Embers Ad Infinitum

Chapter 748: Everyone’s Dreams (End of Volume)

Translator: CKtalon

After dismantling the computer storage equipment on the table and walking out of the room with the red window, Shang Jianyao turned his head to look at the tightly shut wooden doors around him.

He didn’t attempt to open them, retracted his gaze, and followed Jiang Baimian—who was carrying the dark-green canvas backpack and wearing the military exoskeleton—down the stairs.

When they returned to the jeep, Long Yuehong and Bai Chen also received a signal to return to the team.

After a while, Long Yuehong—who was sitting in the passenger seat—finally finished reading the letter Lu Fuxing had left behind.

He sighed sincerely. “Fortunately, we didn’t go to Renhui Hospital’s Vegetative Rehabilitation Center. Otherwise, we might’ve been wiped out. Uh…”

He hesitated because Genava might not die.

In short, the horror of Renhui Hospital’s Vegetative Rehabilitation Center exceeded his imagination. Just by entering different rooms, one might encounter different dangers, and it seemed like there was no amount of preparation that could produce a solution.

Jiang Baimian nodded slightly at Long Yuehong’s sigh. “This can also be considered a blessing in disguise.”

Although she and her team members attached great importance to the Renhui Hospital’s Vegetative Rehabilitation Center and believed that the danger there was greater than that of Tai City’s No. 1 Senior High School, placing it last for exploration, she felt that she had still underestimated the risks they might encounter after reading the letter left behind by Lu Fuxing.

Just pushing open a wooden door and entering a room could lead one to madness, become a vegetable, contract the Heartless disease, or commit suicide. Furthermore, there was no warning; the anomalies couldn’t be detected!

This was extremely terrifying for any team.

Even if the Old Task Force had Mind Corridor-level Awakened, smart bots that weren’t carbon-based creatures, and powerful humans that had undergone genetic modification and had biomechanical limb transplants, there was a high chance that they would only discover the problem after losing one to two lives.

Of course, Jiang Baimian suspected that the anomalies in the different rooms were related to different New World nodes.

They were connected to different areas of the New World, so the effects were naturally different.

The Old Task Force had the Six Senses Beads and the Life Angel necklace—items that could sense New World nodes. In other words, it was still possible for the Old Task Force to sense the problem in advance and avoid the dangerous rooms.

However, Jiang Baimian didn’t have much confidence in this. After all, she couldn’t determine if the core problem with Renhui Hospital’s Vegetative Rehabilitation Center was the appearance of multiple New World nodes.

In such a dangerous environment, a single misjudgment might really result in a wipeout.

After a brief silence, Jiang Baimian—who had flipped through all the documents—concluded, “From the looks of it, all clues point to the Eighth Research Institute. Before the Old World was destroyed, they widely gathered vegetables for a very dangerous experiment. It seems like they were trying to make contact with the forbidden zones of the gods.

“This might very well bring about the Heartless disease outbreak, causing the Old World to be destroyed. Their organization also suffered a certain influence and became darkness-serving traitors in an attempt to erase the corresponding clues.

“Their Base 2 seems to be the source of all problems—if Fan Wensi, Li Jinlong’s son—Li Hui—and Jiang Xiaoyue were transferred there.”

Shang Jianyao replied in depression, “But we don’t know where the Eighth Research Institute is hidden.”

With that said, he turned his head and looked at Genava before asking in anticipation, “Old Ge, can we really not deduce the Eighth Research Institute’s exact longitude and latitude coordinates from the trajectory of the missiles?”

“It was possible if we gathered enough data, but it was already too late by the time we discovered it.” The honest Genava extinguished Shang Jianyao’s hopes.

Jiang Baimian said, “Besides, I suspect that the missile base isn’t the same place as the Eighth Research Institute’s headquarters. How can normal research institutes get so many missile silos during their construction?

“A reasonable deduction would be that the Eighth Research Institute obtained a few secret missile bases and raised a large number of people to maintain them after the Old World was destroyed. Hmm, the defense measures of those missile bases might be stricter. We can’t rule out the possibility that the Eighth Research Institute later moved its headquarters to such places.

“The next direction of our investigation is to figure out where the Eighth Research Institute is. We can then get the company and the Salvation Army to surround and kill it. But before that, we need to return to the company to rest and gather more information.”

“That’s right, that’s right.” Long Yuehong was the first to agree.

“What about these documents and wills?” Shang Jianyao—who valued relationships—asked in concern.

Jiang Baimian nodded. “I originally wanted to stay a few more days. There was a missile strike here, so the Salvation Army observation station nearby should’ve detected it. When the time comes, the Salvation Army will most likely send a team to search all the way up to here for abnormalities. We just need to hand the items to them.

“But we have a nuclear warhead in the car, so it might be problematic to encounter the Salvation Army in such a sensitive place. Therefore, let’s return now and find an opportunity to photocopy all the documents. When we leave the Salvation Army’s sphere of influence, we’ll hand this backpack, along with the documents and wills inside, to Ding Ling.”

“I think this plan is pretty good.” Bai Chen voiced her opinion.

Shang Jianyao thought for a moment and sighed. “That’s all we can do.”

Jiang Baimian didn’t waste her breath and said to Bai Chen, who was driving, “Let’s set a return course.”

As the jeep gradually left Tai City, Jiang Baimian couldn’t help but turn her head and look out the window.

The Old World ruin had truly become a ruin. A large number of buildings had collapsed, and only a portion survived. It was as if they were tombstones erected in a cemetery.

A summer breeze blew. In an environment like Icefield, it was warm and peaceful, lacking heat.

…

After many days by foot, the Asceticism Department monks followed Paranga to the vicinity of Tai City.

They motionlessly looked at the collapsed buildings and the charred marks left behind by the fires for a long time in silence.

After a few minutes, Paranga sighed. “The omen has appeared. A great calamity is imminent.”

1

…

On the border between the Salvation Army and First City, in the derelict road on Cloud Mountain, Jiang Baimian drove the jeep out of the lofty mountains with the help of the manual navigator, Shang Jianyao.

“Why did you leave after giving the backpack to Ding Ling?” Shang Jianyao expressed his regret that he couldn’t stay behind to freeload on food.

Jiang Baimian chuckled. “I don’t want to see others sad.”

The honest Shang Jianyao said after careful thought, “Indeed, that’s rude.”

In the middle of the backseat, Long Yuehong held Bai Chen’s right hand and looked ahead. “Are we heading straight to the company next?”

“Yes.” Jiang Baimian nodded.

Of course, they would definitely replenish their supplies and charge many times along the way. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to last until they reached Pangu Biology.

“When the time comes, Old Ge, stay in Weed City or the Blackmarsh Wilderness and watch over the nuclear bomb…” Jiang Baimian rambled.

Genava didn’t raise any objections. “No problem.”

Shang Jianyao quickly reminded him, “You have to do a good job watching it! It might come in handy some time in the future. We didn’t use it to blow up Tai City’s No. 1 Senior High School and Renhui Hospital this time, so we can give some people a surprise in the future.”

Why do I feel like you’re very regretful? Jiang Baimian criticized inwardly.

As they chatted, Long Yuehong suddenly stammered, “I had a discussion with L-Little White last night. When we return to the company, we’ll register our marriage at the Order Supervisory Bureau and treat our relatives and friends to a meal at home. Team Leader, can you come?”

As for Shang Jianyao, he definitely wouldn’t let go of such an opportunity to have fun and freeload on food. Long Yuehong definitely would invite him.

As Jiang Baimian drove, she laughed. “I have to consider what gift I should give you.”

“There’s no need for a gift,” Bai Chen said.

“That’s right, that’s right,” Long Yuehong echoed. He then sighed with emotion again. “This is like a dream…”

Shang Jianyao scoffed. “Is this your dream? Find a partner, form a family, have a few children, and eat meat every day?”

“That’s right.” Although Long Yuehong was embarrassed, he still bravely admitted it.

Shang Jianyao didn’t make things difficult for him. He looked back at Bai Chen and said, “What about your dream?”

Bai Chen organized her words and said, “Have companions who I can entrust my back to and a partner who I can hold hands with while facing death together.”

Long Yuehong quickly tightened his grip on her hand.

Shang Jianyao looked at Genava. “Old Ge, what about your dream?”

The red light in Genava’s eyes flickered a few times. “I already have a certain understanding of what humans are. What’s next is to search for the meaning of being human.”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Shang Jianyao clapped. He then asked Jiang Baimian, “What about you?”

“Me?” Jiang Baimian laughed and said, “Of course, it’s to figure out the reason for the Old World’s destruction and the Heartless disease’s origins. It’s to find a way to eliminate the sword that’s hanging over the heads of humanity.”

Shang Jianyao retracted his gaze and continued, “As for me, my dream is…”

“Nobody’s asking!” Jiang Baimian was exasperated and amused.

Shang Jianyao straightened his back and forced out his words. “Saving all of humanity!”

Jiang Baimian rolled her eyes at him and switched on the small black speaker with a blue bottom by the side.

The song she had often listened to in the past few months sounded.

“Do you remember the dreams of your youth?

“Like a flower in eternal bloom;

“Accompanying me through the wind and rain;

“Watching the impermanence of the world;

“Watching the vicissitudes of life[1.Price of Love, Lee Tsung-Sheng.]…”

Amidst the music, the jeep drove out of Cloud Mountain. In front of them was an endless wasteland.

(End of Volume 5—Heroic)