Mechanical Alchemist-Chapter 589 - 588: Sacrificing the Right Eye for the Spring Water

PS. Got held up with something, so this update's a bit brief, content as per the title.

"I passed?"

Su Lun snapped out of his emotionally detached, indifferent state and finally felt the joy of having passed the challenge.

The old giant Morey across from him smiled and said, "Yes, you now have the qualifications to glimpse the truth."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun thought back to the questions from the earlier test and realized that the Cyclops tribe, guarding the Spring of Wisdom, had set challenges not to obstruct people from obtaining the water, but rather to guide those who came to understand what "wisdom" truly is.

At that moment, old giant Morey spoke again, "For ordinary people, the Spring of Wisdom is but a slightly sweet and tasty spring water. Only in the mouth of a truly wise person does it taste of all the wisdom in the world."

"Hmm."

By now, Su Lun had come to understand the meaning behind these words.

Just like the Power of Laws is omnipresent, but if you are not aware of its existence, then in your world, it does not exist.

Old giant Morey smiled meaningfully once more and said, "Congratulations, you are the second adventurer to complete the challenges of courage and wisdom in ten thousand years. The spring water is atop the Spring of Wisdom Peak, at the center of Giant Island. You may take what you need now. Of course, if you bring some human wine, the elder guarding the spring might not be so troublesome..."

Su Lun nodded, respectfully saying, "Thank you for your guidance, senior."

...

Su Lun stepped out the door, his mind still pondering the questions from before.

Even though he had passed the test, those questions still seemed endlessly fascinating upon reflection.

The two challenges were a form of gain in themselves, as if his thinking had been enlightened, and a new world had suddenly opened up before him.

As Su Lun left the Clan Leader's house, the Cyclops in the village now looked at him with an even more solemn expression in their single, large eyes.

Only an outsider could see the milky white halo shining around Su Lun's body; it was the light of an uplifted soul. The definition of a higher being lay not only in bloodline inheritance but also in the cognitive realm of the soul.

Su Lun himself was completely unaware, his thoughts whirling.

He nodded to the group of giants who cast friendly looks at him and made his way along the path behind the village toward the peak in the center of the island.

He glanced back and saw Mr. Hei and the Cyclops' battle on the beach outside the village still locked in fierce combat, with no sign of either gaining the upper hand.

Su Lun didn't look any further and step by step walked into the forest.

For some reason, everything on Giant Island was very large.

Flowers several meters tall, trees a hundred meters tall, beetles as big as elephants...

Every living creature seemed remarkably large.

The sheep's path that was meant for giants became a wide thoroughfare where several carriages could travel side by side for Su Lun, a human.

He walked on, while crows shared his aerial view high in the sky.

After flying high enough, Su Lun suddenly let out a soft exclamation, "Eh... could this island be the skull of some ancient creature?"

Only then did he realize that Giant Island, which looked like a horseshoe on the sea chart, resembled an incredible giant skull even more.

The lower jaw of the skull lay beneath the surface of the sea, with only the upper eye sockets and the upper part of the cranium visible, looking like a horseshoe.

Su Lun found it somewhat unbelievable.

But in the waters of Dragon Country, it seemed like nothing was impossible.

His thoughts shifted, and he had already walked through the primeval forest. Giant Island was not without danger—this vast forest was home to some magical beasts that the Cyclops tribe would consider "snack food."

Apparently considering the flesh of this human not enough to even stick between their teeth, those massive creatures, although occasionally curious, did not come to prey on him.

Su Lun continued up the mountain road to the not-too-high main peak.

From a distance, he sensed two strong soul fluctuations.

"These two Cyclops guarding the spring are quite powerful..."

Su Lun discerned the soul fluctuations, and found that these two souls hidden in the mountains were even stronger than Clan Leader Morey whom he had previously encountered.

Fortunately, they were not enemies, so he walked straight over and said loudly, "Esteemed predecessors of the Giant tribe, my name is Su Lun, guided here by Clan Leader Morey to seek the Spring of Wisdom."

Upon hearing this, two heads suddenly popped out from the side of the mountain, cluttered with big yellow teeth as thick as ivory.

Seeing Su Lun, they immediately started to clamor.

"Oh, it's been many years since a human has been able to come here."

"Yes, Godo, a thousand years."

"Hey, human, have you brought any fine liquor? If not, we will not let you obtain the spring water."

"Right, we won't let you have it."

"..."

Su Lun listened, his expression slightly amused and strange.

Compared to other giants, these two didn't seem very bright.

Liquor was not usually something people carried with them to occupy storage space. Fortunately, Su Lun had a small void realm, not only stocked with ample fine liquors but even a brewery.

Su Lun hadn't forgotten the reminder from Clan Leader Morey earlier, and he took out dozens of wooden barrels and placed them on the ground, saying, "Of course."

The two Cyclops came over, picked up the hundred-pound barrels of rum, and gurgled them down their throats.

This was "Gold Rum," which in terms of taste and brewing technique, was already considered top-notch liquor on the market.

However, after drinking more than a dozen barrels in one gulp, the giants muttered unsatisfied, "Oh, human, this liquor of yours is too lousy. It even makes me think the fruit wine brewed by the monkeys in the forest tastes better."

The other one followed with the critique, "Yes, I remember the last human brought a very delicious drink. Oh, how I miss that flavor~"

Su Lun watched with a full face of speechless lines.

He watched helplessly as the two giants kept saying how terrible it was while gulping down dozens of barrels of Gold Rum.

Seeing the look they cast over, Su Lun brought out dozens of tons of various fine liquors from his small void realm.

Yet, as he brought them out, the two giants kept guzzling them down.

They kept complaining about the taste, saying this and that liquor was no good.

No matter how precious some liquors were, they weren't worth much, so Su Lun didn't feel too distressed.

But seeing that the giants hadn't mentioned letting him fetch the water, he started to ponder.

In a short span, these two had already drunk several thousand pounds of fine liquor, and judging from their manner, they would probably just keep on drinking no matter how much more was offered.

Moreover, the two giants had given a key hint: the drink brought by the last human.

"Could Sir Isaac have given them 'Poetic Honey Wine'?" Su Lun suddenly thought of something.

Sir Isaac was the one who had negotiated an alliance with the Dalu tribe, and he had been to the Emerald Holy Land, so having 'Poetic Honey Wine' was reasonable.

Su Lun did have some in his possession, but it was a rare spirit that could provide instant enlightenment.

Pouring it down like this truly pained his heart.

However, these two giants were such picky drinkers that no ordinary fine liquor would probably satisfy them now.

Considering the Spring of Wisdom, Su Lun still took out two large jars, each containing several hundred pounds of 'Poetic Honey Wine'.

Yet, as soon as he took out the jars, the two giants immediately smelled the aroma and their expressions brightened instantly.

Without any nitpicking or complaints, each giant grabbed a jar, guzzled down a big gulp, and then revealed a look of immense satisfaction.

"Yes, that's the flavor!"

"Oh my god, I never thought I'd get to taste this exquisite wine again!"

As Su Lun watched the several hundred jin of the precious Poet's Honey Wine pour down, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of pain, despite its inestimable value.

Fortunately, Yuta is now the Great Druid of the Dalu Tribe; getting a refill on my next visit shouldn't be a problem.

And just after those two gulps, a drunken blush appeared on the faces of the two giants who had just gulped down hundreds of tons of wine.

Burping drunkenly, their eyes gradually became hazy, and they mumbled, "Oh, the taste of this wine is so delightful... There are so many sheep floating in the sky... The Spring of Wisdom demands a sacrifice..."

Before they could finish their rambling, the two giants collapsed to the ground, snoring loudly.

Su Lun's eye twitched as he saw this: Asleep?

Ordinary people would get drunk off just a little Poet's Honey Wine, so it was only natural that each giant got drunk after downing several hundred jin.

But it seems we can pass now?

Still, Su Lun asked, "Excuse me, gentlemen giants, may I go fetch the spring water now?"

The two giants could no longer open their eyes, but one of them seemed to grunt an affirmative "Hmm."

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Listening to this, Su Lun let out a sigh of relief.

Expending a bit of spare wine to avoid trouble at the last hurdle seemed worth it after all.

He stepped past the two giants and made his way toward the mountain peak.

...

Before long, he heard the sound of a gentle stream.

Walking over, Su Lun discovered a small pool with a diameter of only a few meters.

"Is this the 'Mimir's Spring'?"

If the information identified wasn't convincing, he would have found it hard to believe that such an unassuming little pool was the fabled Spring of Wisdom.

However, as Su Lun approached, he realized the extraordinary nature of this spring.

The seemingly small pool was endlessly clear and, to the naked eye, seemed bottomless.

The sight felt like staring into an infinite starry sky, inducing a dizzying sensation that threatened to draw one's gaze inward.

The bottom of the spring seemed to connect the entire world.

Su Lun did not hurry to fetch the water.

Because the spring water required a sacrifice.

The old Clan Leader Morey had hinted at this: To ordinary people, the Spring of Wisdom is nothing more than sweet and refreshing water. Only in the mouth of one who truly possesses wisdom does it taste of the world's collective knowledge.

Something occurred to Su Lun, and he pulled out a tarot card.

It was one of the twenty-two secret Taro cards he had obtained, the "Cyclops Hanged Man Card."

The hidden message on the card was a rite of sacrifice: 'I offered my own right eye and hung myself upside down from a leafless tree for nine whole days and nights. Pierced by a spear on one side, I was buffeted by cold and hot winds alike, swinging in the air without food or water. It was a sacrifice I made to myself. And then... the secrets of the whole world unfolded before me.'

Clearly, the Great Alchemist who had made this tarot card knew all the secrets of 'Mimir's Spring.'

It was a detailed sacrificial rite, one that the Cyclops themselves might not be fully aware of despite their alchemical system.

Su Lun had long since memorized the sacrificial process by heart.

But seeing the 'treasure' hidden on the tarot card for countless years now before him brought a different kind of feeling.

"It seems that even if this tarot card wasn't made by one of the five elders of the Dawn Twilight Cross Society, it was crafted by a high-ranking divine alchemist..."

Su Lun gave the card one last look, then began setting up a Nonagram Alchemy Formation at the edge of the spring.

With preparations in place, the formation was quickly completed.

He stood at the center of the Alchemy Formation, exhaling a breath of murky air before reaching towards his own eyes.

To others, the act of sacrificing an eye might have warranted some hesitation.

But to Su Lun, it was all too familiar.

In that instant, he felt as though he had returned to the first day he crossed into this world—when he had sacrificed his eye in the cellar of the Storm Manor to obtain the "S-018 All-knowing Eye."

How striking the resemblance.

Su Lun did not hesitate; his fingers formed sorcerer's seals, and his mouth recited that universal chant used by alchemists in critical moments, "In adherence to the principle of equivalent exchange, I praise the glory of the original creator, and witness the miracle of creation through Alchemy..."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the Nonagram Alchemy Formation lit up with a dazzling light.

Su Lun applied a slight force with his fingers, and his right eye was detached.

The piercing pain of having lost the sense of touch did not affect his thoughts in the slightest.

Blood flowed down his cheek, yet he expressionlessly placed his eye in the Alchemy Formation.

In an instant, the sacrificed eye seemed to have formed a contract with the heavens and the earth.

Su Lun felt as though the colors he could see had suddenly become richer.

Now when he looked at that clear spring water, it seemed to contain all the splendid colors of the world.

It was as if the rainbow had transformed into a spring, vibrant with colors.

Moments later, a strand of colorful spring water drifted out of the pool, landing before him.

Su Lun opened his mouth and swallowed it in one gulp, feeling as though he had tasted every flavor in the world at that moment—sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, sorrow, joy, sentimentality, fear, anger...

It was as though he had experienced all the flavors of human life in an instant.

Suddenly, Su Lun felt his mind flooded with myriad things.

Some he understood and treasured as if gaining life experience,

while others were lofty like the flowing sands, slipping through his grasp when he tried to hold on.

The world before his eyes began to resemble an abstract painting, where flowers, grass, and trees were all distorted and gradually turned into twisted symbols in his vision.

"The physical manifestation of Laws! Is this... the fabled original runes of the Runes?"

Su Lun was startled, and as he looked more closely, he was shocked to find that he was seeing the cosmic fundamental runes manifested by the natural world!

Had he not seen those stone tablets at Clan Leader Morey's place, he wouldn't have had such an acute awareness at this moment.

He was well aware that he had entered a state of profound and mystical enlightenment.

Looking at the panel, his status now included a condition called "Great Enlightenment of Wisdom."

This was the temporary boon brought by drinking from the "Spring of Wisdom," a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Su Lun knew he mustn't let this chance slip by. Without a second thought, he drank a big gulp of "Poet's Honey Wine," then hung himself upside down with a string from a bare tree next to the spring.

The moment he was inverted, the "Runes" in his eyes immediately became clear!

Su Lun fell into a state similar to drunkenness.

The Poet's Honey Wine enhanced his moment of enlightenment in understanding texts, while the "Imitated Original Runes" he had previously advanced to the fourth stage now allowed him to clearly comprehend those symbols.

One by one, the runes fell like leaves from the sky, and Su Lun's All-knowing Eye shone with an otherworldly light at this moment.

A spear pierced his body, blood flowed into the sacrificial formation, maintaining the ritual of sacrifice.

Suspended in mid-air, Su Lun looked on coldly at the entirety of time.

And so he hung, for nine days and nine nights.