Embers of Embers

Chapter 482
Dunling Tower, Broken Dome.
After years of hard work and the struggle of countless predecessors, the entire Old Dunling has been shaped into a huge and invisible fortress, and this fortress is protected layer by layer by tree-like systems.
Over the long years, barbarism has grown.
The snake system of the atrium that spread to old Dunling and even the entire Yin Erweg, the rails, the iron snakes, and the war airships cruising in the sky have their tentacles on both the earth and the sky, forming lush branches. .
The Peeper System's large Geiger Counts filled the city, wailing and responding like a flock of flying crows, while the Furnace Pillars turned into roots that penetrated deep into the dark underground, entrenched in the darkness and supported by perpetually moving pumps. , making the tree stand erect.
The Dun Ling Pagoda becomes the trunk of the tree, the center of everything, and the core of the purification mechanism.
Shrike was deep in the tightly protected core at this moment. His mood was a little subtle. Although he was a high-ranking knight, due to the various regulations of the purification agency, the broken dome in Dunling Tower was as mysterious as a legend in his eyes. , after joining the purification agency for so long, Shrike has only come here a handful of times.
"It's really magnificent..."
Shrike sighed.
He stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window. Dunling Tower is the tallest building in old Dunling. From here, he can completely overlook the entire old Dunling. The tall buildings are like a steel jungle. They spread out with Dunling Tower as the center. , has spread to the gray junction of heaven and earth.
Countless chimneys were emitting thick smoke outwards, and gray tracks were rising upwards, touching the sky. The lead-gray clouds rolled violently, and the iron whale broke through the cloud barrier and slowly cruised over the old Dunling. .
This is Old Dunling, the core of Yernweg, the steam and steel city of the West.
Shrike's mood surged. Seeing such a scene, it's hard not to make waves in one's mood, until the sound of footsteps broke the silence, Shrike came back to his senses and looked behind him.
"Okay, it's your turn."
Knight Commander Gareth walked over. He didn't look good, his face was full of sorrow, and he had no idea of ​​appreciating the scene behind Shrike.
"Ah."
Shrike nodded and walked towards the place where Gareth left before without asking any further questions.
He received a short notice, an urgent summons, so he came to this mysterious broken dome, and now he was walking towards the sacred conference room, about to sit in front of the round table that had been ravaged by time.
This is not the first time that Shrike has participated in a round table meeting. The most memorable one was about eight years ago. At that time, in the conference room, Arthur decided that Shrike would become the controller of the lower city. It was also at that time that Shrike temporarily separated from the purification agency. , plunged into the bloody chaos of Xiacheng District.
After returning here after such a long time, Shrike couldn't help but feel a little excited, but more importantly, he was speculating about the bad things that would happen next.
You must know that those who can participate in such a meeting are basically knight commanders. Although Shrike has an amazing resume, he has no right to participate in such a meeting without special circumstances... And now that he is here, there must be something special about it. The situation has arisen and he needs to participate.
"Ah...it's over."
The shrike's face became sad.
The special situation of purging the mechanism is usually not a good thing. Basically, it is the kind that requires risking half of one's life, and Shrike just lost half of his life in the workshop a few days ago.
Although he is loyal to the purification agency, even Shrike can't stand it under such continuous fatal missions.
He was thinking about whether things like the Labor Law were applicable to his profession.
"Shrike is here, ask him anything first."
After opening the door, Gawain saw the shrike arriving and said directly. The shrike who didn't know the situation was stunned. He couldn't understand what the situation was now.
"Oh, the shrike is here, just sit there first."
At the end of the long table, Arthur motioned for Shrike to sit down nearby.
Shrike swallowed and finished his thoughts.
This roundtable meeting was different from the previous ones. There were only a few participants in the previous meeting, but this time there were so many people. Looking around, the seats around the round table were almost full.
Some people were known to Shrike, such as the knight captains, some were hiding in the shadows, and Shrike couldn't see their appearance clearly. Some people he knew who they were, but the strange thing was that they shouldn't be here.
"Why are they here?"
Shrike asked suspiciously, with the regulations of the purging agency, there is no possibility of these guys appearing in the Shattered Vault.
"Merlin was injured and is still lying in the Black Mountain Hospital receiving treatment. I will attend this meeting on his behalf and on behalf of the Eternal Pump."
On the seat beside Arthur, Nicholas raised his hand and spoke calmly.This is representative from the perpetual pump.
“As part of the cleanup agency, I participated as a representative of Black Mountain Hospital.”
On Arthur's other side, Dean Abigail slowly lowered his raised hand.
This was no longer a question of whether it was bad or not. Shrike felt that he might be entrusted with an important task next and be sent to Nalo, Gaul as an assassination team to assassinate the new king.
"I am here on behalf of the Royal Family of Victoria, but I will not participate in the discussion, so you don't need to pay attention to me."
Anakin smiled, then faded into the darkness.
These new faces indicated their purpose of coming, but there was one new face who remained silent. He had been hiding in the shadows. Shrike could barely see the gray robe, although he could not see his face clearly. But he felt an inexplicable familiarity with him, as if he knew that person.
Such thoughts quickly dissipated, and Shrike realized something.
It can be said that these few people currently represent all the power agencies in the entire old Dunling, and even the power agencies that control the entire Yin Erweg.
So who does that guy hiding in the shadows represent?
Shrike thought of the name that was everywhere but not remembered.
Scavenger.
"So, is there any important task you want to entrust to me? You actually created such a big battle."
Shrike was no longer excited. There were only two voices left in his mind. One screamed, "I'm going to die! I'm going to die! I'm going to die on this ghost mission!"
Another voice responded with great excitement, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Shrike thought he might need legal aid, but wasn't sure whether the Inerweg Law would cover that.
"It's related to a mission, but before that I want to ask a question."
Arthur said slowly, the dim sunlight fell from the glass dome above, and the vertical sunlight lengthened the shadow on his face, like a terrifying dead man.
"Shrike, you have been to the Sea of ​​Silence, right? According to your mission record, nine years ago, shortly after you joined the Purge Agency, you were assigned to a maritime operation, and in that operation you pursued the target. , strayed into the Sea of ​​Silence during a storm, and almost the entire army was wiped out. After that, due to your outstanding performance, you were assigned to a long-term mission in the Lower City."
Shrike nodded, his face expressionless.
When Arthur said the word "Silent Sea", Shrike lost his expression, like a drowned man in the deep sea, and in his mind, the almost forgotten past roared back.
"Sea of ​​Silence...this is really not a good place.
At that time, you were entrusted with an important task because you survived it alive. After all, people with weak willpower can't get out of it at all. Even if they do, they will become lunatics in the Montenegro Hospital. "
Shrike remained silent, but his hand couldn't help but stretch to his waist, where the gun bag was hanging, and the silver-white revolver named the Death Knell was supposed to be inserted in the gun bag.
Unfortunately, it was not here now. Before entering the Shattered Dome, Shrike handed over his weapons.
He felt a little irritable now, and it seemed that only the coldness of the death knell could temporarily calm him down.
"So what do you need me to do? Go back to that ghost place again? Is there anything worthwhile there?"
Shrike asked in confusion.
"Of course, there has always been, it's just that you don't know about it."
Arthur didn't explain what that thing was, but went on.
"We will then organize a fleet, and you will be one of the members. We need your experience in facing the Silent Sea."
"Sea of ​​Silence..."
Shrike whispered, his voice almost coming out from between his teeth.
Arthur said, probably knowing Shrike's current mood.
"I know this is a bit difficult and resisting for you, but we have something we desperately need behind the Sea of ​​Silence."
"But... that's Jinghai. Didn't you tell me the internal information of the purification agency? That ghost place is the only out-of-control area that we cannot control."
Memories of the Silent Sea roared past, almost engulfing the Shrike.
"We know this, so this time we have the new technologies of the Original Sin Armor and the Perpetual Pump to accompany you."
The representative of the Scavenger, who had been hiding in the shadows, preached.
His voice was hoarse, but Shrike could still detect a hint of familiarity.
"The Sea of ​​Silence, the Land of Silence, the Sea of ​​Death, the Realm of Storms and Silence, the Kingdom of the Dead... Regarding that sea area, the Vikings had too many terrible words to describe it, and all the ships that sailed into it could not When they return, they will be torn into powder by lightning and thunder, and even if a survivor comes back alive, he will be permanently cursed and die in madness."
Under the shadow, he seemed to be reciting some ancient and ferocious story.
"In fact, such legends are well-founded. According to the research and investigation of the purification agency, that sea area is shrouded in incredible erosion. Although the intensity of the erosion is not high, the scope is terrifying. The most important thing is that the purification The agency can't find a way to control it. After all, we don't have the ability to directly evaporate the entire sea area, or block it, and we don't know how long it has existed. Under this long erosion, there are also some weird creatures in the darkness. Born from the bottom of the sea, monsters like that often appear in Viking legends.”
"So do we have the ability to control it now?"
Shrike felt himself getting more and more irritable, but as a qualified high-ranking knight, he couldn't act out yet.
"No...but maybe there is, it depends on how your crew is doing."
Arthur said slowly, his cold expression suddenly revealed a smile, or to be precise, a smirk.
It's over, it's over.
Arthur didn't care about Shrike's opinion at all. He had been appointed from the beginning. This action had been planned long ago, and now he just came to inform him.
"My crew?"
Probably because he realized that he couldn't escape, Shrike felt a little self-defeating at the moment. He just hoped that his death would not be too painful, and it would be best to give it a happy death.
"We all said it, didn't we? We will organize a fleet next. You have also been at sea, and one person cannot drive a ship."
"Then who are my crew members?" Shrike asked.
"The list is still being drawn up. Now we are seriously short of manpower. In addition, this operation requires some disguise. The disguise part is still under negotiation. Nordro is in charge. They are mediating between the Viking countries and the Stuarts. interests of the family."
Nordro, the Viking Kingdoms, the Stuarts...
Hearing these words, Shrike felt even more uneasy. The last time that so many forces were implicated was the explosion attack at Maluri Port, so what is he going to do this time?Exploded the Viking countries and the Silent Sea together?
"Of course, we also know that this mission will be very difficult. Even if we support so many new weapons and original sin armor, there are still great risks, so we are negotiating with another person to let him join your fleet. "
"A man? Lorenzo Holmes."
The strength of an individual can approach that of a standard army, and the only person Shrike could think of at first was Lorenzo.
"At present, his purpose is not clear, and he is still trying his best to fight for it, but judging from the response from Platinum Palace, Mr. Holmes will agree to the sale." Arthur said.
"You have already deceived Lorenzo once, and if you can make him sacrifice his life this time, it must be expensive."
Shrike felt unreliable, and after returning from Nalo in Gaul, Lorenzo frequently made trouble for the purification agency.
"Yes, it's expensive. It's simply expensive. If that lunatic wants to cause harm, he might be able to usurp the world's most precious treasure."
Arthur was also a little sad when he thought about this, realizing that Lorenzo might arrive at that sacred place, and then thinking about Lorenzo's disturbing uncertainty, he always felt bad and felt that this was a bad decision. But what's even more regrettable is that Arthur can't find anyone to replace Lorenzo.
"Then, after paying such a high price and implicating so many people, what are you going to do this time? Arthur."
Shrike put aside those mixed emotions and asked Arthur seriously.
Arthur was silent at first, and after thinking for a long time, he said in a deep voice.
"There is a holy place in this world. It is located in the extreme north behind the Sea of ​​Silence. That place... is very mysterious. I don't know how to describe it. In short, it is wrapped by the Sea of ​​Silence, and is eroded everywhere. It affects communication and ranging, and there are no accurate coordinates to determine its location.
The only thing that can be followed is the ancient waterway left by the predecessors, but as time changes, these things are gradually no longer reliable. Merlin tried to go there three years ago. He followed the ancient waterway, but still could not find it. , and finally almost ran out of supplies and stayed there forever. "
Arthur took a deep breath and read out the name that had been deliberately obscured by history.
"Your destination is that holy land, which we call [the end of the world]."
(End of this chapter)