Chapter 25 – The Gray Man Woes

It was a simple mentality that he had. He was always a kind of a mess. Sometimes psychotic. Sometimes sane. Indeed, he was normal mostly. But Joshua had a problem when faced with trouble. He would become calm and collected. He’d get used to trouble as long as he experiences it. It was not like he was unafraid of the world before him. It was just that he aligned his thinking that this world was dangerous. He must learn how to fight back. There are many things that are a threat to Joshua, the war, and the hidden dangers made him think like this.

That’s why since knowing that there was going to be an invasion. He racked his brain and thought of many possibilities. The rifle he modified won’t save him from an army of men armed with rifles. Sure, he could shot at least sixteen rounds of bullets from the rifle. But what about reloading the weapon? What about inserting the paper cartridges and the lead balls? It would take time to reload and even if he was able to reload. He would have to consider the flying bullets whizzing past him.

How could he win? He was not some super soldier. All he had was the floating words that would aid him at the time of death. But that alone was not enough to ensure that he wouldn’t face death. He was not lucky. If he was, then he wouldn’t be in some foreign world that he did not know off. He wouldn’t be worried about some damn war killing him.

Think! Think! Joshua thought of many ways. What he came with for help were the tutorial videos and mixtures that thought as deadly in his world. It was lethal and effective that it made Joshua immediately scour the stronghold for any materials he could gather. At first, he went to where the alchemy labs are and took some powdered aluminum and rust, along with a few chemicals that surprisingly were there he could use. After that, he went to the kitchen for some alcohol and oil and some wax. He also took some unused bottles. Then, he sneaked to the workshop of Benton and took some scrap metal. The room was messy as always. He was able to scour for the materials he needed. But before leaving the room, Joshua sneered. He had this disdainful face as he thinks of something rather sinister. It was the first time in his life that he thought of doing something to a person. He didn’t have these thoughts before. But if anything, he knows that this world was a world he couldn’t be as meek back in his world.

He was a gray man. A person who blends in with what people wear and tried his best not to be recognized. He went with his life like a ghost. A meek ghost that wanted nothing but peace as he goes on with his life. But all of the sudden he was thrust into an unknown world.

Now, that he found a family here.

He would do anything to protect his family. It was his attachment, his anchor that keeps him sane after the experiences in the city of storms where his mind broke after days of slavery. He could not forget how he was taken for granted. His liberty and freedom were taken from him. He felt like he was in a chasm of dread. And only because of Shig and Leiko that he managed to escape from that chasm. Joshua may act cowardly. He may be afraid, but so what? When was the time to be brave? That’s right, one can only brave when there was a need to be!

Joshua heaved a sigh. He looked at the soldiers building bunkers out of sandbags. There were ballistae’s being pulled to fringes of the battlements. Cannons were being rolled down. While riflemen started to carry ammo down tunnels that connect to defensive places. The City of Avilla has a sewer and tunnel network. It also means that they have various defensive positions that could be used to defend the city.

What the defenders were worried about were the bombings that would happen. Any fool would think of the bombs that they would certainly drop from the sky. It was a waste to think they would just point their artillery at the city when they can just drop their bombs.

Joshua knows that the stronghold that was made of cobblestone and stone will smash! Even if the bombs don’t go off. The falling momentum and the force would be enough to cause devastating damage. Joshua shudders just by thinking about it. He had seen war movies and flicks. But experiencing themselves made him terrified.

To him, such fear was rather primal. He wanted to run. He wanted to get away from this place. But what kind of bastard would run away from family? He might be a coward but he was never a bastard who would do that. That’s why despite the fear he keeps his mind intact.

He looked at the items he took. He took the empty bottles and started filling them with oil and petrol. He took the petrol gas from the lab, the oil from the kitchen. He filled the bottles with them and then took the shave candles and wax inside it. It was enough to have the bottle and petrol inside. But Joshua wanted them to stick to his enemies so he added wax.

As for the other ingredients like the powdered aluminum and rust, he had other uses for them. For now, he focused on making his own kind of bombs. He had only a few things he knows that he could use. After all, he just cannot suddenly invent things. He wasn’t some chemist who knew various formulas. He didn’t have the resources to even have them. He could recognize some chemicals because of their smell and appearance. But that’s all. That’s why dreaming of creating grand things was out of a question for him.

That’s why he can only work on things like a Molotov cocktail. He knows that it isn’t enough but if he can use it to protect himself and the family he has here. He would be satisfied.