Gun of Ashes

”So, Bluebird, now think again about your ridiculous God.”

With eyes like torches, amidst the misty gray fog, Lorenzo fixated on everyone, not only admonishing Bluebird but also addressing all the listeners.

”From our perspective, a higher perspective, looking at these heretical groups, those so-called gods are nothing but foul and abhorrent demons, they are targets that we know and hunt, then could there be an even higher perspective, someone from that vantage looking at us, looking at you and your God, just as we view those heretical groups?”

Bluebird took a deep breath, guided by Lorenzo all along, until revealing that terrifying truth. His hands were cold, looking at Lorenzo, Bluebird seemed to begin understanding the story Lorenzo was telling, the story named Valley of Horror.

All reverence and fanaticism stem only from the unknown.

”Then what is the end of the story?” Bluebird asked.

And the end of the story of the demon hunters? Observing the story of the demon hunters from these higher narrative levels, it seems so clichéd and simple, but Lorenzo’s earlier words, weren’t they treating Bluebird from a higher level?

He asked anxiously.

”Very simple... the end of the story is very simple.”

Lorenzo leaned back, pondering the final ending.

In the slow narration, the story reached its end.

The demon hunters walked amidst the gray mist, within the heavy blood and scattered corpse piles, they reached the densest fog.

”It’s here.” 016 looked at the things before his eyes, even though somewhat mentally prepared, he still shivered slightly.

”Don’t get too close, the hallucinogenic components are the most dense here.” She warned again.

042 seemed somewhat puzzled, he wasn’t sure why the root of all this strangeness would be this.

”What are these things?”

He said, picking up the broken thing nearby, it was a withered flower, still with plant remnants and a pungent smell, accompanying the inhalation, 042 could clearly feel the increasingly intense hallucinatory sensation.

”A rare plant, this is not its place of origin... be grateful for me, this is something a Raphael branch demon hunter needs to know.”

016 looked forward, the bizarre plant already in bloom, spreading to the horizon, almost merging with the gray mist.

Taking the torch from 011’s hand. Originally intending to use the flame to ignite the building and disperse the fog, but unexpectedly using it here.

016 threw the torch into the sea of flowers, then the flames slowly rose, igniting all the plants.

”This is Wind Tobacco.”

016 explained.

”A hallucinogenic plant, originating in the Land of Abundance, who brought it here and carefully cultivated it is unknown.”

”So this is the strangeness of Valley Town?” 042 seemed somewhat in disbelief that the truth was so simple.

”It should be so, this place situated in a valley, a large amount of mature Wind Tobacco releasing hallucinogenic components, gathering here due to the mist and uncirculated air, plus a few delusional madmen talking nonsense... No demons, no strange powers, this is the truth, a simple and clichéd truth.”

016 looked at the burning sea of fire and concluded.

The rising sea of fire dispersed the fog, like a pillar of light piercing the uncertainty, the demon hunters held their breath, maintaining a safe distance from the sea of fire to avoid being induced into hallucination.

Beneath the ascension, the vision gradually widened, 042 saw countless corpses lying in the sea of flowers, though dead, their faces were full of smiles, it seemed the Apocalypse Society succeeded, completing their ritual in a beautiful illusion.

The place was filled with the aura of death, the invisible Death God laughing loudly in the dark, having just finished a lavish feast.

A strange feeling suddenly arose, when the unknown became known, recalling all the deductions and oppression upon first entering Valley Town, 042 felt a sense of ridiculous ignorance.

”Finally, it was like this, the flames burned for a long time, and after checking there were no survivors, we left there, the Valley of Horror thus ended.”

Lorenzo’s words brought the story to a conclusion, all the fog completely vanished, heavy stone bricks and wood descended from the sky, stacking into an ancient castle amidst the chaos, a warm flame kindled in the fireplace, driving away the coldness, and everything returned to normal.

The four exited the story, their thoughts returned to the present reality.

With a brief exchange of glances, an inexplicable cold spread under their bodies, one had to say, Lorenzo was indeed an eerie guy, the things he spoke of always stirred your mind from a strange angle.

The story ended, the ticking of the clock echoed in the darkness.

Lorenzo curled up on the sofa, the firelight illuminating half of his face.

”Just like I said, this story is actually quite clichéd, but the importance lies in the difference between before and after, the difference between unknown and known, how common sense misleads and hints us.”

”If it weren’t us, the near-inhuman demon hunters entering Valley Town, but you few, you would’ve likely died already.”

He said bluntly.

No one refuted anymore, Joey slowly spoke.

”Indeed, is this the special nature of the Valley of Horror?”

Lorenzo nodded earnestly, continuing.

”Have you heard of the blind men and the elephant? It’s an idiom originating from Jiuxia, referring to blindfolding people and letting them touch an elephant, the elephant is so large they can only feel different parts and come to different conclusions despite it being the same elephant.”

”Its original intent is to satirize those shortsighted individuals who generalize a whole from a part.”

Lorenzo paused, then continued.

”But isn’t this also us?”

His gaze filled with confusion, Lorenzo was one who overthought, his mind like a roaring engine refusing to rest, endless thoughts racing within his head.

Remember, even within the Order, 016 had said once, someone like Lorenzo would eventually succumb to mental illness, leading to ultimate madness.

But Lorenzo never cared, more than any psychological disorder, what he worried about more was Watson, imprisoned within his consciousness.

”Think carefully, everyone, this is the warning the Valley of Horror gives us, we are those blind men, we embrace the unknown, only grasping a fragment of it yet attempting to use our shallow language to explain that unknown existence.”

Lorenzo spoke with a bit of excitement, words like a forbidden temptation, compelling everyone’s thoughts to ponder.

”What if the unknown we face is exactly like this? Our understanding may all be misguidance, causing us to miss the truth.”

Just like ants looking up at humans, they find it fundamentally difficult to comprehend the entirety of a human, their own nature limiting them in pursuing the truth.

Humans need to become more powerful, transitioning from blind to visible, to see that terrifying unknown, to transform unknown into known.

”Then... could it be the same with demons?”

The hidden dagger revealed, this is what Lorenzo intended to convey, a mental trap he crafted, making everyone involuntarily follow him.

Like thunder, he smiled at everyone, as if harboring a secret ghost, divulging that forbidden knowledge.

”The Secret Blood technology, the armor technology, we’ve gained enough from the demons, but... do we truly understand them?”

Lorenzo’s speech quickened.

”The Demon Hunting Order has been relentlessly pursuing the essence of demons, yet as we edge closer to the truth, the Night of the Holy Arrival erupted, though the seemingly dead Lawrence knew nothing of their essence... or perhaps no one ever did from the start.”

”I can assure you, everyone.”

The demon hunter’s voice carried a slight tremor.

”Something is preventing us... I can clearly feel, whenever I ponder, something is preventing us from discovering the truth.”

Like the murmurs of ghost gods, reverberating within the dark ancient castle.

The truth of the world, within reach.