Embers Ad Infinitum

The two small remote-controlled cars carrying simple equipment drove into the cave one after another.

Wang Fugui, Waite, and the others immediately took out an old and barely usable portable computer. They received the transmitted images and seriously observed every detail.

After glancing at their screens, Jiang Baimian couldn’t help but take out the latest portable computer produced by Mechanical Paradise from her tactical backpack. She then connected the computer to Genava and shared her ‘footage.’

When Wang Fugui and the others saw this, their expressions became a little complicated.

“This passage isn’t purely natural; there are traces of artificial modification.” Jiang Baimian focused her attention on the computer screen.

In the scene, a deep path quietly stretched out in the darkness. There were obvious signs of reinforcement on both sides and above.

“But it’s not wide enough.” Long Yuehong voiced his thoughts.

In other words, cars couldn’t drive through the cave’s passage.

Bai Chen deliberated and said, “Maybe this is a backup passage that’s only catered for humans.”

“Yes, this is only one of the entrances.” Jiang Baimian nodded in agreement.

Regardless, she could already make a formal judgment. The cave where the white wolf usually lived originated from a particular human project.

As for whether it was built before the Old World was destroyed or secretly excavated by First City or some faction in recent years, Jiang Baimian couldn’t give an affirmative answer for the time being.

Beside them, Shang Jianyao watched the computer screen as he excitedly controlled the remote-controlled car, not giving Genava a chance to interfere.

After reaching the maximum range of their investigations and confirming that there were no buried explosives in that area and that there were no other problems, the two teams entered the cave one after another.

Their vehicles were left outside, hidden at places unknown to the other party.

The Old Task Force naturally wouldn’t place valuables like the exoskeletons, radio transceiver, and other valuables in the car. If they were taken away, they might not have the time to chase after the perpetrator.

Jiang Baimian, Long Yuehong, Bai Chen, and Genava each carried a crate and different weapons as they followed Shang Jianyao.

This made Wang Fugui, Waite, and the others’ eyelids twitch. Could it be that this team has three military exoskeletons?

They were sent to First City by a large faction to cause destruction?

This cave has always been their destination?

The two teams walked to the edge of the explored area. Therefore, they began a new round of reconnaissance.

After repeating the same process twice, the Old Task Force and Wang Fugui’s team arrived at a fork in the road.

After using the flashlight beam to scan the area, Jiang Baimian turned her head and questioned the survivor, Roen. “Which path did you take previously?”

Roen recalled and said, “Left.”

At this moment, Wang Fugui looked over with the flashlight and said, “How about we split up and explore? This will save time.”

In order to express his sincerity, he said, “You guys can choose first.”

Rather friendly… Long Yuehong muttered silently. At this moment, he felt rather cold because they were deep inside the cave. He was no longer basking in the midsummer heat.

This feeling made Long Yuehong subconsciously glance at a certain person in Wang Fugui’s team.

The man in a black leather coat in the advance base camp was indeed trembling. With his long limbs and muscular body, he looked rather out of place.

He’s really afraid of the cold… Long Yuehong retracted his gaze. After these days of contact and inquiries, he had already figured out that the man’s name was Gray.

“Alright.” Jiang Baimian deliberated for a moment and accepted Wang Fugui’s suggestion.

Just as she said that, Shang Jianyao volunteered. “I’ll choose.”

“Which side are you choosing?” Wang Fugui asked curiously and seriously.

Shang Jianyao smiled. “I’ll leave it to the heavens and the Kalendaria to decide.”

As he spoke, he had already taken out a 5-Cass copper coin from his pocket with his free hand.

Jiang Baimian controlled her expression and silently watched this fellow perform. Frankly speaking, she didn’t understand what Shang Jianyao wanted to do.

Long Yuehong and Bai Chen were the same.

Genava inferred many outcomes, but he didn’t find them Shang Jianyao’s style.

Flipping a coin to decide on such an important matter? Wang Fugui, Waite, Gray, and the others looked at each other and found it very odd.

The next second, Shang Jianyao—who handed the remote control to Genava—tossed the coin.

With a ping, the coin tumbled down and was caught by Shang Jianyao in midair.

“Let me see what it is.” He looked around and smiled as he released his right hand that was covering the coin. Shang Jianyao then showed the coin and announced the final outcome: “Tails—left!”

With that said, he put away the coin and walked into the left corridor without looking back.

Jiang Baimian followed with a strange expression.

After the Old Task Force and Roen’s flashlight beam disappeared from the area, Wang Fugui sighed with emotion. “He actually left it to the Kalendaria to decide… Are they some pious believers of a particular Kalendaria?”

Gray—who was very afraid of the cold—fell silent for a moment before he spoke through chattering teeth. “Shall we take the left as well?”

“Not for the time being.” Wang Fugui led the way to the right.

Waite, Gray, and the other two—as well as the guide—hesitated for two seconds before choosing to follow behind him.

In the left corridor, Jiang Baimian caught up to Shang Jianyao and glanced at him. “If it was heads, would you take the right?”

Shang Jianyao smiled. “The answer won’t change because I didn’t say what heads and tails represented before I threw the coin.”

I knew it… Jiang Baimian helplessly rolled her eyes. She had already noticed the problem: Shang Jianyao was purely teasing Wang Fugui and the others!

Long Yuehong—who was behind Jiang Baimian—was stunned for a second and couldn’t help but criticize inwardly. If you do that in front of pious Kalendaria believers, you will be tied up and burned at the stake… He clearly said that he would leave it to the Kalendaria to decide, but he had already set his mind on it. This is sacrilege against a deity and treating himself as a Kalendaria!

The survivor in the Old Task Force’s group—Roen—gradually felt that this group of people was abnormal. How dare he joke in such a serious and dangerous situation?

Jiang Baimian then ignored Shang Jianyao. She held the flashlight and led the team behind Genava as they continued deeper into the cave.

Before long, they arrived at the area where Roen described the pile of human food.

After careful inspection, Jiang Baimian confirmed that these were produced by the Old World from the date of production.

“It seems like it’s indeed related to the Old World.” Just as she said that, she sensed many bioelectric signals.

After a silent count, Jiang Baimian turned to look at Shang Jianyao.

“Wang Fugui and the others.” Shang Jianyao was rather certain. He determined it from the numbers.

Soon, Wang Fugui, Waite, Gray, and the others slowly walked out from another passage with flashlights. They weren’t surprised to see the Old Task Force at all.

At this moment, Shang Jianyao suddenly said, “Eh, one of you is missing.”

“…” Wang Fugui’s heart tightened as he quickly looked back at his teammates. He did a headcount several times and confirmed that nobody had disappeared.

Could it be that the missing person has already disappeared from my memories? Just as this thought flashed through Wang Fugui and the others’ minds, they heard Shang Jianyao laugh.

“I’m joking.”

At this moment, even someone as good-tempered as Wang Fugui couldn’t help but grind his teeth.

Jiang Baimian was just about to help Shang Jianyao smooth things over when the latter seriously explained, “I mainly want to remind you that you might encounter strange situations in the future and might forget something. It’s best if you keep the key information on you by writing it down now.”

He then added, “We’ve already discovered the feces of a canine creature here.”

This meant that they were getting closer and closer to the white wolf.

Wang Fugui nodded thoughtfully and said to Waite, Gray, and the others, “Make a simple record of the current situation and compare it regularly.”

The two teams set off again after the makeshift team was done with this matter. Sometimes they traveled side by side, and sometimes they split up.

Relying on the reconnaissance car and their chips, Jiang Baimian and Genava gradually drew the routes they had already taken in their minds.

After eliminating the repetitive paths, they entered a more spacious passage with Wang Fugui’s team that seemed conducive for driving.

The traces of human activity here were even more obvious. The ground was also made of concrete.

They occasionally discovered canine feces as they walked forward. After Genava analyzed and compared them, he confirmed that they came from the same creature.

There was a high chance that it was the white wolf.

“It eats a lot and shits a lot.” Shang Jianyao sighed with emotion.

This was a meaningful sentence. Several people in Wang Fugui’s team frowned when they heard this.

This passage was very long, and the two teams had to stop from time to time to use the remote-controlled cars to investigate the situation ahead. Therefore, they only saw the exit when it was nighttime.

Outside the exit was an Old World park overgrown with weeds. There was a man-made lake with relatively good scenery.

Starlight fell from the sky, illuminating the high-rise buildings that had ‘sunk’ in the darkness in front of Jiang Baimian and the others.

They came to a city that had been buried in history for countless years.

In a daze, Long Yuehong seemed to have returned to the past. It was as though he was seeing Swamp Ruin 1 after passing through the tunnel.

He still couldn’t forget the shock he received from the civilization of an old era.

When he subconsciously turned to look at his teammate, he realized that his team leader was frowning at the stars in the black night.

Jiang Baimian relied on the auxiliary chip to make a simple calculation and obtained a relatively vague location. She then instructed Genava with a solemn expression, “Switch to radio mode.”

As Wang Fugui and the others looked over in confusion, Genava completed the module switch as instructed.

Jiang Baimian then exhaled and said, “Tune to 119.2 MHz.”

This frequency corresponded to the Dao and Electrical Appliance Repairs radio station.

Jiang Baimian suspected that they might’ve already entered Wasteland Ruin 13.

The Old World city in front of them might very well be Wasteland Ruin 13!