Gun of Ashes

But Froki couldn’t go back to save this land; he never even thought about returning. His mind was lured by the Silent Sea, in contrast, Ice Bay’s ownership seemed trivial.

”I’m now only one step away from my life’s dream. How could I possibly give it up? Besides, what use would it be if I went back?”

Froki looked at his own hand, the flesh shriveled, making the finger bones appear extremely long and the nails sharp, like claws.

”I’ve already turned into a monster, I’m about to die, I hope I can die on this ocean, not fall on that loathsome land.”

Galron stared blankly at Froki. He never thought Froki’s attitude would be so resolute. But upon reflection, for Ice Bay, they couldn’t do anything even if they returned at this moment. In these few days, the King and the Lords were fully capable of stationing their big ships in Ice Bay.

But... but deep down, Galron still had a trace of unwillingness. He poured too much emotion into this land; it could be said that he was the shadow lord of this land. Now, what Froki was about to do was undoubtedly to give up everything.

But none of this belonged to Galron in the first place.

He clenched his fist, then released it. Many thoughts ran through Galron’s mind. As long as Froki returned, he could command the warriors... even if he returned as a corpse, there would still be room for maneuver.

Froki’s hand slipped into his bag, gripping the dagger inside. He knew very well what Galron was thinking, was also aware of his stubbornness. But unfortunately, Froki couldn’t do it; he was a selfish man, who cared for nothing in pursuit of his dreams.

Whether it was Ice Bay or the shipyard, everything was just a tool to aid his exploration of the Silent Sea. As for power and wealth, Froki never cared about them.

He wasn’t sure if in Galron’s heart, he would still respect him at this moment, or would he go mad for his Ice Bay. Froki felt a little excited, curious about the choices his subordinates would make, and he was prepared to kill them if needed.

”So... it’s still a no...”

Galron finally released his clenched fist. He sighed helplessly, then looked at Froki despondently.

”May Odin bless you, sir.”

Galron extended his hand, gently hugged Froki, then supported himself with a crutch, limping away.

Froki watched his departing figure, knowing full well that this would be their last meeting. But he said nothing to keep him, not even words of comfort. He simply watched Galron leave until he disappeared from view, without a trace.

...

The Plague Doctor walked along the dark corridor. To avoid causing psychological stress to the other crew members, he casually picked up a gas mask to cover his head, hiding his unsightly, crimson face.

He was draped in an orange raincoat, which was quite thin, but just right for the Plague Doctor. His blood was extremely hot, and the current cold wasn’t enough to affect him.

He pushed open door after door to the cabins, arriving at a bright place. The pungent smell of disinfectant hit him; he had arrived at the medical cabin. Blankets were laid on the floor, used as makeshift beds, filled with injured people.

The Plague Doctor walked through the gaps, some ship doctors noticed him, even greeted him.

Just a few days ago, they were mortal enemies, and now they were struggling on the same ship. And because of the Plague Doctor’s medical knowledge, quite a few ship doctors liked him. Someone even privately suggested to Lorenzo that they shouldn’t kill him, perhaps break his limbs and take him back to Black Mountain Hospital, where they could have some fun with him.

They said Dean Abigail would surely love this gift.

Of course, the Plague Doctor wasn’t aware of these bizarre ideas from the ship doctors. These guys, like the technicians of the Perpetual Motion Pump, were somewhat abnormal. Seeing the dire situation, they viewed it as a large-scale experiment, and while treating others, they also didn’t forget to write experimental logs.

The Plague Doctor had nothing to prepare; he couldn’t think of anything he needed to prepare. After all, he was just a Scholar, with not much knowledge about the icy glaciers.

He asked some nearby ship doctors, and after finding out her position, entered the area protected by soldiers. The Plague Doctor walked around, then stopped.

Next to him, the door was ajar, and he sensed a familiar presence. The Plague Doctor pushed the door open, seeing two unfortunate souls tied up like zongzi on the hospital bed.

It was Bola and Hebdo. They looked mentally exhausted, half-awake and half-asleep. Beside them were scattered bottles of the Florun Potion, with several empty ones lying on the ground.

Closing the door, the Plague Doctor saw the figure blocking his front.

”Why are you here, Plague Doctor?”

A black gun barrel was thrust in front of him. Blue Jade raised the pistol with one hand, looking warily at the visiting Plague Doctor.

She had recovered quite well. Although her arm still couldn’t move, she stubbornly came out to do what she could. Blue Jade had discovered the sneaky Plague Doctor and warned him.

”Here... to say goodbye.”

The Plague Doctor spoke the truth. For now, he had no reason to harm these people. Raising his empty hands, he signaled friendliness.

Blue Jade wanted to say something more, but was interrupted by another voice.

”Let him go, Blue Jade.”