Gun of Ashes

Lorenzo looked up and gazed at the clear starry sky.

The deep pain in his mind drove him mad, yet this profound starry sky kept him calm, like being immersed in slightly cold seawater, soothing all his stress, releasing his tense nerves...

Aurora and starlight intertwined, resembling a splendid ribbon, entangling and continuing over the Silent Sea, spreading like a path to the end of the road, guiding everyone’s course forward.

It seemed His appearance was more like a test, the Morning Glow Advance passed the test, and so their voyage no longer had storms and thunder, nor chasing Demons. The regrettable cold and erosion still existed, like invisible Evil Ghosts, wandering in the shadows where light couldn’t reach.

Small flames rose from the ruins of the Morning Glow Advance, casting long and short shadows. A few people, wrapped in heavy coats, sat around the heater, with no air currents flowing around—Silent Sea’s windless nature reduced the assault of cold somewhat.

”So... is this what it means?”

Listening to Watson’s explanation, Selyu finally felt relieved and sighed deeply.

She exhaled a breath of white air and extended her hand beside the heater, with the burning flames illuminating her face.

”Gabriel, Watcher, apocalypse... too much to take in all at once.”

Selyu muttered softly, and the thoughts of the others were similar to hers.

Since the sea battle ended a few hours ago, the anticipated doom did not arrive. He ceased acting and chose silence, allowing the Morning Glow Advance to move forward once more, enabling everyone to advance without danger until now.

The survivors started working; Froki controlled the sailing, and Watson drove the Black Angel to transport and dismantle, throwing debris into the sea. Her power also helped eradicate the Demons lurking inside the ship, making the living environment much safer.

The Plague Doctor joined the ship’s doctors to treat the ones not yet deceased. Initially, Lorenzo was somewhat uneasy about him, but after the Plague Doctor dragged Bola and Hebdo from Death God’s hands, Lorenzo just went along with it.

However, the Plague Doctor’s medical methods were somewhat hard to stomach. Lorenzo felt physically uncomfortable watching, and some soldiers observing directly vomited, yet the ship’s doctors observed with keen interest, asking the Plague Doctor a pile of knowledge Lorenzo couldn’t understand.

But it made sense after thinking—these ship doctors came from Black Mountain Hospital, carefully selected good fellows from the large psychiatric hospital. It’s natural they could converse with the Plague Doctor.

After proceeding orderly for a while, it was now that Lorenzo gathered everyone here.

Because of Watson’s joining, she brought a large amount of intelligence, and Lorenzo felt it was time to share these with others. After all, they had stepped on the last road, knowing more or less before dying made little difference.

Everyone had fought hard, finally reaching this point. Lorenzo felt they had the right to know, and he himself couldn’t keep these secrets forever—he already felt his own helplessness.

”So, are these monsters essentially Demon Hunters? A group of Demon Hunters active thousands of years ago, even further back in time?”

Listening to Watson’s story, the Plague Doctor only felt it was somewhat crazy.

”I already thought today’s Demon Hunters were absurd enough, yet their predecessors were even more exaggerated?”

The blood and flesh on the Plague Doctor’s face twisted and wriggled; no one could read his expression or tell whether he was joyful or sorrowful.

In his perception, Lawrence and Lorenzo were already top-tier monsters, yet monsters like them were countless beneath this sea.

”No, to be precise, we are inferior to our predecessors. From the Nation-Builder’s mouth, it’s known this world’s history is erroneous, repeated countless times of cycles and iterations, resulting in many conflicting and abrupt forces here.”

Lorenzo withdrew his gaze from the stars and addressed the others.

”I suspect what Lawrence saw as apocalypse is the world’s new cycle, and the Nation-Builders incited wars for this. They believe excess population will attract the monsters beyond the barrier, which the Watchers have always been protecting.”

”Instead of saying protecting, describing it as imprisoning is more accurate.”

Watson said slowly.

”These Watchers always guard outside the barrier, preventing people from exploring the darkness beyond. In reality, they are just Prison Guards, stopping anyone from releasing what’s beyond the barrier.”

”Then what’s beyond the barrier?” the Plague Doctor continued to ask.

Watson was stunned for a moment; she shook her head.

”I don’t know.”

She pondered for a bit and then said.

”When I arrived at the Static Holy Temple, I encountered the new Pope there. I shared the current intelligence with him, which is what everyone knows. He invited me to explore the Well of Ascension together...”

Upon hearing Watson’s words, Lorenzo’s expression changed slightly. Fortunately, in the flickering light, everyone’s attention was captivated by Watson’s words, and no one noticed his subtle facial expression.

Well of Ascension.

Lorenzo still remembered the opulent palace he saw in the [Gap]. It was unclear how many cycles and iterations it had experienced, yet Lorenzo could still recall those figures kneeling beside the Well of Ascension.