Embers Ad Infinitum

Chapter 741: Connection

Translator: CKtalon

Ding ring ring! Ding ring ring!

Amidst the crescendoing ringtone, Tai City’s No. 1 Senior High School teachers and students—who were returning home after school—raised their phones at the same time and brought them to their ears.

This matched Genava’s call to the mysterious number perfectly!

Even though they couldn’t figure out the reason for the sudden change, Long Yuehong and Bai Chen instinctively felt fear when they saw this. Unlike Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao, they had already heard Genava mention Dajiang City’s Elite Middle School. They knew that Du Shaochong, Xu Qiao, and Deng Tong happened to come from this school, and they actually didn’t know each other previously.

This was completely impossible. If it were any ordinary student, it would be normal not to know a schoolmate from the same middle school and grade. However, Xu Qiao, Du Shaochong, and Deng Tong were either outstanding in their studies or had a notorious reputation; they would stand out anywhere.

Even if some of them only became like this when they entered high school, it was impossible for all three of them to be the same. Such a coincidence could only prove that it wasn’t a coincidence at all and that there was definitely a deeper reason.

Upon hearing Shang Jianyao’s evaluation that Master Zhuang’s condition was worse than his and considering how his illness was a split personality, Long Yuehong and Bai Chen naturally made some connections upon combining the scene in front of them.

Could it be that everyone in the dream—or rather, the entire set of thoughts that represents a person—originates from Master Zhuang and were different personalities that he had split off? Therefore, although it seems like everyone has their own name and background story, they would answer with ‘Dajiang City’ or ‘Dajiang City’s Elite Middle School’ when asked questions about where they transferred from or their previous school.

Upon realizing this, Long Yuehong’s legs went limp when he realized that they were surrounded by Master Zhuang and that ‘They’ were simultaneously answering a call suspected to be made by Genava.

At that moment, the ringing stopped.

The call connected.

Jiang Baimian couldn’t stop Genava in time.

The light around them dimmed significantly, and the sky was so dark that it seemed like there was just a tiny glow left after sunset.

The other sounds completely vanished from Shang Jianyao and the others’ ears. They could only hear their hearts thumping.

The air around them froze like sticky liquid, and the ‘water pressure’ made it difficult for them to breathe.

Almost at the same time, the red glow in Genava’s eyes suddenly shrank and collapsed into two faint ‘black holes’ that seemed to connect to another world.

We’re just calling for help, not making an enemy of Master Zhuang… We’re just calling for help, not making an enemy of Master Zhuang… Feeling Genava’s gaze, Jiang Baimian constantly repeated this sentence in her heart to soothe the fear that suddenly rose in her. She tried to put up a normal request for help and inform Master Zhuang on the other end of the line to see if there was any room for negotiation.

Just as Jiang Baimian was about to speak, a voice interrupted her. “Great Kalendaria, help us escape the predicament we are in! Man is selfless; the New World is in front of us!”

Shang Jianyao didn’t blush at all, nor was he embarrassed. Having ten times thicker skin was used for such situations.

With a click, Genava’s neck slowly turned, and his two eyes—which had become black holes—looked at Shang Jianyao.

In unison, the students and teachers—who had raised their phones to their ears—turned around or turned their heads to look over quietly.

Under the silent gazes of hundreds to thousands of people, Long Yuehong had a layer of goosebumps all over his body, and his back was covered in sweat.

The next second, the entire world turned completely dark.

Badump! Badump!

Long Yuehong, Bai Chen, Shang Jianyao, and Jiang Baimian’s hearts raced uncontrollably as if they were about to jump out of their throats. At this moment, they felt like they were about to die from a heart attack.

Suddenly, a gentle light lit up, and the darkness retreated like a receding tide. The sky quickly returned to its original brightness.

In front of Jiang Baimian and the others, the students and teachers who had finished school vanished into thin air. Tai City’s No. 1 Senior High School returned to its original desolate and abandoned state.

Huff, huff… Long Yuehong took a deep breath and felt his heartbeat slowly return to normal.

Jiang Baimian looked around and realized that there were tire marks left behind by cars driving around the school. This made her certain that Bai Chen’s previous actions of driving away from Tai City had only resulted in them circling around No.1 Senior High a few times.

“Things are back to normal?” Bai Chen’s forehead was covered in a layer of cold sweat.

Just as she said that, Shang Jianyao suddenly pounced, hugged Genava, and cried, “Old Ge, don’t die!”

A red glow lit up in Genava’s eyes as they flickered a few times. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” Shang Jianyao stood up and smiled. “From now on, I’m the carefree one.”

Are you joking, or did you split out another personality? Jiang Baimian frowned. She exhaled deeply and said, “It seems like we’ve escaped danger. That ‘call for help’ was really useful.”

They had directly pleaded with the person in question.

The red light in Genava’s eyes flickered a few times. “The string of random code has disappeared, and there’s nothing in my backup database.”

Shang Jianyao suddenly laughed out loud. “It’s fine. Big White still has a handwritten copy.”

Jiang Baimian shot him a glance. “After Oray called this number and spoke to Master Zhuang, the number didn’t disappear from the phone and was preserved until now. This means that Master Zhuang deliberately erased Old Ge’s stored number. It probably means that there won’t be a next time and that we’ve been put on the ‘do not disturb’ list. If you call again, I’m afraid everyone around us will become Heartless.”

Anything that a New World powerhouse could do, the Kalendaria could definitely do the same.

“I can sincerely worship ‘Him.'” Shang Jianyao felt rather regretful.

At this moment, Long Yuehong—who had recovered—sighed. “I never expected that Oray would go from nothing to an Awakened who had explored the depths of the Mind Corridor. He considered himself First City’s emperor because he obtained Master Zhuang’s blessings.”

Representing the entire year, Master Zhuang was the most special Kalendaria.

“That’s right, that’s right,” Shang Jianyao echoed.

Jiang Baimian fell silent for a moment before saying, “It seems like there were more or less Kalendarium behind the establishment of the various large factions. I wonder if the Salvation Army—which was established the latest—and the company that has been underground the entire time have one…”

“I don’t think so,” Long Yuehong replied without much confidence.

In the current environment, it was not suitable to discuss this topic. Bai Chen looked at the abandoned Tai City’s No. 1 Senior High School and asked, “Are we still exploring?”

“There’s no need, right?” Long Yuehong took a deep breath as if he had a headache.

It wasn’t easy for them to escape the hopeless situation. How could they tempt fate again?

There was no Master Zhuang number to call again! Furthermore, repeatedly doing so might anger Master Zhuang.

Jiang Baimian glared at the eager Shang Jianyao and agreed with Long Yuehong. “Being adventurous is worthy of a compliment, but being suicidal deserves criticism. We have to balance that fine line well. Let’s go…”

She wanted to say, “Let’s go to Renhui Hospital’s Vegetative Rehabilitation Center to take a look.” However, she felt that the team members—who had experienced such a harrowing exploration—needed some time to process their experience.

“Let’s get some R&R outside Tai City first.” Jiang Baimian finally chose to wait until afternoon.

As Shang Jianyao followed Genava to the jeep, he revealed a thoughtful expression. “I’m wondering…”

Why does this tone sound so familiar? Jiang Baimian turned her head and asked, “What are you wondering about?”

“I’m wondering if Xiaochong and Master Zhuang are related. Could he be ‘His’ split personality?” Shang Jianyao’s eyes were bright. “Otherwise, why would the white light I obtained at the Holm Fertility Center rush straight to the rift that represents Xiaochong the moment it entered my Sea of Origins? Why didn’t it entangle with others like enemies and never scatter?”

Long Yuehong subconsciously wanted to deny this terrifying possibility. “You already said ‘like enemies.'”

“It’s very common for different personalities to be enemies!” Shang Jianyao said confidently.

How is that common? Long Yuehong argued inwardly.

“Besides, Tai City’s No. 1 Senior High School has Du Shaochong,” Shang Jianyao added.

Jiang Baimian nodded slightly. “There’s a certain possibility. There’s also a way to confirm it.”

“What way?” Shang Jianyao asked excitedly.

Jiang Baimian looked around. “If we can determine that Swamp Ruin 1 is Dajiang City, the answer is self-evident.”

Swamp Ruin 1 was the ruin where the Old Task Force had encountered Xiaochong.

“We can get the information from the company later,” Bai Chen suggested.

As they spoke, they had already gotten into the jeep and sat down.

At this moment, they heard a bird chirping. They saw a bird come from not far away and enter Tai City’s No. 1 Senior High School. After circling a few times, it left in another direction.

This was a scene that had never happened before.

From the outside, Tai City’s No. 1 Senior High School looked dead silent as if there were no living beings.

Shang Jianyao muttered to himself, “Our call woke up Master Zhuang, and the dream naturally subsided when Master Zhuang woke up?”