Chapter 128: Types of Echoes
Seeking but not finding.
What a ridiculous catalyst for this?
Who in this world has never experienced the time when they sought but could not find?
If it were merely a matter of not being able to obtain what one desires, then wouldn't Yun Yao, stranded in a place of extreme material deprivation, be caught in an "Echo" every single moment?
But she wasn't.
When Qiao Jiajin heard this, his expression turned a bit unnatural.
"Liar boy, idol girl, are you two hiding something from us?" he stared at them suspiciously. "I may not be one for using my brain, but I'm not stupid either. What exactly do you know about this place?"
Qi Xia's expression showed some hesitation after hearing this. He wasn't used to lying to people he trusted, and the current situation had put him in a difficult position.
"Qiao Jiajin, before I answer you… I want to ask Yun Yao one last question."
"Ask me?" Yun Yao was startled. "What is it?"
Qi Xia pulled Yun Yao aside and asked in a low voice, "If we… were to reveal our 'memories,' what would happen?"
"What would happen…?" Yun Yao blinked, momentarily at a loss for how to answer. "What could happen…? Should I give you a compliment? Like, 'Wow, you're so amazing'?"
"Huh?" Qi Xia was taken aback, never expecting such a response from Yun Yao.
"I don't get it. What's the big deal about revealing memories?" Yun Yao asked. "We have memories of more cycles than others—isn't that a good thing? Have you been hiding this all along?"
"I…" Qi Xia's mind was racing. What Yun Yao said made sense. Could the Goatman really have passed along false information?
"If you keep it to yourself, how are you supposed to recognize your teammates?" Yun Yao continued. "That way, every cycle feels like a fresh start for you all. There's no way you'd ever get out of here."
Yes, when he thought about it, "Heaven's Mouth" had never followed this rule from the very beginning.
If Chu Tianqiu had hidden his memories, how could he have gathered everyone in the organization?
Qi Xia was increasingly convinced that this was a scheme by the Goatman.
Because he had to fulfill the terms of the contract—to guide everyone to "actively, voluntarily, and calmly walk toward death"—he would throw as many obstacles as possible in their path.
If anyone actually believed that statement, it would be nothing more than a wasted cycle.
Fortunately, "Heaven's Mouth" had arrived.
Their approach was completely opposite to the Goatman's, dispelling Qi Xia's concerns.
"In that case." Qi Xia turned to face Qiao Jiajin and Tiantian. "Since we're already teammates, it's only right that we tell you the truth. What I'm about to say is extremely important—it concerns the survival of all of us. Listen carefully."
"Important…?" Tiantian was startled. "Then I don't want to hear it…"
With that, she backed away a few steps and hid far off.
"What are you doing…?" Qiao Jiajin walked over and grabbed Tiantian. "Since both Liar boy and Idol girl know, that means it's not some 'you'll get your head chopped off for hearing this' kind of secret…"
"No." Tiantian waved her hand nervously. "I'm not exactly a smart person to begin with. The less I know, the better. Qi Xia himself said this information concerns everyone's survival—I can't bear that kind of responsibility…"
"Ah…" Qiao Jiajin didn't know how to persuade her and shot a pleading look at Qi Xia.
"Tiantian, it's fine." Qi Xia said. "Come and listen. After all, you're just after 'Dao,' right? I remember your goal. I won't make things difficult for you."
"I…"
It took Qi Xia about twenty minutes to explain everything to them in detail.
During that time, Qiao Jiajin listened with great interest, his expression shifting many times. Tiantian, who initially showed no interest, gradually became captivated after hearing a few sentences—after all, what Qi Xia was describing was simply too mind-boggling.
What did it mean that they would live and die, die and live, all within ten days?
What did it mean that "Echoers" retained their memories?
"Man…" Qiao Jiajin was utterly stunned after hearing it all. "Liar boy, is everything you said true?"
"This is everything I know so far," Qi Xia said. "Qiao Jiajin, you and I haven't just met. In the last cycle, we were comrades who relied on each other through life and death."
"That's not what I'm asking…" Qiao Jiajin blinked. "What I want to know is—did I really fight a bear?"
Qi Xia paused, then ultimately decided to ignore him.
"Anyway, there's nothing left to hide from you now," Qi Xia said. "Yun Yao is an 'Echoer,' and her ability is 'Strong Luck.' As for me, I retained my memories, so I'm likely an Echoer too, but I don't know what my ability is."
"So all this talk about 'Echo' you two were going on about—that's what it means?" Qiao Jiajin pondered for a moment and asked. "Basically superpowers, right? Like reading cards, seeing through things, hearing dice."
Yun Yao immediately gave a negative answer: "Didn't I say it? 'Echo' is a kind of belief. It's latent."
"Fine…" Qiao Jiajin shook his head helplessly. "Latent it is, then."
When Yun Yao mentioned the word "latent" for the second time, something clicked in Qi Xia's mind.
That is to say, "Echo" was essentially a trait. It didn't involve any "activating" process. Once an "Echo" was heard, the ability would always be there—even if you didn't want it, it would persist.
Han Yimo was the best example.
He simply couldn't shake off this "Echo."
The four of them chatted as they walked, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the very spot where Qi Xia and the others had first appeared.
The screen still displayed that chilling line of text.
"I have heard the Echo of 'Calamity.'"
Han Yimo's "Calamity" had been going on for a full day now.
"Calamity." Yun Yao looked up at the screen. "This is the second time I've seen this Echo. I wonder who the lucky one is?"
Lucky one?
Qi Xia let out a helpless sigh. He didn't know if Han Yimo was lucky or unlucky.
"So you know many types of Echoes?" Qi Xia asked.
"I do know a few types. Since no one teamed up with me last cycle, Chu Tianqiu assigned me to guard the westernmost display screen. I had to report the text on that screen to him every day, and I stayed there for three days straight."
"What…?" Qi Xia's eyes went wide. "You mean… last time, you spent three days in front of that display screen?"
"That's right." Yun Yao nodded. "The first three days were pretty eventful. Echo sounds kept coming one after another."
"Tell me." Qi Xia said urgently. "What Echoes did you see?"
Yun Yao touched her chin and said, "You're really interested in this?"
"Very much."
Qi Xia knew that the names of Echoes were important. Most of the time, you could deduce a person's ability just from the name.
Yun Yao nodded and began to speak slowly. "First, on the first day, two Echoes were triggered in succession. The first one was called 'Scapegoat.'"