Embers Ad Infinitum

Chapter 672: Blood Wastelands

Translator: CKtalon

The ground was barren and bumpy. The Old Task Force’s jeep drove on it, and it felt as rocky as if they were on a ship.

“I don’t want to die in lonely defeat;

“I don’t want to forever live underground.

“The materialist scams;

“The scurrying ants;

“Uncultured people don’t get hurt…1”

As the small speaker played the song, Shang Jianyao—who was sitting in the middle of the backseat—hugged Genava’s iron arm with one hand and placed the other on Long Yuehong’s shoulder. He swayed his body from side to side along with the rhythm.

Long Yuehong wore a look of disdain and tried to free himself, but he couldn’t escape the devil’s claws due to the limited space.

Jiang Baimian—who hadn’t driven for a long time and was momentarily tempted—looked at the ‘navigator.’ After confirming that the direction was right, she chuckled and said to Shang Jianyao, “You are quite fond of this song recently. You keep playing it.”

“That’s right,” Shang Jianyao admitted frankly. He then swayed his body and sighed. “But its lyrics are different from the song title. I think it’s better to change it to ‘those without ideals don’t get hurt.’ It’s more suitable for our team. Yes, that’s it—I’ll sing it myself later and record it!”

Jiang Baimian chuckled. “You sure are having fun.”

“Of course. After repeated dangerous missions, I increasingly feel that I should enjoy myself without delay. I should be happy and try my best to satisfy myself.” An unknown Shang Jianyao’s words carried a philosophical tone.

The navigator, Bai Chen, nodded and said, “Most wilderness nomads have similar thoughts.”

Therefore, they either indulged themselves physically or modified cars to wantonly vent their emotions.

Long Yuehong opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he didn’t say anything in the end.

Shang Jianyao retracted his hand from his friend’s shoulder and patted his thigh. “I realize that modifying the song makes it suit the Salvation Army’s current situation! Isn’t it said that they have degenerated and no longer have their original ideals?”

Jiang Baimian’s expression froze as she quickly reminded him, “Don’t agitate or provoke them when passing through the Salvation Army’s sphere of influence. Our only goal is to reach Icefields Tai City quietly and safely.”

Perhaps afraid that Shang Jianyao didn’t take it seriously, she added, “The assassin from before isn’t dead yet, and the Doctor behind her probably won’t let us off either. We have to keep a low profile and try our best not to expose ourselves.”

Shang Jianyao revealed a thoughtful expression. “If we kill Doctor—the darkness-serving traitor and the nightmare’s accomplice—will we have any hope of restoring Oudick’s lost rationality?”

For a moment, nobody spoke in the jeep. Only the rock song echoed.

They all knew that Oudick’s chances of returning to normal were slim after so long. More importantly, the Old Task Force was no match for Doctor even if they combined forces. Even if he had yet to return from the New World completely, his body was still lying in the Eighth Research Institute.

This realization made Jiang Baimian—who was familiar with Oudick—sad. Long Yuehong and Bai Chen also shared the sadness.

Oudick’s perfectly fine family had been torn to pieces overnight. He could only rely on Thought Implantation to maintain it.

The honest Genava answered Shang Jianyao’s question after a few seconds. “I don’t think there’s much hope.”

The driving Jiang Baimian nearly facepalmed.

Genava then said, “To prevent such tragedies from happening again and again, we have to truly and completely disperse the nightmare and drive away the darkness.”

Shang Jianyao turned his body and looked at Genava. “Old Ge, I’m surprised by what you said! You’ve grown.”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Shang Jianyao applauded, feeling gratified.

His sadness seemed to have vanished.

Long Yuehong didn’t ask why he had quickly calmed down. He knew that there was only one answer: “Everything is but a dream. Why so serious?”

“My humanization level has likely elevated a little.” Genava frankly accepted Shang Jianyao’s praise.

At this moment, Jiang Baimian thought of something. “Hey, didn’t you previously say that you wanted to return to the first day and quickly find Room 522’s owner on the cruise ship? It’s been days, but you are still coming up with nothing?”

Shang Jianyao’s expression turned heavy as he slowly said, “I forgot.”

“…” Jiang Baimian knew that it wasn’t right to argue with a mental patient. “Then, give it a try tonight.”

With that said, she looked at the setting sun that burned red above the horizon and asked, “Little White, how far are we from the settlement you mentioned?”

After receiving a new sum of funds, gathering the corresponding items, and replenishing the canned biscuits and other food, the Old Task Force left First City and headed northeast.

They had already entered the Blood Wastelands, a necessary route to First City’s border and the Salvation Army’s territory.

The ‘blood’ in ‘Blood Wastelands’ didn’t refer to the color of the soil here. It originated from the massive number of casualties during the Chaotic Era.

This wasteland had plenty of mineral resources, and there was relatively little arable land. It was very easy for the two to bring about disputes.

Before First City expanded its sphere of influence and monopolized everything, the large and small factions in the Blood Wastelands had dyed the lands of value red with their blood.

Bai Chen identified the terrain ahead. “We’ll be there in half an hour.”

This area could barely be considered as First City territory; they had yet to venture deep into the wilderness. Bai Chen had been here before and knew where a settlement under First City was.

It was relatively lively because of the number of Ruin Hunters passing through it.

When the sun reached the horizon, the settlement appeared in front of Long Yuehong and the others.

This was an Old World shopping mall in the suburbs. All the items inside had long been emptied, but the vast parking lot and the buildings that formed a few shorter streets were preserved. It became a settlement for wilderness nomads.

The buildings weren’t tall; they were only two to three stories tall. All the buildings in the central area were residential buildings. The ones on the periphery had been modified into blockhouses, forming a rather sturdy defense line.

As this place was connected to the various ruins deep in the Blood Wilderness, large amounts of mineral resources, and First City, it became an important trade node. Therefore, a large number of modified vehicles were parked in the vast parking lot.

The empty area without vehicles became a place for Ruin Hunters to communicate and even trade.

The residents in the settlement would come out from time to time to peddle the valuable items they had gathered in exchange for light beer and food.

This area was seriously polluted; even the underground water couldn’t be used for extended periods. Compared to clear water, brewed light beer was more suitable for long-distance transportation.

With so many Ruin Hunters around, the Old Task Force’s arrival was like a rock falling into the sea. It didn’t cause any waves.

Furthermore, many Hunter teams here had robot companions. Genava wasn’t eye-catching at all; it only meant that Jiang Baimian and the others weren’t to be trifled with.

Shang Jianyao had just alighted from the car when he excitedly pointed not far away. “It’s lively over there!”

It was an empty space. A bonfire was lit in the middle, and many people were gathered around it. Some were seducing the opposite sex, some were setting up stalls to sell trinkets, and some seemed to be merchants. They were shuttling between Ruin Hunters, wanting to buy their adventurous gains at a low price. Some gathered together, drank light beer, and laughed loudly.

Jiang Baimian didn’t attempt to stop Shang Jianyao. Instead, she smiled and said, “Let’s go over and take a look. We might be able to obtain useful information and trade for unique food.”

Shang Jianyao eagerly strode forward and led the way.

Long Yuehong, Bai Chen, and the others followed closely behind.

Just as they arrived at the bonfire, the crowd suddenly fell silent as if someone had pressed a silencer.

Thanks to her height, Jiang Baimian realized that a few people had walked out of the settlement.

The leader was nearly 1.8 meters tall and wore a black trench coat. His black hair was combed up, and his face was relatively thin with distinct edges and corners. The beard on his chin extended to his ears, and his eyes were brownish-gray.

After a brief silence, one of the Ruin Hunters by the bonfire laughed loudly. “Davis, I heard that you encountered a powerful fellow this time and almost couldn’t return?”

The person called ‘Davis’ was the muscular, bearded man in the black trench coat. He glanced at the Ruin Hunter that spoke and laughed. “They were indeed very powerful; there were two Superior Heartless. However, we still returned. We aren’t like you, who don’t even dare to step foot into Ruin 9!”

Ruin 9 was the most famous ruin in the Blood Wastelands. To this day, many places had yet to be explored by Ruin Hunters, and many dangers were lurking. After First City’s officials organized a few operations and retrieved some things, they seemed to lose interest in the place and left it to others.

Two Superior Heartless? Upon hearing Davis’s answer, the Ruin Hunters gasped.

Two Superior Heartless… Long Yuehong actually felt numb.

If it were in the past, encountering two Superior Heartless was a huge matter for him no matter where he was. It was deserving of shock and to be drenched in sweat. But now, Long Yuehong thought little of anything else after Wasteland Ruin 13.

That’s it?

Furthermore, Swamp Ruin 1—which they had previously been to—might be more terrifying than Wasteland Ruin 13. After all, Wu Meng was sealed, but Xiaochong could move freely.

If it weren’t for Shang Jianyao befriending him successfully, he couldn’t imagine the outcome.

As Long Yuehong’s thoughts raced, Shang Jianyao fixed his gaze on Davis as if he were wondering why so many people liked to wear trench coats. Should he get one too?