Ark Undead

Carmen never intended to hide it.

"The muskets of the Iberian National Church are different from those of Lateran. Our muskets are powered by a connection with a lantern. By igniting the cleansing fire shared within the lantern, the hammer is set in motion, which in turn activates the Originium crystal at the rear of the bullet. In other words, only those who can connect with the cleansing fire can become judges."

"But few can sense the fire of purification. Among the judges today, even fewer are skilled in using firearms."

"The manufacturing conditions for firearms are extremely demanding. In order to withstand the burning of pure fire, we must use special minerals for forging."

Upon hearing Carmen mention the special mineral, the Undead instinctively glanced at Carmen's waist.

The thick gun barrel has now been polished to a very smooth finish.

However, the undead could vaguely see some special patterns in them.

"Wedge-shaped stone?"

"what?"

Carmen didn't understand what the Undead were saying.

Even if someone doesn't die, they don't intend to dwell on this.

"It's nothing. I just thought of some other things."

The Undead were clearly more curious about a different question than whether the muskets were made of wedge-shaped stones.

"You just mentioned the fire of purification. What is that?"

In Iberian doctrine, the fire of purification symbolizes the good virtues in a person's heart, and also symbolizes a beautiful and pure soul.

But how did such a flame come about? And how was it discovered by the Church of the Iberian Empire?

"To explain this problem, I'm afraid I could talk for three days and three nights and still not finish."

Carmen chuckled. The undead's attitude towards him was not oppressive, so Carmen naturally returned to his original form.

"Simply put, it means that the ancestors of the Church of England found a spark of fire in a place called the bottom of the abyss."

"According to records, that place was originally a prison used to hold death row inmates and filthy things."

"Under the flames, the filth was burned like firewood, and death row inmates would feel excruciating pain as they came into contact with the flames."

"Only those whose hearts and virtues are pure can touch the flame without being burned and thus become connected with it."

"Later, the ancestors used the corpses of the filthy animals they hunted as firewood and brought them back to the National Church Cathedral, where they were preserved."

Carmen took a small lantern from behind her, which was just big enough to fit in her hand, but a small flame was burning inside.

The flame was a clear, transparent yellow, while the outer flame tended to develop into a white solid.

In the eyes of the undead, this so-called cleansing fire bore a striking resemblance to the souls of certain heroes from the Age of Fire.

A pure flame born from filth?

This sounds quite sacred, no wonder it is revered by people.

"But during the period of exchange between Iberia and Agor, some documents flowed from Agor into Iberia, and we also learned some of the stories from the past."

Carmen looked at the Undead, his eyes solemn, and said in a low voice.

"At least, we know that in Terra's past, there was a flame that brought Terra to its present form, a flame that burned a path to the future."

"I originally thought it was just a legend, but Lady Kal'tsit brought me concrete information, which made me realize that it was not just a mere fantasy, but a fact."

"Iberia needs your help, Mr. Undead."

No wonder Carmen wanted to have a private conversation with the Undead.

This old man dedicated his life to Iberia, and the lantern in his hand was a manifestation of his spirit.

In a sense, he was the executor of Iberian purity.

Iberia is now terminally ill, and the Haizi are lurking in the shadows.

Regardless of whether those ancient legends are true or false, Carmen will seize the opportunity once they appear.

He is the Grand Inquisitor, an extension of Iberia.

"..."

The Undead did not respond immediately. His purpose in coming to Iberia was not to help Iberia, but to go to Agor.

"My goal is not just Hai Si."

After a moment of silence, the Undead spoke.

“I’m going, Agor.”

"On this point, everyone's goal is the same."

Kelsey said.

"While the primary objective is to deal with this Deep Sea Church uprising, Iberia will need Agor's technology afterward."

Carmen also reiterated her stance at this time.

He hummed in agreement, then added.

"I am not asking you to set your sights on Iberia. I simply hope that you can lend us a hand within your means."

As the embodiment of the First Flame, the existence of the Undead is essentially a return to a legend.

Carmen was not naive enough to expect such a being to wholeheartedly help Iberia.

The future of Iberia will ultimately be in the hands of the Iberians, just like that golden age that has long since passed.

As the last surviving saint, Carmen firmly remembered this inviolable bottom line.

"Moreover, reaching Agor is no easy task. The Church of England is doing its best to find a way to enter Agor. If there is any progress, we will invite Mr. Undead to go with us."

Carmen wanted to frame this as a transaction.

The Undead are always very willing to trade.

"If so, then that's fine."

Thus, with their hands clasped together, the Undead and the Iberian Church officially reached a cooperation agreement.

392.Dream

Some time after the Undead and the others set off, the Doctor and Ace also boarded a bus bound for Kalan.

Since there were only two of them, they didn't choose a passenger car, but instead opted for a faster off-road vehicle, driven by Ace. The two of them set off with plenty of food and supplies.

For the PhD student, this kind of off-road adventure seemed to be a first.

Although he was out on business, the PhD student looked just like he was on vacation.

I settled comfortably into the back row; all that was missing was a pair of sunglasses.

However, he was still wearing a coat that covered his entire body, as well as a mask that made it difficult to see his face.

The doctor will not remove the mask except when eating or drinking.

Kal'tsit said he was very weak, and the Doctor also believed he was very weak. So he chose to listen to Kal'tsit and take good care of himself.

However, Ace's expression was not as relaxed as the Doctor's.

As Ace left Rhodes Island, he glanced back at the island with a somewhat preoccupied look. Even while sailing through the wilderness, Ace would occasionally glance at the Rhodes Island ships behind him through the rearview mirror.

"What, still worried about Rhodes Island?"

The doctor naturally saw through Ace's thoughts, and he asked somewhat leisurely.

Ace gave a wry smile; he and the Doctor had nothing to hide.

“I’m not like you, Doctor. I don’t know where your confidence comes from. Of course I’m worried about Rhodes Island itself.”

After the Undead left with the Fire Mage, most of the elite operators were transferred to Iberia to participate in this very important event.

At this crucial juncture, the Doctor himself chose to leave Rhodes Island, taking Ace, a pillar of the team, to Kalan.

Although Ace knew that neither incident was to be underestimated, and even extremely important, he felt that they were insignificant compared to the safety of Rhodes Island itself.

"Dr. Kal'tsit is not here, and you have also left Rhodes Island. Most of the elite operators were also deployed at the same time... To be honest, if it weren't for your orders, Doctor, I would have chosen to disobey."

Ace frankly expressed her concerns and conveyed her absolute trust in the PhD.

But Ace's words did make sense; the Victoria incident was still nowhere in sight. At this critical moment, the Rhodes Island flagship, stationed in Victoria, was practically tossed about in the eye of the storm.

As one of Rhodes Island's founding members, Ace certainly couldn't be at ease.

"You need to understand that Rhodes Island today is very different from what it used to be."

The doctor began to speak.

"Not only elite operators, but also many dispatched operators have come to Rhodes Island. Rhodes Island even has Frostnova's Yeti squad and Shield Guards stationed there. In terms of safety, it's not much more dangerous than before."

"However, they are not Rhodes Island's own people after all."

Ace still couldn't fully trust the Yeti Squad, or other operators who weren't originally affiliated with Rhodes Island.

Rhodes Island has indeed recruited many external operators. For example, there's Ash from Lungmen, and the young lady from Blacksteel International.

However, they were never truly loyal to Rhodes Island; their cooperation was merely temporary.

Even someone like Frostnova only chose to join Rhodes Island after being persuaded and encouraged by the Undead.

Ace couldn't rest easy about entrusting Rhodes Island's safety entirely to them.

The doctor clasped his hands behind his head, tapping the back of his head with his index fingers, and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Ace, in your opinion, who qualifies as a member of Rhodes Island?"

"If we're talking about members, then everyone is a member."

Ace briefly explained his understanding.

"It's not based on the length of time they've been with Rhodes Island, but on their background and purpose."

"Now, although Rhodes Island has recruited so many operators, many of them have ulterior motives."

The doctor gave an indifferent "hmm".

He did not deny Ace's statement. However, the doctor himself had a different perspective on this matter than Ace.

"Ace, do you think the Victoria incident is important?"