The coordinates burned in Lin Xian's memory.
Deep beneath the jagged cliffs of the Withered Wastes, hidden under kilometers of dead earth and radiation storms, lay one of the System's five Architect Cores—Node Zero.
[Objective Confirmed – Architect Node Located]
[Security Status: Maximum | Threat Level: Omega-Prime]
[Warning: No user has ever returned from a direct Core assault]
But Lin Xian wasn't just a user anymore.
He stood at the edge of a crumbling ravine, cloak whipping behind him. The map given by the Forgotten Ones glowed faintly, reacting to his Dragonblood.
He stepped forward.
The moment his foot touched the stone, reality flickered.
Snap—
The world around him pixelated, breaking apart into shimmering fragments. A new dimension opened.
Not physical. Not spiritual. But code.
"Initializing Intruder Response…"
"Warning: Subject contains illegal architecture. System Override in Progress…"
Suddenly, robotic constructs surged into view—levitating guardians of pure data, shaped like shards of shattered crystal. They moved silently, slicing the air with impossible speed.
[Systembreaker Trait Active]
[Command Rewrite Available – Charges: 2]
[Target: Guardian Unit Zeta]
Lin Xian raised his hand. His mark ignited.
"Command Override: Reverse Allegiance."
One of the constructs froze mid-strike—then turned, slashing its own allies with precision. Lin Xian blinked behind another, embedding his blade into its core.
Each step closer to the Node, the pressure mounted. His thoughts felt slower. His body heavier. As if the System itself was trying to rewrite him.
"You're not a user anymore," a synthetic voice whispered. "You're a corruption. A virus."
The final chamber emerged—glass walls floating in infinity, a pulsing sphere of light hovering in the center.
This was it.
Node Zero.
[Warning: Attempting Unauthorized Access Will Trigger Core Collapse Protocol]
[Do you wish to proceed? Y/N]
Lin Xian didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
He stepped forward.
Alarms screamed.
Reality shattered.
And all at once, he was no longer in a chamber. He was inside the Node's memory—walking through flickering visions of the past: the rise of the Architects, the forging of the System, the betrayal of the first Dragonblood.
And then…
A voice.
Not machine. Not spirit.
But human.
"Lin Xian… You're not the first."
[New Character Introduced: Echo – The Last Architect]
[Status: Memory Fragment | Alignment: Unknown]
To be continued…