Gun of Ashes

Nowadays, this place has long been abandoned for years, until the Plague Doctor reactivated it. With the knowledge from ”Revelation” and his own madness, he turned it into a twisted Hell.

Lawrence walked over, stopping to the side, overlooking the entire underground facility from above.

It was a facility akin to a furnace, lying at the underground core, where flames burned amidst steel and machinery, releasing bursts of blinding brightness.

The indoor heat originated from there, situated at the bottom-most part, mostly submerged in liquid. Due to limited light, everything beneath the surface was pitch-black, completely obscured.

”How do you like the name ’Blood-Steam Machine’?”

The Plague Doctor jested, but Lawrence ignored him, focusing on the water’s surface below. The blurry scene gradually cleared, revealing something monstrous hidden beneath, countless serpents slowly slithering.

Seeing this, the Plague Doctor pulled down a lever, causing the rumbling sound of flowing water.

Through the work done over these days, the originally port-bound dark passage was transformed into a waterway. The Plague Doctor drained the river below, bringing the union of flesh and machinery gradually into focus.

It was a furnace, with only a small portion surfacing from the water, the main body hidden beneath. Covered in hideous flesh, they writhed powerfully, with thick blue veins sprawling across the surface. The serpents Lawrence saw were its tendrils, agitating as the river water drained.

”This demon that’s been meticulously bred has completely merged with the furnace. It will grow wildly, continuously producing stable blood from within its body, which can be purified through alchemical processing into stable Secret Blood. For the next few years, it will serve as the nourishment for your legion.”

The Plague Doctor leaned against the railing, overlooking his perfect creation.

The furnace swayed slowly, followed by unwilling roars from below. It was a monstrously large demon, excessively grown and tightly compressed against the enclosing walls. This so-called furnace was merely built atop its back, glimpses of scarlet flesh and bone visible through the iron-and-flesh junctions.

As the gaze continued upward, the ironclad walls of flesh integrated countless corpses, fully fused into the flesh. Most remained caught beneath, with only a few heads and limbs barely exposed.

”The furnace will continually consume its strength and flesh, preventing this creature’s growth from breaking our constraints, while the river water will cool it, maintaining stability and curbing the demon’s activity... You could say we’ve perfectly controlled a mighty demon.”

The Plague Doctor’s gaze lingered on the flesh wall mural.

”Of course, the key lies in these corpses, the Demon Hunter corpses. With prolonged influence from Secret Blood, the Demon Hunters already possess a complete hematopoietic system; they can naturally produce certain Secret Blood. They blend with the demon, coupled with the knowledge from ’Revelation,’ forging all this.”

”But... I gathered bodies for research, Lawrence, why did you gather these corpses?”

With curiosity, the Plague Doctor asked, thinking Lawrence would attack the Holy Evangelical Pope Kingdom, slaying some new Order’s Demon Hunters. Instead, he revealed a whole batch of Demon Hunter corpses.

”Prepare yourself, you could never imagine what I’ve done to welcome these, nor what I’ve sacrificed.”

Lawrence was reluctant to elaborate, merely gazing nostalgically at the flesh mural below, where there lay a familiar face.

A wrinkled, haggard visage, long dead, yet seemingly unable to release its wrathful intent. Even fused with the demon, it couldn’t soothe its icy, iron-blue.

”Indeed, I thought you’d bury it and erect a monument or something. I never expected you’d keep it, let alone throw it in here. Truly nothing wasted...”

The Plague Doctor also saw that iron-blue face, shook his head, and sighed.

That was Lawrence... or once was.