Gun of Ashes

The times are progressing and changing, with new things happening every day, endlessly kaleidoscopic, captivating the heart and mind.

It wasn't until Lorenzo found himself once again on the streets of Old Dunling that he still wasn't clear on the exact location of the Broken Dome.

He went in blindfolded and came out the same, breathing the cold and damp air, with an inexplicable smile on his indifferent face.

His identity was now completely different; he had gone from an external detective for Suyalan Hall to an external detective for the Purification Mechanism. In a sense, Lorenzo had truly become a traitor to the Demon Hunting Order, especially considering the tense relations between the two organizations before its dissolution.

The pitch-black carriage was parked right behind him, the door wide open, with Joey sitting inside, sending off Lorenzo with his gaze.

From the moment Lorenzo left the Broken Dome, his information was packed into a transfer capsule, traveling through complex pipelines, ultimately sealed and archived, and in that instant, Lorenzo Holmes was incorporated into the battle sequence of the Purification Mechanism.

He could hear the creaking of door hinges, and from that moment on, countless secret doors to the world opened up to Lorenzo. Though perhaps only temporarily, from this moment, he was no longer alone; behind him stood the Purification Mechanism, Old Dunling, and the colossal machine known as Ingwig, roaring and smashing through all obstacles in its path.

"Mr. Holmes, looking forward to your good news."

Joey's voice reached from afar behind him, and when Lorenzo turned back, all he could see was a hand waving out of the carriage window as it gradually disappeared into the fog.

The dim lights lined up in the mist, and Lorenzo wrapped his clothes tightly, striding forward.

Yet, the monotone sound of his footsteps began to grow chaotic, only to revert to uniformity again, as if someone was attempting to mirror his steps. A slight tilt of his head revealed Watson walking alongside him, and seeing her appearance, Lorenzo was momentarily stunned.

It could take on many appearances, or rather, it had no fixed form at all. It manifested in a tangible form merely to allow a simple mortal like Lorenzo to comprehend its existence. But surprisingly to Lorenzo, it seemed to favor this appearance—the face with no name to speak of. With every appearance in Lorenzo's sight, her attire was different, like a considerate companion adapting to various occasions, though only Lorenzo could perceive her.

"This is quite an interesting case."

Watson was currently dressed in a raincoat similar to Lorenzo's, and though her expression was so indifferent, she behaved like a mischievous child stomping vigorously in a puddle with her rain boots.

But she was merely an apparition confined within Lorenzo's mind. Watson could not intervene in reality, so when her boots stomped down hard, no splash arose; the water's surface remained calm, as if she were walking on water.

"How's it, do you have any leads?"

Lorenzo spoke with a hint of sarcasm. His understanding of Watson was only superficial, and those who truly knew what she was had mostly perished during the Night of the Holy Arrival, hence his wariness towards her.

"Of course, would you like to hear it?"

"Better not."

Lorenzo refused outright. He didn't want to get more entangled with this devil; he was already engulfed in darkness, and continuing this way, he would inevitably be completely devoured.

"Really? Lorenzo, I know quite a lot; you sure you don't want to..."

"You better shut up."

The cold gaze fixed on Watson; it was a truly exquisite and beautiful face. Lorenzo still remembered the way she looked when he first met her, during what he remembered as the most beautiful winter in Florence.

But now Lorenzo was fully aware that she was long gone; she was merely a shell of hallucination, concealing that unspeakable monster beneath.

"Oh, are you mad?"

As she spoke, the pale hand gently brushed against Lorenzo's face, only to be mercilessly slapped away by him.

Watson was taken aback but then said.

"Those people aren't just sending you to investigate the case; it's also an exercise in 'trust.' They also covet the power of the Secret Blood."

"If they weren't after the Secret Blood, I'd actually suspect something fishy."

Lorenzo replied without a hint of emotion.

Greed is human nature. According to the words in the Gospel, it is an inherent sin. Yet sometimes, this sin is intriguing; it motivates humanity to move forward. As greed grows, mankind has conquered one coveted object after another.

This is a typical human state, like when you see a piece of gold and can't help but take a few extra glances. Lorenzo felt the same about the Purification Mechanism. If, in the earlier conversation, Merlin and Arthur had not mentioned anything about the Secret Blood, that would have truly made Lorenzo uneasy.

"Oh, I didn't expect you to be so open-minded."

Watson playfully remarked. It was indeed a beautiful scene, but thinking about her true nature, Lorenzo felt a wave of nausea.

Just as the simmering anger was about to erupt, a somewhat old yet menopausal voice sounded.

"Lorenzo, are you seriously insane? How long are you going to keep talking to thin air?"

Mrs. Van Rudd pushed open the door to look at Lorenzo. Despite her evidently advanced age, her belly was always filled with menopausal rage. Sometimes, Lorenzo even suspected Mrs. Van Rudd's menopause would last until her death.