Embers Ad Infinitum

Chapter 751: Mischief

Translator: CKtalon

After a long silence, the honest Shang Jianyao finally couldn’t help but ask, “Why are we staying in here and guarding Room 102 without entering?”

The rash Shang Jianyao tugged at the collar of his grayish-green camouflage uniform. “Who says we aren’t going in? You’re the ones stopping me!

“After clearing Master Zhuang’s dream or a psychological trauma, we can become an Awakened who has explored the Mind Corridor’s depths. When the time comes, we might directly discover the door to the New World inside!”

During the time they took to return to Pangu Biology from Tai City, the Shang Jianyaos were affected by the adventurous one and the one who sought fun again without Jiang Baimian’s urging. They chose a room that didn’t have a detailed ‘strategy guide.’ This resulted in them only clearing the second psychological trauma recently.

In other words, he had to incompletely explore another room before he could be considered an Awakened deep in the Mind Corridor and be qualified to search for the New World’s door.

“Don’t drag us down even if you have a death wish.” The cold Shang Jianyao sat cross-legged on the ground and stared at 102’s vermilion door without blinking.

At this moment, the calm and rational Shang Jianyao stretched and straightened his legs from leaning against the wall. He smiled and said, “I come over every day to see when Room 102 will move. What are you guys doing here?”

102 was originally not beside his Mind Room. It was only when the Old Task Force encountered Master Zhuang’s dream in Tai City that the room suddenly appeared in its current location.

Jiang Baimian originally imagined that with Master Zhuang awakening and her team leaving Tai City, Room 102 would quickly move elsewhere. However, she never expected that even after they returned to Pangu Biology in late autumn, Room 102 remained fixed.

This Shang Jianyao’s answer made his peers fall silent.

After a few seconds, the honest Shang Jianyao voiced his thoughts. “I want to see what illness you’ve contracted.”

“I thought you were planning on supporting me in clearing Master Zhuang’s psychological trauma or dream.” The rash Shang Jianyao found it a pity.

The calm and rational Shang Jianyao smiled and said, “It’s better to find a simpler room and quickly upgrade ourselves to the Mind Corridor’s depths. We can consider 102 when we have Yama Tiger’s strength from back then.”

“Alright.” The cold and sinister Shang Jianyao agreed.

The ten of them combined and turned in the direction they hadn’t explored.

After walking along the thick, dark-yellow carpet for a while, Shang Jianyao’s eyes suddenly lit up as he swept his gaze across the area. He saw a familiar door number: 506!

According to the strategy guide, this room’s psychological trauma had a fixed solution—face the danger directly with courage. Therefore, exploring it was relatively safe and simple.

In other words, Shang Jianyao could become an Awakened in the Mind Corridor’s depths in a few days.

After considering for a few seconds, the rash Shang Jianyao and the Shang Jianyao that sought novelty voted in favor of the calm and rational Shang Jianyao’s suggestion to explore Room 506 in order to enter Room 102.

After an argument, Shang Jianyao turned the brass handle and pushed open the door to Room 506.

As this room was universally acknowledged to be simple, he didn’t even bring the Six Senses Beads or the Life Angel necklace.

After taking two steps forward, a dark sea suddenly appeared in front of Shang Jianyao.

He was on an island surrounded by an endless sea in the dim night.

Violent winds howled as they swept past. From time to time, they would stir up mountain-like waves, making humans appear abnormally insignificant under the mighty force of nature.

Huzzah! Huzzah!

Large waves constantly slammed the edge of the island, making Shang Jianyao feel like he was experiencing an endless earthquake.

Suddenly, a black figure appeared from the dark water.

The black figure was massive like another island, but it was hidden at the bottom of the sea.

The black figure vaguely moved.

Shang Jianyao remembered the ‘clearing strategy’ and muttered to himself, “Face the danger directly with courage… Face the danger directly with courage…”

As he muttered to himself, slippery tentacles covered in eyeballs had appeared at some point in time at the edge of the island.

The black and white eyes quickly darted around as they looked at Shang Jianyao.

“Face the danger directly with courage!” Shang Jianyao—who was being stared at—smiled excitedly. The next second, heads drilled out of his head, shoulders, chest, lower abdomen, and limbs.

Long arms and pairs of legs grew out as well.

The ten Shang Jianyaos appeared on the tottering island in this way. They then rolled, walked, and ran toward the tentacles that were covered in eyeballs, rushing at the gigantic black figure hiding under the boundless sea.

“The hymn of humanity is the hymn of courage!” Shang Jianyao shouted as he rushed forward.

The eyes on the slippery tentacles froze for a second before they screamed in unison, “Don’t come over!”

1

The tentacles suddenly retracted into the sea, but the Shang Jianyaos had no intention of stopping.

At this moment, the dark clouds in the sky suddenly split.

The entire world quickly shattered as it shook violently.

…

Tarnan, Serene Dream Hotel.

The lady boss—Aynor—sat up trembling while hugging her blanket.

That scared me to death! Why did I have such a terrifying dream!? She quickly switched on the lights.

As the white light ruled over the bedroom and dispersed all the darkness, Aynor heaved a sigh of relief, but she didn’t dare to attempt to sleep.

…

“Does this count as clearing it?” The Shang Jianyaos combined again and muttered to themselves in confusion.

He didn’t sense any improvement in his mind and abilities.

After he looked up again and examined his surroundings, he realized that he was in a relatively strange place.

The decorations here were similar to the C-14 project team he had been to. The metal walls separated complicated equipment.

The humans coming and going wore white coats and light-blue masks.

“It was only a dream previously, but it’s a psychological trauma now?” Shang Jianyao stroked his chin.

His expression gradually became excited.

Such scenes always reminded him of the term ‘research institute.’

Shang Jianyao was just about to delve deeper into this psychological trauma when he suddenly recalled something and flipped his wrist to look at his watch.

“It’s almost 8!” he exclaimed.

The Shang Jianyaos then unanimously agreed to end this exploration.

…

In the real world, Shang Jianyao—who was lying in bed—opened his eyes. He sat up a little and placed the pillow behind him.

Shang Jianyao had just adjusted his posture when the radio outside the window sounded. A familiar, slightly childlike voice sounded in his ears. “Good evening, everyone. I’m Newspoint broadcaster, Hou Yi. It’s 8 p.m. now…

“The Board of Directors convened a meeting today to discuss the production assignments for the last quarter of this year. The Board of Directors and Vice President Ji Ze pointed out that the company’s overall situation in the first three quarters was stable and developing in a moderate and good way. They requested that everyone not relax or slack in the last quarter…

“The Board of Directors also discussed the scale of the end-of-year bonuses and next year’s labor insurance and related benefits…

“In order to liven up the atmosphere in the last quarter of this year and better the employees’ emotional states, the Entertainment Department has decided to hold the Spring Welcoming Singing Competition in the coming days. The top three in the competition will have a chance to appear on the stage for the end-of-year performance…”

Shang Jianyao’s eyes lit up as he seriously considered which song he would sing this time. He was so focused that he didn’t listen to the subsequent news.

He fell asleep at some point in time.

In the middle of the night, Shang Jianyao—who had slept in the afternoon—woke up. He suddenly sat up, draped himself in a thick, military-green cotton coat, picked up the thick, black plastic flashlight, and walked out of the room.

After relieving himself in the public bathroom, Shang Jianyao flipped his wrist to look at his watch and quietly walked in the opposite direction of home.

He arrived at Zone C, Room 11—outside Long Yuehong’s house. He then squatted at the base of the wall opposite Room 11 and placed the flashlight under his chin, prepared to turn it on at any moment.

“You want to scare Little Red?” the honest Shang Jianyao asked his peer in a low voice.

The Shang Jianyao that liked to joke chuckled and said, “Otherwise?”

“But how do you know that he would go to the bathroom at this time?” The honest Shang Jianyao expressed his confusion.

Even people with the habit of getting up at night wouldn’t go to the public bathroom at the same time every night. Furthermore, Long Yuehong’s house had a small bathroom!

The Shang Jianyao that liked to joke and pull pranks replied calmly, “When you were suppressed by them in the morning, I took the opportunity to control the body and implanted the thought of ‘go to the public bathroom at three in the morning to relieve himself’ in Little Red.”

“But how can you be sure that you will wake up at three in the morning?” the honest Shang Jianyao asked.

He didn’t notice any implanted thoughts in himself.

The mischievous Shang Jianyao shook his head. “I can’t be sure. If I don’t wake up, I’ll treat it as helping Little Red train his courage.”

Just as he said that, he suddenly exclaimed, “There are only three human consciousnesses in the room… Little Red isn’t here!”

Apart from Long Zhigu—who was studying in university and staying on the corresponding floor—the Long family of five should have four human consciousnesses. Furthermore, as a regular visitor to the Long family, Shang Jianyao knew which room Long Yuehong was in and confirmed that there was nobody inside.

The honest Shang Jianyao laughed. “Got it. Little Red went to sleep at Little White’s!”

“Lame,” muttered the Shang Jianyao that liked to joke. He stood up and returned to Zone B.

…

622nd floor, Zone B, Room 59.

Long Yuehong—who had woken up due to his need to pee—carefully removed Bai Chen’s hand and leg from his body and crawled out of the warm blanket.

He didn’t bring a thick cotton coat with him, so he could only make do with Bai Chen’s to resist the cold in the room and in the corridor.

After wrapping himself in a thick coat, Long Yuehong took a key and left the room with a flashlight.

He didn’t forget to close the door. Then, in the cold and dark aisle, he walked toward the public bathroom with the yellow beam of light guiding the way.

At three in the morning, the corridor was silent.