Mechanical Alchemist-Chapter 586 - 585: The Challenge of the Giant Race

Su Lun didn't expect that buried underneath the Temple of Gorgon for countless years was a secret ancient weapon created by the gnome civilization during the mythical era.

Looking at the various data on the blueprint, he had already assembled a finished product of the "Twilight of the Gods Cannon" in his mind.

But that was at least a colossal cannon with a barrel length of three hundred meters.

That was roughly comparable to the length of the largest sailing warships like the Eternal Night, not to mention whether the structure of the ship could withstand the tremendous impact force of the cannon's firing.

Su Lun instantly judged that theoretically, no warship in the Alchemical Realm could currently bear such a giant cannon.

However, the "Sky Mechanical War Fortress" being constructed in the tiny void realm could absolutely bear it!

It was already a steel city, so it wouldn't care about accommodating one more cannon.

Previously, Su Lun had been somewhat concerned that once the Sky War Fortress was constructed, the Alchemical Realm might be invincible, but if it encountered a divine being, it would most likely become a huge sitting duck.

However, this "Twilight of the Gods" perfectly compensated for that shortcoming.

It was a great killing weapon capable of slaying gods!

...

"What a good thing..."

When Su Lun identified the information of the black energy crystal in the secret box, an inexplicable sense of anticipation surged in his heart.

With total war across the realms imminent, having this great weapon made him feel as if a ray of sunlight had penetrated the endless gloom.

His gaze swept over the relief blueprints on the walls again, and with his expertise in engineering, he saw that it was a Demonic Energy Cannon that was extremely complex in every aspect, from materials and forging to rune craftsmanship.

The difficulty of forging was immense.

But the Dawn Alliance now had the most outstanding team of mechanics on Mafa, and it was not necessarily impossible to build.

Once there was a finished product...

Enough to slay gods?

The mere thought was inexplicably exhilarating.

However, there came another problem.

The secret chamber was buried by the ancestors of the Gorgon lineage, and even if the Dawn Alliance had decoded and opened it, the items inside it should not belong to them but to the rightful owner.

When Su Lun saw that the key to unlocking the secret box required nine Serpentine Staffs, he guessed that the ancestors of the Gorgon lineage must have opened this space-time secret chamber before, and they had seen the blueprint and materials for "Twilight of the Gods."

But no matter how advanced gnome technology was, for the Gorgon lineage who worshiped primal nature, it was of no use whatsoever.

So, even if this thing could inflict fatal damage on the gods, it was of no use to them.

And so they sealed it again.

But they couldn't give it to outsiders either.

Leaving this secret box sealed a second time, it could only be opened by the descendants of their Gorgon lineage.

The item would not be leaked to outsiders.

In an instant, various speculations flashed through Su Lun's mind.

But to take the items here, he needed the approval of the one beside him.

Queen Medusa glanced at the murals, and her stunningly beautiful face showed no sign of change.

As Su Lun had guessed, such high-tech was a treasure to Alchemy Magicians but was truly nothing more than useless murals to the Gorgon lineage.

Yet she did not speak up.

The atmosphere in the secret chamber was subtly tense.

At that moment, Su Lun didn't hide his intentions and directly said, "Your Highness, these gnome technologies are very important to our Alchemical civilization. If possible, I would like to exchange them for something of equivalent value that I can offer."

They were allies, true, but that didn't mean the other party had to share everything they had.

The gifts and shelter previously given were already quite generous.

A cooperative relationship based on mutual benefit is more enduring.

At his words, Queen Medusa's expression remained unchanged, but a fleeting contemplative gleam clearly passed through her azure blue eyes.

Pointing to the nine Serpentine Staffs in the distance, Su Lun continued, "Those three Serpentine Staffs are the noble heirlooms, now rightfully returned to their master, as for the rest..."

These Serpentine Staffs were high-level cursed objects that could even petrify an eighth-tier dragon to some extent.

However, he now possessed a complete corpse of an eighth-tier Gorgon, which, once turned into a puppet, might not be much less effective than the Serpentine Staff, so he wouldn't be too distressed to part with it.

But before he even spoke, Queen Medusa did not beat around the bush and simply said, "Fine."

"???"

Taken aback, Su Lun hadn't expected her to agree so easily.

He thought about it, anything else he could offer, like treasures or materials, wouldn't interest Queen Medusa anyway.

Clearly, this was an unequal trade, and he now owed her a significant favor.

Finding nothing more to say, Su Lun simply expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Queen Medusa clearly didn't care.

Ever since her successful inheritance, her demeanor had grown increasingly aloof.

As she spoke, she turned to return to the temple. Then, as if remembering something, she looked back and added, "By the way, I've negotiated with the Cyclops, and they have agreed to let you land on the island. It seems that they don't reject anyone seeking the 'Spring of Wisdom,' but one must accept the trial of the giants. The trial is difficult, but it should be..."

She paused as if considering something, then continued, "If you're ready, make your way there as soon as possible."

"..."

Listening, Su Lun's eyes narrowed, his expression lifting once more.

After waiting several days, at last, there was a resolution!

He had just said "Thank you" when Queen Medusa had already slithered away.

...

Watching her leave, Su Lun's expression grew complicated.

Despite their brief acquaintance, he was increasingly finding the Gorgons of myth, notoriously malevolent, surprisingly agreeable.

At least as allies, these higher beings disdained to use any lowly scheming. Su Lun found this far less troublesome than dealing with humans.

Once she was gone, Su Lun's mind refocused.

He gestured with his hand, and the air in the secret chamber rippled, conjuring two figures.

Mr. Hei and Dora looked around the secret chamber with anticipation.

They too were eager to discover the great secrets hidden beneath the ancient ruins they had painstakingly deciphered over many days.

However, at first glance, both were drawn to the exquisite stone carvings on the walls around them.

Dora, already an expert on weapons, realized after a quick examination that these were plans of an ancient weapon of incredible power and gasped, "Mr. Su Lun, is this...?"

With a grave expression, Su Lun declared, "An ancient weapon—'Ragnarok.'"

Hearing this, Mr. Hei and Dora both felt a shock run through them.

Seeing the seriousness of Su Lun's face, they knew the weapon's rank must be frighteningly high.

Both wore expressions of shock and contemplation, and then, their gazes simultaneously turned toward the dark Crystal Core in the center of the room.

Once Su Lun shared the information he had identified, Mr. Hei and Dora were plunged into a stunned silence.

The chamber fell so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.

After a few moments, Dora spoke with disbelief, "A cannon that can slay gods?"

She obviously found it hard to believe, given that even the upper limits of alchemical ammunition were set, and the constraints would only increase within the domain of top-tier professionals.

Not to mention anything of a divine rank.

This was a barrier that had always been difficult to break in the field of mechanical alchemy.

"Indeed!"

Su Lun affirmed solemnly, "Once this ancient weapon is successfully crafted, we foresee... it may prove extremely effective in the coming interplanar wars."

"Yes..."

Mr. Hei sighed, concurring with this statement.

Discovering these plans on the eve of an interplanar invasion was a tremendous boon for the Order of Dawn and alchemical civilization as a whole.

His eyes glittered with insight as he added, "This 'Ragnarok' can be classified as our Order of Dawn's top-secret project at present! Even the forging process must be kept absolutely confidential. All participating personnel should be isolated under military management, and no craftsman should leave the mini void world before the artifact's completion. Otherwise, if word leaks out, it could pose a great risk."

"Hmm."

Su Lun nodded in agreement, as he shared the same thoughts.

The existence of godlike beings boasts some inconceivable methods of perception, where even the birth of a certain thought could risk exposure.

Therefore, these blueprints absolutely mustn't become widely known, and their manufacturing, if necessary, must be conducted in secret.

And Su Lun's little virtual space was the most appropriate place for that.

The three people in the room were all key members of the Dawn group, and upon this topic, they immediately discussed some plans for confidential construction.

Su Lun replaced the dark matter called "Twilight of the Gods" with a new runic casket and stored it away.

Then Dora took out a device and began to scan and copy the relief blueprints on the surrounding walls.

These pinnacle tools from the world of magic were much more precise than human-drawn sketches, sparing them any extra worry.

At that moment, Dora suddenly thought of something and said, "Mr. Su Lun, now that the construction of the 'Sky Mechanical War Fortress' is drawing to an end, and we have these blueprints, I plan… to undergo a full mechanical transformation. It's the perfect time to oversee the construction of this secret weapon."

She was the chief mechanic of the group, possessing an unrivaled mechanical talent.

Naturally, the blueprints and forging task fell to her.

Hearing this, Su Lun asked, "Have you thought it through?"

He knew that Dora's dream was to become a mechanical life form, just like her teacher.

The control system of the future 'Sky Mechanical War Fortress' would also take her as the core.

But once the transformation began, she would be completely giving up her human body.

For most people, this was a significant decision.

Nevertheless, Dora nodded seriously, "Yes."

Su Lun did not say much, "Alright! Let me know what you need; the group will provide all the help you need."

Dora looked at him with a bright smile, "Yes!"

Before long, the scanning of the blueprints was complete.

Su Lun then took the entire space into his little virtual realm.

When the three reemerged, they were in front of the Gor God Temple and didn't mention anything about the ancient weapon again.

At that time, Su Lun remembered something and said to Mr. Hei, "By the way, Mr. Hei, Queen Medusa said that we could go to Giant Island. But, it seems there's a very difficult trial..."

"Oh?"

At the mention, Mr. Hei's interest was piqued.

The legend that drinking from the "Mímir's Spring" endowed one with "wisdom" was not just a need for Su Lun, but Mr. Hei, the Scholar, was also very intrigued by the water of that spring.

...

At dawn the next day, a small boat carrying several members of the Dawn group sailed unhurriedly towards the horseshoe-shaped Giant Island.

According to Queen Medusa, Giant Island did not actually prohibit humans from landing on the island to seek the "Spring of Wisdom."

On the contrary, the existence of the spring water seemed to be a kind of offering from supreme cosmic entities to lesser life forms…

Moreover, the Cyclops race guarding "Mímir's Spring" was not intending to monopolize it, but it was a mission embedded in their bloodline tradition.

However, obtaining the spring water wasn't easy, as it required passing the guardian's trial.

The first trial to gain access to the spring water was the ability to cross the dangerous seas and land on Giant Island. Typically, for top-tier professionals, this was a perilous voyage with slim chances of survival. But now, due to a fortunate coincidence, the Dawn group had the protection of Queen Medusa, allowing them to smoothly sail over in a small boat.

"Hey, what do you think the trials on the island will be? Her Majesty the Queen said they would be difficult; can we make it?"

"Who cares. Just give it a try. What if it actually works? Hahaha, if I really gained 'wisdom', would I become as formidable as Mr. Hei?"

"Pfft, Buck, with your brains, even a hundred years won't make you as formidable as Mr. Hei. Hahaha..."

"You guys, look, there are Cyclops on the island!"

"..."

On the boat, the Dawn members' conversation was relaxed; most were "intelligence" advanced professionals, also tagging along for the excitement.

In no time, the boat made landfall on the sandy beach.

The fierce battle a few days ago had left Giant Island in a shambles, and now the Cyclops race was moving stones, reconstructing their damaged dwellings.

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After disembarking, Su Lun and his companions were stunned by the massive and primitive structures up close.

The dwellings that appeared to be dilapidated thatched huts were, ironically, as large as castles.

Everything was gigantic in this little Cyclops village on the island – the city walls, stone benches, stone tables...

This made Su Lun and the others feel as if they were "ants."

Just as they got off the boat, those Cyclops also spotted them, and one wielding the Wolf Fang Club quickly made his way toward the shore.

"Thud," "Thud," "Thud"...

As the giant strode over, the ground shook as if there was an earthquake with each step he took.

The group watched the Cyclops, whose single eye took up half of its head, their expressions turning slightly uneasy.

The Cyclops were also high-ranking beings with mythical bloodlines, much like dragons and golems, possessing the strength of a dominant creature and exerting a kind of bloodline-level pressure on humans.

Su Lun and Mr. Hei stood at the front, their expressions unchanged.

Watching the Cyclops charging over, Su Lun communicated telepathically, "Respected Cyclops sir, my name is Su Lun, and my companions and I have come to the island in hopes of obtaining the 'Mimir's Spring' for our adventure."

Since Queen Medusa said that negotiations had already taken place, it was likely that there wouldn't be a problem.

But unexpectedly, the Cyclops holding the list responded to the telepathy by saying, "You can call me 'Gaga Gargle'."

Su Lun listened, slightly surprised; could this Cyclops actually speak the common tongue of Dragon Country?

He had assumed it would speak, in some ancient giant tongue, incomprehensible and babbling.

Gaga Gargle, the Cyclops, seemed to have guessed what the humans were thinking and explained, "Even though we are all from the lineage of earth giants, don't compare us, the Cyclops, with those ordinary giants. I can speak your human language."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun bowed with a fist to his chest and said, "My apologies, esteemed Gaga Gargle, sir. I express my sincerest regret for the disrespect I showed just now."

The giant spoke clearly and his eyes shone with intelligence, clearly possessing great wisdom.

But that seemed normal; after all, the giants guarding the Spring of Wisdom wouldn't be the silly, dumb type of giants.

Yet being able to communicate through language suddenly made everything much easier.

The Cyclops before them might seem fierce and have an imposing stature, but it appeared they were easy to converse with.

Gaga Gargle didn't mind and instead asked back, "Are you looking for 'Mimir's Spring'?"

"Is that possible?"

Su Lun asked somewhat uncertainly, "What I mean is, there are so many of us..."

This time, dozens from Dawn Group had come, which seemed to be too many?

The expression on Gaga Gargle's face was indifferent. "Of course, it's possible. By setting foot on this island, you've already qualified to take the test. So, are you ready now?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the group was delightfully surprised, it really was possible?

However, a cold splash of reality was about to dampen their spirits.

Su Lun nodded, "Of course. That's precisely why we are here."

Hearing that, the Cyclops wasted no more words and just said, "Alright, the first trial is 'Valor.' According to your ranks, choose one of my kinsmen of at least the same rank to fight. Only after defeating them will you be eligible for the next challenge. Of course, to your humans, a Cyclops is born a fifth rank. So, it would be best if you are above the fifth rank to take on the challenge."

"Look, as you can see, those children of the tribe over there are of the fifth or sixth rank... Oh, and you should know one more thing, if you are here to take the challenge, be prepared to face death. We Cyclops have no mercy when guarding the spring. These are ancient rules passed down."

With that, he pointed his Wolf Fang Club towards the village's "children" who were seventeen or eighteen meters tall and as sturdy as mountains.

...

Upon hearing this, everyone from Dawn Group immediately turned sullen.

Everyone understood the strength of Cyclops before coming; this mythical race was naturally gifted with the "Strength" and "Earth" bloodline talents.

In other words, they were born with two domains: 'Earth Guardian Armor' and 'Absolute Strength.'

With one for offense and one for defense, they had both tankiness and high output.

Moreover, living in this maritime area all year and hunting magical beasts, their combat skills need no mentioning.

Thus, a fifth-rank Cyclops was as strong as, or even stronger than, a human professional of the sixth or seventh rank.

Yet, the majority of Dawn Group who landed on the island were professionals who followed the "intelligence" line, and those glass cannons were at a disadvantage when facing tank-class professionals. How much more so when the opponent was a Cyclops with combat strength one or two big ranks above theirs?

With such rules, aside from Su Lun and Mr. Hei, who bore thoughtful expressions, the rest of the dozens of people found it very troubling.

After a moment's thought, Su Lun stepped forward first, "Alright! I accept the challenge!"

Mr. Hei, standing beside him, followed suit with his usual unflappable tone, "I'll give it a try as well."

With two of them leading, only a handful of others from behind dared to step forward and try.

It wasn't a lack of courage but rather self-awareness.