Mechanical Alchemist-Chapter 518 517: Library Ghost

After soaking in the hot springs and washing away the dust, Su Lun and Mr. Jing returned to the Monster Beast Forest.

Negotiations were ultimately better handled by his senior sister, especially since she was the Dawn Leader.

She met with the Dwarf King, Beo, discussed some pros and cons and the future of civilization, and without much hesitation, the Mountain Dwarves agreed to renew the alliance.

However, the dwarves agreed to ally with the Dawn Alliance only and did not trust other humans.

Luckily, Su Lun's small void realm was recently vast enough to temporarily accommodate them.

Apart from lacking mines to dig, everything else was quite satisfactory.

The peace-loving dwarves hammered and forged in the small void realm, continuing their secluded way of life from before.

Of course, they also helped Su Lun forge some gargoyles.

As for the countless treasures accumulated by the dwarves over the years, they were also temporarily stored in Su Lun's small void realm.

Various ores, treasures, forging tools, magical equipment, even a forge as big as a mountain was moved in.

It wasn't all Su Lun's now, but he could borrow them if he really needed to.

He also felt quite pleased, as the void realm became lively.

...

The dwarves had too much stuff to move, taking two full days to pack up.

Qian went to the seaside, gathering the Dawn group to prepare ample supplies for an adventure on Dragon Island; Mr. Jing returned to the planar passage near Zambra Ironfall Province.

On the third day, Su Lun instantly teleported back to Kabitrond, the capital of Mafa.

Initially, Su Lun planned to ask Miss Dora about the alchemy manuscript and intended to buy some large machinery workshops and recruit some mechanics.

But upon inquiry, he learned that Miss Dora was also on the front lines and wouldn't be back for another two days.

Without other acquaintances in Mafa, buying large equipment and recruiting mechanics would be much more straightforward with a familiar introduction, sparing much trouble.

Moreover, it wasn't just about lacking acquaintances; both identities as "Reaper" and "Feck" were major wanted criminals of the Mafa royal family.

Being too conspicuous was generally not good.

He mingled in various material markets with Number Nineteen, purchasing some scarce materials.

Kabitrond was the city of mechanics, with an immense array of materials. Almost every district had a large machinery market, the scale of which was hundreds to thousands of times larger than Ruying. As long as one could afford it, almost all materials could be purchased.

After a few days, Miss Dora finally sent a message that she would soon return to the capital.

...

That day, Su Lun and Number Nineteen were strolling around the Mafa Royal Mechanical Academy.

They had arranged to meet with Miss Dora there.

The two walked around the campus, which was also bustling.

Because of the planar war, the students were all spirited and enthusiastic. Previously, some peace-loving mechanics from Mafa were unwilling to fight with Ruying, but with the planar invasion, almost everyone was mobilized. Recruitment slogans and parades urging alumni to join the front lines were visible everywhere.

Unlike the students of the Ruying Royal Academy, who were either wealthy or noble, the mechanics here showed no signs of wealth or poverty, but their eyes all held a gleam of interest in mechanical alchemy.

The campus had a long, shaded boulevard lined with giant steel sculptures.

The statues in Ruying invariably honored some "great" noble lord.

In the Mafa campus, however, the statues were all of top-tier mechanics.

Underneath the statues were engravings of those mechanics' lifetimes and significant patent inventions.

Walking down this path, Su Lun felt quite moved.

No wonder Mafa had become so powerful in just over a hundred years since focusing on mechanics. In contrast, Ruying really was thoroughly decadent. Who knows how it would fare under Yekaterina's radical reforms...

As they walked, Number Nineteen introduced various aspects of the Mechanical Academy.

She had been staying here for years.

Suddenly thinking of something, she casually asked, "Su Lun, do you have a disciple at the Royal Mechanical Academy?"

Su Lun nodded, "Yes. Jike is a genius demolitions expert. Since he couldn't learn and grow in Ruying, I sent him to Mafa."

He hadn't planned to disturb his disciple's studies or let anyone know that Jike was his disciple.

However, upon hearing this, Number Nineteen's expression changed slightly, "Jike James? The genius freshman from the ammunition department?"

Surprised, Su Lun responded, "You've heard of him?"

"Of course," Number Nineteen recalled, her expression somewhat wistful. "Whenever a genius mechanic appears in the academy, they are treated like a star. When I was studying ammunition, I heard about a very talented new student who, within just a few months, had made quite a few astonishing explosives. Of course, his most famous incident was when he invented a special explosive that blew up the academy's bomb-proof laboratory... and then the whole school knew about this newcomer."

Listining, Su Lun chuckled.

Back in Ruying, Jike had blown up a few laboratories and was considered an oddity.

In Mafa, however, he had become a star student.

As the two talked and walked, they soon arrived at the Mafa Library.

This was a massive building; its ground part was made entirely of steel frames and glass, shining brilliantly under the sun and looking very beautiful.

The library had an excellent academic atmosphere, with many students borrowing books.

Almost every corner of the bookshelves was packed with people.

Su Lun and his companion walked in and sat in an inconspicuous spot, casually chatting while waiting for Dora.

Number 19 continued, "The academy library was established by Lucien Pepys Grandmaster. After he founded the 'Mechanic Alchemy Guild', he devoted the remainder of his life to establishing the Royal Academy. The library was his life's work. Thus, for a century, there has been a legend that studying in the library might occasionally bring one face to face with Lucien's spiritual blessing, enlightening them..."

Su Lun: "Spiritual blessing?"

Number 19 explained, "Yes. It's said that more than one person has experienced it. Many now-successful mechanics from Mafa Country, who studied at the academy in their youth, have had such experiences. The students all say it's a library blessed by the predecessors of mechanics, and only the top genius students will receive the 'Library Ghost's Blessing'... Of course, because of this legend, many attention-seekers claim to have been blessed."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Su Lun took it seriously.

For magicians, there is always a reason behind everything that appears.

This seemingly inexplicable "Spiritual Blessing," if real, must have a cause.

Moreover, by chance, he himself was an expert in the spiritual realm.

He held a black umbrella in his hand and slightly sensed his surroundings, but he didn't detect any spiritual fluctuations.

However, the structure of the library was indeed quite complex.

Apart from the vast surface building, there were spaces hundreds of meters underground where some of the academy's laboratories were located.

...

The two did not wait long when a casually dressed young woman appeared at the library's entrance.

Although her appearance had changed, Su Lun recognized her at first glance as the hostage lady.

Miss Dora also saw Su Lun and walked straight toward him.

Su Lun did not pretend not to recognize her and greeted her, "Colonel Dora, long time no see."

Miss Dora, however, seemed to carry a hint of anger, all business, "Thank you for the information you provided. On behalf of the Mafa military, I extend the highest respect to you."

Su Lun, slightly startled, thought their acquaintance wasn't that distant, "Please, have a seat."

After inviting her to sit, he sensed something and directly inquired, "Colonel Dora, I hope I haven't caused you any trouble, have I?"

Dora didn't want to say it, but seeing this irritating guy pretending to be innocent, she couldn't help but coldly say, "Your tactics are quite cunning. Now that your wife has become the Ruying Emperor, voices immediately emerged within Mafa Country calling for us to set aside our hatred and unite against the external foe, with some even suggesting welcoming the Lei family back to the country... I think, although it's correct to employ such political tactics, with the dimensional invasion as our current priority, can we lessen these political maneuvers and unite?"

"???"

Su Lun, only upon hearing this, understood why the hostage lady was so angry.

It turned out she was blaming him for Catharina's ascension to the throne.

Previously, Su Lun had realized Catharina's choice of the Lei family as a stepping stone was not just about internal influences in Ruying.

The Lei family was quite special, being Mafa's old imperial family.

The two great empires of Mafa and Ruying had been at war for hundreds of years, with reconciliation between the authorities on both sides absolutely impossible. Even if the authorities wished it, the families of fallen soldiers would definitely not.

Having such an ancient imperial family mediate was very tricky indeed.

With a member of an old Mafa imperial family becoming the Ruying Emperor, the people of Mafa Country could emotionally accept their own emperor.

From this, it appeared Catharina's plan from the outset was to unify the two great empires.

However... the current situation with the dimensional invasion was peculiar.

Her plans were made before the invasion, which doesn't imply it was her idea.

It might also be the old folks of the Lei family who were anxious to reclaim their country.

After all, they haven't been idle for the past one or two hundred years and still had many "remnants of the old era" in Mafa Country.

Now that there was hope, they naturally wanted to make big moves.

But all of these were just speculations.

What the facts were had nothing to do with him.

Su Lun chuckled and defended himself, "Believe it or not, this has nothing to do with me. I have no interest in politics. Besides, I am Dawn Su Lun, Lei's 'Feck' will never appear again."

"..."

Miss Dora frowned as she listened.

Hearing this, she scrutinized Su Lun carefully with an evaluative look as if confirming he wasn't lying; the anger in her brows slightly faded.

But she still complained, "Running into you never brings anything good..."

Su Lun didn't mind, as the aftereffects of the kidnapping hadn't completely faded yet.

He directly changed the subject, asking, "How is the frontline?"

Miss Dora's expression had returned to normal, responding, "The battle is very fierce. But for now, it's under control. However, it's impossible to fully resolve the issue. We haven't yet found a way to break through the defense barriers set by the ninth-level magic towers. Moreover, as time passes, the dimensional portals become more stable, and the enemy's top mages will also arrive..."

As she spoke, the look of worry did not leave her face.

Su Lun was aware of this situation, and indeed, it was not optimistic.

After all, the divine dimensional planes were incomparably higher in terms of combat capabilities than the broken alchemical dimension, even possessing overwhelming power.

At present, there seemed to be no solution to stop it.

Even Mr. Jing, after calculating, found that only when the people of the alchemical dimension were qualified to leave the dimension, could there be hope of finding a solution.

"But thank you also to your organization for the military support provided. Especially Mr. Jing, the military department is also hoping to cooperate with your Dawn..."

Speaking of the war, fatigue showed on Miss Dora's face again.

She did not dwell further on this gloomy topic, but instead said, "Just forget about that manuscript of Isaac for now. After your wife became the emperor... Recently, all sorts of remnants from the old era have surfaced, and His Majesty the Emperor now doubts your motives. Even if I'm willing to believe you, it's not possible to obtain it anytime soon."

"Mm."

Su Lun heard these words, but his expression didn't change.

At the moment, he intended to take a trip to Dragon Island, and getting the notebook from the hands of the Mafa royal wasn't too urgent.

He thought for a moment and then said, "Another thing is, I need some mechanics to help me make some parts for the Mechanical Castle."

Miss Dora remembered that the two of them had discussed this matter verbally before, so she directly asked, "Where are the blueprints?"

Su Lun took out part of the blueprint of "Sky Combat Castle."

Miss Dora's attention was instantly captivated by the exquisite design on the blueprints, having the eye of a mechanic Grandmaster, she recognized them after a moment and exclaimed, "The ancient Gusmao airship blueprints of Ruying? You actually have these things?!"

Speaking, she suddenly seemed to recall something, and pursed her lips to correct herself, "Oh, I almost forgot. The Empress of Ruying is your wife."

Su Lun also felt somewhat helpless listening to this; the airship was indeed given by Yekaterina, but these blueprints were his own.

He didn't explain much, only asking, "Can these parts for the Mechanical Castle be manufactured by Mafa at the moment?"

Although he had the "Goblin Sky Combat Castle's Energy Core" in his hand, Ruying's mechanical technology could not possibly reproduce the high-pressure steam boilers described in the blueprints for sky castles.

Miss Dora didn't rush to answer; she carefully looked at several blueprints before saying, "The vast majority would be no problem."

After she finished viewing the blueprints, her eyes shifted slightly, as if she thought of something else, and she looked back at Su Lun, "These blueprints should be of an ancient goblin mechanical castle... I'm not wrong, Ruying's Gusmao airships were based on these blueprints. But to drive such a large mechanical castle in the sky, it requires tremendous power which current technology simply cannot support... that's why Ruying only managed to produce some crude airships."

Speaking, she looked at Su Lun, seemingly guessing that he had the crucial energy core in his possession.

But she deliberately didn't mention it.

How clever!

Su Lun also discerned her ideas from her expression.

Mr. Hei had previously asserted that this Miss Dora was extremely intelligent, and aside from her relatively young age and inexperience, she would certainly be able to stand at the apex of the world in the future.

After pondering for a moment, Miss Dora then said, "Could you sell these blueprints to me? Any terms can be negotiated."

As she said this, she realized her words might seem too abrupt, and quickly explained, "What I mean is, even if we can't build a Sky Combat Castle, we can still convert the blueprints for land use, or even for sea mechanical castles! This would be a great weapon against those invaders from other planes."

Su Lun wasn't too surprised to hear this and responded, "That's possible! But I have only one condition, these blueprints must not be used in the wars between Mafa and Ruying Empires. If you can make that decision, I can trade the blueprints with you."

"..."

Hearing this, Miss Dora instantly fell silent.

She couldn't guarantee that.

Even the military couldn't guarantee that.

The situation in a large empire is very complex; even the Great Marshal of the Moise family couldn't decide that.

Even though Mafa has no traditional nobility, its internal situation is not much better than Ruying's.

With constant warfare, the major arms dealers already had absolute political influence, a colossal entity that their military department often felt helpless against.

They are greedy, ignorant, selfish, and monopolize technology... often solely concerned with their own interests.

If possible, the arms dealers would wish for the whole world to be perpetually engulfed in wars.

Sometimes, Miss Dora despised those arms dealers intensely.

Su Lun saw Miss Dora's expression fall into difficulty,

But at that moment, a strange expression crossed his eyes because... he had detected a very slight soul fluctuation!

"Huh... is there really a Spiritual Body in this library?"

Su Lun softly exclaimed in his heart, his mind diving into contemplation.

The appearance of this Spiritual Body was very special, unlike any he had encountered before. It felt as if... the entire library was it?

He knew Miss Dora couldn't make such a guarantee, so this blueprint deal was definitely going nowhere.

Unsurprisingly, Miss Dora responded with a regretful expression, "Sorry, I can't make that guarantee."

Su Lun also felt it was time to skip over this topic.

However, unexpectedly, Miss Dora shifted the conversation and posed a new question, "But... can I participate in the construction of this mechanical castle as a private individual?"

Su Lun's gaze flickered.

He wasn't thinking about Miss Dora's words, but something else.

Could it be that the Spiritual Body had communicated something to her?

So, the Spiritual Body had subjective consciousness?"

Su Lun calmly observed Miss Dora, countering with, "What do you think, Colonel Dora?"

Miss Dora knew her position as Marshal of Mafa might not make her words very convincing, especially given a history that included espionage, she then said, "If you don't trust me, I can offer some terms of exchange, such as signing a contract. Don't worry, my mechanical skills are second to none, and I also need this blueprint."

She was certain, the guy in front of her had the complete blueprints, and some key components.

So even if it were copied, it wouldn't be as good as what he had in his hands.

Su Lun listened without haste to refuse, only asking with a meaningful tone, "May I ask why?"

Miss Dora was on the verge of explaining but paused for a moment and ultimately shook her head, "Sorry, I can't tell you that reason for now. I can only assure you, I have no malicious intentions."

"Then I'll think about it,"

Su Lun didn't urge her, merely saying, "How about, you first help me gather a batch of capable mechanics? Of course, I'll pay the full compensation."

Miss Dora didn't know what else to say for a moment, only replying, "Okay."

...

The two conversed for a while, beating around the bush to gather information.

Su Lun asked about the library ghost and some questions about that Isaac's notebook... but he got no results.

Meanwhile, Miss Dora subtly inquired about the No. 19 mechanical limbs and Su Lun's talents...

Ultimately, being a professional spy, she didn't talk about intelligence directly, but every sentence was probing.

The atmosphere over the two days wasn't exactly pleasant, but they both had their gains.

During the conversation, Su Lun occasionally placed his hand on the rune-adorned black umbrella, trying to perceive exactly what kind of existence this "library ghost" was.

However, this action didn't escape the astute Miss Dora.

Miss Dora was blunt with Su Lun, challenging him, "Lord Su Lun, would you like me to hang your umbrella for you? Carrying an umbrella indoors will make the students think you're strange."

Su Lun knew that wherever he went with a black umbrella, no one would consider it an ordinary umbrella.

Listening to her obviously teasing tone, he didn't hide anything and laughed, "It's best to be cautious when encountering Colonel Dora."

At this, Dora seemed to be reminded of some unpleasant memories and retorted, "Hmph! I suspect you have some sort of 'bad luck' talent. Nothing good ever happens when I meet you!"

Su Lun reflected on their previous meetings, which indeed seemed to have been unpleasant for her.

But for him, they were great opportunities.

After teasing each other a bit, the atmosphere of the negotiation wasn't bad.

However, it was at that moment that Su Lun's gaze suddenly sharpened.

Dora, seeing his expression turn serious, thought he had discovered some secret of the library and asked cautiously, "What's wrong?"

The solemnity in Su Lun's eyes deepened, and he seemed fearful of being overheard, even refraining from turning his head to look directly at whatever he had discovered. He slowly said, "This time you might be right, big trouble is coming."

No. 19 also looked serious, already prepared for battle.

Dora, being extra cautious, guessed something and asked, "An enemy?"

Now, it wasn't often that something could be called "big trouble" by Su Lun.

Thinking about it, it must be someone from the Celestial Plane.

"Yes."

Su Lun himself hadn't expected that by fully releasing his soul perception to find the library ghost, he'd instead discovered another person.

It wasn't just anyone, but the Celestial "Saint Heir" Frank McAdam, whom he had disarmed in Lindon!

Dora had never seen Su Lun look so stern, even in that "T-grade" cursed space.

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She asked, "How powerful is the enemy?"

Su Lun directly answered, "Very strong! Last time, our team leader and I together couldn't stop him. Now... even a ninth-tier professional might not manage."

He had sensed Frank's soul fluctuations.

A few months ago, he hadn't been so strong, but now his strength was frightening.

Previously, only in collaboration with Mr. Jing and Qian Jiao were they able to ambush and sever his arm; now, one could only imagine.

This guy was definitely a "huge bomb" in the planar invasion.

Su Lun took a deep breath and said, "At ten o'clock, about one hundred and fifty meters that man. Don't look directly at him, nor try to probe. He's protected by a deity, any hostility or investigation will be detected. If you have any means, better call top experts soon."

His words were not only for Miss Dora across from him but also for that library ghost.

Upon hearing this, Dora immediately guessed it was that wanted Saint Heir.

She dared not speak his name, her lips moved as if sending out some signal.

Su Lun recognized this guy, but after a moment's thought, his expression eased.

This guy coming to Mafa was not surprising, given that the portal was here.

But... coming to the academy's library? What for?

Clearly, it wasn't to seek vengeance on him.

Dora, as a professional spy, had a good grasp of mentality. Seeing the change in Su Lun's expression, she guessed his thoughts as if she had mind-reading abilities and couldn't resist teasing, "Hey, hey, hey... even if he's not here for you, aren't you going to help?"

Su Lun shrugged, "I'll help if I can. But for now... I might not be of much help."

A grudge for a severed arm was no small matter, and Su Lun didn't think showing himself was a good idea.

Being targeted by someone constantly under divine protection, he was certain this Frank would spare others but surely kill him, Su Lun!

Su Lun, unaffected by Miss Dora's disdainful look, simply reminded, "Haven't you considered why he's come to the library?"

"..."

Dora clearly guessed something, but as it involved top secrets, she dared not make a decision.

It wasn't odd for a great empire to have some top secrets, and Su Lun hadn't really intended to delve into them.

However, just then, a mysterious and distant voice suddenly echoed in Su Lun's mind, "Young friend, your soul is very special, and if possible, I would like us to meet. I apologize for not being able to appear in person, so I have to ask you and your friend to come over. Also, please bring my disciple with you."

Spiritual communication?

In an instant, Su Lun knew it was the "library ghost" speaking.

And what surprised him was that it was Dora's teacher?

So her arranging to meet at the library was for this reason.

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