Mechanical Alchemist

Chapter 139: The legendary Shabina

Su'en walked out of the Hunter's Hall and walked around the camp.

Considering the time, it was still early in the afternoon, so it was too early to rest.

He thought that he should learn more about the relics, so he decided to go to the tavern again.

The tavern was not only the most important "information exchange center" besides the Hunter's Hall, but also Su'en believed that the hunters who could afford the ten times more expensive drinks in Old Lingdun were mostly the ones who successfully came out of the relics. They would definitely have a lot of valuable firsthand information.

Su'en looked around and chose the largest tavern with the most people, conveniently named "Black Jazz".

This was a chain brand that was famous both inside and outside the city of Old Lingdun. The main financial backer behind it was the "Clark family", one of the five major consortiums that built the camp, and also the financial backer behind the Steam Party.

Even though it was still daytime, the tavern was packed with all kinds of drunken customers.

They were all hunters who had come out of the relics and earned money to spend.

Su'en found a inconspicuous spot in the corner and sat down.

A bottle of Old Lingdun's 40, here it was 400 lisuo for a bottle of black wheat beer, and they sold it by the dozen.

He also called a decent-looking hostess, who only accompanied him for drinks, with a minimum tip of 3000.

Don't underestimate these hostesses, they were the ones who had the most information in the tavern. Although they didn't go hunting, they stayed in the tavern all day. They accompanied many different customers and had a lot of unexpected information.

...

Su'en drank his wine sip by sip, listening to the customers chatting.

"Have you heard? The 'Firebird Hunting Team' that went out a few days ago came back last night with a super big harvest. It is said that those managers from the major business associations who came to collect the goods broke the team leader's door..."

"How is that possible? It is said that the members of the Firebird Team had extremely good luck. They accidentally entered the central city area and not only did they not get wiped out, but they also luckily found a 'forbidden-level' cursed item... The money they received is enough to live a comfortable life for the rest of their lives."

"Why don't we have such luck in our team..."

"Captain Bass, don't even think about it. The central city area has many high-risk cursed spaces, and there are also those endless distorted monsters. The situation is still unclear now, even top professionals dare not guarantee that they can come back alive..."

"That's right. I heard that the 'Iron Crocodile Team' mistakenly explored an 'S-level' cursed space yesterday and suffered heavy losses..."

"There are also two 'T-level' cursed spaces appearing in the West City. The five major families have arranged slave teams to explore, but they were all wiped out... But the estimated profits are also amazing. It is probably only a matter of time before high-level professionals are sent to explore..."

"..."

Su'en drank his wine while being a quiet listener.

Now, hunting in the Dawn City ruins is almost always either a sudden fortune or a complete wipeout.

If you can open up a new area and come out alive, the profits are almost always good.

Su'en also heard a lot of useful information from these customers.

Which areas are more dangerous, how many 'T-level' and 'S-level' cursed spaces there are...

Where there are top-level distorted monsters...

Where the hunting teams went and never came back, the "nightmare areas"...

Listening to these fragmented pieces of information, Su'en automatically pieced together a map in his mind, and he also had a general impression of the entire outer ring of the Dawn Ruins.

...

Su'en sat in the tavern for a few hours and had heard enough information.

Just as he was about to leave and find a place to rest and prepare for tomorrow's hunting, his gaze suddenly turned towards the stairs on the second floor.

The second floor of the tavern was the VIP area, not just anyone could go up there. It was specifically for entertaining the people from the inner city.

The iron staircase made a clanging sound as a few people walked down.

The tavern instantly became quiet, and the sound of footsteps on the stairs was particularly clear.

A pair of slender legs stepped on a pair of high heels, followed by a white silk long skirt that split open to the root of the legs. From this angle, the beautiful legs were fully displayed. After a few more steps down the stairs, a head of fiery red wavy hair and a graceful figure came into view.

And then, that enchanting and beautiful face came into sight.

As soon as this woman in the white fox fur long dress appeared, the noisy tavern seemed to have been paused, and suddenly fell silent.

The group of men held their wine glasses in their hands and froze, their gazes burning.

Her fair skin was radiant, giving the illusion that she had a built-in high-definition beauty filter. Looking at her, everything around her seemed to fade. Especially the slight arc of her mouth, which brought out all kinds of charm between her eyebrows.

Clearly, she was a gangster's wife, but her every move revealed the elegance and luxury of an upper-class socialite.

This woman's temperament was alluring and extraordinary.

"So, you're here too..."Su'en squinted at the woman.

He naturally recognized this woman, who had a notorious reputation in the outer city's underworld, as Shabina, the wife of the Steam Party's leader, "Butcher" Banner.

She was the woman who had left a deep impression on him since the first day he crossed over.

"Tsk tsk... I have to say, those peaches are indeed quite big."

Su'en glanced at her and muttered to himself.

Her chest was a towering, proud, and imposing sight, exuding a heavy sense of oppression.

He was also curious about what kind of woman she was in the eyes of others in the tavern, to be so infatuated. He let go of some normal emotions and looked at his attribute panel, where the word "slight fascination" instantly appeared.

It wasn't really a negative status.

It was purely "being attracted by appearance."

She was a stunning beauty who could ignite desire with just one glance.

"Her charm attribute is quite high... Is it an innate seductive talent or some other ability?"

As his emotions settled, the trace of infatuation in Su'en's eyes disappeared instantly.

In that instant, the woman glanced at the tavern.

With just that casual glance, the sound of everyone in the tavern swallowing their saliva could be heard.

Su'en keenly caught that gaze, and his spiritual power on his own panel fluctuated slightly. He once again had a different view of this woman and thought to himself, "It seems that this woman is not just a character who relies on her beauty to climb up the ranks, as the legends say..."

After leaving the tavern, the woman was accompanied by a slightly excited young man.

Su'en recognized him as another acquaintance, the young master of the Oliver family he had encountered in the market before, Danze Oliver.

"Young Master Danze, let's stop here for today's drinks. I'll wait for your good news."

"No problem!"

"..."

Perhaps they had just discussed something upstairs, and the two of them whispered to each other as they walked out of the tavern.

Once those people had walked far away, the men in the tavern, who had been dumbfounded, seemed to come back to life.

The tavern returned to its noisy and bustling state.

"Damn, if I could sleep with a woman like that, I'd be willing to shorten my lifespan by ten years..."

"Shh~ Keep your voice down. You dare to have thoughts about 'Butcher' Banner's woman? Are you tired of living? Although I have to admit, I think the same way, hahaha..."

"..."

Su'en listened to these whispers and chuckled lightly.

He didn't stay long and left the tavern.

.......

Early the next morning, thousands of fully equipped hunters had already gathered at the camp's entrance.

Looking at the flags, there were hundreds of hunting teams, big and small.

The agreed meeting time was seven o'clock, and Su'en arrived ten minutes early.

When he arrived, he saw that the members of the "Drunkard Hunting Team" were also present.

The team was well-equipped, following the standard configuration of a small team: heavy armored soldiers, doctors, gunmen, sorcerers, and demolitions experts...

As the team leader, Benson was urging the members to do a final check of their equipment.

Seeing Su'en approaching, he greeted him warmly, "Brother Johnny!"

Su'en nodded in response.

He saw Tommy fully armed and appearing in the team, and asked in surprise, "Captain Benson, why did you bring Tommy to the ruins?"

Benson's eyes flickered with affection, but also helplessness, and he said, "Yeah, this kid insisted on coming."

Tommy, who was beside him, patted the gun at his waist and complained, "Dad, I'm not a kid anymore!"

Benson shrugged indifferently, turned his head, and smiled at Su'en, "When I was his age, I was already out hunting. Since he chose this path, he will eventually have to grow up..."

Hearing this, Su'en didn't say much.

Hunters have their own destinies.

At exactly seven o'clock, the team set off.

The Oliver family's hunting team had organized more than ten small hunting teams to act together, with over a hundred people in total.

They had a second-tier professional leading the way, the captain of the "Warblade Team," Bloom.

The Oliver family, as a major conglomerate, had the most accurate information and maps of the ruins. They had already planned their route in advance.

To avoid danger while crossing the city, the team would follow the outskirts of the city in a circle and then enter through the ruins of the eastern city wall, heading directly to explore the "Red Brick Tower District."

Su'en knew that Danze Oliver, the young master, was eager to find the hair strand, which coincided with his own goal, making things easier.

.......

The outermost area of the Dawn City ruins had already been cleared, and there was no danger along the way.

The hunters were progressing smoothly, with a relaxed atmosphere and occasional chatting.

The undead controlled by Su'en followed behind the "Drunkard Team" like they were being transported, appearing somewhat isolated.

However, Tommy had been sticking by his side, pestering him for advice on gunmanship and machinery.

With over a hundred people, there was always something new to talk about during their chats.While chatting with Tommy, Su'en also listened to the gossip of other hunters.

Unexpectedly, he heard something about himself.

"Speaking of which, have you guys heard that there is a new ruthless person in Old Lingdun City, a new top ten S-class wanted criminal..."

"Oh, there's a new face in the top ten of the wanted list? Where did he come from?"

"I heard that he is a very powerful firearms expert from the Cross Society, called 'Su'en'. It is said that he killed three second-tier professionals from the inner city and became famous in one battle."

"This is an exaggeration... Even a firearms master may not be able to kill three second-tier professionals, let alone an expert."

"The battle on Green Street was fierce, and many people have heard about it. Moreover, I also heard a rumor from my nephew that before this 'Su'en' joined the gang, he was actually a bodyguard and driver who defected from a wealthy family in the inner city because he had an affair with a beautiful mistress of a nobleman. That's why he was hunted down..."

"..."

Listening to the stories from those people, Su'en originally wanted to gather some useful information.

But the more he listened, the more something felt off.

Familiar formula, familiar plot, isn't this exactly the same as the Red Devil back then?

In the end, the topic of these rough men quickly shifted from the new rookie on the wanted list to which night club had the most beautiful women...

On the other hand, Tommy listened with great interest. This kind of legendary story was his favorite at his age.

After listening to those people discussing "S-rank Su'en", he suddenly thought of something and turned to Su'en curiously, "Mr. Johnny, who do you think is more powerful, you or that S-rank?"

Su'en smiled, "Me? I'm far behind..."

Tommy said seriously, "But... I feel that you are very powerful. At least you should be much stronger than my arrogant old man."

Upon hearing this, Su'en asked curiously, "Is it your 'feeling' ability again?"

"Yes."

Tommy thought for a moment and pointed to the person in front of him, "Right now, I feel a light from everyone, the firelight on my old man is like a candle, while others are like matches, and Mr. Johnny, you are like a... big fireball."

Light?

Did he see the soul, spiritual power, or dark spiritual power?

Su'en felt that Tommy might have awakened a very powerful talent.

He thought for a moment and said, "Tommy, you must never tell anyone about this ability in the future. Otherwise, it may bring big trouble to you and your father."

Tommy was smart, and he naturally understood what Su'en meant. He patted his chest and said, "I know! But because it's Mr. Johnny, I said it. Because... I feel that you are a good person, better than anyone else."

Listening to this, Su'en smiled again.

.......

The hunting team walked along the outskirts of the city for half a day, repelling several small-scale attacks from distorted monsters, and finally arrived at the designated entrance area of the city.

Dawn City had no city walls, and one could enter the city center by finding any road.

The city was full of ruins, a scene of devastation after a great war.

After stepping into this building ruins, the leader of the Warblade Squad, Captain Bloom, shouted, "Everyone, be careful. We are now entering a dangerous area. Check your equipment and be on guard against monsters from the sky, underground, or anywhere!"

Everyone responded in unison, "Yes!"

The hunters, who had fought a months-long battle with distorted monsters in the streets and alleys of Dawn City, not only did not reduce the number of monsters in the city, but they increased instead.

No one knew where these monsters came from, but no matter how they were killed, they couldn't be completely eradicated.

Moreover, after entering the city, a mist gradually spread in the air, greatly limiting visibility. The mist would also move with the wind, and when it became dense, the visibility would not exceed ten meters.

The atmosphere in the hunting team suddenly became tense.

As they went deeper, they encountered several distorted humans feasting on some corpses...

The hunters quickly shot and killed those monsters who were once their colleagues.

........

Then, not long after entering the mist, the expected large-scale attack came.

The breath of living people was like a lighthouse in the dark night, attracting nearby monsters.

As they walked, Su'en suddenly moved his ears slightly and quietly placed his hands on the pistol at his waist.

After a second, someone finally shouted a warning, "Be careful, there are monsters in the sky!"

Before the words had even fallen, strange screeches came from the mist. The sound came from all directions, and the number was astonishing.

In the next moment, everyone looked up and saw a group of giant bats with wingspans of two to three meters suddenly flying out of the mist!

The flapping of their flesh wings created a whistling sound.

Bang, bang, bang, bang...

Gunshots rang out, and everyone fired their pistols into the mist in a frenzy.

But there were too many monsters, and shadows continued to fly out from the mist.

The situation suddenly became critical.Benson and his scavenger team were mostly experienced veterans. They quickly formed a defensive formation when they encountered trouble.

Because Tommy was in the team, everyone gathered around him as the core, and Su'en also benefited from this. He didn't have many opportunities to take action, occasionally firing a few shots to take down a threatening bat, then firing randomly, as if he was participating...

Fortunately, because they were prepared in advance and had enough firepower, the scavenger team quickly repelled those strange bats.

However, even so, the scavenger team still suffered casualties.

"Damn it, we're two men short, taken by those bats!"

"Our team also lost one..."

"Everyone be careful, the bat's blood has corrosive toxins..."

"..."

They had just entered the ruins and the team had already suffered losses, which immediately made the atmosphere heavy.

However, the Drunkard team was surprisingly intact, with almost no losses.

The situation was chaotic before, and no one noticed Su'en's excellent marksmanship. Tommy, who was next to him, noticed something and asked quietly, "Mr. Johnny, the bat's eyes are so small and they're flying around. How did you hit it?"

"Just lucky. Practice more and you can do it too..."

Su'en casually replied with a smile, not expecting this little guy to be so observant.

......

"Let's go, keep moving!"

The scavenger team didn't suffer much loss. They cleaned up the battlefield and continued to go deeper.

As they passed by the pile of corpses, Su'en glanced at the bat bodies on the ground, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

Abyss Bloodthirsty Giant Bat

Explanation: Prefers darkness, bloodthirsty; a mutated monster that has lived in a rich dark spiritual environment for a long time, it has combat power exceeding the limit of its species;

Looking at the information identified from this monster, Su'en somehow thought of the mutated monsters in the sewers of Old Lingdun.