Gun of Ashes

Ban’er pushed open the rusty iron gate and gestured for the people behind him to bring in the goods. These were glassware, and although they were filled with cushioning debris, they still needed to be handled carefully.

Everyone was working hard, transporting this expensive wealth. One person’s figure was a bit shaky; he had injected Hallucinogen earlier, and the hallucinations affected him, making his steps unsteady. Therefore, Ban’er didn’t let him carry any goods, letting him wander around like he was just strolling, following behind a few others.

”You guys go ahead, I need to handle some things.”

Ban’er glanced at the guy, then said to the rest of the people. He was the leader, the boss of these people, and they had no choice but to listen.

The rest continued to move forward into the darkness, while Ban’er directly faced the man. The man had a peculiar smile on his face, seemingly immersed in the beautiful dream, but due to the dim light, the others didn’t notice that the blood vessels were clearly protruding from his neck.

”Boss...”

Amidst the blurry hallucinations, he seemed to recognize the person coming toward him. Ban’er hugged him as he was about to fall and simultaneously thrust a dagger into his heart.

The hallucinations were too blissful, so blissful that he didn’t even feel the pain in his chest, nor the rapidly escaping blood from his body.

”Remember to behave yourself in the future, don’t just use things recklessly...”

Ban’er held his head and said softly.

According to insider information, this location had already been exposed, but for this extremely special shipment, they still took the risk to use it for the last time to transport goods, and those left behind in the location knew nothing. Despite this, they still had to die.

Only Ban’er knew the special nature of this shipment; the others were completely unaware, believing that it was filled with a new type of Hallucinogen.

To confuse the situation, Ban’er, after getting permission, prepared to directly transform those people into Demons, using them to divert attention. Yet there was still one restless guy who used it carelessly.

After all, Ban’er was just an ordinary person; he didn’t want things to become complicated and had to kill him here. He didn’t want any Demons trailing them.

”What’s wrong?”

The man’s voice sounded like a dream talk, and Ban’er laughed, patting him on the back.

”Nothing, just have a good sleep.”

He said, using the dagger to slit the man’s throat before he turned into a Demon, and continued to exert force, struggling to sever the entire head.

Blood dyed his clothes red. Looking at the corpse in the pool of blood, Ban’er felt a bit tired but still roused himself to continue onward. He had to ensure these goods could be successfully transported away.

He turned to leave, but soon footsteps came from the darkness behind him. Lorenzo walked forward in the dark, holding a Folding Blade, with the terrified Em following behind.

Em clearly hadn’t expected Lorenzo to silently kill so many people, and was terrified that he almost became one of those killed by Lorenzo’s blade.

Lorenzo, however, continued in silence, pondering the situation as he advanced, though he occasionally turned to check if Em was keeping up.

”You didn’t have to save me.”

After a lengthy silence, Em couldn’t help but speak. He had spent a long time in the Lower City District and was well aware that so-called goodwill always had a purpose.

He couldn’t understand what the strange man in front was thinking.

”You just reminded me of the past, not a bad past.” Lorenzo’s voice came from ahead.

”A memory, in exchange for my life?”

”Pretty much.”

What a cheap life.

Lorenzo no longer paid attention to Em. He spoke the truth; he had originally planned to kill both of them directly, but the conversation in the darkness had reminded him of a forgotten past.

Lorenzo’s life could barely be divided into three stages: roaming recklessly on the streets of Florence as a child, always hungry but feeling like Florence was all his own when running; the next stage was joining the Demon Hunting Order, losing freedom, but no longer being hungry and having a shelter to stay, even his status was more honorable than before.

Until the Night of the Holy Arrival changed everything.

Growing up in chaos, no one could escape that destined connection.

Medanzo once asked him if he wanted to escape the Demon Hunting Order, even though they provided food and lodging, he still preferred the days of running freely along the riverbank.

Such conversations occurred many times; they had known each other before joining the Demon Hunting Order. After all, they were people surviving at the lowest level, and everyone huddled together to keep warm.

Lorenzo didn’t know how to answer him, although there was a bit less freedom, there was food and a bed, and the difficult days were over...

What a vicissitude of time, in the blink of an eye, so many years had passed.

”How old are you to start roaming in the Lower City District like this?”

Lorenzo’s voice came, Em was just a child, but the hardships of the Lower City District made everyone look the same, like withered dead branches.

At Em’s age, he should be at home helping his mother, not doing this in the shadows.

”I was deceived into coming here, I need to work, just didn’t expect this kind of work,” Em said.

Lorenzo thought for a moment, indeed, the Lower City District was chaotic, and such deception was not uncommon. This was just a child who had just stepped into society, meeting a head-on blow that knocked him out.

Em and he were somewhat similar, not in personality, but in experiences. Lorenzo was also found one day by a Priest, then tricked into the Demon Hunting Order. Unlucky fellows always have a certain sense of kinship with another unlucky fellow, as if seeing him could console themselves, that it’s not just me that’s so miserable.