Embers Ad Infinitum

Chapter 860: ‘Waking Up’

Gitis’s originally dazed eyes had now turned sharp. She looked around and suppressed her voice when she saw that there was nobody around. “What kind of compensation can you give?”

“Compensation?” Shang Jianyao had an expression that said: “Talking about money hurts relationships.”

“Loaning items is a business in itself.” Gitis dazed off, controlling an unknown body. She then said, “Besides, if it weren’t you, I wouldn’t agree to this deal at all.”

A merchant had to have a merchant’s professional ethics. Intelligence peddlers were also merchants.

Jiang Baimian thought for a moment before saying, “You can choose either a biological agent that can treat your father and mother’s illness or a comprehensive genetic enhancement drug. Oh, the improvement of those genetic enhancement drugs isn’t as dramatic as the latest ones, but the benefit is to become stronger overall without any repercussions. Also, the effects are relatively ordinary at your age.”

Jiang Baimian had long thought of where to obtain these items from: Apply to the company!

The mission to find the Eighth Research Institute’s exact location was approved by Pangu Biology, and the Board of Directors wanted results. Furthermore, the Old Task Force didn’t have any selfish motives. Therefore, Jiang Baimian dared to report the matter without any scruples and raise a request. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ (f)ir(e).nᴇt

Upon hearing her description, Gitis almost didn’t hesitate. “I’ll choose the first option. Can I treat my father and mother’s illness at the same time, or can I only treat one person?”

Compared to a comprehensive genetic enhancement drug, she preferred the ones she was familiar with. After all, she had already considered the combination. Furthermore, the restrictions on age weren’t high as long as they didn’t exceed 40 years old.

She was already mentally prepared for the problems faced in old age.

“Both can be treated,” Jiang Baimian promised. Then, she glanced at Gitis’s backpack and added with a smile, “However, this biological agent might be able to restore your mother’s body a little and stabilize her condition. Yes… No drug is omnipotent. We need to find time to meet your father and mother and give them a detailed examination. Only then can we choose the most suitable biological agent.”

The mission of a physical examination was undoubtedly handled by the virtually omnipotent Genava.

“No problem.” Gitis nodded. “I’m actually more at ease with you saying that.”

If they claimed to be capable of treating her parents’ illnesses without an examination, Gitis would most likely suspect that she had encountered cheats.

Jiang Baimian nodded slightly. “Then, schedule a time. Also, it might take half a month to obtain the corresponding biological agents.”

If they were lucky, the personnel planted by Pangu Biology in the White Knights happened to have the corresponding supplies or were working in a biological laboratory. They could prepare the drugs themselves, and they might be able to deliver the items to the Old Task Force in less than five days. If they were unlucky and had to transfer goods from the underground building, half a month was the minimum.

Gitis understood this very well. Sometimes, she had to wait more than a week for the medicine she purchased for her parents because there might not be any ready stock in Gesterbourg. They had to be bought from the White Knights’ headquarters.

“Before receiving the payment, you need to leave the military exoskeleton as collateral with me,” Gitis emphasized.

“Alright.” Jiang Baimian planned on giving Gitis the oldest model.

Shang Jianyao smiled and stretched out his right hand to Gitis. “Deal!”

He added Thought Implantation to this sentence to prevent Gitis from going back on her word midway.

Gitis was stunned for a few seconds. After she was free from her other matters, she stretched out her right hand and shook Shang Jianyao’s hand. “Deal.”

She then said in thought, “When the time comes, I’ll still control the Subhuti figurine but will use it according to your needs.”

Her meaning was very simple: she was worried about handing such a precious and magical item to the Old Task Force and planned on providing help by participating in the corresponding matters personally.

“It will be very dangerous,” Shang Jianyao warned sincerely. “We might even have to leave Gesterbourg and venture deep into Icefield. We won’t be able to return for days.”

Gitis thought for a moment before hesitantly saying, “I have no problem within three kilometers of Gesterbourg. If you are really heading to Icefield… I can hand the figurine to you.”

Once she exceeded the range, the consciousness in her other bodies would be forcefully retracted. When the time came, the people who should’ve died long ago would die on the spot.

In order to treat her parents’ illnesses, she was willing to take the risk of losing the Subhuti figurine and the other avatars.

“It’s very dangerous even in Gesterbourg.” Shang Jianyao still disagreed, looking like a true friend who was looking out for her.

“That’s right,” Jiang Baimian echoed.

Gitis smiled mysteriously with her unfocused eyes. “It’s fine. I won’t participate personally; instead, I’ll get a certain body to help you with the figurine. In that case, it won’t affect me if anything really happens.”

Shang Jianyao praised, “Divine Mirror Connection and Destiny Connection are really useful!”

“That works too.” Jiang Baimian nodded.

After settling this matter, Gitis and the Old Task Force agreed on a time to examine her parents before turning around to leave.

At this moment, Shang Jianyao stopped her and curiously asked, “I have a question. If I only use my abilities on one consciousness while you have several split consciousnesses, will it affect the other consciousnesses and other bodies?”

Gitis smiled mysteriously again. “No, unless the consciousness’s body happens to be within the range of your abilities. If it weren’t for the fact that my other consciousnesses were asleep and resting last night, preventing me from providing feedback in time, I would’ve quickly realized that something was amiss and escaped your influence. I wouldn’t have needed to wait until this morning.”

Shang Jianyao came to a realization. “No wonder you only talked about business and not friendship!”

He looked vexed.

“If it weren’t for our friendship, I wouldn’t have listened to the details of this business at all,” Gitis retorted on the spot. She didn’t say that she wouldn’t agree because she couldn’t refuse the Old Task Force’s payment.

Jiang Baimian stopped them from harping on the problem and chuckled. “No wonder Aester knew that the client was Mor despite having his memories deleted.”

This was because the consciousness that had its memories deleted was only the one occupying Aester’s body. Furthermore, she had Destiny Connection to provide some level of resistance. Gitis—who had long synchronized her memories—and the other bodies still remembered the corresponding content.

Gitis didn’t say anything else. She left and returned home as if she were sleepwalking.

…

Gesterbourg, a block away from the periphery fortifications.

Murray and Benito stayed in the safe house and waited for their return trip.

The Eighth Research Institute was rather efficient. They had been informed two days ago that the mission was over and that they could return to headquarters. They had also agreed on a time and place to meet the escorts.

Considering that they needed sufficient supplies to enter Icefield, Murray and Benito were in no rush to leave Gesterbourg. As the former wasn’t wanted, he went out every day to buy necessities and took the opportunity to report the corresponding matter to Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, and the others.

“We can leave the day after tomorrow.” Murray looked at the swaying tree roots in the room, threw himself onto the sofa, and switched on the old radio beside him.

Gesterbourg provided sufficient electricity, and the electricity bill was cheap. The residents were very happy to use appliances wherever they could.

The only problem was that the White Knights lacked the corresponding production lines in this regard, and they didn’t make up the bulk of imports every year. The residents could only gather electrical appliances from the surrounding city ruins.

The radio was the easiest to repair and reassemble among the electrical appliances. Therefore, Gesterbourg had its own radio station.

One of Murray’s daily recreations was listening to the radio.

At this moment, the radio station played a story segment. He listened with relish and guessed the subsequent developments.

After Benito released his sexual frustrations, he dispelled his Invisibility and sat beside Murray.

The story this time came from an Old World . It was about a careless spy going to the enemy to obtain information and becoming a joke due to his antics. However, he ultimately completed the mission due to a combination of factors.

“How comical!” Murray wiped the tears from his laughter. “He doesn’t even know who the enemy is or where they are, yet he dares to gather information. If not for his good luck, he would’ve been captured and hanged!”

“This is only a comedic story.” Benito was also in a rather good mood.

The next second, the two of them were stunned. They thought of something similar to this story: The team that said they had been invited to help eliminate the opposition in the research institute didn’t even know where the research institute was! They also wanted to find the research institute’s exact location through the two of them!

This was simply comical!

Murray and Benito slowly looked at each other, and horror gradually appeared on their faces.