Gun of Ashes

The drain is clogged. If we don’t take care of it soon, the water will overflow into the stairwell.

”Hand me the Nail Sword.”

Lorenzo shouted towards the back, and shortly after, Shao Liangye appeared with a Nail Sword, gripping the sharp blade and presenting the hilt to Lorenzo. Lorenzo grabbed it and walked into the rain.

He forcibly jabbed the Nail Sword into the drain, freeing the blockage. The water surged towards there, driving away dust and fallen leaves.

”It looks nice here.”

Shao Liangye also stepped onto the rooftop. He looked around, able to see the buildings under the rain curtain, racing Iron Serpents, and pedestrians...

”I think it’s nice too. I’ve always wanted to set up a canopy here,” Lorenzo recalled his plans from long ago, ”Place a sofa here, then a small table, sit here, bask in the sun, eat something...”

As Lorenzo spoke, he pointed to the corner where a pile of bricks was neatly stacked.

”I also planned to set up a rack here, to grill something on summer nights.”

”Why haven’t you done it?” Shao Liangye asked.

”Ah...”

Lorenzo opened his mouth to say something but hesitated, unable to find a reason, replying dryly.

”Who knows? The plan seemed perfect, but when it came time to implement it, I realized I was alone here. Living alone can be both refined and casual, so I thought—it’s probably not worth the trouble, and I just put it aside.”

Listening to his words, Shao Liangye nodded, and then sincerely said.

”Lorenzo, this is not something you can dismiss casually; it’s an attitude towards life.”

”Attitude?”

Lorenzo listened to that word, pondering something unknowable.

Cold rain hit him, but he didn’t feel cold. Staring at the city, his thoughts gradually emptied out, returning to tranquility.

Perhaps he truly should adopt a proper attitude towards living life, rather than just surviving casually—like tidying up the office nicely. Although he’s living alone now, perhaps someday in the future, he might welcome a new roommate? Moreover, Lorenzo already has a group of friends who occasionally visit, bragging and drinking with him...

Reflecting, Lorenzo fell into a state of tranquility, his expression peaceful as if he were a newlywed, his mind filled with expectations for a beautiful future—until, at a certain moment, things stirred again.

Lorenzo’s vacant eyes suddenly sharpened, his entire demeanor altering dramatically, as though invisible flames were swirling and burning around him.

No, not invisible—but tangible.

Shao Liangye stepped back slightly, pulling away from Lorenzo, seeing the water beneath Lorenzo’s feet emitting a mournful cry—it was heating up, boiling, with thin white mist rising gently.

”Lorenzo, what’s wrong?”

Shao Liangye tried calling out to Lorenzo, but Lorenzo didn’t respond, instead shifting his gaze continuously, looking in all directions.

Reflected in his blazing white pupils were the burning city.

”It... is about to start.”

Lorenzo’s voice trembled a little, his heart long prepared, but when it all truly began, he still appeared somewhat panic-stricken.

Shao Liangye didn’t understand what he meant, so he stepped into the rain too, staring at the city alongside him.

Everything seemed normal.

In the hazy rain curtain, the city functioned orderly. Pedestrians hurried along the streets, Iron Serpents dashed along the rails, stopping and starting again, leaving and taking away large crowds of citizens.

Iron Whales swam among the clouds, occasionally sounding their melodious whistles, like the call of giant whales in the deep sea.

”The erosion is spreading.”

Lorenzo spoke, feeling the omnipresent pressure as if a towering mountain was collapsing, its massive debris evenly spread across every inch of Old Dunling’s land.

”Where’s the location?”

Shao Liangye too entered a state of alert—the war they had awaited had arrived, and now they only needed to rush to the battlefield.

But Lorenzo shook his head, speaking with apparent confusion.

”Everywhere.”

”Everywhere?”

Shao Liangye stood there, knowing full well Lorenzo wouldn’t be making some bizarre joke at this time. Then a chill wind swept in, whether from fear or cold, causing Shao Liangye’s body to shiver slightly.

Everywhere.

”Erosion... has covered the entire Old Dunling, evenly scattered across each urban area, every street.”

Lorenzo took a deep breath, attempting to find the origin, only to discover there was no source. Rather, Old Dunling itself was the origin. Meanwhile, their communicators began to scream, sounding alarms. Soon, more alarms erupted on the streets, layering over one another in a hysterical scream.

Patrol Peacekeepers halted their steps. They had long been preparing for this, withdrawing their menacing weapons, as Armed Iron Serpents charged onto the streets at that moment. Broadcasts rang out, delivering the alarm to every corner.

”Emergency alert, according to meteorological observations, Old Dunling is about to experience an extraordinary heavy rainstorm. Citizens are advised to seek refuge in nearby buildings and avoid staying on the streets!”

The citizens were still somewhat unresponsive, standing on the street, unable to understand what the broadcast meant. But soon, dark shadows loomed over them.

Peacekeepers blocked the main roads, soldiers donned in raincoats appeared on the streets. The chilling atmosphere of murder informed the citizens this wasn’t a joke, even though they didn’t understand why such a large-scale response was needed when it was just a violent rainstorm. After all, Old Dunling had been through this before.

Cold rainwater washed over their ankles as the citizens lowered their heads, realizing that somehow the rain had already accumulated so much. Then waves surged in, the Thames River flooded onto the streets, aided by fierce winds, raising person-high waves, roaring past, overturning several unprepared citizens.

The broadcast rang out again, causing the citizens to scatter like frightened birds. Alongside them, flocks of black crows fled, uttering keening cries, swooping low, and vanishing into the rain mist.

In the panic, it seemed no one noticed the screams hidden in the gusty rain. Spread across Old Dunling, large Geiger counters echoed alarms with every thunderclap.

Deep underground, Merlin stood before a metal round table—this was a backup facility for the Peeping Tom System. After the Broken Dome was destroyed, this place was reactivated as the second command center for the Purification Mechanism.

On this metal round table, the architecture of Old Dunling was delicately carved, adorned with different symbols on the buildings, some of which had harmonious green lights glowing on the station symbols.

These were one after another large Geiger counters—the Peeping Tom System used these devices spread across Old Dunling to gauge the city’s erosion level.

But now, one green light after another turned warning red, engulfing Merlin’s face like blood.

Merlin’s expression remained unchanged as witnessed the last green light turn red, the scarlet glow fully unifying the entire city.

His eyes hardened and then relaxed, filled with a feeling of helplessness. Merlin sat down, somehow grateful to be part of witnessing such a momentous event.

Merlin picked up the communicator, speaking before the erosion completely disrupted communication.

”Old Dunling has fallen.”

He paused for a moment—Merlin sensed this was a very solemn and sacred moment where he should deliver some inspiring rallying cry. But as he considered it, he realized all he could say amounted to just a short sentence.

”Everyone, war has begun.”

In the shadow of history, an unknown secret war commenced with Merlin’s words, beginning just like that.