Gun of Ashes

This is the epic sung by poets, and everyone in this realm can’t help but feel their spirits surge as they witness this scene that should not exist in the rational world, as the fear in their hearts quickly spreads with the display of this absolute sight.

It was as if a giant rift had been struck between heaven and earth, swallowing all matter, swirling it together, stirring up furious waves. The morning light and starlight were shattered by it, breaking into a myriad of dazzling lights.

The Blood Shark and Morning Glow Advance fired at each other, suppressing the advance of the Horned Whale. A few days ago, they were still mortal enemies, but now stood together because of another greater threat.

”Humans are always like this, hating each other, fighting each other, but when faced with a greater threat, they often unite with their enemies, and once the threat is resolved, they start hating and killing each other again.”

The Plague Doctor spoke softly, having seen too many such things in his long life.

Brothers turning against each other, fathers and sons becoming enemies, it seems humans are always like this, continuously making mistakes, repeating cycles.

”Maybe, humans are both noble and despicable... Who can say why?”

Lorenzo couldn’t be bothered to ponder these matters. He glanced at the tattered bird-beak mask and showed an inexplicable smile.

”But what’s that, Plague Doctor, what’s in the box?”

The Plague Doctor lifted the safe in his hand, not directly answering Lorenzo’s question.

”Some personal items.”

”They must be important if at such a crucial moment, you need to have them with you.”

Lorenzo watched the safe for a while but didn’t press further.

”Perhaps in the future... or even in a few hours, this thing will be handed over to you, Mr. Holmes.”

The Plague Doctor suddenly said, beneath thick lenses were scarlet eyes.

”What is this? A gift prepared for me? This sounds so strange.”

”Hehe, who knows?”

The Plague Doctor hugged the safe, gently stroking the cold metal, seemingly a bit unclear on his own thoughts, mumbling nonsense.

Amidst the eruption of flames, cannonballs rained upon the Horned Whale, shattering the rusted metal, piercing the deck, and in no time, riddling it with holes.

Logically, this bizarre iron-clad ship should have sunk, yet it still stood steadily upon the sea, with seawater pouring through its damaged wounds. Despite lasting so long, there was still no sign of it being dragged into the sea.

It was as if some unknown power was manipulating the Horned Whale, and it had long become the proxy of some unknown existence, delivering divine punishment to these mortals stepping into the Divine Domain.

”Demons are starting to board the ship!”

Zeus shouted, beneath the restless sea were those hideous, deathly silent faces, all stretching out their arms, clawing at the Blood Shark’s hull, emitting piercing screeches.

Those who died in the deep sea were all awakened; in this Realm of the Dead, the breath of the living should not exist.

”I’ll leave them to you since you’ve always longed for great feats, haven’t you?”

The Plague Doctor and Lorenzo stood together; this dire situation didn’t seem worthy of the Plague Doctor’s action. Both he and Lorenzo understood that these were just vanguards. The real enemy was the Sea Serpent lurking beneath the deep sea.

”Is that so?”

Zeus was taken aback, then showed an excited smile.

He originally intended to reserve his final battle for that pitch-black armor and that damned man who humiliated him. Fortunately, he didn’t die, and the Plague Doctor gave him a second chance, but the price was extraordinarily heavy.

”It’s good to use it here.”

Zeus murmured, tearing off his disguise, revealing a body as beastly as a demon’s.

Zeus’s body had already transformed into a demon-like state, with crimson, swollen muscles, protruding bones, and claws slowly growing. He was clad in simple iron armor crafted by the Plague Doctor.

It was like armor, yet also like a prison.

Among the Plague Doctor’s many experiments, Zeus was the only one who survived. His strong will enabled him to endure the dark Nightmare, allowing a human life to gain a second chance under the nourishment of demon flesh.

But this didn’t mean he survived. All the Plague Doctor could do was delay Zeus’s death by a few days.

Demon flesh was eroding the human will, and the strange echoes over the Silent Sea also affected his sanity. Honestly, the fact that Zeus could maintain his sanity till now already surprised the Plague Doctor.

As Zeus actively tapped into power, his mutation intensified, and soon he became an inhuman monster, his face distorted beyond recognition, leaving only a bloodshot single eye.

He stretched his body freely, pulling the chains on him, and one sharp spike after another, like spears, hung on Zeus’s body, arming him.

His consciousness became somewhat blurred, seemingly one second away from being overtaken by the desire for slaughter.

In this remnant of clarity, Zeus looked at the soldier beside the Plague Doctor.

”Have I seen you before? You feel very familiar.”

Zeus’s voice carried a bit of distortion. Before the soldier could respond, he continued.

”Never mind, how could that be? Almost all the people I knew are dead.”

Zeus turned and walked towards the boarding demons; his steps were not heavy, one could even say they were light. Water droplets clung to the cold metal, reflecting a picture of Hell.