Embers of Embers

Chapter 504 Orochi
Under the night, the storm has fully formed. The strong wind lifts the sea water, sweeps it into the sky and intertwines with the thunder, like a huge pillar reaching the sky, slowly moving on the sea surface.
The Morning Glory Advance was on the edge of the storm, and it was running at full power to accelerate away from the storm. Heavy rain fell, making a crackling sound on the portholes.
As Shrike narrated, the atmosphere in the cabin became extremely depressing. Even Lan Jade's cold face melted a little now.
The information control within the Purification Agency is very strict. If you have not reached that level, there is some information that you simply cannot access and have no way of knowing, such as the ending of each Knight Commander.
Lan Jade still remembers Galahad. After participating in an operation against the lower city, he mysteriously disappeared into the purification mechanism. Is he dead?Lan Jade is not sure. Almost a year has passed and there is still no one to replace his title. So he is still alive?So what is he doing?
No one knows, probably only Arthur knows all this, and for example, what Shrike just said, it was not until Shrike told this past experience that Lan Jade knew how the previous Lancelot died.
Now that Lan Jade was about to go to that forbidden sea, her mood couldn't help but feel a little heavier.
"and then?"
Lorenzo asked. When he reached the key part, Shrike suddenly stopped. He put his head on his hands and lowered his eyes, as if he was thinking about something.
No one disturbed the shrike, and the silence lasted for a long time until Lorenzo lost his patience.
"And then? No more."
Shrike looked very tired, exhausted both physically and mentally by the bad memories.
"The Narwhal stopped after a short time of progress... To be precise, the demon caught us," Shrike recalled with difficulty. "It was too chaotic at the time, and I don't know the specific situation."
"Anyway, suddenly the Narwhal stopped. I guess the corpses of the monsters entangled the propeller, and then we became an isolated city on the ice. Countless monsters piled up and climbed onto the deck easily. "
Shrike let out a long sigh. He didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
"Floki's conspiracy was shattered. If nothing else happens, we will probably all die at sea. I laughed at him at the time, but that guy didn't give up. He summoned a few sane Vikings and they used The frantic soldiers and Vikings were used as bait, lowering their longships and trying to escape from the Narwhal."
"You broke through the encirclement?"
Lorenzo found it incredible. Judging from Shrike's words, they would definitely die in that environment, but the fact was that Shrike survived and was still sitting here telling him the story of that time.
"Not really, it's very lucky. After losing power, the bow of the ship got stuck on the ice, and the two were firmly combined. The monsters had nowhere to attack and could only scratch the ice under the ice. When I was brought to the ice by Floki, I could even see the monsters under the ice through the light of the light track.
They opened their mouths bloodthirstyly, using their teeth and claws to gnaw and scratch. There were thousands of them like a school of fish, and there was only a layer of ice between me and them. "
There is only a layer of ice away from the kingdom of the dead.
"How did you leave?"
Lorenzo continued to ask. He didn't care much about Shrike's mental state. If he was really that fragile, Shrike would have died long ago.
"I don't know, and then I fell into a coma." Shrike said with certainty.
"The erosion affected me. I had hallucinations at the time. The demons under the ice all turned into familiar faces. My colleagues, my dead comrades, and even Lancelot, their faces were covered by the sea water. They were so pale that they all reached out to me...
I almost held their hands. At the last moment, Floki saved me. The demon broke through the ice and almost cut my throat with its sharp claws. Floki pushed me away. A single ax slashed those monsters, and then a bigger vibration sounded... like an earthquake. "
"earthquake?"
It was an interesting word, and Lorenzo asked, finding the situation much more interesting.
"Are you sure this is not an illusion?"
"No, I only felt violent vibrations. The silent sea under my feet was boiling. Then dense cracks burst out across the entire ice surface. Dark seawater gushes out from the cracks. Under the light track, it looks like Colorful gems, the faces of monsters are like a kaleidoscope under the refraction of the mirror...
It's just a beautiful hell. "
The shrike looked very troubled and distressed.
"The next thing is a vague area in my memory. Even after so many years, I have not come to a conclusion. I have also thought about going to the Viking countries to find the lost parts, but I still have fear in my heart and cannot move forward. , until now we have to move forward.”
He glanced at Lorenzo and said with a wry smile, Shrike really doesn't want to have anything to do with Lonely Sea if he can, but just like the curse Floki said, those who leave Lonely Sea are cursed. people.
"I don't know if this is a hallucination, but I still clearly remember the feeling at that time, as if I was being stared at by something, the feeling of prey being discovered by a hunter, the primal fear from the soul, it's not just me, the demon We are also afraid. They climbed up along the crack, but they did not attack us. They were running for their lives and scattered..."
"Do monsters do this too?"
Lorenzo found it incredible. Demons do have a certain reaction of seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages, but what is it that can make so many demons afraid of them?
"Yes, what I am going to talk about next is the mystery in my memory. In fact, it is not a mystery. I just can't confirm whether it is reality or an illusion."
Shrike coughed hard several times, and then said in a deep voice.
"Before I passed out and at the end of my memory, I saw the black shadow under the ice. It was so clear under the light track, like an extremely huge colubrid snake, surging under the ice. I I think the ice cracked and the demons fled because of its appearance. Judging from the length that I could observe, the giant snake was at least several hundred meters long.
I saw a dark shield rolling in the cracks in the ice. It was not a shield, but huge scales one after another..."
Lorenzo's expression became solemn. There was no way such a big snake could exist in this world. Even if it was the crystallization of human industry, the Morning Glory Advance under his feet was only about 80 meters long. How could there be such a big creature.
No, it might not be a creature...
Shrike stopped talking. He looked into Lorenzo's eyes and didn't speak directly, but both of them read something from their eyes.
Creatures can't be so huge, but that doesn't mean demons can't do it. It's not like they haven't encountered giant-like demons before. With this weird power, anything is possible.
"Do you think there is such a big snake entrenched under the Silent Sea?"
"I don't know, maybe it's just my imagination?"
"What happened next?"
"later?"
Shrike paused for a moment before continuing.
"When I woke up again, I was lying on a Viking longship, covered with several layers of animal skins. There were not many people left on the ship. Floki was also alive. He said I was lucky. The entire Narwhal Among the crew, I was the only one who survived.
I was very weak and felt comatose for several days. How I survived that hellish place, Floki didn't tell me, but he always muttered about sacrifices. "
"Not only did he not kill you, but he also saved you?"
Lorenzo felt that something was not right. He stared at Shrike. As a detective, he vaguely felt that Shrike was hiding something.
"Yeah, it's weird, isn't it."
Shrike murmured to himself, his hand constantly touching the metal surface of the revolver, feeling the coldness on it.
"Floki said he needed someone to spread the word about what happened here. I understand what he meant. His operation failed. He needs another ironclad ship to let more eyes on this sea area.
I'm not sure what Floki's confidence was, but he just saved me and let me return to Inverg.
The story is over. "
The atmosphere in the cabin fell into a long calm, and no one made a sound amidst the swaying of the waves. They seemed to be still lost in the story Shrike told.
"Is that all? You're not hiding anything, are you?" Lorenzo asked.
"Some trivial things will not have much impact on the direction of the entire story." Shrike replied calmly.
"But there are still some sequels to this incident. When Merlin went to the Silent Sea, Merlin brought enough weapons and ammunition, preparing to take revenge on Floki. As a result, the guy disappeared. It's unclear where he went. Time was tight, and Merlin didn't have much time. Make a stop. Based on my information, they successfully penetrated deep into the Sea of ​​Silence, but they also encountered hardships from demons and the natural environment along the way. In the end, it seems that only a few people returned alive."
"Then there's our next move."
As the consultant for this operation, Shrike also felt that it was time to explain Lorenzo's next trip.
"We will stay temporarily in the Viking countries to replenish supplies and discuss trade with the Stuart family, and then..."
"Then to meet Floki the Shipbuilder, eh?"
Lorenzo said first. From the many reactions of Shrike before, he felt that he had guessed correctly.
Shrike was startled, and then said helplessly.
"Yes, we have to meet the shipbuilder Floki. I have to say that his understanding of the Silent Sea is better than ours. There was a suspicion within the purification agency that the reason why Merlin returned without success was that no one knew enough about the Silent Sea. The navigator...after all, he did take me out of the Sea of ​​Silence alive in that situation."
"Will you kill him? I can feel your hatred." Lorenzo asked again.
"No, I keep my work and personal grudges very separate," Shrike replied, "Before the operation is over, I will protect him with my life, and after the operation is over, I will not hesitate to shoot him, that's it. "
"Sounds pretty good."
In this regard, Lorenzo still trusts the shrike. Now he is no longer the ridiculous record-keeper. Under the intrusion of time, the shrike has become the ruler of the lower city, the butcher bird shrike.
"What's more, this time our armored ships are more advanced than before, using innovative fuel, not to mention those original sin armors that are ready... and you."
Shrike was very excited. Even he didn't realize it. He also had a longing for the Silent Sea in his heart. He wanted to know what was at the end of the light track.
"I?"
"Yes, after so long technological iterations, and with the addition of you as a demon hunter, we may be able to directly push across the Silent Sea."
Shrike slapped the death knell on the table with great momentum.
"In the past, all we had were armor and swords, and we could only be forced to retreat in the face of the evil and unknown. But it is different now. The flame of hope is burning brightly. Every time human beings advance in rationality and technology, ignorance and evil will disappear. Stand back until we are completely expelled."
"Do you want to push all the way through? Be enemies with endless monsters and that big snake that you don't know exists yet?"
Lorenzo thought Shrike was crazy, but he was also slightly... happy. Lorenzo was about to be persuaded by Shrike.
"Why do you think we brought so many weapons?"
Shrike's eyes were bloodshot, and the anger and hatred in his memories overlapped. He rarely showed his emotions, but now he had no reservations.
"Our voyage this time will determine the direction of the world. The Queen means... no matter what the means, no matter the cost."
Lan Jade said in time, her words full of gunpowder.
"Is that so?"
Lorenzo felt a sudden realization at this moment. He suddenly realized that this was not a fleet looking for hope at all, but an elite army. Their purpose was very clear and they did not allow anything to hinder them, no matter what. A demon or some kind of big snake.
The heavy rain poured down, and the storm seemed to be chasing the Morning Glory Advance. It had been so long, but the storm was still nearby, as if the ship had never moved at all and had stayed in place.
"Then that's it for today. Everyone, go and have some rest."
Lorenzo stood up, he had heard enough stories today and it was time to do something else.
Pushing open the hatch, a cold gust of wind hit his face, which made Lorenzo give up the idea of ​​going out for a walk. In this case, he was swept into the sea, and even if he was a witcher, it would be difficult for him to climb up.
Lan Jade nodded to Lorenzo. She always spoke very few words, and soon disappeared into the corridor, followed by Shrike. He held the revolver tightly and was about to leave, but was stopped by Lorenzo. .
"You also got this gun in the Sea of ​​Silence?"
Lorenzo asked, analyzing the story and the Shrike's reaction, he felt it was all connected.
"More or less...a souvenir."
Asked this, the Shrike looked nervous, as if a little secret had been discovered.
"You said the hidden story had something to do with it?" Lorenzo was always sharp in odd places.
"Absolutely. Are you curious?"
Lorenzo nodded without hesitation, his eyes shining. As his old employer, Lorenzo was too curious about Shrike's tragic memories.
"Forget it, everyone has a dark corner in their heart where those extremely dirty things are hidden."
Shrike rebuffed Lorenzo simply.
(End of this chapter)