Embers of Embers

Chapter 552 Test
The jackknife was out of its sheath, and the sharp blade reflected a faint light in the dimness. It was held tightly in the hands of Blue Jade, who was clinging to the wall and slowly advancing in the quiet corridor.
Although one hand was injured, Lan Jade still had another hand. She was a high-ranking knight who purged the mechanism, and then a woman. She was not that fragile. As long as she could still wield the weapon, she could kill. enemy.
She slowly approached the front. She remembered that it was Shrike's room, but at this moment, Lan Jade could clearly feel the hatred and resentment coming from it. The negative emotions and erosion merged into one, and they fermented quietly in the darkness. , until everyone is swallowed up.
"Shrike..."
Lan Jade whispered.
Shrike, a pretty interesting guy.
In the purge agency, there were rumors about Shrike for a while, saying that Shrike might be the illegitimate son of a big shot in the purge agency. Otherwise, how could he, a newcomer who had only joined for a few years, be promoted all the way? As a high-ranking knight, he was appointed by Arthur to become the ruler of the Lower City.
Lan Jade once doubted this, but if she thought about it carefully, if Shrike was really the illegitimate son of a big shot, then his father seemed to really dislike Shrike, an illegitimate son, and actually let him join the purification agency. He also gave him such a fatal position, no matter how he looked at it, he wanted Shrike to die quickly.
But later, Lan Jade learned a completely different story from some of the older members of the purge agency who were more fortunate and lived to retire.
According to them, Shrike used to be a very cheerful person until he was incorporated into a secret operation. They didn't know what it was exactly. Anyway, most of the familiar faces were missing for a while, and a few were replaced. Months later, it seemed that only the shrike returned.
After that operation, Shrike seemed to be a different person, and then he became familiar with those familiar to Lan Jade, promoted along the way, and even became the ruler of the Lower City.
From the previous self-narration of Shrike, it can be known that the action that changed his life was to explore the Silent Sea. Now that they are back here again, Lan Jade is a little worried. Although Shrike hides it well, she can still feel it. The ups and downs of the shrike's mentality, the slightest change.
Under the influence of erosion, even the smallest gaps can become more damaged.
She didn't know what would happen next, but in this environment shrouded in erosion, no matter what happened, she wouldn't be surprised.
In the days when she worked in the cleanup agency, Lan Jade has seen too many fatal things. Horrible scenes that ordinary people cannot think of even if they rack their brains, have become the norm for Lan Jade, and she has long been used to it. .
There were gentle sounds in the silence, as if someone was greedily licking the liquid, which was thick and greasy, and letting out deep gasps.
Lan Jade stuck her head out and looked at the corridor behind the corner.
The dim light barely illuminated the corridor, but most of it was still in shadow. Lan Jade could clearly see that there was a soldier standing guard at the end of the corridor. He lowered his head and raised his hands, as if to Eating something, the sticky sound she heard came from here.
Lan Jade remained silent. She put the folding knife back into her waist, picked up the pistol she brought out from her room, raised it, and pointed the gun at the soldier.
Due to the advent of erosion, the entire communication of the Morning Glory Advance was interrupted. In order to prevent internal problems, Shrike formed a patrol team before the break to patrol and inspect every part of the Morning Glory Advance to avoid anyone missing. Able to hold up under the influence of erosion, and thus be alienated into a demon.
Lan Jade was a little hesitant. She didn't know whether she should join the battle in her current state or return to the command room to ask for help. But thinking of the scene in front of her, she didn't know if she would encounter the same scene on her way back. She even said Could she really make it back to the deck alive?
His eyes swayed slightly and he looked to the other side, not far from the soldier. There was a hatch there, which was the Shrike's room.
Lan Jade felt a little headache. When the ship's doctor came, he told him about the current situation. Lorenzo woke up and now he is in charge of the Morning Glory Advance. Shrike returned to the room to rest due to exhaustion.
If I go to the deck now to ask for help, can the guy who is still sleeping in the room survive until he comes back?
Before Lan Jade could make a decision, the difficult situation made her choose.
"I...I want to go home!"
A helpless roar sounded behind her, and Lan Jade turned around suddenly, only to see a soldier pounced on him crying and howling, his pupils were filled with scarlet, and his teeth were distorted, swollen and protruding, like the teeth of a wild beast. fangs.
Without hesitation, pull the trigger.
While the continuous gunfire illuminated the corridor, it also penetrated the demon's body. Before it could get close to the blue jadeite, it was beaten into a sieve. Several blood holes appeared on its body. Blood gushes out, and its bones were also damaged. It was shattered by the gunfire from a distance and fell down weakly, but it was not completely dead yet.
The monster squirmed its body, dragged its broken body, and crawled towards the blue emerald, it was thirsty for blood and flesh.
"damn it!"
Blue Jade cursed.
Sure enough, the worst situation happened. Some people began to lose their support and were transformed into monsters. The Morning Glory Advance was so huge, and with the interruption of communications, this armored ship had become a battlefield between humans and monsters. .
She was about to give the demon a final blow, but at this moment she heard footsteps approaching quickly, along with the strong wind surging behind her.
There is still one bullet left in the pistol. Lan Jade does not trust his own shooting skills. More importantly, even if this shot hits the vital point, with the lethality of this pistol, it is not sure whether it can directly kill the demon. After all, these The strange vitality is so tenacious.
The experience of struggling between life and death allowed Lan Jade to make the appropriate judgment. She let go of her hand and let the pistol fall into a pool of blood. As she turned around, she pulled out the folding knife stuck in her waist.
Lan Jade endured the pain in her body and swung the knife vigorously. The cold metal drew a pale trajectory in mid-air, and then slashed down fiercely.
Warm and smelly blood was splashed on Blue Jade's body, and then the bones and flesh were cut off with a folding knife. The entire arm that the demon waved was cut off, and the severed limb rolled into the darkness beside him with blood gushing out.
The screams echoed, and Blue Jade turned around, staggering away from the demon that was being killed. He could see that the soldier who had just been attacking him was the soldier who was standing guard, and it was rushing forward in a beast-like posture.
"Sorry."
Blue Jade whispered.
A few hours ago they were colleagues and comrades-in-arms, but now Blue Jade is about to end its life.
The jackknife fell again, cutting half of the demon's waist and abdomen, and the internal organs spilled out along with the dirty blood. While emitting a stench, billowing heat rose.
The strength of one arm was indeed too weak, not to mention that the wound had been affected by the knife swings. Severe stinging pain came from the wound. Lan Jade took a deep breath to suppress the pain, and then more footsteps were heard.
They rattled, ringing above us, ringing beneath us, coming from every direction.
demon?Or human?
Lan Jade didn't know, but what she knew was that she would not leave her life or death to anyone.
What is the difference between expecting others to save oneself and giving up resistance and hoping for some small possibilities?
Lan Jade rushed to Shrike's room and twisted the handle. Fortunately, the guy didn't lock the door. Lan Jade opened the hatch with a push and then rushed in. Without thinking more, she closed the hatch tightly again and locked it. die.
A few seconds later, the sound of numerous footsteps rushed to the cabin door, followed by a brief silence.
Lan Jade lowered her breathing, her heartbeat sounding so clearly in the silence.
chap——
There was a sudden complex and sharp sound, sharp claws scratching the steel, and a sharp cry, tormenting the ears, as if the hatch in front of him was blocking countless monsters.
"Is it really a monster?"
Lan Jade looked at the shaking hatch with palpitations. If she had hesitated just now and thought that these footsteps were soldiers coming to support, she would have been cut into pieces by now.
Thinking like this, she leaned against the wall, put the folding knife aside, and covered the wound on her body. After the battle just now, the wound that had been sutured opened again, and blood was slowly gushing out, bringing with it Come pain and cold.
Blue Jade gritted her teeth, wrapped the bandage tighter, and walked to the bed.
With so many things happening, Shrike seemed to feel nothing. He lay face down on the bed and fell asleep.
Seeing him like this, Lan Jade felt mixed and inexplicable for a moment.
He had just experienced a moment of life and death outside, while Shrike was sleeping soundly less than ten meters away from him, as if the demons and death outside had nothing to do with him.
"Shrike! Wake up!"
Lan Jade pushed Shrike, now is not the time to sleep, the crew and soldiers have appeared to demonize, and the Dawn Advance is no longer safe.
"Shrike!"
Blue Jade shouted loudly, no matter how much she pushed the Shrike, the Shrike didn't respond, and the hatch shook violently, aggravating the growth of fear in her heart.
After pushing the shrike to the ground, the shrike did not wake up even after being hit on the ground. It was only then that Lan Jade discovered the shrike's poor state.
Shrike fell on his back. He clasped his hands together and grasped the silver revolver tightly. His knuckles began to turn white due to the exertion. His breathing was rapid, as if he was troubled by some gloomy and ferocious dream.
It was unclear whether it was sweat or tears, but the liquid covered his cheeks, and his expression was twisted together in great pain.
"Shrike..."
Lan Jade looked at the shrike blankly. She could feel the pain overflowing from the shrike, so heavy.
The sharp sound woke up Lan Jade. She turned around and saw that there were countless bulges on the hatch. Some of the bulges were broken, and claws were trying to penetrate the steel in the gaps.
"Wake up! Shrike! Wake up quickly! You have to have a nightmare and do it for a while!"
Lan Jade shook the shrike anxiously, but the shrike still showed no reaction. Even though Lan Jade pinched his face hard, her nails dug into the skin and spilled blood, the shrike still showed no sign of waking up.
She tried to grab the revolver from Shrike's hand, but he held it tightly, and Lan Jade couldn't take it off with one hand, so she could only get up helplessly and cursed angrily.
"Damn it! Men are really unreliable!"
For some reason, she always felt that the scene in front of her was somewhat similar, as if she had said this once a long time ago, as if the person she scolded was also the Shrike.
No longer thinking about these long-lasting things, he picked up the folding knife and stabbed the blue jadeite through the raised crack. A large smear of blood gushed out along the crack, and the demon behind the hatch let out a scream.
The two of them are separated from death by a hatch full of holes. Lan Feicui doesn't expect anyone to save her, and her life is in her own hands.
"So! Shrike, wake up!"
……
"Wake up! Shrike!"
Someone was calling him, but the shrike didn't want to pay attention to him. He was too tired. There was unstoppable pain all over his body, and the cold that spread to his bones. The shrike no longer had the strength to struggle. If he could, he I want to die quietly like this.
But in this situation, death seems to be a mercy.
Chaos' consciousness of dying was awakened, Shrike felt the wind and rain, and the cold and pain on his body became extremely clear and intense in an instant.
"what!"
Shrike shouted in horror. He lay on the cold snow, dripping wet. Before he could say anything, he quickly turned over and vomited.
Seawater mixed with blood was spit out by him, and the fishy smell flowed all over the floor. After vomiting, the shrike was unable to support himself, and he fell into his own vomit, feeling miserable.
"Are you awake? You're actually still alive."
There was a sound coming from the front. Shrike raised his head with difficulty and could barely see the light shining from the sky. The man dragged another man and threw him beside Shrike.
The vision gradually became clearer, and Shrike recognized the guy.
"Floki Wilgdason..."
Shrike pronounced his name with hatred.
"Hey, you don't look crazy yet."
For Shrike's state, Floki was very surprised. He brought many people into the Sea of ​​Silence, and encountered those monsters. Most of them died at the hands of monsters. Even if there were survivors, they became lunatics .
He didn't expect that Shrike not only survived tenaciously, but also retained his sanity.
"What an adventure, Shrike."
Floki smiled, and the dirty blood on his body had coagulated, coagulating the fluff on the animal skin together, the armor was also full of dents, and there were wounds that had not yet healed on the bare limbs.
Shrike remembered that they were attacked by a sea serpent on the Narwhal. The Narwhal was swallowed by the sea during the huge waves. It was at that time that Shrike lost consciousness.
Longship…
Shrike saw the longship behind Floki, docked on the snow-covered shore.
When Floki boarded the Narwhal, he also brought many long ships to place on the Narwhal. At the last moment, these long ships saved Shrike, but with so many long ships, there was only one Escaped the vortex of death alive.
Everyone lay on the long boat like corpses, maintaining absolute silence, letting the waves behind the storm push them, until one day when the concept of time was blurred, they escaped from the Silent Sea.
"The Sea of ​​Silence accepted the sacrifice, and we survived."
Floki shook his head helplessly. It took him many lives to figure out such a rule of the Silent Sea.
But now is not the time to be sad, the crisis is far from resolved. From Floki's perspective, there are only three people left in the whole snow field, Floki, Shrike, and the one who was lying beside Shrike. Floki just threw him over, a man like a corpse.
"You liar! Betrayer."
Shrike cursed Floki. He wanted to get up and kill this hateful man, but Shrike couldn't muster the strength at this moment. The pain all over his body was unbearable. If it weren't for this burning hatred, he might have fainted from the pain. past.
Floki didn't care. He walked over with a smile and stood in front of the shrike. His figure was so tall that the gloomy shadow completely enveloped the shrike.
"Shrike, I've always had this idea."
"I think many things are corresponding, like light and darkness, life and death, human despicability and virtue."
He took out the silver revolver, opened the magazine, and found that there was exactly one bullet left in it, the last bullet.Floki calmly unloaded the last bullet and held it in his hand.
"So, will you be despicable for the sake of a greater desire, or will you stick to your own bottom line and choose virtue?"
Floki knelt down, put the silver death knell into Shrike's hand, and said cruelly.
"The time has come to put you to the test, Shrike."
　There is also an event for this book. There is one in the book review area. It is an event asking for monthly tickets, because now monthly tickets can draw cards, and I want to draw cards too! !I will try to get more activity funds to carry out activities, and I will work hard to update it.
　
(End of this chapter)