Chapter 128: Types of Echoes

Seeking but not obtaining.

What a ridiculous twist of fate is this?

Who in this world hasn’t experienced the agony of “seeking but not obtaining”?

If mere unfulfilled desires could trigger echoes, wouldn’t Yun Yao, living in this place of extreme scarcity, be constantly resonating?

But she wasn’t.

Qiao Jiajin’s expression turned uneasy upon hearing this.

“Liar, Idol Girl, are you hiding something from us?” He squinted at the two suspiciously. “I may not like using my brain, but I’m not stupid. What exactly do you know about this place?”

Qi Xia hesitated, his face conflicted. He wasn’t used to lying to those he trusted, and the current situation left him feeling cornered.

“Qiao Jiajin, before I answer you… I’d like to ask Yun Yao one last question.”

“Me?” Yun Yao blinked in surprise. “What is it?”

Qi Xia pulled her aside and whispered, “What happens if we… expose our ‘memories’?”

“What happens?” Yun Yao tilted her head, momentarily at a loss. “What could happen? Should I praise you? Wow, you’re so amazing…”

“Huh?” Qi Xia was taken aback, completely unprepared for such a response.

“I don’t get it. What’s wrong with exposing memories?” Yun Yao pressed. “Isn’t it a good thing that we remember more cycles than others? Have you been hiding this all along?”

“I…” Qi Xia’s mind raced. Yun Yao had a point—had the Sheep Man really fed them false information?

“If you keep hiding it, how can you recognize your teammates?” Yun Yao continued. “That way, every cycle feels like a fresh start, making escape impossible.”

Indeed, upon reflection, “Paradise” had never followed this rule from the beginning.

If Chu Tianqiu had concealed his memories, how could he have gathered everyone in the organization?

Qi Xia grew increasingly convinced this was one of the Sheep Man’s schemes.

Bound by his contract to “guide everyone to willingly and calmly embrace death,” he would litter their path with as many obstacles as possible.

Anyone who believed this lie would waste an entire cycle.

Thankfully, “Paradise” had arrived.

Their approach, completely opposite to the Sheep Man’s, dispelled Qi Xia’s doubts.

“In that case,” Qi Xia turned to Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian, “since we’re teammates now, it’s only right to tell you the truth. What I’m about to say is crucial—it concerns our survival. Listen carefully.”

“Crucial…?” Tian Tian stiffened. “Then I’d rather not hear it…”

She took several steps back, distancing herself.

“What’s with you…?” Qiao Jiajin grabbed her arm. “If Liar and Idol Girl know, it can’t be some ‘death sentence’ kind of secret…”

“No.” Tian Tian waved her hands anxiously. “I’m not smart to begin with. The less I know, the better. Qi Xia said this involves everyone’s survival—I can’t bear that responsibility…”

“This…” Qiao Jiajin didn’t know how to persuade her and shot Qi Xia a pleading look.

“Tian Tian, it’s fine,” Qi Xia reassured. “Come listen. After all, you just want ‘the Path,’ right? I remember your goal—I won’t make things hard for you.”

“I…”

Qi Xia spent the next twenty minutes explaining everything in detail.

Qiao Jiajin listened with rapt attention, his expression shifting multiple times. Tian Tian, initially disinterested, gradually became engrossed—Qi Xia’s story was simply too unbelievable.

What did he mean by them living and dying within ten days, over and over?

What were these “Echoers” who retained their memories?

“Dang it…” Qiao Jiajin was stunned. “Liar, is all this true?”

“This is everything I know,” Qi Xia said. “Qiao Jiajin, we didn’t just meet. In the last cycle, we were already comrades who relied on each other for survival.”

“That’s not what I’m asking…” Qiao Jiajin blinked. “I’m asking—did I really fight a bear?”

Qi Xia paused, then decided to ignore him.

“Anyway, there’s nothing left to hide,” Qi Xia continued. “Yun Yao is an ‘Echoer’—her ability is ‘Extreme Luck.’ I’ve retained my memories, so I might also be one, though I don’t know what my ability is.”

“So this ‘Echo’ you’ve been talking about is like a superpower?” Qiao Jiajin mused. “Card tricks, X-ray vision, dice listening—that kind of thing?”

Yun Yao immediately corrected him. “I already told you—’Echo’ is a belief. It’s latent.”

“Fine…” Qiao Jiajin sighed. “Latent it is.”

When Yun Yao mentioned “latent” a second time, Qi Xia seemed to grasp something.

In other words, “Echo” was an inherent trait—not something one “activated.” Once the “Echo” was heard, the ability persisted, whether you wanted it or not.

Han Yimo was the perfect example.

He couldn’t rid himself of this “Echo.”

As the four of them talked and walked, they eventually arrived at the site where Qi Xia and the others had first appeared.

The screen still displayed that eerie sentence:

“I heard the Echo of ‘Calamity.'”

Han Yimo’s “Calamity” had lasted an entire day.

“Calamity,” Yun Yao murmured, looking up. “This is the second time I’ve seen this Echo. I wonder who the lucky one is?”

Lucky?

Qi Xia sighed inwardly. He wasn’t sure whether Han Yimo was lucky or cursed.

“So you know a lot about the types of ‘Echoes’?” Qi Xia asked.

“I do know some. In the last cycle, since no one teamed up with me, Chu Tianqiu assigned me to monitor the westernmost display. I reported the text on it to him daily for three days straight.”

“Wha—” Qi Xia’s eyes widened. “You mean… you stayed by that display for three days last time?”

“Yes.” Yun Yao nodded. “The first three days were lively—Echoes kept resonating one after another.”

“Tell me,” Qi Xia pressed urgently. “What ‘Echoes’ did you see?”

Yun Yao rubbed her chin. “You’re really fixated on this, huh?”

“I am. Very much so.”

Qi Xia knew the names of the “Echoes” were crucial—most revealed the nature of the ability.

Yun Yao nodded and began recounting:

“On the first day, two Echoes triggered back-to-back. The first was called ‘Scapegoat.'”