Embers Ad Infinitum

Raindrops fell to the ground, splashing up white mist. The blackened soil was already muddy, and the low-lying areas were filled with puddles.

Selma and his companions drove a battered multi-purpose vehicle through a house that had been abandoned for countless years.

“Damn it! There’s almost zero visibility!” Selma stared ahead and tapped the steering wheel.

The windshield wipers worked hard amidst the downpour, but they could only provide a clear view for a second.

“Find some shelter from the rain,” Sandro—who was in the passenger seat—suggested. “It’s not like you don’t know that the wastelands are prone to extreme weather. It’s still summer.”

They were a Ruin Hunter team of four who lived in the wastelands. They often came here and were familiar with such situations.

“Alright.” Selma sighed. “I thought we could reach the river tonight and return to the city in the morning.”

Although there was no need to worry about accidents when driving in the North Shore wastelands, with the population size and density of vehicles here, it was very unlikely that one would bump into one of their kind despite the heavy rain and low visibility. But as an Intermediate Hunter, Selma knew very well that the danger wasn’t this.

In such inclement weather, the North Shore wastelands were trouble itself. You’d never know if the ground would suddenly collapse in front of you, and you wouldn’t be able to determine how deep the potholes ahead were. In the pouring rain, your car might disappear while driving, and everyone would drown in the rain-filled Old World channels or in a buried river of the past.

In addition, there were natural disasters such as landslides.

With the headlights’ help, Selma could barely see his surroundings.

This place belonged to the Old World’s suburbs, but back then, many people with a certain amount of wealth in the Red River Zone liked to live in such places. The unattached house had a lawn and a garden, so Selma saw many buildings at a glance.

Some of them had collapsed, and some were still intact. However, they were covered in green snake-like vines.

Under the dark sky and the violent storm, the trees, weeds, and houses gave off a feeling that everything was about to crumble.

Following his memory, Selma drove the car higher.

Along the way, they kept searching for shelter from the rain. After all, they couldn’t always stay in the car. This would increase the energy consumption, and they only had one container of gasoline left.

As Ruin Hunters with relatively rich experience, Selma, Sandro, and the others knew that houses used for rain shelter couldn’t be randomly chosen. Although the buildings left behind by the Old World looked relatively intact and seemed to be able to stand for many years, some of them had long rotted inside. They might collapse after being battered by the storm for a few hours.

Countless Ruin Hunters believed that they had found a safe place to hide from the elements and relaxed their vigilance. In the end, they were buried alive under bricks, wood, and cement.

As the houses swept past, Sandro pointed at the tallest spot and said, “That building seems fine. It has the best terrain and hasn’t suffered much damage. It’s just that there are more vines—Patterned Mosquitoes love such places.”

“We have insect repellent,” Denise replied from the back seat with a smile.

They quickly came to an agreement and drove the car under the dark sky, braving the violent storm, to the back of the house that stood above everything in the vicinity.

The muddy road posed quite a hindrance to them. Fortunately, there were no deep puddles, so there was no need to circle around.

About ten minutes later, they arrived at their destination and turned to the front of the house.

Suddenly, Selma and Sandro’s eyelids twitched.

Inside the house, a yellowish glow spread out and tainted the area!

“Other Ruin Hunters?” Denise also saw this scene.

This was the most reasonable deduction in the current situation. Other Ruin Hunters would also choose to take the high ground when seeking shelter because of the storm.

They didn’t think about whether there were still people living in the house in front of them because it was impossible. The farmland in the surrounding area was severely polluted, and the things planted couldn’t be eaten. In other words, it was impossible to form a settlement of a certain size in the vicinity.

Only a few people could be fed through hunting. In the face of natural disasters, Heartless, mutated creatures, and bandits, just a few people could hardly put up a fight. Of course, they couldn’t rule out the possibility that this was just a temporary cabin for some Hunters.

“Are we still going over?” Sandro asked in a deep voice.

Meeting a peer in the North Shore wastelands wasn’t necessarily a good thing for both parties.

Selma was just about to answer when he saw the corresponding situation clearly.

The rusty iron-grilled gates of the house in front of him were open; the overgrown garden had been flattened by the wheels time and time again; a gray-green jeep and a black SUV were parked outside the main building under a car porch. In the foyer, a fire had been lit, and a portable stainless steel pot was cooking. Beside the fire were six people—three men and three women.

Two of them were in charge of guarding the area, and two of them watched the fire. The remaining two were huddled on the chairs and armchairs they had brought over to catch forty winks.

Selma, Sandro, and the others weren’t most concerned about the number of enemies but what weapons they carried.

Short Neck… Assault rifle… United 202… After quickly confirming the situation, Selma deliberated and said, “It’s not good to just leave like this. If they take the opportunity to fire at us from above and blow up our tires, it will be dangerous.”

In this weather and on this road, the consequences would be unimaginable if their tires burst.

“Yes, it’s not too late to go over, greet them, and show off our muscles before leaving,” Sandro agreed.

Denise said, “Perhaps we can exchange for useful information.”

With the support of his companions, Selma drove the car toward the gates of the building. When the Ruin Hunters on the opposite side raised their guns and aimed, they stopped.

“Where do you come from?” Selma asked loudly as he rolled down the window.

“First City!” Shang Jianyao replied in a louder voice than him before his companions could speak. “What about you?”

The Old Task Force, Han Wanghuo, and Zeng Duo—who had successfully fled First City—were preparing dinner while getting shelter from the rain. At this moment, Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao were tending to the fire and heating the canned food. Long Yuehong and Bai Chen patrolled the surroundings and were on guard for any accidents. Han Wanghuo and Zeng Duo—who were in poor health and had been traveling for more than a day—seized the opportunity to rest.

As for Genava, he had nothing to do. He was exploring every floor and room in this house to see if he could find any books, newspapers, or information that came from the Old World.

“North Anheford.” Selma’s voice penetrated the wind and rain and entered Jiang Baimian and the others’ ears.

North Anheford referred to an area in the wastelands on the northern shore of the Red River. It shared a similar name from the Old World.

There were no clear boundaries between these regions. They were purely products of experience.

Without waiting for Shang Jianyao and the others to respond, Selma shouted, “Can we have a chat?”

“You can park the car over there before coming over.” Shang Jianyao stood up and pointed at a spot by the side of the house.

From there to the foyer was a covered path that provided shelter from the rain.

Selma drove the car to the designated spot calmly but carefully. Then, they each brought their weapons and alighted.

One of them was using the Tronge assault rifle produced in First City. The others carried a Sour Orange submachine gun, a light machine gun, and a Hawkeye sniper rifle. Their firepower was terrifying.

This was one of the reasons they always received friendliness.

Before they came close to the foyer, they smelled the strong fragrance of food at the same time. They felt that the smell drilled into their hearts through their lungs.

“Potato and beef canned food… They have plenty of supplies…” Selma and the others perked up and walked to the foyer.

With the light from the fire, they finally saw Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, and the others clearly.

Ashlandics… Genetically enhanced ones? They have some background… As his eyes lit up, many thoughts flashed through Selma’s mind.

As an experienced Ruin Hunter, he and his companions had interacted with members of the White Knights. He knew about the various signs of genetic enhancement, and Shang Jianyao and Jiang Baimian perfectly matched the corresponding characteristics.

This made Selma and the others even more solemn.

Jiang Baimian—who was sitting cross-legged by the fire—looked up and asked, “You came from North Anheford?”

Zeng Duo’s Early Spring Town was in that area.

“Yes, the pollution there isn’t that serious. We could stay there for a long time…” As Selma replied, he felt the fragrance of roasted beef and potatoes surge into his mind, almost disrupting his train of thought.

They had already taken nearly two weeks of risks in the North Shore wasteland. They had long gotten sick of eating dried food and gamey meat that tasted strange.

Jiang Baimian didn’t stand up to greet them. She glanced at them and smiled. “If you don’t mind, we can eat together. Of course, I can’t share the beef and potatoes with you since they belong to my companions. However, you are allowed to dip your rations in the gravy.”

Selma, Sandro, and the others looked at each other and felt that this wasn’t a bad thing.

The other party also had to eat the food. It was fine as long as they didn’t let down their guard.

Sandro and Denise held their weapons, wary of any accidents. Selma and Tolle sat by the fire.

“How’s the situation in North Anheford?” Jiang Baimian asked.

Selma thought for a moment and said, “It’s no different from before. It’s just that a particular army division from First City seems to be having exercises there. Once we approach certain places, we will encounter them and can’t go deeper.”

Is that so… Jiang Baimian turned around and looked at Zeng Duo, who was sitting in the armchair beside her.

The lady had already opened her eyes.

Selma took the opportunity to ask, “Anything happened in the city recently?”

Jiang Baimian fell silent for a few seconds before tersely grunting. “The Hand of Order is pursuing a group of people, causing a storm in the city.”