Embers Ad Infinitum

Chapter 799: Dream

Translator: CKtalon

Jiang Baimian didn’t hide anything and directly asked, “You should’ve seen many religious organizations members, right?”

“I’ve seen some.” An Ruxiang didn’t deny it.

Jiang Baimian asked, “Did any of them contract the Heartless disease?”

“Yes,” An Ruxiang replied very firmly. “It’s no different from an ordinary person contracting the Heartless disease.”

Jiang Baimian and Bai Chen looked at each other and deliberated for a moment. “How’s the probability of them contracting the Heartless disease compared to ordinary people?”

She wasn’t too sure about An Ruxiang’s level of culture, so she was prepared to explain what probability was in detail.

However, An Ruxiang didn’t return with a question. She did some recalling and said, “It should be lower than an ordinary person’s. I’ve only seen about 20 religious organizations’ members contract the Heartless disease, and I often encounter ordinary people turning into Heartless.”

This might be the Kalendaria’s ‘protection’... Jiang Baimian suddenly felt that Shang Jianyao would definitely say that if he were in the living room. If Genava wasn’t watching the car and had followed them up, he would definitely echo Shang Jianyao.

She nodded and thought for a while before saying, “Have you encountered a relatively special scene that involves members of religious organizations?”

An Ruxiang calmly replied, “I’m not sure what you mean by ‘specifically.’ The rituals of those religious organizations are relatively puzzling. Sometimes, they will party all night. Sometimes, they will dance strange dances in the morning.”

This made Jiang Baimian and Bai Chen recall the radio gymnastics exercise of the Paragon Eagle and the Church of Paragon Desire’s rave parties.

They were indeed relatively special to ordinary people.

Jiang Baimian deliberated and gave a limited condition. “A relatively special scene related to the Heartless disease.”

An Ruxiang thought for a moment and said, “Once, I infiltrated a manor and tried to assassinate its owner. I had already obtained detailed information prior to this and knew that he was a cultist. He would take out his precious idol at 7 every morning and pray on the bedroom balcony.

“Just as I entered a firing position, I saw the person turn into a Heartless in front of the statue. The Kalendaria he worshiped didn’t help him avoid misfortune.”

“Maybe he committed some sacrilege.” Shang Jianyao walked out of the kitchen with two heated dishes.

Jiang Baimian ignored him and asked An Ruxiang, “What did that idol look like?” “There was a mirror embedded in its face. I only remember this characteristic.” An Ruxiang glanced at the dishes on the coffee table.

The True Self Church... February’s Kalendaria, Dawn... Jiang Baimian nodded indiscernibly. She then smiled and said to An Ruxiang, “It’s almost mealtime.”

“Try it. It was bought from Castellan Manor.” Shang Jianyao didn’t find it embarrassing at all. Instead, he was rather proud.

He handed the chopsticks to An Ruxiang.

The meal was very lively. Although An Ruxiang didn’t say much and had a relatively cold personality, the Old Task Force was never quiet. It was either Shang Jianyao joking with Long Yuehong or Jiang Baimian stopping this fellow from saying anything inappropriate.

They were just short of bantering.

An Ruxiang didn’t show any disgust. She ate very seriously and listened to the Old Task Force’s conversation from time to time.

After having their fill, Shang Jianyao and the others bade An Ruxiang farewell and returned to the jeep.

In the passenger seat, Jiang Baimian stared at the building and the pedestrians on the street and said, “Well set off for Icefield tomorrow. We’ll head north from the Blackmarsh Wilderness this time to search for clues regarding the company’s experiments.”

After a pause, Jiang Baimian sighed with emotion. “I wonder when we’ll come back to Weed City again...”

Long Yuehong and the others sighed when they heard that.

“As long as you have the strong desire to return here, you will eventually return.” Shang Jianyao didn’t feel much and was filled with firm beliefs.

Jiang Baimian turned her head to glance at him in the driver’s seat. “Remember to do your rounds at 506 and resolve this matter as soon as possible. We mustn’t have your mental state affected on the way.”

She called Shang Jianyao’s visits to Room 506 to see if there were any dreams as one of his rounds.

“Old Ge, you do the driving!” Shang Jianyao couldn’t wait.

Tarnan, Serene Dream Hotel.

The lady boss, Aynor, stood up shakily and walked to the bathroom. She was in a daze and felt like she would faint at any moment.

It’s too torturous not to sleep!

For people with strong wills, they might be able to last a few more days. However, Aynor had never been a strong-willed person.

Upon thinking about the cruel reality of not sleeping for a few days, she félt that having nightmares wasn’t that terrifying.

Even if it really involved that secret, the Kalendaria might not necessarily hear what was said in her dream!

It’s impossible that the Kalendaria has been watching me constantly, right? I usually dream about that past, but nothing has happened... Aynor—who had walked out of the bathroom with difficulty—decided to close her eyes and ignore everything.

Treat it as a normal dream!

As for whether there was that foreign bastard in the dream, how could the person dreaming know?

The ignorant were innocent!

Aynor then pounced on her comfortable bed and pulled the blanket over her.

Deep fatigue instantly rose in her. Without having the time to comfort herself, she fell asleep.

In the Mind Corridor, Shang Jianyao pushed open the door to Room 506 and checked on the room.

He took a step forward and looked at the bedroom illuminated by the starlight. He laughed out loud. “You gave up after a few days?”

The smug Shang Jianyao immediately entered the dream.

He realized that a female figure was lying on the bed in the bedroom. She was wrapped in a blanket and sleeping soundly.

On the corresponding ceiling, a figure hung from a chandelier and gently swayed. Figures were also suspected to be moving in every corner of the room.

“A ghost story-like nightmare?” Shang Jianyao excitedly walked over, laid on the ground, and looked under the bed.

There was indeed a pale corpse lying there. Its face was swollen, and its eyes were bulging.

After looking at each other for a few seconds, Shang Jianyao stood up in disappointment. “What a lack of creativity.”

He sat by the bed and nudged the female figure wrapped in a blanket. “Wake up, wake up!”

The female figure woke up in a daze and was shocked by the figure by the bed. “Ah!”

Amidst her screams, she suddenly sat up, hugged the blanket, and shrunk to the bedhead. “Who are you?”

Shang Jianyao energetically pointed at the corpse on the chandelier and said, “Have you forgotten? I’m the exorcist you hired.”

“Ghost!” The blurry female figure shouted for a while before asking in fear, ‘Il-is he still alive? Can he still move?”

Shang Jianyao smiled. “I’ve already suppressed him. We’ve known each other for many years and have become good friends. I won’t lie to you...”

The female figure clearly heaved a sigh of relief. In the dream, she couldn’t think clearly and couldn’t remember if she really knew such a person.

Shang Jianyao chatted with her until he was almost mentally exhausted before leaving the room.

Upon seeing him open his eyes and sit up as if in thought, Jiang Baimian asked in concern, “Any results?”

“No, I forgot to ask,” Shang Jianyao replied very frankly. “I suspect that I was hit by the room owner’s ability in the dream.”

“Why do you say that?” Jiang Baimian sat up as well.

Shang Jianyao recalled and said, “She should’ve activated her abilities when she let out the first ‘ah.’ I felt like I had become rather arrogant. I clearly had the chance to use Thought Guidance, but I had to weave a story and try to persuade her normally. In the end, I couldn’t dispel her vigilance.”

“It’s very normal to be affected in other people’s dreams,” Jiang Baimian evaluated truthfully, “However, this shouldn’t be a big problem because she’s almost unconscious in a dream. You can think, plan, and be sufficiently clear-headed.”

If this couldn’t settle the room owner, Jiang Baimian would suggest Shang Jianyao go to the Sea of Origins to see if he had split out a personality with lower intelligence than the rash Shang Jianyao.

“That makes sense!” Shang Jianyao clenched his right fist and punched his left palm. He then stroked his chin and said, “Actually, being unconscious is even more dangerous. Perhaps she will simulate the dangerous things she had encountered in the past due to her agitation. Due to this, anything can happen in her dream. I’m really afraid of facing the Kalendarium.”

Jiang Baimian nodded. “My suggestion is to make a preemptive strike.

“Get some sleep to replenish your energy. Try again at dawn. She hasn’t slept for so long, so she definitely won’t wake up in less than half a day.”

Shang Jianyao followed suit.

After dawn, he went to Room 506 every 30 minutes, for a total of three times. Finally, he encountered the person dreaming again.

This time, the blurry female figure was standing in the Fourth Research Institute’s residential area, taking in the fresh morning air. There was nobody around.

Shang Jianyao immediately greeted, “Long time no see.”

“Long time no see.” The female figure was a little confused.

As Shang Jianyao approached, he smiled. “We’ve met many times...”

In the dream.

“We can be considered to have sufficient friendship...”

A unilateral relationship.

“I didn’t expect to meet you here again. Are you also from the Fourth Research Institute?”

At this point, Shang Jianyao completed Thought Guidance.

“That’s right...” The woman’s voice sounded a little ethereal.

Shang Jianyao looked around and took the initiative to say, “They seem to be dead.”

“Sigh.” The woman let out a long sigh.

Shang Jianyao then asked, “What do you think of the Kalendarium?”

The female figure was stunned. She looked around and suppressed her voice.

“Don’t tell anyone. ‘They’ are secretly eating people!”