Chapter 50 – The Fragments of a Forgotten Multiverse
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The Vault's True Form
Luo Fan stepped through the massive gateway, Shen Mu at his side, EchoStar flickering with dim light.
The Vault was… not what he expected.
Instead of a dark, hidden library or a tomb of ancient artifacts, the space before them was a swirling, infinite sea of fragmented memories, broken codes, and erased timelines.
Countless shattered visions flickered in and out of existence—worlds that had been deleted, figures that had once held importance but had been reduced to whispers of data.
Luo Fan felt an overwhelming sense of déjà vu.
As if he had been here before.
> "Well… this place is cheerful," EchoStar muttered. "I was expecting something ominous, but this is straight-up existential horror."
Shen Mu's expression was unreadable. "This is where the multiverse buries its mistakes."
Luo Fan nodded. "And we're here to dig them up."
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The First Fragment
They moved forward carefully, stepping on what seemed to be solidified data pathways—bridges formed from lost realities.
As they walked, images shifted around them.
A ruined world—where stars had collapsed, and the sky was frozen in time.
A battlefield—where forgotten warriors clashed in a war that had never officially existed.
A lone figure—whose face was blurred, yet oddly familiar.
> "Hey, uh… You see that?" EchoStar's voice was hesitant.
Luo Fan followed its gaze.
Amidst the fractured scenes, one particular fragment pulsed with unstable energy. Unlike the others, which flickered in and out like broken memories, this one persisted.
Shen Mu stepped closer. "It wants to be found."
Luo Fan reached out, and the moment his fingers touched the fragment—
The world shifted.
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A Voice from the Erased Past
Luo Fan found himself standing in an unfamiliar place.
Not the Vault. Not the multiverse he knew.
Instead, he was inside a grand, ancient palace, its walls lined with glowing symbols—ones that looked eerily similar to the runes he had seen on the Architect's constructs.
And standing in the center of the hall…
Was a man draped in celestial robes, his face hidden behind a half-cracked mask.
"So… you've finally found your way here."
Luo Fan tensed. "Who are you?"
The man chuckled, shaking his head.
"I could ask you the same question. After all… you are an anomaly, just like me."
Luo Fan's breath caught.
This wasn't just some erased memory.
This was something far older—a presence buried beneath the multiverse's very foundation.
> "Oh, great," EchoStar whispered. "We just unlocked a cosmic-level secret, didn't we?"
The masked man stepped forward.
"Tell me, Luo Fan… Do you truly understand what you are?"
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The Weight of an Answer
Luo Fan's mind raced.
What he was? That wasn't a question about his cultivation, his sect, or his livestreaming system.
This was something deeper.
Shen Mu stood beside him, silent, but his expression was tense.
Luo Fan narrowed his eyes. "I don't play games with cryptic entities. If you have something to say, say it."
The masked man laughed—a sound that echoed across the fragmented space.
"Very well. Then let me ask you this—why do you think you survived the Reset? Why do you think you were able to rewrite the multiverse itself?"
Luo Fan hesitated.
The masked man raised a hand, and the palace shook—revealing layers upon layers of hidden scripts, codes, and broken commands written into the very fabric of the world.
"You were never supposed to exist, Luo Fan."
"And yet, here you are."
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EchoStar's Warning
> "Hey, boss… I really, really don't like where this is going."
EchoStar's voice crackled. Something about this space—this fragment—was affecting it.
Luo Fan clenched his fists. "If you're trying to tell me I'm some grand mistake, you're wasting your breath. I don't care what the Architects planned—I make my own path."
The masked man tilted his head. "Is that so?"
Suddenly—the fragment began to collapse.
Shen Mu grabbed Luo Fan's arm. "Time's running out!"
Luo Fan turned back to the masked figure. "Who are you?!"
For the first time, the man's voice softened.
"The first who tried to break free."
And with that—
The world shattered.
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Returning to the Vault
Luo Fan stumbled back, gasping as reality reasserted itself.
The Vault was still there. Shen Mu was beside him. EchoStar was flickering wildly, its interface filled with glitched-out warnings.
> "I am going to be processing so many errors after this."
Luo Fan steadied himself. His hand was still warm from where he had touched the fragment.
Shen Mu exhaled. "That wasn't just a memory, was it?"
Luo Fan shook his head. "No. That was something… else."
He looked ahead.
Deeper into the Vault, more fragments pulsed with light. More secrets waited to be unearthed.
And at the very end—something vast, ancient, and dangerous stirred.
Luo Fan exhaled.
There was still much to uncover.
And he was not leaving without the truth.
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[Chapter End.]