Gun of Ashes

Chapter 475: Chapter 86: The Key of Ascension

Lorenzo is someone who seldom reminisces about the past. For him, the first half of his life wasn’t pleasant; it was shrouded in gloom and bloodshed, with only a few reassuring flashes of light, which have long since dimmed.

So, there’s no use in reminiscing, and no need for it.

Wandering through the halls of memory, Lorenzo at times feels joy and at times sadness. Dust scatters in the dim light, sparkling like stars.

Sometimes he lived so deeply immersed, pouring his heart and soul into hunting demons, into a state of self-forgetfulness, that even those fleeting moments of happiness he once had were forgotten. Thinking back now stirs a different kind of feeling.

”It’s so long... do I have so many memories?”

Lorenzo suddenly stopped, gazing at the corridor stretching to the end of his sight, feeling a bit puzzled.

Heracles had explained that memory is an abstract concept without a specific form, and the Memory Palace derived from it is the same, not bound by common sense, like a bizarre hallucination.

The corridor began to twist, and Lorenzo was on guard, but he stood firmly in place. Then the ground started collapsing, though not in random fragmentation; it seemed as if razor-sharp blades had sliced through, splitting neatly into ancient, ornately carved stones.

On each huge stone stood a door of memory, which then began to descend one after another, spiraling continuously downwards, extending into the darkest abyss below, beyond sight.

Lorenzo stood on the edge of the stone, looking into the profound darkness below, devoid of any light. Looking above, there lay the route he came from, leading to the outside of the palace, the doorway wide open, illuminated brightly.

This was no longer a man-made excavation, but a palace forged by that hallucinatory will, akin to an abyss, with countless stones supporting the gateway, suspended within this abyss.

After a brief hesitation, Lorenzo chose to continue downward. Perhaps this was a suggestion from his subconscious, that all which had been forgotten was casually tossed and plunged to the bottom of this abyss. He moved forward, as with his passing, one gate after another opened, memories engulfing him like a tide.

”We’re about to implant the Secret Blood... 047.”

lay on the soft grass, squinting, gazing up at the azure sky. A gentle breeze brushed over his body, as if invisible hands were embracing him.

”What’s the matter?”

sat reading under a nearby tree shade, this guy was never short of books.

”Aren’t you afraid?”

asked curiously, the sunlight dazzling; he could only squint, unable to open his eyes fully.

”They say implanting the Secret Blood leads to death, we’ll all die, a great chance of dying.”

sat up, looked at 047 under the tree shade, seeing some children like himself running past.

Usually, they hardly had any freedom, but with the progress of the Secret Blood implanting, the priests’ supervision over them had relaxed considerably. Some children thought those rigid priests finally came around, but 042 felt more like it was compassion before death.

”No one knows who will survive, maybe you’ll die, I’ll survive, or maybe the opposite... like a strange gamble, closing your eyes, betting on whether you’ll wake up.”

stood up, moved to sit beside 047 under the tree shade.

”Do you fear death?” 047 closed the book, looking at 042.

”No one isn’t afraid... aren’t you afraid?”

looked suspiciously at 047, but the suspicion soon faded. Given 047’s personality, he might indeed not fear death.

”How should I put it?” 047 tried to comfort the guy, but another voice piped up.

”Don’t be so pessimistic, maybe you’ll survive? Also, we’re unclear about what’s going on, maybe the priests are just trying to scare us?”

Suddenly a voice came, as 016 walked in from behind the tree, not only her, but another familiar fellow.

”But, speaking of bets, I suggest you don’t do anything to lose your luck lately.”

also emerged afterward, with a mischievous grin, looking at 042. 042 immediately became alert, but considering 011’s words, he couldn’t help but ask.

”Lose luck?”

”Yes, luck has a finite amount; use a little, lose a little, until it’s all gone.”

”What kind of nonsense is this?”

”Don’t doubt it, I’ve relied on it to survive until now.” 011 said.

was somewhat annoyed, ”Then I’m sure you’re doomed. You’ve gambled so much before.”

was the gambler among these kids, though not a serious one. He liked to bet with everyone on dinner, the priests’ rewards, things of little value but extremely precious to these kids. Strangely, this guy never lost; every bet he won.

”There’s a difference between bets, 042. What I do with you isn’t even gambling, just unilateral trickery, doesn’t use luck at all.”

waved his hand, ”You guys are just too dumb.”

immediately felt like getting up to give this guy a beating, but 011 was so nimble that 042 simply couldn’t catch him.

Next, flames swept across the grassland, corpses piled into small mounds.

”You still lost your bet, huh... 011.”

Lorenzo couldn’t help but say, passing through those memories, continuing downward, one stone after another, neither fast nor slow.

To be honest, these past memories had long become blurred. If not for the Memory Palace, Lorenzo might not have been able to recall them so clearly at all—those who had long since died, those matters long forgotten.