Gun of Ashes

Lorenzo’s mind recalled those Faceless People, kneeling at the edge of the Well of Ascension. Who knows how long they’ve been there, like sculptures, stepping into eternity.

”Whether the Secret Keepers are humans or monsters, under this cycle of iteration, they cannot avoid such a fate, can they?”

Lorenzo felt he had found the answer, speaking rapidly, recalling how the once glorious era had descended into darkness. How long could these sanctuaries last?

”Flesh decays and ages, and even in Ascension, one may lose oneself over the long passage of time.”

Then he stood at a loss.

”The Secret Keepers are all dead... The Victoria family was the last to see them...

Yes, because they all died, that’s why Merlin returned in vain, and that’s why we found nothing...”

They watched as Lorenzo’s momentum gradually waned. He wavered, then walked to the edge of the monument and sat down against it.

This time no one urged Lorenzo to make a decision. He needed time to accept it all. In reality, in their eyes, Lorenzo was something of a mad believer, and now his faith had collapsed.

No matter what kind of monsters they were, or what beliefs they held, they always had the heart of a mortal.

Just like refining metal, no matter how purified, it’s hard to eliminate the impurities of being human.

”I want to try again.”

Lorenzo staggered to his feet. He seemed to age in that moment, his eyes full of fatigue.

”Perhaps there are still surviving Secret Keepers. They exist to preserve knowledge, so they must have sought every means to continue their existence. They must still be here.”

”What are you going to do? Run around here shouting?”

The Plague Doctor couldn’t help but ask. This journey had indeed brought him much knowledge, but if they couldn’t find the Secret Keepers, all this was far from worth risking his life and getting lost in it.

”No, I just need the erosion to spread.”

As he spoke, a blazing white storm swirled in Lorenzo’s eyes.

”I want to search for the nearby Gaps, for the Secret Keepers’ Gaps. As long as one is alive, the Gap must exist.”

Simple and swift, but the cost is Lorenzo must confront the ubiquitous Anti-Meme. And possibly because of the core location, the Anti-Meme’s strength here far surpasses the outskirts.

Watson was somewhat terrified. She wanted to stop Lorenzo, but there was no time for that now. When Lorenzo spoke these words, he had already begun the action.

In the current situation, Ingwig couldn’t organize another voyage. Lorenzo had encountered the Watchers and would inevitably face their deadly attacks. In any case, this was the last chance to break the cycle. Otherwise, everyone connected to this would perish in the hunt.

His heart pounded violently; blood boiled. The moment Lorenzo unleashed the erosion, he was immediately counterattacked by the Anti-Meme. The cognitive world kept collapsing, but soon, the blazing white storm devoured everything.

Authority·Gabriel.

The invisible storm expanded outward, greedily searching for any possible life, plundering their Gaps.

Lorenzo couldn’t hold on for long. He had only a few seconds. The power spread wildly, but before it could extend beyond these iron woods, the storm collapsed.

Blood oozed from the corners of his eyes, as if invisible claws were tearing his body apart, surface wounds appeared on multiple places. The intense impact lingered in his mind, and Lorenzo stumbled and fell to one side, his breath weak, as if he were about to die.

He didn’t completely fall. Lorenzo drew out the Nail Sword and thrust it into the ice, stubbornly holding himself up, his eyes bloodshot, staring intently in the direction they came from.

Lorenzo failed. The Anti-Meme’s power here was too strong; his erosion couldn’t spread too far, but still, Lorenzo sensed something.

During the spread of erosion, he felt obstructed by something, roughly human-shaped, and it was slowly moving towards here.

”Something’s coming.”

Lorenzo murmured.

There was joy in his heart, but also fear.

At the World’s End, aside from them, the only life that could exist was likely the Secret Keeper. But if it’s not a Secret Keeper, then who could it be?

Footsteps echoed in the darkness. That figure appeared in their sight, clad in silver armor, leaning on a sharp spear.

The Pioneer walked to the group’s side like that, sitting down by the campfire with the spear in his arms.

The helmet shifted slightly, as if observing them, then he spoke.

”What is it you wish to ask, seekers of Truth?”