Embers of Embers

Chapter 644 Secret War
"This rain is really never ending..."
Lorenzo sat by the window, looking at the hazy rain and fog, and couldn't help sighing, thanks to the heavy rain, it was almost noon now, but it was still gloomy and without light.
You can see the lights on the buildings on the street. In this gloomy weather, the boundary between day and night is also blurred.
Lights also lit up inside the Winchester office. Lorenzo turned around and could see Shao Liangye sitting aside. The current terrible situation was very novel to this stranger, so he hugged Lorenzo completely. Different mentality.
There was a perfect silence in the room. Lorenzo raised his head and looked up at the iron whale lurking among the clouds. The flame bearer was located on a certain iron whale. When Lorenzo needed it, he would descend from the sky to punish sins and eliminate evil. .
Come to think of it, this is pretty cool.
Sairaxi and Rhodes sneaked out early in the morning. It was a patrol in name, but in fact it was a trip. It was quite good. The heavy rain made people feel depressed. Seeing them so happy, Lorenzo felt that Not bad.
It's just that Eve is still worried about them. After all, one is Rhodes, a civil servant, and the other is Liangxi, who can't understand what she is thinking. So after greeting them, Eve went out to look for them. The communicator contacted, and Lorenzo guessed that they had met now.
Because Kestrel had a lot of work, he seemed to be working as a helper to Merlin in the Perpetual Pump. Other familiar faces were also busy at work, but in the end it seemed that Lorenzo had nothing to do.
But Lorenzo really didn't know what to do.
All possible preparations had been made. All Lorenzo needed now was to wait for the war to break out, so he and Shao Liangye returned to this familiar harbor, calming down and preparing for war.
It's just that the atmosphere in the office is very harmonious now, and there is no sign of a war imminent.
Lorenzo lit the fireplace, which made the temperature in the room much warmer. The firelight overflowed into the room, covering every corner with a layer of warm reddish color.
Shao Liangye sat on the sofa, holding a book and watching.
It was a book about the geography of Innervig. Shao Liangye was fascinated by it, but Lorenzo did not disturb him.
In fact, these foreigners are full of curiosity about the western world, but their responsibilities firmly bind them together, and they can only hold their swords tightly instead of wandering in this vast land.
"It's so interesting..."
Shao Liangye suddenly sighed. He raised his head, closed the books and put them aside, then randomly picked out another one and opened it.
"What? Are you very interested?" Lorenzo asked.
"Of course, if possible, I would like to visit many scenic spots in person."
Shao Liangye responded while reading. For him, a native of Jiuxia, it was still difficult to read this foreign language, but his curiosity was enough to smooth out these difficulties.
"Then it will take you a long time," Lorenzo thought of something and added, "If you have time, I can take you to the Viking countries. The aurora there is beautiful... But It’s also cold.”
"Sea of ​​Silence?" Shao Liangye asked.
"No, no, it's not the Lonely Sea, and it's not that the Aurora can only be seen in the Lonely Sea." As for that ghost place, Lorenzo would never want to go there again in his life. "Some people say that at the northernmost point of Inverg , I seem to be able to see this scene, but it’s too far away and too desolate, and I’ve never been there.”
"We can go together if we have the chance."
Shao Liangye was a little moved.
"Then you'll have to live here for a while," Lorenzo said.
"I really had such a plan to live here for a while... I think you guys would welcome a stranger like me." Shao Liangye recalled that he could always see different strangers on the streets of old Dunling. .
“Of course, the city welcomes everyone.”
Lorenzo stared at Shao Liangye and asked curiously, "So... I really want to visit you Jiuxia."
"In the past, Jiuxia would definitely not welcome a corrosive monster like you. Maybe you wouldn't even be able to cross the Great Wall of Forgetfulness," Shao Liangye said, "But by that time, the demons must have been eradicated, maybe. Will Jiuxia open again?"
"Oh? That's really worth looking forward to."
The two looked at each other and smiled, enjoying the warm calm. If possible, Lorenzo really hoped that this calm could last forever.
There was a slight sound of dripping water, which caught Shao Liangye's attention. He looked towards the dim stairs and could see drops of water falling.
"Is this a water leak? Lorenzo." Shao Liangye asked.
Lorenzo stood up and walked over. He raised his head and saw the water droplets coming from the top.
"Well, it's an old problem."
Lorenzo said and walked towards the stairs. What many people don't know is that the office has a staircase that leads directly to the rooftop, but usually no one goes there, so it was sealed by Mrs. Van Rude, and only cleaning was done. It will only be opened when the time comes, so clean it up.
After she left, Lorenzo almost forgot about this place. It wasn't until the continuous heavy rain caused the water to seep down that he remembered that there was such a place.
Pushing aside a bunch of messy things, Lorenzo walked towards the upper floor, pushed open the rusty door forcefully, and faced the cold wind and cold rain.
The icy chill woke Lorenzo a lot in an instant. He stood on the roof under the rain curtain. The rain on the ground had already accumulated a thick layer, with fallen leaves and dust floating inside, turning into a dark turbid stream.
The drain hole is blocked. If it is dragged on any longer, the water will flow into the stairs.
"Hand me the nail sword."
Lorenzo shouted behind him, and Shao Liangye appeared shortly afterwards with a spiked sword, grabbed the sharp blade, and pointed the hilt towards Lorenzo, Lorenzo grabbed it and walked into the rain.
He stabbed the drainage holes hard with a nail sword to break open the blockage, and all the water flowed here, driving away the dust and fallen leaves along with it.
"It looks pretty good here."
Shao Liangye also walked onto the rooftop. He looked around and could see the buildings under the rain curtain, the galloping iron snakes and pedestrians...
"I think it's pretty good, too. I've always wanted to build a shed here before," Lorenzo recalled the plan he had made a long time ago. "Put a sofa here, and then a small table, sit here to bask in the sun, and eat..."
Lorenzo said, pointing to the corner where a pile of bricks and stones were neatly arranged.
"I'm also going to set up this rack and bake something to eat on a midsummer evening."
"Why didn't you do it?" Shao Liangye asked.
"what……"
Lorenzo opened his mouth to say something, but after thinking about it, he didn't seem to find any reason, so he just replied dryly.
"Who knows? The plan was perfect, but when it was actually implemented, I found that I was the only one here, and my life alone was exquisite and delicate, and I thought it was not necessary to be so troublesome. It was put on hold.”
After listening to his words, Shao Liangye nodded, and then the guy said seriously.
"Lorenzo, this is not something you can do casually. This is an attitude towards life."
"manner?"
Lorenzo didn't know what he was thinking when he heard this word.
Even with the cold rain hitting his body, he didn't feel cold. Looking at the city, his thoughts gradually became empty and he gradually became calm.
Maybe I really should live with a positive attitude, instead of living casually, such as cleaning up my office. Although I only live alone, maybe one day in the future, I will have a new roommate?What's more, Lorenzo also has a group of people who are considered friends. They will come here and brag about drinking with him...
Thinking about it, Lorenzo fell into tranquility, with a peaceful expression like a newly married couple, with his mind full of expectations for a better future, until at a certain moment, things started to change again.
Lorenzo's absent-minded eyes became alert in an instant, and his whole feeling changed drastically, as if there was an invisible fire rolling and burning on his body.
No, not intangible, but tangible.
Shao Liangye stepped back slightly, distanced himself from Lorenzo, and could see the water under Lorenzo's feet whimpering. They were being heated and boiling, and then a pale mist rose slowly.
"Lorenzo, what's wrong?"
Shao Liangye tried to call Lorenzo, but Lorenzo did not respond to him. Instead, he kept moving his eyes and looked in all directions.
The burning city was reflected in his blazing white eyes.
"It's time to... start."
Lorenzo's voice was slightly trembling, and he was already prepared in his heart, but when all this really started, he would still look a little panicked.
Shao Liangye didn't understand what he meant. He walked into the rain and stared at the city together.
Everything is normal.
In the hazy rain curtain, the city was running in an orderly manner. Pedestrians were hurrying on the streets, and iron snakes were running along the railway tracks, stopping and starting, leaving and taking away a large number of citizens.
The iron whale swims among the clouds, making melodious whistle sounds from time to time, like the cry of a giant whale in the deep sea.
"The erosion is spreading."
Lorenzo told that he could feel the ubiquitous pressure, as if a mountain was collapsing, and huge gravel fell evenly, covering every inch of the old Dunling.
"Where is the location?"
Shao Liangye has also entered the state. The war they have been waiting for has arrived, and now they just need to rush to the battlefield.
But Lorenzo shook his head and said slightly confused.
"Everywhere."
"Everywhere?"
Shao Liangye froze on the spot, he knew very well that Lorenzo would not make any damn jokes at this time, and then a cold wind hit him. It was unclear whether it was fear or cold, and Shao Liangye's body was trembling slightly.
everywhere.
"The erosion...covered the entire territory of Old Dunling, spreading evenly in every urban area and every street."
Lorenzo took a deep breath. He wanted to find the source, but found that there was no source at all, or that Old Dunling was the source of all this. At the same time, their communicator also screamed, and an alarm sounded inside, which was quickly updated. Multiple sirens sounded in the streets, overlapping and screaming like crazy.
The rioters patrolling the streets stopped. They had been preparing for all this. Their terrifying weapons were drawn out, and armed iron snakes rushed into the streets at this moment. The radio sounded, conveying the warning to everyone. place.
"Emergency warning, according to meteorological observations, there will be heavy rainstorms in Jiudunling next. Citizens are asked to seek shelter in nearby buildings and do not stay on the streets!"
The citizens still didn't react. They stood on the street and couldn't figure out what was being shouted on the radio, but soon a dark shadow covered them.
The rioters guarded the main thoroughfares of the streets, and soldiers wearing raincoats also appeared on the streets one after another. The cold chill let the citizens know that this was not a joke, but they couldn't understand why it was just a heavy rain. For such a big battle, after all, it was not like Old Dunling had not experienced this before.
The cold rain covered their ankles, and the citizens lowered their heads. They didn't know when the rain had accumulated so much on the streets, and then a wave came. The Thames River overflowed the streets, and with the help of the strong wind, it set off waves as high as a person. , shouting and passing by, knocking over several citizens who had no time to prepare.
The radio sounded again, and the citizens fled like frightened birds. Also fleeing with them were the black crows all over the sky. They let out bursts of whining, flew past at low altitude, and disappeared into the rain and fog.
In the panic, no one seemed to notice the screams hidden in the wind and rain. The large Geiger counters all over Old Dunling also sounded sirens along with the thunder.
Deep underground, Merlin stood in front of the metal round table, which was a backup facility for the Voyeur system. After the Shattered Dome was destroyed, this place was reactivated as the second command center of the Purification Agency.
On this metal round table, various buildings of old Dunling are carefully carved, and different signs are placed on the buildings. On the signs of some outposts, harmonious green lights shine.
They were large Geiger counters one after another. The Peeper system used these devices all over Old Dunling to detect the degree of erosion throughout the city.
But now one green light after another turned to red, and they covered Merlin's face like blood.
Merlin's face was expressionless as he watched the last green light turn to red, and the scarlet light completely unified the entire city.
His eyes froze, then relaxed, filled with a feeling of helplessness. Merlin sat down. For some reason, he felt lucky that he could be such a great witness.
Merlin picked up the communicator and spoke before the erosion completely interfered with the communication.
"Old Dunling has fallen."
He was silent for a while. Merlin always felt that this was a very serious and sacred moment. He should say something inspiring and powerful, but when it came to his mouth, he found that he had thought so much and all he could say was A short sentence.
"Everyone, the war has begun."
In the shadow of history, a secret war unknown to anyone began with the words of Merlin.
(End of this chapter)