Mechanical Alchemist-Chapter 330 - 329: Horror Novel Materialization

It turned out that holding an umbrella did not block out the sunlight, at least not completely.

Su Lun reacted quickly when he noticed there was something wrong with the solar eclipse light, and immediately opened his rune-laden black umbrella.

Unfortunately, he was still drawn into it.

Qiantiao was embraced in his arms, looking around, still somewhat confused, "What exactly happened?"

Everything around them seemed unchanged, yet everything seemed altered.

The two were still on that small hill, facing the brightly lit Edo Castle.

But upon closer inspection, it seemed like something was different.

Moreover, it was clearly an eclipse, so why was there a bright moon in the sky?

And the whole world, as seen through their eyes, seemed to have been filtered through the underworld, giving off a sinister and terrifying vibe.

Su Lun looked troubled, as being dragged into the space had become a reality, and he finally had time to explain in detail.

A bitter smile appeared on his lips as he said, "We’ve been pulled into a cursed space."

"Cursed space?"

Upon hearing this, Qiantiao’s expression also became very strange, "Isn’t this just Edo Castle?"

"It is, yet it is not."

Su Lun spoke with complicated emotions, took a deep breath of the cool air, then added, "This is the ’Netherworld.’ To be precise, it’s the Netherworld as depicted by Fujiwara Hayato."

....

If Su Lun hadn’t constantly monitored the solar eclipse with his All-knowing Eye, he might have missed the instant the curse’s properties erupted.

Otherwise, he might still be kept in the dark.

But knowing the true nature of the event only made it more incredible.

In the fierce conflict among "true reality," "cognition," and "sensory world," he began to doubt himself.

Did the senses deceive cognition?

Did the senses cover up the truth?

Even now, as his left eye flickered, actively observing the surroundings, he noticed nothing out of the ordinary.

It was completely as though observing a real world, everything matched his "logical understanding."

This was what made it truly incredible.

Because Su Lun knew, this was a "cursed space"!

But why couldn’t he see any signs of a cursed space before him?

It was like playing a game with a logic bug, where the edges of the map were pixelated... all these once spotted by a player, could immediately distinguish it as a fake world.

In any cursed space Su Lun had encountered before, he could spot some "bugs" with the All-knowing Eye.

But not here,

Not at all!

This is a truly real, law-abiding world!

It made one truly believe they had arrived in the mythical Netherworld!

Seeing this, Su Lun could not hide his shock and murmured, "This doesn’t seem like a cursed space, it’s clearly a complete world."

His thoughts whirled rapidly.

Before his cognition collapsed, he came up with the only reasonable explanation.

When you look down at the ground, you firmly believe it is the "ground."

Only in space, at a high enough, broad enough perspective, can you identify the concepts of "planet" or "plane."

That is to say, if you can’t jump out of a cognitive world, you can’t see clearly where you really are.

And now, they were inside a world from a novel!

Frog in a well?

Because one’s cognitive level is not enough on the level of laws, that’s why they can’t see through another’s perfectly depicted world.

That was the most reasonable explanation.

...

But how vast must the imagination be, to create such an enormous fantastical world all by oneself?

Su Lun immediately realized that Fujiwara Hayato’s attainment in alchemy must have been extremely high.

Eighth tier, ninth tier?

No, wrong!

Perhaps there were some other external forces involved.

For instance: why did the story he wrote become a "cursed object"?

Su Lun’s mind raced with too many thoughts in an instant.

Upon hearing this, Qiantiao frowned, once again scanning everything before them, casually asking, "Is it possible to get out?"

Su Lun said calmly, "For top professionals, this is a ’T-level’ space. It would be very difficult to get out."

"Oh. T-level, huh..."

Upon hearing this, Qiantiao raised his eyebrows, and his furrowed brows relaxed.

When the danger level became "no survivors," any further fretting seemed like unnecessary worry.

She took life and death lightly, and her carefree personality granted her a sense of tranquility no matter the circumstances.

Even in dire situations, she optimistically suggested, "Shall we go for a stroll first?"

After all, she knew that brainstorming was not her strong suit. Figuring out how to break the situation should be left to the professionals.

"..."

Su Lun understood the meaning in her eyes and a wry smile appeared on his face.

He was also infected by her optimism, saying, "Alright."

Since fantasizing wouldn’t get them out, it might be good to take a walk.

And possibly look for some clues.

After all,

there are usually three ways to break a curse space.

All must be tried.

The first is to defeat the BOSS. If you are invincible in the curse space, it usually means your power transcends the Space Law, and naturally, you could leave;

The second way is to find the ’curse material’ or ’energy source’ that supports the entire curse space, which often coincides with the first condition;

Su Lun did not believe that a "T-level space" could be escaped by defeating monsters.

The third way is to follow the hints and figure it out.

Su Lun was also relieved that he had seen the hint before entering: "Only when the gods of the book’s world approve of you, can you leave."

The religious system of Mountain Hermit is very complex,

Gods?

What kind of gods?

Although it wasn’t easy, at least there was a direction now.

...

As Su Lun and Chiao were chatting, the vast Edo Castle and tens of thousands of people were sucked into the curse space.

Over ten thousand from the Ninth Fleet of the North Sea and those merchants wanting to profit from the war, together with various other outsiders with different motives in Edo Castle...

Anyone without the faith of Mountain Hermit’s gods was drawn in.

Almost instantly, the news that a large number of living people had arrived spread rapidly throughout the entire Netherworld.

"So many living people have come..."

"Wow, the scent of the living is really tempting."

"Don’t scare them, eat them slowly, hehehe..."

"..."

This is the world of the dead.

The spirits and monsters were celebrating their festive feast.

...

Su Lun and Chiao descended from a secluded hill and walked towards the bustling city.

To avoid standing out, both transformed into the local ronin swordsman appearance of Mountain Hermit.

As they walked, they talked.

"So, was the previous ’manifestation of Netherworld’ actually a sign of curse characteristics spilling over?"

"Yes. Although I don’t know how it was done, this is the only explanation."

"Tsk tsk… Takeda Nobuyasu really knows his moves, pretending to submit to the North Sea Fleet on the surface, but actually planning to wipe out these foreigners in one stroke. This faith screening has directly purged spies implanted by other forces in Mountain Hermit. Once he takes power, it will be even harder for anyone to interfere with the internal politics of Mountain Hermit."

"..."

Although Chiao was careless, her intuition was surprisingly accurate.

She pointed out something Su Lun had overlooked.

Faith screening?

This move would indeed capture all those without divine faith.

Su Lun faintly felt that he had grasped something crucial.

But what exactly does Ueda Sakurai intend to do?

However, Chiao seemed more interested in something else and suddenly became very excited, adding, "Does that mean we might actually encounter those ancient great swordsmen here?"

Su Lun’s eyes flickered uncertainly, "Perhaps."

....

The Edo Castle before them was brightly lit, the orange glow lighting up the night.

The city was very lively, with dense crowds visible everywhere, reminiscent of a festival, leisurely strolling the streets adorned with vibrant attire. The streets were lined with lively stalls selling steaming food and handicrafts...

The scene was indistinguishable from the world of the living.

Su Lun and Chiao dared not rashly enter the streets and observed from a distance.

Chiao, looking at the familiar streets, curiously said, "Is this the ’Netherworld’? Why do I feel that the houses in Edo Castle are almost the same? It seems... there are some changes?"

At least from a distance, the imperial palace under Sunlit Divine Mountain looked quite different.

Knowing why, Su Lun explained, "It is said that the Netherworld is the place where the deceased of Mountain Hermit go. So the dead reconstruct the cities and buildings according to their memories, resulting in architecture that is very similar. But there are some differences. After all, this place is inhabited not just by human spirits but also by various monsters and gods. Um... since it’s a novel, there might also be some artistic embellishment involved."

Qian Jiao had a look of gaining a new experience, "So that’s how it is..."

But after watching for a long time, the two of them couldn’t discern any danger.

The tell-tale bird was very quiet on their shoulders, and the people in the town seemed no different than those in Edo Castle, not exuding the urgency of a dangerous cursed space.

Perhaps it was labeled "T-level" simply because those who came couldn’t leave?

By this time, Su Lun had also noticed some familiar faces appearing on the streets—those pirates from the North Sea Fleet.

Ready for battle, these men were fully armed, carrying guns and cannons, highly recognizable.

These guys probably hadn’t realized that it was a cursed space, running rampant in the streets without any inhibition, seemingly trying to figure out what was happening.

After all, being undisciplined pirates, they indulged heavily in the bustling night market, not forgetting to flirt with the pretty passersby.

Disputes were constant, and there were some minor conflicts, but nothing odd occurred.

Su Lun guessed something, and chuckled meaningfully, "Indeed, power is the passport for the strong. Even in the Netherworld, the same holds true."

He probably knew why those pirates hadn’t encountered any trouble.

With Seventh Order professionals leading and so many others, even ghosts would have to be cautious.

This also made Su Lun and his companion feel much safer; their abilities were strong, so even if they encountered trouble, they could definitely protect themselves.

Qian Jiao asked, "Shall we go check it out too?"

Su Lun nodded, "Yeah."

To find a way out, they ultimately needed to take a look around.

....

The two emerged from their hidden alley and blended into the stream of people on the streets.

Their attire made them indistinguishable from these "deceased"; they did not stand out in the slight.

Red lanterns hung on both sides of the street, casting a somewhat dim light.

"Hey... guests, want to eat something? Fried eyeballs, bursting and crispy!"

"Come try the delicious blood intestine noodles..."

"Char-grilled hearts and lungs, fried raw souls, big sugar coated hawthorn sticks..."

"..."

As they walked along, calls from vendors were incessant.

Both sides of the street were mostly food stalls, with oily, golden, fresh, and delicious ingredients piled up. The air was filled with enticing aromas that made one’s mouth water uncontrollably.

This fragrance, much like a hallucinogenic potion, had an irresistible allure to the living.

The pirates were indulging in food and drink at various stalls, their mouths glistening with grease.

’Gluttonous Grand General’ Yixier Peion, known for his appetite, stuffed tons of food into his mouth...

After eating, a look of extreme pleasure appeared on these people’s faces.

Even Qian Jiao, seeing those appetizing foods, swallowed his saliva and said, "Although the names are a bit strange, they do look delicious."

Generally speaking, even in a cursed space, food could be eaten.

But Su Lun held back her thought, saying solemnly, "If you eat the food here, you’ll never be able to leave."

This was the information he had identified earlier.

Now, it was clear why.

In his perception, the souls of those pirates who were devouring the food greedily, were gradually becoming cold, increasingly resembling the "natives" of the Netherworld.

Moreover, the materials of that food, once identified, were likely not something anyone would want to eat.

A fist-sized sugar-glazed haw stick? No, under the scrutiny of the All-knowing Eye, those were skulls of babies.

Char-grilled hearts and lungs, fried raw souls... all made primarily from various human organs.

"Oh."

Hearing this, Qian Jiao smacked his lips somewhat regretfully, losing interest in the food.

....

For some reason, many young women, geisha, ladies, and madams adorned flamboyantly and mostly beautiful, were frequently walking up and down the streets.

This also aroused the lust among those well-fed pirates.

Soon, various private homes, brothels, and dark corners of streets and alleys witnessed unspeakable erotic spectacles unfolding.

It seemed the pirates had forgotten their circumstances, forgotten why they were here, what they were supposed to investigate. One by one, they began hunting pleasures recklessly, immersing themselves in that sick indulgence.

As Su Lun and his companion walked on the street, always observing coldly, they too noticed these abnormalities.

Su Lun looked at those pirates, lost in pleasures, and said gravely, "Their will has been eroded and assimilated by this cursed space..."

Qian Jiao also nodded in agreement, but his eyes showed a thick sense of doubt, "Odd, since it’s a cursed space, why do these guys seem so intelligent, indistinguishable from living humans?"

This was also strange to Su Lun, who responded, "Indeed."

Normally in cursed spaces, the manifested NPCs have very low intelligence levels, only some "main consciousnesses" seem like living people.

Even previously, in the Central Prison of Dawn City, his teacher Sereya, once such a powerful being, only had a bit of soul remnant left, missing some cognition.

But now, in this "Netherworld," everyone seemed as alive as in the real world, blurring the line between reality and fantasy.

In an instant of realization, Su Lun felt as if he was in a drowsy slumber, unsure whether he was in reality or a dream.

In dreams, all irrational scenes are rational.

He bowed his head to look at his fingers, performing an action to determine whether he was in a dream.

Apparently, it was not an illusion.

But having encountered a similar situation in "Sword Forging Village" before, Su Lun speculated in amazement, "If this is truly a world manifested from a novel, then the great writer Fujiwara Hayato has really brought these characters to life..."

To endow novel characters with souls?

What kind of inconceivable ability was that?

However, considering this was an unexplainable "perfect world," it seemed not so strange anymore.

What they didn’t know was that while the pirates were wholeheartedly indulging in pleasures, within this brilliantly lit city, a pair of greedy eyes hidden in the shadows had grown impatient.

....

"We need to find the deity of this place, it seems we should head to the imperial palace beneath the Sunlit Divine Mountain? I wonder what level of deity resides within this cursed space..."

"Since it’s a Tier-T space, it’s definitely not going to be simple. Be cautious. I think we should gather more information; we at least need to figure out who exactly resides in that palace."

"Hmm. Where should we go to find out? Perhaps the tavern or maybe the gambling house?"

"Let’s start by asking around nearby."

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Su Lun and Chian walked through the bustling night market.

Naturally, being trapped, they thought about leaving.

The two casually chose an unoccupied local izakaya and sat down.

While walking, Su Lun suddenly spotted a familiar sign.

"A Chrysanthemum’s Tavern?"

Su Lun remembered that when he first arrived in Edo, he had eaten at a small shop just like this one.

His eyes shifted, and to verify his thought, he called to Chian, "Come on, let’s go inside and check it out."

"Mmm."

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Chian nodded.

The two lifted the noren and stepped inside. There weren’t many customers, just two tables occupied by six patrons.

For some reason, Su Lun felt that when they entered, some strange glances swept over them.

Chian noticed it too.

The two didn’t mind and sat on the high stools in front of the bar.

They ordered two portions of food but didn’t plan to eat.

Su Lun remembered that the owner of the shop he had previously visited was a middle-aged couple.

But now, an elderly, hunched-over granny stood before them.

Su Lun casually asked, "Granny, how may we address you?"

The old lady squeezed out a somewhat unnatural smile and responded, "The guests all call me ’Granny Aju’."

Su Lun keenly caught that microexpression and realized that this person had discovered something.

At that moment, the Death Herald Bird on his shoulder suddenly cawed sharply.

Danger was approaching!

Su Lun was even more alarmed within.

But he couldn’t figure out where the danger was coming from.

There was no time for beating around the bush. He sniffed the fried skewer on the plate, feigning enjoyment, and probed, "Oh, I know a shop owner named ’Ueda Sakurai’. Her tempura also has this familiar taste."

He also wanted to know if, given the high level of intelligence, this realm might acknowledge his descendants.

Or rather, if there was any connection between this cursed space and the real world!

Upon hearing this, the old lady suddenly paused, glanced at the other patrons in the shop, and seemed hesitant to speak.

Seeing her expression, Su Lun suddenly felt chills and instantly realized: This granny knows the shop owner from the world above!

Were the people in this world’s book actually the dead from reality?

Is this indeed the Netherworld, a returning place for the deceased?

How could this be possible...

What kind of unprecedented masterpiece had Fujiwara Hayato written to possess such a miraculous capability?!

However, at that moment, the old lady struggled for a moment but finally decided to speak up, replying, "’Ueda Sakurai’ is my daughter. My daughter and son-in-law took over that small shop..."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun and Chian’s expressions changed simultaneously.

Granny Aju’s eyes shone with kindness as she looked at Su Lun and his companion, whispering in a low voice as a form of solemn advice, "Both of you guests have true souls and are not evil. I don’t know how you came here, but the Netherworld does not welcome the living. You should flee... Perhaps Asakusa Temple outside the town can offer you some protection."

Su Lun and Chian instantly broke out in goosebumps.

They thought their disguises were flawless, yet they had been discovered long ago!

That means, from the very beginning, all the way here, all the "ghosts" knew they were "living people".

Damn, it turns out that the ghosts on that street were all performing for them!

But now, understanding came too late.

The words of the old lady seemed to break some taboo. Simultaneously, the patrons at the two other tables turned their heads around, faces bearing pale and eerie cold smiles, their gazes staring fixatedly at Su Lun and his companion...

In a flash, the harmonious festivity of the night market’s "ethical play" suddenly morphed into a "horror movie".