Gun of Ashes

Chapter 1040 - 62: Distorted History_2

"For example?"

Lorenzo picked up the wine glass, taking a sip. The cold liquid slipped down his throat, clearing his mind.

"For instance, in the songs of minstrels, they speak of a person named Pioneer within the Apocalypse Society. He wears silver-white armor, cloaked, holding a cold spear, wandering every corner of the world."

Ragnar described that mysterious presence.

"Odin?"

Lorenzo asked, the description of the Pioneer by Ragnar made him first think of Odin.

"Who knows? But many do see him as an incarnation of Odin, becoming more devout to the ideas of the Apocalypse Society. You’ve noticed too, haven’t you, Holmes, that the ideas of the Apocalypse Society are quite similar to our Viking faith, both ultimately leading toward silent death. It is based on this that it spreads swiftly across Viking countries."

Ragnar lowered his head, his tone becoming somewhat oppressive.

"Sometimes I wonder, did the Apocalypse Society give rise to the Viking faith, or did the Viking faith give rise to the Apocalypse Society?

These lunatics have caused me significant trouble. I’ve traced them back too, not only in Viking countries, but there are traces of the Apocalypse Society in other regions as well, right?"

Lorenzo nodded in affirmation of Ragnar’s statement.

"Indeed, the Evangelical Church has clear records that the Apocalypse Society has appeared in multiple regions. Even when the Demon Hunters burnt them to ashes, there would always be some who revived this name, reappearing in the world years later. The Evangelical Church has tracked them for a long time but still doesn’t understand their methods of continuation."

His words carried a chilling severity.

"We clearly wiped them out entirely, exterminated them."

Reflecting on the past, these unnoticed things revealed mysteries, and both Lorenzo and Ragnar were troubled by them, the atmosphere having a touch of killing intent.

Hebdo couldn’t partake in the conversation at all, nor did he wish to. He couldn’t comprehend half of what the two spoke about, so he could only drink, eat, and finally sit idly in his chair, like a sculpture.

"This I do know why." Ragnar said.

"You know?"

Lorenzo felt something was amiss. The Evangelical Church had chased for so long without understanding the power of continuation in the Apocalypse Society, but Ragnar knew.

"It’s no secret, Holmes. You merely need to go to a remote Viking village, and there you’ll possibly find Apocalypse Society believers. If you ask, they’ll tell you the story of the Apocalypse Society."

Ragnar found Lorenzo’s current expression intriguing, not even Lorenzo expected the answer to what was troubling him to be so readily available in Viking countries.

"The Apocalypse Society expanded largely relying on the songs of minstrels. In the stories, the Apocalypse Society has such a person."

"Pioneer?"

"Exactly." Ragnar explained.

"Pioneer serves as a spiritual symbol within the Apocalypse Society. When the mission is completed in one area, he leaves, bringing the ideals to another land, like a missionary, traveling the earth in a long pilgrimage."

"Completing the mission... does it mean absolute death?" Lorenzo asked.

"Do you think there is another mission for the Apocalypse Society?" Ragnar countered, "After completing absolute death, Pioneer leaves, spreading death to other places. This explains why the Apocalypse Society always resurfaces, since we’ve never eradicated them at the root. Pioneer walks the earth, corresponding to the Apocalypse Society’s appearances in multiple regions."

"Yet something still seems off. What you’re saying, there is no related information from the Evangelical Church’s side, especially regarding Pioneer."

Lorenzo was skeptical about this, and the Evangelical Church never mentioned anything about Pioneer; logically, he should be a key figure.

"Besides, there’s another issue. Even if Pioneer can evade countless sieges, how is Pioneer passed down?"

In this lengthy duration, under the Evangelical Church’s intense pursuit, how does Pioneer ensure iteration among Pioneers?

"And the most crucial question, Apocalypse Society, the end of all things... what exactly is its purpose in existing?"

Lorenzo couldn’t understand, no matter the reasoning.

"Any group emerges for a reason, benefits, or a specific goal. But the Apocalypse Society pursues the end of all things, absolute death... yet no one wants to die, right? So how does Pioneer achieve this?"

The whole Apocalypse Society seems fraught with a bizarre distortion, and Lorenzo has also encountered similar cults, but they always act for some benefit, with one or two sane leaders among the madmen.

"Moreover, why does Pioneer succeed time and again? We purge an Apocalypse Society, and he then creates it anew, repeatedly over months, most critically, each generation of Pioneer has such talents, then what’s the point in cults, this ability could be used for anything else!"

Lorenzo threw out all the questions at once.

"Perhaps something can truly be gained from death, Holmes." Ragnar calmly replied, his expression becoming quite indifferent, eyes somewhat hollow, as if looking at something nonexistent.

"What did you say?" Lorenzo doubted he heard correctly.

"Just like the songs of minstrels, some things may indeed exist, merely exaggerated and misunderstood by later generations, perhaps... the Heroic Spirit Hall truly exists after death, which is what the Apocalypse Society seeks."

Ragnar withdrew his gaze, refocusing on Lorenzo, he raised his wine glass, only to find that it was already emptied.

"But whether these things truly exist, or just idle chatter, who can say? No, perhaps you’re about to find out, they all say the end of the Silent Sea is the dwelling of the gods, the Heroic Spirit Hall’s location. If you succeed, perhaps you can see through the divine nature of myths, finding the reality of all things."

Lorenzo seemed to understand Ragnar’s meaning, feeling a slight chill, skimming the surface of his skin.

"You think there’s something at the end of the Silent Sea, which you’ve mistaken for the gods’ dwelling or Heroic Spirit Hall."

Myth and reality now overlapped, the fog lifting.

"Something like that, anyway, it’s certain there’s something at the end of the Silent Sea, otherwise Ingwig wouldn’t expend such effort exploring that mysterious place before the war.

And this sea is protected by mysterious, bizarre forces, isolated from the mundane world for countless years."

This Viking’s thinking was sharper than Lorenzo imagined, or perhaps more stubborn. He believed everything had its origin, even mythological tales, although derived from minstrels’ songs recounting their experiences, he firmly believed, so effortlessly Ragnar deduced the existence of the World’s End.

"Is this wisdom masked by stupidity?" Lorenzo muttered inwardly.

"As for what you mentioned, regarding Pioneer, that’s simple too. You can get the answer by casually asking any minstrel."

Ragnar recalled the songs of the minstrels, telling Lorenzo of Pioneer’s mystery.

"Pioneer is an incarnation of Odin. He is undying, indestructible, eternal."

"Then the part about inheritance makes sense too, because Pioneer never dies, he continues to exist in this world."

"Does anyone really live forever?" Lorenzo felt this was somewhat unrealistic.

"That’s for you to decide if you believe, Holmes." Ragnar didn’t insist on these mystical things.

"You want me, a professional, to help solve the Apocalypse Society?"

"No, no, no, why would that be the case? This matter is for me to handle myself. The reason I’m telling you this is because it’s related to your Silent Sea endeavors."

Ragnar saw Lorenzo’s gradually perplexed face, realizing his oversight.

"Wait, I didn’t mention this to you before?"

Perhaps he drank too much, Ragnar’s thoughts were a bit tangled up.

"Mention what!"

Lorenzo looked distraught, reckoning this guy forgot the most important matter.

"Your navigator, the shipbuilder Froki."

Ragnar hurriedly stated the name.

"He is a senior member of the Apocalypse Society."