Mechanical Alchemist

The "Black Tower Alchemy Academy Trial Team" from the inner city arrived a day earlier than scheduled, which didn't surprise Su Lun much.

He figured it was probably for the safety of those young lords and ladies; the mentors had intentionally changed the schedule to avoid a premeditated ambush.

However, for Su Lun, whether it was a day earlier or later didn't make much difference.

After all, his task was to take this group of princely tourists on a tour of the catacombs, and then see if there was an opportunity to check out the location of the sealed scythe.

....

At five in the morning, while Su Lun was squatting over a body in a gambling den, he suddenly received a message that the tourist group would arrive on Green Street by seven.

Fortunately, the equipment, ammunition, and potions had all been prepared in advance, so he wasn't caught off guard.

He arrived half an hour early, waiting alone at the designated spot outside the tube houses.

Those big shots from the inner city didn't seem to like making contact with too many people from the outer city, not even a cross-society executive was deemed worthy to greet them.

He was specifically instructed to avoid wearing anything overtly "gang" styled, for fear of frightening the inner city nobles who had never seen a real gang.

Thus, today Su Lun did not continue with his dark punk style but instead donned the standard Scavenger attire—stabb- resistant high-top deer skin boots, a tactical vest, metal knee and shoulder guards, and an aged leather cloak. Besides a gas mask, he also had his face painted and covered with a layer of black gauze.

After putting on his alchemy night vision goggles, it was unlikely anyone could recognize him.

At his waist hung two pistols with extended magazines, which he had recently customized according to his shooting habits. He also had mechanical gloves, a dagger, magazines, and an emergency potion pack...

....

After waiting for half an hour, a heavily armored military transport vehicle arrived outside the tube houses at seven o'clock sharp.

Such military trucks were unseen in the outer city—it was like a spaceship landing in a heap of trash, inevitably attracting the attention of the tube house residents.

A cross symbol on Su Lun's cloak marked his identity.

This symbol also provided enough deterrent power; he raised his hand to indicate they should stand back, and those impoverished people, who in the eyes of the inner city folks were no different from mutants, reluctantly kept their distance due to curiosity, not disturbing these young nobles.

This was the greatest utility of his local "boss" status.

Su Lun walked over, greeted the leading mentor, and introduced himself, "Good morning, Mr. August. I am Su Lun, Miss Filo recommended me to be responsible for guiding your trial this time."

August was a middle-aged man with a brown beard, very composed, also a second-rank professional and the leading mentor for this trial.

The mentor was very composed, and even knowing Su Lun's gang affiliation, he showed no disdain and gave due respect, politely saying, "Hello, Mr. Su Lun, thank you for taking care of the students' trial this time."

Su Lun responded with equal courtesy, "It's my honor."

The students got out of the vehicle one by one, looking around curiously as though everything was fascinatingly new to them.

Su Lun remained silent, quietly watching them disembark.

There were twenty-three participants in this trial, including the second-rank professional mentor August and two assistants. One was a man named Daniel with very well-made and technologically advanced mechanical exoskeletons on his arms and legs, and the woman was Rosa, wearing a sexy low-cut teacher's dress, appearing to be a magical Magician.

All the students were quite young, around fifteen or sixteen years old, and all fully armed.

Though their attires varied, underneath they all uniformly wore a tight black "liquid battle suit."

"Could it be...a school uniform?"

Su Lun was seeing this sharkskin-like combat suit for the first time. It was not only aesthetically designed, but seeing those mystical runes occasionally revealed under the light and the high-tech blue luminescent energy labels, he knew that this suit was more than just clothing, it was an alchemical product with definitely excellent functionality.

The male students looked vigorous and valiant in these leather suits, the black color fully displaying stability.

The female students, filled with youthful vibrancy, wore these black liquid leather outfits that perfectly showcased their tall figures. Their well-developed chests, pert buttocks, and long, it neatly outlined their most enticing curves, exuding an aura of pure and striking beauty.

Su Lun glanced once and then averted his gaze.

No wonder Lady Philo had been so stringent when selecting guides previously, these young female students indeed had great appeal in front of those rough gangsters.

....

All students had disembarked the bus, none of them talking to Su Lun, who also didn't attempt to make his presence felt.

Before entering the cavern, Instructor August addressed the students routinely, saying, "Today is your graduation trial; groups of five will complete the task... the two assistants will score you based on your performance during the trial. This is a practical trial, and the teachers won't assist, nor will I accompany you, everything depends on the knowledge you have learned...

Please take this seriously..."

Su Lun listened from the side, finding all the warnings quite boring, and the students also seemed rather listlessly uninterested.

Although August said he wouldn't accompany them, Su Lun knew that this second-tier professional would always protect them in secret, only intervening when they faced insurmountable danger.

Yet, far from worrying, the students' faces showed excitement when they heard the teacher wouldn't follow.

"Scavenging" was a life-and-death journey for outsiders; however, for these noble students from the inner city who had never tried it, it possessed a deadly allure like that of poppies. The adventure of exploring unknown territories filled these pupils, who had never ventured on their own, with a feverish anticipation.

"Wow... You're not going? Haha, don't worry, Instructor, we'll definitely ace this trial!"

"Yes, we are all officially professionals now, we definitely won't embarrass the academy."

"..."

Su Lun watched these energetic students coldly, hoping they could still be this happy when they saw the grotesque mutated monsters in the cavern later.

However, these guys did have a basis for their arrogance.

Back when Su Lun and Kai went to the cavern, they were embarrassingly chased by mutated monsters because only the two of them were professionals. But now, the trial group in front of him consisted entirely of professionals, and whether in terms of equipment, integrations, professions, or logistical support, these people had a hundredfold advantage.

That's why Kai had said this mission would be easy.

Being able to earn a hundred thousand dollars as a bounty and gaining guild contributions was indeed a "giveaway."

....

After the instructor finished speaking, the students began excitedly forming teams for the trial, organizing into groups of five; the team's performance and individual scores would ultimately be assessed.

Scavenging had a standard five-member team setup: tank + DPS + healer were three essentials, coupled with two other complementary professions, such as an assassin responsible for surveying the environment or a blaster magician...

"Five-person teams" ensured optimal professional combination in a team, which could maximize combat effectiveness. However, clearly, these students had no intention of such planning, each one began inviting their own friends or confidently decided to bring girls for the trial.

The teachers didn't say anything, letting the students make their own decisions through the entire trial, testing their organizational skills.

"Miss Lena, may I invite you to team up with me? I've just received the 'Academy's Top Marksman' medal of honor, and I'm sure to get the best results in this trial..."

"Hey, Jack, stop boasting. I ranked first in the alchemy course, and I'm sure to top this trial!"

"..."

The male students were like combative bulls, not modest in the slightest. They also treated the trial as a competition, a way to show off their capabilities in front of the opposite sex.

Soon, the twenty participants were divided into four teams.

Assistant Daniel said to Su Lun, "Mr. Guide, please lead us to the caverns."

Su Lun nodded. The young assistant's demeanor had its gaps compared to that of a seasoned tutor. Although he sounded polite, the disdain in his eyes was too evident to hide.

Su Lun didn't mind, for the people of the inner city always carried the pride of being under the Imperial City.

He led the group of trial nobles through the ruins, heading for the entrance to the caverns located in the cylinder buildings.

The young lords and ladies seemed very excited, holding their guns and aiming all around, their faces full of eagerness as they walked through the ruins.

As the entrance to the cavern was near the sewer, the stench in the air grew stronger, and several pampered students began to complain.

"Oh, the air outside the city is terrible... even with a gas mask, there is a horrid smell," one of them remarked.

"Wow...look, are those mutated monsters hiding in those broken buildings? Should we shoot them?" asked another.

"..."

At this, Su Lun understood why Sister Thousand had said those noble students from the inner city were hard to serve.

These fellows had never been to the outer city, they lacked many basic understandings.

At that moment, female assistant Rosa explained, "Those aren't mutated monsters; they're just malnourished wanderers."

Upon hearing this, the students lost much of their interest.

...

Soon, the group arrived at the entrance to the cavern in the cylinder buildings.

Everyone put on their night vision devices and walked in.

The buildings still bore the marks of the fierce battle with the Steam Faction that Su Lun and others had fought last time, with bullet holes everywhere on the walls.

Although the bodies had been neatly devoured by the monsters in the sewer, many terrifying traces remained on the ground, like dragged bloodstains and decayed marks of corpses...

The transition from the outdoor to the dimly lit indoors instantly enveloped the trial team in an atmosphere of horror.

The students, holding their fire rifles nervously, looked around, terrified that monsters might suddenly emerge from the darkness.

Instructor August halted and stood at the entrance of the cavern, stating, "The trial begins now. Each person's task is to kill at least ten mutated monsters, secure at least five cursed materials per squad, and complete the collection of samples to study the mutation of sewer monsters..."

"Yes, Instructor."

The students responded in unison.

August created the illusion of staying at the cave entrance and said to Su Lun, "Mr. Su Lun, from here on, we rely on you."

Su Lun nodded.

Then he, as the guide, was the first to descend into the cavern entrance.

Returning to a familiar place, his expression remained unchanged.

He was already familiar with the area and even remembered which bullet holes were made by him.

Yet, the students grew nervous one by one.

Once inside the cavern, the two assistants turned into mere spectators, and the students had to rely on themselves.

In the four teams, the appointed team leaders took care of their members. Since this was the first real trial for all the students, lacking experience, they encouraged each other with scavenger knowledge learned from textbooks: "Keep the gun barrel low, don't put your finger on the trigger, watch your step and overhead..."

Su Lun may have been called a guide, but once he led them into the cavern, he basically had nothing to do.

Exploring the unknown, choosing paths were also part of the students' trial objectives.

The four five-person teams walked ahead while the two assistants followed. Su Lun naturally knew that he was not one of them, so he stayed quietly to the side.

In the dimly lit cavern, this was a place untouched by light.

The intermittent sounds from the darkness, pairs of red eyes, and the occasional shadows flitting at the edge of their vision kept eliciting terrified screams from the students...

Su Lun seemed quite relaxed, at least familiar with this layer of the metro station environment.

There was no real danger here.

But unexpectedly, after walking a few steps, a chubby student quietly approached him.

"Hey, guide brother, what should I call you?"

Su Lun had noticed the chubby fellow early on because everyone's liquid leather jackets looked sleek except for this guy, who wore his like a 'Michelin man'; it was impossible not to notice him.

It seemed like in any school, every class always has such a plump guy.

Coming up familiarly, he whispered to Su Lun: "I'm Charlie Leonard. The Sunbird Mechanics Equipment Company is run by my family."

The straightforward self-introduction puzzled Su Lun, but he politely responded, "Just call me Su Lun."

Although unfamiliar with people, he had heard of the "Sunbird Mechanics", one of the largest military machinery manufacturers in the inner city.

Su Lun had been informed before coming that this trial team was not just any ordinary student class, but the top noble class of the Black Tower Alchemy Academy.

Every student here came from a significant background, whether a tycoon's princess or a noble family's young master.

The casually approaching plump guy was indeed the corpulent son of a multi-millionaire family.

At that moment, the chubby Charlie revealed his request, whispering to Su Lun: "I've had people find out that you're a skilled gunman from the 'Steel Cross Society'. So, I hope, brother, you could look out for our squad when necessary. After all, as you might have noticed, my team consists of non-combatants..."

As he spoke, he stealthily slipped a package into Su Lun's hand.