Mechanical Alchemist

Chapter 153: 1911 Hotel

As Su'en walked towards the "Wilderness Hunting Guild", he noticed that there were indeed some special gazes mixed in with the crowd in the city, probably from members of the Umbrella Organization.

Their sharp gazes swept through the crowd, paying special attention to those who were hiding their identities or carrying large boxes as wilderness hunters.

Su'en didn't intend to cover his face with a half-face mask, but rather to hide his unruly handsomeness, making him look more like a wilderness hunter.

When those gazes swept past and didn't match the image of a wanted criminal, no one paid any attention to him.

Before long, Su'en arrived at the hall of the Wilderness Hunting Guild.

It was much livelier here than a month ago, with crowds of hunters filling the guild's mission hall, accepting and distributing tasks, filling the entire Storm Manor.

Fortunately, Su'en had been cautious and did not use Johnny's identity to submit the commission.

This also saved him a lot of trouble.

After checking, the mission management office received more than ten messages in total, all claiming to have information about "space materials."

Apart from five messages that couldn't reach the person, probably because they had left or died;

Seven or eight messages were unreliable, and a few were obviously fishing for information. There wasn't much useful information.

After filtering, Su'en saw a relatively reliable message, which came from a somewhat famous professional information merchant named "Red Nose" Fox.

Five days ago, this guy left a message saying that in a cursed space newly discovered in the West City, a wilderness hunting team had found a strange creature with spatial abilities. The appraiser determined that the strangeness was at least a second-order silver rank, with a high probability of producing advanced space materials.

Su'en also carefully looked at the address and general information description on the message, and preliminarily judged that the information had some degree of truth.

As for whether it was exactly what he wanted, it was uncertain.

But he planned to go and meet the information merchant first.

After paying the commission, Su'en left the Wilderness Hunting Guild.

.......

In Old Lingdun, information merchants were a lucrative gray profession, and there were many in the black market.

Their sources of information were complex, including taverns, brothels, gambling dens, gangs, and friends of women... Some were responsible for collecting information, while others were responsible for summarizing it. They were even "rats" in the information networks of major forces, occasionally leaking information. Whoever paid the most money would be sold the information.

Of course, this circle was full of mixed fish and dragons, and these people were usually double-faced spies. Buying information could easily result in being sold information.

Su'en returned to the city and went to the "Black Gentleman" tavern again.

This was where "Red Nose" Fox had left his contact information.

There would probably be a big commotion on the 19th, and Su'en thought it would be best to obtain the necessary information as soon as possible and leave the camp.

Only after reaching the second rank did he feel that he had the ability to calmly protect himself from the pursuit of the Umbrella Organization and bounty hunters.

Su'en entered the tavern and went straight to the bar, casually tossing a silver coin and asking the bartender, "Hey, have you seen 'Red Nose'?"

The bartender took the tip and said, "Mr. Fox usually comes here to drink around seven in the afternoon. Take a seat, maybe you'll meet him soon."

Su'en looked at the time and realized there was still about an hour left, so he decided to stay and try his luck. He raised his hand and ordered, "Give me a pint of black rye."

The tavern was noisy all day long, much busier than a month ago. Although it had been renovated and expanded by two floors, it was still packed.

Not finding a private room, Su'en could only sit at the bar.

Looking around, there were also many more scantily clad barmaids, but the demand seemed to exceed the supply.

Su'en originally wanted to find a barmaid to inquire about recent events in the camp, but the mama-san unexpectedly said there were no vacancies.

But luck was on his side. After waiting for less than half an hour, a green-haired man with a red nose and cunning eyes walked into the Black Gentleman tavern.

The bartender seemed to remind Su'en and greeted him, "Mr. Fox, you're here."

Su'en looked at the shrewd gaze of that guy and knew that he was "Red Nose" Fox. He was familiar with the rules of the street and greeted him without hesitation, "Hey, Red Nose~"

Upon hearing this, Fox was pleasantly surprised.

Being able to call him by his nickname meant that the customer had a lot of background.

Su'en got straight to the point and said, "I want to buy some information."

Fox walked over, calmly glanced at Su'en, and smiled, "Sure, sure..."

Su'en said directly, "I want to know about the 'space materials' in your possession."

As soon as Fox heard this, his small eyes immediately lit up as if he had discovered something interesting. He lightly exclaimed, "Oh, I remember now! You're the one who posted the 'shocking five million' reward, right?"

This guy didn't mention the business first and said again, "Hey, my friend, that trick of yours really works. I've been trying it for a few days, and my business has indeed improved a lot. But recently, there are too many people imitating it, and they're always using the 'shocking' phrase. Now I don't even know which information is really valuable."

"..."

Su'en smiled and didn't dwell on this topic. He asked, "Is that cursed space you mentioned still there? Or can you provide information about the whereabouts of advanced materials?"

"It's still there. The cursed space is currently being developed, and the materials haven't been obtained yet. However..."

Fox's eyes flickered, and he said directly, "I see that you posted a reward claiming to provide a maximum of five million for the information. The information I have is worth one million."After a pause, he boasted, "Although the price is a bit high, I can guarantee that I, 'Red Nose' Fox, have the most detailed information about the entire Dawn Camp."

These information dealers are all experienced, and they always start with a high price.

Just like the vendors in the antique market, they always negotiate for a higher price.

Su'en didn't pay much attention to it and said calmly, "Based on the information you left in the Hunting Association, it's currently worth only three thousand. If you can provide more detailed and useful information, I will consider adding a bit more."

As he spoke, he took out three thousand in cash.

"Hehe..."

One million became three thousand, but Fox didn't mind.

He took the money with a smile, knowing that Su'en was knowledgeable, and said directly, "Seven days ago, the members of the 'Buck Hunting Team' discovered a large cursed space near the Black Lake in the Eastern District of the ruins, close to the Central Ring. After exploring, they found a strange being that is at least a second-order silver. It is an ancient 'magician' with the ability to produce various items out of thin air. We speculate that it is definitely a professional spatial ability..."

Then, the information stopped abruptly.

He took three thousand yuan and only provided information worth three thousand.

Su'en became interested, "Is the cursed space still there?"

"It is."

Fox nodded, his eyes flickering, and said, "No one has heard of anyone killing that strange being. Moreover, I can guarantee that even if a large hunting team goes there, it is impossible to deal with that cursed space in a short period of time."

When Su'en heard that even a large hunting team couldn't handle it, he asked, "Is it an S-level space?"

Fox shook his head and skillfully piqued Su'en's interest, "No. It is a compound cursed space, and it is currently difficult to determine its level. Based on the information we know, the danger level is probably B. The second floor is somewhat special, but it should be A+; the third floor is currently unknown, as no one has come out alive. It is temporarily classified as T-level. And, I can give you a free piece of information, that cursed space is very special, and the rewards will be astonishing."

A "compound cursed space" usually refers to a super large cursed space with localized difficulty levels. It often produces various cursed objects, and even sealed objects of super-tier curses.

Su'en became more and more interested and asked, "What if I need detailed information about that cursed space?"

A shrewd look flashed in Fox's eyes as he held up three fingers and said, "Thirty thousand for the address and basic information; one hundred thousand for detailed information."

Su'en expressionlessly took out a wad of money and placed it on the bar, but didn't fully hand it over, saying, "This is one hundred thousand. I hope the information I receive is worth this price."

"Don't worry, I, 'Red Nose,' have been in the information business for a long time. I have professional ethics."

Fox looked at the money, squinted his eyes, and smiled like a fox.

He immediately took out pen and paper, drew a map while saying, "That cursed space is called the '1911 Hotel,' an ancient luxury hotel. There is a time difference between the space and reality, approximately 20:1. The condition to exit is simple, just stay in the space for a full 24 hours, and you will see the exit. The general situation is... at midnight, the hotel will be contaminated by ghost fog, and all the tenants in the hotel will turn into 'strange beings.' There are ninety-nine rooms on the first floor, and most of them have been explored. The rooms are all first-order black iron, with a few silver-level strange beings. The hunting teams that have explored it have gained a lot..."

As Su'en listened, his expression remained unchanged, but his mind was racing.

Fox continued, "The number of rooms on the second floor is unknown, but no more than ten have been explored, and the danger level is very high. The 'magician' I mentioned earlier lives in room 2013 on the second floor... No one has survived on the third floor, so there is no information."

After a while, Su'en finished listening to the information.

He now had a rough idea of the '1911 Hotel' cursed space.

It was probably an ancient hotel, and at midnight, it would be contaminated by a special polluted energy, turning everyone into monsters.

Each tenant in every room would be contaminated and turned into a "strange being."

And according to the information, the hunting teams had been exploring there for seven days and gained a lot.

But they hadn't even fully explored the first floor...

Which meant... there was a great risk!

Fox finished speaking and drew a sketch, promising, "I guarantee that this is the most detailed information about the '1911 Hotel.'"

"Okay."

Su'en felt that this was probably enough. This information was indeed worth the price.

With this information, he could save a lot of trouble.

Moreover, based on the description, he became more certain that the ancient "magician strange being" in that space could produce the materials he needed.

.......

Su'en obtained the information about the cursed space, but he didn't rush to leave the tavern.

He sat at the bar, drinking and constantly thinking.

He had finally obtained information about the "space materials," and he naturally had to find a way to obtain them.

It was not realistic to wait for others to bring out these rare advanced materials and then buy them with money. So he definitely had to personally visit that cursed space, the '1911 Hotel.'

But the '1911 Hotel' cursed space seemed to have many confusing aspects.

Why were there only bosses and no small monsters in the cursed space?

What was the powerful "ghost fog" that could directly turn hotel tenants into strange beings of a certain level?

Why would the Wilderness Hunting Group, who discovered this cursed space, be willing to share it with other hunters? Is it like the situation with the "White Monastery" last time, where they needed people to sacrifice to the abyss?

One question after another arose.

However, there was also a piece of relatively good news.

This space operated on "survival mode". If you could survive for "twenty-four hours", you could leave.

There was no need to completely clear the game or kill any final boss.

From the known information, if Su'en stayed on the first floor, the "1911 Hotel" wouldn't pose much risk to him.

Of course, he would have to avoid the rooms where the "ghost species" had been found.

But the materials he needed were on the second floor of the hotel, which was currently classified as an "A+ level" area, with high levels of unknown dangers.

The strength of that "mysterious magician" was unclear, and many things were uncertain.

Even if he brought the living dead with him, he wasn't very confident.

With these thoughts, Su'en fell into deep contemplation.

......

As night fell, the business in the bar became increasingly lively.

The Black Jazz Bar was packed with hundreds, if not thousands, of people.

Su'en sat there, sipping his drink in boredom, while keeping his ears pricked for the various conversations in the bar.

After fully absorbing the "X serum", his hearing had become even more acute.

In the bar, the heavy metal rock music and the chatter intermingled, creating a thunderous and noisy atmosphere. However, in his ears, he could clearly distinguish the mixed sounds, like different colored threads. As long as he focused his attention on a certain thread, he could distinguish that voice from the noise and hear it clearly.

Even the whispers spoken in hushed tones.

"Oh, boss, we can't do that here, only hand stuff, nothing else..."

"Huh~ Seven thousand, double satisfaction."

"..."

Automatically filtering out some useless information, Su'en focused his attention on the relic information exchanged among the hunters.

"Have you heard? The 'Two-Headed Snake Hunting Group' went to the North City the day before yesterday and harvested a batch of valuable gems and alchemical ancient books..."

"A few days ago, a branch of the 'Iron Boots Group' went to the Central Ring, but I heard they suffered heavy losses..."

"..."

As Su'en listened, he heard his own name.

"Hey, brothers, the young master of the Oliver family is looking all over for that 'wanted criminal Su'en', any news? That bounty is too tempting..."

"I got news that Su'en should be in the ruins. After all, you know, last month's 'Fog Tide' caused heavy casualties to the hunting teams in the East City. The Oliver family and various hunting groups have blocked the periphery of the ruins. If he didn't escape, he's definitely dead..."

"Ah, what a pity. But after that Fog Tide, many strange and bizarre monsters appeared in the East City..."

"..."

As Su'en listened, he summarized this information, and then roughly understood the progress of the hunters' exploration over the past month.

As for the Central Ring, the exploration caused high casualties and progressed slowly.

......

Su'en sat there alone, drinking his wine, his ears capturing all sorts of information.

But as he listened, he suddenly heard a familiar voice coming from the second floor of the bar.

It was a somewhat immature roar.

"Old witch, if you dare, kill me!"