Embers Ad Infinitum

Chapter 526: Rather Die

Avia wasn’t frightened by Shang Jianyao’s ghost story. Her expression only changed a few times before she said, “Maybe.”

She didn’t deny Shang Jianyao’s guess and even believed that it was possible.

How could an item deemed abnormally terrifying and dangerous by a big shot like Oray not be special?

Without waiting for Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao to raise new questions, Avia took the initiative to give a clue. “My grandfather once used this phone to communicate with someone.”

“When and who?” Jiang Baimian immediately asked.

Avia revealed a reminiscing expression again. “A year before he became First City’s emperor, my father saw him standing by the study window twice, holding this phone and talking to someone. My father asked about it and only got the answer: ‘Don’t ask again.’ Not long after, my grandfather suddenly Awakened. In just a year, he entered the Mind Corridor and found the door to the New World.”

“Huh?” Jiang Baimian was a little surprised.

Shang Jianyao didn’t hide his confusion and curiosity. “Oray wasn’t an Awakened originally?”

“Before the Old World was destroyed, he was only a scientist who loved working out, combat, and had undergone genetic enhancement. During the Old World’s destruction, he didn’t show any abnormalities or Awakened abilities,” Avia quickly explained. “The reason he became one of First City’s founders was that he could repair the robots in the city and use them to restore the destroyed factories’ production lines. Without him, First City’s situation couldn’t have stabilized so quickly and expanded. This was something that powerful Awakened back then couldn’t have done.”

“Science and technology is the most productive force.” Shang Jianyao agreed.

Avia continued, “Later, he was elected as consul. In fact, it was precisely because he was ‘weak’ and unable to pose a real threat to powerful figures like Cass and Drace. He could play the role of a buffer between them and effectively bridge their differences.

“Besides, he—who wasn’t an Awakened—didn’t need to participate in the corresponding confrontation during wartime. He could stay with most of the ordinary soldiers, command them, and lead them. Therefore, my grandfather had very high prestige in the army.”

“Back then, powerful figures like Cass and Drace might not have imagined that your grandfather would unite First City and crown himself emperor,” Jiang Baimian deliberately said, hoping that Avia could continue.

Avia revealed a complicated smile. “My grandfather didn’t expect it himself. Before becoming an Awakened and finding the door to the New World, he had no delusions about his position. He knew that he was only a product of compromise and that he could be chased off the seat of consul at any moment.

“He only hoped to accumulate enough fields, social connections, and reputation for the family before that happened. At the same time, he wanted to do his best to reconcile the relationship between every party so that First City wouldn’t be in a state of disunity. He still had a lot of feelings for this city, this faction. After he suddenly Awakened, entered the Mind Corridor, and found the door that led to the New World, he immediately had the ambition to become the emperor and began planning.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Baimian cast her gaze at the silver-white phone in Avia’s hand again.

After using it and talking to a ‘certain person,’ one can ‘naturally’ Awaken, clear the Sea of Origins in a year, and find the door to the New World in the Mind Corridor? How is this a dangerous item? It’s clearly a divine artifact! A divine artifact… But why didn’t Oray let his descendants use it? He even told them that it was very dangerous and that they couldn’t call that number unless they really had no choice… Thoughts flashed through Jiang Baimian’s mind.

She deliberated and asked, “Will it affect you if you just hold this phone?”

Avia pointed at herself. “If there’s an effect, it definitely would’ve shown.”

“So its influence is the love of soaking in a bath!” Shang Jianyao came to a realization.

Avia decided to ignore him. “I will allow you to copy the data inside while I hold the phone.”

“No!” Shang Jianyao revealed a terrified expression. “I’m afraid that the computer will hold a concert in the middle of the night.”

Avia didn’t understand, but Jiang Baimian knew what he was referring to. The Old Task Force had recorded Wu Meng’s voice, and they had almost been secretly affected by the other party. If not for Xiaochong’s help, the few of them would’ve become his puppets thanks to Wu Meng’s recording that played autonomously in the middle of the night.

If Wu Meng—who could be sealed by First City—was so bizarre and terrifying, how could the item that First City’s emperor claimed to be very dangerous be any weaker?

Jiang Baimian suspected that if she copied the phone’s data to a computer, the corresponding computer might very well become a silicon-based version of Wu Meng.

She thought for a moment and said, “There’s no need to copy the data. I’ll just jot down that number.”

“Alright.” Avia lit up her phone screen and pulled up her contacts list. Worried that she wouldn’t be able to find the right line at the critical moment, she had deleted all the phone numbers other than the string of random characters. At this moment, there was only one obvious contact on the screen: “That person.”

“I made this label myself,” Avia explained with a sigh.

As she clicked into the ‘contact,’ Jiang Baimian saw a string of irregular words.

It was indeed as Avia had previously described. Apart from numbers and symbols, there were also many random codes that couldn’t be typed using a phone’s normal keyboard.

Jiang Baimian didn’t dare to be careless. She didn’t use the auxiliary chip to record it, afraid that it would affect the electric eel-like biomechanical limb.

She took out a pen and paper and copied the string of characters. During this process, she heard Shang Jianyao raise a new question.

“Since your grandfather, Mr. Oray, had already found the New World’s door, why didn’t he attempt to enter before he died? It appears that it can extend his life for a significant amount of time.”

Many Awakened who entered the New World were only sleeping and not truly dead. Furthermore, Yama Tiger—who might not be in the New World—was still alive despite being skin and bones.

Avia fell silent for a few seconds before saying, “When my grandfather’s condition worsened, some of his trusted aides encouraged him to enter the New World. His answer was: I’d rather die than enter.”

This… Jiang Baimian looked up and stopped copying the ‘number.’

…

Red Wolf Zone, Senate.

Gaius walked to the front of the Council Chamber, turned around, and quietly watched Superintendent Alexander and the other Elders.

After they completely recovered, the leader of the Reformists and the commander of the Eastern Army Corps said in a deep voice, “Varro and his accomplices colluded with the Salvation Army and the Anti-intellectualism Church to control His Excellency, the Consul, in an attempt to purge the dissidents. With the Kalendaria’s blessing, I’ve already eliminated them!”

Alexander didn’t rashly attack Gaius. He looked around and saw a large number of corpses of the Conservatives.

As his thoughts raced during his dilemma, Gaius’s voice became a little louder. “As long as those who previously followed Varro blindly are willing to repent, the citizens will no longer pursue the matter. Gentlemen, the matter has come to an end. It’s time to start a new chapter—we need to restore order, eliminate the derelict, and retrieve the resources controlled by those traitors!”

He extended an olive branch to the Centrist faction, which was represented by Alexander.

Upon seeing that the Conservatives had lost the upper hand and that the Reformists had the clear upper hand, Alexander nodded and said, “You’re right. We need to elect a new consul now and get him to speak to the citizens outside to resolve this crisis.”

Just as Alexander said that, the Reformists shouted, “Gaius!”

“Gaius!”

“Gaius!”

Gaius smiled as he turned around and walked to the spot high above that originally belonged to the consul. He faced the surviving Elders and said, “I’ll calm the situation as soon as possible. After that, do your best to save those who can still be saved. Otherwise, let them follow Varro to hell!”

Clearly, this chaos wasn’t over yet. It would burn to every corner of First City, but it would no longer be completely uncontrollable.

…

“I don’t understand why he said that. He didn’t mention it again after that.” After Avia explained simply, she looked at Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao. “I’ve already told you everything I know.”

Jiang Baimian put away the slip that had the mysterious number she copied and asked seriously, “Is there anything you need us to do?”

Avia laughed, sounding a little hysterical. “Spread what I told you so that the organization that wants to eliminate these clues will never succeed! If they really care that much, destroy this world again!”

“Alright.” Shang Jianyao agreed first.

Jiang Baimian fell silent for a moment before saying, “I’ll tell anyone who asks.”

Avia lowered her head and looked at the phone in her hand. “Actually, I really want to leave this to you as well, but I’m still not brave enough. I can’t bear to part with my current life and how it can be used as a final threat.”