Gun of Ashes

This world is profound, like a silent sea. As you fall into the water, you feel the biting cold caressing your entire body. It gradually tightens around your throat, strikes your lungs, drains all the oxygen, and then drags you into the sticky darkness at the bottom of the sea.

You helplessly sink downwards, trying to resist, but the cold water flows over your palms. You attempt to grasp anything, but under this serene sea, everything is exceedingly clear.

There’s nothing, no seaweed, no fish, only penetrating water. You slowly descend, and within the darkness, pale hands reach out, welcoming and embracing you.

These are countless corpses, unknown how long they have existed here. Their skin has completely lost its color, becoming a gray-white hue, their decayed faces fixed with intense emotions, forever freezing the last second before death.

You scream in terror, but it only hastens your demise. Seawater floods into your mouth and nose, your body gradually loses strength, and you can do nothing, dying in despair under this powerlessness.

You become one of the drowned.

Lorenzo abruptly awoke from the table, sharply raising his knee and striking the table, causing it to shake. In the chaos, the items on the table clattered down, rolling to the ground.

Taking a deep breath, Lorenzo vigorously rubbed his head, the chill within him gradually dissipating.

He had a nightmare.

Lorenzo rarely dreams, let alone nightmares. The last time he had a nightmare was when he just arrived in Old Dunling, initially using Authority·Gabriel, his memories became muddled. Under such corrosion, he was tangled by nightmares for a long time until he felt it again today.

”It’s really cold...”

Lorenzo sincerely said.

He sat at the table and fell asleep. Outside the window, the sky was dimly bright, nearing dawn, and the air temperature was unbearably cold. Coupled with the pervasive water vapor, the scenery outside the window blurred by the attached water droplets.

Lorenzo picked up his notebook, which recorded many hidden pieces of knowledge, including parts of the pursuit experiment.

Arthur is unaware that Lorenzo himself also writes notes; otherwise, he would certainly stop the backups of such knowledge.

Glancing at the things written last night, Lorenzo closed it and put it into the drawer.

He sat at the table for a long time, lit a cigarette, bringing a faint brightness into the dimness.

Lorenzo’s mind was somewhat muddled, although he didn’t have Authority·Shangdafeng, after experiencing so much, he clearly felt countless things happening at the same time, densely accumulating together, like a celebration before the apocalypse.

The apocalypse is about to arrive.

It’s truly a cruel news.

Lorenzo still remembers his roar at Lawrence, saying he would find a better solution, but upon returning to Ingwig, Lorenzo felt an indescribable powerlessness.

Not everyone has the ability to become a hero, even Lorenzo is such.

Lorenzo wants to save the world, but he doesn’t know where to start. Slashing demons is futile; not slashing demons, he just stands confusedly in place. He can’t save the world, nor can he even save his own terrible life.

In this light, his words were nothing more than empty talk; Lawrence, instead, was much more pragmatic, crazily creating an army, binding the nation onto a chariot of interests.

But... that was the past.

Lorenzo stood up, stretched his muscles, and his eyes hidden behind blades.

War is not a solution; it is just a coping method. Lawrence might win this apocalyptic war, but what about the next one? The one after the next? It’s an endless cycle, and war only leads everything into another cycle.

This is like what the Vikings said about the Heroic Spirit Hall, repeating the twilight of the gods over and over.

Lorenzo cannot accept such an outcome, nor does he wish to lose to Lawrence.

”Ah... thinking about it is truly insane.”

Lorenzo couldn’t help but feel an indescribable emotion for his twisted and deformed thoughts. He shook his head helplessly, displaying a sense of having no way out.

Actually, the principle is simple, even saying not to forget the original intention.

To eradicate the demon.

Set the entire Heroic Spirit Hall on fire.

It sounds impractical, but it’s the best plan Lorenzo could think of: not responding to this war, but addressing its root cause, eliminating the existence of demons.

Previously, he was killing demons in confusion because he couldn’t find the Root Source, but now he’s discovered clues. Lorenzo is closer to that root than ever, almost touchingly close.

”What lies beyond the [Fence]? What are you hiding, O Queen?”

Lorenzo spoke, looking at the calendar nailed to the wall, with a date circled in red.

The date is tomorrow, tomorrow Lorenzo will go to meet the Queen and listen to her explanation. Lorenzo has a premonition that this won’t be a pleasant meeting.

With this in mind, Lorenzo heard subtle noises coming from downstairs, the sound very faint but oh-so-clear to a Demon Hunter’s ears.

Someone had opened the door of Winchester Law Firm, that person stepped inside, tiptoeing like a thief.

Lorenzo couldn’t guess who would come; although life is vibrant and colorful, most of the time is quite boring. Lorenzo would sit alone on the broken sofa at the door, sometimes smoking, sometimes drinking, like a retired old man, watching the comings and goings on the street.