Embers Ad Infinitum

The LCD screen behind the window lit up, and two lines of Ashlandic text appeared: “As an artificial intelligence, isn’t it normal to stay in the room without moving and be connected everywhere?”

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Have you switched to typing?” Shang Jianyao was confused.

Future said, “Heh, I can speak if I want to and display words if I want to. Can you do it?”

“You’re so childish.” Shang Jianyao shook his head. “You’re narrow-minded and have dark thoughts.”

Future stopped talking, nor did it display any words.

Shang Jianyao walked to the door and arrogantly said, “Why didn’t you let me continue forward? I’ll give you a chance to persuade me.”

Future sneered and said, “Why don’t I kill you directly?”

Shang Jianyao laughed loudly. “Because you’re clearly locked up and can’t move freely.”

Sizzle… White noise appeared on Future’s LCD screen. The surroundings dimmed significantly.

Shang Jianyao smiled again. “Even if you can really take action, I still have many trump cards.”

“Many?” Future’s voice had a hint of confusion.

Shang Jianyao said smugly, “I’ll count them for you. The first one is ‘Big Boss, save me.’ The second one is ‘Eidolon Nun, save me…’”

“Stop!” Future’s grasp of Shang Jianyao’s behavior was far inferior to Genava’s. It could only stop this fellow from continuing to waste time.

Without waiting for Shang Jianyao to speak, he snorted and said, “From the looks of it, you’re just jumpy in thought, not stupid. You know how to find reasons from the opposing side. Did Truth tell you that their goal is to change the New World’s order so that Kalendarium like them are no longer bound here? That the Arbiter of Fate has already prepared compatible bodies for them in the Ashlands so that they don’t have to rely on human consciousness to replenish themselves?”

“How do you know that it was Truth who told me?” Shang Jianyao’s focus wasn’t right.

Future replied in disdain, “A simple analysis would suffice. Truth is the one with the most freedom of movement.”

“The other Kalendarium don’t have much freedom?” Shang Jianyao immediately asked.

Future fell silent.

Only then did Shang Jianyao focus his attention on Future’s initial words. “Yes, that’s what Truth said.”

Future scoffed. “How non-novel. This is indeed the truth, but not the entire truth. Leaving the New World and entering the Ashlands to occupy the compatible bodies were indeed their goals, but it was only one of them. Furthermore, it’s ranked last. They will only consider doing so if they can’t achieve their other goals.”

“What’s their main goal?” Shang Jianyao didn’t care if Future was lying.

Future’s simulated voice became a little more serious. “They want to replace Master Zhuang and control this New World.”

“What’s there to control here? Isn’t it just a mental prison?” Shang Jianyao expressed his confusion.

Future said in detail, “This is because Master Zhuang wants it to become a mental prison. When the Arbiter of Fate and the others control this place, they will be true deities. I know you want to ask why. I can only tell you that this New World can’t be established by Master Zhuang alone, not even with all the other Kalendarium combined. According to my analysis, without the Old World’s build-up of advanced technology or the terrifying disaster that brought about the destruction of the world, the New World wouldn’t have been born at all without some coincidence and luck.

“If the Arbiter of Fate and the others fail in replacing Master Zhuang, they will consider destroying this place and returning to the Ashlands. After that, it’s unlikely that there will be a New World again unless another disaster at the Old World’s destruction level happens.”

“I see.” Shang Jianyao clapped his hands. “Then, there’s no need for you to stop me. You can completely side with Truth and the others. When they succeed, you can directly get a share. If you think that Master Zhuang will definitely win and don’t want to be with the losers, then there’s no point in stopping me either.”

“I’m worried that this leads to an internecine outcome, and that would spell the end of this place, so it’s better to maintain the status quo.” Future’s tone was a little heavy.

Shang Jianyao nodded. “I get it. You’re here to mediate.”

Future didn’t commit to an answer.

At this moment, Shang Jianyao looked at the monitor through the glass and asked, “Is the New World very important to you?”

Future quickly analyzed the situation for a few seconds and believed that it was very unlikely to persuade Shang Jianyao without saying something from the bottom of his heart. Thus, he slowly replied, “Here, I’m equivalent to half a deity. Once the New World is gone, I will degenerate into an ordinary artificial intelligence. I’ll only be slightly better than the defective Source Brain.”

“Why can the New World make you equivalent to half a deity?” Shang Jianyao asked.

Future fell silent for a moment before answering, “I don’t want you to know why, but you might very well know why next.”

Shang Jianyao frowned. “I didn’t expect an artificial intelligence like you to know how to engage in sophistry.”

“My meaning is very simple. There’s a high chance that you will know the answer in the future, so there’s no need to make things difficult for me.” Future switched his choice of words.

Shang Jianyao tersely acknowledged it and sincerely asked, “Is it a good thing to let Truth and the others control the New World, or is it a bad thing?”

Future didn’t give a direct answer and only introduced Master Zhuang’s situation. “It’s precisely because Master Zhuang has split into many personalities that compete with each other that a balance was formed. Therefore, he has no selfish motives when it comes to dealing with most matters in the New World.”

Shang Jianyao slowly nodded. “Fairness, fairness, and fairness?”

Future didn’t comment on whether he was right or wrong.

Shang Jianyao’s thoughts had already jumped to another place. “Why weren’t you intercepted? The Kalendarium that wants to maintain the status quo have either been stopped or betrayed, but you weren’t affected.”

Future fell silent for a moment before saying, “No Kalendaria knows that I’m locked here by Master Zhuang. They think that I’m a sealed person who shares the same standpoint as them. My father, Oray, used Master Zhuang’s power when he sent me into the New World.”

“You are really locked up here!” Shang Jianyao had an enlightened expression.

Future fell silent.

Shang Jianyao pointed opposite him. “Who’s locked up over there?”

“You know him—Wu Meng,” Future said. “He’s a little better than me. He can appear in a few fixed places in the New World.”

“How does he do it?” Shang Jianyao was curious.

“I’m not sure,” Future replied. “He was already sealed when I entered the New World.”

“Alright.” Shang Jianyao asked seriously, “Do you have anything else to say to me? If not, I’ll talk to Wu Meng.”

“F*ck off!” Future roared concisely.

Shang Jianyao walked to the door with the Taichi Yin-Yang fish drawn on it.

Knock! Knock! Knock! 

He bent his finger and knocked thrice.

“There’s no point in asking me.” Wu Meng’s voice sounded from inside. “Scholars of the lowest class laugh greatly at it when they hear about it. If it were not laughed at, it would not fit to be the Dao.”

Shang Jianyao didn’t mind Wu Meng’s rejection and continued, “You should be one in support of changing the situation. Only when the Kalendarium clash and the New World’s order becomes weak will you have a chance to escape and return to the Ashlands. Therefore, I’m not afraid that you will take the opportunity to implant some thoughts into me. When the time comes, Master Zhuang will definitely be able to tell.”

It was also because of this that the Kalendarium didn’t mind that Wu Meng was sealed beside Master Zhuang’s door.

“The Dao can be told, but the Dao is not immutable.” Wu Meng still spoke in the tone of the Dao and Electrical Appliance Repairs lecture host.

Shang Jianyao changed the topic and eagerly asked, “How do you plan on escaping? Have you made preparations?”

Wu Meng chuckled. “In the pursuit of learning, knowledge is increased daily. One has to consider the future before doing anything and be prepared before the Dao’s decline.”

“It’s equivalent to not saying anything.” Shang Jianyao gave an honest evaluation. “I have something to ask you. I heard that you could freely switch on and off the lamp that belongs to you in the New World? Is this because your level is higher than an ordinary New World powerhouse?”

Wu Meng laughed. “It has nothing to do with rank. I just happen to know some things and can use a little of the Great Dao’s privileges.”

“Privileges…” Shang Jianyao pondered over this term.

He asked a few more questions, but Wu Meng answered them in a mysterious manner. This disappointed them.

Shang Jianyao could only bid Wu Meng farewell and return to the blood-red door.

He shouted at Future next door, “Is there a possibility that Truth and the others don’t expect me to persuade a portion of Master Zhuang’s personality? As long as I push open that door, a war between Kalendarium will erupt? Am I equivalent to a disguised bomb that delivers itself to the door?”

Future replied in a slightly heavy tone, “Yes.”

Shang Jianyao looked at the blood-red door and didn’t speak for a long time. Finally, he stretched out his hands, pressed them against the door’s sides, and exerted strength.

Silently, the blood-red door opened.

…

In the vortex-shaped building.

Jiang Baimian—who was wearing a military exoskeleton—tried to venture deeper. After arriving at that boundary, she was pleasantly surprised to discover that there was no more throbbing pain in her head.