Gun of Ashes

Today, Old Dunling seemed oppressive again, a faint mist spilling from underground, gray-black smoke rising from the chimneys one after another, supporting the distance between heaven and earth, machines operating slowly, driving the miracles of creation, while in between, gigantic whale-like airships roamed, like illusions from the Otherworld.

For someone like Lorenzo, who had lived in Old Dunling for a long time, all of this had indeed become a part of everyday life. It was the forefront of steam technology, with new things born every day. However, to those travelers from afar, everything here was incredibly novel.

Streamers hung on the streetlights, adding a splash of color to this gray world. On the streets, one could see many unfamiliar foreigners, excitedly walking the streets of Old Dunling, looking up at the shadows in the clouds.

Because of the Mission’s visit, there were more tourists, most of whom came to tour the factories. Such large-scale mechanical assembly lines were extremely rare in their countries, and under these circumstances, they somehow became tourist attractions.

To maintain public order, the mounted police increased in number, making the roads appear somewhat crowded and lively. However, none of this concerned Lorenzo. Under his coat, he concealed the weapon Joey brought him. He was busy — busy solving cases, busy killing.

The Purification Mechanism was preoccupied with finding the whereabouts of ”Revelation,” which led to the recall of all other Knight Commanders to Old Dunling. Therefore, those illegal immigrants had to rely on Lorenzo alone.

Like a distant connection, Lorenzo always had a strange feeling as if this unassuming case would lead him to a grand vortex.

It was noticeable that there was a visible increase in police force at the border with the Lower City District. Evading the mounted police’s view, Lorenzo once more slipped into the Lower City District. He needed to find the Rat King — that guy must know something.

Lorenzo searched for traces of the Inferior Rats. Ordinarily, these vagrants were common; they roamed everywhere, sometimes not just limited to the Lower City District. Yet, for some unknown reason, Lorenzo had been walking here for a long time and did not see a single vagrant, almost as if they disappeared overnight.

His gaze carried a hint of vigilance, lowering the brim of his hat, completely hiding his face in the shadow, with his hand plunged into his pocket, just as before. His pocket was torn, allowing his hand to reach directly under his coat, gripping the handle of a gun.

Something had happened... in the Lower City District. The atmosphere here wasn’t right.

Although the Lower City District was chaotic and filthy, it had never been so lifeless. As Lorenzo went deeper, he saw no one until a mouse flashed before his eyes.

Mice were all too common, but a mouse with a chain tied to its tail was not, especially one with the police-yellow chain Lorenzo had seen before.

He looked around, apparently trying to find the person secretly controlling all this, but he found nothing, and the mouse quickly disappeared from view.

Without thinking, Lorenzo followed. Based on his previous chase in the Rat Nest, this police-yellow was an indicator of location, signaling that the mysterious Rat King wanted him to go somewhere.

It could be a trap, or it might be a clue, but Lorenzo no longer cared about these things. Under his clothes, he was armed to the teeth. At this moment, the detective was fully equipped.

Finally, the mouse led Lorenzo to a twisted building. Just like other houses in the Lower City District, this was surely a hazardous building. The door was ajar, the interior pitch-black. Lorenzo stepped in, only to find it essentially an empty house, except for that nauseating stench, there was nothing else.

”I’m more and more curious about who you are...”

Lorenzo looked at the empty house, paused for a moment, suddenly thought of something. He walked to the corner, flicked out the Folding Blade, and forcefully stabbed it into the ground. The sharp blade easily pierced through the hidden wooden cover.

Just as when Lorenzo first went to the Rat Nest, the Rat King seemed to have predicted all of Lorenzo’s actions, providing hints at just the right moment.

With effort, he slashed open the hidden wooden cover; a pitch-black hole appeared before Lorenzo’s eyes.

”No way...”

Smelling that foul odor, Lorenzo knew very well where the hole led, but for the sake of this truth, he had no choice but to venture forth.

Leaping down, the sound of fragments in the darkness followed. The mouse was waiting for Lorenzo, and when it saw him come down, it started moving again, guiding Lorenzo forward in these complex tunnels.

Lorenzo wasn’t sure how long he had proceeded. When he lost track of the mouse, a light appeared at the end of the tunnel.

But before Lorenzo could stick his head out to observe the outside, surging steam poured in from the outside. The damp, high-temperature gas made Lorenzo gasp for breath, but fortunately, it seemed to have been venting for a long time, so the temperature had dropped significantly. Otherwise, the fleeting high temperature could easily scald or steam a person.

Wiping the moisture off his face, Lorenzo breathed heavily, advancing again toward the tunnel entrance, as he seemed to know where he was.

Sticking out his head, the outside world was dim, with only a faint light above. However, due to long-term disrepair, the light was not very bright and flickered on and off occasionally.

The steel creation breathed steadily, as if it had fallen into a deep sleep. Occasionally, a mechanical turning sound echoed, like its somniloquy.

It slept peacefully, silently in the darkness for an unknown amount of time. In the dim light, Lorenzo saw it start to breathe again, hot steam seeping out from the mechanical gaps, surging out like a broken dam’s wave, quickly filling the entire space.