Embers Ad Infinitum

Chapter 577: Strange

As a staunch believer of Save-Load RNJesus, Shang Jianyao—who had prior experience—easily caught up to his previous progress and successfully sneaked to the fifth floor of Iron Mountain City’s Second Food Company.

He didn’t delay and followed Jiang Baimian’s suggestion to head straight to the sixth floor.

Just as Shang Jianyao finished climbing the stairs, his eyes lit up.

The full moon outside the window seemed to be hanging not far away, illuminating the floor as if it were daytime.

In a daze, Zen Master Redemption thought that the sun had risen from the east and almost sang the Great Sorrow Incantation.

As the one with the best intelligence among Shang Jianyao’s group, he easily came to a conclusion: “The room owner’s fourth exploration was during the day. The subconscious that maintains this psychological trauma knows that it’s impossible to jump from the end of dusk to noon when the sun is high in the sky. Therefore, he replaced it with a moon that exceeds the norm a little…”

As he muttered to himself, Shang Jianyao walked to the other end along the corridor. Along the way, he constantly looked around and observed his surroundings, searching for clues that could help him clear this psychological trauma.

After walking for a while, Shang Jianyao suddenly realized that it was getting brighter.

The windows were already covered in a golden muslin with blinding light filtering through. The full moon outside was orange-red as if it were on fire.

Accompanying this change, the originally oppressive atmosphere gradually dissipated. It gave one a refreshing feeling.

The Shang Jianyaos believed from a sensory perspective that this was a good change.

But the ground under his feet began to tremble, and large patches of paint on the walls around him peeled off.

After the paint peeled off, the walls didn’t reveal concrete or bricks. They were pitch-black as if they were incorporeal.

Upon seeing this, Shang Jianyao’s eyes darted around slightly as he quickly repeated his previous actions. With the help of the narrow windowsill, he jumped from the sixth floor to the back alley, circled around, and ran toward the starting point.

Amidst the creaking and grinding sounds of metal, Zen Master Redemption felt the ground shake and the sky burn. The buildings around him collapsed one after another, and the hidden Heartless degenerated into illusions.

Before this world completely collapsed, Shang Jianyao returned to the starting point and left Room 522.

“Huff, huff—what a scare. I was this close to clearing the level…” In the corridor, Shang Jianyao panted heavily with an expression that said: “I haven’t had enough fun.”

He then temporarily left.

…

In the real world, Shang Jianyao straightened his back, pushed open the door, and alighted.

“That fast?” Long Yuehong was surprised.

Hey had just fallen asleep for 15 minutes. According to his previous description, that was only enough time to cover the periphery journey and reach Iron Mountain City’s Second Food Company again.

Jiang Baimian directly asked, “What happened?”

The Shang Jianyaos quickly recounted their encounter on the sixth floor of the food company and the subsequent changes. Finally, they said proudly, “Fortunately, I ran fast!”

Jiang Baimian quietly listened and frowned. “Why do I feel that it’s a good thing? The overall change seems to be dispelling the shadows…”

“Maybe I cleared the level,” Shang Jianyao replied using game terminology.

Jiang Baimian and Long Yuehong had played games before, so they easily understood what he meant.

The former made a guess thoughtfully. “The room owner’s fourth exploration of the food company finally brought him to the sixth and seventh floors. Along the way, he didn’t encounter the woman again, including her remains. The strange atmosphere that enveloped the area had also vanished by then?

“Coupled with the judgment that the anomaly in the food company doesn’t have any ill intentions toward him and the past situations, he finally resolved the corresponding psychological trauma and cleared that island of fear?”

Long Yuehong followed this train of thought and continued, “The act of an outsider clearing a psychological trauma is the complete breakdown of that scene?”

“Probably.” Shang Jianyao didn’t retort.

“Then, why did you run?” Long Yuehong expressed his confusion.

Shang Jianyao had clearly reached the door to success, but he actually chose to turn around and escape! Then, why did he painstakingly search for clues and methods to clear this psychological trauma?

It was unknown which Shang Jianyao sighed. “You don’t understand. How can we advance the primary plot without clearing the side quests first? Wouldn’t it be a waste of the food company map if we clear it now? There are still many things worth pondering about inside.”

As he spoke, he raised his finger and gave examples one by one. “Who does the missing photo and the relevant employee introduction point to? Why was it torn away?

“Why does that woman’s voice sound like a drake? If I closed my eyes, I would think of her as a male.

“Why did she panic and escape in fear when she saw the room owner in the beginning? Why was she silent and calm when the room owner came back after a few years? Why did she send the other party away with a simple ‘leave?’

“Why did she die a few years later without leaving any rotten flesh? Why were there nearly zero corpses left when the room owner visited the place a fourth time?

“Why don’t the Heartless around dare to enter this area, with only a few exceptions?

“…”

Upon hearing this series of questions, Long Yuehong’s mind buzzed. Only one short sentence echoed: “100,000 whys…”

Jiang Baimian thought for a moment and said, “I have a guess, one produced from the fact that it’s one of Buddhism’s five Great Holy Lands.”

The Shang Jianyaos immediately looked over with bright eyes. “What is it?”

Jiang Baimian deliberated for a moment and said, “Perhaps an employee in Iron Mountain City’s Second Food Company Awakened in the Subhuti domain due to the Old World’s destruction. He should be male. The abilities he has are Destiny Connection, Consciousness Deprivation, and Six Realms of Rebirth and Existence.

“During the Old World’s destruction disaster, he lost his body like DiMarco. He had no choice but to rely on Destiny Connection to forcefully occupy the body of his female colleague, Liu Lu. This can explain why the woman named Liu Lu emitted a male voice and why there was a strange hidden gaze.”

These were all speculations based on the available information. The more Long Yuehong listened, the more he felt that it was likely.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Shang Jianyao suddenly clapped.

Jiang Baimian rolled her eyes at him and continued, “He had zero contact for many years, and he lacked a clear understanding of his abilities. Therefore, he was scared away by the room owner on the latter’s first entry. Unaware of the situation outside, he—who was afraid of exposing his true identity—had long torn off his photo and the relevant introduction on the employee board. He took the opportunity while the room owner searched the third floor to secretly attack the other party with Destiny Connection.

“He might not have truly killed anyone and didn’t dare to do it. After succeeding, he only sent the other party to a relatively safe area outside. When the room owner returned a second time, that employee already knew how strong he was. Therefore, he stopped being afraid and easily deprived the other party of their consciousness before sending him away.

“Unfortunately, he didn’t realize that the incompatibility between his body and mind would accelerate the former’s decline. When he realized that there were no humans to choose from, he could only die alongside Liu Lu’s body.

“On the room owner’s third trip to the food company, his consciousness had actually dissipated. Only his psyche or aura remained, bringing about a ghost-like experience.”

This strung everything together. No matter what others thought, Long Yuehong believed that this was probably the most reasonable and natural explanation.

Shang Jianyao didn’t clap and seriously said, “There’s another question.”

Jiang Baimian didn’t ask what it was and continued, “If that’s the case, it can extend to a very important question. Is it because Iron Mountain City’s Second Food Company is indeed a Buddhist Holy Land that hides a certain uniqueness that the male employee Awakened in the Subhuti domain, or is it because the aura he left behind has modified that place, making the Crystal Consciousness Church monks—who later explored that place—think that it’s a Holy Land? Or could he be Subhuti’s embodiment? Or could he have encountered the Subhuti that descended and obtained enlightenment?”

Long Yuehong became more and more terrified as he listened.

“We have to make a trip to Iron Mountain City if there’s a chance.” Shang Jianyao replied to Jiang Baimian’s question with a yearning expression.

Jiang Baimian made a terse grunt. “The answer to this question can only be found from a real exploration.”

“That’s why I held back from clearing the level. I wanted to explore more.” Shang Jianyao changed the topic.

Jiang Baimian didn’t object and only mentioned two things. “First, if the room owner didn’t gain anything or hadn’t found any clues, there won’t be anything for you no matter how you explore. Second, do you have a way to resist the sudden Destiny Connection and Consciousness Deprivation?”

Shang Jianyao shook his head. “No, I couldn’t sense who attacked me at all. The room owner was the same back then.”

In other words, it couldn’t be covered with an area-of-effect ability.

“It’s very difficult for you to continue exploring then.” Jiang Baimian sighed.

Shang Jianyao suddenly laughed. “I have my ways.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Baimian’s alarm sounded. What is it? Is this fellow going to court death again?

After Shang Jianyao briefly described his plan, Jiang Baimian and Long Yuehong were a little dumbfounded. Would this be useful?

What an ingenious way of thinking!

Normal people wouldn’t make such an attempt!

…

After resting for a while, Shang Jianyao entered the Mind Corridor again and arrived at Iron Mountain City’s Second Food Company.

After he went up to the second floor, he arrived at the end of the corridor and hid in the darkness, waiting for the sound of footsteps.

Before long, the professional woman named Liu Lu came from the third floor and entered the room in front of him.

The rustling subsided a little.

Shang Jianyao sat down cross-legged, switched on the flashlight, and placed it in his arms. He then spun the Six Senses Beads with one hand and conjured the original medical record with the other—the medical record from Long River City’s United Steel Plant ruins, which was another Buddhist holy land.

Without any hesitation, Zen Master Redemption—who was wearing a monk robe and a kasaya—chanted a Buddhist proclamation. “Namo Annutara-Samyak-Subhuti. Name: Fan Wensi. Female. Age: 52. Married. Address: Residential Zone 2, Building 4, Room 302…”

He rhythmically recited the contents of the medical record as if he were preaching the Buddhist Dharma.

He wanted to see what kind of changes would happen if the two Buddhist Holy Lands ‘collided!’