Embers of Embers

Chapter 356 The Leftovers
This was a bad meeting, even a bit sad. In Arthur's understanding, the old friend in front of him had died as early as the moment he entered the Black Mountain Hospital more than ten years ago. Although the body still existed, He still had some childish rationality, but he was very clear at the time.
Cole is dead, and Mordred is dead. What is hidden in that body at this moment is just a sanity that has been corroded for the most part, and a confused soul. The doctors are just acting out of ethics. He has never been euthanized, after all, his research value has long been exhausted.
Arthur never imagined that Cole could still talk to him rationally after so many years. This was simply unbelievable.
“It feels good to be able to think again.”
Cole rubbed his head. With his rationality regained, the memories of so many years also emerged in his mind. All the unbearable things and even the slightly insane yell just now were all flashing in front of his eyes at this moment. He smiled from time to time. , but then felt sad again.
"No, how is this possible? Your mind is obviously gone..."
Arthur couldn't believe it. According to the tests at the time, Cole had been eroded to the end of the second stage. Although he would not continue to transform into a demon, his sanity had also been eroded and completely shattered. But now Cole is like a Talk to yourself as normal.
"Maybe it's because I've been specialized as a ranger, but everything related to monsters is full of doubts. Who really knows?"
Cole said to himself.
"You may not believe it, Arthur, during the years when I lost my mind, I seemed to be dreaming an extremely long dream.
It was such a nice dream..."
Cole said, lowering his head in confusion. He looked at himself in the pool of water, his pupils narrowed slightly. The young face in the memory and the old look now overlapped, making people feel a little frightened.
At the end of his memory, he was still a young guy, but when he woke up again, he had become a rough old guy, as if someone had stolen his precious years while he was sleeping.
But such confusion and sadness did not last long. From Cole's own perspective, he was still a young boy, but his mind was trapped in this old body.
Everything seemed so fragmented that his thoughts were extremely confused.
"Original Sin Armor... It seems that you have succeeded."
Cole raised his head and looked at the blue shadow fighting with the demon. More than ten years ago, these things only existed on drawings, and the main force of the purification mechanism was still their group of rangers.
"Yes, not only that, our understanding of demons is getting deeper and deeper... we have already seen the hope of eradicating demons. Although this hope is still slim, it is much better than the previous era."
Arthur replied, hoping the news would make Cole feel better.
The rain of fire continued to fall, and no one knew how long the scavengers would continue to baptize the land. The corpses of demons burned with fire and fell. The soldiers squeezed their bodies into the shadow of the bunkers as much as possible. In fact, these bunkers are currently They were unable to withstand the direct hits of these fire rains. They could only pray that the fireworks of divine punishment would not fall on them.
Cole's heart was turbulent. He knew what the situation was without asking. His emotions became extremely complicated, but in the end he sighed helplessly.
At that time, he was eroded and corrupted by the demon's attack. The last thing he remembered was that he was lying on the operating table, listening to the whispers of the doctors. When he regained his sense and woke up again, he faced another This battlefield full of demons seemed like two nightmares connected together, spanning the ages.
After a brief moment of sadness, Cole's eyes became stern. Although he looked old on the outside, he was still young on the inside. He was still on the battlefield.
"Where is Merlin? I remember he was also sent to Black Mountain Hospital with me. Is he still alive?"
"Merlin? He has left... No, no, he is also in the hospital, but he is no longer Merlin. William has a successor."
After so many years, those people Cole knew were either dead or had their files sealed and left the purge agency. Arthur thought for a moment that he was referring to the current Merlin, but he quickly realized it.
"Is he still alive?" Cole became anxious.
"Yes, but just like you, he has also been eroded, and now he eats whatever he sees."
Although it was ridiculous to say it, Arthur couldn't help but feel sad when he thought about what William had been like.
"where is he?"
"What are you going to do?" Arthur asked.
"Information! We were cooperating with William to conduct an experiment. I don't know what happened, but during the experiment, the demon broke out in the perpetual pump. I don't know the reason, but William said he found [the truth]... Continue You know everything that happened, the Perpetual Pump was severely damaged, but fortunately the damage did not spread."
Cole said and started to move. Even though his body had begun to become deformed, he still had to fulfill his uninterrupted duties.
A major disaster occurred in the Perpetual Pump more than ten years ago. The previous Merlin, William, was invaded by demons when he was conducting some kind of experiment. All the data were destroyed in the invasion. The person involved, like Cole William, was also deeply affected. Erosion turned mad.
Therefore, in the follow-up investigation, as if the hand of God was playing with all this, the purification agency could not find anything and could only seal the incident.
"I didn't know what happened at the time. The disaster broke out so suddenly. Our external defense forces didn't encounter any enemies at all... It was as if the group of monsters appeared out of thin air inside the Perpetual Pump. William knew what happened. What, if I can wake up, maybe he can wake up too."
Listening to Cole's words, Arthur's eyes quickly swept across the scorched battlefield.
William, William, where are you?
In this fierce battle, they had no power to protect these patients. Arthur couldn't help but shouted anxiously.
"Has anyone seen William?"
What responded to him was a pair of confused eyes. They had no idea who William was. Even if they knew, in this case, who cares about a madman who gnaws on everything he sees?
Arthur felt a little disappointed for a moment. There were many reasons why the Rangers plan was stopped. The Perpetual Pump was severely damaged, and the current Merlin turned into a madman. However, due to the complicated mystery of the incident, this matter Hidden away by the purification agency.
This feeling was terrible, terrible. Arthur seemed to be touching the truth of the past, but then he passed it by...
"He's in safe house two!"
At this moment of despair, someone shouted.
Eve hid under the barrier built up by three generations of armor, and she and others slashed at the approaching demons. When she heard Arthur's roar, she shouted towards the other side of the rain curtain.
"This guy doesn't know how to catch ghosts at all! He only knows how to chew things, so I locked him in a safe house... maybe... maybe he survived like this?"
Eve shouted, unlike the robin who knew about cruelty, Eve still couldn't accept all this cruelty, so she finally ran back to save Arthur, and also organized the patients to play ghost hunting. She just hoped there would be more of people can survive.
Arthur listened to Eve's shouting, looked at her deeply, and then rushed into the scientific research area without looking back, shouting at the same time.
"Kestrel, command is now handed over to you!"
"Ah I?"
Kestrel chopped down a monster with one strike. Although the sound of the explosion was mixed with the sound of wind and rain, Arthur's words still reached his ears clearly.
Never would he have thought that today would be the day when he would get promoted and make a fortune. On this damn day, Kestrel was both happy and sad.
But there was no chance for them to question Arthur. When they looked at Arthur, he had already disappeared behind the curtain of rain together with the patients who had regained their senses.
……
There are also monsters in the scientific research area, but due to the blockade, they failed to spread. At first, after Arthur realized that the lifting area could not be evacuated, he planned to lead the team back to the scientific research area, but when he thought that he might be trapped inside by the monsters , then gave up the idea. After all, staying in the lift area, they had enough vision to fight the demons with the Original Sin Armor.
A group of people ran wildly in the dark. In fact, not many patients regained their sanity due to erosion, but what is certain is that they were all Rangers.
Monsters, monsters everywhere.
After emptying the thermite rifle, all Arthur could use was the folding knife in his hand. Even after so long, the two still cooperated very well.
There was no room for them to hide in this narrow passage, and there was no way out. They were like a spear made of iron, trying to penetrate everything. Nothing could stop them, and when they When it stopped, it was also when the spear broke.
"How is the development of the purification agency?"
While fighting forward, Cole asked from time to time. He was very curious about this "future" world.
"It's not bad. The Original Sin Armor has been developed to the third generation. Most of it is supported by machinery instead of demon flesh and blood. As long as we are given a period of time, we can create a torrent of steel, and the demons will retreat steadily under our fire. , the better times are coming soon.”
Arthur said loudly.
"We rangers are already relics of the old era. Although it is possible that we will shine again... But we are no longer the protagonists. This is not bad, isn't it?"
This is the inheritance of mankind and the change of history. The older generation rests here and the young people come to the stage.
His vision was obscured by blood. Arthur wiped his face vigorously, and the liquid mixed with blood and water was wiped away by him. It was not clear whether it was the blood of the demon or his own blood.
The speed of his sword swing seemed much slower. He could chop off the demon's head with one blow before, but now he had to chop it hard several times.
Arthur was tired.
In fact, he thought he was going to die not long ago, but he was saved by Eve who was killed immediately. The feeling at that time was actually quite strange. The child he had been trying to protect had grown up without knowing it. Not only could she Protecting herself, she could also protect Arthur.
"It's really good. That's her child. I didn't expect it to grow so big." Cole said.
"Yeah, I didn't expect her to grow up safe and sound. Of course it's not safe and sound, but at least she's still alive and full of energy."
Recalling the red figure, Arthur laughed helplessly as he spoke, and then Cole laughed with him.
The screams and roars continued, and their impromptu action was simply a death blow. The dark corridor was constantly shaking, and no one knew how many demons were peeping at them from the shadows of the scientific research area.
As the team continues to deepen, casualties have appeared in the team. In addition to those killed by demons, there are also those who have fallen behind.
They are patients, patients who have been corrupted by erosion. Doctors helped them curb the spread of erosion many years ago, but today, many years later, they meet the demon again.
The erosion that had been stagnant for a long time was getting worse again. Although they didn't say it, everyone could more or less feel it. The cold erosion was like invisible vines wrapping around their bodies bit by bit.
Some people seemed to have a premonition of the coming erosion. Before they were completely transformed into monsters, they silently stopped and rushed towards the monsters coming behind them, dying as humans.
Just like that, one straggler after another left.
"We are almost there... In front of us is Safe House No. [-]. I hope the door is closed tightly, otherwise William may have been chewed clean."
Arthur spoke lightly, as he rarely did.
While running, Arthur slowly stopped. He was holding a folding knife and leaning against the wall, panting.
"Are you okay?" Cole asked.
The sound echoed in the long space. Looking back, I didn't know when they were the only ones left in the dark corridor.
"The No. [-] safe house is ahead. Make sure William is safe, and then close it. People outside attract monsters. Maybe he can survive this way."
Arthur said weakly, he was already very tired, and at the same time, there were rapid footsteps behind him again, as well as the surging blood.
"I need a break."
He coughed hard. Ever since the demon wave broke out, Arthur has been fighting with high intensity. The power of the Rangers comes at a price, and he is no longer young. After experiencing these battles, his body is covered with scars. Full of wounds, his will was also bombarded by this heavy erosion.
Cole was silent. Of course he wouldn't believe Arthur's nonsense. The only result of resting in such a ghost place was to be torn into pieces by the monsters that followed him. But he also knew that Arthur didn't want to just admit defeat. He didn't want to say that he couldn't run any more. If he said that, he would admit his failure. He didn't want to admit defeat to the monster, so he persisted until now.
"Ah... I just woke up not long ago, but it feels really bad, Arthur."
Cole said, picking up Arthur's shoulders and dragging him forward.
"When I woke up, I found that I had been crazy for so many years. I had spent all my best years lying in a hospital bed... It felt like I woke up and the whole world had changed. I was panicked and confused, not to mention that I found myself as soon as I woke up. erosion is steadily increasing.
I just woke up and I was dying again, which was terrible. "
Cole said and looked at Arthur's bloody face, then laughed.
"Of course the worse thing is you, waking up to find that your familiar friend has turned into a bad old man."
"Then I'm really sorry...let me go, Cole, go and confirm William's life and death, and then come back to me." Arthur whispered.
"But I'm also very happy. When I woke up, the purification mechanism still existed. It was not destroyed by the demons. Instead, my understanding of the demons became more comprehensive. This is really good. And you haven't lost motivation due to aging."
Cole ignored Arthur's words at all and just talked to himself.
"Actually, I was quite scared just now. After all, William has gone crazy. In this case, no one knows whether he is alive. At this time, I chose to go to him and risk my life for the information that I might not get... I'm very scared. I was afraid that you would refuse this proposal, but you still took action and came with me to find him, and you never thought about the consequences of whether you would die, right?"
"That's great, Arthur. Time has not made you timid, but has made you braver."
"Are you giving your last words?"
Arthur asked with some strength.
This is a very suitable scene for saying last words, like some tragic hero,
Arthur staggered, and his consciousness became confused. He felt that the corridor under his feet was so long, almost endless, and the No. [-] safe house they wanted to reach was like an unreachable holy land.
"Forget it. After all, I have been eroded, and it is only a matter of time before I become a monster."
Perhaps due to the erosion and alienation, Cole was full of power at the moment. Arthur was dragged by him like a piece of cargo. The other deformed hand was firmly holding the folding knife, and he was holding the monster at will. Hack and kill.
"Arthur, listen to me, during the time when I was being eroded, when I was living like a walking zombie, ignorant... I don't know how to describe... I... I seem to be trapped in a... place."
Cole shouted loudly. He didn't know how much Arthur could hear, so he could only raise the volume as much as possible.
Human beings know too little about demons, and due to the erosion effect, much knowledge cannot be passed down. Everyone can die, but they must pass on the precious information before death.
This is an unknowable world, and they are seekers of knowledge who are not afraid of death.
"What did you say?"
Arthur turned his head slightly, and when he heard Cole's words, he gritted his teeth and sobered up a little.
Looking at the suddenly excited Cole, an unspeakable power emerged in his body, and the burned out ashes ignited a flickering flame after many years.
"Remember what William said? They alchemists believe that at the end of darkness, at the end of human consciousness, there is a place called [the gap].
In these years of confusion, I seemed to be trapped in that place called [The Gap]. I couldn't feel hungry or tired, nor would I die or be injured. I was trapped in a scene I had seen in my memory. There is no end no matter which direction you go.
It's like..."
"The border, the border of hell."
Arthur said slowly. Listening to Cole's words, his thoughts froze for a moment, as if there was no fear at all.
This is what has been said in the Gospels. There is a transitional area between the world of the living and the world of the dead, which is called the border of hell.
I don't know if it's a coincidence or something, but thinking back on these crazy years, Cole felt that he seemed to have been wandering in a place similar to the border of hell, or a place called [The Gap].
"That's probably it. I don't know what's going on, but according to the regulations of purging agencies, as long as there is anything suspicious, you have to report it, right?"
Cole's voice became blurry, and Arthur looked at his face. The green blood vessels bulged underneath it, looking hideous and terrifying.
"You need to live, Arthur. Only you know this. You need to pass on this precious information. Even if you want to die, you should wait until you tell these things to those who come after you. And I... I should be left behind here. .”
Cole said, letting go of Arthur and throwing him to the cold and solid ground. Before Arthur could say anything, Cole just left. He struggled to stand up with the folding knife, but there was only The sound of footsteps that kept going away came down.
Arthur wanted to scold Cole. He had no extra energy to fight, but Cole left himself in this place. Arthur was not sure whether he could reach the No. [-] safe house.
He tried to take steps, but his exhausted body could no longer move forward. Great despair enveloped him, but then Arthur seemed to notice something. He raised his head and saw that the huge iron gate was close at hand.
(End of this chapter)