Gun of Ashes

This is a curse that has been passed down for a thousand years, how could it be broken so easily?

”Right, it’s obviously impossible with just us, but this world is far larger than you imagine, Plague Doctor. We are not alone.”

Lorenzo’s heart surged with emotion. He suddenly understood why those guys were hiding beyond the sea; from the beginning, they themselves were an experiment.

This world has gone through countless cycles, and within these cycles, there will always be people far more outstanding than Lorenzo, who will realize this. The rescue plan was initiated long before, and Lorenzo was only fortunate enough to become a part of it.

Although trapped in a white Hell, Lorenzo’s heart was illuminated by hope. Amidst this heavy depression, he finally found that slightest bit of odds.

”But before that, let’s think about how to drag out that fourth unlucky fellow.”

Lorenzo turned around with a solemn expression.

He couldn’t remember who the fourth fellow was, but it was certain that the forgetting was mutual. When Lorenzo forgot about his existence, it proved that he had already been erased by the Anti-Meme.

”He might be right by our side, turning into a closed corpse after forgetting all the information, dragged along by us as we advance.”

[Watson, do you have any ideas?]

Lorenzo asked in the Gap.

[No, I can’t sense the existence of the fourth fellow either. You could say that I’m more severely affected by the Anti-Meme than you are.]

Watson’s voice sounded very uneasy.

Lorenzo didn’t ask further; he understood Watson’s predicament.

After stepping into Ascension, Watson had completely abandoned material existence, becoming a void specter. While the principles behind this were unclear, it was certain that Watson had also become one of the Root Sources of erosion.

The Ascenders of void can freely release erosion, thereby affecting others and spreading harmful information.

In this land filled with Anti-Meme, Watson was constantly being repelled. After all, she was no different from the Watchers. More importantly, in her void form, she couldn’t use the Florun Potion.

[But maybe we can spread the erosion.]

[Spread the erosion?]

[Exactly. The intensity of the Anti-Meme also varies. By using erosion to deplete the Anti-Meme, perhaps there will be a fleeting moment of opportunity to loosen the influence of the Anti-Meme, allowing us to recall some forgotten things.]

Firelight rolled between the gaps of Iron Armor as Lorenzo looked towards Black Angel, uncertainly asking.

[Is this feasible?]

[I don’t know. The Anti-Meme itself is unknown, and exploring the unknown results in more unknowns. I don’t know if it’ll succeed, but it’s worth a try.]

[This place itself is meant to hinder the advance of the Watchers. Once you use your power, won’t it attract attention?]

[Who knows? But regardless, we will face it head-on sooner or later, so we might as well conduct more experiments now. At least we can understand its nature in more detail.]

Lorenzo stopped talking, actually doubting if this experiment would uncover more information about the Anti-Meme.

The Anti-Meme itself is ”unknown.”

”Maybe the fourth person is just your illusion, Holmes,” Plague Doctor said at this point, feeling unlike Lorenzo the fourth person might not exist.

”You might have already been influenced, leading to such an illusion. There was no fourth person from the start.”

Lorenzo looked at the Plague Doctor, stating firmly.

”I trust my Intuition, Plague Doctor. Others have attempted to deceive me with such ridiculous ways before, trying to mislead me, but the actual Truth is that I am correct.”

Lorenzo felt confident in confronting the Anti-Meme, and it was this technique that allowed him to uncover secrets buried deep within his soul.

”Heracles taught me that, compared to you all, I trust my memory more.”

Lorenzo pointed to his head, where in the tangle of blood and nerves lay a hidden and immense palace.

Of course, these were secondary; one major reason for Lorenzo’s stubbornness was his unwillingness to gamble.

He couldn’t remember who the fourth person was; he might be insignificant, or he might be someone extremely important to Lorenzo. Lorenzo could easily succumb to the power of the Anti-Meme, completely forgetting him and pretending nothing had ever happened.

But now that Lorenzo was aware of these, he could no longer pretend he knew nothing. He couldn’t, and couldn’t bear to.

[Let’s begin, Watson.]

As Lorenzo spoke these words, the fire between the gaps of Black Angel grew increasingly bright. At the same time, they could feel an oppressive force enveloping the surrounding region, followed by a sudden gust.

Erosion was exposed under the Anti-Meme, and the compressed Anti-Meme began its repulsion. Watson held on tightly, unsure of how far the Anti-Meme’s backlash would go. Their opportunity was only a matter of seconds.

Lorenzo closed his eyes, and in those few seconds, towering stones rose up, imprisoning the three within.

Bricks swelled and shifted on the stones, interlocking and stacking, forming stepped platforms and domes. The air writhed as transparent crystals grew along the stone window edges, merging together, vibrant colors staining them, transforming into stained glass.