Mechanical Alchemist

"Outside the tower?"

Su Lun listened to this term, and it took him a moment to realize what Number Nineteen had said.

Isn't it, everyone told me, there is only one city in the underground world—Old Lington. What does she mean by "outside the tower" in her words?

As a transmigrator, Su Lun hadn't formed certain fixed impressions yet, and instantly thought of something.

No wonder he had asked around so much, harvesting countless memory fragments, yet no one had ever heard of the "Lei Jia Di family" from the previous resident in Old Lington City.

Could it be that they weren't indigenous at all, but sent in from outside?

....

"If you're looking to recover your missing memories, sorry, I don't know about them."

Number Nine continued, "I'm just one of the people responsible for transporting those 'exiles' who were sent here from outside the black tower and banishing them from the inner city. It just so happened that when you were sent down, it was my turn to transport."

Those?

Su Lun sharply caught onto this plural, his brows slightly furrowing as he asked, "Do you mean to say that there were others who came from outside the black tower, not just me?"

"Yes. You are just one of them."

Number Nineteen confirmed, "This is the black tower's highest secret."

She continued, "The black tower connects to the upper layer. Aside from Duke Rafael and a few high-level individuals, no one knows what is above the black tower. I don't know either. But there must be other human beings living there. Because every once in a while, there will be a group of strangers sent down from above the black tower.

They come stripped of all memories from the outside and are then thrown into the outer city to live or die on their own..."

With this, Number Nineteen also explained another one of Su Lun's doubts, "This is also the reason why I didn't make a move last time at the Black Baron's place. Because I knew you were from outside of the tower, it was impossible for you to have any connection with the Umbrella organization."

"..."

Hearing this, Su Lun fell into deep thought.

As if filling in the most crucial piece of a puzzle, he suddenly felt a sense of clarity wash over him.

Many questions that had troubled him before suddenly made sense because of these words.

He muttered to himself, "I thought a world like this couldn't possibly have just one underground city. So... the black tower is a passageway to the upper layer?"

The people in Old Lington City lacked the concept of a "surface," and Su Lun felt that even if it wasn't the surface, it had to be a much broader world.

Exile, transport, erasure of memory...

When these keywords were linked together, Su Lun felt that Old Lington seemed like... an underground prison? A land of exile?

Criminals from beyond the tower, banished here, left to fend for themselves.

This situation was very similar to certain plots from Su Lun's previous life... Sydney, where the British Empire of the nineteenth century exiled its prisoners?

He thought after transmigrating for so long, he had already unveiled the veil of this mysterious world.

But he hadn't expected that he had only uncovered the tip of the iceberg.

Su Lun finally understood the identity problem of the previous owner of his body.

Although... he was still in the dark about that Lei Jia Di family.

Yet now, he had a general understanding of this world.

No wonder the black tower had absolute control over Old Lington, no wonder they sealed off knowledge of high-order alchemy, no wonder Duke Rafael had it all...

Would a prison warden let the prisoners possess powerful weapons?

He recalled what Qian Tiao told him when he left Old Lington, "Only when you become strong enough can you see the view from high up."

It had a double meaning all along.

High up?

Not only was it referring to high-order professional fields but also the upper levels of the black tower!

And even, he had guessed the significance of Mr. Hei's "third-party force."

With this thought, Su Lun didn't feel a sense of despair as if he were a "prisoner." On the contrary, a strong desire to become powerful started surging within him.

Tsk tsk, so the world is that vast, huh...

Endless unknowns appeared before him, and a strong desire to explore flashed through the depths of Su Lun's eyes.

.....

"I think you should understand what I'm talking about now."

Number Nineteen looked at Su Lun's momentarily paused inscription pen and added, "There's another piece of information I can give you, which might alleviate your concerns after hearing it."

"Oh?"

Su Lun appeared all ears.

He also knew that whatever he was thinking, this woman could think of it as well.

From the beginning, the bargaining chip of the transaction was secondary.

The most important thing was trust.

Su Lun was unwilling to completely expose his safety to someone who might threaten him.

Even if Number Nineteen did not show any malice at the moment.

Now she had lost both arms, and seemed to have almost exhausted her energy.

But if she really reattached her arms, it would be Su Lun who would be at a disadvantage.

After a moment's contemplation, Number Nineteen uttered another sentence that made Su Lun take a second look, "You should know that 'Rakshasa Woman,' right?"

Su Lun looked up at her but didn't respond.

The Rakshasa Woman should be the one called Qiantiao.

Number Nineteen didn't wait for Su Lun's response, since she was confident in her judgment, and continued, "Because I was once a high-ranking member of the Black Tower's secret service, I am familiar with nearly all of their intelligence systems. The umbrella organization system is vast; changing it quickly is impossible.

That's why I've intercepted a lot of classified intelligence recently, including information about you..."

The inscription pen in Su Lun's hand didn't stop, but his eyes carried a hint of curiosity.

After a pause, she directly revealed the intelligence, "I know that you are now called Su Lun, a member of the 'Iron Cross Society.' You caused a disturbance in the inner city and were chased out. I also know that you have the 'Scythe of Xiupunos Night' and 'Oz's Mummy Wrappings,' two sealed items. You also killed three second-order professionals outside the city...

and then were intercepted by the 'Smoke Ghost' Sangbu, the umbrella organization's insider within the society. The 'Rakshasa Woman' saved you..."

"..."

Hearing this, Su Lun's eyebrows raised slightly. So Number Nineteen knew everything.

But then, recalling how she was surrounded by the umbrella organization and a "third party force" participated in her rescue.

Could it be that Number Nineteen was also from that organization?

"You guessed right."

Number Nineteen seemed to see that Su Lun had guessed her hidden identity, and she decisively admitted it.

She said, "The Rakshasa Woman took such a big risk to reveal herself and rescue you; I think your relationship must be not simple. They helped me out in the city before, and then I had a brief contact with Mr. Hei, so I decided to join that organization. Therefore, I think we are not in a hostile relationship; to some extent, we should be allies."

After a pause, she looked at Su Lun, her tone finally less cold, "Otherwise, I wouldn't tell you so much."

Death was not enough to make such a warrior compromise.

Upon hearing this, if Number Nineteen was indeed from Mr. Hei's organization, it did seem like "friend rather than foe."

Number Nineteen didn't beat around the bush but directly stated her needs, "I still have some unfinished business; there are a few people I haven't killed, so I can't die now. That's why I want to buy the mechanical limbs."

After a pause, she added, "Also, my arms are broken now, and I need someone to help me attach the mechanical limbs. If you don't mind, I would also like to ask for your help with this."

Su Lun listened and then confirmed, "You joined Mr. Hei's organization?"

Number Nineteen: "Yes. If you need some necessary proof, I have an emblem of the organization in my storage ring. You should recognize it when you see it."

Su Lun looked at his storage ring, which he had casually worn as spoils of war, not yet having had the chance to check what was inside.

On closer inspection, there was a gold-patterned cloak with a "§" symbol tucked in the corner.

Even though the patterns were slightly different, the craftsmanship, materials, and that certain feeling were identical to the cloak that Qiantiao wore.

Su Lun made his judgment, "Alright."