Embers of Embers

Chapter 591 The End of Mortals
He followed Lorenzo and advanced on this vast ice field.
There was severe pain all over his body, and it felt like a broken bone, but there was no concept of "bone" and "pain" in his mind. All he could do was follow his instinct and let out a whimper.
He couldn't remember many things. To be precise, there were only two things left in his mind.
"Floki Wilgdason."
Floki muttered in a low voice. He was not sure what this series of notes meant, but it was like it was carved into his soul, lingering in his mind like a magic spell.
Another tingling sensation came over me.
Lowering his head, as he moved forward, a large amount of blood would gush out with every step he took, but the person in front didn't seem to realize this. The rope connected himself to him, like a lifeline.
This feeling is quite strange. Floki is like a newborn child. Everything is new to him. But unfortunately, he has no chance to recognize it all. When he enters the Sea of ​​Silence, By that time, Floki had already entered the stage of death.
No... it can even be said that when Floki was captured by the antimeme, this stubborn Viking was already dead, and all that survives now is just a resurrected corpse with his remnant soul.
"He" is not Floki, but he has the stubbornness of Floki Wilgdason. Of course, "he" himself is not aware of this, and only the only things left in his blank mind.
Snow dust fell on the palm of my hand and melted into scarlet.
Some cold.
what is this?
Floki thought, but his blank memory gave no answer.
No matter what kind of questions you throw, the only answers you can get are Floki Wilgdason and the chart.
"He" can't figure out what it is, but he always reacts based on instinct, just like the only obsession left in this corpse. Even if he forgets everything, he still has to stubbornly execute it.
In fact, sometimes Floki also thought about who he was, where he came from, and where he was going.
But unfortunately, there were always strange murmurs in his mind, as if thousands of ghosts were whispering to him, torturing his consciousness.
He almost fell down several times, but for some reason, his body still moved uncontrollably and stood up again, just like the equally stubborn guy in front of him.
Lorenzo stepped forward stubbornly, followed by the Black Angel who was about to run out of fuel.
They had left the shelter half a day ago. In order to reach the surface from deep underground, Black Angel almost exhausted all the paint and antimony before igniting blazing flames and sending several people to the surface.
Now that the Black Angel's engine has almost stopped, it can still keep moving, all thanks to the demon flesh and blood covering the metal skeleton. They move mechanically under Watson's control.
Lorenzo climbed the snow slope. He remembered the way he came. There were iron feathers planted by the black angel, which were the beacons guiding them to leave.
After careful calculation, there is still about one day before they will be able to escape the influence of the antimeme. Although they will be oppressed by erosion again later, compared with this treacherous antimeme, the erosion now seems too much. It's approachable.
Looking back, Lorenzo could vaguely see the towering obelisk.He was getting further and further away from the shelter.
When they arrived on the surface, Lorenzo was worried, fearing that if Roger and Edlen were not gone, if one of them squatted down, Lorenzo's great rescue mission would be strangled to death in his infancy.
Fortunately, by the time Lorenzo left, the battle above the surface was over.
The once solid ice was completely melted and turned into cold ice water. Lorenzo spent a lot of effort to swim up, but the Black Angel was unable to surface due to its own weight and could only move forward slowly under the water. , until it reached the edge of the crater, it crawled out of the water.
Lorenzo didn't know who won the battle between Roger and Adren. Anyway, judging from the situation on the battlefield, these two guys were real monsters.
Now covered in cold water, the shelters resemble a blue lake in a circular pit, with iron-gray obelisks standing silently in the sun.
Upon closer inspection, the scenery here is much better than before. If there were no antimeme, Lorenzo would be happy to live here for a while.
I don't know if it was because the two of them were fighting, or if this obelisk is really so strong. None of them were damaged, just like thousands of years ago, standing at the end of the world with those long-dead names.
Lorenzo stared at them. At the end of the world, thinking of the past, he felt an indescribable sense of sadness in his heart.
Fortunately, the Black Angel was still standing beside him, scarred, and Lorenzo felt that he was not too lonely at the moment.
Watson originally wanted to throw Black Angel at the bottom of the lake, and she would attach herself to Lorenzo's body to move. The overall movement speed would be greatly increased, but at Lorenzo's insistence, Black Angel was not abandoned. Instead, he was brought out by Watson.
Lorenzo also understood Watson's proposal, but maybe it was nostalgia or some other emotion. Lorenzo was a little reluctant to part with the Black Angel, just like he was reluctant to part with his beloved Winchester.
The Black Angel had saved Lorenzo several times. Rather than being forgotten here and destroyed in a battle, it was its rightful destination, just like the plague doctor.
"Plague doctor..."
Thinking of the epidemic doctor, Lorenzo stretched out his hand, took out a Florund potion from his pocket, and injected it into his neck, waking up his hazy consciousness again.
Thanks to the "sacrifice" of the epidemic doctor, although Lorenzo felt very unhappy that he was not able to kill the epidemic doctor with his own hands, a lot of Florund's medicine was saved because of the epidemic doctor's departure, which put a great pressure on supplies. It was relieved a lot, enough to support Lorenzo to get out of the area affected by the antimeme.
It seems that the journey to the end of the world is coming to an end, but Lorenzo's journey is not yet. It all seems so long that there is almost no end in sight.
But... it's not that bad either.
As long as the damn thing is over, there will be plenty of good times ahead for Lorenzo.
He would always fantasize about that beautiful life from time to time, as if these fantasies could wipe away the darkness of reality, but soon the fantasies were shattered.
[He is dying, Lorenzo. 】
Watson's voice sounded in his mind, and Black Angel raised his hand and pointed at the figure under the snow slope.
At some point Floki stopped moving and fell on the snow. The blood on his body kept escaping, dyeing the blood around him red.
"Floki!"
Lorenzo exclaimed and ran over quickly. Probably due to the influence of antimemetics, Lorenzo's awareness of his surroundings was constantly being weakened, so many times, he was too late to take care of Floki.
He tried to pick up Floki, but when he grabbed it with both hands, he only touched the broken flesh of one hand, with blood gushing out.
Lorenzo froze on the spot, looking at the crumbling body.
This is the limit of Floki as a mortal. He has suffered erosion, antimemetics, and was struck by the power of defeat. As a mortal, this is all he can do.
"Wake up!"
Lorenzo patted the distorted face hard.
"I spent a lot of effort to rescue you, you can't just die like this!"
Lorenzo was terribly sad.
In fact, he doesn't know who Floki is. In the final analysis, he is just an unknown person who was dug out of the antimeme by Lorenzo. His life and death are meaningless to Lorenzo.
But Lorenzo knew the power of antimemes. He must have known Floki before, otherwise he would not have followed him here to die. He may be the same as the epidemic doctor, an enemy who briefly allied with him, and also It might be his friend who lives and dies together, but no matter what... he is going to die.
There is no point in dying here with nothing.
"Can you invade his [gap]?"
Lorenzo asked, expecting Watson to discover something, but soon a response came to mind.
[No, nothing, his mind went blank, completely erased by the antimeme. 】
Lorenzo was dazed for a while, but when he remembered that this power was born to target the Unspeakable, he felt that he was not so surprised.
So... Floki is dying.
Lorenzo could do nothing.
He sat on the snow beside him, recalling in his mind the ups and downs along the way, the countless dead faces, and these sacrifices were only a small part of the vast human history, not even a fragment. .
"I don't know him, Watson, and I don't know who he is, but what is certain is that this guy walked into this place of death with me, but unfortunately I can't take him away."
Lorenzo said to himself that he did not feel such tremendous pressure when facing the truth about the Keeper, nor when he watched the Plague Doctor fall into darkness.
Perhaps the pressure on Lorenzo's mind had already reached the threshold and was only released at this moment.
He looked at the sky blankly, saving another person's Florund potion. He could still waste some time here, it didn't need to be too long, just a few minutes.
Watson didn't respond, and she probably didn't know how to comfort Lorenzo.
No matter how powerful Lorenzo becomes, he still has human impurities and is bound by humanity. He will kill powerful enemies without expression, and he will also be tortured by nightmares in the middle of the night and cannot sleep at night.
No matter how powerful a being is, he will feel tired, but this is a mortal, not a monster.
【What are you going to do? 】
"I was just thinking about whether I should say a Mass for him. I'm still the priest, right?" Lorenzo said with some worry, "But then I remembered that there is no such thing as God. Masses and so on. It’s just self-comfort.”
Lorenzo seemed to have thought of something interesting, and couldn't help but smile. He probably remembered the ungrateful appearance of the Keeper of Secrets. Rounding it all off, he was more or less a "god".
There are so many devout believers in the Seven Hills, and they pray day and night... If they knew that God was like this, what would their expressions be like?
Soon, the smile stiffened.
The pressure along the way did not make Lorenzo collapse, but Floki's death made Lorenzo want to take a short rest.
Lorenzo was indeed a little tired. If possible, he would like to have a good sleep before saving the world. It would be better if he could have a good meal.
As he was thinking, a sticky hand grabbed him, and a ferocious face appeared in front of him.
"Chart."
Floki held up his body and handed the wrapped chart to Lorenzo. He was covered in blood, but it was very clean and free of dust.
Lorenzo was stunned, never expecting that this guy was not dead yet, his scarlet eyes filled with unwillingness.
why?Why do you have to live so stubbornly?
Lorenzo stretched out his hand and took the chart, and an ugly smile appeared on Floki's face.
"It was a good adventure... Lorenzo Holmes."
It was as if an unwilling ghost had attached itself to Floki, speaking to Lorenzo at the end of his life.
Lorenzo's body was completely frozen, and he did not even realize that Floki fell and died completely.
After his mind recovered from the shock, Lorenzo shook him vigorously.
"Hey! Floki! Floki Wilgdason!"
No matter how hard Lorenzo tried, he still didn't respond. It seemed that Floki was really dead this time.
Lorenzo sat there blankly, the scene just now echoing in his mind, he didn't know if Floki really remembered something, or if he was talking about the words he had just learned, there were many questions in his mind, But no one answered.
Finally he stood up, spilling blood, and the fiery flames burned the rotting corpse, returning him to dust.
Lorenzo stepped forward and continued forward.
"Tell me, who is Floki? My friend or my enemy?"
Lorenzo asked, feeling that there might not be an answer to this question.
[I don’t know. In fact, many questions don’t require answers. You just need to move forward, Lorenzo. 】
"Is that so? That's right, just like what 'it' is, it seems that only the epidemic doctor knows all this now," Lorenzo sighed helplessly, "Now that he is enjoying the secret to himself, he doesn't Know whether to envy or despise.”
【Are you curious about 'it'? 】
"I might have been more curious before...but now..."
Lorenzo turned back and glanced at the charred land in the distance, and shook his head.
"You're right. Many things have no answers. Just remember that the questions existed."
【yes? 】
"I'm beginning to understand the struggle of old humans. They want to erase their mistakes, but they also want them to stay.
Like Floki Wilgdason"
Lorenzo murmured.
Floki Wilgdason was a meaningless guy. His death would have no impact on Lorenzo, and Lorenzo would not have any psychological burden. After all, Lorenzo "didn't know him." ", but it has a special meaning. Lorenzo knows that something like this happened, and he can't force himself to forget it, nor can he cruelly erase it.
"I think... I'll remember him."
Lorenzo said, paused for a moment, and then said again.
"I suddenly remembered the endings of many stories."
【What's wrong? 】
"Many stories have wonderful endings, with justice defeating evil and kindness being saved... All in all, they are very lively, but now I think it would be nice to have a calmer ending."
The sun rose, blinding Lorenzo's eyes.
"Just like this, one sunny afternoon, sitting in a rocking chair and basking in the sun, gradually everything entered eternity, and the story ended here.
In fact, I think this is great, it’s perfect. "
[Do you think this will be our ending? 】
"Who knows?"
Lorenzo moved on without missing a beat.
He has rested enough. There is still a long journey waiting for him ahead, and there are more battles waiting for him to fight. But what happened here, like many things in history, gradually disappeared and was forgotten. .
[Lorenzo? 】
Under the sunlight, the figures of mortals and armor became smaller.
"Ok?"
[Please be sure to keep going. 】
"what happened?"
[I want to witness it all until the end. 】
　The end of the volume is not finished yet
　
(End of this chapter)