Survival on the Internet: A Bizarre Start at Sea

Inside the door was a spacious domed hall.

The towering dome is covered in cracks, but its former splendor is still evident.

All around were huge bookshelves that reached the ceiling, but unfortunately most of the books on them had turned into ashes and fragments on the ground.

Only a few books made of special materials still managed to retain their shape, scattered in the corner.

This appears to be the workshop's library or archive.

The air was thick with dust and had a musty smell of old, decaying books.

Su Zhisu carefully walked in, her eyes sweeping over the mess on the floor.

"What... happened here?"

In the center of the library, there is a huge, overturned reading table.

Beneath the reading table lay a thick, enormous book, its corners wrapped in some kind of dark gold metal.

The book's cover appeared to be made of some kind of leather, and although it was covered in dust, it was miraculously not damaged much.

The title, "The Puppet Alchemy Manual of Amadeus," is engraved on the cover in an elegant Universal font.

Su Zhisu's heart stirred, and he stepped forward with difficulty to push aside the heavy reading table and pick up the huge book.

"It seems the book is still intact!"

Brushing away the dust, the book felt heavy in my hands, exuding an ancient aura.

He tried to turn the pages of the book.

The pages are not made of ordinary paper, but of a flexible, unknown material called parchment.

The writing on it was an extremely complex cipher text, mixed with a large number of alchemical symbols, which he could not understand at all.

"Specific knowledge is required to interpret..."

He attempted to combine his unique, unorthodox power as a charlatan with his spiritual power, transforming it into tentacles of perception that probed into the void.

The moment his senses touched the pages of the book, something unexpected happened!

The entire "Alchemy Manual of Amadeus" suddenly burst forth with dazzling golden light!

The pages of the book turned wildly on their own, even though there was no wind!

Countless golden cipher symbols seemed to come alive, surging out from the pages of the book and transforming into a torrent that forcefully flooded into Su Zhisu's mind!

In an instant, a vast amount of complex and profound knowledge about puppet construction, energy circuits, soul binding, materials science, and so on, flooded his consciousness like a burst dam!

[Network Notification]: You have come across the alchemy knowledge in "Amadeus's Puppet Alchemy Manual"!

[Website Notification]: Knowledge transfer assessment in progress... Eligible profession: Alchemist... Assessment passed!

[Network Notification]: You have successfully absorbed some knowledge of puppet alchemy!

[Network Notification]: Based on your existing mastery of the Mysterious Alchemy and your current class [Mysterious Alchemist], you have successfully learned the class skill – [Puppet Alchemy]!

[Puppet Alchemy lv.1 (0%)]: This skill belongs to the branch of Strange Alchemy and is a basic skill of Puppet Alchemy. It focuses on the art of creating, manipulating, and enhancing alchemical puppets. At the current level, you can understand the basic structure of puppets and perform simple maintenance and manipulation. The skill level cannot exceed the [Strange Alchemy] level.

[Network Notification]: You have mastered the sub-skill: [Alchemy Language - Puppetry]

【Alchemy Language - Puppetry lv.MAX】: Passive skill, cannot be upgraded. Enables you to read and understand the alchemical ciphers of Puppetry Alchemy.

The golden light slowly dissipated, and "The Alchemy Manual of Amadeus" became dull and lifeless, as if it had exhausted its power, turning into an ordinary, albeit more sturdy, book.

Su Zhisu shook his slightly throbbing head, trying to process the new knowledge in his mind.

Looking at the manual in his hand again, the cryptic text that had once seemed like an incomprehensible book now had a vague outline and meaning in his eyes.

He looked up and surveyed the abandoned library.

The murals and markings on the walls that were previously incomprehensible now take on new meaning.

They depict the construction principles, energy node distribution, and simple control methods of various alchemical golems.

"I see... This is where alchemy apprentices learn."

"These murals are teaching materials..."

As he absorbed the knowledge, he walked slowly along the wall, identifying and understanding the contents.

[Network Notice]: Your [Puppet Alchemy] skill experience has increased through reading and comprehension! Current Level: LV.1 (10%)

[Network Notice]: Your [Puppet Alchemy] skill experience has increased through reading and comprehension! Current Level: LV.1 (16%)

……

Knowledge flowed into his heart like a gentle stream, and his skill experience in [Puppet Alchemy] was constantly improving.

Just as he was engrossed in the detailed explanation of the "bipedal balance pivot" on a wall, something deep inside the library that Su Zhisu had always considered a decoration or a piece of junk suddenly moved.

It was a giant humanoid puppet, about two meters tall, made entirely of dark-colored unknown wood and refined puppet alloy.

It stood quietly in the shadows at the very back of the library, covered in dust, blending into its surroundings and remaining completely inconspicuous.

At this moment, a faint light appeared inside its chest cavity, like a sleeping heart beginning to beat.

"Click...click...click..."

The puppet's head slowly rose, its face, a combination of wood and metal, devoid of any facial features except for a sunken eye socket.

A pure, soft light, like that of a sapphire, shone in his eye socket.

It took a step forward, its steady footsteps making a clear sound on the dusty library floor.

Su Zhisu was suddenly awakened from the ocean of knowledge and turned around abruptly!

The giant humanoid puppet had fully "awakened," facing him directly and silently "watching" him.

Its form is heavy and ancient, yet it carries an indescribable aura of "perfection".

【Amadeus' Alchemy Golem - First Work】

[Category]: Alchemy Creature (Unique)

[Rank]: Second Rank

[Level]: lv.20 (Slowly increasing... lv.20→ lv.21)

[Status]: Activated, executing the protection protocol to eliminate all unauthorized intruders.

[Information]: A symbol of the skills of Amadeus Thorne, the master of puppet alchemy, and a gift presented to Empress Sephiria on the day she bestowed upon him the title of "Puppet Master." It perfectly blends Amadeus's puppet alchemy with a trace of the Empress's blessing of "Order," possessing exceptional learning and adaptability. Its core resonates with the external energy environment, slowly increasing its energy level over time.

[Talents/Skills]:

Perfect Construction: Possesses extremely high physical resistance and an extremely stable structure.

Combat Calculation: It can analyze and predict the target's behavior patterns during combat, and perform targeted optimization and countermeasures.

Energy Resonance: Can absorb free energy from the environment to replenish combat consumption and slowly increase its own level (can only be increased by one level by breaking through its own rank).

Order Strike: Attacks are imbued with "Order" attribute energy, dealing additional damage to chaotic and bizarre entities.

[Hidden Message]: Either defeat it, find the key to breaking the deadlock, or... escape!