Gun of Ashes

”Check for casualties and hull damage!”

”Put out the fire first!”

”Ship doctor! Ship doctor!”

The Morning Glow Advance was filled with a cacophony of voices as the crew anxiously ran around the deck, transporting the wounded and clearing the debris.

Captain Notar also emerged from the command room. With his extensive experience, he wasn’t new to handling such post-battle matters and began organizing the scene.

The deck trembled slightly with the sound of footsteps reverberating as a tall figure approached slowly.

The Weapon Master walked by, steam rising from his body, brushing past the crew members.

After repeatedly firing the Spear of Melting, parts of the Weapon Master’s armor started to glow slightly red; raindrops fell, sizzling as they made contact.

Whenever anyone passed by, they couldn’t help but glance at this sinister machine. The eerie machinery had just showcased an awe-inspiring power; it had been lying dormant in the lower deck all along, unbeknownst to anyone.

Bola maneuvered the Weapon Master back to the lift platform, chains hanging on the Armor of Original Sin, securing it tightly in place. The machinery pushed through blood and flesh as the armor on the back of the neck lifted, allowing Bola to crawl out with difficulty.

He didn’t look in good shape. Although the Weapon Master was a Second Generation Armor, it was still somewhat taxing for a mortal body to operate, so Bola injected himself with a dose of Florun Potion to ease the strain brought by this corrosion.

Awake and confused thoughts swirled in his mind, accompanied by a strange feeling of nausea.

Once the engine ceased, the pulsing flesh sank back into slumber, and the neural cables attached to his body disconnected one by one as Bola laboriously climbed down from the towering Weapon Master.

Bola’s body was sticky with secretions from the Demon flesh, a gelatinous substance that filled the gaps between him and the armor, ensuring a complete fit to cushion impacts and the like.

”So tired...”

Bola rubbed his head vigorously, staring upwards as he saw a trail of fire rise into the sky. The Black Angel emerged from the burning wreckage, riding the fierce winds toward the Morning Glow Advance.

A fixed stake had long been placed on the deck, reserved for the Black Angel, preventing its grapple from damaging other parts of the ship.

After a brief tremor, the Black Angel landed on the deck, its grapple coiling like a wrestling snake before settling silently among the Iron Feathers as it moved toward the Weapon Master. This was the only lift platform on the Morning Glow Advance that led directly to the maintenance bay.

”How’s the ship damage?”

Lorenzo climbed out from the neck of the Black Angel. As the engine stopped, the Demon’s flesh retracted beneath the armor and machinery, making the Black Angel appear more gaunt, like a silent sculpture.

”It’s alright. The outer armor reinforced with Pine Iron blocked most of the shelling. A small part pierced through the armor, hitting some compartments, but they’re all sealed chambers. Some deck cannons are severely damaged as well,” Bola said.

”Looks like we’ll have to repair for a while.”

Lorenzo jumped down from the Black Angel. Perhaps it was the difference in constitution. After driving the Armor of Original Sin, Bola appeared much weaker, even climbing down from the armor in a frail, shaky manner like an old man.

In contrast, Lorenzo was full of energy. The naval battle just now seemed as effortless for him as taking a stroll.

”It’s not just that. The damage to the cannons isn’t the main issue, as we’re never short on firepower. The main concern is the outer armor,” Bola explained. ”Some parts are severely damaged and need to be replaced directly.”

”Looks like we’ll need to stay a bit longer at Ice Bay.”

Lorenzo said helplessly. For the maintenance of an ironclad ship, only Ice Bay seemed capable of accommodating such a task in these impoverished Viking nations.

Hearing the name, Bola’s expression remained calm. Perhaps the armor had left him too exhausted to show any emotion, even if he wanted to.

Footsteps approached, and more figures in white coats emerged from the cabin, their robes adorned with a serpent biting its own tail.

For this mission, the Perpetual Motion Pump had dispatched some personnel to accompany them. They were responsible for maintaining the complex equipment on the Morning Glow Advance, including the Armor of Original Sin.

”Prepare to leave this sea area, Captain Notar. It seems we need to pick up the pace.”

Lorenzo shouted to Notar.

”What about those pirates?”

Notar glanced at the burning inferno ahead. As daylight broke, it illuminated the desolate battlefield, with corpses and wreckage floating on the sea’s surface as the massive ironclad ship descended slowly like a white whale.

Faint cries for help could be heard. The battle had been brutal, but some pirates had managed to survive. The furious waves crashed around them, and in such freezing conditions, they wouldn’t last long.

”Leave them be. The storm will swallow everyone eventually,”

Lorenzo said indifferently.

The storm in the distance continued, bringing gales and giant waves. The wreckage of the ironclad ship formed a temporary fort on the sea, offering them slight protection. But once the flames extinguished and it sank completely, they would be swept into a whirlpool of death.

”We need to leave quickly too. The storm will catch up to us before long.”

This skirmish had significantly delayed their progress. Lorenzo only wanted to swiftly distance himself from this awful sea area.

The sky brightened, with a clear light blue gradually advancing, eventually stopping before a gray-black iron curtain. It shared the sky with the storm, presenting a scene rarely witnessed by the ordinary eye.