Gun of Ashes

Froki walked forward slowly with a grim expression, carrying big bags and small bags, with weapons at his waist.

As a seasoned explorer, the bitter cold of the Silent Sea was not enough to break Froki. He knew exactly what supplies he needed, so before Lorenzo announced departure, Froki was gathering the things he would use on the ship.

He was different from those monsters; although his body was mutated, possessing Demon’s power temporarily, that power came at a cost. Moreover, compared to Lorenzo and the others, this power seemed so insignificant.

Froki had a clear understanding of his condition. He was acutely aware that he had only a few days left to live. The deeper he ventured, the more intense the corrosive power became, accelerating the mutation of his body, until it transformed him into a loathsome Demon.

He knew all of this well, so he never thought about turning back.

His life had long entered a countdown. Typically, faced with such a trial, an ordinary person would panic, howl, and become recklessly insane, but Froki was calm, as if what was approaching was not death, but another new beginning.

Picking up a backpack filled with Florun Potion, given to him by the ship’s doctor, these resources were originally extremely vital, but amidst the mass casualties, they appeared abundant.

Froki sorted through these items, then looked up at the bustling cabin.

This was originally the preparation room for the Armor of Original Sin, but under these harsh circumstances, Lorenzo focused on these major cabins, moving all personnel here, concentrating resources to provide warmth and medical assistance.

Other areas were completely sealed off to make the gigantic Iron Armor ship feel smaller and to facilitate inspections by patrol teams.

The technicians were busy, and after providing Froki with the weapons he needed, they hurriedly repaired the damaged Black Angel.

Froki could see the monster clad in Iron Feather hanging from a nearby scaffold. Technicians repaired its damaged areas, while its flesh slowly grew and wriggled, enveloping the metal all together.

The soldiers pushed over heavy fuel tanks, then chained them up, seemingly preparing to equip them on the Black Angel.

This was Lorenzo’s decision. He decided to bring the Black Angel on this final journey. This armor would achieve unexpected effects when necessary, and it could also carry a substantial amount of supplies to assist with exploration.

Most of the things Froki prepared would also be carried by the Black Angel, which made things much more convenient for him.

Thinking of this, Froki let out a long sigh and then smiled helplessly.

It was quite a joyous moment; his longing for many years had become reality. Now all he needed to do was move forward and then die somewhere; he felt it was great.

”Lord Froki...”

A familiar voice sounded, and Froki looked over, only to see Galron hobbling over with a cane.

Froki felt a bit troubled; the last person he wanted to see was here.

Galron had a somewhat bitter smile on his face. He slowly came to Froki’s side and then sat down with effort.

The two sat together, but no words were spoken, only silence remained.

They had a master-servant relationship, having spent many years together and once risking life and limb together, yet now the distance felt particularly pronounced. Galron attempted to say something several times but in the end, no sound emerged.

Froki continued packing his things without saying anything, until Galron finally managed to speak, expressing his sorrow.

”Lord... Cliff is dead,” Galron said with his head down, like a defeated hound. ”Never thought he’d die here.”

Cliff was akin to how Galron was to Froki; they had worked together for a long time, hard to let go. But now Cliff was dead, fallen in this place.

”He died bravely.”

Froki responded slowly. He had already anticipated this; when he did not see Cliff, he sensed he had already perished.

Galron chuckled bitterly, then said.

”What a strange adventure we had, originally trapped in Ice Bay, under attack by the Apocalypse Society. We almost died there, only to be rescued by this group.”

Galron looked up, eyeing the soldiers and technicians coming and going. They altered the routes, while the residual heat from the combustion room provided warmth here to counteract the steel-filled cold.

”I thought we’d narrowly escape, only to step into another Hell... Lord, are you really going to go with them?”

He looked at Froki, once a determined face now distorted by corrosion, his features deeply sunken into withered folds, yet Galron could still recognize Froki’s visage.

Froki felt somewhat awful, as he had never wanted to face these matters, this decision wasn’t easy for him. After all, he wasn’t a free man; he was Lord Willgardson, bound by power and responsibility.

”I understand what you mean, but as I said before, Galron, I am a very selfish man.”

Froki stopped what he was doing and slowly turned his head.

They were all desperados, but Froki was different; he was a Lord, responsible for his domain. Normally, he could delegate these responsibilities to Galron to handle, but as war with the Plague Doctor raged, Ice Bay was engulfed in fire, and neither the King nor the Lords would spare this place. This was when Ice Bay needed him the most.