Embers Ad Infinitum

Translator: CKtalon

As a Security Department employee who had been on the surface for extended periods, Long Yuehong realized that the Babymaker talisman’s paper was relatively new. It didn’t look like it had been passed down from the previous generation.

He instinctively straightened his back and raised his guard. He then looked around and listened for a few seconds.

After confirming that there was nothing abnormal, he tried to unfold the irregular, square paper talisman.

As the light-yellow paper unfolded, a pattern outlined in vermilion handwriting entered Long Yuehong’s eyes. This looked like a warped human silhouette, but it also looked like a few strange words stacked together.

Long Yuehong studied it for a while but didn’t find the corresponding item in his memories, nor did he find it vile.

The talismans left behind by the Old World did resemble this. As for whether it was useful, that was another matter.

Long Yuehong felt more comforted.

There’s no problem… I’ll consult Team Leader tomorrow. She knows the Old World’s folklore very well… Long Yuehong heaved a sigh of relief and prepared to return the talisman to its original state.

He failed shamefully.

He failed despite following the folding lines. He only barely managed to fold it into an irregular square, one that was completely different from the original.

At this moment, a scene suddenly surfaced in his mind: Shang Jianyao standing behind him, leaning toward his ear, and saying gloomily, “Oh no, you can’t restore this talisman. Something terrifying will happen…”

Long Yuehong quickly shook his head and threw this horror story-like connection to the side.

He planned on getting Little White to help restore it tomorrow. He felt that Bai Chen was much better than him in this regard.

After putting away the Babymaker talisman, Long Yuehong stood up and went to the cramped bathroom at home.

…

Mind Corridor, Room 506.

Shang Jianyao sat on the metal bed and looked around, realizing that he and the instruments were the only ones left in the hall. It was empty as if it had been abandoned for a long time.

He stood up with his feet on the ground and scoffed. “What unprofessional villains! Why didn’t they destroy the equipment when they gave up on this experiment base?”

A head burrowed out of Shang Jianyao’s left shoulder and retorted his peer. “Maybe they encountered an accident and had to evacuate in a rush?”

The rash Shang Jianyao chuckled. “Why don’t you say that all the humans here had evaporated into thin air?”

“It’s not impossible,” the honest Shang Jianyao argued.

As they spoke, they jointly controlled their body and made it walk to different instruments so that they could confirm their uses and search for the corresponding experimental records.

The honest Shang Jianyao gave his evaluation first. “This instrument is very strange. It seems to be a product of crossbreeding between an MRI machine and an electrocardiograph…”

The rash Shang Jianyao immediately suggested, “Why don’t we switch it on and give it a try?”

“How? Who will do the honors?” Zen Master Redemption stuck his head out from the chest.

This was a literal depiction of a Buddhist phrase: ‘one could drink alcohol and eat meat as long as Buddha was in the heart.’

The rash Shang Jianyao replied without hesitation, “Me!”

The head that originally belonged to the honest Shang Jianyao directed the right hand to stroke his chin and smile. “Is there such a possibility? The room owner doesn’t have sufficient scientific literacy. Back then, he was too flustered, nervous, and in a rush. He only wanted to escape and didn’t make any observations. Therefore, the instruments in his psychological trauma are products of overlapping impressions. They don’t correspond to the actual effects, so it’s impossible to test their true effects.”

The honest Shang Jianyao drilled out from the other shoulder. “Big White said: Make bold assumptions and carefully verify them. This is only an assumption. There has to be a subsequent verification process!”

“Let me do it!” The rash Shang Jianyao boldly walked toward the instrument.

After some work, he felt that he might’ve only done an electrocardiogram.

After testing the instruments and flipping through the drawers, the Shang Jianyaos entered the corridor in disappointment and searched for other rooms.

He pushed open the door next door, and his gaze suddenly froze.

In different parts of the room bathed in pure white light were transparent glass columns. The columns were filled with a light-yellow liquid, and naked humans were soaked in them.

This was somewhat similar to a scene they had seen in Wasteland Ruin 13’s secret laboratory. However, the human bodies soaked here meant that something was clearly amiss.

Some of them had two heads; others had a vertical eye cracking out of their foreheads. Some had soft skulls, and their faces were half-deformed. Some were covered in black scales, some seemed to have lost their skin, and some had flesh sprouts growing out of their faces. Some had five hands and seven legs…

Shang Jianyao sometimes gritted his teeth, and sometimes his eyes lit up. He walked into the room and ventured deeper.

The deeper he went, the more abnormal the humans soaked in the glass columns became. Shang Jianyao gradually discovered a few corpses that could give people nightmares late at night.

One of the heads was sliced open from the middle, and pale flesh connected the left and right parts.

Another specific surface was covered in black and hairy spots.

The most memorable body had its limbs and body extremely atrophied. Its head was twice the size of a normal person’s, and it floated in the liquid like a jellyfish.

“They also do genetic mutation induction?” Shang Jianyao’s expression gradually turned cold. “They are in the same field as the company and the White Knights? Or are they some research institute that was the company or the White Knights’ former incarnation?”

He looked around as he walked. He didn’t encounter any more danger, but he didn’t discover anything valuable.

Just like that, he entered one room after another before walking out in disappointment.

When he felt a little exhausted, the metal door to the experimental base appeared in front of him.

“It’s almost over? Is walking out considered clearing this psychological trauma?” The calm and rational Shang Jianyao stroked his chin.

The rash him smiled smugly. “This is because I have the courage to face danger. If it were anyone else, they most likely wouldn’t wake up after being injected with such a large dose of anesthetic. They would also become a vegetable in reality.”

“From the strategy guide’s point of view, this room is indeed quite simple.” The Shang Jianyao that sought novelty had a look of regret and disappointment.

“Shall we leave?” Zen Master Redemption Shang Jianyao asked.

The calm and rational Shang Jianyao thought for a moment and said, “Let’s go out. It seems like the room owner didn’t notice many valuable clues back then.”

The Shang Jianyao that abhorred evil said, “Before leaving, I want to blow up the room with soaked corpses.”

“This is only another person’s psychological trauma. There’s no point in blowing it up. Are you that serious when you play games?” The ruthless Shang Jianyao was peeved and amused.

“Yes!” Shang Jianyao—who abhorred evil—nodded.

The calm and rational Shang Jianyao laughed. “Then, blow it up.”

Boom!

As a gigantic fireball appeared in the corresponding room, Shang Jianyao pushed open the metal door and walked out.

Sunlight shone into his eyes, and the entire world instantly turned illusory.

In the blink of an eye, buildings appeared in front of him—buildings that were part of the same complex.

Shang Jianyao rubbed his temples and chose to leave.

495th floor, Zone B, Room 196.

He opened his eyes and examined himself. “I’m still unable to separate my powers to fuse it into an item in reality… Just a little short… It should be enough after clearing another psychological trauma.”

Shang Jianyao laughed. “We can still explore Room 506 and try the second psychological trauma.”

He didn’t plan on trying the third spot because it was clearly written in the strategy guide: “After grasping the key points, this room is relatively safe. It can be used as a ‘base’ for rookies to temper their minds. Therefore, it’s not recommended to explore to a relatively deep extent to prevent affecting the room owner. If you happen to encounter a fluctuation in his mind, it’s best to provide him with a certain level of help. Don’t kill the golden goose…”

As a group of polite people, the Shang Jianyaos naturally didn’t want to disturb the room owner.

…

The next morning, Room 14 on the 647th floor.

Long Yuehong stood up, walked to Jiang Baimian’s desk, and took out the Babymaker talisman. “Team Leader, can you help me see if the symbols on this talisman are normal?”

“Talisman?” Jiang Baimian curiously took the talisman.

Shang Jianyao came over, and Bai Chen walked over.

Jiang Baimian unfolded the talisman and said as she read, “I don’t recognize this symbol. I can only say that it’s indeed similar to the ones in the Old World’s talismans. What talisman is this?”

Long Yuehong hesitated for a moment before answering, “Babymaker talisman. My mother got it from my grandmother.”

“Oh.” Jiang Baimian resisted the urge to tease him.

Bai Chen fell silent.

Shang Jianyao slapped the table and pounded the bench while laughing. “If this is useful, won’t this action be more effective?”

He seriously assumed a rocking posture while cradling a baby—this was the Life Ritual Church’s salutation.

Jiang Baimian coughed and looked at Long Yuehong in an attempt to soothe over the atmosphere. “Do you think there’s a problem?”

“I think this piece of paper is a little new. It doesn’t seem like it was passed down from my grandmother’s generation,” Long Yuehong said truthfully.

Bai Chen was immediately a little concerned and cast her gaze at the Babymaker talisman again.

Jiang Baimian nodded slightly and said, “I’ll go back tonight and help you search up this symbol. Most of my information is on the computer at home. You can also ask your mother and grandmother. What if they just replicated the original one because it was too old and tattered?”

As she spoke, she tore off a piece of paper and drew the pattern on the Babymaker talisman.

Long Yuehong tersely acknowledged it. “Alright.”

He paused and voiced his worry. “I’m just afraid that they are believers of a Kalendaria and joined some strange Church.”

If that happened, the problem would be very, very troublesome.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Shang Jianyao clapped for Long Yuehong.

Jiang Baimian also praised, “Not bad. You are sufficiently vigilant.”

Shang Jianyao immediately crossed his arms and placed them in front of his chest.. He then took a step back and suppressed his voice. “Always be vigilant!”