Gun of Ashes

”Am I a virus?”

”Huh? Virus? Viruses are non-cellular microorganisms, you’re too big to be categorized as one.”

Abigail replied, and Lorenzo could tell she answered very seriously and formally, making him wonder if she was earnestly responding or just mocking him.

”Oh, is it my protective gear then?”

She probably understood, but this delayed reaction made Lorenzo doubt her professionalism.

”According to Arthur’s information, you’re the last Demon Hunter of the old Order, carrying stable Secret Blood and Pseudo Holy Grail within your body. Based on our estimates, your potential threat level is extremely high.

As for why we’re doing this, you need to understand that demon erosion can actually be viewed as a form of ’meme contamination’.

Abigail explained.

”Demon erosion can be transmitted and linger, just like those books documenting demonic knowledge, or artworks. It can influence rational creatures through various mediums.

What I’m doing is trying to isolate myself from you as much as possible to avoid being influenced by you. After all, Arthur’s data says that the erosion of the Pseudo Holy Grail seems undetectable by the Geiger Counter. You know, humanity’s first step to fighting demons was using the Geiger Counter to detect their presence.”

”So how do you plan to detect me?”

Lorenzo asked. So far, the new Order hasn’t been involved in his detection, but Lorenzo believed they wouldn’t let it go so easily and that there’s definitely something waiting for him.

”We’ll have to wait for Merlin. Due to your uniqueness, the research on you this time is being conducted jointly by the Perpetual Motion Pump and Black Mountain Hospital, but I am the primary person in charge, and the Perpetual Motion Pump is merely assisting.”

Picking up the extracted blood bag, Abigail didn’t stop Lorenzo’s bleeding; looking at the needle puncture, almost within seconds of her removing the needle, the wound stopped bleeding, wiping away the blood, leaving no trace of a wound on the skin.

”Wow, that poor guy next door must envy you.”

Abigail murmured something, but due to the presence of the respirator, Lorenzo couldn’t hear clearly, only feeling a restless machine moving around him.

”Wait here for me, I’m going to conduct a small experiment.”

”Aren’t you afraid I’ll escape?”

Lorenzo asked. Right now, the room only had a few medical staff assisting Abigail, with no guards, and the only weapon that could inflict harm was that fragile Willow Blade.

In Lorenzo’s imagined scenario, during Abigail’s experimentation on him, there should at least be a few fully armed Armor of Original Sin guards by his side. But the current defense was as good as nonexistent.

”No, Arthur said this is a... trust relationship? The Purification Mechanism doesn’t want to abandon you, otherwise the ones wielding the scalpel right now would be from the new Order. We’re all maintaining a fragile trust.”

Abigail said as she pushed open the door. She hadn’t gone far; the place where she was to experiment was right next door. Pushing open the adjacent door, Arthur and Owes were already waiting here.

”He seems quite cooperative,” Abigail said to Arthur, ”if you’re going to monitor him, why not use that supervision room instead of making me run around transmitting messages.”

”Because Demon Hunters are far more perceptive than you can imagine; he would notice these things, and it would just unsettle him.”

Arthur’s expression was deeply composed, his emotions far more suppressed than they appeared.

”I think I somewhat understand Lorenzo; he wouldn’t just surrender like this...” He said with a smile, ”The new Order is planning something, secretly contacting the queen to pressure me, but isn’t Lorenzo doing the same? He’s not a compliant guy, he’s plotting something.”

”What?”

”I suspect it’s revenge. He’s a man burning with fury, willing to risk himself to kill Lawrence, and now the new Order has angered him. No one knows what’s coming next.”

This was what unsettled Arthur; both the new Order and he were controlled by higher chess players, and the chess players’ goals were their goals, easy to predict since they were ultimately for profit.

But Lorenzo was different. He was an outsider trapped between the two, not tempted by the lure of profit, making it hard to predict what actions he would take.

”But could what the new Order says be true? Using Secret Blood?”

Arthur watched the bag of Lorenzo’s blood Abigail carried, the crimson liquid exuding an ominous aura.

”Who knows? If successful, it will solve the curse that has plagued the Royal Family for years, but if it fails...” Abigail looked at the weakened Owes, beneath the respirator the sound was still mechanical hum, ”It’s just a matter of an insignificant person dying.”

”Don’t be upset, Owes, you know that’s just how she is.” Arthur comforted Owes, who seemed indifferent to these matters.

”What do we do next? Are you going to refine that blood?” Owes asked.

”No need.”

”No need?”

”Yes, Secret Blood originates from demons. Although I’m not sure how the Evangelical Church did it, they succeeded in usurping those extraordinary powers from demons and made these highly meme-contaminated blood stably exist within Demon Hunters.”

Abigail drew some blood, holding it up to the light; the blood glistened like a gem.

”This is far beyond what our current technology can achieve. Like the Ranger plan, we’re trying to replicate their Secret Blood, but after attempting, we realized how large the technological gap is between us and the Evangelical Church.

Lorenzo himself is the most perfect vessel; over the years, he has domesticated the Secret Blood, turning its ferocity into gentleness... But, of course, this is when it’s less awakened.”

”Are you going to directly inject it into my body?” Owes asked, indifferent to the experiment. If it succeeded, he would live a little longer; if it failed, it would only hasten the inevitable end.

”Direct injection might turn you into a demon, and with Secret Blood present, you would become an even more terrifying demon.” Arthur said.

”That doesn’t matter; isn’t the Demon Hunter next door? I see he looks quite capable.”

Although it was a life-or-death experiment, Abigail’s demeanor was excessively relaxed, perhaps never taking things seriously, or maybe this was just her usual state.

”But don’t worry, Owes, you’re not an insignificant person. After all, there aren’t many opportunities to experiment directly on Royal Family members. If you accidentally die, we can’t just apply for another one from the queen, can we?”

Abigail laughed and ruffled Owes’s hair, then her tone shifted.

”Anyway, cheer up; if it succeeds, you’ll be the first person from Victoria’s family to break free of the King’s Curse.”

Owes closed his eyes, ready to accept everything, but in the long darkness, nothing happened. He opened his eyes to see Abigail injecting into a small white mouse.

”Don’t worry, experimenting directly on you is still too extravagant. You’re not quite as healthy as you were before.”

Owes said nothing, just watching with Arthur the white mouse caged in the glass box. Abigail first injected Owes’s blood into the mouse; soon, the white fur was stained with blood, and the tiny wound began to have difficulty healing.

No, not only that, without medical treatment, the tiny wound started to wither and decay, as if Owes’s blood and flesh were some kind of poison.

The curse of King’s Blood.

”So, next, let’s see if Victoria’s King’s Blood is more bizarre or if Secret Blood is stronger.”

Abigail said, injecting Lorenzo’s blood into the mouse, while Arthur also picked up a handgun, aiming at the mouse behind the glass.

The beast’s eyes gazed at the three people, boiling flesh burning and pulsing within.