Gun of Ashes

”What... what the hell is that thing.”

The follower closely followed the priest, having witnessed Lorenzo’s fall firsthand, yet in that brief moment, Lorenzo had already exerted immense pressure on him.

The kind of power that far exceeded what a normal person could achieve in such a desperate situation... it was like scaling walls effortlessly. He couldn’t help but think of those monsters that once existed within the Church, but according to the purge that night, they should have been wiped out.

The priest remained silent, firmly quickening his pace away.

He was well aware of what the follower suspected, and this only made him more wary and anxious. It seemed that the monsters hidden in Old Dunling were more numerous than they had anticipated.

The priest dared not ponder those thoughts; he couldn’t even be sure of his own suspicions. If they were true and they were targeted by such a monster, perhaps none of them would escape this underground tunnel. He could only deceive himself to move faster.

But suddenly, a strange sound echoed from behind them.

They halted. The tunnel dug by the Inferior Rat was not far from the Rat Nest. Here, they could see what was on the platform, where they had just engaged in gunfire.

Soon after, a pale staff sword pierced the ground from the edge, and that man, using its blade, climbed up from the abyss below.

He hadn’t fallen into the reservoir. As he fell, witnessed by the informant and Kamu, Lorenzo inserted the staff sword into the wall, using his immense strength to steady himself and ascend once more.

Lorenzo looked at the tunnel, the people in the darkness showing expressions of fear.

”De... Demon Hunter?”

The priest whispered in doubt, having also witnessed the core forces of the Church. He knew well that such extraordinary physiques only appeared on those monsters, but he hadn’t expected these monsters to still be alive, and to appear within Old Dunling.

Yet, a hint of joy followed, proving they were correct. Whether Lorenzo was a Demon Hunter or not, such extraordinary power had already appeared in Old Dunling; they hadn’t misjudged the direction of their search.

”Believers... the time for martyrdom has come.”

The priest retreated slightly, his gaze sharp as a blade, gripping his handgun and looking around at the followers.

Since the new Pope took office, he initiated a major purge within the Evangelical Church. All opponents were eliminated, swiftly and cruelly. When they mobilized forces to strike back, they discovered the new Pope had already controlled everything. Forced by necessity, led by Miguel the Cardinal, they escaped.

After prolonged confrontation, this invisibly became the first civil war within the Evangelical Church. Now they received news that Lawrence had appeared in Ingwig with the Revelation manuscript, presenting an opportunity for their counterattack. If the new Pope obtained the Revelation first, they would have no chance to retaliate. But likewise, if they seized the Revelation, the new Pope would cease to be a threat.

He needed to survive, at least to bring this news back. Their faction had already been cornered into a desperate situation, and this was the last chance to overturn the odds.

”Priest Yage...”

The followers gazed at him, barely able to believe, their eyes filled with uncontrollable terror.

”As martyrs, glory still belongs to you.”

Yage said unflinchingly, the few exchanged brief glances, the internal strength seemingly overpowering their fear. They nodded resolutely, then let Yage sprint towards the surface.

They still had a chance of winning; the tunnel was so narrow, holding this position to shoot meant Lorenzo had no space to evade. They could delay for a long time, maybe even safely retreat.

Yes, no need to be so afraid, perhaps Lorenzo was just exceptionally skilled, right? He wasn’t some Demon Hunter; Demon Hunters were all extinguished long ago, and even if any survived, they wouldn’t appear in this filthy Rat Nest, would they?

The followers desperately tried to reassure themselves, and within this brief moment, Lorenzo had already climbed up, his body dampened by mist, water droplets falling from the smoothly gliding staff sword.

His wet clothes clung tightly to his body, sketching a silhouette in black, his head slightly lowered like a scarecrow in the fields.

The gaze slowly rose, meeting the brief stares of the followers in the darkness, and the next moment gunfire erupted like a starter pistol, as the followers fired, Lorenzo began to sprint.

The staff sword trailed a pale arc of light, dangerously compelling.

He emanated an indescribable aura of oppression, akin to the Death God announcing doom, as if once he decided to knock on the door, nothing you did could stop him, not even delay.

The physical body exploded with unbelievable strength, swiftly wielding the staff sword, iron collided in the air. This was not the meticulously crafted Nail Sword, nor the special metal of the Purification Mechanism.

At the moment of collision, tiny dents appeared on the staff sword, and with Lorenzo’s slashing, the sharp blade bore nicks.

Several sparks erupted before him, the staff sword precisely cutting them down, the light flickering briefly, and Lorenzo instantaneously charged into the tunnel, with more bullets unleashed. In this narrow space, even turning seemed laborious; Lorenzo couldn’t even swing his blade, convinced the followers that he was bound to perish.

Yet, bullets soon fell ahead, but due to Lorenzo’s entry blocking the light, the followers’ sight was dimmed, though quickly more sparks burst forth in the darkness.

They dared not cease, continuing to fire, hearing the clash of metal in the darkness, amid the sharp sound of wind, the staff sword piercing directly through the first follower, something moved in the darkness, swift steps advancing.