Mechanical Alchemist

"The Scavenger Guild" is the most bustling place at Dawn Camp.

Moreover, it is located in that dilapidated mansion at Storm Estate.

Su Lun controlled the abhorred zombie as he headed up the hillside, and in no time, he arrived at the garden of the estate.

The surrounding scenery was very familiar; he still remembered it was under that crooked-neck tree where he killed Bald Ivan. Now, it was a site for anti-aircraft guns and machine-gun emplacements.

The mansion hall had been turned into a Scavenger Hall, packed with various Scavengers carrying guns and swords.

In the center of the hall was a huge shining screen, densely plastered with various mission information.

Recruiting personnel, buying intelligence, and hanging sales for various high-level materials and cursed items.

Scavengers stood in front of the big screen, searching for the information they needed.

'Recruitment: The "Iron Boot Scavenger Group" is recruiting 30 Scavenger group members, doctors preferred, led by a second-tier professional, exploring west city A-level cursed space tomorrow...'

'Recruitment: Exploring C~A level cursed space around the east city, led by high-level professionals from the Oliver family, unlimited positions available, daily salary of 20,000 Risso, with additional combat subsidies...'

'Buying Intelligence: Need second-order Thunder Elemental Magician related advancement materials/information, pay 30,000 to 500,000 Risso depending on the value of the information, transactions through the Notary Office.'

'Item Consignment: Second-order assassin advancement material [Dark Magic Dagger], authenticated to awaken stealth-oriented abilities, price negotiable...'

'...'

Su Lun had excellent vision; he didn't squeeze into the crowd but managed to glance at the words on the screen, also spotting someone buying second-order materials.

This was also the reason he came here.

The Dawn Relic was vast, and it was absolutely impossible for him alone to find the intelligence he wanted.

He didn't delay any longer and went directly to the guild to pay for a looping message.

'Buying Intelligence: Shocking, 5 million!!! Need second-order materials/information related to awakening 'Spatial Ability', pay 2 to 500 million Risso depending on the information value, transactions through the Notary Office. Also available to join exploration teams, a veteran first-tier professional, near-master marksmanship, performs well, won't slow you down...'

This eyeball-grabbing method was something he learned from various unscrupulous media sources in his previous life, known as "clickbait."

No matter the situation, starting with a shock is always the way to go.

The moment his 5 million offer went up, it instantly stood out from the dense information crowd.

As for the secrets of spiritual power, he did not post that.

Mr. Hei had said that it was listed as "Forbidden Knowledge" by the Black Tower. Su Lun thought that if he put it up boldly, it might attract some ill-intentioned people fishing for targets.

....

Su Lun posted his intelligence buying information and then stopped at the entrance of the hall for a moment, wanting to see if there was any information that interested him.

At that moment, suddenly a tentative voice called out from behind him.

"Mr. Johnny, is that you?"

Su Lun turned his head and saw a young face staring at him with big eyes.

Who else could it be but Tommy?

However, what surprised Su Lun even more was that he was actually recognized?

He had just changed his outfit to shake off that tail, so how did Tommy recognize him?

Su Lun smiled and didn't deny it, he asked curiously, "How did you recognize me?"

Seeing it was really Su Lun, a smile immediately appeared on Tommy's face, and he said excitedly, "I didn't recognize you. But I felt that it should be you, Mr. Johnny."

"Felt?"

When Su Lun heard this word, he was even more surprised.

He vaguely felt that Tommy might have some special talent awakened, and asked, "Is it some special ability you've awakened?"

Tommy nodded, then shook his head, his tone uncertain, "I'm not sure..."

He frowned, thinking, and then said, "Before, during the escort, wasn't I almost killed by a mutant monster? I was so scared my head was buzzing... Luckily, Mr. Johnny saved me. After that, I found that I seemed to have some special abilities. It was like earlier when I felt that your silhouette was very familiar, so I called out your name..."

"I see..."

Listening to his description, Su Lun could almost confirm that Tommy had indeed awakened some kind of talent.

However, thinking back in his mind, he couldn't find any corresponding talents.

This inexplicable "feeling" ability seemed quite rare, like some kind of visual talent?

But since talents are invisible, one can only guess through some manifestations.

Moreover, before full awakening, it's even hard to be sure what it could be.

For example, although your talent is [B-002-Red Demon], when you first awaken your talent, it only manifests as increased strength, which can easily be confused with [D-082-Brute Force].

Without learning to control that power, you might never have the chance to transform into a "Red Demon," and it's possible that such a rare talent could be buried for a lifetime.

For ordinary people who had no intentions of advancing as professionals, this was all too common.

Previously, when Su Lun saw Qiantiao reveal her second-stage awakened [Rakshasa Woman] talent, he had also curiously asked about some knowledge of talents.

He had now concluded that talents were indeed capable of growth and could break through a second time.

Although he was unsure what influenced this "growth," from Qiantiao's experience, talent awakening was almost always related to combat.

Only through experiencing that despair between life and death, might one have a significant epiphany.

This matched completely with what Tommy described.

....

Su Lun pondered for a while, still not figuring out what Tommy's talent could be, and asked, "Where's your dad? Does he know you've awakened a talent?"

"I told him."

Tommy said, pursing his lips and with a look of grievance, "He said I was being fanciful."

"My dad also said..."

He paused, then mimicked his father's tone with a gruff voice, "I awakened [Brute Force], and you, my lad, will definitely awaken [Brute Force]. Having great strength to lift and bear is the most practical ability! Quit your daydreaming..."

"Heh."

Su Lun found the conversation amusing; it was typical of Captain Benson's carelessness.

For ordinary people, having great strength did indeed seem like the most tangible and visibly impressive ability.

All those flashy and rare abilities were like winning the lottery—they always seemed to belong to someone else.

He then asked, "By the way, where's your dad?"

Tommy pointed towards the crowded hall and said, "He ran into an acquaintance and went to take a task."

Su Lun: "Oh."

Just as they were talking, Captain Benson appeared out of nowhere.

Seeing his son chatting with a stranger, Big Beard also showed a trace of caution on his face.

But little Tommy approached excitedly and said, "Dad, I met Mr. Johnny."

Captain Benson glanced at Su Lun and was surprised, "Brother Johnny?"

He found it strange, they hadn't been apart long, yet he had changed his clothes.

Su Lun nodded, "Yes, Captain Benson."

"Why wear a gas mask in the city? I barely recognized you..."

Captain Benson muttered to himself, but didn't think much of it; there were many Scavengers who dressed like that.

Recognizing Su Lun, he seemed to recall something and suddenly said excitedly, "Brother, there's a Scavenging task, are you interested? It's in the Red Brick Tower district in the eastern city. I have a friend's team, their captain is a second-tier, very strong. And the pay is pretty good, the danger is also low..."

Teams joining forces for Scavenging tasks were a common occurrence.

Especially when facing some larger, more dangerous relics.

Usually they would be teams of acquaintances who had cooperated before.

"Eastern city?"

On hearing this, Su Lun was genuinely interested.

Pay was secondary; the "Red Brick Tower district in the eastern city" sounded familiar to him.

On reflection, wasn't that the place the vendor had mentioned, where the "Wailing Witch's Cursed Hair Strand" was found?

Seeing Su Lun interested, Captain Benson asked, "Brother, you haven't found a team yet, right? How about joining us 'The Drunkards'? It's good to have some mutual support."

Su Lun knew the uncle probably felt he hadn't repaid the favor from the previous escort task and wanted to continue "looking after" him.

Since he was planning to check out that area anyway, and having a team would offer more security, he agreed, "Okay."

Listening to Su Lun's agreement, Captain Benson laughed, "Come on, let me register you. I'll introduce you to my friend while I'm at it,"

At that moment, he also noticed the cloaked giant standing quietly not far from Su Lun and curiously asked, "And this is...?"

Su Lun casually replied, "That's an old partner I knew, just happened to bump into him at the camp. If it's convenient, sign him up too."

Witnessing the size of the abhorrence of live corpses, Captain Benson naturally guessed its strength was not ordinary, and also felt it made sense for a sniper to have a partner.

He laughed, "Haha, of course it's convenient! Right now all the big teams are recruiting for relic explorations; we're worried about not having enough people, not too many."

....

After that, Su Lun followed Captain Benson out of the hall and turned into a room next to the banquet hall.

As Su Lun observed the brightly lit corridor, his gaze grew deeper.

It was here that he'd encountered a bloody banquet...

As they walked, Captain Benson continued to explain, "Let me tell you, the pay for this task is very good. Even with no findings, there is a daily pay of five thousand Lisi. The key is reliability. My friend is a veteran Scavenger we've worked with many times, very experienced, certainly no problem...

And we're under a cooperative contract; we operate independently, we don't have to follow their orders, and we have the right to make our own choices when in danger."

No findings and still five thousand a day?

Listening, Su Lun found it familiar and just as he was about to remember something, he saw Benson leading him into a room with a sign that read "Olli Family Scavenging Team."

He mumbled to himself, "Can't be such a coincidence..."

The Olli family, wasn't that the family of the young man who tried to force-buy his hair strand before?

And there was the "Trickster" Lloyd Rodney...

Thinking about the destination, Su Lun instantly understood.

Probably they had also bought information from that vendor and planned to dispatch a Scavenging team to check it out.

Thinking of the previous tailing, Su Lun's eyes narrowed slightly, "Tsk, what a coincidence indeed."

Upon entering the room, Captain Benson started to boast heartily, "This is my brother Johnny, a very formidable sniper, an experienced veteran Scavenger. That's his friend, a very powerful hand-to-hand combatant, sniper observer..."

Then he introduced Su Lun to the registering officer, who looked like a professional, "This is my old friend Rolli, the famous 'Battle Blade Team' captain..."

Rolli looked Su Lun and the abhorrence of live corpses up and down and said, "Hmm, take out your identification for the registry."

Su Lun produced Johnny's Scavenging license, while the undead simply used a generic excuse of a lost document to get by.

The other party was obviously eager to recruit, and it was a recommendation from an acquaintance, so they didn't fuss over it.

Before long, the contract was signed. Su Lun was listed under "The Drunkards" and was going to join a large team organized by the Olli family to the relic the following morning.

...

After completing the hiring process, Su Lun didn't linger at the Scavenging Guild.

Having bid farewell to Captain Benson and his son, he led the undead to the camp to find accommodations.

Watching Su Lun leave, Captain Benson breathed a sigh of relief.

He patted Tommy's shoulder and said, "Let's go, son!"

As they walked, he continued to brag about his capability, "Whew... At least I found Brother Johnny a reliable hiring task. After all, as a lone wolf and a gunman, it's not easy to find a team, and there's always the risk of ending up in a dodgy team..."

Tommy, looking at Su Lun's retreating figure, seemed to ponder something and muttered, "I think Mr. Johnny is very capable... He could have found a good team even without your introduction, Dad."

Captain Benson didn't grasp the underlying meaning in Tommy's words and raised an eyebrow, "Hmm, Brother Johnny's marksmanship is indeed pretty good..."

But that was as far as it went.

He had seen Johnny's shooting during the escort task before; his skills... were on par with their team's marksman Paul, fifty-fifty.