Gun of Ashes

Lorenzo couldn’t be bothered with the Plague Doctor’s nonsense; to him, these things are absolutely impossible, but within the armor, Watson felt slightly stirred by the Plague Doctor’s words.

Watson still remembers what happened before, inside the Winchester Law Firm, when she nearly lost control... She almost killed Eve.

On the journey to the Viking countries, Watson also reflected on these matters. But the more she thought about it, the more terrified she became. She realized that at that time, it seemed she wasn’t out of control; that was actually her true self.

The Watson Lorenzo knows now, full of humanity and possessing ethical morals, is actually a persona she deliberately put on.

Ever since embarking on the path of Ascension, she was no longer human. When she lost her connection to the present world, she would no longer empathize with people.

This is a terrifying omen, but she remained silent, not knowing how to speak about it.

The atmosphere grew silent during this long trek. There were no demons, and no mutations, only a seemingly endless journey. The four of them continued, as if walking in a white, cold desert.

The current scene actually relieved them somewhat. The surrounding scenery wasn’t bad either; if they forgot their original mission, this could be considered a nice outing.

Froki remained immersed in singing tales of the afterlife, though such matters sounded pessimistic. However, Lorenzo saw no trace of sadness in him; this guy was excited.

In Froki’s words, though death awaits, he would also fulfill his ideals and die with great value...

Lorenzo couldn’t understand these Vikings’ mindset and didn’t bother trying to. But by Froki’s logic, among these people, Lorenzo least wanted to die here; he had too much left to do, and his burial place was far from here.

The four continued silently for a long time. Under the interference of erosion, neither a compass nor clocks could function properly. Perceptions like the sense of time were affected, let alone any electronic devices.

Lorenzo could only raise his head, using the sun’s position to estimate the time, and judging the correct direction by the increase in erosion strength.

They left footprints as they advanced, and the scenery around them kept repeating.

”Holmes, do you think there will be Watchers stationed at this so-called World’s End?”

The Plague Doctor broke the silence. Silence drives one mad; he wanted to find a topic to ease this disturbing anxiety.

”Who knows? After all we’ve experienced, even if true gods appear there, I won’t be surprised,” Lorenzo said.

Actually, during this Silent Sea journey, Lorenzo had obtained a lot of useful information. The so-called Watchers are none other than Demon Hunters possessing Authority: Gabriel. Long ago, they transformed into invisible spirits, guarding the barriers to prevent anyone from knowing the truth of the world.

For this reason, they’ve locked the Silent Sea up layer by layer. The Messiah-class demons, only described in the Church’s records, dwell beneath the Silent Sea, while these transformed Watcher Demon Hunters reside in Leviathan’s Gap, forming an illusory Static Holy Temple as their base.

Lorenzo suspected that perhaps this giant Leviathan also came from the Watchers’ hands. After seeing the once Static Holy Temple within the Gap, Lorenzo believed the former Demon Hunting Order was far stronger than he anticipated.

”Adren Levien.”

Lorenzo softly murmured this name; he remembered this name.

Deep in his memories, Lorenzo de’ Medici had once mentioned this name to him; he was one of the former Popes who personally sealed Authority: Gabriel.

”Gods...?”

The Plague Doctor softly hummed this name that held his soul in sway.

They had already embarked on the path of Ascension; perhaps the so-called gods were the final destination of this journey.

Lorenzo moved forward, and this time his foot did not sink deeply into the snow; he noticed the snow had become shallower. Kicking it away, he found patches of solid ice below.

The Plague Doctor noticed this too; theoretically, the snow here shouldn’t change much. He stretched out his hand and felt a sudden cool breeze.

”There’s wind.”

The Plague Doctor looked at Lorenzo, who nodded.

”Our direction is correct. In this Land of No Wind, encountering an area washed by the wind... means we are getting closer to the World’s End.”

”How do you know?” Froki asked Lorenzo.

”Erosion is memetic. Once recognized, the Watchers will descend. Thus, theoretically, the Secret Keepers at World’s End are the Watchers’ primary enemies. They inherently attract the Watchers’ attention.

But in reality, the Secret Keepers have always existed. Even after so many years, they haven’t been eliminated,” Lorenzo explained.

”The World’s End certainly has its own defenses. It can resist the spread of erosion so that even the Watchers cannot cross its barriers, and it is exactly these things that protect the Secret Keepers.”

The previously silent Watson now spoke.

”For instance, the wind we are currently feeling... Because of erosion, the Silent Sea lost its natural physical laws. The sea was silent, devoid of wind or any signs of life. Now these distorted laws are gradually correcting. We are entering the zone of influence of the World’s End. Like a buffer zone opposing erosion, it serves as a sanctuary for these Secret Keepers.”