn't expected that the ancient ruins of Cursed Valley would be tied to the mysterious secrets of a suspected Dawn Era collapse.

If this was indeed the "God Burial Ground" Mr. Jing had spoken of, the danger was one aspect, but he also felt a strong interest in seeing it for himself. The world, through his eyes, was becoming more and more fascinating.

Without further delay, Su Lun and Yuta climbed the hundred-meter-high wall and immediately had a view of the giant tree's outline.

Thanks to the shared vision with the black crow, Su Lun had seen it before and remained unfazed.

However, Yuta was stunned, muttering to himself, "This... is really the 'Burial God Ritual' indeed!"

The tree's canopy shaded the sun, resembling a huge island in the sky.

The sunlight poured down from above, casting a dreamlike scene.

From an unknown water source, a white waterfall hung on the giant tree. The water fell a kilometer down, and the thunderous sound of the water could be heard from afar. The light beneath the waterfall created a colorful rainbow, like a ribbon.

Su Lun watched the flying creatures that occasionally swept across the tree canopy, his gaze sharpening slightly.

They were not mere "birds" but huge, grotesque creatures with fleshly wings as large as airplanes.

Looking at the giant tree, an inexplicable feeling rose in Su Lun's heart: the tree, at least five hundred years old, had clearly formed its own ecosystem. Constantly enveloped in a dense aura of death, could it be harboring some extremely terrifying creatures?

But as his thoughts flew, the fog drifted past again, and the clear view was obstructed, shrouding the scene in a hazy mist once more.

"Let's go and take a look."

Su Lun called out.

Yuta nodded in agreement.

The two leaped down from the city wall.

The giant tree loomed like a mountain; they were now on the southern side of the tree, while the personnel from the Royal Legion of Dalu were on the north side.

Although the 'Burial God Ritual' was a Divine Art and naturally not easy to breach, Su Lun planned to first check what stage of excavation those guys had reached.

....

The two crossed the city wall, and the terrain already began to slope gently. It looked like the earthen ground had entered the scope of the giant tree's roots.

Here, remnants of massive ruins were visible everywhere.

Su Lun roughly estimated the scale of the buildings, guessing that the average height of the "natives" who had once lived here would have exceeded five meters.

Significantly taller than the current Ice Giants.

Having previously encountered an attack by a "Face-Rot Flower," Su Lun became very cautious, scanning almost everything with the All-knowing Eye.

The two encountered no dangers.

But as they walked, Su Lun suddenly stopped.

He noticed that Yuta's gaze had slightly changed since they had descended from the wall, as if she was often distracted.

Thinking she might have been influenced by the increasingly dense aura of death and unknowingly contaminated, Su Lun asked, "Yuta, have you noticed anything unusual?"

Yuta glanced at him, understanding what Su Lun was asking, and shook her head.

"I'm fine. Actually, I feel much better than before."

She seemed to be experiencing some feeling, hesitated for a moment, and then said with uncertainty, "It's like, since we entered the range of this giant tree, there's been some kind of protection from the ancestors of our tribe, and those negative effects are getting weaker..."

"They are getting weaker?"

When Su Lun heard this, he realized that he didn't have the same feeling.

Considering that the giant tree was transformed by the ancestors of the Dalu tribe, he thought what Yuta said seemed plausible.

Out of caution, Su Lun carefully checked Yuta's condition again, confirmed she really was better than before, and didn't worry too much.

....

The two continued to delve deeper, discovering more and more scattered buildings intertwined among the roots.

In those mud and bush areas, there were also some rusted, huge weapons like axes, shields, helmets, and armors, though they were mostly too corroded to retain their shapes.

Su Lun collected some of the precious metals that could be refined and reused.

The venture was indeed fruitful.

On their way, just the metal fragments alone were worth several million resos.

The two planned to bypass the outer perimeter of the giant tree's roots and head to the north to see what the people of the Sacred Judgment Legion of Dalu were doing.

But along the way, a relatively intact building caught their attention and caused them to pause.

....

"Mr. Su Lun, look over there!"

Yuta saw and pointed out the stone columns hidden among the tangled vines.

Then, as they approached, they discovered many gigantic columns, about twenty to thirty meters tall. Among the ruins was a distinctive domed structure, appearing less like a residential dwelling and more like a temple.

Su Lun and another person just happened to pass by, so they approached for a closer look.

The entrance was overgrown with vines. Yuta, holding a magic lamp, deftly climbed in first, followed closely by Su Lun.

The space inside was not small, but because it was entangled with tree roots and perennially devoid of light, the grand hall was cold and damp.

Su Lun sensed for a moment that in the dark corners, there lurked some not-too-strong soul fires. Judging by the shadows that occasionally swept through the dark, they seemed to be lizard-like aberrant monsters, a small group of about twenty or thirty.

Since the monsters didn't come looking for trouble, Su Lun didn't plan to expend energy clearing them out either.

Part of the grand hall had collapsed, leaving a space about the size of a soccer field, which the magical light could illuminate mostly.

Su Lun also saw several damaged statues.

As he had guessed, these statues mostly depicted crude bullhorn helmets and weapons, with the upper bodies exposing bulging muscles. These were likely the image of the giants from ancient times.

He was studying the statues when Yuta beside him suddenly noticed something and softly exclaimed, "Mr. Su Lun, there are reliefs here!"

"Reliefs?"

Following the direction Yuta pointed, Su Lun looked towards a collapsed corner near a black pool and saw several large stone slabs with patterns.

All along, he wanted to find some written records to see exactly what the situation was with this giant city ruin.

Regrettably, he hadn't found any.

He also guessed that this city's ancient giant civilization, much like the current Ice Plain Giants, didn't have their own writing.

Hearing about the reliefs now, Su Lun also felt somewhat hopeful. As a proficient archaeologist, he knew that some ancient civilizations might not have writing, but reliefs were an important means of record-keeping.

The two walked over, and Su Lun inspected the contents of the reliefs.

Indeed, as he had expected, these were the narrative reliefs used by this giant city in ancient times.

Due to dampness over hundreds of years, the reliefs were severely eroded, and many parts were blurred.

The reliefs were scattered everywhere, but Su Lun's current level of brain development allowed him to process these fragmented pieces of information efficiently. Even if he couldn't see everything clearly, he could guess the general story.

He figured out that it was an account of some physically strong giants killing monsters.

"It looks like this giant tribe knew about the 'God Burial Ground' being sealed here quite early on, right?"

Seeing those images on the wall that were clearly not creatures of this plane, but more like aberrant beasts or undead monsters, he guessed something.

But there was another problem,

The Dalu tribe once experienced an almost civilization-destroying catastrophe here.

So, long before that, how did this underground giant city come to fall?

.....

"Mr. Su Lun, there's another piece here!"

"There's another piece here too..."

"And here..."

"...."

In the dim hall, Su Lun looked around as Yuta also helped him find many stone slabs hidden among the roots and vines.

He originally thought that the reliefs would mainly tell documentary-type stories,

But later,

He saw some "mythical stories."

For instance, a giant, glowing all over, slaying a sun in the deep sea;

Or how a supreme deity bled from the knee, and the giants were thus born...

The storylines seemed absurd, almost like listening to myths.

But Su Lun wasn't surprised.

The giants had a deity belief.

Where there is belief, there might be myths about some things.

Alchemists are a particular group of people; they lack deity beliefs. Thus, they usually regard most deities from a neutral perspective, even somewhat critically.

Some evangelists collect beliefs to create gods, using some spells or alchemy to perform so-called "miracles" and deceive ordinary people's faith.

So, many of the myths that are passed down nowadays are both true and false.

They didn't necessarily happen in ancient times.

Su Lun thought he wouldn't see anything noteworthy in the content of these wall paintings,

But as he looked,

He was drawn to a damaged relief.

This was clearly another story plate of a mythical tale, but Su Lun couldn't take his eyes off it.

Because this experience felt inexplicably familiar to him!

....

There was a relief depicting a man with a halo behind him, riding a horse.

Probably a deity.

He found a "spring" guarded by giants.

The two pointed at the water, seemingly discussing something.

Then, the mural content abruptly ended.

The other half of the mural was quite bloody, showing the haloed man with only one eye left, blood streaming down. He was then hung upside down on a tree, impaled by spears.

Afterwards, something resembling a "symbol" seemed to fall from the tree, and an expression of finding a priceless treasure appeared on his face?

"This..."

When Su Lun saw the one-eyed figure, he involuntarily thought of the time he had sacrificed an eye at the Storm Manor to obtain the "All-knowing Eye."

Although the mural was largely missing, a bizarre hypothesis crossed his mind, "Could the god in the mural have sacrificed an eye, and then something fell from the tree as an exchange?"

Su Lun also found the "symbol" that fell from the tree somewhat familiar.

It seemed like a rune?

He was now quite knowledgeable about this world, but he had never heard of a second ritual requiring the sacrifice of an eye.

Could it be that this mural was related to the All-knowing Eye?

Unfortunately, the relief was blurred and incomplete, no further useful information could be found.

Thinking of this, Su Lun's brow slightly furrowed.

If he could find the complete mural, he might understand what this "myth" was really about.

....

Unable to find any other useful murals in the battered hall, Su Lun decided to leave with his companion.

Unexpectedly, they then heard hurried footsteps outside.

It sounded like someone was running fast.

There was also a faint clinking of armor.

Yuta's hearing was sharper than Su Lun's; she immediately started, "There are people nearby!"

Both exchanged a look, silently agreeing not to talk. They quietly moved out and hid among some vines.

Soon, they saw where the sounds were coming from.

It was a group of more than ten armored soldiers chasing several huge grey wolves.

"Warriors from the Grey Wolf tribe?"

Su Lun immediately recognized that the grey wolves were not magical beasts, but beast-transformed Dalu people.

Yuta's expression changed, and her fangs and claws morphed out.

However, she did not act rashly but instead gazed fiercely around. She knew there was a powerful human army nearby; acting recklessly would mean certain death and wouldn't solve any problem.

The grey wolves were chased so badly that two of them had blood holes from spears in them; despite the complex terrain providing many advantages to the four-footed, they were not running fast. The others also refused to abandon their companions to escape, and it seemed inevitable they would eventually be caught by the soldiers behind them.

Su Lun did not rush to act but focused his gaze on some details.

"Strange, what does the red cloth mean?"

He was puzzled as he observed each of the armored soldiers had a piece of red cloth wrapped around their arm.

Su Lun thought it might have a special effect, but upon identifying, it turned out to be just an ordinary "bloodstained cloth."?

Though he couldn't figure it out, and nothing seemed out of place, he did not dwell on it.

Killing and searching souls would be more direct.

Being a descendant of Isaac, he could not just watch the Dalu people being slaughtered, both emotionally and logically.

The black crow flew in the sky, seeing no other pursuers.

Su Lun also eased his mind and signaled to Yuta with a glance; both of them tacitly charged out.

....

The chasing soldiers were all royal elites and clearly on guard against an ambush.

As soon as Su Lun and his companion moved, they were immediately spotted.

Moreover, seeing the combination of a man and a white wolf, the leader's expression changed and he immediately shouted, "Signal!"

Su Lun knew he had been recognized.

He had previously killed the hunchbacked old man in the Grey Wolf tribe and left some survivors.

The news had obviously gotten through.

So, as soon as the squad of soldiers saw him, they immediately prepared to call for reinforcements.

But Su Lun wasn't about to give them that chance.

He stepped on air below his feet, continuously causing "pop pop" sounds in the air.

In his rapid advance, he also utilized Spatial Displacement.

This combination of rushing and Teleportation made him appear like a ghost, blinking into the midst of the enemy squad in an instant.

Although the leader was only a third-tier major, his armor was standard-issue from the Royal Legion, exceptionally defensive. Killing everyone instantly was nearly impossible for Su Lun.

But he couldn't stand by and watch this group send out a signal.

As he fiercely charged in, Su Lun pinched his sorcerer's seals with both hands, simultaneously releasing his implants. Enjoy new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

"This is a good opportunity to test my new implant abilities!"

His ten fingers clawed at the void, muttering to himself, "Mental Alchemy: Shadow Murder Technique!"

....

The elite squad had clearly received intel that Su Lun could use Teleportation.

Thus, with a tactical gesture from the leading major, more than ten men immediately scattered to escape. They had no intention of fighting directly and simultaneously pulled out their signal senders.

If any one of them could send a signal, a high-ranking professional would immediately lead a team to reinforce them.

Just holding on for a moment would see them through the crisis.

However, what they least expected happened.

Indeed, they were elite, and seeing Su Lun suddenly teleport into their midst, their reactions were extremely quick, instantly changing their battle formation and entering combat mode...

But suddenly!

Without any warning, everyone's body became rigid on the spot as if they were possessed!

As if they suddenly lost control over their bodies, they found themselves unable to sense their own bodies.

Everyone was terrified.

"This is bad, it's mental control!"

The leading major realized something and tried to break free with his willpower.

But where would Su Lun give them a chance?

The witch's hair could penetrate through gaps, and this set of highly defensive armor was rendered useless under the attack of the "Mental Tentacles."

On the way here, he had experimented many times on Yuta's body, and he had mastered the use of his new implant.

When he struck, it was with the intent to kill.

The rigid bodies of these armored soldiers, one by one, lightning-fast drew their short swords from their sides. Then, without hesitation, they thrust the blades into the gaps of their helmets.

In the next instant, the blades pierced unimpeded into their brains from their eye sockets.

More than ten men, without any resistance, instantly became more than ten corpses.

Mental control is just this sinister; once caught, it's almost a certain path to death.

The third-tier captain still earnestly tried to resist, his trembling arms attempting to stop the dagger from stabbing in.

But Su Lun simply slapped the end of the dagger's handle, sending him on his way.

Meanwhile, the few enemies remaining at a distance were entangled by Yuta and those few gray wolves that had returned, also having no opportunity to send out a signal.

....

Before long, the battle was over.

Su Lun harvested the Soul Shards of this squad.

He now understood what the red cloth wrapped around their arms was for.

Yuta's previous feeling was correct.

This gigantic tree indeed protected the people of Dalu.

Other races that trespassed would be strangled by the omnipresent vines, tree spirits, and monsters. The group from the Luying Royal Legion had suffered heavy losses previously.

The cloth imbued with Dalu tribal blood held a temporary protective effect.

And Su Lun's previous guess was also correct; this place had generated many cursed spaces due to a great battle long ago.

Those from the Luying Royalty had lifted many curses and discovered that this city sealed some "ancient secrets."

And now, those people had brought an "Enchantment Item," working to lift the last gigantic cursed space in the core area of the giant tree, which had caused them heavy casualties.

Su Lun guessed from those reports that this gigantic cursed space might very well pertain to the truth behind that ancient battle!