Gun of Ashes

Now the Plague Doctor has temporarily fallen under Lorenzo’s control, and if Lorenzo so desired, he could easily end the Plague Doctor’s life here.

This thought flashed through his mind and was soon discarded by Lorenzo; for one thing, they were now on the same side, and more importantly, the Plague Doctor’s life was too long-lived.

After experiencing so much, Lorenzo came to this conclusion.

The longer some people live, the more insane they become, more like uncontrollable monsters. No one knows if the Plague Doctor, who opened the [Gap] so calmly, still has some tricks up his sleeve.

Or rather, the Plague Doctor believes... the Plague Doctor believes that if Lorenzo saw what he had seen, he would never kill him.

That thing was too terrifying. The moment Lorenzo saw it, he would immediately understand that relying on his own power alone, there was no chance of survival, and he would inevitably need the Plague Doctor.

Lorenzo controlled the Plague Doctor’s body, opened his eyes, and observed the world he saw.

Cold seawater surrounded him, and under the Sea Serpent’s stealthy movement, the Plague Doctor, parasitizing on its body, was dragged into the sea, but it was not a big problem; scarlet tentacles intertwined continuously, rapidly healing the broken body.

Lorenzo looked down into the abyss below; this sea area was clear and transparent, but as the depth increased, the light struggled to penetrate further. However, as the Sea Serpent released its radiance, burning with fury, the darkness in the deep sea was expelled, and the light pierced the seawater, illuminating the unseen depths.

In an instant, his heart plunged into an ice cellar, and Lorenzo saw it.

He saw the scale-covered snake body extending into the writhing darkness below, saw more slender, scale-covered snake bodies swaying in the deep sea, and he also saw similar snake bodies connecting the darkness and the Horned Whale.

Lorenzo’s consciousness was brutally struck by reality, with blazing white light flickering between the scale gaps, undulating on the snake’s body like breathing.

Such ripples spread in the darkness. Lorenzo could see such light waves echoing in the depths of the sea floor, spreading to depths unreachable by the eye, and he also saw it spreading outward, constantly causing disturbances, reaching the edge of the sea.

The twilight skimmed over, revealing black mountain ranges, one after another, forming pitch-black, fleshy mountains in the deep sea.

This was its full appearance.

It was never a giant Sea Serpent, nor the giant serpent of mythology; this was an existence far beyond mortal comprehension, and what Lorenzo encountered now was just one of its countless tentacles, not even awake, with its attacks just mere light slumbers.

This is the Root Source of the Silent Sea’s erosion.

A super-giant Demon covering the entire sea bed.

For hundreds of years, it slept here, guarding the world’s end, spreading massive erosion toward the sea area.

Lorenzo didn’t even know if he should describe it as a Demon, such a majestic and terrifying existence.

”Leviathan...”

He whispered.

By now, Lorenzo couldn’t help but use the monsters described in the Gospel to describe everything before him.

”The magnificent [Messiah], the Demon called Leviathan.”

Lorenzo took a deep breath; this was from the records of the Evangelical Church, which once seemed to Lorenzo as just mythological distortion, but now it seemed that perhaps what was recorded was true, only it had been so long, long enough for those familiar with it to die, long enough for the newly born to regard it as folly.

”Are you afraid, Holmes?”

Another voice rang out; it was the Plague Doctor.

Under the invasion of the [Gap], the wills of the two began to interact. Lorenzo could sense the Plague Doctor’s emotions, and the Plague Doctor could also feel Lorenzo’s.

Lorenzo didn’t answer, but he felt it right after, the emotions from the Plague Doctor.

Fervor, still the same unfaltering fervor.

”Holmes, my research is correct, my theory is correct, my Truth is right.”

Under the oppression of this giant being, the Plague Doctor muttered madly.

In this world, there are no Gods, nor any creature capable of having such a massive, non-self-destructive body, so the answer leaves but one.

”Is this ’Ascension’?”

The Plague Doctor murmured, then immediately denied his own words.

”No... it’s not right.”

He felt something was amiss, but couldn’t quite pinpoint the error, only vaguely sensing its presence.

The Plague Doctor must have overlooked something.

Lorenzo remained silent, quietly gazing at the dark mountains, saying nothing.

Above the sea, winds and clouds surged, and with the Sea Serpent’s approach, heavy angry tides struck the ship’s body. Hebdo and Cliff stood within it with difficulty, striving to tighten the cables used to stabilize the Armor of Original Sin beside them, to prevent themselves from being swept off the deck by splashing waves.

”Careful!”

Hebdo exclaimed as a Demon crawled onto the deck with the splashing waves. Cliff attempted to swing his Folding Blade, but an Aluminothermic Bomb hit the Demon first.

In the narrow shadow, Selyu raised the Aluminothermic Rifle, hitting a shot, then gave Hebdo a thumbs up.

Hebdo could faintly see the girl’s silhouette; she was indeed obedient, staying in a safe area. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to praise her marksmanship or her ability to find loopholes.

”Where’s Lorenzo? Is he playing dead again?”

Hebdo shouted loudly; he didn’t understand the nature of Authority · Gabriel, only knowing that since the naval battle began, this guy Lorenzo had been dawdling inside the Black Angel.