Gun of Ashes

”How wonderful.”

Someone said, taking out the hallucinogen he had secretly hidden. It was very dark here, and during goods inspection, there was always a chance for them to steal some things. A few others gathered around, wearing malicious smiles.

”I really envy them. We can only hide here and survive like rats.”

Another person seemed somewhat pessimistic. Although this job was much better than scrambling around in the Lower City District, he still somewhat disliked it.

Em had been working here for a long time, sleeping in the corner every day. Food would be brought in during the transportation of goods. Life was quite stable, except for the poor environment.

Like many people from the Lower City District, Em was also an illegal immigrant. He had originally planned to showcase his skills in Old Dunling, but in the end, he could only survive like this.

”Cheer up, at least they’ve given us these things.”

Another person came over and shared a hallucinogen with Em.

”You know, this stuff sells for a fortune outside, but here we can use it freely!”

He was extremely excited.

”This is the latest model, don’t you want to try it?”

Em looked at him helplessly. His face was sickly, and in the dim light, his pale skin was visible.

He had arrived here before Em, exactly how long ago, Em was not sure, but from his appearance, it was clear he hadn’t seen the sky in a long time.

Em asked, barely able to endure, ”Don’t you feel miserable in this damned place?”

The man’s voice faltered; as the direction of the searchlights changed, they fell back into darkness.

After a long pause, the man slowly spoke.

”Even if it’s miserable, we just have to bear it. Out there, it’s also about surviving. In here or out there, it’s all the same.”

He lit a cigarette, and Em could see a light point shining in the darkness.

Em was stunned for a moment, then approached him and whispered.

”Do you want to escape together?”

They weren’t here voluntarily, at least at first, they didn’t know they would work in a place like this. When Em was brought in, his eyes were covered. Since it was a hallucinogen business, he understood the location had to be confidential, but he never thought it would be in a place like this.

Em didn’t know the way out; only those transporting goods knew the way. He tried to find another route, but the other end led to an exhaust vent, and Em witnessed someone who tried to escape get cooked by high-temperature steam as he failed to climb up that platform.

This underground was filled with unknowns and dangers, and eventually, he gave up on the idea.

”Em, the last guy who said that is dead,” the other person said mercilessly.

”He tried to swim out along this river.”

He pointed to the water flowing from the darkness. It was connected to the Thames River. If you had enough strength, you could indeed swim against the current and escape.

”But there’s an iron fence outside. He failed and was swept back by the current. Fortunately, he grabbed onto the interception net at the last moment.”

Em asked, ”And then?”

”And then?” The man thought for a moment, ”Then everyone gathered around. The leader was still around at that time.”

”Do you think he would save him?”

His voice turned sinister in the darkness.

”Did...? Didn’t he?” Em asked, with both confusion and caution.

”Of course not. The searchlights focused on him, like the protagonist on the center stage.”

The man recalled that scene.

”Everyone watched him, but no one dared to reach out and help him. The leader forbade anyone from helping, letting him plead and cry until he exhausted his strength and let go.”

Looking towards the other side of the darkness, below the channel was one of the intake ports for the Furnace Pillar.

”He just fell down like that, maybe drowned, or perhaps fell directly into the combustion chamber... In any case, since then, no one has thought of escaping.”

Em felt his blood turn cold as the man on the other side of the darkness chuckled.

”Em, we’re like rats living in the shadows, so don’t think about things in the light. Do you want to give it a try?”

He said as he approached Em, handing him the hallucinogen. It was cold to the touch, and in the darkness, Em could see a strange glow emanating from the liquid.

”Give it a try, it’s great.”

The man said and then injected a hallucinogen into his arm. His body convulsed, and then, as if drunk, he leaned against the side.

Em looked down at the hallucinogen, hesitating, but as if in despair with his life, he pressed the end, a fine needle popped out from the front. But just as he was about to inject it, he seemed to think of something and gave up. At that moment, a strange voice sounded in the darkness.

”Why don’t you inject it?”

”I... I don’t want to end up like him,” Em replied, but then he became alert. There were only a few of them left here, and he was familiar with everyone’s voice, except for this one.

In the darkness, blazing white eyes burned. Lorenzo came with the folding blade, which still bore traces of blood.

”Is that so? That saved your life.”

Lorenzo said as he walked past Em, not swinging his blade at him.

”Wait, what do you mean?”

Em couldn’t understand, nor could he understand who Lorenzo was, let alone those burning eyes.

He could feel the peculiar pressure but didn’t feel Lorenzo’s intention to kill him.

”To rise untainted from the mud is easily said, but not drowning in the mud already takes all one’s strength.”

Lorenzo had already reached his side, and he had heard their conversation. Perhaps out of pity, or something else, Lorenzo left Em’s fate in his own hands. Because Em didn’t inject the hallucinogen, he survived.

”There’s a problem with the hallucinogen, at least not one you guys can inject.”

Lorenzo’s gaze was cold and stern. He wasn’t encountering this kind of hallucinogen mixed with Secret Blood for the first time, but previously, the Secret Blood diluted within was in low concentration. This time, it was different.

Elsewhere, minutes after injection, a person exhibited enormous reactions; by previous experiences, such hallucinogens usually required multiple injections to cause bodily mutations, but this time, just one was enough.

Rather than a new type of hallucinogen, it was more like it contained newly refined Secret Blood, superior to the previously diluted versions.

Lorenzo approached, and on the floor, the man who had just been talking to Em was now curled up. His eyes were wide open, muttering something incoherently, with slight muscle twitching.

The hallucinations and the agony from the Secret Blood simultaneously acted upon him. Lorenzo had seen many such scenes just moments ago. He hadn’t rushed to catch those people but, after realizing this, dealt with those who began mutating.

He knew very well what these people would become if this continued.

”What are you going to do!”

Watching Lorenzo raise the folding blade, Em, uncharacteristically, did not feel fear but tried to stop Lorenzo.

He was so bizarre, emerging from the shadows like the Death God, but this person before him was one of the few friends Em had in this wretched place.

”He’s already dead.”

Lorenzo said coldly. Em, harboring fear, however, mustered his courage for his friend’s life, intending to say something to stop Lorenzo, but the man on the ground stood up with a leg bent backwards.

Dreadful and loathsome, his skin began swelling and rupturing, revealing the proliferating white bone beneath.

”No...”

Em was terrified. Lorenzo, on the other hand, did not count on wasting time here, proceeding directly, just as he had done countless times before, piercing the heart and beheading.

The execution was completed in a flash, and the body that hadn’t completely mutated into a demon fell limply, large streaks of blood flowing in the dark.

The gruesome sight made Em’s stomach churn, retching as Lorenzo spoke.

”I suggest you follow me next. After all, they won’t be unaware of what they’ve been transporting.”

Lorenzo said coldly. From the moment those people left the hallucinogens behind, those who stayed had been abandoned, more accurately, silenced. Lorenzo didn’t know why they suddenly wanted to destroy what they had painstakingly built up, but it was certain, something had happened, prompting them to make such a decision.

Em forced himself to raise his head, looking at those bright eyes in the darkness.

”Is this considered pity?”

”Consider it a chance at life. You’re still young, able to refuse such temptations, kind of the best among this trash.”

Lorenzo evidently didn’t want to explain much. He possessed humanity, but not much of its compassion. As for saving Em, he glanced at the terrified yet trying-to-stay-calm face in the dark.

He was just a kid wanting to see the sky again, and for himself, it was merely an insignificant gesture of goodwill.