The silence after battle was always the loudest.
Lin Chen sat in the half-collapsed warehouse, his back pressed against a steel beam still warm from the explosion. In his hand, the broken remains of Li Chu's bracelet pulsed faintly. It wasn't just an accessory anymore—it was a mystery, a thread pulling him deeper into a story far older than he'd imagined.
A story that had started long before he ever got his system.
System Notification:"Enhanced scan mode engaged.""Analyzing residual data signatures in Artifact: Echo-Chain Prototype 0.3."Estimated time: 00:02:19"
Lin Chen stared at the shimmer of energy on the bracelet. He couldn't stop thinking about the image—Li Chu as a child, unconscious, floating in a lab tank. Her soft features distorted by the glass, her body covered in cords and neural patches.
How long had she been a part of all this?
More importantly... why didn't she remember?
"Was it erased?" he muttered. "Or sealed?"
The system's pulse intensified.
System Notification:"Subject anomaly: Li Chu.Classification: Latent Prototype (Class-A).Anomaly: Embedded subsystem data sealed within cranial neural lattice.Origin: System Genesis Core Project. Estimated time: 15+ years ago."
Lin Chen narrowed his eyes.
"She's not just a prototype... she's one of the first."
His mind spun with connections. Her uncanny instinct. Her reaction time. The fact that Erebus hadn't killed her—but taken her.
"They want to restart what they failed to finish."
As the scan completed, a new structure emerged—a digital fragment embedded in the bracelet's core. A fragment that resembled a key.
System Prompt:"Memory Fragment Identified: LOCKED.""This fragment is synchronized with Subject Li Chu's consciousness. Direct link required to access."Warning: Interference may result in neural backlash."
Lin Chen stood abruptly.
"I need to find her."
But before he could move, the system chimed again—this time with something more… personal.
A faint voice played in the back of his mind, unbidden.
"If something happens to me… I want you to promise me something.""Don't come for me just because you think I'm weak.""Come for me because you believe I'm worth saving."
It was something she'd said weeks ago, almost in jest. But now it rang with frightening clarity.
He paced, then activated his internal comm net. Only one person came to mind.
"Zhao Wei," he said. "I need everything you can get on Erebus' recent movements. Especially anything related to missing civilians, unauthorized labs, or energy surges."
"You think they've taken someone?" Zhao's voice was sharp. Alert.
"Not someone. Her."
There was silence.
"Copy that. Sending feelers through the underweb. Give me an hour."
Lin Chen closed the comm. That was the best he could hope for—for now.
System Notification:"Hidden Ability Unlocked via Artifact Synchronization."Name: [System Sense – Latent Core Detection Lv.1]Effect: Allows limited detection of unawakened or sealed system cores within 50-meter radius.Status: ACTIVE
A new interface popped up. In the center, a red dot flickered faintly.
But it wasn't near.
It was moving.
"She's alive... and they're relocating her."
The dot stabilized—hovering briefly on the map overlay.
Location: Sector B-9 – Industrial Memory Facility.Status: Decommissioned. Now privately owned under Erebus shell corp.
Lin Chen clenched his fists.
"They never destroy what they can reuse."
He geared up—cloak module, tactical boots, backup kinetic blade. Then added the only truly irreplaceable item: Li Chu's bracelet, now glowing faintly in sync with his core.