Chapter 1 Sullen Cleans Up

Sullen cleaned up some traces of battle in the bottom hold, ensuring that no one could trace him through obvious combat techniques.

Then he carefully explored every level of the cruise ship.

The bottom hold was the passenger area for commoners, extremely crowded. It had become a scene of hell, with almost all humans twisted into monsters, their deaths gruesome and terrifying. Having lost the Blood Refinement Altar, the monsters' bodies had withered, turning them into bizarre dried corpses.

In areas with obvious signs of fighting, corpses had merged into various multi-faced monsters, shriveled like gnarled old trees. Various flesh and blood tissues stuck to the walls and floors, making one's scalp tingle.

Sullen collected some not-quite-dead multi-faced monster specimens and tossed them to Dr. Banks in the Little Void Realm for research.

By the time he returned to the banquet hall, half an hour had passed.

...

The banquet hall was a mess, and people were still in shock.

The once lively auction now had fewer than two hundred people alive.

Or rather, out of nearly five thousand people on the entire cruise ship, including those who had fortunately hidden in their cabins, only this many had survived.

It was fortunate that he had dealt with the Cardinal Archbishop of the Giant Hermit Society, or they would have been completely annihilated.

For the first time, Sullen had a deep understanding of the term "evil god."

He came to the banquet hall without greeting anyone, finding a relatively clean sofa in a corner and sat down to rest.

Not far away, Kama and Aberak were surrounded by the Royal Academy students, engaging in conversation.

In the previous battle, the two had displayed extraordinary combat power and had gained everyone's recognition.

Especially for people like Alex, it was no exaggeration to say that they had been saved. One by one, they gathered around, expressing their gratitude.

"Miss Kama, your puppetry is so powerful, it must be a master's inheritance from a certain lineage, right?"

"Yes! We are mechanical alchemists of the Boyle family, originating from the lineage of the Twisted Puppet Master Sereia a thousand years ago."

"Oh, I heard about it when I lectured on puppetry at the academy before. The Boyle lineage's mechanical alchemists are unparalleled in the world, the puppetry lineage with the longest history of inheritance in the present world..."

"Alas... if I had known puppetry was so powerful, I should have advanced to become a puppeteer."

"Branco, it's not that easy. A powerful puppeteer like Miss Kama, not to mention needing a very powerful puppet, even just controlling the puppet requires more than ten years of hard work. It's very difficult."

"Miss Kama, you and your brother saved me this time. My father and mother will definitely want me to invite you to our mansion to express our Roberts family's insignificant gratitude. Please be sure to give me this honor."

"I..."

Kama was a little at a loss, not knowing how to respond to those invitations.

How could she not know that it was her teacher who had truly solved this crisis, and that her own contribution was so insignificant?

Aberak's keen observation noticed Sullen's return as soon as he appeared. He had no interest in such boring social interactions and wanted to return to his teacher's side.

But Sullen waved his hand, signaling him to pretend not to know him.

His disciples couldn't always be under his protection; they had to spread their wings and experience things for themselves.

Aberak instantly understood Sullen's meaning.

Although he found the social interactions pointless, he still stayed with his sister in the group of students, playing with his mechanical Rubik's Cube, ignoring the others.

Sullen sat quietly in the corner like an invisible man, unnoticed.

He looked around.

Keith was still entangled with "Ruth" from the intelligence agency.

Caroline was seriously injured and unconscious, her subordinates were trying to rescue her, and she shouldn't die.

...

The long-range communication equipment on the *Rodriga Queen* cruise ship was completely destroyed, and it couldn't contact the outside world.

But almost as soon as the signal was lost, the Sun Shipping Company, to which it belonged, noticed the abnormality.

After all, there were a bunch of minor nobles and the young master of the grand councilor's family on the ship, and the shipping company's leaders didn't dare to be careless. They calculated the location of the accident and immediately dispatched nearby sea ships to rescue.

As soon as it dawned, the medium-sized cruise ship *Golden One* in the nearby sea area had already arrived.

Looking at the ship full of battle traces, the people on the rescue ship were also taken aback. They thought it was a shipwreck caused by hitting a reef or a magnetic storm, but when they saw it, it was full of corpses, shocking everyone.

After figuring out the reason, the Giant Hermit Society, a cult, appeared in the public eye for the first time.

Because there were only two or three hundred people alive, there was no need to dispatch too large ships for transit. A group of people directly took this *Golden One* cruise ship away from the scene.

In order to prevent anyone from coming to silence them, those minor nobles immediately contacted their respective families to send people to meet them, and also told the truth of the matter.

Before long, more than a dozen warships of the Ruin Royal Navy arrived and took Alex and those minor nobles up.

Kama and Aberak had their own identities and didn't need to disguise themselves. The Boyle family was a hereditary baronet, and they would carry forward this surname in the future.

Commoner passengers were not qualified to board warships. Sullen didn't want to cause too much trouble, so he followed the cruise ship back to Lindon.

The two disciples now had a certain degree of self-protection ability, and it was time to give them room to grow on their own.

...

A few days later, the cruise ship could be seen from afar from the Kaktolos port in Lindon South City.

The cruise ship emitted a long "woo" "woo" whistle, reminding the people on the dock that it was about to dock.

Passengers also began to pack their luggage, preparing to disembark.

Sullen stood on the deck, looking at the foggy city in the distance, his eyes deep.

This was the Ruin capital, Lindon, known as the Holy Land of Alchemy.

The main color of the ancient city in his vision was gray and dark. The city was covered with a layer of hazy gray fog. In the hazy fog, you could see the Gothic-style spires of the buildings and the various shapes of steel bridges. Steam airships slowly moved in the sky...

This was a city of steam and steel.

In a world where extraordinary power existed, the development of mechanical technology was very slow, and the city mechanization of Lindon was almost the same as it was a thousand years ago. The ancient steam engine had been running in this city for thousands of years, and the amount of coal consumed every day was incalculable. Those towering chimneys were constantly spewing exhaust gas into the air. Particulate matter remained in the air all year round, which also led to the city's very bad air and slightly toxic thick fog.

From a distance, Sullen could smell the coal smoke that made his throat dry.

This place was more suitable for wearing a gas mask than the underground city of Old Lindon.

Before long, the cruise ship docked.

Passengers walked down the gangway one after another.

Sullen looked at his pocket watch. The cruise ship was half an hour late than the scheduled docking time, and muttered to himself, "I hope she didn't wait too long."

He got off the ship with his luggage.

There were many locals holding signs to pick up passengers on the dock, as well as thieves, thugs, and porters soliciting customers mixed in the crowd.

As soon as Sullen stepped on the ground, several groups of people rushed up.

Selling cigarettes, selling alcohol, pimping... and some taking the opportunity to steal his pocket watch and storage ring.

Sullen didn't want to pay attention to them and squeezed out with the crowd.

At this moment, a thug who looked like a local gangster approached him, mysteriously saying, "Hey! Brother, want some stimulant potions? Real good stuff..."

Stimulant potions were hallucinogens because of their strong addictive properties.

Although it was very common in the field of alchemy, it was also prohibited by Ruin law.

Where there was a ban, there were huge profits.

Sullen was used to it. In Old Lindon, this was one of the main sources of income for gangs.

He didn't want to pay attention to this drug dealer, but he sneezed when he approached him.

Listening to the movement, Sullen's eyes narrowed slightly. He had already walked past, but looked back at the guy, suspecting: A follower of the Giant Hermit Society?

He had that stimulating perfume on him, and only followers would sneeze when they smelled it.

"Ah-choo!"

"Ah-choo!"

He sneezed two more times in a row. The young man wearing a duckbill cap rubbed his nose and muttered to himself, "Oh, I caught a cold yesterday. Why do I keep sneezing?"

Only then did Sullen confirm that this guy probably had that parasite in his body.

Seeing Sullen stop and seem interested in the potion, the duckbill cap quickly opened his cheap suit to display the row of red potions in test tubes, and said, "Brother, want a few? Real good stuff! I guarantee, there is no stimulant potion on the market that can compare to my stuff."

Sullen's left eye flashed with light, and he immediately identified it.

[Diluted Awakening Potion]

Details: A potion made from human blood crystals, it can refresh the mind and make the user energetic for several hours after taking it; it has a high probability of causing mental hallucinations and is highly addictive; the potion contains a small number of Outer God parasite larvae; this concentration is obviously over-diluted.

When Sullen saw the information identified, although there was no change in his expression, he instantly became serious.

This potion was actually made from human blood crystals, and it contained parasite larvae?

He thought that the Giant Hermit Society had only penetrated the upper echelons of Ruin on a small scale, but he didn't expect them to create such a hallucinogen and directly poison the lower classes.

Seeing the potion, and thinking about what happened on the cruise ship before, a possibility emerged in Sullen's mind: Was that Outer God going to use this method to sacrifice the entire Lindon?

Lindon was the capital of Ruin, gathering the most high-level alchemists in the entire plane, and there were ninth-level masters guarding it. Even Outer Gods would never dare to be rampant here.

But the current situation was that the Giant Hermit Society had indeed penetrated the Ruin royal family and the elite class, and now they were using this potion to corrupt the lower classes.

The consequences were unimaginable.

Although not many people took hallucinogens, even if it was one percent, the entire city of Lindon had tens of millions of people, which meant hundreds of thousands!

If the kind of畸变(jī biàn) [Transliterated: Distortion/Aberration] infection wave that occurred on the *Rodriga Queen* cruise ship really broke out, the entire city of Lindon would become a real zombie hell!

A huge conspiracy immediately emerged in his mind.

Only then did Sullen think of the incomplete memories of the Cardinal Archbishop he had peeled off before, and it seemed that another piece of the puzzle had been completed.

Just as his thoughts were flowing, the duckbill cap urged, "Brother, do you want it or not?"

Sullen took a potion and skillfully smeared a little on the back of his hand, then smelled it.

As a former gang member, he still had the basic skills to verify the goods.

He smelled the taste and showed a fairly satisfied expression, faintly asking, "How much are they?"

The duckbill cap saw that this method of testing the medicine knew he was an old hand, tentatively said, "One hundred and fifty lesos each."

Sullen ignored him and turned to leave.

"Hey hey hey! Brother, if you sincerely want it, I can give you a little less."

The duckbill cap quickly stopped Sullen, and explained, "Although it's a bit expensive, I dare say that there is no other place in Lindon that has this kind of good stuff."

Exclusive?

Sullen keenly captured something and sneered, "The formula for this kind of good stuff is not easy. It can't be made without a great alchemist..."

Seemingly mocking, but actually wanting to test him.

When the duckbill cap heard this, he hurriedly explained, "You seem to know your stuff. Have you heard of the Vaughn Brotherhood? To be honest, this was made by our gang's alchemy big shot. I can't reveal the specifics, but I guarantee the goods are absolutely top-notch..."

Sullen really had an impression of this name.

Lindon City had more than a dozen districts and dozens of gangs of all sizes.

The Vaughn Brotherhood was a small gang entrenched near the dock.

Was this gang a distributor?

Or followers of the Outer God?

The few potions in front of him were obviously diluted, which was also very common in gangs.

Gang members get good stuff with 100% purity, costing 100 lesos.

Then it can be diluted into two with 50% purity, costing 60.

This way, they can earn a little more.

As long as it still has some effect, some people will buy it to save money.

Dilution was much simpler than configuration and required almost no technical skills.

But what was certain was that this guy really had a "source of goods."

It was the first time they met, and Sullen didn't act too eagerly, otherwise it would only arouse suspicion.

He directly said, "One hundred and twenty each, give me ten to try first. If the goods are really good, I'll come back to you later."

The duckbill cap saw that business was coming, and took out the potions, taking the initiative to promote himself, "Okay, if you really use it and think it's good, just come back to me. My name is Bax, I usually hang out at the dock, just ask anyone and they'll know."

"Okay."

Sullen didn't hesitate, took the money, and put the potions away.

Such a small fry could only distribute goods and didn't know much information.

Sullen still had things to do now and planned to come back and sort out this line when he was free.

He put the potions into the Little Void Realm and gave them to Dr. Banks for research.

...

Sullen passed through a passenger passage, climbed a few steps, and arrived at the street.

This was a steam train platform.

The South District was an old district, and most of the people who mixed in were commoners. Steam trains were also the most basic means of transportation for the public.

The bricks on the ground had too many traces of history, with potholes and black water everywhere. Hot white air would emerge from some manhole covers on the street.

When Sullen had just come up, he saw mounted police with guns in pairs, riding shiny horses, patrolling the street.

These knights, who should have been eliminated by steam motorcycles long ago, were still the most important patrol force in Lindon City. Because nobles liked this ancient sense of ceremony that demonstrated the city's heritage.

At this moment, a slender young woman was standing next to the platform, looking around, as if waiting for someone.

Although it was only afternoon, the fog and tall buildings obscured the sun in the city. Everything in sight was a hazy gray, and the moist steam and breeze blew open the girl's thick black hair, revealing her fair and beautiful profile.

Sullen recognized the person and walked over.

The girl happened to look over.

In an instant, she recognized the old friend in front of her, and her bright eyes suddenly lit up, enthusiastically greeting, "Mr. Sullen!"

Sullen looked at the girl who had changed a lot and smiled, "Long time no see, Miss Rena."

Rena grinned with a bright smile, "Yes, it's been a long time."

About three or two years?

Sullen silently calculated the time in his mind. After coming out of Old Lindon, it had been quite a while.

He carefully looked at Rena in front of him and realized that this girl had really changed a lot.

The last time he saw her, Rena was still a naive female student, but now she was a beautiful and moving young lady.

She was wearing a well-made suit that perfectly outlined her figure, while making her look very capable. People from Old Lindon had an extremely fair and delicate skin, paired with her straight black hair, exuding a pure and beautiful feeling. She stood in this dim street area, as if she had a light filter, attracting the attention of passers-by.

Probably because the old butler "Devil Sheep" Anthony, who was waiting next to a motorcycle, had a cold expression, no one dared to bother her.

Seeing an old friend, Sullen also felt very happy.

During the underground trial on the outer layer of Old Lindon, the two had gone through thick and thin together. Later, the escape from the inner city was also thanks to her as a "hostage" that they were able to escape. After that, they had close contact, and their friendship was naturally not shallow.

Speaking of which, Black Scythe was also obtained during the time he met her, and the two famous guns, Thundersnake and Azure Devil, were also given by her...

The two had too many shared memories.

The cruise ship was half an hour late, and Sullen was a little embarrassed, "Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Rena."

"No way."

Rena greeted him like an old friend she hadn't seen in a long time, generously opening her arms.

Sullen also walked over and gave the girl, who was half a head taller than she was two years ago, a warm hug.

Warm jade entered his arms, and a faint fragrance rushed into his nose. The good mood of reuniting with an old friend instantly became stronger.

After hugging for a few breaths, the two separated.

Rena blinked, her bright eyes trembling with light.

She looked at Sullen and said, "Wow, Mr. Sullen has become even more handsome~"

Sullen shook his head noncommittally and smiled, "Miss Rena has really become more beautiful."

Rena tilted her head and smiled, seeming very happy, "Really?"

Sullen nodded and didn't hesitate to praise her, earnestly responding to that expectant look, "Yes, you've become even more beautiful."

He found that not only had her appearance changed, but Rena's personality had also changed a lot. At least the little girl who used to blush shyly at every turn could now hug and tease him generously.

Rena's eyebrows always contained a slight smile, as if she had a lot to say. But she pointed to the steam motorcycle next to her and said, "Mr. Sullen, let's talk after we get in the car."

"Okay."

Sullen nodded and looked at the old butler waiting by the car and greeted, "Long time no see, Mr. Anthony."

Anthony's old face showed a rare smile, "Mr. Sullen, long time no see. Let's get in the car first, there are too many people here."

He opened the car door.

"Okay."

Sullen nodded, signaling the lady to get in the car first.

Rena didn't stand on ceremony, took Sullen's hand and got into the car together.

Once the car door closed, it immediately became a private space for the two of them. The steam motorcycles in Lindon were like old-fashioned carriages. Those noble lords separated the passenger compartment from the driver's compartment to ensure their privacy.

This car also had a soundproof enchantment. After closing the car door, it immediately cut off the noisy sounds from the street, also to block the loud steam boiler noise.

Sullen and the two sat on the soft leather seats.

Rena went straight to the main topic today, saying, "Mr. Sullen, we have collected a lot of those special metals you mentioned before, and now they are all piled up in the cargo dock warehouse. You can pick them up when you go over. I have also contacted the seller for those large mechanical lathes you need and are negotiating the purchase. I should be able to get them in a week or two..."

"Okay. Thank you for your hard work."

Sullen nodded.

He was in such a hurry to leave the dock because he wanted to get that batch of materials as soon as possible.

The production of the war workshop in the Little Void Realm had almost stopped due to lack of materials.

It was also thanks to Rena and the others helping to operate in Lindon, otherwise those special metals controlled by the military would have been really difficult to obtain.

He had heard from Mr. Mirror before that the Reis family's chamber of commerce had gained a foothold in Ruin, and Rena had performed very well, even surpassing her father, and was rapidly growing into the mainstay of the chamber of commerce.

Looking at her now, Rena had indeed grown a lot.

At this time, he sensed something and asked, "Rena, have you advanced to the third rank?"

Rena nodded, with an expression like a little girl wanting to be praised, "Yes, in addition to running the chamber of commerce these years, I have also worked hard to become stronger."

But then, she changed the subject, "But compared to Mr. Sullen, it's still far behind!"

Sullen smiled without saying a word.

While Rena was talking, she took out a few newspapers from the seat and pointed to the black and white photo on them, saying, "I didn't know you had become so powerful until I saw you in the newspaper before. '1v200,000', wow! You don't know, because of that battle in the Roman Kingdom, puppeteers have become the hottest profession in Lindon recently. The prices of related materials have soared several times, and crows have become the most fashionable pets! The Alchemist Guild in the city is also holding a 'National Puppeteer Competition'..."

"Hehe."

Sullen smiled.

He glanced at it and realized that this was already a newspaper from almost a month ago. The photo on it was the scene of his battle in the coliseum of Moros City State. Wearing a two-way cloak and holding a black scythe... Although the photo didn't capture the domineering aura around his body, it did capture the contemptuous temperament he had when he was bloodthirsty.

It did have a good image.

Rena seemed to have a collection of related newspapers, and skillfully opened a few more, all of which were information about that battle, pointing and saying, "And here... here..."

While telling other people's stories, she became more and more excited.

Because there were only two of them in the carriage, she didn't have any scruples and sat very close to him very naturally and intimately.

Sullen looked at the newspaper, but his eyes inadvertently glanced at a white expanse.

Rena was wearing a well-fitting and capable suit, but the white lining was a very fashionable lace design. The position of the buttons was completely hollowed out, opening a long vertical opening, revealing a large area of snow-white skin. The slightly bulging and just right size gave it a kind of subtle and seductive charm. This dress showed the beauty of a mature woman's figure vividly.

Regardless of the material and design, this dress was top-notch.

Under normal circumstances, you wouldn't be able to see anything.

But now she was sitting, and didn't deliberately close her lapels, so naturally you could see a white expanse.

Sullen immediately restrained his gaze.

But his mind couldn't help but make a comparison.

He remembered seeing this girl's figure before, although it wasn't bad, it was still the age of naive development, and it could only be considered slightly bulging.

Hmm... she's really matured a lot now, and she can't hide it anymore.

She was at the best age, and even without the support of underwear, she was still proudly firm.

Rena was now a third-level professional, and her perception was naturally not bad.

How could she not have noticed that glance?

Only then did she realize that her lapel was open.

If it had been before, she would have blushed with shame.

But now, although a subtle and imperceptible look flashed in Rena's eyes, she asked generously, "Mr. Sullen, do you also think this dress is beautiful? This is the most popular women's clothing design in Lindon, and it was custom-made by Shabina's personal tailor~"

"It's pretty good-looking."

Sullen nodded and curiously asked, "Are you and Shabina very familiar?"

Rena's eyelashes fluttered lightly, and she smiled brightly, "Yes, because we both came out of Old Lindon. Shabina has been with me all the time in the past two years and has helped me a lot. She also taught me a lot of things... This dress was what she taught me to match. She also said that Mr. Sullen, you would definitely think it was very beautiful."

"..."

Sullen suddenly felt like he understood something.

Taught a lot?

From what he knew about Shabina, wouldn't she have taught Rena some strange knowledge?

A cunning look flashed in Rena's eyes, and she said, "Shabina originally wanted to come and greet you too, but because she is investigating some special intelligence, she couldn't spare the time today, so she didn't come."

"Oh."

Sullen didn't care.

Shabina was doing intelligence work, and it was better for her to hide.

Rena didn't seem to mind the issue of the dress, and already had the calmness and confidence of an office executive in her eyebrows. Probably also because Sullen was by her side.

She continued to talk about some recent information...

The steam car drove through the streets of Lindon City, and the buildings on the street flew past.

The South District of Lindon was the old district, and the buildings were very old. Ragged beggars were everywhere on the street. This was the soil where evil and gangs bred.

While chatting about some facts, the two talked about the past, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.

But suddenly, Sullen's eyes caught sight of a large building under construction on the street.

The spire, bell tower, majestic stone columns and arches, and the stained glass with a strong religious atmosphere all indicated that this was not an ordinary building.

In front of the building, people in nun costumes were giving porridge and bread to the poor, and the line was very long.

The living conditions of the lower classes of Lindon were still very harsh, and many homeless people starved to death every day.

Rena looked at Sullen's gaze and said, "That's a newly built church. Originally, the Religious Affairs Act couldn't be passed in the parliament, but Empress Charlotte used the royal privilege vote and directly bypassed the parliament to pass the act. Later, I don't know why, two grand councilors also voted in favor. Now, all of Ruin doesn't prohibit religious belief. In particular, various religious believers from the Four Countries of North Continent have come to Ruin to preach... It is conservatively estimated that there are at least fifty different sects in Lindon City."

"..."

Sullen frowned as he listened.

He thought of the guy selling hallucinogens at the dock earlier and understood Mr. Mirror's words even more.

Alchemy civilization must never allow religious believers to be in power! "Oh, right, Mr. Sullen. There is also very important intelligence that needs to be careful."

At this moment, Rena thought of something again and said, "Just a week ago, Grand Duke Raphael officially passed the parliamentary vote and obtained the sixth Grand Councillor seat. The specific reason is unknown, but it is said that his strong military capabilities have been recognized by the other five grand councilors. Shabina has also reminded us that a suspected Umbrella Organization structure has appeared in Lindon recently and told us to be very careful."

"Oh?"

When Sullen heard this, a look of contemplation instantly appeared in his eyes.

Before, he had used mechanical octopus to attack submarines, and Grand Duke Raphael probably already knew that neuro-mechanical technology had been leaked.

Originally, Raphael was a lord in a remote place, and his hand couldn't reach the capital.

Now he had directly become a "Grand Councillor"...

He had to guard against it.

...

Just as Sullen and Rena were going to the cargo dock.

In the Customs Anti-Smuggling Bureau office at Kaktolos Port, the communicator rang.

"What, you said a buyer has come to pick up the batch of contraband from the Thunder Cat Chamber of Commerce?"

"Yes, Director. The warehouse has already received the pickup application form and confirmed the news."

"My goodness, we've been waiting so long and the buyer is finally here. Quickly gather people and prepare to arrest them! Notify the Councillor that we have a lead!"

"Yes, Director!"