Mechanical Alchemist-Chapter 506 505: The Mystery of Time

Su Lun felt a chilling murderous intent behind him and dared not delay any further.

He casually harvested the soul mist in the camp and then charged towards Number Nineteen and the group of dwarves, bursting out, "Run!"

Spatial fluctuations appeared, and Su Lun appeared right next to Number Nineteen.

In that instant, a flash of insight sparked in his mind, recalling the moment after he had killed someone outside Cabitron, when he was observed by a mysterious force. He reached out and touched Number Nineteen's body.

Suddenly, Su Lun sensed that familiar feeling of being watched again and called out in his mind, "As I thought! It's some kind of time magic spying on us!"

He sharply turned his head and seemed to see a cold woman in a nun's outfit staring at him from the camp ruins.

Someone was following them!

It was that gaze across time and space that made Su Lun feel increasingly uneasy. He and Number Nineteen quickly turned and left.

From killing the five mages to their departure, the entire process took no more than five seconds.

But for some reason, the more Su Lun ran, the more restless he felt. As though in the depths of fate, some mysterious force had drawn a strange circle from which he could not escape a predetermined outcome.

The group of mountain peak dwarves had also reacted. The brown-bearded dwarf clan leader, realizing that these two were not enemies after seeing Su Lun kill the mages, issued a complex command, prompting the dwarves to quickly retreat into the dense forest.

However, just moments after the magic light columns of the Iron Shield Adventure Group's camp extinguished, a shadow flickered in the forest.

Upon a closer look, a cold-faced nun in a black and white robe had silently arrived.

Her figure flashed, teleporting a great distance.

It looked like spatial teleportation, but there was not the slightest spatial fluctuation.

No sooner had Su Lun left than the "Forbidden Nun" Jonabel Marsha appeared at the ruins of the camp.

Looking at the bloodstains and traces of magic on the ground, her face darkened.

"To think he killed five from the mage group instantly..."

A cold glint in Jonabel Marsha's eyes as she began chanting a magic spell, "Great Lord of Time, grant me the power to peer into the mysteries of time..."

The spell was instantly cast, and her magic wand lit up, as she shouted, "Time Retrospection!"

Upon another look, the radiance of the magic illuminated an area where the scene of Su Lun killing the five mages replayed right before her eyes.

"Scythe, the laws of Death... it's that man again!"

Jonabel Marsha had recognized him; it was indeed the man from Cabitron's outskirts previously.

Thinking this, she coldly snorted, "You won't escape this time!"

Upon another look, she was holding her magic wand aloft, chanting a most mysterious magic spell, "Praise the greatness of the Lord of Time, witness the trick of time, by the divine power, I peer into the face of truth..."

Instantly, a profound and expansive magical aura surged throughout the large camp.

The light from the wand was like the stars of time roaming,

Jonabel Marsha held her wand and lightly shouted, "Arcane·Time Reversal."

Upon another look, the scene of the two figures running frantically played rapidly in reverse.

The apparitions turned back into real people.

Nobody had anticipated that the local timeline would revert to the moment just as Su Lun was about to escape from the camp.

...

"Run!"

Su Lun shouted urgently.

He sensed the danger and did not dare to stand still for a moment.

But for some reason, shouting out seemed to evoke a feeling of déjà vu.

It was as if memories and time had become entangled, replaying a moment that had happened before.

As an alchemist advanced to a higher profession, he was less likely to have inexplicable sensations—unless somewhat influenced by an external force.

Su Lun instinctively reacted, "Am I being interfered with by some mysterious technique?"

But before he could understand, turning back to look, a cold-faced nun had already appeared within his field of view.

Su Lun thought he was seeing that familiar feeling from Cabitron's outskirts, but in his soul perception, he distinctly felt a soul fluctuation.

She appeared like a ghost, without any warning.

No spatial fluctuations, no traceable movements, she seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"'Forbidden Nun' Jonabel Marsha! When did this person appear?!"

Su Lun recognized the person, his heart sinking, but he was still slow to understand what had happened.

Why would the enemy arrive just as he had killed those mages?

Prophecy?

Special spatial artifact?

Mental illusion?

Or some other mysterious technique?

Su Lun was not certain.

But while both were shocked, the "Forbidden Nun" Jonabel Marsha, after casting her spell, also displayed a hint of astonishment as if she had seen something unbelievable.

It was this microexpression that Su Lun, although unaware of what surprised her, had captured and stored in his mind.

....

The enemy arrived faster than he had anticipated, but this was not the time to ponder.

There was no escaping now. Su Lun swiftly drew his black scythe and tested the nun with a slicing attack.

Not far away, Unit Nineteen's magic power furnace charged up, pulling back to create distance as well.

As she retreated, a gun barrel appeared in her left palm, spewing flames of green alchemy bullets; simultaneously, the ammunition chamber on her mechanical arm sprung open, and several mini missiles launched.

In that instant, she too had sensed something abnormal. How could she not know the ferocity of her enemy?

In just a moment of confrontation, millions worth of ammunition poured out.

"Pop," "Pop," "Pop"...

She knew Su Lun's Domain of Death could block the other's Time Domain, but she could not, and ranged attacks were her best option.

This battle decision had absolutely no flaws from start to finish.

Yet, the situation developed in a direction neither of them anticipated.

The stern-faced nun seemed to anticipate the scythe's strike, easily dodging the spatial rift. At the same time, the magic shield radiated more brightly around her, and as the ammunition poured down, a mushroom cloud erupted in the already chaotic campsite.

Though obscured by smoke, Su Lun sensed her soul's vibrations were unharmed.

This person, although a seventh-tier mage, definitely had the strength of the "Top Ten Legendary Bounty Hunters."

No!

This eerie "Time Domain" made her tactics even stranger than any of the top ten legendary.

This was simply not something an ordinary sixth-tier could withstand.

In the moment of their tentative clash, Su Lun hadn't felt any immediate danger, but something struck him, and he abruptly shouted at Number Nineteen, "Be careful!"

Even without the warning, wouldn't Number Nineteen be extremely vigilant?

As she launched the ammunition, she was also rapidly teleporting, using the movements to dodge the enemy's counterattacks. This string of actions marked the extreme reaction of an ultimate warrior in battle.

But just then, a piercing crack of thunder sounded.

A lightning spear shot towards Number Nineteen.

Though the lightning was fast, Number Nineteen was well-prepared. She watched the gathering magic power, predicted the release direction, and with a burst from the pressure vent of her mechanical leg, "Psshh," she moved a great distance in the opposite direction, perfectly avoiding the enemy's attack.

Seeing this from a distance, Su Lun also thought she would avoid it.

He would've made the same choice!

Yet, the unexpected still happened.

In Su Lun's eyes, the lightning inexplicably accelerated, shifting from the predicted trajectory at point B to suddenly striking early at point A!

It struck Number Nineteen precisely!

Su Lun's pupils sharply contracted.

In an instant, Number Nineteen was like a figure hit by a heavy arrow. The immense inertia carried her as she flew backwards, then with a "clang," she and the lightning spear pinned against a giant tree a hundred meters away.

In an instant, the lightning flared, electrically charring Number Nineteen's mechanical body, and the giant tree behind her, as if struck by lightning itself, instantly turned into a charred, carbonized tree.

The sheer dominance of that single strike was evident!

Just that one hit, if on a fleshly body, would almost mean certain death.

...

"Damn! Time was locally accelerated!"

Seeing this, Su Lun cursed inwardly.

This tactic was utterly unpredictable.

And that yellow lightning was clearly physical, obviously a high-quality magic conductor, hence it had pierced right through the alloy armor.

Luckily, he sensed that Number Nineteen's soul vibrations were still intact, though her mechanical limbs were heavily damaged but not critically.

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The hidden talent of [Angel of Justice] gave Number Nineteen a "Turn Calamity into Blessing" hidden aura, which seemed to be at work now.

But the enemy's abilities were too bizarre; mechanical warriors simply weren't suitable for this kind of fight.

Su Lun urgently spoke through the Dawn Organization's communicator, "Don't engage, just stay there!"

The enemy's attack on Number Nineteen had given him an opportunity to strike.

This chance was fleeting!

Almost at the moment the lightning magic was cast, Su Lun had already teleported there.

He repeated his tactic, thirty-one gargoyles attacking simultaneously. His own muscular strength had also accumulated to its peak, with the Dragon Slayer Dagger and black scythe in hand, a spray of blood was inevitable.

In the eyes of an alchemist, energy follows the principles of conservation and equivalent exchange. Whether it's magic or alchemy, or any bizarre divine technique, the fundamental principle is always the same.

With all these tactics launched at once, he followed the principle of overwhelming force.

Not to mention ordinary seventh-tier professionals, even the "Top Ten Legends" would be obliterated on the spot!

Of course, the most crucial aspect was that Su Lun's domain could exempt him from the life-devouring "Time Domain."

As Su Lun saw it, even if the nun had the ability to control time locally, she couldn't possibly cope with so many attacks at once.

Just as he had thought, the "Forbidden Nun," Jonabel looked at the gargoyles filling the sky, her brow furrowing, "Puppets?"

At that moment, the holy army's servant nun, too, understood how he had killed that group of five mages.

This was an attack even she felt posed a lethal threat.

A thought flashed through her mind.

Jonabel waved her magic staff once more, chanting the mysterious spells again.

...

"Damn! Time has been locally accelerated!"

Su Lun watched as Hunter Number Nineteen was nailed to the charred tree, cursing silently in his heart.

However, for some reason, as soon as he spoke, that strangely familiar scene flickered in his mind again.

Luckily, Hunter Number Nineteen was unharmed.

Without having time to think further, he quickly spoke into the Dawn Organization's communicator, "Don't take any action, just stay there!"

The opportunity was fleeting.

At the same time as he spoke, he had teleported hundreds of meters, appearing right in front of the austere nun.

The puppet legion uniformly advanced.

This strike, he was determined to win!

But strangely, Su Lun felt that even though he had reacted so quickly, the opponent had still anticipated his teleportation spot!

At the very instant he teleported, a magic light blade accurately stabbed towards his chest.

Though the opponent's attack involved local time acceleration, such neural reaction speed couldn't be described as anticipation. It was as if... he had run into it himself?

"How is it possible! How could she predict my appearance position?!"

Su Lun was extremely shocked.

He couldn't understand it.

His physical reaction speed, not to mention being the best among his peers, was rare even among seventh-tier professionals.

How could it be a physically frail mage?

But during the fleeting exchange, when their neural reactions were compared, he was utterly crushed?

Instinctively, he felt this crushing had to involve some trickery.

But there wasn't time to think further, as it was already too late to dodge.

The magic light blade had pierced through the skin on his chest, and with accelerated time, it penetrated unimpededly into his heart, stabbing it precisely.

"Damn, another legendary magic artifact!"

Su Lun also acknowledged encountering a true expert.

An expert rich in treasures!

The lethal threat forced his hairs to stand on end as he immediately responded. His combat instincts made him reflexively yank the wire in his hand, leveraging the gargoyle's pull to wrench his body from its original position.

Taking advantage of the energy of the magic light blade not having fully erupted, his whole body was flung backward.

"BIU~"

A jet of blood arced from his chest.

If it had been anyone else, a huge hole pierced in the heart could have been fatal on the spot.

But as Su Lun was flung backward, he instantly precisely controlled the muscles near his heart to contract, stopping the blood flow near his heart.

Once in Old Lington, he had received the human body research report from forensic doctor Jedla. That person mastered a secret technique of minute muscle control that even if the heart was crushed, he could still fight for a short duration!

At this moment, it was due to this secret technique that Su Lun didn't let his fatal injury worsen.

He was flung back, teleported hundreds of meters, and with a sorcerer's seal, he instantly sutured his wound physically with threads inside his chest cavity. Simultaneously, he took out a Blood Crystal Core and rapidly absorbed it using the "Blood Devour" secret technique.

This ability obtained from professional advancement granted him the vampire-like powerful healing ability, almost instantly partially sealing the gash on his heart.

"Hu... hu..."

Su Lun landed, his chest heaving violently, breathing heavily.

Looking at the enemy in front of him, his eyes revealed unprecedented solemnity.

Almost dying at the first encounter, how formidable!

As of now, Su Lun saw not a sliver of chance to win.

However, just as he racked his brain to find a way to turn the battle around without avail, an unexpected event occurred.

....

From transmitting the message to Hunter Nineteen, to him going up to clash, and then retreating back, the whole process took only a brief moment.

He indeed heard Hunter Nineteen was about to say something, but before he could finish, the perilous clash had already ended.

Upon retreating, he then clearly heard Hunter Nineteen's words that had just ended: "Time Retrospection, staff energy 1145."

Su Lun at first was stunned, not understanding why she would say such words.

But through the communicator, Hunter Nineteen urgently said, "This is what you just told me!"

"???"

Su Lun was confused once again.

What did I say?

When did I say that?

Su Lun couldn't recall having said those words.

But at the first sentence, he suddenly realized and thought to himself, "Time has been reversed!"

In an instant, it felt like all his confusions were resolved.

The reason he had collided with the edge of the knife was not because the opponent was fast but because the nun had reversed time and knew where he would appear next!

"So that's it! The power of the Time Law... simply amazing!"

Su Lun's mind brightened suddenly.

He also instantly understood what that energy meant.

Under the scrutiny of the All-knowing Eye, the attributes of the cold-faced nun's magic staff were clearly revealed.

[Time Staff (Legendary)]

Detailed explanation: A legendary staff that can harness the power of time; can extract the life span of beings to store energy, accumulating the power of time; current stored energy is 645 units.

Su Lun instantly figured something out and rapidly computed in his mind, "Number Nineteen mentioned 1145, but it shows 645; there's 500 units missing... which means she had used a retrospective spell, consuming it!"

Such a heavenly ability of Time Law certainly couldn't come without a price.

Basing on Su Lun's understanding of supernatural powers, a mere seventh tier Magic Conductor possessing such divine-like power was absolutely impossible!

So the secret lies in this magic staff?

That familiar feeling wasn't for nothing, it came from this!

Meanwhile, Su Lun was ecstatic inside, "Bringing Number Nineteen along was indeed the right choice!"

Knowing about the time reversal, he also instantly realized why, despite his more significant threat, the nun had chosen to attack Number Nineteen first, thus exposing her vulnerability and giving him the chance to strike.

Apparently, it was to kill the "third-party Observer."

The mysteries of time, with an observer and without one, lead to completely different outcomes!

This time spell, if it was one-on-one, Su Lun might never understand what had happened till his death. Because he completely forgot the content of the memories from the reversed time.

But with a third-party observer, the localized time retrospection was fully exposed in the eyes of that observer.

Solved!

Indeed, it's a "lucky amulet"!

If he had brought someone else, they might have been killed off at the first encounter.

Instead, because Number Nineteen is a super female warrior, her body structure different from humans, she survived.

The enemy thought they had killed her, but she was still alive.

She became a crucial "Observer"!

Su Lun thought,

If he hadn't brought anyone, facing such a formidable enemy, he would likely have only the option to run away...

No, not run away!

A flash in his mind, he recalled the two familiar feelings and concluded: he must have tried before!

"The 'Forbidden Nun' Jedla didn't appear out of nowhere; she too used Time Retrospection, sending me back to the campsite. By that time, she was already there..."

With this crucial link filled, Su Lun figured out everything.

He also understood why those mountain dwarves had also seemingly vanished.

They didn't disappear but merely remained unaffected by the time line that had been reversed solely for him.

Having understood everything, Su Lun looked again at the numbers on the magic staff and seemed to find hope for breaking the deadlock, thinking to himself, "A single time reversal consumes 500 energy points, her staff's energy is only left with 645. That means, at most, she can use one more time reversal!"

At this moment, his mind was racing.

Even though he had found a slim chance to break the deadlock, he still didn't feel any less vigilant.

He had nearly lost his life from the previous time reversal, an unpredictable technique.

But the nun also had only one chance left, and without certainty of a fatal blow, she wouldn't use it lightly.

This was the crucial hope to break the deadlock.

Time Retrospection is indeed irrefutable, but now that he knew the opponent's casting principle and had a third-party observer, perhaps he could find a chance to counterstrike!

"So... force her to use her last reversal?"

Su Lun thought of something.

He concentrated on his Spatial Technique, turned his head, and fled.

Time abilities are rare, but Spatial Ability is equally profound.

If you want to kill me, you can only reverse time again!