LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 22: 22 Echoes of the Forgotten
The crimson eyes gleamed menacingly in the dark, their cold gaze piercing through the eerie silence of the ancient hall. Shen Yuchen instinctively stepped in front of Su Waning, gripping his energy dagger tightly, though his heart pounded like a war drum.
"Who's there?" Shen Yuchen demanded, his voice steady despite the rising tension.
A slow, deliberate clapping echoed through the vast space. From the shadows emerged a tall, cloaked figure with an air of predatory grace. His long coat shimmered like liquid shadows, and his eyes burned with a malevolent red glow.
"Well done, passing the Trial of Resolve," the man drawled, his voice smooth but laced with malice. "Few make it this far."
AIC-01 shifted subtly into a defensive stance, its hand still gripping its energy blade. "Identify yourself."
The man chuckled. "You can call me Kaelen." He spread his arms dramatically, as though welcoming them. "Guardian of Secrets... or perhaps, just a curious observer."
Shen Yuchen narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?"
Kaelen smirked. "Want? No, no... I'm only here because you have something I need." His eyes gleamed dangerously. "The Relic responds only to souls bound by fate… and you two seem uniquely qualified."
Before anyone could react, Kaelen flicked his wrist. The entire hall trembled violently as dark tendrils of shadow erupted from the ground, twisting toward Shen Yuchen and Su Waning like living chains.
"Get back!" Shen Yuchen shouted, pushing Su Waning aside just as the tendrils struck the spot where they stood. Sparks flew as AIC-01's blade cleaved through another attacking shadow, its movements precise and calculated.
"You are persistent," Kaelen mused, unfazed by their resistance. "But fighting fate is... pointless."
A Desperate Escape
Shen Yuchen's mind raced as he deflected another tendril with his dagger. Every strike seemed to dissolve the dark energy momentarily, but the shadows reformed even faster. He realized they couldn't win by brute force alone.
"AIC-01, any weaknesses?" he shouted.
"Target unknown. Data insufficient," AIC-01 replied tersely. "Recommend retreat."
"Retreat to where?" Su Waning gasped, barely dodging another strike.
Just then, Shen Yuchen spotted the faintly glowing runes beneath their feet. A sudden idea sparked in his mind. The runes seemed similar to the ancient symbols on the pedestal they'd seen earlier. Could they be part of some hidden mechanism?
"Buy me some time!" Shen Yuchen yelled, already sprinting toward the central pedestal.
Su Waning's eyes widened, but she nodded resolutely. Grabbing a discarded energy staff from one of the fallen guardians, she stood her ground, hurling bolts of crackling energy at the attacking tendrils.
AIC-01 moved fluidly beside her, its blade tracing arcs of deadly precision. Despite the overwhelming odds, they fought with fierce determination.
Unlocking the Seal
Reaching the ancient pedestal, Shen Yuchen frantically studied the glowing runes. They pulsed faintly, as though waiting for something—or someone.
"Think, Yuchen," he muttered. "Symbols... sequences..."
He pressed his hand against the cold stone surface. The runes glowed brighter, and a pulse of energy surged beneath his fingertips. Memories—not his own—flashed through his mind: visions of battles fought, sacrifices made, and a promis
Suddenly, he understood.
Summoning all his focus, Shen Yuchen traced the runes in a specific sequence. The stone beneath him groaned as ancient gears rumbled to life. Faint streams of light shot from the pedestal toward the hall's walls, forming a radiant barrier that pushed back the advancing shadows.
"What?!" Kaelen snarled, his calm demeanor shattered as the protective light disrupted his dark tendrils.
The pedestal glowed fiercely, and Shen Yuchen felt a strange, resonating warmth in his chest. It was as if the relic itself recognized him—not as an intruder, but as someone destined to be here.
A deep, resonant voice echoed through the hall:
"Bearer of Resolve... Prove your truth."
A Glimpse into the Past
Before anyone could react, a blinding light enveloped the entire hall. Shen Yuchen's vision blurred as he felt himself being pulled into the heart of the Relic's energy.
When his senses returned, he found himself standing in a surreal, shifting landscape—a realm where time and space seemed to twist and ripple like fluid. Ghostly fragments of long-forgotten memories floated past him, shimmering like echoes of the past.
"Where... am I?" Shen Yuchen whispered.
"Inside the Relic's Memory Nexus."
He turned sharply at the familiar voice. Standing before him was... himself—but clad in futuristic combat gear, radiating an aura of command and experience.
"You..." Shen Yuchen breathed in shock.
The other him nodded slowly. "I am who you could become... if you survive what's coming."
Their surroundings shifted, showing visions of battles, worlds torn apart, and ancient powers vying for control. Shen Yuchen watched in stunned silence as he witnessed a future shaped by choices he had yet to make.
"Why show me this?" he demanded.
"Because fate is not set," his future self replied solemnly. "You still have time to change your destiny... but only if you accept who you truly are."
Return to Reality
With a sudden jolt, Shen Yuchen was pulled back into the hall. The Relic's energy shield still held, though its light flickered dangerously. Kaelen, now visibly enraged, unleashed a torrent of dark power against the barrier, determined to shatter it.
But something had changed in Shen Yuchen. He rose slowly, his eyes gleaming with newfound resolve. The dagger in his hand transformed, extending into a radiant energy blade, pulsing with the same light as the Relic's runes.
"Let's end this," Shen Yuchen growled, stepping forward with unyielding determination.
Kaelen sneered, but there was a flicker of doubt in his crimson eyes.
In the distance, the hall's ancient mechanisms continued to awaken, as though the entire Relic itself was preparing for something far greater than a mere battle.