Mechanical Alchemist

"So this is the transformation ritual..."

Su Lun seriously perceived the process that imbued him with transcendental power, the sensation of surging strength continuously pouring into his body made him feel as if all his pores were refreshed.

The entire transformation ritual lasted about fifteen minutes, after which the light from the Hexagram Alchemy Array gradually faded. All the materials looked as though they had been burned, turning into a pile of ash devoid of any spiritual essence.

"It worked!"

Su Lun was delighted.

Being able to see his own panel after the "inauguration" was a success, he could clearly see the changes in his body.

Every attribute of his body was enhanced—strength, perception, constitution...roughly all increased by 3-5 points.

However, the most exaggerated increases were in three particular aspects.

"Agility" changed from 6 to 24!

"Skill" changed from 8 to 35!

"Spiritual power" also changed from 19 to 31!

It more than doubled.

Furthermore, an additional passive skill, "Multitasking," appeared on his skill panel.

Just like separating a Soul Shard, merging with that Puppeteer doll, Su Lun's mind acquired some new abilities that seemed to be ingrained into his bones.

The most tangible change brought about by the data boost was that Su Lun felt stronger.

Especially those three highly elevated stats, they made him vividly experience a "transcendental feeling."

The change in agility made him feel as light as a feather, with nerve reaction speeds off the charts;

The improvement in skill significantly enhanced his body's flexibility. The nerve's capability to recruit muscles became extremely strong, allowing him almost precise control over each skeletal muscle;

And although the increase in spiritual power didn't show specific effects, Su Lun always felt that his senses had become much clearer.

At this moment, Su Lun felt like he was "Superman."

He believed that now he could take on ten of his former selves in a fight!

....

Moreover, the most direct reaction to the data boost appeared on the skill panel.

The skills that Su Lun possessed, "Beginner Gun Proficiency" and "Advanced Hand-to-Hand Combat Beginners," had directly transformed into "Intermediate Gun Proficiency 334/800" and "Beginner Combat Proficiency 99/300"!

"The improvement in skill can directly amplify the skills I possess?"

Su Lun found it slightly surprising.

Eager to experience the sensory differences brought by the upgraded skill levels, he casually drew the fire gun from his waist and immediately felt the difference.

At this moment, the fire gun seemed no longer a tool but an extension of his arm. He felt that if he were to shoot, a casual aim would easily hit the target.

It was the ultimate smoothness of "nothing else, just familiarity."

"Is this intermediate gun proficiency? To think that just one level up could be so amazing..."

Su Lun's eyes sparkled.

Unless you reach that height, you can never understand what the view from above is like.

Things he couldn't comprehend before now became crystal clear.

He even felt that with some more practice, mastering the "Secret Technique: Gun Martial Arts" that required extremely high skill was within reach.

But with a little thought, he understood.

The great improvement in skill also allowed him to control every major and minor muscle group in his body to an incredibly detailed degree. As muscle control grew stronger, be it fighting skills or gun skills, any skill that involved the use of muscles, the proficiency was bound to greatly increase.

"Swish~"

The fire gun in Su Lun's hand drew a flourish and then precisely reholstered itself.

Just then, he suddenly thought of something and simultaneously drew two fire guns with both hands, aiming one at the door and the other at the window sill in the room.

In that instant of trying, a new passive skill was automatically unlocked on his panel.

Looking at the change in his panel, Su Lun remarked to himself, "Multitasking...tsk tsk, even 'Dual Wielding Proficiency' got unlocked!"

It was a wholly new and marvelous experience.

He could distinctly feel the sensation of his left and right brains controlling his hands independently, aiming at two targets. His mind had two separate thoughts, each able to independently give commands to locate the target, aim, and pull the trigger.

Although both involved firing two guns simultaneously, there was a fundamentally stark difference.

One hand was "capable" of using them, while the other was "proficient"!

The combat power soared, not just by a slight margin.

....

The inn was not a shooting range; there were no conditions for live fire.

Su Lun stowed away his musket.

The skill [Multitasking]was strong even for gunner professions, but essentially, it was an ability awakening specifically for the "Puppeteer" profession.

Su Lun shifted his gaze back to the wooden chest he previously used to store his puppet, on which was clearly a section titled "Introduction to Puppet Making".

The significantly increased spiritual power and the passive ability [Multitasking]were obviously exclusive skills for a Puppet Master.

"The road ahead is still long..."

Su Lun mused thoughtfully.

To become a qualified "Puppeteer," there was still much to learn, such as... puppet fabrication and maintenance.

The process of creating a puppet was highly complex.

It involved engraving, enchanting, runes... each process demanded extensive research and time.

Take, for example, the basic drawing of runes.

It might just seem like drawing some quirky, special symbols on the puppet, but the journey was long. It's like having a sketch diagram given to you—can you immediately replicate it without any basis? Even slight errors could lead to the failure of the rune puppet or greatly reduce its combat effectiveness.

"It seems that I need to visit the black market again sometime, buy some wood, and try making my own rune puppet..."

Su Lun didn't fear difficulties; instead, he quite enjoyed the process of learning new knowledge.

And at that moment, as a transmigrator, a novel idea suddenly popped into his mind: "Hey... the material for puppets doesn't necessarily have to be spiritual wood!"

He remembered the scene in that dilapidated underground manor where Pestoya controlled a group of puppets to attack Bald Ivan.

At that time, Ivan, who had awakened the [Steel Skeleton]talent and possessed the [Diamond Carapace]prosthesis, fought fiercely and unstoppably through the puppet crowd. Ordinary puppets armed with melee weapons couldn't scratch him at all.

A large part of a "Puppeteer" profession's combat power lay in the puppets itself.

And the offensive capabilities of the puppets themselves were also the most crucial factor in determining the outcome of a battle.

If wooden puppets were easy to break, then... what about mechanical puppets armed with firearms?

Upon thinking this, Su Lun's expression suddenly brightened.

The reason for using wooden puppets was for easy control, as lighter puppets allowed for greater maneuverability. Lower-level Puppet Masters couldn't control too heavy puppets...

But things were no longer like a thousand years ago!

Old Lington was in an era of steam mechanical black technology.

If miniature steam boilers could power heavy mechanical arms and external skeletons, why couldn't they power mechanical puppets?

At this thought, Su Lun's mind rapidly expanded.

As a transmigrator, he was unburdened by traditional concepts—whether it was technology or supernatural powers, weren't they all means to become stronger?

After seeing all sorts of high-tech products in his previous life, he suddenly had many "design inspirations" in his mind. Since this world lacked electronic control systems, why not create a "Puppet Gundam" or a "Puppet Transformer"?

Su Lun felt like he had unlocked the door to a new world, envisioning himself controlling not just a group of puppets but a fleet of combat Mechas...

However, turning the ideas in his memory into reality faced many challenges.

It was similar to transforming the skill of making fireworks into launching rockets—the form might look similar, but the technical content was vastly different...

Firstly, machinery wasn't flexible; even with power mechanisms, the steel material was much heavier than wood.

Secondly, to create mechanical puppets, he needed profound knowledge in mechanics and puppetry.

And of course, as the basis of everything, Alchemy.

For Su Lun the transmigrator, there was an overwhelming amount to learn, starting from scratch.

The volume of knowledge required might take hundreds of years to learn.

But... he had [Death Reaper]!

Su Lun felt that his future self would likely forge a path very different from the old school, a new school path—that of the "Mechanical Puppeteer"!