Gun of Ashes

Thinking about this, Bola stopped and looked around at the Vikings; he was also fighting alongside the soldiers, and no one noticed him here.

A strange thought crossed his mind.

”This wasn’t premeditated, just a spur-of-the-moment decision.”

At this moment, Froki spoke slowly, his eyes filled with a sense of doom, raising a silver revolver aimed at Bola.

Contrary to Bola’s expectations, this wasn’t a long-planned conspiracy, but something Froki thought of in a brief conversation with Lancelot.

At that moment, developments appeared in Froki’s mind, sparking thoughts of betrayal.

”This is a rare opportunity, although I’m called a Shipbuilder, I can’t build a ship like this. You have a powerful country as a backing, but I... you know, the Vikings themselves are constantly at war, not to mention other matters.”

Froki’s words revealed his extreme dissatisfaction with the current states of the Viking nations, but what moved him more than changing them was this mysterious sea.

”What, are you planning to kill me?”

Bola took a deep breath, slowly shifting his body, adjusting his position. It was only his arm that was injured, and he was calculating how many seconds it would take for him to rush in front of Froki.

Froki had already gained what he wanted; he had seized control of the Horned Whale. Although he might not know how to sail, maintaining the current course, moving forward along the light path, sufficed.

Bola was probably of no use to Froki anymore. Alive, Bola was just an unstable danger to him. Bola didn’t understand why Froki had chatted so much nonsense earlier; but now, Bola was likely facing his end.

The silver muzzle aimed at Bola; he took a deep breath, ready for a final fight, but suddenly the muzzle lowered, and Froki gave up.

”On the contrary, I need you to survive; otherwise, I wouldn’t have wasted so many words with you.”

No one could figure out what Froki was thinking. At this time, Bola also realized that it seemed Froki’s eyes never saw him. He didn’t regard Bola as significant.

”You’re a recorder, right? I need a recorder.”

Froki continued speaking, facing the fierce wind, his gaze heavy as he looked ahead.

Countless demons awakened from the deep sea, pressing together, piling as high as small mountains, trying to climb onto the deck. The threat of death united the soldiers and Vikings, with the soldiers firing downward and the Vikings slashing those demons climbing up.

Bola watched all this, with colorful rays falling from above like starlight, illuminating everyone’s face, twisting their features into grotesque shapes of frenzy and slaughter.

This sent a shiver down Bola’s spine.

The Horned Whale was like an old man on his last legs, being torn at by countless demons. Below, the deep sea was an unknowable darkness, and nobody knew how many more demons were hungrily eyeing this solitary ship.

Solitary ship!

Bola suddenly scrambled up, ignoring Froki’s threat, rushing to the railing, looking behind the Horned Whale. The torrential rain was severe, but the brilliant light path lit up the entire sea, making the blurry sight clear, showing Bola the blazing flames behind.

Entering the Silent Sea wasn’t only the armored ship Horned Whale. To transport materials, two cargo ships trailed behind, but now those cargo ships were engulfed in fierce flames; only the fully armed Horned Whale remained. They slowly sank, the brilliant firelight illuminating the grotesque shadows.

The demons, like a swarm of ants, devoured the steel carcasses, slowly dragging them into the deep sea. Bola even saw a survivor escape onto the ice, stumbling and fleeing in exhaustion; a withered hand broke through the ice, grabbing his leg, dragging him underwater.

Bola dared not look any longer.

”This ocean is cursed, magical; in your words, that’s erosion.”

Froki seemed accustomed to this, his gaze fixed on the horizon ahead, where the light path ended.

”You know us Vikings, right? When entering the Land of No Wind, where the ship cannot sail, we sacrifice a brave warrior to the gods. His blood flows into the sea, and the gods hear our call, bringing the wings of the wind.”

Froki had entered and returned from the Silent Sea countless times. Through the long bloodshed, he gradually discovered some patterns in the Silent Sea.

”Is this... a sacrifice?”

Bola widened his eyes, staring dead at Froki.

”Probably.”

Froki wasn’t sure. Gods and such felt too illusory. He raised the muzzle, pointing below the Horned Whale, then gestured towards the distant horizon.

”Now we only have two choices: die here, or reach there.”

Froki spoke, looking towards the unknown destination.

Furious blood filled Bola’s chest. Froki, with his back to him, gazed towards that promised land, while Bola hoarsely asked.

”What’s there, anyway?”

Bola couldn’t figure it out; everything tonight was too fast, too sudden for him. In an instant, his world had been torn apart.

Before being enlisted in the mission, Bola had only seen demons a few times, with those who died by his hand being countable on one hand. But now, in an instant, he had plunged into hell, with anomalies that once terrified him as common as cattle here. Awakened from the deep sea, clawing at the Horned Whale, seeming to drag it into the depths or carry it forth to the light path’s end.