Embers Ad Infinitum

The grayish-green jeep slowly drove along the green, withered mountain road, headed for the distant wilderness.

Who is Team Leader waiting for? Why is she driving so slowly… Just as this thought flashed through Long Yuehong’s mind, he saw the jeep stop by the roadside.

Jiang Baimian cleared her throat and asked, “Which of you will sit in the passenger seat?”

When they set off, Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong actually gave up on the passenger seat and chose the backseat. It looked like they were leaving Bai Chen a seat.

Uh… Amid Long Yuehong’s confusion, Shang Jianyao pushed open the door, alighted, and moved to the passenger seat.

Jiang Baimian looked ahead and ordered, “Guide the way and do manual navigation.”

She then added casually, “The price I paid obfuscates my ability to recognize directions.”

“Directionally challenged…” Shang Jianyao came to a realization.

Long Yuehong was stunned for a moment before coming to a realization as well. So Team Leader chose the Shattered Mirror domain, and the price is being directionally challenged… No wonder she drove so slowly after getting into the car. It’s because she’s afraid of getting lost!

Directionally challenged… Jiang Baimian asked in a joking tone, “Why? Do you find it funny?”

Long Yuehong subconsciously replied, “No, especially when it’s a solemn matter like a price.”

To enhance his persuasiveness, he added, “No matter how strange it is, can it compare to Shang Jianyao’s price?”

Jiang Baimian nodded inwardly and glanced at Shang Jianyao. “I thought you would laugh.”

Shang Jianyao replied solemnly, “I’ve long laughed.”

As he spoke, he smiled.

Jiang Baimian gritted her teeth. “Quick, guide the way!”

“First, I have to know where we’re going.” It was the calm and rational Shang Jianyao.

Jiang Baimian had long decided on a destination. “Choose anywhere that is less than two kilometers from Pangu Biology’s entrance.”

“Why limit it to two kilometers?” Long Yuehong was the first to express his confusion.

Jiang Baimian looked at the rearview mirror. “Didn’t we come to the surface to prevent Shang Jianyao from triggering an accident while exploring the psychological trauma, not wanting the ‘anomaly’ to leak out and affect his neighbors? We don’t have to worry about them now, but we have to consider ourselves. At a distance two to four kilometers away from the company, we should still be within the range of the powerhouses who have entered the New World or the Awakened who have explored the Mind Corridor’s depths. They can quickly provide help if anything happens.”

“That’s right…” Long Yuehong felt that his team leader had really considered everything.

The fact that he chose to stay in the Old Task Force didn’t mean that he was no longer afraid of death or any accidents.

“You have to believe in Buddha’s mercy.” The person who replied this time was the cyborg monk, Zen Master Redemption. Of course, he couldn’t obtain a metal body with glowing red eyes in the real world.

He was followed by the frank Shang Jianyao. “Do we still need to give directions now? Isn’t there only one path? Let’s talk about it after we enter the Blackmarsh Wilderness.”

The one path actually meant that there was only one relatively wide path. However, there were still many natural ‘paths.’

I’m just afraid of driving up the mountain, alright? Jiang Baimian—who had the intention of replying to Shang Jianyao—felt inexplicably worried.

After driving along a dirt road for a while, Jiang Baimian relied on her outstanding vision to discover military troops approaching from a distance.

There were dozens to a hundred of them. They wore grayish-black uniforms of Pangu Biology’s Security Department and drove many vehicles with cannons.

Among them, the most eye-catching ones were the thick-plated armored vehicles.

“Colleagues…” Shang Jianyao was a little happy.

Jiang Baimian turned her head and asked, “What are you happy about?”

She had already confirmed that she was about to encounter a Pangu Biology company.

Shang Jianyao replied seriously, “It’s fate for us to meet. Why don’t we invite them to tonight’s bonfire party?”

“When did we decide on a bonfire party?” Long Yuehong was confused.

Shang Jianyao nodded. “After I saw them.”

I’m really stupid. Why did I bother with him… His price is getting worse! As Long Yuehong criticized inwardly, the two teams approached each other.

When they were only 100 meters away, Jiang Baimian realized that she had encountered an acquaintance—this was Wang Beicheng’s 23rd Company!

In Swamp Ruin 1, Pangu Biology had sent this company as reinforcements.

“It’s you guys?” Wang Beicheng—who was sitting in the passenger seat of an armored jeep—stuck his head out. He remained as handsome as last year, but he seemed to have gotten a little tanned.

“Long time no see!” Shang Jianyao stretched his right hand out the window and waved it a few times.

After leaving the car and standing by the roadside, Jiang Baimian smiled and asked Wang Beicheng, “Captain Wang, are you returning from Swamp Ruin 1?”

Wang Beicheng—who was nearly ten years older than Jiang Baimian—replied calmly, “That’s right. We’ve been taking turns guarding Swamp Ruin 1 with two other companies in the past year. We explore as far as we can.”

At this point, he smiled and saluted. “I have to thank you on behalf of my entire company. Without your help, we wouldn’t have had the chance to participate in Swamp Ruin 1’s excavation. A city ruin that hasn’t been explored is really a gold mine!”

Over the past year, the 23rd Company had brought a large number of ‘war spoils’ with them every time they returned to Pangu Biology to rest and recuperate. Although these wouldn’t become their direct belongings, Pangu Biology was still relatively generous. They would convert them into contribution points based on some ratio. The entire 23rd Company’s employees made a killing.

This didn’t include the gains from obtaining the company’s authorization to transact with the Hunters from the factions that had entered Swamp Ruin 1 to explore.

Jiang Baimian shook her head and smiled. “You would’ve gone there even without us. Weren’t you guys rushing north of Yuelu Station after learning of the anomaly?”

“But we would’ve lacked a lot of important information. We wouldn’t be able to avoid the hidden dangers.” Wang Beicheng’s attitude was rather sincere. “Besides, didn’t you provide us with an armored vehicle and a heavy machine gun?”

“The company has already converted them into contribution points and distributed them to us.” Jiang Baimian skipped the topic and asked curiously, “Did you discover anything in Swamp Ruin 1?”

Wang Beicheng touched the grayish-black beret on his head. “That laboratory was destroyed, and we’ve only found a few things. At present, we’ve explored one-fifth of the ruins. There’s plenty of valuable research information that involves all kinds of technology, but there shouldn’t be anything you’re interested in…”

Jiang Baimian nodded. “Have you encountered any Superior Heartless?”

“We did, twice in the beginning. As we obtained information from you in advance, we handled it pretty well. There were no casualties, and we didn’t encounter any more after that. They may have retreated to an area in the ruins that have yet to be explored.” Wang Beicheng didn’t hide the truth.

No, they are likely out working… Long Yuehong replied inwardly.

Wang Beicheng didn’t continue the topic because many things needed to be kept confidential. He had yet to confirm Jiang Baimian and the others’ clearance.

He looked at Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong and smiled. “I heard that you’ve already been promoted to D5? You’ve done quite a number of feats in the past year.”

Upon seeing Long Yuehong’s surprise, Wang Beicheng smiled and added, “A relative of mine has a colleague on your floor. He heard about you guys. Isn’t that the case in the company? Everyone is related.”

“That’s right.” Long Yuehong nodded slightly.

At this moment, the honest Shang Jianyao corrected Wang Beicheng. “D7—we’re already D7s.”

“Huh?” Wang Beicheng didn’t hide his surprise and cast his gaze at Jiang Baimian. He didn’t know where Jiang Baimian’s team had gone or what they had done after their last meeting.

This wasn’t something he could understand with his current clearance.

Shang Jianyao immediately added for Jiang Baimian, “She’s a D9.”

“Really?” Wang Beicheng couldn’t help but want to confirm it.

“I was lucky,” Jiang Baimian replied humbly.

Wang Beicheng looked around and slowly sighed. “It’s only been a year, but you guys have already been promoted so many times… You guys have really done many great feats.”

As a D8 OC of a company, he knew better than anyone how difficult it was to go from D8 to D9. He had been at this rank for more than five years. Furthermore, Jiang Baimian was only a D6 when he encountered her last year.

“This was exchanged with our lives.” Shang Jianyao solemnly pointed at Long Yuehong’s mechanical arm.

Wang Beicheng expressed his understanding. “I remember that you have another companion. She…”

“She underwent genetic modification and is recuperating.” Long Yuehong was worried that Wang Beicheng would say something inauspicious, so he quickly gave the correct answer.

Wang Beicheng—who had wanted to chat more with Jiang Baimian’s team—suddenly felt dispirited. He barely maintained his manners and said, “We have to return to the company to rest. Have a safe journey.”

“See you tomorrow!” Shang Jianyao was very polite.

Jiang Baimian smiled and said, “See you tomorrow.”

…

After bidding Wang Beicheng and his 23rd Company farewell, the Old Task Force entered the wilderness and found a place with water and rocks to set up camp.

Although it was still early, Shang Jianyao eagerly held the Six Senses Beads, the Life Angel necklace, and the original medical record and entered the Mind Corridor.

In Iron Mountain City’s Second Food Company, Shang Jianyao hid in the darkness at the second-floor stairwell. He waited until he heard footsteps coming from the end of the corridor before quietly sneaking to the third floor.