Soaring 20: Beautiful World

Preface:

Art is an endless exploration.

—Leonardo da Vinci

[Part ① · London Bridge Is Falling Down]

A shrill hiss of escaping air came from the locking shaft of the second power unit.

The temperature was gradually dropping. Wood rushed around, finally blocking most of the alarms. After checking the drill's overall condition once more, he opened the pressure-release valve on his helmet, exposing his rotting, swollen face to the air.

"Just as agreed, Gunsmith!"

He was afraid Gunsmith wouldn't hear or understand him. Without the Universal Elixir as a makeshift microphone, and with his patched-up helmet unable to read lips—

"—these are the last sixteen photos."

He came to stand before the blood throne and wiped the blood off Gunsmith's helmet visor. Only then did he realize the young man seemed to have just woken up. Gunsmith must have stolen a little sleep amid all the chaos.

A Way Out had released the last eight helpless, innocent travelers trapped in the rift in time. Now, all the Fast Knife Synthetic Brigade's fighters had returned to the real world.

For Wood, this was his last trump card for saving his life. At this point, his deal with Gunsmith was over.

The Death God could tear up the ceasefire agreement, too. This place was very close to hell, but also very close to heaven. He barely needed to take a taxi; a few steps outside would bring him to the nursery of life, the Earth Mother's cradle, the source of all life.

The Abbot's Immortal Ship struggled downward at six meters per second. It was nearing the end of its designed lifespan; its mechanical structure was reaching its limit.

Through the hazy red fog, Jiang Xueming saw Wood's face through the glass—

—the old man had almost become a "mud figure."