Mechanical Alchemist

Chapter 250 Riding the Wolf

The body had already begun to congeal alchemy growth armor, and Su Lun looked at the outline of the "Void Sickle" that had begun to appear, thinking of the scene just now where it ignored the mecha's defense, a thought also popped into his mind, "This kind of void growth armor, it's very suitable for that guy Kai, tsk tsk, I should mail him a set if there's a chance..."

Without waiting for the growth armor to completely disengage, he directly stored the body in his storage space.

"Huh..."

But it was this very act of storage that immediately brought a surprise delight to Su Lun's eyes, "The folded space expanded by nearly twice?!"

Folded space was an ability he awakened when he advanced to the second tier and began comprehending spatial abilities; it was very convenient for storage.

The volume of the space would increase with the tier level and the enhancement of dark spiritual power.

Originally, the expansion wasn't too fast, and Su Lun felt it wasn't quite enough since some large objects couldn't fit inside.

But now, it had actually doubled in size?

Su Lun immediately understood that this was due to the enhancement brought by stripping that "fourth-tier fragment of space law."

Furthermore, not only did it expand the storage space, but the improved comprehension of space law also made opening the space feel incredibly smooth.

He distinctly felt that his affinity for space had surged dramatically!

"This is like taking off..."

Su Lun could hardly conceal his joy.

An increase in space affinity meant that he could use spatial displacement for greater distances and cast spells faster...

Most crucially, the difficulty of learning other space spells decreased!

"Space Law," as one of the supreme laws, facilitates storage and teleportation, and its combat capability is also extremely outstanding.

Su Lun had always wanted to learn some space spells, but even with his strong learning abilities now, progress was very slow.

The few space scrolls he happened to get from Mr. Hei took him several months to barely learn one life-saving "Flash."

Others, like "Hand of Confinement," "Twisted Barrier," "Void Strangle," and so on, each more bizarre than the last, he had not managed to learn any.

At the root of it was that spatial techniques were much harder to understand compared to other elemental techniques, requiring a magic matrix which, without sufficient comprehension of the law, simply couldn't be constructed.

With the detachment of this fragment, he suddenly felt like his "spatial skill tree" had grown from a bud into a small tree.

With robust branches to support, it was only natural for dense leaves (skills) to sprout.

Thinking of this, a thought flashed through Su Lun's mind, "When I advance to the fourth tier, should I also equip myself with a set of void growth armor?"

Because there was no source of void growth armor before, he had never thought in this direction.

But now, it was clear that there were material sources at the "King of the North Sea," which made this path entirely viable!

If it were winged flight growth armor, that would work too, but it didn't seem like the best option...

Offensive growth armor was also good; killing people invisibly...

Or perhaps those that assist with casting, like enhancing affinity and law perception...

Or even spatial defense growth armor?

Su Lun's mind instantly raced through countless possibilities for advancement.

But currently, his knowledge about void creatures was practically blank, and he had no idea which abilities would have a high compatibility.

Considering that he hadn't even settled on third-tier growth armor, he wasn't in a rush; it wouldn't be too late to learn more at "Pirate City" and make a decision then.

....

Many thoughts were but a flash in his mind.

Su Lun put away the body, and the chessboard space was also lifted.

Although the battle consumed quite some time, it was broadly within Su Lun's estimates.

Now that his spatial displacement ability had greatly increased, he was not the least bit panicked. Thinking that even if he faced those two fifth-tier pirates, though he couldn't beat them, the chances of escaping had increased at least tenfold compared to before!

Moreover, he also felt it unlikely that he'd encounter two fifth-tier squadron captains outside.

The pirates probably had great confidence in that pirate vice-captain named "Suleiman."

The man's strength indeed justified that confidence.

If he hadn't run into Su Lun, even facing a fifth-tier professional, Suleiman would have had a certain chance of victory.

Moreover, void growth armor had an advantage against mechanical warriors.

No matter how one looked at it, Suleiman should not have been the one to die.

Therefore, Su Lun also deduced that as long as the pirates weren't sure that guy had died, they would not call for backup. Those two fifth-tiers couldn't leave their post. After all, Hozi was their main target for the night.

Sticking to the original plan, Su Lun felt that when he emerged, he should see a group of pirates with faces full of astonishment on the deck.

There was plenty of time, enough for him to wipe out the pirates on these two ships and then leave at his leisure. By the time those two fifth-tier pirate squadron captains heard the news and wanted to chase, they wouldn't be able to catch up.

The plan was perfect.

Su Lun had gone over it many times in his mind and couldn't find any oversights.

But unexpectedly, when it all started, things were quite different from what he had anticipated.

On the deck of the pirate ship, a fierce battle was unfolding?

"Eh..."

Su Lun was slightly surprised.

He watched as a group of pirates fought with a blood-covered white wolf.

The pirates were making a racket.

"Haha... didn't expect another one to come back just to seek death!"

"Hey! Brothers, capture this white wolf alive! It's a rare breed, worth at least a few million!"

"Dammit, be careful, this non-human can use magic!"

"..."

The pirates held the advantage in numbers, with two to three hundred survivors between the two ships, including some third-tier professionals. They were armed with various nets, lassos, and harpoons, seemingly intent on capturing the white wolf alive.

"Yuta? How did she come back..."

Su Lun recognized the white wolf as Yuta, transformed.

It seemed she wanted to return to help him?

Yuta, overwhelmed by so many pirates, was already struggling to keep up, but there was no sign of retreat on her face.

Although it seemed like she hadn't provided much help and had even caused more trouble, a smile crept into the corner of Su Lun's eyes.

...

The fierce battle on the deck was at its height when the burly mecha appeared once again, causing the combatants to freeze in shock.

The pirates, especially, were taken aback.

It wasn't Deputy Captain Sulaiman who came out?

How was that possible!

Even the mechanical warriors of Mafa couldn't completely counter the Void Sickle, right?

But the eyes of the white wolf showed relief: Mr. Su Lun was still alive...

Su Lun didn't give the pirates time to figure things out. As soon as he appeared, he activated the energy tremor of his Ship-Cutter and charged into the crowd.

Not all Void Sickle armors posed a threat to his mecha; the lower-tier ones only made the blade sharper, but they couldn't stop Su Lun.

As the other pirate ship had already sunk, everyone had congregated on the deck of this one. Swinging his Ship-Cutter, Su Lun hacked wildly, and the six-round cannons of the Fire God also fired sporadic bursts. The pirates couldn't avoid the onslaught, and the deck soon piled up with bodies. The most lethal damage was done by the mecha to the ship's hull.

Seizing the opportunity, Su Lun harvested the mist from the pile of bodies and called out softly, "Let's go!"

The white wolf understood immediately and leaped into the sea.

The ocean was the pirate's playground; once they jumped in, they were as agile as fish, and in the short term, they couldn't be killed off.

Su Lun didn't linger any longer and followed suit, leaping down.

In midair, he wielded his Ship-Cutter and swiftly carved two gaping, irreparable gashes into the hull. As water flooded in, the pirate ship began to show signs of capsizing.

Now, the pirates had to look out for themselves.

But the mecha only had the ability to leap short distances and couldn't fly. After wrecking the pirate ship, Su Lun retracted his armor.

He had intended to use the eight-armed spear to walk on the sea, but unexpectedly... a white figure caught his falling body at lightning speed!

Su Lun immediately spotted Yuta and didn't avoid her, landing squarely on the soft back of the wolf.

"Hold on tight!"

Yuta, in her white wolf form, let out a sharp cry. Her paws conjured a pale blue wind element, walking on water as if it were solid ground, leaping ten meters at a time.

Before Su Lun could say anything, she dashed off, turning into a white arc as she sprinted away across the sea surface.

....

At this moment, the mist over the ocean was already thick.

Soon, the pirate ship slowly sinking behind them could no longer be seen, and the sound of gunfire had also ceased.

After running for one or two kilometers, Yuta, in her white wolf form, began to slow down.

It seemed her explosive speed running atop the water couldn't last indefinitely.

The white wolf fell into the chilly waters, starting to swim.

Due to her injuries, blood stained the seawater, spreading into a vast expanse of red.

Yuta didn't stop.

From her actions, she seemed intent on carrying Su Lun back to shore by herself.

The merchant ship had been sailing for an entire day, and they were several hundred kilometers from the coast.

Su Lun felt her goodwill and, to avoid embarrassment, didn't mention his ability to walk on the sea, instead quietly riding on her back.

After waiting a while and hearing no more noise from the pursuing pirates, he finally spoke, "Elder Yuta, why did you come back?"

The white wolf spoke in human language, her tone calm but resolute, "The Dalu people will never abandon a friend to escape alone!"

"..."

Listening, Su Lun was taken aback and slightly... didn't know what to say.

Yuta had undoubtedly returned with the resolve to face death.

She probably thought that if she hadn't come back, Su Lun would surely die.

....

Earlier, when Su Lun single-handedly held off an enemy vastly outnumbering him, anyone would have deemed his chances of survival slim.

Moreover, Yuta could see that although the "strange iron armor with white steam" was impenetrable to blades and spears, the Void equipment was clearly able to counter this type of armor.

She felt that by coming, she might not necessarily save him, but at least she could share some of the pressure.

Yuta also believed in Su Lun's earlier claim that he had a way to escape.

But she also worried that what if he misjudged and didn't realize the severity of the Void abilities?

And on another note, even if he was confident in escaping, without a ship, he wouldn't be able to escape either...

The Dalu people are a grateful race.

She absolutely wouldn't let a warrior who had saved her and her people fall into danger.

At least, not while she was still alive - never!

Although they had only known each other for a few days, Yuta had already acknowledged Su Lun as her friend and "the Dalu's best friend" in her heart!

....

By midnight, the night was dark and the sea, rippling with small waves.

The white wolf's paws paddled lightly through the water, accompanied by the "whoosh" of the gentle waves against her ears.

The atmosphere felt cold, lonely, and helpless...

The man and the wolf swam silently towards the coast.

The sea was slightly chilly, but Su Lun felt the immense friendliness of the Dalu people, warming his heart.

He didn't bother to explain that he had anticipated the entire scenario and was almost completely certain of there being no danger.

But Yuta had come back without looking back, and that was enough for him.

Even though his plan for rescue had initially been made on a whim, this was the first time Su Lun felt it was truly worthwhile.

Not in terms of gains or losses of interest.

But because he felt it was the kind of return that could put his "heart at ease."

After some time, the white wolf swam on and they could no longer hear any noise from behind. It seemed the pirates had completely given up the chase.

Although Su Lun thought that Yuta, in her transformed state, probably had the ability to swim hundreds of kilometers to shore, he couldn't just watch her continue to carry him through the cold seawater while injured.

The fog was heavy, and he couldn't see the slavers' ship anymore.

The vast sea is not a road with signposts to follow.

A slight deviation could easily result in missing the mark.

Su Lun wanted to explain in a way that wouldn't embarrass her that he had a ship, "Well... Elder Yuta, we should be safe now. You can rest a bit, I have..."

Before he could finish, Yuta, thinking he felt awkward riding on her, said, "It's okay. We are not too far from the coast, I should be able to swim to shore."

"..."

Su Lun's eyes twitched at her words.

Thinking that any excuse would be awkward, he simply said, "Um... you're injured, and I have an inflatable boat. We can float on the boat."

Yuta's tone was full of surprise, "Where is the boat?"

Yuta's people, the Dalu, with their technology still in the Stone Age, had most of their lives confined to the forest. If they hadn't been captured by the slavers, Yuta would likely have never seen a musket, let alone mechanical equipment. While she had heard of some things from the human world from her ancestors, those impressions were a thousand years old.

As for an inflatable life raft?

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Such a thing was naturally unheard of to her.

Without further ado, Su Lun took out the inflatable boat, activated the trigger and punctured the compressed gas canister, and threw it into the sea.

In an instant, a life raft was fully inflated.

Yuta was startled by the hissing sound of inflation but soon, her eyes filled with curiosity as she looked at the floating "strange boat."

How did such a small thing suddenly become so big?

Su Lun leaped onto the raft and gestured towards her, "Elder Yuta, come aboard."

It then dawned on Yuta that humans had invented such a boat.

As she looked at the hand Su Lun extended to help her, her fur quickly receded, returning to her human form.

This world had nothing like "Hulk pants" that defied the laws of physics—at least the Dalu tribe didn't.

After transforming, becoming larger, her clothes would have burst at the seams.

As Yuta shifted from her giant wolf form back to human, she stood completely bare, her figure exposed to the air.

Su Lun pulled her onto the life raft, and a slight blush crept onto her cheeks.

It wasn't embarrassment from being naked. The Dalu tribe worshipped nature and were not so prudish. After all, wolves in the forest don't wear clothes, do they?

Instead, she realized she seemed quite "foolish."

Mr. Su Lun already had a raft, so there was seemingly no need for her to carry him.

Seeing her expression, Su Lun decided not to take out the steam engine and started to paddle instead.

To save her from further embarrassment.

....

Using magic to dry the seawater inside the life raft, it quickly warmed up.

Su Lun gave Yuta a blanket to wrap around herself.

She had many wounds on her body, which Su Lun also took care of along the way.

Although Yuta had the ability to treat her own wounds, she was without herbs and didn't decline the offer.

Unlike human girls, the Dalu tribe didn't shy away; she boldly watched the man before her tend to her wounds—abdomen, back, thighs, shoulder blades—without a hint of embarrassment.

Somehow, by coincidence, the two of them had encountered each other under similar circumstances twice.

Su Lun was focused and swiftly treated her wounds.

After rescuing her tribespeople, Yuta felt the heavy stone that had been pressing on her heart was finally gone, a great weight lifted.

She showed an unprecedented ease on her face, looking at Su Lun and sincerely saying, "Thank you, Mr. Su Lun."

"Hmm."

Su Lun smiled and nodded at her in response.

After treating the wounds, he took out a large linen shirt and handed it to Yuta, demonstrating briefly, "This shirt has buttons, you just button it up like this."

"Hmm."

Yuta didn't refuse, took off the blanket, and in front of Su Lun, slipped the shirt over her head. Her body, as sleek as a cheetah's, was now covered.

At that moment, with a serious expression yet a sense of trepidation, she said, "Mr. Su Lun, on behalf of myself and my people, I thank you for saving our lives. You are my friend, and a friend of the Dalu tribe forever!"

Upon hearing this, Su Lun also smiled and said, "No need to be polite. I am also a descendant of the Isaac family, and I will adhere to our vows. It's my honor to become a friend of the Dalu tribe and of you, Elder Yuta."

"Hmm!"

Yuta nodded seriously upon hearing his words, her face lighting up with a radiant smile.

Thinking of something at that moment, a shimmer of light flickered in her pure eyes.

Then, she tore a corner from the shirt she was wearing, deftly unpicked it, and quickly wove the linen threads into a cord.

Su Lun was curious about what she was doing.

Suddenly, Yuta's right hand became beast-like, revealing sharp wolf claws.

One of the gleaming wolf claws then fell off.

Su Lun watched as Yuta used the woven cord to tie the wolf claw, creating a simple necklace that possessed the distinctive traits of the Dalu tribe.

With a serious yet somewhat uneasy expression, she said, "Mr. Su Lun, this is my thank-you gift to you. Although it is not as exquisite as the jewelry of your people, please... do not disdain it."

[Yuta's Wolf Claw Amulet of Affection]

Description: An amulet made from the life claw of the Silver Wolf clan, filled with the most sincere emotional devotion of a member of the Dalu tribe. It is blessed by a Druid and can bring good fortune to its wearer.

Su Lun smiled as he received the wolf claw necklace and immediately wore it around his neck, responding, "Thank you for your gift."

"Hmm!"

Yuta saw his action and beamed with joy.