Mechanical Alchemist-Chapter 316 - 315: Advance to Rank 4 (Supplement)

In the third-floor room of the soup kitchen run by Granny Ha, Qian Tiao and Shinfuku Mitsuko were leisurely playing chess. Lolo, who was standing by with her sword, watched with great interest.

This nine-by-nine grid chessboard, with pieces like Jade Generals, Flying Chariots, Angled Movers... is a unique method of play developed by the Mountain Hermits.

The three of them had been taking turns playing, and it had been going on for two days and nights.

The loser would get strips of paper stuck on their face as a punishment, and now Qian Tiao and Lolo looked like they both had manes like a lion’s. Shinfuku Mitsuko didn’t have as many on her face, but she still had quite a few. These "decorations" added a worldly, lived-in charm to the Princess who was otherwise ethereal and refined.

The atmosphere was very harmonious.

On the other half of the room, a wooden latticed door separated a secluded chamber that was equipped with various Shinto prohibitions to prevent energy leakage. Although it was impossible to see what was happening inside, the oppressive and terrifying energy and dark spiritual power that occasionally seeped out still interrupted the thoughts of the three playing chess from time to time.

Moreover, the frequency and intensity of the energy leaks had been increasing today without any sign of subsiding. It was only after reinforcing the magical barrier several times that it remained undetected by outsiders.

Just as a move was made, Shinfuku Mitsuko’s attention was drawn away by the sinister energy fluctuations next door.

Being a Shinto Shrine Maiden from Ise Grand Shrine, she was particularly sensitive to such dark attribute energy fluctuations.

The degree of that exaggerated energy had already exceeded her knowledge of any professionals of the same rank. It felt as if the person advancing in that room was not so much a human progressing but rather a hellish monster evolving.

As she made her move, she casually asked, "Miss Qian Tiao, the energy Su Lun is releasing is really excessive, isn’t it? And it’s been going on for so long; could there be any problems?"

Lolo blew at the paper strips on her face and added, "Yeah, Teacher. Didn’t Su Lun just advanced to the fourth rank? Why is the commotion so big?"

Qian Tiao glanced over and smacked her lips, "That guy’s dark spiritual power is indeed extravagant. Not even professionals advancing to the fifth rank make as much noise. But there are signs of the energy declining already, so it should be over soon. Probably no problems."

Although she said so, there was not a hint of worry on her face.

Qian Tiao knew Su Lun too well; his foundation was far deeper than that of any peer, so it wasn’t surprising that the commotion was extensive.

Furthermore, the stronger the curse characteristics of the advancement materials, the longer the body needs to digest them.

As for the possibility of not being able to digest the curse materials and causing mutations, that was even less concerning. For someone with the All-knowing Eye like Su Lun, it’s nearly impossible.

His steady character was also nothing to worry about.

...

The three of them weren’t merely playing chess here to pass the time; they were also here to protect Su Lun during his progress.

After all, something as important as advancing couldn’t tolerate any disturbances.

Qian Tiao, the gambling addict who was hardly seen during normal days, hadn’t left the room for two whole days, not even to take a dip in the hot springs. She patiently stood guard inside.

The three of them talked while playing chess, and Lolo yawned.

Without much thought, Qian Tiao said, "Lolo, if you’re sleepy, go to sleep."

Lolo said earnestly, "No, I want to stay with Teacher."

Qian Tiao then turned to Shinfuku Mitsuko, who was sitting across from her, and suggested, "Princess, if you’re sleepy, feel free to go to sleep."

Shinfuku Mitsuko gave a small smile, "There’s no need."

As the host, it wouldn’t be proper for her to go to sleep alone, and she was more than happy to help Su Lun even if just a little.

Hearing this, Qian Tiao’s expression flickered with a hint of teasing as she suddenly asked, "Princess, what do you think of that young man Su Lun?"

"He’s very talented."

Shinfuku Mitsuko made her move.

After a moment of thought, she earnestly responded, "Su Lun’s erudition is really breathtaking. It seems he knows everything, excelling in everything; he is truly exceptional. Having interacted with him these past few days, I’ve asked many questions and benefited greatly."

Having spent these days in close company, she had come to understand Su Lun better.

With the initial wariness for a "stranger" gone, she found that being in Su Lun’s company was very comfortable. Strong abilities, well-read, multi-talented, self-disciplined, modest, focused, and handsome... She could hardly find any faults.

Most importantly, he had good character.

He could perfectly control his own emotions. After all, living together, the occasional unconscious glances were part of human nature; yet, he never let his thoughts drift to wanton fantasies, which was a truly rare quality.

That was also why the Princess found their cohabitation over the past few days pleasant and didn’t mind it in the slightest.

As a Shinto Shrine Maiden, she could clearly sense people’s emotions and certain thoughts.

Hearing this reply, a spirited and beautiful Chitose raised an eyebrow, "Yo~ I knew it, you definitely have a thing for him."

She looked at the Princess’s pretty face with a playful gaze, as if trying to detect some unusual emotion.

The Princess, now accustomed to this teasing, didn’t change her expression and corrected, "My feelings for Mr. Su Lun are of admiration, not of a romantic nature."

As she said this, she paused, then smiled, "Rather, I think Miss Chitose and Mr. Su Lun would be a good match."

Chitose rolled her eyes upon hearing this, showing no intention of arguing, and lazily remarked, "That guy once told me this weird story called ’The Vulture Couple’ that had a line like ’One mistake can ruin your whole life.’ I think it’s quite fitting for you..."

Ignoring her, the Princess just made her chess move and simply said, "Mr. Su Lun has told me some very interesting stories as well."

"..."

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Chitose looked down at the chessboard, only now realizing she seemed to be losing again, her expression turning odd.

She frowned in thought for a moment, unable to find a way to turn the game around, and could only gain the upper hand with her words, "Have you ever met anyone more handsome and outstanding than him? Tsk tsk... If you don’t seize the opportunity, you might find it difficult to meet someone like him again."

Listening, the Princess calmly replied, "I have naturally never met anyone like that, and it’s unlikely I ever will. But... Miss Chitose, you seem to have forgotten that I am a Shinto Shrine Maiden."

As she spoke, she made a chess move and smiled, "You’ve lost again."

No sooner had she spoken than a white strip of paper stuck to Chitose’s face.

Chitose rolled her eyes, her face showing utter disinterest.

In the meantime, Lalota laughed heartily without a care in the world and urged, "Teacher, you lost, it’s my turn now!"

....

As Chitose and the other two continued their chess game, when there was almost no space left for paper strips on Chitose’s face, suddenly, the energy fluctuations in the other half of the room completely ceased.

Chitose immediately realized something and heaved a sigh of relief in her heart.

In the end, these two days had passed without any mishap.

The Princess beside her also noticed and a smile appeared on her face, "It looks like Mr. Su Lun’s advancement is over."

Lalota, realizing the others had stopped, came to her senses. She looked towards the wooden door, muttering softly, "I wonder if he succeeded..."

No sooner had she voiced her concern than the lattice door was suddenly pushed open and Su Lun stepped out, full of vigor.

Having just advanced, he couldn’t yet perfectly contain his aura; the outpouring of fourth-level fluctuations amazed all three in the room with surprise and anticipation.

Lalota, ever hasty, asked, "Mr. Su Lun, have you successfully advanced?"

Su Lun nodded, he had succeeded.

Chitose eyed Su Lun’s skin, where mysterious runes faintly glowed, and asked with curiosity, "You made such a big fuss, how does advancing feel?"

"Very strong."

Su Lun thought for a moment and replied with just two words.

He couldn’t describe his current experience, but it felt incredibly good!

If finding the Magician’s lineage scroll in the wild was like stumbling upon a piece of gold, then now he had mastered the method of "turning stone into gold!"

After the advancement, it wasn’t just the acquisition of more rune-related knowledge, but his understanding of the rune domain, as well as his capabilities in logical thinking, learning, extension, deduction, variation, perception... all these abilities skyrocketed.

After forcibly assimilating it with Alchemy, he was even more certain that the [Replica of the Primeval Rune] was indeed a treasure!

The essence of runes was "patterns imbued with Magic Power," abstract concepts of laws expressed in visual and tangible patterns. By using special combinations and arrangements, they created all kinds of miraculous effects.

At this moment, Su Lun felt as if he saw a lighthouse in the vast dark ocean of knowledge, which gave him direction and lit his path, giving him a vague sense that he was finally qualified to touch upon the ultimate secret of the laws.

Advancing in the fourth tier in this direction was definitely the right choice!

"Rune expertise" improvements are crucial for a Puppeteer, and with this advancement, the combat power of the rune puppets Su Lun creates will surge by N times.

Those high-tier runes of the sixth and seventh tiers, the various variations of the Luoen rune language... they now feel like college-level problems to a primary student, easily grasped and readily understood.

If previously his level could be considered that of a "Rune Master,"

Now he is nothing less than a "Rune Grandmaster"!

Moreover, there are many secret techniques among the legacy of the "Rune Magician," and once Su Lun gets a hold of them, his own combat power will also soar several times over!

Seeing the bright spark in Su Lun’s eyes, the Princess beside him couldn’t help but smile slightly, genuinely happy for him, and softly offered her congratulations, "Congratulations, Mr. Su Lun."

Su Lun glanced at her, filled with emotion, "I couldn’t have advanced without Miss Princess’s help..."

He had a thousand words of gratitude but struggled to voice them all.

From the recipes, materials to the final crafting, everything was directly related to the Mountain Hermit Princess in front of him.

Without the Princess, Su Lun would have found advancement far out of reach.

He truly owed her a great debt.

And it wasn’t light.

The Princess bowed slightly in return, responding, "You are too kind, Mr. Su Lun."

Off to the side, Chitose rolled her eyes, interrupting their politeness, "You two, can you stop with all the thank you’s back and forth..."

Su Lun couldn’t help but chuckle at this.

Just then, his gaze fell upon the Anti-Magic Rune seal on Chitose’s arm, and he added, "Chitose, I’m now confident I can unlock the ’Anti-Magic Rune Seal’ on your arm!"

Previously, his rune expertise wasn’t sufficient to undo a seal cast by a sixth-tier Rune Grandmaster, and he might have taken ten days to a half month just to find the correct method.

But now, after his advancement, with just one look, he immediately discerned the pattern behind the arrangement of the runes.

"Oh?"

Chitose raised an eyebrow, her face lit up with joy.

She certainly wouldn’t mind Su Lun helping her; the rune seal on her arms had caused her a fair amount of trouble in a short time, and she would be glad to have it resolved.

Suddenly, however, she seemed to catch a peculiar scent and wrinkled her nose in distaste, "Su Lun, what’s that smell on you?"

Su Lun sniffed and replied, "I don’t smell anything?"

Lolo made a grimace, hinting, "It’s a sour smell..."

The Princess covered her mouth, laughing silently.

"..."

Only then did Su Lun realize what they were referring to.

Despite staying at a hot spring inn for many days, he hadn’t once soaked in the pool, completely engrossed with the matters of advancement. Plus, the time spent on the Pirate crew’s ship meant he likely hadn’t bathed in over half a month, not to mention days spent crafting materials amidst smoke and soot, surely the smell wasn’t pleasant.

With an awkward laugh, he suggested, "Maybe I should go take care of that first?"

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After being cooped up in his room for two days and nights for his fourth-tier advancement, he felt he should clean up, and he moved toward the courtyard.

Hearing this, Chitose glanced at the Princess with a teasing look in her eye, waved a big hand, and said, "Let’s go soak in the hot spring! I found a great spot up on the mountain, truly a top-tier experience. I haven’t been out for two days either, let’s go enjoy the ’scenery’..."

Su Lun thought it sounded good, "Alright."

Chitose gestured like she was heading out, then casually slung an arm over Shinfuku Mitsuko’s shoulder, "Come on, Princess, you’re joining us."

"Ah?"

The Princess had a premonition that Chitose was up to some mischief, but outright refusal seemed too alienating. Before her mind could catch up, her body was already being pulled along by Chitose, and she could only blankly respond, "Oh."

A party of four quietly leapt from the courtyard and ascended the mountain.

....

Su Lun and his companions all boasted exceptional physical abilities, and they didn’t take the main path, choosing instead to trek through forests and scale mountains.

The geothermal hot springs of Tea Crying Mountain were abundant, but all the bathhouses were built on flat terrain. The higher the altitude, the scarcer the human presence.

Before long, the group had reached above the snow line, and the temperature around them dropped suddenly.

As they drew nearer to the direction of the volcano’s main peak, Su Lun, driven by curiosity, asked, "Sister Qian Tiao, where are we heading?"

Without stopping, Qian Tiao replied while walking, "Previously, when I was out practicing swordplay with Lolo Ta, we stumbled upon a natural hot spring here on the mountain. It was a beautiful place, with excellent water."

Su Lun: "Oh."

At that moment, Qian Tiao turned to the Princess and asked, "Princess, you’ve probably never been to an outdoor hot spring like this, have you?"

"Ah... that’s right."

The Princess seemed a bit distracted as she nodded, "I visited Tea Crying Mountain when I was a child, but I only stayed in bathhouses and never wandered up here on the mountain."

Looking around at the snowy landscape, her face lit up, much like a canary breaking free from its cage, and a flash of awe crossed her features. "I never imagined the scenery here could be so spectacular."

Qian Tiao raised an eyebrow, "Oh, then you really should try it. That hot spring will definitely leave a lasting impression on you."

For some reason, the Princess felt that Qian Tiao’s smile seemed a bit teasing today.

Maybe it was payback for winning too many chess games these past two days?

...

"It’s right above us!"

In no time, Su Lun and his three companions arrived at the base of a nearly vertical cliff face. Qian Tiao pointed to a barren tree near the top of the hundred-meter cliff where the trickle of a stream and large ice cascades could be seen.

"Hurry and follow me up!"

With a powerful leap, Qian Tiao bolted upward from the ground. Much like a nimble mountain goat, she pushed off the protruding rocks of the cliff face and quickly made her way to the top.

Lolo Ta, not to be outdone, wielded her short blade to hammer into the ice and scale upwards, shouting encouragement halfway through to Su Lun and the Princess below, "Mr. Su Lun, Princess, come on, hurry up!"

"Okay."

Su Lun replied with a nod.

Climbing a wall was easy for him, but as he glanced over at the Princess, who looked a bit distressed by the rock face, he asked, "Princess, shall I help you up?"

"Ah?"

She looked momentarily confused.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t climb up; it just seemed somewhat improper. She was a royal princess, after all, and climbing walls wasn’t exactly something she was accustomed to. Even in such situations in the past, her guards would have prepared the way for her.

Her mind was racing:

Would climbing be impolite?

Her etiquette tutor had certainly never allowed such behavior for a princess.

And... would Mr. Su Lun find it strange?

But as she was still pondering, she was suddenly swept up by an arm, and as she felt a lightness, she heard a voice by her ear, "Hold on tight, Princess. I’m taking us up."

Su Lun, with a clear conscience and no time for dilly-dallying, saw the Princess’s dilemma and promptly took action.

With the Octopus Spear disengaged, he easily scaled the cliff while carrying another person.

PS. Making up for yesterday, if time permits, I will try to write another chapter. Don’t wait up, it might be very late. Or perhaps tomorrow.