Gun of Ashes

New Order, Purification Mechanism, remnants of Lawrence...

Faces flashed through Lorenzo’s mind, some wanting to kill him, some wanting to use him, some hesitating, and some already dead.

Lorenzo suddenly felt a little tired.

Looking back at the past now, Lorenzo discovered that the events he had experienced were full of too many questions, not just the current New Order, but also the doubts from before.

Watson and 047.

These two ghostly figures in his mind, now they had disappeared, and with their disappearance came Lorenzo’s self-doubt.

Who exactly am I? What is the nature of the Pseudo Holy Grail? What is the purpose of the New Order? And most importantly, the [Truth] of the world written in Shermans’ notes.

Lorenzo’s current situation was dire, completely entangled with the New Order. Although the Purification Mechanism did not fully trust the other side, no one was sure what the mysterious Queen Victoria would do next. Of course, more terrifying was that Moriarty lurking in the shadows.

He exploited Lorenzo’s humanity, causing Lorenzo to bind himself, unsure of what he would do next, only staying vigilant to prepare to counterattack.

There’s more than just Lorenzo at this gambling table, everyone was continuously planning, for their own interests, pushing all their chips forward.

This is a damned gamble, no one can leave gracefully.

While pondering strategies, the door was pushed open, Abigail was back.

”Your experiment took a bit long,” Lorenzo said.

”A little accident occurred, don’t mind it.” She didn’t hide anything, opting to answer directly.

Abigail was well aware she couldn’t hide anything from this Demon Hunter. The faint erosion of the white mice seemed as obvious as the scent of blood in the air to Lorenzo.

”The Secret Blood in your body is quite interesting. Once extracted, it’s not inherently erosive, it’s just like regular blood, but when injected into another being, it awakens... Do you Demon Hunters have the ability to let it sleep and awaken it?”

”Perhaps, it’s somewhat like an instinct.”

Lorenzo answered, suddenly feeling this person in front of him might still be useful. He needed the complete scientific research system from the Purification Mechanism to rationally understand everything buried beneath, it’s a win-win, it’s mutual exploitation.

”Truly fascinating, if you discard all that theological superstition, you Demon Hunters are capable of many things beyond imagination: the igniting flames, the dense Iron Armor, and that eerie foresight of the future... You know, if academic researchers discovered these things, their worldview would likely collapse, and they might, just like those two old founders, convert to theology, trying to find answers in faith.”

”Sounds a bit helpless, unable to find answers in reason, and finally immersing oneself in the theology they detest, I suppose those two founders also became mad in their later years.”

Lorenzo faintly felt that kind of helpless madness, the path he’s always pursued couldn’t provide him answers, that kind of hysterical madness.

”Just about, they both died of mental issues here in Black Mountain Hospital,” Abigail said, pointing at her head, since the research area was underground, ”and you can still find their tombstones in Black Mountain Hospital’s cemetery, though no one has tended it for a long time, so it might be a bit dirty.”

”But aren’t you an academic researcher too? Wouldn’t you, upon encountering this, become hysterically mad like those predecessors?” Lorenzo asked.

”I’m different from them. Due to the limitations of their time, their path of research reached an end then, knowledge lured them forward, and when they couldn’t find answers, they became ruthless, like researching theology, conducting forbidden human experiments, or even...”

Abigail’s gaze fell upon Lorenzo as if insinuating something.

”Researching Demons, usurping the power called Secret Blood.”

Abigail suddenly laughed, but to Lorenzo, it was merely the hum of a respirator.

”If there’s no path, then pave one, no matter the cost.”

Lorenzo was momentarily stunned, brief words, but they carried a nauseating scent of blood.

”Sounds very much like the Alchemists, those scholars driven mad in their pursuit of [Truth].”

”Pretty much, in fact, everyone is almost the same, all tempted by knowledge, using any means necessary to uncover those hidden secrets.”

Abigail said as she replaced a filter canister.

”What will you do next? Have you gotten enough blood?”

Abigail had just taken a large bag of blood from him, Lorenzo believed she hadn’t decided on a specific amount to take, thinking that since he’s a Demon Hunter, more could be taken without killing him, after all, such precious experimental subjects weren’t common.

”Just asking, there are many questions I want to ask you.”

”Like.”

”Like the Pseudo Holy Grail that this group has been pursuing, interested in telling me what exactly it is?”

Abigail pulled up a chair, sitting opposite Lorenzo. Meanwhile, other medical staff also moved, pushing a cart equipped with machinery to detect the degree of erosion.