Mechanical Alchemist

It was a snowy night.

Snowflakes fell on the white monastery's roof, making the building appear bloated.

The identity of a patrol officer was quite useful; Su Lun easily knocked on the monastery's grand doors.

Thick snow also covered the courtyard, where pigeons cooed in their sleep up high.

A brown-haired nun received him.

"Officer Johnny, what brings you here?"

"There's been another murder on the streets, and I'm worried the murderer might have hidden in the monastery. May I come in and take a look?"

"Of course."

The brown-haired nun led Su Lun into the monastery.

Inside the main hall, there were no statues of gods, but rather the "Ouroboros" totem revered by alchemists.

Su Lun wanted to extract some useful alchemy knowledge from these nuns, but it was clear he didn't get what he wanted.

"May I know how many nuns are there in the monastery now?"

"Six."

"I need to ask a few questions to the others."

"..."

"Right, where is Sister Alice?"

"I'm sorry, she is completing her weekly duties, maintaining the seal in the basement."

"A seal?"

"..."

The conversation was cut off halfway with no further details.

But at least Su Lun learned that these nuns were here to maintain some sort of seal.

...

After a while, Su Lun left the monastery.

Though he didn't meet the Alice he was looking for, he heard a sorrowful love story.

The narrative also completed the last piece of the puzzle.

Upon leaving the street, he had only walked a few steps when he heard the sound of footsteps crushing the snowy pavement.

Someone appeared behind him.

But the gaze that watched him bore no malice for the time being.

Su Lun calmly turned around and then saw a person enveloped in a black cloak.

He guessed this person was the "Midnight Murderer."

The cloaked figure spoke, "Do you think I look hideous?"

The raspy voice sounded as though it came from a throat scorched by Luotie.

Then he lifted his head, revealing a deformed monster's face.

Su Lun had already guessed who "it" was, and his expression remained utterly unfluctuated as he indifferently said, "Appearance has never been the key to judging beauty. In my eyes, goodness has nothing to do with the skin."

The clues previously identified by the All-knowing Eye were quite clear.

Answering "ugly" or "not ugly" wasn't the answer,

neither was not answering.

Emotion was the correct answer.

Feelings of disgust could provoke "it."

It was always on the edge of time and space.

This was also why for Su Lun, the difficulty level of this cursed space was "D-grade."

Su Lun was quite good at controlling his emotions.

Pausing, he looked back at the cloaked figure and sighed, "Mr. Brook, I've heard your story, and I'm sorry..."

The cloaked person fell silent upon hearing this.

After a long time, he spoke with his husky voice, "Sir, can I trouble you to meet me at the bell tower? I am going to die tonight, and I have a request to ask of you..."

Without hesitation, Su Lun instantly agreed, "Okay."

The cloaked figure before him was identified as [Soon-to-be completely deformed Abbas Meat Mountain affiliate].

Su Lun knew he was not the Bell Tower Monster.

Relieved by Su Lun's agreement, the cloaked figure vanished into the snowy night.

Su Lun didn't dwell on the cloaked figure,

he went straight to the red brick bell tower, knowing from the start that it was key to solving the case.

There was a thick iron door at the base of the bell tower, now open.

Su Lun walked in without hesitation.

With no elevator, he climbed the stairs step by step.

Gradually, strange patterns appeared on the surrounding walls, resembling autumn ivy covering the entire wall, the higher he went, the denser.

Later, he discovered that they were densely packed living blood vessels.

As he ascended, the walls began to show squirming human organs, intestines, and layers of pale yellow fat...

Even the steps under his feet had turned into fleshy tissue covered with a slippery membrane, wet and slick beneath his tread.

The air was permeated with the distinct stench of fresh, living organ tissue.

Su Lun felt as if he had entered the body of a gigantic monster, and just as he was about to reach the top, he saw a massive, throbbing heart.

This was the real challenge of breaking the cursed space.

Normal people entering this bell tower would probably throw a grenade to destroy everything on instinct.

But stimulating "it" upstairs could have severe consequences.

Su Lun looked at the information he had deduced. His face showed no change in color as he climbed step by step up the fleshy stairs.

Finally, he reached the top of the bell tower and saw a human face grown into the wall.

This was a gigantic aberration, its flesh completely merged with the bell tower.

Bell Tower Monster?

No,

more accurately called the Bell Tower Creature.

The voice came from below the two eye sockets that looked like a mouth: "Sorry if I scared you."

Su Lun had learned this man's story from Sister Alice, and shook his head, saying, "No, Mr. Brook. You are a respected and brave warrior."

"Yes, I do not regret going to war,"

the voice spoke with a hint of pride, "If there were time, I would discuss that battle with you. But I don't have time now…"

He paused, then continued, "Although I did not die in battle, I was infected with an aberration during a fight with an abyssal creature... Seven days ago, I returned here with the last bit of my determination, wanting to see her one last time. Unfortunately, my will could no longer prevent my body's aberration. A demon is devouring my sanity.

I didn't want her to see me in this monstrous state… so I hid here in this bell tower."

Su Lun listened, and from the direction seen by those eyeballs, he could spot through the clock's aperture the white monastery across the way.

In the last moments of his life, he silently watched over the girl he loved.

The voice then said, "If possible, could you help me fulfill my last wish, take my belongings to my beloved Alice. Tell her that I cannot keep our appointment, that she should no longer wait for me…"

"Okay."

Su Lun agreed, taking a harmonica that emerged from a fleshy tendril and examined it.

[Brook's Harmonica]

Description: Can you take it to my dearest girl?

Curse Feature: Love for a lifetime, that's a curse, right?

Details: Engraved with the names Alice and Brook; playing it can soothe Alice's soul;

With his last vestige of will, he managed to finish his words, then the face on the wall slowly closed its eyes.

The thunderous beating of the giant heart also gradually ceased, and the bell tower returned to calm. Only the "click," "click" sounds of the clock hands moving filled the space.

The aberration's life was incredibly tenacious, yet Brook had willingly given up his own.

At this point, the storyline of the whole cursed space was completed.

Watching the creature identified as [Abyssal Abbas Meat Mountain (Second Order Silver-tier Bizarre)] die, Su Lun took a long breath of relief.

He also knew that this was the correct method to break the "D-level difficulty."

A forceful attack would qualify as "A-level."

With such a massive size, even with a black scythe, it might not inflict effective damage.

Even if one were to blow up the entire tower, it might not kill Brook, but would instead completely enrage him into a very terrifying beast.

According to the original plot, apparently, Brook hadn't entrusted the harmonica to anyone until his death. The cursed space was formed by his obsession, hoping someone would return this "token" to Miss Alice.

Su Lun felt that he probably knew who the "Wailing Witch" was now.

Two related cursed spaces, like the distant bell tower and the monastery.

....

And as the signs of life in the mound of flesh before him disappeared, it gradually coalesced into a glowing piece of flesh.

[Abbas's Flesh]

Details: Second Order Silver material, used in crafting advancement materials, significantly enhances physical strength;

This was already quite a rare thing.

Su Lun collected the material, aware that the cursed space was about to collapse.

But... the story was quite good.

No cursed items burst out, huh?

Su Lun didn't think too much about it, as the scenery suddenly changed all around him.

Then, he found himself back in the ruins of Dawn City.

And beside him, Tommy was looking bewildered at the black whistle in his hand.

He looked at Su Lun, exclaiming, "Mr. Johnny!"

Su Lun guessed something, and asked, "You met that cloaked figure?"

Tommy said, "Yeah... he suddenly walked into the room and asked me if I thought he was ugly. I could sense his pain, so I talked with him for a bit. He gave me a whistle. Then... somehow I got out."

"..."

Su Lun thought that sometimes breaking a cursed space depended on power,

but sometimes, it really depended on appearance.

It's no wonder he felt that no cursed items had appeared in the space earlier, as it turned out to be with Tommy.

[Whistle of the Dead]

Quality: Gold

Description: Do you want to converse with demons?

Curse characteristics: With the demon's power, you will be tempted by the demon.

Details: Mystical series 'Necromancer' occupational material; occupational requirement, requires specific spirit medium constitution.

Su Lun didn't know what talent Tommy had awakened, but this cursed object was indeed a fine item.

"Gold quality" ancient relic, truly a rare profession.

Although he had never heard of "Necromancer," it was definitely not simple.

Tommy, holding a whistle, asked, "Mr. Johnny, what is this whistle, and why did that cloaked person give it to me? I feel it suits me..."

"A rare gold occupational material. Put it away."

Su Lun didn't say much because, at that moment, the expected scene was unfolding on the ruins of the monastery opposite them.

...

Loud arguing voices came over.

"We signed an equal exploration contract, what right does your Oliver family have to make us probe the cursed space!"

"Damn it, Battle Blade Group! You are violating the Wilderness Hunting Pact!"

"They never intended to let us get out alive..."

"..."

Not far from the monastery, dozens of men from the Battle Blade Group, armed with guns, were driving three independent hunter groups, including the "Drunkard Group," into the monastery, seemingly forcing them to probe the cursed space.

At that moment, they also spotted Su Lun and his companion who had appeared out of nowhere.

In an instant, everyone turned their gaze toward them, with the muzzles and cannons also pointed their way.

Tommy, seeing his father among them, drew his gun and charged forward, "Let go of my dad!"

The situation was exactly as Su Lun had predicted.

The Battle Blade Group finally tore off its disguise, dozens of malicious gazes piercing, sending chills down one's spine.

As the situation grew desperate, Su Lun scoffed inwardly, single-handedly triggering the silk thread in his hand, instinctively wanting to take control and first behead the second-tier team leader of the Battle Blade Group, then ambush kill the others.

But the next second, as he glanced at his hand, he subconsciously stopped himself.

Then, a puzzled look appeared on his face.

He looked down at his hand again, attempting that awkward finger-twirling motion, and discovered a problem.

Then he looked around at the environment and his hand again.

It was then that he realized, "Huh... turns out it's a dream. When did I get hit?"

The Wailing Witch's primary method was murder through dreams.

Su Lun had been cautious from the start.

Through a special kind of conditioned reflex, he confirmed that the scene before him was a dream of his own creation.

...

People in dreams normally are not aware that they are dreaming.

But to become aware that one is dreaming is something that can be achieved through certain techniques and training.

Su Lun had once trained for this to prevent his dangerous personality from harming others in his sleep.

It was the action of looking at his hand and twirling his fingers that he had done earlier. He had repeatedly suggested to himself before sleep, "When I'm in a dream, I will look at my fingers, then realize I'm dreaming."

(Note: Lucid dreaming, similar to 'Tang Wang's technique', modified for magic, don't take it too seriously)

Then, through long-term training,

It had become a conditioned reflex.

Now, although everything seemed incredibly realistic, Su Lun was sure he was in a dream.

....

In front of him, the Battle Blade Group had already grabbed Tommy and were closing in on him.

Su Lun chuckled, "Heh heh..."

In the dream, he was sure to be alive.

So although they might shoot, he definitely wouldn't die.

But not dying didn't mean he could escape the dream quickly.

Facing countless muzzles around him, he made no move to resist, instead, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his eyes.

Once he confirmed he was dreaming, everything else lost its meaning.

Su Lun took out a gun, pressed it against his jaw, and without hesitation, pulled the trigger.

He was very proficient, obviously not his first time.

....

Suddenly, everything went black.

As if awakening from a nightmare.

Su Lun looked around at the environment.

It was a snowy crossroads.

"Mr. Johnny? Where are we?"

Alongside him, a little boy dressed in thin clothes tentatively called out, his hand still holding a basket of matches.

The Little Match Boy?

This familiar scene had unfolded before him once again.

But due to the missing memories of the dream, he only felt that the scene was familiar, as if it had happened before, yet he did not realize anything.

"Did it snow in Dawn City a thousand years ago..."

Su Lun muttered to himself, wanting to respond to Tommy with, "Cursed space."

However, suddenly, he subconsciously glanced at his own hands, then looked around, his gaze instantly becoming grave, as if something had triggered a conditioned reflex, realizing something, "A dream?"

Tommy's gaze became vacant.

He stared incredulously as Su Lun drew a firegun and pressed it against his temple, hastily exclaiming, trying to stop him, "Mr. Johnny, what are you doing!"

Before he could finish speaking, Su Lun, with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, pulled the trigger without hesitation.

The more he spoke, the deeper he fell into the dream, the harder it was to extricate himself.

Another "bang" of gunfire.

Darkness fell before his eyes.

It was as if he had awakened from a nightmare.

....

This time, the scene had changed again.

Before him was a ruined convent surrounded by a dense fog that obscured everything, with only the scene within the convent clearly visible.

Inside the main hall of the convent, a five-meter-tall silver-haired nun was attacking several humans with her hair that could extend.

Seven people, five of them second-rung professionals, and two were controlling Magicians.

Of the five second-rungs, four had familiar faces, the previously seen Trickster Lloyd, the Raven Gang's executive 'Blood Raven' Langfero, the leader of the Warblade Group Blum, the Steam Party's executive 'Mechanical Tyrannosaurus' Toynbee, and one unidentified Mage in a robe.

The other two first-rung professionals also possessed very rare abilities to control the scene; one wielded the "Thorn Bind" Spell, confining the tall nun's legs, apparently having a special talent in controlling plants; the other emitted the Slowing Light Beam that slowed the nun's movements, which was also a special power;

Together, the seven surrounded the "Wailing Witch," with that Trickster Lloyd constantly shouting commands.

"Send another batch of slaves into the witch's dreamscape, stimulate her to enter the second state. That way, by killing her, we'll obtain the 'Endless Hair'!"

"Quick, control her! Now that her hair's attack range is limited, seriously wound her first!!!"

"Don't hit the head, ensure the skull is intact when gathering materials!"

"..."

Under their coordinated efforts, the tall nun was already covered in scars.

And the next second, who knows what happened, the fog around gradually turned red.

The nun, who had snow-white skin, suddenly became blood-red all over.

"Did the witch enter the second-rung berserk mode?"

Su Lun was startled by the scene before him.

He had thoroughly understood the abilities of the "Wailing Witch" from Mr. Hei and immediately realized what these people were up to.

....

"With such a grand show, am I dreaming?"

Watching the surreal scene before him, Su Lun doubted his own eyes, and instinctively this thought emerged in his mind.

He looked down at his own hands but discovered... it was actually the real world?!

Realizing this, suddenly, his memories seemed to connect like a film.

He instantly recalled the experience in the "Bell Tower Monster" space and the memories of committing suicide twice to exit the dreamscape.

Upon reevaluating his surroundings, the All-knowing Eye identified the result.

"White Convent"

Explanation: Special triggered cursed space, if you cannot distinguish between dream and reality, the danger level will be "T-grade". Kill the witch, and you can leave.

"This is the real world!"

Su Lun was greatly surprised.

This time, he no longer pulled out the gun to commit suicide.

But at the same time, he speculated, "It must be that right after I exited that 'Bell Tower Monster' space, I was immediately drawn into this space."

He guessed that these fellows had used some special cursed item, causing the "Wailing Witch's Cursed Space" to cover a large range of nearby areas.

This had led him to fall straight into the witch's dreamscape upon leaving the other space.

"How long had I remained in the Bell Tower's cursed space? When had these guys arrived?"

Su Lun's heart was filled with doubts.

But at the moment, there was no room for him to ponder in detail.

Recognizing these people's background, Su Lun instantly understood that this was Oliver's family's wilderness hunting group.

To gather hair materials, had they really brought five second-rung professionals? What a big move...

The power of a top inner city financial group was indeed as formidable as its reputation.

They were not only intent on killing the monster for materials but now also wanted to purposely stimulate the "Wailing Witch" into a frenzy to obtain higher-grade materials?

Having previously identified the "Gold-level" oddity, after the second form, it was definitely at the "Lord-level"!

Want to get the "Endless Hair"?

Su Lun's mind swiftly connected the recently captured information with what he was seeing, understanding what was happening, his eyes suddenly filling with malintent, "Tsk tsk... What a grand scheme!"