Mechanical Alchemist-Chapter 642 - 641: Uncle Crow’s Mutation

The amount of supplies needed for a million-strong legion was astronomical, and the contents of Grand Princess Octavia J. Fielding's storage ring genuinely surprised Su Lun.

If extracted, these supplies could arm a million men with equipment in the minor void realm's war workshop or even create a multitude of puppets.

But what delighted him the most was the body of the "Void Bifurcation Worm" found within the magic box.

Holding those bifurcation-patterned worm bodies, Su Lun was overjoyed, "Hey, they are really here."

Previously, they let the exiled Bifurcation Worms loose through a planar passage and had them killed with the help of the people from the godly realm. Otherwise, even with the combined top combat powers of the Dawn group, such troublesome creatures were untouchable.

The bodies of these bifurcating worms were extremely rare mythic materials. Their brains were particularly suitable for crafting the Isaac Blasphemer.

It was a pity the materials had previously ended up in enemy hands.

But he did not expect to be so lucky.

Perhaps Grand Princess Octavia felt they were her spoils of war, and so the materials were not sent back to the godly realm but carried with her.

This turn of events unwittingly benefited Su Lun.

With the best material for eighth-stage breeding armor secured, he no longer had to consider other materials.

However, just then, Mr. Raven on his shoulder cawed loudly, clearly detecting something edible.

Su Lun glanced at it and retorted, "All you know is eating..."

Still, despite his words, he pulled out a large piece of meat.

All he needed now was the brain of the bifurcational worm. As for the flesh, although precious, it was not essential at the moment.

Feeding Mr. Raven, which had helped him avoid numerous crises, did not pain him in the slightest.

Oozing with heavy void contamination, the meat, along with some of the worm's residual dimensional-reducing power, prompted Su Lun to wrap his hands with a layer of overwhelming aura before tossing the meat into the sky.

The black raven fluttered its wings and darted like lightning to catch the meat in its beak, gladly swallowing it whole.

Then, in the eyes of Su Lun and the others, the raven's body irregularly swelled, unable to withstand the corruption from the meat, and mutated.

Shortly after, with a "pop," the bird burst into a cloud of death energy and vanished into thin air.

But Su Lun was no longer surprised.

This greedy, silly bird was not experiencing such a condition for the first time; it was only a fifth-tier creature, how could it consume the corpse of a demigod monster?

However, the raven's lineage talents allowed it to endure energy far beyond its capacity.

Even if it could not bear it and exploded, it would recover and continue digesting.

Each of these overload explosions granted it some qualitative enhancement.

Sure enough, while the explosion noise still echoed around him, the death energy again emerged on Su Lun's shoulder and quickly reformed into a glossy-feathered black raven.

But it seemed that the contamination from the meat wasn't completely digested yet, and Mr. Raven mutated again, "bang"—exploding once more.

It was not until the third reconstruction that Mr. Raven stopped exploding.

Su Lun watched, both amused and frustrated, not forgetting to taunt, "That's for being greedy."

Mr. Raven shot him a look, retorted sharply, "Make it smaller, smaller. Give me another piece, another piece~"

"..."

Su Lun rolled his eyes but still indulged it by tossing a smaller piece of meat to the black raven.

This time, it went much better; Mr. Raven only exploded once.

Still ever greedy, Su Lun occasionally fed it.

...

The battle was over; the multi-layer barriers had also dissolved.

Sunlight filtered in, still leaving large patches of green vines on the sea surface, which were a mess due to the fierce battle.

All around, not even a fish could be seen, just a deathly stillness.

A demigod-level battle had left the sea brimming with chaotic magic, and likely for many years to come, this area would remain a dead zone.

Mr. Jing, Chill, and Pandora were all greatly exhausted; they sat cross-legged on the vines in meditation.

Pestoya was excited to help feed the raven.

Su Lun continued to inventory the contents of the storage ring, filtering out any potentially dangerous items in advance.

In passing, he also processed the soul of that ninth-tier Lei Pharaoh, along with his storage ring.

It had to be said, the insights from a powerful enemy's soul always brought delightful surprises.

This old man's formidable strength originated from his profound understanding of Lei magic. Even from Su Lun's current perspective, this was the best understanding of the Thunder element he had ever seen.

After digesting it, his comprehension of the elements significantly improved.

Thinking of this, Su Lun glanced at Grand Princess Octavia trussed up like a mummy.

After the value of using the Grand Princess as bait had been exhausted, they could also harvest the soul of a demigod, which was quite a top-tier surprise box.

However, before long, Qian suddenly opened her eyes and lightly exclaimed, "There's a murderous aura."

Almost at the same time, Mr. Jing noticed something, "Someone is coming."

Su Lun looked towards the north. In the sky, a group of mages shielded by a magic barrier was rapidly flying towards them. "Ah, finally, they've arrived."

They had been resting in place for half a day, just waiting for the enemy reinforcements to arrive.

And as expected, given the speed at which they needed to arrive, the enemy's reinforcements wouldn't be too many.

In the field of vision, it was an elite troop of a hundred, led by two ninth-tier and a dozen eighth-tier mages, with the rest being high-level mages of sixth and seventh tiers.

In terms of combat power, this could indeed be considered a law group that could dominate the alchemic plane.

Of course, provided they did not encounter Dawn.

...

According to current intelligence, only two demigods had descended from the plane of gods.

Currently, one, Princess Octavia, had been captured, and the other, "Archmage of Evil" Constantine Reiloz.

According to recent intelligence from the imperial military, it had just been found that Constantine had only just been spotted in the southern Storumga Region of Luying. It looked like he had also received messages and was coming to rescue.

But at such a great distance, it would be impossible for him to arrive quickly.

So, without another demigod, unless the enemy's million mage army pressed on, no matter who else came, it wouldn't pose any threat to Su Lun and his group.

Upon noticing the hurriedly approaching mage squad at the horizon, Qian rested her hand on the hilt of her sword and smacked her lips, "Tsk, tsk, only so many people..."

Pandora spoke in a relaxed tone, "It's quite daring of them to send even this many in such short notice. After all, the main force is still hundreds of sea miles away."

Seeing this, Mr. Jing also slowly stood up, saying, "Let's quickly deal with them. If we can entangle and eliminate some top-tier mages as much as possible, the overall offensive from the imperial legion will also be much easier."

"Alright! Then I'll go first!"

As she spoke, Qian was already eager and ready.

With a "pop" sound of stepping through the air like a thunderclap, she was already transformed into a bolt of thunder, charging towards the hundred-person mage squad on the horizon.

No sooner had she spoken than Mr. Jing also transformed into a streak of mirror light and disappeared on the spot.

Pandora gave Su Lun a sly smile, "Shall we go?"

As soon as she finished speaking, her entire body transformed into wisps of moonlight and vanished on the spot.

Su Lun wouldn't fall behind. After all, among that group, there were two ninth-tier mages, capable not only of reaping souls but also of refining Threads of Law.

Though he moved a moment slower, his spatial displacement was faster.

Almost instantly, the four of them arrived at the same time.

The hundred-person mage squad paused, clearly taken aback by their show of force.

But seeing the "mummy" held by Su Lun's threads, they had no choice but to reluctantly start the rescue.

The two sides then clashed atop the sea.

But even though Su Lun and company had worn themselves out in a fierce battle just before, this hundred-person squad was not tough enough to handle them.

The squad led by two ninth-tier mages gave far less pressure than the earlier demigod.

Once the battle began, it was almost a one-sided affair.

The four of them overwhelmed the hundred with a ruthless slaughter.

Qian was the most fierce, as her path was of the "one-slice stream", where she dealt with most of her opponents with one slice, determining victory or defeat.

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Under her ninth-tier Sword God's Sword Qi, sixth and seventh-tier mages simply couldn't withstand a single slice.

Mr. Jing split into nine, instantly breaking the mage squad's battle formation. Qian then turned into a reaper, plunging into the enemy crowd and slashing wildly.

As for Su Lun and Pandora, they were almost just going through the motions, and the battle drew near its end without much suspense.

Before long, after the two ninth-tier mages were killed, the hundred-person mage squad was completely annihilated.

No suspense whatsoever.

...

A battlefield involving swordsmen always smells heavily of blood, with the sea surface tangled with dense threads, and each thread suspending half a body or a segment of a corpse.

Su Lun casually reaped the spoils of war from the hundred mage squad, harvested the souls of the two ninth-tier mages, and then refined the corpses into Threads of Law.

Then, they rested again on the sea surface.

"Let's rest a bit, we're ready to face the next wave of enemy reinforcements. With this bait, the enemy will keep coming to rescue, and we also need to watch out for another demigod."

"It's time to notify the imperial legion as well. They can start their long-distance attacks. This time, we must try to annihilate this million-strong army in the Imperial Strait."

"..."

The group rested and chatted leisurely.

The "mummy" they were with was suspended in midair, swaying in the wind.

This was the most crucial reason they had tried to keep a prisoner alive earlier,

it could even be the "fatal flaw" for a million-strong army of the celestial realm.

Just like that hundred-man squadron earlier, despite knowing they were outmatched, they had still rushed to the rescue like moths to a flame.

Because the identity of Octavia J. Fielding was simply too special.

The celestial realm was the most primal theocratic society, even more so than the earlier aristocratic views of the Emperor Luying Empire; here, identity meant everything.

And Octavia was not only a royal princess of the Ascieden Empire but also the grand marshal of these magic legions.

She was also the sacred maiden of the celestial tribe!

It can be said, her life was more important than those of a million others.

As long as she was alive, the top priority of that hundred-man squadron would inevitably be to rescue her.

Su Lun and his companions didn't need to do anything else, nor did they need to wait in ambush in the major cities of Luying like before for the "Archmage of Evil", Constantine.

Now, they only had to guard the severely injured princess, and the enemies would definitely come to them.

They also weren't afraid that the Archmage could escape; at their next encounter, it would surely be a battle to the death.

Su Lun and his friends rested leisurely on the sea, waiting for the rabbit, ready for the next wave of reinforcements.

The victory today had been breathtakingly narrow, essentially changing the tempo of this grand decisive battle, with the alchemical realm also gaining control of the war initiative.

"Su Lun, are you going to synthesise more equipment now?"

"No rush. Let's deal with the other Archmage first, and then we'll see. By then, I should be able to advance to the ninth rank."

"Indeed, you need to reach the ninth rank as soon as possible. There seems to have been a change at the plane's portal; next time the enemies arrive in large numbers, we'll be under great pressure."

"Yes. The next one will be a tough fight..."

"..."

The group also discussed among themselves.

From their vantage point, they saw not just the immediate situation but the future as well.

Being able to ambush successfully this time was crucial, but with her exposure, the top combat strength of the alchemical realm was almost entirely known to the celestial realm.

The next encounter would inevitably see the enemy prepared.

However, Su Lun was still quite optimistic.

Because the demigod powerhouses of the celestial realm weren't common fare.

To his knowledge, the Ascieden Empire officially had no more than ten Archmages.

Having captured one now, and possibly killing another, it wasn't likely that the remaining Archmages would all appear in the alchemical realm.

At least, there was no immediate worry.

Moreover, once he advanced to the ninth rank and completed the Endless Puppet, Su Lun didn't think his combat abilities would be inferior to any Archmage's.

Mr. Jing, who had previously observed the stele at the God Burial Ground, had already peeked into the secrets of the rules, and with a bit more time, might be able to touch the realm of a demigod.

Not to mention Pandora, who, judging from that last battle, clearly possessed formidable power as the great deity of the moon reading abilities.

The few of them chatted leisurely like this, and Peshtoya, who had little interest in the war, did not join in and just kept feeding the black crow on the side.

But as she fed it, an unexpected situation occurred.

After feeding the black crow a large chunk of two-way worm meat, the ghostly Miss suddenly exclaimed, "Su Lun, look quick... Uncle Crow is mutating!"

Su Lun turned to look and saw Uncle Crow's body swelling as if some sort of growth was about to burst out.

Although the black crow had burst from eating the meat before, it hadn't lasted this long.

This looked... like it was mutating?

The herald of death might not die, but he feared it could mutate into something bizarre.

Su Lun also frowned deeply.

He shared some consciousness with Uncle Crow; he could clearly sense the crow was undergoing a process of "mutation."

Mr. Jing and others also watched with interest, turning their gazes over.

Just as Su Lun considered whether to inject it with a mutation suppression potion, a wondrous scene unfolded.

Under the gaze of several eyes, that lump of "growth" on Uncle Crow's neck finally popped out, and then... it turned into another crow's head identical to the first!

Peshtoya watched, her big playful eyes filled with curiosity, excitedly said, "Look, look! Uncle Crow turned into a two-headed crow!"

Old Crow had been with Su Lun for quite some time now and had grown extremely familiar with everyone at Dawn.

Listening to this, discontent filled both of its heads and four small eyes.

Su Lun also looked puzzled — what was this "mutation"?

Had it sprouted an extra head?

He had always shared his vision with Old Crow, but now he perceived that the vision had sharpened — it was clearly a four-eyed view.

Moreover, Su Lun could feel that Old Crow didn't seem uncomfortable after its mutation; it was just a bit... hungry?

Hearing its caws again, Su Lun fed it another piece of meat.

The two crow heads grabbed it, and in a few bites, they had devoured it.

Su Lun twitched the corner of his eye... could it not change back?

Although he didn't find anything wrong with Old Crow having two heads — it might even be smarter — something still seemed off.

Pestoya, on the other hand, curiously stroked this "new species" and excitedly fed Old Crow a few pieces of bidirectional worm meat.

Just when Su Lun had resigned himself to the idea of raising a "mutant two-headed crow", another change occurred.

After eating too much, Old Crow's body swelled irregularly again and mutated further.

Su Lun felt as if something was about to happen.

Because through his Level Two All-knowing Eye, he saw some kind of evolution in the life scale.

It didn't take long for Old Crow's mutation to complete.

Under everyone's gaze, Old Crow's two heads split, and then... turned into two identical black crows!

Seeing this, Su Lun finally understood and exclaimed in his mind, "The dividing talent of the void Matriarch Worm!"

This divine bird, the Herald of Death, possessed the talent of devouring corpses and acquiring the abilities the corpse possessed in life.

Its bidirectional ability was due to it having eaten a piece of void Matriarch Worm meat.

Now having eaten so much, it had gained a new ability — splitting!

Seeing this, Su Lun's eyes shifted from confusion to delight.

Because he clearly sensed that this mutation caused no harm to Old Crow, it rather elevated its life scale directly.

Moreover, the two split black crows still had one consciousness, but now enjoyed double the vision.

Its vision was Su Lun's vision!

And the void Matriarch Worm could split into countless members of its species...

A spark in Su Lun's mind, he asked eagerly, "Old Crow, can you split further?"

The two black crows cawed: It seems possible, need food, hungry.

Su Lun hurriedly took out a large piece of bidirectional worm meat and fed it to them.

After the crows ate, this transformation was much smoother than before, instantly splitting from two into four!

And in the shared vision that Su Lun possessed, a fourfold view appeared.

It really worked!

A sudden, inexplicable anticipation rose in Su Lun's heart. What if Old Crow could split into countless crows? Wouldn't that mean possessing endless vision?

He asked again, "Can you merge back?"

"Caw~"

Old Crow tilted its slightly confused head, seemingly unfamiliar with the process.

After a moment, three of the black crows burst open and dissipated into nothing, leaving only one.

Seeing this, Su Lun's eyes were filled with joy.

Old Crow had finally undergone a qualitative change.

Old Crow was still young, and in the future, it could certainly split into even more.

Moreover, whether it was the bidirectional ability, splitting ability, shared vision, or crisis prediction ability… all were very practical auxiliary skills.

These also directly benefited Su Lun's combat capability.

Furthermore, Old Crow could devour other advanced corpses in the future and possibly awaken even more abilities.

Thinking of this, Su Lun's eyes burned with excitement, and he couldn't help but laugh, "Ha ha, Old Crow, all that feeding hasn't been in vain..."

The black crow raised its proud head upon hearing this, seemingly quite pleased with the praise: "Caw caw~"

Mr. Jing, nearby, also started laughing as he watched this.