Embers of Embers

Chapter 257 Living Beings
"The body indexes tend to be normal, the Geiger counter is stable, there is no sign of continued expansion of flesh and blood, and the driver is conscious..."
The white robe is engraved with a tail-eating snake, and countless people are walking back and forth around the black angel.
Lorenzo didn't have time to enjoy the joy of success. After realizing that Lorenzo could control the Black Angel, the scientific researchers who had hid in the bunker came out, holding various detector-like things, and started shooting at Lorenzo. His body was chattering wildly, and various data were recorded at the same time.
"You're a miracle, Lorenzo."
The mechanical arm slowly descended, Merlin grasped the bulge on the side, and appeared above the Black Angel.
"All the previous test pilots died and were decomposed directly by flesh and blood. It was as if this armor had its own consciousness, killing those people and using them as nourishment... It may be the reason why you also have the flesh and blood of the Holy Grail. It may Treat you as one of the same kind."
"It's not a good thing to be recognized as the same kind by monsters."
A deep voice sounded from behind the plate armor, Lorenzo didn't like the current situation.
"The pressure is normal. It seems that the intensity of the erosion has not increased due to its awakening. In other words, I am its kind and have a certain degree of resistance." Lorenzo explained his current feeling according to Merlin's thinking. "I feel a little itchy... I can't hold those operating levers and the like. I remember that some functions of the Original Sin Armor rely on them, right?"
Lorenzo didn't have much experience in piloting the original sin armor. He remembered some of the operation methods when he read the weapon master's operation manual.
The Original Sin Armor is essentially a demon fused with machinery, and human will replaces its brain to control this evil body.
This is a huge and heavy armor. Its main power is relying on the steam engine and the power of the demon's flesh and blood. After the driver enters, the nerve electrodes will be pierced to connect with the demon's nerves, linking the power of the two lives. , in order to use human consciousness to control demons.
Therefore, driving armor is a very risky job. During the contact process, the consciousness is exposed to the monster without reservation. Ordinary people will be eroded after a long time. Only the specialized knights have the ability to persist.
So controlling armor is not a technical job. When your consciousness is connected with the demonic part, the armor will become an extension of your body. You can control it just like controlling yourself, but there is still a part that cannot be controlled by consciousness. The solution is the machine used to bind flesh and blood.
The technology of the perpetual pump has not reached the point where it can directly control the machinery, so the mechanical structure on the original sin armor needs to be equipped with some small joystick buttons, which are filled in the cockpit which is already too small, generally for the convenience of operation , they are basically concentrated in the hands.
"To ensure safety, those features are temporarily offline."
Merlin said to Lorenzo.
"In order to ensure the combat effectiveness of the Original Sin Armor, we equipped it with many external weapons, such as armor, firecrackers, hooks, etc. However, during the experiment, all these weapon parts were removed, and the button operating levers were temporarily useless... But please be careful not to press it randomly, something is related to the steam engine."
Merlin said half of it, and then warned Lorenzo.
"Then what should I do now?"
Lorenzo couldn't help but ask. The environment inside the armor was really not very good. He was wrapped in thick flesh and blood, and some mucus was flowing. What was even weirder was that Lorenzo could feel something like that on his back. It was caught by something, not those electrodes, but more like the proliferating flesh fused itself with it.
There was no time to think about everything he encountered in the Stasis Temple after traveling through the [Gap]. Lorenzo just wanted to get rid of Merlin as soon as possible and crawl out from here.
"Wave your hands...try to control this armor. You may feel clumsy at first. This is normal."
Merlin motioned for the others to stay away from the Black Angel, and after they pulled away, Lorenzo tried to move the armor.
This feeling is wonderful. Lorenzo is connected with the black angel, and it becomes an extension of the demon hunter's body. He wants to raise his arm, so the nerves give instructions to the muscles, pulling the bones to lift the mortal arm, and the same The instructions were also given to the demon's flesh and blood. The twisted flesh pulled the steel body and raised the arm covered with feather blades.
A strange feeling lingered around Lorenzo. Since the gap in the visor was not large, Lorenzo's field of vision was very narrow and he could not see his actions, but the strange touch was conveyed to him.
The feeling of each iron feather touching each other, these things are not external, but the iron that grows from the flesh and blood, and there are nerves under the metal case.
"Don't move too much. If you wave your hand casually, you might cut us into pieces."
Merlin shouted again, but this time his voice was much more distant. He climbed up the mechanical arm a few times, getting as far away from Lorenzo as possible.
Although Merlin's swordsmanship is barely outstanding among alchemists, it can only be used for cutting. For those brittle alchemists whose bodies have inhaled toxic substances due to years of experiments, he has no hope against the Original Sin Armor.
Everyone looked at all this in awe. This armor has been extremely ominous since its birth. Generally speaking, it has only had two pilots and three use records. Galahad was the first pilot. As a result, Galahad He was eroded and comatose in it, and he is still unable to drive the armor again, and he himself is also deeply tortured.
The next successor was Lorenzo, and the next two activations of Black Angel were also so weird.
"Keep trying to move, in smaller amounts."
Merlin said that he has rich experience in debugging armor.
Lorenzo also followed his instructions and slowly moved his arms. The unfamiliar body became familiar until Lorenzo felt that he was one with it.
The bright green light was on, and everything seemed to be stable. Merlin recorded the time and then said.
"The synchronization rate between you and the Black Angel is approaching 100%, and it should be fully usable."
"What do you mean?"
Lorenzo was a little curious about this new vocabulary. The Original Sin Armor was a very strange thing, but in fact Lorenzo didn't have much contact with it. The demon hunter's mobility was far more powerful than it, and due to its size and uncontrollability , it needs to be matched with an efficient transportation system and a scavenger responsible for the closing.
This is the trump card of the purging agency, but after the appearance of Lorenzo, the demon hunter has a stronger practicality than it, resulting in a lot less appearance of the original sin armor.
At that time, the appearance of Lorenzo was still a bit of a blow to Merlin. After so many years of pursuit by the Purification Agency, the result was still much worse than the taboo weapon of the Evangelical Church.
Fortunately, Merlin later figured out that the Demon Hunter had extremely strong individual combat capabilities and was suitable for silent beheading operations in complex cities. Compared to him, the Original Sin Armor was more suitable for use on frontal battlefields.
"Just like the threshold of your secret blood, controlling armor is essentially the consciousness taking over the demon's body. Our consciousness must gradually synchronize with those flesh and blood to drive it, but like you, this also has dangers. When the synchronization rate exceeds 100% something bad will happen."
Merlin paused and continued.
"Probably human consciousness has been captured by demons instead... and this is erosion, but we don't know exactly what will happen. In order to ensure safety, we never let the driver's synchronization rate exceed the red line. After the red line, for us An unknown."
"It's interesting. Although it's different, it's somewhat similar to Secret Blood." Lorenzo replied.
"That's it, Lorenzo. To be precise, if you use anything related to demons, you have to pay a corresponding price..."
The machine rotated, and the crane lowered the iron rope, slowly falling to the vicinity of the Black Angel. Although his vision was narrow, Lorenzo could still see the approaching iron.
"Hold on to it."
Merlin said, "This is obviously not enough space for you to stretch your legs."
Lorenzo raised his hand hesitantly, and the palm made of flesh and machinery firmly grasped the iron rope. Then the entire Black Angel was lifted up again, but this time Merlin also jumped over directly. The Black Angel was covered with deadly Tie Yu, he specifically chose a safe place to sit down, put one hand near his visor and rose together with Lorenzo.
The entire black angel was merged into the guide rail and moved forward slowly, because the underground space was inconsistent, and many passages could not be entered with the size of the original sin armor, so he could only take this kind of cargo guide rail.
"Where are you going next?"
"The workshop, the space there is large enough and the protection is tighter than here. It can test more actual combat data for you. Of course, if you perform well enough and can ensure that you don't lose control, we can also let you go to the mine on the surface. "
Merlin's words were so relaxed that Lorenzo became suspicious.
"How many times have you done this?"
"What? Are you referring to mines or workshops? The process of the perpetual pump is like this. After the weapons are stabilized in the laboratory, they will be sent to the workshop for further experiments. After the stability is confirmed in the workshop, they will go up to the surface mine. Since the industrial area is so big anyway, the experiments here will not leak out."
Merlin frowned. He actually got so close because he wanted to personally test the strength of the erosion. After all, in terms of data, the Black Angel was much weaker than other armors. However, judging from his current disgust, it was still It's normal.
"But Lorenzo, I have something to ask you."
"You said."
Merlin glanced at the visor beside him. Behind the steel was Lorenzo. If he had a sharp enough sword in his hand, he could easily pierce the gap between the armor from this angle and kill Lorenzo with one sword. Zuo.
"What happened when you were unconscious?"
Merlin asked seriously. Just now in the experimental field, with so many scientific researchers watching, Merlin had a lot of worries.
After all, Lorenzo is essentially an uncontrollable psychopath, and he may do something crazy, let alone after activating this mysterious black angel.
Merlin didn't believe it would all go so smoothly, at least something must have happened.
"[Gap], [Gap] shuttle."
Lorenzo hesitated for a moment, but he still said it. Merlin had knowledge in his mind that even Lorenzo didn't know. Instead of hiding it, it was better to see what surprises the alchemist could bring to him.
"That's Lawrence's ability."
"But I also seem to be able to do this by using the Sin Armor, and I don't know why."
Lorenzo answered.
"Then where did you use the [gap] to travel to?"
Merlin began to realize that something was wrong. He never thought that this would be the result. Fortunately, Lorenzo was not in a coma for a long time. Judging from his safe return, he should have done nothing wrong during this time. thing.
"The Temple of Stasis."
"Static...Standing Temple?"
Merlin's expression froze, and then he couldn't believe it, "Wait a minute, you returned to the Temple of Stasis? How is this possible?"
"But the truth is that, despite the distance, I have arrived, and it is as dilapidated as the place I left on Advent Night."
Lorenzo did not mention anything about the new pope. Sometimes this information can be exchanged for something more valuable.
"Dark Angel entered a strange state after you fell into coma. Its erosion range expanded several times, so large that it exceeded our observation... Is this a means to increase the transmission distance?"
Merlin noticed something keenly, but then he thought of something. He immediately turned over and got close to the cold visor, trying to see Lorenzo's face through the gap.
"No, Lorenzo, you said it's the Temple of Stasis?"
Only now did the alchemist react. He was just about to pry off the visor, drag Lorenzo out, and yell at him face to face.
"You got there?"
Lorenzo in the armor also replied with some fear.
"Yes, [Gap] travel requires beacons and a process of erosion. However, I have not eroded there, but I can return there..."
Lorenzo thought about all this.
"Unless my connection with it has already existed, so the voice keeps echoing in my mind, and my location can be traced through the silver bolt..."
"No, none of that matters, Lorenzo!"
Merlin was a little panicked. He had never been like this before. He thought that after Advent Night, all the mysteries of the Evangelical Church would be the Book of Revelation, but now it seemed that it was much more than that.
"Although we are not sure of the true principle of [Gap], what is certain at present is that [Gap] is based on a certain consciousness, and consciousness needs flesh and blood as a carrier.
Which is to say... the Temple of Stasis is alive. "
The sound roared and echoed in Lorenzo's mind. He was a little confused, and then he recalled everything during the shuttle. This was so obvious, but he did not notice that there were more unknown things in the place of origin. A well-known secret.
The Evangelical Church...what are they hiding?
If it was just a vague omen before, then at this moment Lorenzo really felt that there was a hazy veil in this world that completely hid the real thing, and now it was partially lifted.
Everything was so close, and then light shone down. The guide rail brought the two people into the workshop. The vast experimental field was covered by iron armor. The lifting platform moved slowly, and endless light fell from above, covering everything. illuminate.
(End of this chapter)