Embers Ad Infinitum

A few minutes later, Murray exhaled and said seriously, "It seems like we were controlled."

"But they didn't expect us to discover something amiss with the story on the radio today," replied Benito with a solemn expression.

Murray nodded. "We were pretty lucky."

It had to be known that they would leave Gesterbourg the day after tomorrow and head to the agreed meeting place in Icefield. If the story on the radio was told two days later, it would be equivalent to them returning to the Eighth Research Institute with a time bomb.

"What should we do now?" Benito asked.

Murray looked at the radio transceiver in a corner of the room. "Of course, we have to report the real situation immediately and see what the research institute wants us to do."

He found a pen and paper and quickly drafted a telegram. He gave the gist of the entire matter, including the reason for their awakening.

After sending the telegram, Murray and Benito waited for nearly half an hour until they received a reply from the Eighth Research Institute: "Continue according to the original plan. Don't show that you've already sensed the problem."

Murray stared at the words for a while and smiled. "The research institute is planting a trap for those people…"

…

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"The target has already taken the bait and will act according to the original plan." In the Fire & Iron Hotel, Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, Bai Chen, and Long Yuehong heard Gitis's voice at the same time.

Although Long Yuehong knew that this would happen, he couldn't help but look at his teammates. "Did you hear that? How did she do it? The Subhuti domain has the ability to transmit sound across distances?"

He started using certain words from the Old World's entertainment.

"Yes," Bai Chen was the first to answer.

"She likely used the figurine to give us Heavenly Ears in reverse, allowing us to converse. Think about it carefully, and you will discover that there's plenty of background noise coming from the other rooms." Jiang Baimian laughed. "This is the same as our encounter in Sikhara Temple."

Long Yuehong thought for a moment and recalled many sounds, but they were suppressed by Gitis's words.

"Your imagination is still lacking." Shang Jianyao expected better from her. He then praised in amazement, "That Subhuti figurine is really a divine artifact."

At this moment, Genava asked, "What did Gitis say?"

He was unaffected, so he naturally didn't hear anything.

"The fish has taken the bait." Jiang Baimian stood up and said, "Let's go find Gitis now. Some things have to be communicated face-to-face to be safer and more effective."

The Old Task Force—who already knew where Gitis lived—went directly to meet the intelligence peddler.

"Where's Uncle and Auntie?" Shang Jianyao asked very politely.

Gitis fell into a daze for a moment before combing her honey-colored hair. "I got them to visit their former colleagues. It's better if they don't know some things."

After using a special biological agent provided by the Old Task Force, the health of Gitis's mother clearly improved. Although she couldn't be considered healthy, it was incomparable to the past when it took a great deal of effort just to go downstairs.

Of course, according to Jiang Baimian and Genava's judgment, this was the best it could do. After all, it wasn't a very compatible drug.

If Gitis's mother didn't engage in relatively heavy physical labor in the future and had sufficient sleep, she should still be able to maintain her current state until she reached old age, when her physical condition would inevitably deteriorate.

As for Gitis's father, he mainly coughed. He had difficulty breathing in the cold air and was accustomed to breathing heavily. The current climate was relatively mild, and he wasn't in bad condition. He could go out with Gitis's mother.

Jiang Baimian had already sorted out everything she could say into a telegram yesterday and sent it to the company. She had emphasized the conditions of Gitis's parents and had yet to receive a reply.

"Can you tell me the details?" Jiang Baimian requested.

Gitis's focus returned to her eyes and described the details she had 'seen.'

"There's a trap!" Not only was Shang Jianyao not afraid, but he was also abnormally excited.

Bai Chen pursed her lips and said, "The question now is: Will the trap be at the meeting place, on the way to the meeting place, or will it be activated in Gesterbourg in the next two days?"

The last possibility she raised referred to the fact that the Eighth Research Institute's plan to have Murray and Benito act according to their original plan was only a cover. They wanted to use this to numb the Old Task Force on the surface, but they were actually sending out powerhouses secretly to launch an attack in Gesterbourg when Jiang Baimian and the others were most relaxed and least vigilant. They wanted to take the Old Task Force by surprise.

"How sinister!" Shang Jianyao commented without realizing the irony.

After all, he wasn't the ruthless one now.

Jiang Baimian smiled. "Therefore, I brought you to visit Gitis. I plan on borrowing her Subhuti figurine to predict the future."

She used the team's internal conversation to transmit the request to Gitis.

The Subhuti figurine could only predict the owner's future for a period of time. This was relatively rigid, so the Old Task Force couldn't get Gitis to do it on their behalf.

Gitis fell silent for a moment before saying, "It can only be used in this room."

In that case, she still had a certain level of control.

"No problem." Jiang Baimian agreed without hesitation.

Gitis opened her backpack and took out the wooden Subhuti figurine with a bitter expression.

Shang Jianyao reached out to take it and suddenly exclaimed, "No negative effects?"

"There is." Gitis fell silent for a few seconds.

"What is it? Why don't I feel anything?" Shang Jianyao had a stunned expression.

"You can't lie," Gitis replied truthfully. "Therefore, either I'm silent, or I tell the truth in a sense when facing a question I don't want to answer. This can form a certain level of misdirection."

Jiang Baimian came to a realization. "Regarding the Subhuti figurine, you've consistently claimed that you didn't gather any information that's different from the Hunter's Guild. This is also considered the truth because there's no need to gather additional information regarding yourself.

"Also, you said that one has to pay a sufficient price to pry open their mouths and obtain the corresponding answer. The 'they' here actually refers to Mor and Smith, not Aester, Eman, and Frances."

"That's right." Gitis nodded.

Smack!

Shang Jianyao slapped his thigh with his free left hand. "It's no wonder I don't feel anything. I've always been honest! I don't even speak partial truths but the entire truth."

With that said, he looked at Gitis and asked excitedly, "Then, what's your true opinion of us?"

Gitis shut her mouth and didn't answer.

Shang Jianyao shook his head regretfully and switched to holding the Subhuti figurine with both hands. He then half-closed his eyes and muttered.

A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and said, "That's not right. Why isn't there a prophecy?"

Gitis took a deep breath and inquired, "What period was your prophecy focused on?"

"What will happen in 28 minutes." Shang Jianyao had a 'what's wrong?' expression. "I just want to experiment first."

Gitis was no longer in a daze, and her eyes turned sharp. She fell silent for a moment before saying, "You can't use such a precise timing. You have to give a relatively vague description. For example, by today or in the coming month."

"Why didn't you say so earlier!?" Shang Jianyao said as though he was in the right.

Jiang Baimian felt her blood pressure rise as she listened, so she glanced at Gitis sympathetically.

Gitis chose to remain silent.

Shang Jianyao closed his eyes again and muttered a few words.

After a while, he opened his eyes and excitedly stated, "We will encounter a bloody disaster in three days!"

What's there to be happy about? Long Yuehong felt his scalp tingle.

Although this was within the Old Task Force's expectations, a 'bloody disaster' didn't sound that comforting.

Jiang Baimian tersely acknowledged it. "Do you know the approximate time?"

"At a later time, the preliminary judgment is that it will be the day after tomorrow," Shang Jianyao replied truthfully.

"What's the exact content of the bloody disaster?" Bai Chen interrupted and asked.

Shang Jianyao shook his head. "I saw a swath of blood. Yes, let me predict what kind of bloody disaster it will be."

"The same thing can only be prophesied once," Gitis reminded helplessly.

Without giving Shang Jianyao a chance to speak, Jiang Baimian nodded and said, "That day happens to be the day Murray and Benito leave Gesterbourg for the Eighth Research Institute."

"That matches." Long Yuehong exhaled.

At this moment, Shang Jianyao looked at Gitis and asked in confusion, "We all know that there will be a bloody disaster, so we should be able to avoid it when the time comes. Doesn't this mean that the prophecy is wrong?"

"All the prophecies I've made have come true in a way so far," Gitis reminded.

Shang Jianyao slowly nodded and looked at Long Yuehong before chuckling. "Why don't I stab you first and satisfy the condition of 'bloody disaster?'"

If it weren't for an outsider's presence, Long Yuehong would definitely have let this fellow stab himself instead of choosing to remain silent.

Shang Jianyao then became excited. "Since there's a bloody disaster the day after tomorrow, we have to get a good meal and relax for the next two days!"