Mechanical Alchemist-Chapter 408 - 407: Duke Lance

Su Lun used the Eight-Armed Spider Spear to swiftly travel across the sea surface for a while before stopping.

He then watched as the man in the floral shirt, who had been flying in on a broken mast, stomped his foot and also landed on the sea surface.

The two were tens of meters apart, and when he got a clear look, Su Lun confirmed once again that he had never seen this fellow before.

Assessing his attire, although dressed casually, the gaudy shirt’s workmanship and materials were certainly not cheap and were definitely not what ordinary people could afford to wear. It looked a bit like the trend from Luying’s imperial city. The white hair on his head suggested the man wasn’t young, but the robust and sinewy muscles on his body also presented a strong visual contrast. Full of vigor, the man radiated excellent spirit and aura, domineering, dignified, with a sense of unrestrained nonchalance.

It wasn’t just the appearance; a fierce and resolute look occasionally crossed the man’s eyes, displaying a presence that was definitely not something an ordinary person could feign.

Gauging from his demeanor, was he a veteran of many battles?

In his Soul Perception, this guy... was very strong!

A hint of caution appeared in Su Lun’s eyes, and he had some speculation about the newcomer’s identity in his mind.

While he was sizing up the man in the floral shirt, the other party was appraising him as well.

However, this guy’s gaze was far from friendly.

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From head to toe, that look was as if he was viewing a thief who had stolen cabbages from his own garden.

This made Su Lun even more perplexed; how could this old man’s demeanor exhibit such an exaggerated hint of petty jealousy?

But he hadn’t started fighting upon meeting, which clearly indicated that he was here according to the rules of "dueling."

Feeling somewhat bewildered, Su Lun still asked a question, "Who might you be, sir?"

Upon saying this, he didn’t expect the other party to forego any niceties and retorted instead, "Heh, the skin looks decent enough. But I wonder if it can take a beating."

Su Lun’s eyes twitched slightly as he listened.

The intent of wanting to knuckle somebody is hard to hide.

Just as that foolish bird had prophesied, the man in the floral shirt was hell-bent on beating him up.

However, Su Lun felt even more baffled and asked cautiously again, "Sir, do we know each other?"

He wanted to make sure there’s no misunderstanding about mistaken identity.

"Don’t know you."

The floral-shirted man picked his nose, completely disregarding the meaning behind Su Lun’s words, and directly said, "Kid, get ready to ’duel.’ Don’t worry, I won’t kill you."

"..."

Su Lun had no idea where the inexplicable hostility came from, but he indeed did not sense any killing intent.

The custom of "dueling" had been prevalent in Luying for a long time, usually understood to mean that both parties shouldn’t use external objects like equipment or cursed items.

They would simply compete with court swords, or rely on plain fists.

The fight would continue until one party conceded.

This kind of competition rarely resulted in death and could determine a clear winner, so it was a game favored by the nobility and gentlemen.

But normally, such duels took place between rivals in love.

Su Lun found it even more unreasonable.

But looking at the situation, the other party was not giving him any room to refuse.

The floral-shirted man, a proper gentleman, announced before initiating the duel, "Kid, I’m about to make a move!"

Not knowing how to respond, Su Lun’s eyes twitched again, which could be taken as an acknowledgment.

But no sooner had the words fallen than suddenly a several meters high white wave exploded on the sea surface.

With a "snap" of Stepping on Air, the mast upon which the floral-shirted man had been standing was crushed to pieces by tremendous force, and the man himself had already charged over.

"Such incredible speed!"

Su Lun’s expression tensed up upon seeing this.

The old man seemed erratic, yet his strength was truly formidable.

A distance of tens of meters was closed in a blink.

Even though the two had yet to make contact, Su Lun had already felt a mountainous pressure; the iron fist rushed forward, and an eerie force made his body involuntarily stiffen on the spot.

If it had been a regular Rank 5 professional, they probably would’ve taken a solid hit.

Unfortunately for the assailant, the moment Su Lun saw him move, he performed a "Teleportation," leaving only an afterimage in his place.

Of course, the punch fell through.

Yet before he could even take a breath of relief, he saw the man punch through the afterimage, causing an explosion like a cannonball hitting the water, creating a white splash.

The beast-like figure sharply turned on the sea surface, and before he knew it, the man was in his face again.

Su Lun recognized the maneuver of stopping abruptly mid-air and changing direction, and he exclaimed in his heart, "Extreme Air-Stepping Technique?"

He himself knew this technique, but compared to the man before him, he was far outclassed.

When the floral-shirted man executed it, it was almost indistinguishable from Teleportation, these consecutive two displacements left no chance for respite.

Su Lun Teleported again, evading the punch.

Another punch came, he evaded again...

And another, which he also dodged...

Su Lun’s current ability of Void Displacement had improved significantly, and the casting gap of "Teleportation" was almost negligible. No matter how fast the opponent was, physical speed could hardly compete with Teleportation.

With this technique at his disposal, it was hard for him to be defeated.

This was the confidence that drove Su Lun to attend the meeting alone.

In just a breath or two, they had exchanged over a dozen rounds of blows.

The man in the floral shirt, frustrated by Su Lun’s slippery tactics, suddenly stopped and shouted in a fit of rage, "Hey, kid! If this is a duel, then let’s duel. If you keep pulling these stunts, don’t blame me for using my rank to bully you!"

"..."

Su Lun listened, speechless.

By now he could clearly see the man’s extraordinary close-combat abilities.

Me, a Puppeteer, engaging in close combat with a brute like you is one thing,

But you expect me not to use spatial skills and simply stand here to be hit?

"Hmph!"

The man in the floral shirt seemed to see through Su Lun’s thoughts. He snorted coldly, and suddenly visible ripples converged on his body,

Like some strange energy field warping the air itself, those ripples quickly expanded over a large area, even causing the sea surface under his feet to form a crater over ten meters in diameter due to the pressure of his stance. The moment he released this move, a terrifying presence emanated from him.

In an instant, his aura shifted from that of a fierce brown bear to that of a dreadful ancient ferocious beast!

"A domain?"

Witnessing this scene, Su Lun’s pupils shrank sharply, "A seventh-tier professional!"

Professionals of the sixth tier and above were too few, and the available samples too limited, making it difficult to judge their rank through the fluctuations of their souls.

He had suspected that the old man might be more than a sixth-tier. But without seeing him release his domain, Su Lun thought he might be just a sixth-tier.

Yet, the man was indeed a top-level professional!

Shit!

You’re not fighting with honor!

You’re not playing fair!

Su Lun complained inwardly. Upon seeing the domain deployed, he immediately knew he was outmatched.

He should have teleported away at a long distance immediately, but after a moment’s thought, he felt that this fight had to be fought.

And without giving him a chance to think further, the man in the floral shirt suddenly charged at him.

This time, his speed was even faster – perhaps twice as fast as before.

His short-range Directed Displacement was even quicker than Su Lun’s teleportation!

Before the man even arrived, the terrifying pressure swept over, the domineering presence of the domain and rank suppression emanating outward.

Su Lun felt his scalp tingle from the pressure. Before he could form the sorcerer’s seals, his body was oppressed by the strange force field; it was as if a mountain of thousands of pounds was pressing on his chest, making even breathing stall, let alone raising his hand to pinch the sorcerer’s seals.

A regular fifth-tier professional would likely have no chance to fight back under this domain.

But Su Lun was no ordinary fifth-tier, was he?

The moment he realized something was off, his eyes bloodshot and he murmured, "Flesh Alchemy·Five-Point Hormone Surge!"

A surge of hormones flooded into his muscles and organs, granting him immense strength in his limbs and enabling him to break free from the oppression.

As soon as he could raise his hands, Su Lun’s fingers formed the sorcerer’s seals, "Mystery: Rune Vajra!"

Then the flesh on his body shimmered with a layer of dark golden scale-like runes.

Having done all this, the punch was already bearing down on him.

Although he knew he was about to get hit, this time Su Lun refrained from teleporting to escape, choosing instead to take the punch head-on.

Because he had more or less guessed the identity of this person!

...

"Thump!"

The fist touched his cheek, causing the skin to ripple like the waves. Even though Su Lun tried to dodge by using his Stepping on Air, the punch landed solidly on his face.

Su Lun was sent flying backward instantly, smashing into the sea and causing a series of white waves before finally plummeting into the water.

Perhaps because Su Lun did not teleport away, the floral-shirted man, having landed a punch, suddenly felt much better.

The man did not pursue, retracted his domain, and seemed to prepare for a "fair duel."

He watched as Su Lun took his punch without showing any signs of trouble and recognized some tricks at play, licking his lips, "Yo~ this Flesh Alchemy Secret Technique is quite intriguing, and that ’Vajra’ secret technique isn’t bad either, plus the body refining methods from the lineage of rune sorcerers? Tsk tsk, you’ve got quite the repertoire for staying alive."

Twice Su Lun stepped on the water before finally stabilizing on the surface. He looked back at the man opposite with a complex gaze.

The old man in the floral shirt recognized his use of Stepping on Air and, as if discovering something amusing, squinted and mused, "The ’Extreme Air-Stepping Technique’? Tsk tsk, I was the one who refined that martial skill, which except for the War Academy’s kids, no outsiders have learned. Your skills are mixed but it’s a shame, the synergy between your martial skills and your physique is lacking."

"..."

Listening, Su Lun could not deny it in his heart.

The martial skills were all stripped from others, and while he had sufficient experience, they indeed did not integrate with his body as well as those he would’ve trained himself.

This disparity might not seem significant to the average observer, but to top-level professionals, it was a substantial difference.

The man in the floral shirt seemed determined to give Su Lun a beating without further talk and charged at him again.

Having guessed the man’s identity, Su Lun stopped using teleportation and braced himself to meet the attack.

No matter the man’s purpose in seeking him out, anything less than full commitment would be sure to result in a beating.

The two figures interwove in close combat, exchanging blows that were all about raw physical power.

This battle, the two fought fiercely.

Su Lun, a puppeteer, how could he possibly beat a professional with a power system that was already two major ranks higher?

He also got hit time and time again, fell into the water over and over, and the sea surface burst into waves of white foam.

He was in a sorry state.

...

Watching Su Lun being beaten up, the people of the Dawn Group on the deck of the Eternal Night were extremely nervous.

Lolota: "Why isn’t Mr. Su Lun using teleportation anymore?"

Kama: "It seems like the other party is a seventh-ranker? I saw him use a domain just now."

Tanni: "Hmph, that old man is too despicable. A close-quarter combat professional actually dueling with a puppet master!"

Abel: "The teacher knew that close combat was not his strength, so why keep fighting..."

The group of youngsters was filled with righteous indignation, wishing they could help.

On the deck, Qiantiao and Barrett also watched with grave expressions.

Qiantiao’s hand was always on her sword, ready to help at any moment.

But as she watched, she also became puzzled, "The kid can’t beat him, he clearly has methods to hold his own, why does he keep getting hit? Is he really dueling?"

Barrett recognized the identity of the man in the floral shirt from his moves and suddenly his expression became strange as he said, "It seems like Su Lun has recognized the gentleman’s identity, that’s why he chose to fight head-on."

Qiantiao, hearing Barrett’s strange tone, tilted her head and asked, "Do you know that person?"

Barrett let out a sigh, his voice complex, "Yes. That person... was my instructor at the Royal Academy."

As he spoke, he mumbled with a puzzled face, "But, why is he here? That shouldn’t be. He has already inherited the Duke’s title, why would he come to trouble Su Lun?"

Qiantiao also showed a puzzled look, "The Duke?"

Barrett nodded and said, "One of Luying’s top nobility, ’Tulip Duke’ Bartolo Lance. We probably don’t need to worry. The instructor is a very upright person. But why is he here to trouble Su Lun?"

Qiantiao’s expression suddenly became strange as she listened, as if she had thought of something, "Now that you mention it, I think I understand why this man is here. Su Lun once said that he knew a young lady from a noble family and helped her out several times. The information provided for the rescue mission you guys had in the Moros City-State last time came from there. But he doesn’t know which family’s young lady it was..."

Barrett, catching on to what Qiantiao was implying, as though understanding something, said, "The instructor does have several daughters. Judging by the age, it should be Miss Yekaterina."

Qiantiao seemed very interested in this kind of gossip, her tone excited, "Have you seen her?"

"No."

Barrett shook his head but then said, "However, I have heard of her. Miss Yekaterina has a great reputation in the imperial capital. It is said she’s very beautiful and was known as the ’The First Beauty of the Royal Academy’ during her school days. Intelligent, quick-witted, and accomplished, she has countless suitors..."

Qiantiao’s eyes blazed with excitement about the gossip, "Yo~ So, did our boy Su Lun flirt with the girl, and her old man came knocking?"

Although she wasn’t clear about the exact entanglement between the two, with Su Lun’s Sea King physique, the girl probably got the short end of the stick.

Case closed.

That’s what this senseless duel was all about.

So, the girl’s father came to see what kind of pig was rooting through his cabbage?

With this said, the mood of the spectators on the Eternal Night shifted.

The crowd was no longer worried, instead gathered around with a mood of watching the excitement, as they watched Su Lun getting hit, laughing and pointing from time to time.

They were used to seeing their invincible Mr. Su Lun cutting a swath through all opposition,

watching him get frustrated for the first time,

was also super interesting!

...

Half an hour later.

The duel ended.

The two stood apart on the sea surface.

Su Lun took a thorough beating, looking at the man opposite him in the floral shirt with a somewhat helpless gaze.

Even though he was strong, it was impossible for him to beat a seventh-ranker.

Whether he went all out or not, he couldn’t win.

On the other hand, Duke Bartolo seemed quite satisfied after beating up Su Lun, not forgetting to give Su Lun’s performance an evaluation. "The kid is not bad. I heard you’re a puppet master too? Tsk tsk, with that physical conditioning, you’re not bad at all."

"..."

Listening to this, Su Lun could only express helplessness with his eyes, without any response.

What he didn’t know was that, although it was just a few simple words, the Duke had never given any young person such high praise before.

But he still felt it all very confusing.

Although he guessed that this was Katusha’s relative, he still felt that the beating was somewhat unjustified.

Su Lun didn’t ask in detail, now that the duel was over, he asked again, "Senior, what brought you here...?"

Probably Katusha’s father, so using a respectful title was only proper.

Apart from certain unknown reasons, this man in the floral shirt made a good impression on Su Lun. At least that unpretentiousness seemed to be deep in his bones.

Duke Bartolo didn’t intend to talk about personal matters, directly saying, "Now, the Luying royal family, the Mafa Empire, Vogt Raphael, Oleg, and various other powers are all seeking you. I can responsibly say that if you don’t seek the protection of a sufficiently powerful entity, you’ll encounter endless troubles wherever you appear, even in the Western and Southern Seas where the Luying nobility’s spies are in abundance. You wouldn’t even manage to be pirates..."

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Su Lun listened to this, not surprised at all.

Now, the Dawn Brigade finds itself in such a predicament, having offended two great empires, they are essentially besieged on all sides.

They could turn to piracy, but in essence, wherever there are gatherings of people, there also lurk spies and secret agents of the two empires.

The reason other pirates can survive is simply that they are not worth the considerable expense to capture.

The Dawn Brigade now possesses Mafa’s submarines, treasures from the Void Relics, Duke Raphael’s neurological mechanical technology, and they also hold secrets of the Luying royal family...

Each one alone is enough to make the top nobility green with envy, a colossal fortune.

They might not have been completely exposed yet, but as soon as anyone learns even a snippet of this information, there will surely be those who want to take a bite out of them.

The man in the floral shirt is able to call Archduke Raphael by name, which naturally makes him one of the top-tier nobles as well.

The implication in his words is also very clear—he is that "powerful force" capable of protecting the Dawn Brigade.

But truly protecting them would stir up considerable trouble.

It’s not just a matter of drawing them in; after all, there’s a degree of Kasuga’s face to consider.

However, Su Lun certainly has his own considerations.

After all, they are no ordinary pirate crew.

Hearing this, he pondered for a moment before responding, "Thank you for the reminder, senior."

Bartolo raised an eyebrow upon not receiving a direct response from him, seemingly surprised at Su Lun’s decisive rejection of the extended olive branch.

But having met the man, as an old father, he had vented his spleen.

Having said what needed to be said, he did not utter another superfluous word and stated, "Since you have your own considerations, let us leave it at that."

No sooner had his voice faded than he left, stepping on waves without a trace, just as dashing as when he had arrived.

Su Lun had intended to politely exchange a few more words and ask for some information, but seeing the already distant figure, he could only let it go.

...

Half a month later, the massive encirclement campaign also fizzled out.

The Northern Fleet’s hunt had become a complete joke.

They had mobilized heavy forces and suffered several entirely decimated units, yet they hadn’t captured a single member of the Dawn Brigade.

If it were so easy to catch people at sea, the pirates would have long been wiped out by the official navy.

Especially when there was a discrepancy in the warships involved.

The Dawn Brigade’s "Eternal Night Emperor" was faster than any Northern Seas sailing warship, and on the vast and endless barren sea, they were simply impossible to catch.

Moreover, after their encounter with the Blue Knight Pirates and Su Lun took a beating, they became even more cautious.

Having seized enough supplies, they refrained from further eroding the Northern Fleet and instead drifted about the barren sea.

The days that followed were peaceful.

Without pirates to block their way, the members of the Dawn Brigade remained busy.

Having brought out detailed experimental data and a wealth of materials from the Void Sanctuary, Dr. Banks quickly developed the first batch of the [Void Genetic Potion].

With the All-knowing Eye, Su Lun did not have to wait for any clinical trials; once he identified there were no issues, the Potion could be immediately used.

Many members of the Dawn Brigade, like Qian Tiao, underwent injection of the Potion and almost all successfully gained affinity with the void. "Herbert Hillbilly," the Great Alchemist from the Dawn Era, left this significant gift for his descendants, propelling the Dawn Brigade’s strength to a new level.

The various void prosthetics and advanced materials also came into play, with everyone busy improving their own strength.

On this day,

a light rain drifted through the sky, with waves several meters high on the sea surface.

At the mast, Su Lun sat in meditation.

Since discovering that sunbathing could facilitate a better integration of the [Heart of Isaac’s Alchemy], he had been spending his days at the mast.

The days, in turn, were quite leisurely.

Upon a closer look, one could still see the bruise on Su Lun’s face, a remnant of that day’s beating.

For this, he had not escaped from Qian Tiao’s teasing.

Even so many days later, he would occasionally feel a slight pain.

Recovery from a Haki attack was not so easy, not that it was a serious injury, just painful.

It was a memorable experience nonetheless.

Only now did Su Lun learn that Kasuga was actually a little princess from the Duke Lance family.

That kind of old noble family, which had controlled the north of Luying for hundreds of years, indeed had the strength to do so.

Nevertheless, although Su Lun felt he had a good relationship with Kasuga, it wasn’t to the extent that the illustrious duke’s father would personally seek him out.

Unable to figure it out, and with nowhere to ask,

he connected it with some of the other events that had transpired, guessing that perhaps the Lance family was harboring grand ambitions. Mountain Hermit, Northern Navy, Luying Military Intelligence Bureau, Roman... all had their secret agents, and indeed, the power that the Lance family concealed beneath the water’s surface was terrifying.

Lost in meditation with his thoughts drifting, suddenly, he heard the grating, unpleasant call of a crow: "A ship’s coming! A ship’s coming!"

At the same time, the lookout in the crow’s nest atop the mast, equally excited, shouted down, "Mr. Su Lun, the ship flying the ’White Whale Trading Company’ flag you mentioned has arrived!"

Su Lun immediately perked up at this news.

Mr. Jing had arrived!