Gun of Ashes

Ingwig calendar year 924.

The warm sunlight descended, and the cool breeze swept in from the shade of the trees, accompanied by the rustling of leaves. Everything before the eyes revealed a rare beauty.

042 sheathed the sword he had been swinging and saluted the elder in front of him.

”How does your body feel, 042?”

After a brief greeting, Lorenzo de’ Medici inquired about 042’s current condition. The 042 before him was considered an adult, yet each time Lorenzo de’ Medici saw his somewhat naive face, he would still view him as a young child.

Essentially, it wasn’t far from the truth. In his long years, most people appeared as mere children to him.

”I’m fine...”

042 said as he clenched his fist. He had heard from the priests that after receiving the , 042 underwent the implantation of the Silver Binding Bolt and Secret Blood. Although the process was painful, fortunately, 042 survived, becoming one of the lucky few.

”The Secret Blood and Silver Binding Bolt are stable, and the control over the power is within my grasp...” 042 said, becoming somewhat puzzled, ”But I still can’t use the Authority... I don’t even know which faction of Demon Hunter I belong to.”

”That’s normal. After all, the Alchemy Matrix on your body is still incomplete, unable to trigger the Authority from the Secret Blood.” The elder reassured him.

”How much longer will it take?”

This reply did not surprise 042. He had already learned most of the knowledge about Demon Hunters beforehand.

The extraordinary authority stemmed from the Secret Blood within the body. Through the exertion of the engraved Alchemy Matrix, the power is directedly drawn from that forbidden blood.

This process brings great corrosive effects to the Demon Hunter, coupled with the technical limitations of the Alchemy Matrix, each Demon Hunter can only direct and obtain one Authority. Multiple Authorities cannot coexist within a single Demon Hunter. Even if the technology of the Alchemy Matrix could solve this, the multiple corrosions would instantly transform the Demon Hunter into a terrifying Demon.

”It’s today... This is a special day.” The elder smiled and replied.

042 was slightly stunned. Ever since the elder had transferred him away from the Demon Hunting Order two years ago, everything about him had been managed by the elder in front of him. From training to Secret Blood Implantation, 042 was like a puppet being manipulated at will, even now unaware of what faction of Demon Hunter he would become.

But hearing the elder’s answer, 042 felt a bit happy. The Alchemy Matrix on his body was not yet complete. Only after those defects were fixed would he gain Authority and become a true Demon Hunter.

”But we still need some time; we need to wait a little... Come with me, 042, you don’t need to train today.”

The elder gestured to 042, then turned to walk towards the depths of the mansion, with 042 following him, swallowed by the grand building.

This retirement mansion wasn’t as simple as it appeared. After passing through a hidden passage, it led to a massive underground space where 042 had spent most of his time battling captured Demons and training over the past two years.

However, today, the usually vacant and cold underground had more people. They wore clerical robes with long thin swords at their waists. 042 recognized those weapons; they called them Nail Swords, the weapons of the Demon Hunters.

So, are these people Demon Hunters?

042 looked curiously at those figures, their faces obscured by hoods, hidden in shadows, maintaining a strange silence. If it weren’t for the faint sound of their breathing, 042 might have thought they were a group of standing dead.

”Who are they...”

”Don’t mind them for now, just follow me.”

The elder said, leading 042 to the deepest part of the underground. 042 remembered that place; it was where he underwent the Secret Blood implantation. But now, the complex equipment from before had been removed, leaving only a small table surrounded by two chairs, with a pocket watch placed in the center, recording time within the darkness.

”Come, take a rest. We have a long wait ahead of us.”

”Wait for what?”

”For many things...” the elder said mysteriously, ”Probably for some unwelcomed guests.”

”Guests?”

042 appeared very puzzled. Although the elder never revealed much to him, in these past few years, he had vaguely sensed the distinctiveness of this place. There were never any guests here, which made him feel a slight unease.

”But we still have much time, 042.”

The elder smiled. For some reason, this usually stern elder seemed exceptionally cheerful today, as if something wonderful was about to happen.

A servant approached, pushing a small cart adorned with exquisite pastries and fine wine, arranging it on the small table, offering an afternoon tea-like atmosphere. However, this was the gloomy underground, surrounded by those mysterious Demon Hunters. No matter how he thought about it, 042 felt something was off.

”Try this. Speaking of which, you might not believe it, but I have a fondness for sweets.”

It seemed to be just an ordinary afternoon tea. The elder, ignoring any formalities, casually reached out for a piece and tasted it.

”Surprised?” the elder asked, seeing the stunned 042.

”A bit,” 042 nodded.

Lorenzo de’ Medici, the leader of the Golden Era, who once ruled over all of Florence and held both the Evangelical Church and the Demon Hunting Order firmly within his grasp.

Artists depicted him as a benevolent patron, political opponents viewed him as a dreadful Nightmare, and to ordinary believers and common people, he appeared as God’s embodiment in the mortal realm.