Embers Ad Infinitum

Chapter 941: Disadvantageous

Translator: CKtalon 

Du Heng originally hoped to hide the matter regarding the nuclear bomb to the end. After all, Door of Scorching, Last Man, and Shadow of Distortion only wanted to maintain the status quo and not make rash changes. They had no intention of sacrificing themselves to end this disaster.

If they really knew that Master Zhuang wanted to end all of this, including their lives, there was a high chance that they wouldn’t stop Arbiter of Fate or might even turn on him.

Even a rabbit would bite when cornered!

In order to ensure the success of the plan, Du Heng had been hiding his true intentions. For this reason, he didn’t hesitate to hide things from Kalendarium like Shadow of Distortion. Who knew that the Arbiter of Fate would expose him at the critical moment?

As his expression changed slightly, he shouted, “Listen to me…”

Arbiter of Fate—who wasn’t far from this room—immediately interrupted Master Zhuang. “Quick, block your hearing! You’ll know what the truth is by paying attention to the core research area now.”

Master Zhuang’s Thought Implantation could already achieve his goal when acting on Awakened below the New World without any verbal help. However, it definitely couldn’t do the same for the Kalendarium; he needed to put in his full efforts for success.

As the Arbiter of Fate’s voice echoed in different rooms, Pangu Biology’s Big Boss continued speaking to Du Heng. “President, in order not to be discovered by you, I did choose not to directly pay attention to that team. However, this doesn’t mean that I don’t care and only wish to sleep. I’ve been getting Pangu Biology’s intelligence personnel everywhere to gather information on whatever happened wherever the team passed and report it to me. This includes the Salvation Army’s loss of a nuclear warhead.

“Although you had handled many of the details and there was no way to find any clues if an investigation was really carried out, I couldn’t help but make some connections when I put the two matters of ‘that team passing by’ and ‘a nuclear warhead went missing.’

“President, sometimes, the best solution is to be stupid.”

Du Heng sighed and said, “What if you’re wrong?”

The Arbiter of Fate’s voice carried a hint of a smile. “Even if I’m wrong, I can at least take the opportunity to distract Dufftiel and the others.”

This was a matter that was all pros, no cons. If she guessed correctly, she could quickly disintegrate the will to fight of the Kalendarium in Master Zhuang’s camp. If she guessed wrong, it wouldn’t be much different from the previous situation. It might even create an opportunity.

Du Heng sighed and said, “As expected of my good assistant.”

To him, this was a little troublesome. If Door of Scorching and the others confirmed the situation and gave up on stopping the rest or even turned on him, Du Heng would be in deep trouble.

Even if he was the leader of all Kalendarium and had control over the New World, it didn’t mean that his split personalities could resist each Kalendaria one-on-one. He couldn’t even manage five against one or ten against one.

His personalities could only form groups and split into several batches. They each occupied a room and used their privilege to slow down the advance of Arbiter of Fate and the other Kalendarium.

As for whether he could block every attacker, he wasn’t sure either.

Besides, his personality wasn’t monolithic; otherwise, it wouldn’t be called a price. At least one-third of his personalities didn’t want to die at all!

Among the remaining two-thirds were a group of snakes and rats, each having their extremes.

Du Heng had barely managed to prevent the destruction plan from being destroyed and interfered with by himself.

His personality that enjoyed being a teacher—which was the softest and most persistent in ending this disaster—had been loitering around the Ashlands all these years. Apart from wanting to regain his ‘childhood,’ he was also doing his best to set this matter into motion.

Du Heng and Xiaochong’s bodies were close to holographic projections that were used to carry their consciousness. With the help of powerful Matter Interference, Subconscious Thought, and other abilities, they acted like living humans that could eat, drink, and touch.

I can only hope that my other arrangements work… Du Heng looked down at Shang Jianyao, who wore a distorted expression.

The personalities floating around Shang Jianyao had changed compared to before.

The time they spent in pain decreased, and the time they spent being fine and well extended. This meant that their independence had increased further.

Among them, the ones who valued relationships and claimed to be righteous took advantage of the reduced influence of his brain development to pay attention to Pangu Biology’s internal affairs. They transmitted their powers through the barrier to the words in the recording pen and helped locate everyone from the second to the sixth floor.

Among them, the second floor was the Energy Zone, the third and fourth floors were the Secret Research Zone, and the fifth floor was the Management Zone. These were all critical areas; there would be no lack of Mind Corridor-level Awakened.

The radio station was on the sixth floor. Shang Jianyao’s intention was to use this opportunity to help Long Yuehong and Bai Chen clear out the enemies around them and reduce the difficulty of their subsequent evacuation.

As for the lowest level, Shang Jianyao chose to give up when he considered that it might agitate Big Boss and cause unnecessary trouble.

Apart from the people on the six floors, Shang Jianyao ‘distributed’ his remaining power in the first broadcast to the Security Department. The focus was on the middle and high-ranking offices, the patrolling troops, and the employees guarding the doors.

Unfortunately, he had yet to become a Kalendaria. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have only affected so ‘few’ people.

…

Pangu Biology, underground building, radio station.

The team of Security Department employees stopped outside and questioned the gatekeeper.

“Have you seen a young man with a mechanical arm and a woman?” asked the leader.

The old man’s heart tightened as he honestly replied, “Yes, they just entered a few minutes ago. Was there anything wrong with them?”

Can it be that their D8 and D7 ranks were faked?

“Who were they looking for?” asked the team leader.

The radio station wasn’t large, but it wasn’t small either. It would be a waste of time to search directly without asking where the target was.

“Th-they were looking for Feng Yunying.” The old man—who hadn’t encountered such a situation for countless years—stammered. “From the Bedtime Music program team.”

His memories of the Security Department’s aggressive search scene were still stuck at the beginning of the New Calendar.

The team immediately walked past the old man and into the radio station.

Just as they were about to get someone to lead the way, the loudspeaker on the ceiling emitted static. Right on the heels of that, a slightly deep male voice sounded. “I have something very serious to tell you. Big Boss is a Kalendaria, Arbiter of Fate. The board of directors are called shepherds because we’re ‘Her’ flock.”

Ah? All the members of the internal team and the radio station’s employees looked up at the loudspeaker closest to them.

“What are they talking about?” Most of these people didn’t even know what a Kalendaria was.

In the Management Zone, Director Su Yu suddenly jumped up from his seat, sweating profusely. He thought for a moment and shouted to his subordinates outside the door, “Everyone, quickly stuff your ears!”

He relied on the fact that he was close to the New World and was at a very high level to effectively resist the effects of Thought Guidance or Thought Implantation. He was in no rush to stuff his ears, wanting to hear what the person holding the radio hostage wanted to say—no, what he wanted to do.

Of course, Su Yu didn’t dare to be careless. He raised his hands and stretched them toward his ears, planning to immediately pretend to be deaf if anything went wrong.

At the same time, the radio continued the broadcast. “The Kalendarium take human consciousness as a feast. This is the origin of the Heartless disease. Our role is to become Big Boss’s food.”

Uh… Su Yu’s hands that were reaching for his ears slowed down. His thick eyebrows furrowed, and his expression was one of surprise and bewilderment.

Almost everyone on this floor was the same. Only a few people blocked their ears in time, including the board of directors and vice-president—Ji Ze—who had sensed the anomaly in advance.

“Everyone, danger is imminent. The Heartless disease will erupt en masse again. You guys have to take the opportunity to escape the underground building; escape Big Boss’s control.”

Shang Jianyao’s voice echoed in the Secret Research Zone through the radio, turning the researchers’ expressions from confusion to fear.

Many Awakened here were caught off-guard and were affected. They put down their work and rushed to the different elevators.

“Work hard. Dawn is right in front of us!”

The Security Department employees guarding the underground building’s entrance cast their gazes at the door at the same time. They then rushed over and prepared to open it.

“Quickly escape!” With the last word spat out, the affected people accelerated as if they had heard gunshots.

Employees in places like the Production Zone, Research Zone, and Indoor Ecosystem Zone listened to the radio, half-confused and puzzled.

At this moment, many of them saw the Security Department employees patrolling the area run toward the elevator with weapons in hand.

“This…” If not for the company’s immense authority, the ordinary employees might’ve already chosen to follow.

In the radio station, Long Yuehong and Bai Chen—who had confirmed that Shang Jianyao’s recording had been played once—left the control room.

They first untied the technician. This fellow had already been affected and ran away without looking back.

Bai Chen then pinched Hou Yi’s philtrum in a bid to wake her up.

Upon seeing Hou Yi slowly wake up, the two of them couldn’t be bothered to explain anything to the radio host. They rushed out of the recording studio and went straight to the nearest elevator. After all, the other party could get the answer after listening to the radio a second time.

They had to find their families as soon as possible and protect them as they fled the underground building.

Thud! Thud! Thud! 

The two of them quickly arrived at the nearby elevator lobby. It was already filled with people, and Shang Jianyao—who was on the radio—was still trying his best to persuade them.

At this moment, an elevator came up and arrived on this floor.

The elevator door opened, and two employees—a man and a woman—were inside. They were Awakened who had come to confirm if Long Yuehong and Bai Chen’s trip to the radio station was normal.

Considering the possible situation at the radio station, the two of them wore earplugs from the beginning.

Upon seeing the dense crowd rush to the elevator, they were momentarily shocked. What’s going on?

At the same time, the male Awakened saw Long Yuehong at the elevator entrance with his nearly two-meter-tall height.

He recognized the mechanical arm!