Mechanical Alchemist

Before the pirates fully reacted, the people from Old Lington had already rushed toward the "U-shaped bay".

Su Lun pointed the way, and everyone charged straight for the black-sailed "Wind Chaser".

They only had five hundred people, so they didn't need a very large ship.

With Mr. Jing leading a few fourth-tier fighters at the front, the pirates could hardly organize any effective resistance and were pushed back step by step.

The original plan was to face Duke Raphael's well-trained elite guards, and a fierce battle was certain.

The battle was also expected.

But the intensity of the current fight was much less than anticipated.

Pirates are a disorganized mob.

Don't expect them to charge in groups and fight to the death like regular troops.

Most pirates act bravely but without strategy, especially the lower ranks; seeing the tide turn against them, they fight while retreating, prioritizing survival above all.

Even though the defending pirates had more than twice the number of people, they were beaten without spirit.

After all, the five hundred who broke out of Old Lington were all elites.

Apart from a few support personnel, almost all were combatants.

Not to mention the Jing Organization, even the elite guards trained by the Reyes family had extraordinary combat power. They might not hold high ranks, but they were equipped with the finest gear from Old Lington, never lacking in mechanical, alchemical, or cursed items.

The Reyes family may lack for nothing else, but they sure do have money.

With the power of "money" supporting them, they fired alchemical bullets and alchemical cannons like it cost nothing, and their collective combat strength was not to be underestimated.

And Mr. Jing and the others were like gods and demons descending.

Su Lun, observing their overwhelming power, realized that each member of the Jing Organization had combat power far beyond their peers in the outside world.

In previous encounters in Old Lington, they had faced tough opponents, so the difference in strength was not so apparent.

Now, against the pirates, the gap became immediately evident.

At the same tier, the fourth-tier pirates could hardly last a few rounds against them.

Even when facing fifth-tier squad leaders, they could engage in direct combat without falling behind in a short time.

Mr. Hei, Mr. Jing, Card, Assassin Lei, Red Demon Armor, Number Nineteen... and that mysterious sorcerer with a "Rot Flower" on his cloak.

Su Lun saw that "Rot Flower Sorcerer" use his abilities for the first time.

Though he couldn't tell what his talent was, it seemed to be plant-related.

Once his protective gear was removed, his limbs seemed to turn into tree trunks, and with a lift of his hand, wooden spears would pierce through, bullets bouncing off him without effect.

Of course, powerful as Mr. Jing and the others were, they were mostly fighting solo, which was somewhat entertaining to watch.

But the one who made the biggest splash with his appearance was Su Lun.

With a single move, a hundred cloak-wearing puppets followed him in a mad dash.

"Nightmare Doll", "Blast-Proof Doll", "Lead-Heavy Doll", "Oil-Drinking Doll", "Phosphorus Fire Doll", "Voodoo Doll", "Black Hole Doll", "Twelve Armored Knights"...

The dolls spewed fire, vomited oil, all while baring sharp blades and emitting eerie cackles...

One man, yet he created the momentum of a legion's charge.

Enemies of the fourth and fifth tier didn't need Su Lun's attention, but those third-tier and below pirates, being slain like chopping vegetables by the fearless puppet regiment, hardly stood a chance.

That's the excellence of a Puppet Master: as long as the body lives, the battle rages on!

Where the puppet legion passed, it was like a meat grinder, with limbs and body parts flying everywhere—some from the puppets, more from the pirates...

The scene was bloody and eerie.

Not to mention anything else, just the momentum alone scared the pirates from coming too close.

Even those from Old Lington who didn't recognize Su Lun were all in awe: indeed, those who wear Gold-Patterned Cloaks are outrageously strong!

....

The fight was a surprise attack, and the effect was very ideal.

In a blink of an eye, with minimal casualties, the five hundred had already reached the harbor.

This place was originally a small military port, but now it was crammed full with nearly a hundred pirate ships.

Just then, a voice from the communicator urged them, "Board and set sail quickly; the pirates underground are destroying the seals and are about to burst out!"

Hearing this, no one dared to hesitate, and using the ships as cover, they began boarding.

Su Lun also leapt aboard, guessing he was the only person present with sailing experience.

This responsibility, he would not shirk.

Set the sails, weigh anchor, secure the mooring ropes...

With witch's hair flying all over the deck, he alone did the work of a team of sailors.

And he could still command others to assist him.

Do ships need power to leave the harbor?

Not at all.

This is a world of Alchemy.

Once Su Lun had secured the sails and adjusted their angle, he called out to Mr. Hei not far away, "We're good to go!"

Upon hearing this, Mr. Hei quickly formed a sorcerer's seal with both hands, and a faint blue Seven-Pointed Star Formation immediately emerged beneath his feet. In an instant, his robe billowed as a strong gust of wind abruptly formed.

It was the fourth-tier wind spell, "Windstorm Technique"!

To keep providing a powerful wind, Mr. Hei continuously threw a bunch of cursed crystals into the formation, and a roaring whoosh sounded by his ears.

A great wind rose.

The sails instantly puffed out, and a mighty force slowly propelled the ship into sailing.

Every person aboard the "Wind Rider" swayed, their faces revealing unhidden joy.

Success!

....

The pirates were baffled by the sudden assault, taking a moment to regain their senses. Wasn't the ground base overtaken? Where did these hundreds of people come from?

Seeing Mr. Jing take action, those squadron leaders also recognized the goods, and knowing he was a sixth-tier professional, none dared to confront him directly.

But that didn't mean they were without the power to fight.

The scattered pirates regrouped on their fleet's main ship, which boasted a dark gold ram.

During the earlier battle for the castle, they had looted plenty of fine wines and food, the rich aroma of alcohol and meat wafting out from the cabins.

"Damn it! Those guys are trying to steal a ship and run! Quick, notify boss Gaal!"

"Boss Gaal... is drunk!"

"Wake him up, quick!"

"Tried that, he won't wake..."

"Damn it, pour 'anchovy fermentation juice' down the boss to sober him up!"

"Oh, my God! If the boss finds out someone's been pouring that shit-like substance down him, he'll definitely twist that person's head off."

"It was the enemy who poured it, get it! The enemy! If we don't act quickly, they're going to steal our ship and run away!"

"..."

....

Su Lun and his party didn't know why they had been fighting for so long without the appearance of the sixth-tier "Frost Giant," Gaal Popov.

But now they had successfully seized a sea vessel. The "Wind Rider" was a charge vessel with a slender and light hull, promising swift sailing speed.

Once they could break free from the harbor, the boundless sea was theirs to roam.

However, at that moment, an unexpected change occurred.

A roar like that of a wild beast tore through the night sky.

Immediately after, an icy chill descended sharply.

The temperature plummeted.

Everyone looked in unison, only to see a grotesque giant wielding a Wolf Fang Club, over three meters tall, furiously storming onto the deck of the pirate ship in the distance.

It was clear he was extremely angry.

After a roar, the chill emanating from the giant caused the water vapor in the air to freeze. A wide area around him was encased in a thick layer of frost, creating a Frost Domain.

The pirates, seemingly anticipating this, quickly backed away.

The hideous giant's roar could be heard clearly even from a distance, "Damn it, who took a dump on my face?!"

A squadron leader said, "Boss, it was the enemy! Oh, they've killed our brothers and stolen our ship! They've got some quite powerful experts among them."

"Experts? Gaal loves killing experts!"

Upon hearing this, the grotesque giant let out a sinister laugh and leaped down.

....

Su Lun, seeing the ugly giant with boar tusks on his face, recognized his identity at once.

The youngest son of the King of the North Sea, "Frost Giant" Gaal Popov, a hybrid of human and ice frost giant.

"He really is hideous..."

Su Lun muttered to himself.

It wasn't that he discriminated against the frost giant race.

In the northern ice fields, giants formed a large tribe.

Su Lun simply found it difficult to understand, how could humans interbreed with giants?

Giants naturally had a pair of boar tusks; from a human's aesthetic perspective, even the most beautiful female among the giants was incredibly ugly.

How had the "King of the North Sea," Oleg, managed to stomach it?

However, it was said that Oleg himself had Viking lineage, a descendant of giants, so his aesthetics might be different from those of regular humans.

"Those pirates' memories suggest this guy isn't very smart, really... but he's also incredibly strong."

Su Lun felt the cold and his face became somber.

The rich ice magic laws were beyond his understanding.

At that moment, Mr. Jing's voice came through the communication, "This guy has consolidated a Frost Domain, he's essentially half a step into the seventh tier. You go on ahead; I'll hold him off!"

For lower-tier professionals, not even the privilege to watch the fight was afforded.

Hearing this, everyone on the ship, without a moment's hesitation, accelerated the wind, eager to help the vessel escape the harbor.

Su Lun watched Mr. Jing charge out and, with a slight change in his eyes, remotely appraised the two pieces of equipment on Gaal.

One was the wolf fang club wrapped in cold mist in his hand, and the other was the frost-white armor he wore on his upper body.

At this glance, his pupils contracted slightly.

The [Frost Wolf Fang Club] turned out to be a dark-gold level cursed item, inflicting both physical and magical damage, and it also came with a powerful "Armor Break" effect.

As for the armor on his body, it was an even more defensively robust dark-gold level cursed item, the [Frost Dragon Scale Armor], an ancient relic, truly made from the scales of a mighty dragon, offering extremely high physical and magical defense!

As expected of the son of the North Sea Pirate King, his equipment was indeed top-notch.

Both pieces of equipment carried a strong ice curse, continuously inflicting "Frost Poison" damage on the possessor; they required advanced mastery of ice laws to control.

Given that the mixed-blood frost giant already possessed inherent resistance to ice, his compatibility with these two cursed items was exceptionally high.

Once he could use them, his combat power would increase several fold!

The sight of such equipment made Su Lun's gaze grow even more solemn as he relayed the appraised information to Mr. Jing.

Mr. Jing showed no fear whatsoever, as a large circle of crimson fire elements suddenly coalesced around him, stopping the hideous giant in his tracks.

The two immediately became entangled in combat.

...

After all, Mr. Jing had the genuine strength of a seventh order or above, and although he had not fully recovered his powers, handling Gaal, the "Frost Giant" with less intelligence, was not a big problem.

Killing him quickly seemed impossible, but at least he could be detained.

As long as the "Riding the Wind" could set sail, she being a vampire, could also fly to catch up.

A battle between professionals of that level was not something Su Lun or anyone else could participate in.

Even the likes of Chee, Red Demon, and several others had already boarded the ship.

They also had to protect the people on the ship.

The pirates were not just spectators; their cannons were all aimed at the "Riding the Wind" and fired wildly. Fortunately, the pirates' ships were densely packed in the harbor, limiting the use of cannons and alchemic crossbows considerably.

Mr. Hei and a group of wind magicians were striving at full strength to create strong winds, propelling the ship out to sea. Powerhouses like Chee and Red Demon, who could catch cannonballs with bare hands, also tried their best to protect the hull.

Even so, the "Riding the Wind" was repeatedly hit, violently swaying amid the barrage of cannon fire and waves, and it could capsize at any moment.

But clearly, the Jing Organization had anticipated the current situation well in advance.

At that moment, the mysterious sorcerer with the "Rot Flower" pattern on her cloak made her move once more, speaking to Mr. Hei, "Mr. Hei, I am going to use that 'Sealed Item'!"

Mr. Hei nodded, "Okay!"

It was then that Su Lun saw her take out a small sealing box from beneath her cloak.

Completing her sorcerer's seals, she uttered softly, "Seal · Release!"

The box opened, revealing a pitch-black root as thick as a small arm.

The appraisal showed that this was a "legendary quality" alchemy product—[World Tree Root Tainted by Darkness].

The Jing Organization was naturally not short of sealed items.

"Will using it curse one into a treant?"

Su Lun, eyeing the appraised curse trait, narrowed his gaze.

This thing couldn't even be used by the undead; it required a sorcerer who mastered the laws of the wood element to activate its energy.

And at that moment, the "Rot Flower" removed her cloak, revealing a face as gnarled as tree bark, adorned with eerie totems.

Clutching the section of root, her hands made sorcerer's seals while a dark green Seven-Pointed Star Formation appeared under her feet.

Upon closer inspection, her feet began to root, and her body visibly swelled, transforming into a lush banyan tree!

In the blink of an eye, the branches that her body had become spread across the entire ship, and where the hull had been pierced by cannonballs, it healed as if new flesh had grown, rapidly restoring itself. The dense barrage of cannon fire now made less impact on the ship.

With this technique, the "Riding the Wind" became unsinkable.

But that wasn't all!

After the "Rot Flower" used the root to become a treant, her now branch-like arms formed sorcerer's seals once more, and she chanted softly, "Plant Alchemy · Spore Secret Technique!"

Just as the alchemic formation's light lit up, a huge bud suddenly sprouted above her head.

The bud quickly grew and then violently burst open.

Su Lun, with his remarkable vision, immediately saw countless spores, finer than dust, dispersing into the air as the bud exploded.

Before he could comprehend the purpose of this technique, the wind blew, and the spores had already scattered far and wide.

Almost simultaneously, heart-wrenching screams came from the pirates on the distant ships.

"Kopper! There's a mushroom growing out of your head!"

"Nicole, you've got a patch of mushrooms on your back too! Oh my god, they're multiplying..."

"What the hell are these damned mushrooms! I feel them sucking my blood, help me pull them off..."

"Aaahhh!!!"

"..."

Su Lun looked over and saw a horrifying sight before his eyes.

Those pirates had begun to sprout clusters of flesh mushrooms...

These mushrooms, which fed on flesh and blood, visibly grew larger, and the bodies of the pirates quickly became emaciated.

On their hands, necks, heads...

Every piece of exposed skin was sprouting various brightly colored mushrooms.

And they couldn't be removed!

Once plucked, it was like severing a limb; blood would gush out instantly.

It was in this moment that the pirates who had pulled out mushrooms screamed continuously, merging into a single wail.

The people of the surface world were not accustomed to wearing gas masks. While those with mushrooms growing on their skin were doing okay, the real sufferers were those who breathed in spores; mushrooms were growing directly in their alveoli.

One by one, pirates felt the terrifying sensation of "strange things" expanding inside them. Left untreated, the mushrooms could siphon their life away, bursting their organs. They had no choice but to slice their own bodies open with sharp knives while the mushrooms were still small...

Terror, eeriness, bloodiness... These scenes were playing out on nearly every pirate ship.

Third-rank and fourth-rank professionals fared better, as their sharp senses allowed them to detect something was off early on. Pirates below third-rank, however, were killed off in swathes!

Ironically, those manning the cannons were all low-rank pirates.

The ships were too densely packed, making it impossible to avoid the airborne spores.

It was this "Spore Secret Technique" that utterly destroyed the pirates' cannon offensive.

Only now did the pirate captains realize what was happening.

"Everyone, hold your breath!"

"Use fire spells to burn the air around you; there are parasites in the air!"

"Be careful to cover your skin and don't expose it to the air..."

"Go into the sea! You won't get infected in the sea!"

"..."

Then came the sound of splashing as they jumped into the sea.

The crisis was instantly resolved.

Su Lun was astonished by the scene before him, "Such an amazing ability..."

He suddenly realized what the "Rot Flower's" natural talent was, "B-003-Child of Nature," a talent for an extraordinary affinity with plant life, legendary for its ability to communicate with plants!

Without a doubt, this was another second awakening.

....

Because of this "Rot Flower's" surgical move, the surrounding pirates ceased their attack.

The "Windrider" made a quick dash toward the open sea, nearly escaping the harbor.

But then, disaster struck anew.

At that moment, the "Frost Giant" Gaal, who was fiercely battling Mr. Jing, saw them trying to flee. He strode towards the sea and bellowed, "Gaal will not let you escape!"

The sound was like a muffled drum, deafening.

But how could Mr. Jing let this brute succeed?

With a refracted Flash, she intercepted him. Another kick, and Gaal's massive body crashed down, breaking the mast of a pirate ship and thunderously plunging into the sea.

The surrounding water instantly turned to ice, yet the brutish giant, as if unscathed, stood up from the ice once more.

Though Gaal was not the brightest, he knew that the person before him was difficult to handle.

At that moment, he suddenly raised his Wolf Fang Club, the chill beneath his feet visibly condensing and growing denser.

After gathering his strength, he slammed the club down onto the sea surface with a mighty crush.

Mr. Jing sensed the terrifying Frost Domain forming but was unable to stop it.

She could not withstand this attack.

"Boom!"

The Wolf Fang Club struck hard, and water sprayed up dozens of meters high.

Oddly enough, the spray of water did not fall back down but froze midair, turning into a crystalline frost flower under the moonlight.

From the communicator came Mr. Jing's urgent warning, "Be careful!"

Before her words even ended, a burst of deadly cold air exploded, engulfing the entire harbor in an instant.

Su Lun had just been thinking that with Mr. Jing holding the ugly giant off, they surely couldn't be caught.

But reality quickly proved him wrong.

Looking again, he saw the surface of the sea rapidly freezing over, the cold air catching up to the fleeing "Windrider" at high speed.

The blast of icy air skimming past made his facial skin sting as if sliced by an ice blade.

However, because they were at a distance and Mr. Jing had warned them, everyone on the ship was well-prepared.

No one was harmed,

but something unexpected occurred.

The piercing cold air had frozen the entire ship to the ice, immobilizing it completely.

Even the vast U-shaped harbor had turned into a smooth ice surface, with hundreds of sea ships frozen in place!

And those pirates who jumped into the sea to avoid the spores, unable to reach the shore in time, were instantly turned into ice sculptures.

The hundreds of people from Old Lington aboard the ship watched in horror.
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Su Lun looked at the scene with a grave face, "This is going to be troublesome..."