Mechanical Alchemist

Chapter 140: The Legend of the Clock Tower Monster

The ruins of Dawn City are as dangerous as the legends say.

After the first wave of attacks by a swarm of giant bats, the hunting team encountered several more waves of monster attacks, resulting in casualties.

Among them, there was a wave of monsters that even Su'en found slightly troublesome.

It was a humanoid monster with four limbs and sharp claws, and its brain was outside its body. It would burst out from the mist like lightning, kill people, and then disappear back into the mist. Its speed was so fast that even ordinary gunmen didn't have a chance to pull the trigger before it vanished.

The identification information showed that it was a monster called "Blinker," which was a mutated assassin.

Mutation is the result of the body being unable to withstand the dark energy and undergoing changes.

The dark spiritual power in this ruin is more than ten times that of Old Lingdun, and the degree of mutation of the monsters is much higher than in other places.

Therefore, even though it was a first-tier monster, some of its attributes were several times stronger than ordinary first-tier professionals, such as speed!

Fortunately, there was a second-tier professional in the team.

After several deaths, the leader of the "Warblade Squad," Bloom, personally chased into the mist and killed the monster, finally resolving the crisis.

However, the good news was that the monsters in the ruins were very strong, and the chance of producing cursed materials was extremely high.

Even the "Drunkard Squad," which followed behind the main force, also obtained a lot of materials.

Moreover, for Su'en, the extremely high concentration of dark spiritual power in this ruin made his breathing stronger!

.......

The journey that should have taken three or four hours ended up taking half a day.

In the afternoon, they finally arrived at the "Red Brick Tower District" marked on the map.

The buildings in Dawn City were a mix of various styles. This was a cross street, with a dilapidated red brick tower on the east side that looked like an ancient bell tower. It had a pointed top, flying buttresses, and some broken stained glass, clearly Gothic in style.

The monastery where the witch's hair was found was on the west side, also in ruins, but with a round Romanesque dome. The main building was white, but the main hall and corridors had collapsed on a large scale...

Su'en used the Eye of Omniscience to take a look, and it showed "A Dilapidated Monastery."

There were no special prompts.

From the known information, there must be a "Wailing Witch" hunting humans nearby.

Someone had found a corpse in this area before, and they had taken the hair from the corpse while still alive. This indicated that the witch might be a wandering monster or a curse space triggered by special conditions.

Su'en didn't dare to be careless and didn't approach the monastery.

Then he looked down at his hand, made an awkward finger gesture, looked around, and then lowered his head to repeat the gesture twice. His furrowed brows relaxed, confirming something in his heart, and he muttered, "Not a dream..."

He hadn't forgotten that the ability the "Wailing Witch" was good at was killing people in dreams.

And even if Su'en wanted to approach the monastery, he couldn't.

Because the second-tier leader of the "Warblade Squad" had already started sending teams to investigate the situation inside the monastery.

They were a hunting team sponsored by the Oliver family, and their purpose was to find clues about the "Wailing Witch" for Danze Junior. The dilapidated monastery had become a key target for exploration.

But Su'en thought it was fine.

Having someone else scout ahead for him would at least help him figure out what kind of existence the witch was.

.......

Upon reaching the vicinity of the designated destination, each hunting team began their search tasks.

As a member of the Joint Hunting Contract Team, the "Drunkard Squad" was free to act upon arrival at the destination.

Benson greeted his team members and also called out to Su'en, "Let's go, Johnny, let's search those buildings over there."

They couldn't go to the monastery, but there were still many buildings around.

Although other hunters had already been here, no one could guarantee that the treasures had been completely looted.

Hunting was similar to gold panning; it required enough patience and luck to find gold in the gravel pile.

And because this city was suddenly destroyed, the ruins preserved many everyday items from the residents of the city a thousand years ago.

Perhaps there were undiscovered cellars, jewelry boxes in collapsed rubble, and hidden stashes underground...

As long as they searched patiently, they would always find something.

With that, Benson led his team members to unload their backpacks and tents, and they began their treasure hunt with light equipment.

The fog density on the streets was very low now, allowing them to see far without encountering any monsters.

Everyone dispersed and relied on their experience to search for treasures.

Tommy was excited to be hunting in such a dangerous place for the first time. But instead of following Benson, he turned to Su'en and asked, "Mr. Johnny, can I go with you?"

Su'en was curious, "Why?"

Tommy's eyes flickered with intelligence, "Because I feel safer with you!"

Su'en smiled. This kid was quite clever. "Sure, come with me."

Hearing his agreement, Tommy smiled happily and shouted to Benson, who had already crossed the street, "Dad, I'm going with Mr. Johnny!"

Benson didn't mind and waved his hand, "Alright!"Su'en was not very interested in hunting for treasures in the wilderness. He didn't need money at the moment, so he didn't put much effort into it.

Moreover, because he knew that the "Crying Witch" often appeared nearby, his gaze was always focused on these ruins, trying to see if there was anything wrong.

Before long, the hunting team made a discovery.

Suddenly, a hearty laughter rang out.

"Hahaha... I found a treasure chest!"

The one who spoke was Bernard, a mage in Benson's team who was skilled in "treasure hunting magic".

That rare supportive magic had no combat power, but it was perfect for finding buried metals. It was like a personal metal detector that could be used while walking.

Benson also laughed and said, "Not bad."

A small box of ancient silver coins could probably be sold for a hundred or eighty thousand.

Starting off on a good note, the members of the Drunkard's Group became even more excited.

Su'en and Tommy also found a building to explore and went inside.

.......

This street had already been looted by previous hunters. If they wanted to find treasures, they had to dig deep into the ruins or search in more hidden places.

If they didn't know the special magic of "treasure hunting", it would require a lot of effort.

Su'en was already a lazy person, and with Tommy, a novice, the two "amateur-level" hunters wandered aimlessly in the ruins.

He didn't have any hope of finding any treasures, but he discovered that Tommy's treasure hunting ability was surprisingly good!

The two of them arrived at a pile of collapsed rocks, and Tommy seemed to sense something. He suddenly stopped and pointed to the ground, saying, "Mr. Johnny, I feel like there's something beneath you."

Su'en asked, "What is it?"

Tommy furrowed his brows, as if he was trying hard to sense something, and said, "I don't know, I just have a feeling..."

"Alright, let's dig and see."

Listening to this description, Su'en became even more curious about what kind of talent this guy had awakened.

A prophet? But it didn't seem like it.

Thinking that there was nothing to lose, the two of them started digging.

With the assistance of their mechanical arms, they dug very quickly.

When they threw away the broken bricks and stones, they actually found an alchemy staff embedded with a blue gemstone.

There should have been a corpse next to the staff, but time had already decayed it into a puddle of yellow-brown stains.

Tommy excitedly shouted, "Wow... Mr. Johnny, we really found a treasure!"

Su'en appraised it and although the runic effects of the staff had dissipated due to the passage of time, the material alone was valuable. He said, "The gemstone embedded in this staff is a 'Shattered Star Gem'. With such a large piece, its auction price would not be less than eight hundred thousand."

When Tommy heard the price, his eyes lit up, "Wow... we found eight hundred thousand just like that?!"

Su'en also found it unbelievable, "Yes."

At this moment, he suddenly noticed something and swiftly drew his gun, pulling the trigger towards a black figure crawling on the ceiling behind him.

Bang! The sound of a gunshot rang out.

A monster fell to the ground.

Tommy hadn't reacted yet and watched as a distorted lizard that had been crawling on the ceiling fell from above.

......

Gunshots occasionally rang out as the hunters killed scattered distorted creatures hiding in the buildings. But the lack of large-scale battles indicated that there weren't many monsters and they weren't much of a threat.

However, this made Su'en even more cautious.

In the Dawn City where distorted creatures roamed in groups, this situation was abnormal.

Su'en and Tommy wandered around the ruins, and before long, they arrived at the collapsed red brick tower.

This place had already been searched many times, so there probably wasn't anything valuable left.

But at this moment, Tommy noticed something and pointed to the collapsed building, saying, "Mr. Johnny, why do I feel like there's something strange about that clock tower?"

Hearing this, Su'en also became interested. If Tommy said he had a "feeling," there was most likely a problem.

It was a square clock tower, and erosion over the years had reduced it to only a seven to eight-meter base. When Su'en estimated its intact state, it was probably at least a hundred meters tall.

In addition to the broken bricks and stones on the ground, there were also some shattered and rusted oversized clock parts.

For example, a giant bell that looked like it weighed more than ten tons.

Although it was made of metal, no one could take it away, nor was there any need to. This thing was worthless.

Su'en focused his gaze on the collapsed ruins, examining them one by one, but he didn't find anything unusual.

With a hint of doubt, he turned his head and asked, "Tommy, where do you think there's a problem?"

Tommy thought for a moment and said, "That bell."

"..."

Su'en furrowed his brows as he listened, and once again stared at the ten-ton bell, trying to discover something.

From top to bottom, inside and out, he didn't miss a single detail.

He even deliberately looked at the rust patterns.

However, after looking at it for a few minutes, he still didn't find any clues.

Could it be that there was a need for a certain special condition to see its peculiarities?

Su'en thought of the cursed space at 88 Gingko Street that required one to think about it in order for it to exist.Or... did Tommy perceive it wrong?

.......

While the two of them were circling around the bell, Su'en didn't notice that a ten-person team from the "Warblade Squad" that was heading to the monastery for investigation suddenly disappeared into thin air.

A few seconds later, the huge bell that Su'en had previously seen as nothing out of the ordinary suddenly revealed different information.

[The Legend of the Clock Tower Monster]

Explanation: A cursed space with a special trigger method. It only appears when the weeping witch appears. Ring the bell, and the space will engulf anyone within 100 meters who hears the bell. Normally, this is a curse space with a danger level of A, but for you, it is a level D. Enter the clock tower, fulfill the monster's wish, and you can leave. Special reminder: Do not let it sense your disgust, otherwise it will be enraged.

"It really is a special trigger!"

Su'en looked at the information, his thoughts racing.

But according to the intelligence analysis, this was not the cursed space of the weeping witch that he had predicted.

Instead, it was a companion space that only appeared when a witch appeared???

Su'en furrowed his brows as he looked at it. Being a level D meant that there was almost no danger.

Before he could think too much, in that instant, Su'en also heard the sound of heavy objects falling nearby.

Tommy, who was beside him, exclaimed, "Mr. Johnny, look! There are so many corpses here!"

Su'en's gaze followed and saw that not far away, ten bodies appeared out of thin air!

"Hmm..."

Su'en's gaze sharpened, immediately realizing something.

The fact that the bodies appeared out of thin air meant that they were expelled from the cursed space.

He looked at his own hand again and made a strange gesture.

Not finding anything abnormal, he breathed a sigh of relief. "It's not a dream..."

Using his all-knowing eyes to survey the surroundings, there was nothing unusual.

All ten bodies had the emblem of the Warblade Squad, a blood-colored warblade. And these faces were somewhat familiar, they were the members of the "Seventh Team" of the Warblade Squad. Su'en remembered that this seemed to be the Seventh Team of the Warblade Squad.

The bodies looked peaceful, but there were several crystal-clear threads piercing through them.

"The weeping witch!"

Su'en immediately understood.

No wonder the cursed space of the [Clock Tower Monster's Legend] appeared, its trigger condition was the appearance of a witch!

Having discovered this, Su'en suddenly looked towards the direction of the monastery. "It's not just monsters, which means there is another cursed space there with a special trigger!"

At this moment, Tommy also noticed the silver hair. He curiously pulled out one from the body and asked, "Mr. Johnny, what is this?"

Su'en naturally recognized this thing.

However, there were nearly thirty strands of hair on these ten bodies, which was more than all the strands Su'en had in his hands combined.

Only now did he understand how these strands of hair were obtained.

However, this thing was not easy to obtain.

Just as Tommy was pulling out the strands of hair from the body, a nearby team also saw something and quickly walked over. The captain leading the team coldly stopped Tommy from continuing to pull out the hair, "Kid, that thing is not something you can touch!"

Hearing this tone, Tommy was frightened and stood there at a loss.

But as Su'en listened, his eyes suddenly turned cold.

.......

Originally, Su'en didn't expect to obtain these strands of hair through normal means.

After all, these ten fresh bodies were all members of the Warblade Squad. They wouldn't let outsiders take what they risked their lives to explore.

But...

What was this "malice" that felt like a thorn in his back?

Su'en looked up at the team. He didn't remember wrongly, they were the Second Team of the Warblade Squad, and the explosive-haired captain who spoke was named "Bomb Man" Collins.

Tommy, who was beside him, was a bit puzzled and asked, "Captain Collins, what do you mean?"

Collins naturally recognized Su'en and Tommy as members of the "Drunkard Squad," but looking at the bodies, he seemed very irritable. "I said... don't touch these damn threads!"

Tommy's face turned red from being scolded and argued, "We didn't say we wanted to take them..."

At this moment, Collins completely lost his patience and glared at Tommy and Su'en, "Get lost!"

That adult had given a strict order. They must find the "weeping witch" this time, or a sufficient number of strands of hair.

Otherwise, even if everyone in their squad died here, they couldn't go back!

Right now... it was still not enough!

Which meant that there would definitely be more people who would continue to die!

Su'en, who had remained silent, had already determined something. His expression under the mask suddenly became playful as he greeted Tommy beside him, "Let's go, Tommy."

After turning around, the expression under his mask suddenly became sinister. "Malice has turned into murderous intent... it seems like my guess was right."They claimed to be working together, but in reality, the "Blade Squad" with their second-order professionals didn't need to bring along a group of "disobedient" independent players, considering their combat power and equipment.

The most reasonable explanation was that these guys had ill intentions from the start, rather than considering any personal feelings.

Otherwise, they would have warned everyone about the presence of the "Weeping Witch" here.

They probably thought that the more teams they had, the more people there would be to trigger the traps.

After all, exploring a completely unknown cursed space meant risking their lives.

Just like the ten corpses in front of them.

Judging from the situation, Benson, the squad leader, also fell victim to the "familiar faces". (They weren't sure if the witch was here before, and other places in the ruins might not be safer than here, so there was no point in warning Benson.)

However, even though he had guessed some of the signs, Su'en still followed them.

Firstly, he thought he had to come and see for himself, no matter who he was with.

Secondly, if they really had malicious intentions, Su'en thought it would be a good opportunity to gain some experience and loot.

With the Hateful Zombies and the Black Scythe in hand, the "Blade Squad" was not enough to make him feel threatened.

Now that the bodies had appeared out of nowhere, it meant that they had figured out how to trigger the "Weeping Witch's Cursed Space"...

Their malicious intentions had clearly turned into murderous ones.

......

However, killing people out of the blue didn't seem right.

They had the advantage in numbers, and Su'en might not gain much from a direct confrontation.

Even though he had guessed the truth, the "sense of malice" was still hard to explain.

When the fight really started, the independent teams might be confused about who to support.

Unless absolutely necessary, Su'en didn't want to antagonize these independent scavengers who were unaware of the situation.

But he also didn't plan to wait until someone pointed a gun at his head to fight back.

So, he thought of another way.

Ignoring the bodies, he walked straight to the giant bell, took out a metal object, and struck the bell hard.

"Dong..."

If it wasn't convenient to kill here.

Then he would change the location.

Moreover, Su'en thought he might have caught some important clues about the "Weeping Witch", and he had to check out this cursed space first.