Veils of the Lotus
Night settled over Jiangbei City like ink. Wei Lingxu stepped out of Old Gu's workshop, the door clanking shut behind him. In his palm, the Void Core pulsed with molten-orange light—a steady heartbeat that drilled into his skull, reminding him of the path he'd chosen. Beneath the neon haze and perpetual drizzle, every shadow seemed poised to strike. And with the Shattered Lotus Sect hunting him, Wei had little choice but to stay one step ahead.
He accessed the Omni Providence Matrix to review his status. A holo‐interface shimmered before his eyes:
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[OMNI PROVIDENCE MATRIX]
Tier 1: Fractured Ember [Unlocked]
Tier 2: Echoing Rift [Unlocked]
Tier 3: Annihilation Flux [Available]
[Experience: 5,200 / 10,000]
[Vitality: 90 / 100]
[Willpower: 80 / 100]
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The Matrix's soft voice whispered: "Annihilation Flux ready for activation. Use with caution—drains 20% vitality per blast." Wei's jaw clenched. He'd need that power soon, but first he had to find the whisperer rumored to unlock hidden tiers. According to urbex legends, the "Lotus Oracle" dwelled in the depths of the Shattered Lotus Temple in Grid‐block 7. A cruel irony, he mused: the very sect pursuing him might hold the key to his next breakthrough.
He tucked a collapsible dark‐steel blade into his coat and melted into the wet streets. Rainwater pooled in neon reflections, fracturing streetlights into long prisms. Every alley offered escape routes and potential ambushes. Wei tapped into Echoing Rift, phasing through a steel grate to avoid a roving patrol of corporate security drones. The world felt weightless as he slipped between matter, each pulse of power a careful negotiation with the Matrix.
In minutes, he reached the outskirts of Grid‐block 7 an oppressive district dominated by a sprawling, half‐ruined temple perched atop a landfill of scrap metal. Cracked stone steps led upward, stained by acid rain and sect‐forged blood. Gargoyle statues ancient lotus blossoms carved in obsidian gazed down with unreadable expressions.
A lone guard in tattered sect robes stood at the base. A golden mask concealed his features; twin daggers gleamed at his belt. Wei drew in a steady breath.
"Lost child?" the guard rasped, voice echoing under the eaves. "This temple is closed. You have nothing to offer the Lotus."
Wei's reply was a soft murmur as he activated Echoing Rift one last time. With a barely audible slip, he phased past the guard, materializing on the next landing. The man spun, eyes widening as his hand dove for a dagger but Wei was gone in an eyeflick.
He climbed the steps two at a time, void‐ember fire flickering along his arms to mask the hollowness in his chest. At the top, the temple's inner courtyard sprawled, bathed in the pale glow of lunar holograms. Intricate rune‐carved pillars, half‐sunk in debris, formed a circle around a shattered halo of jade.
In the center hovered a figure clothed in lotus‐white silks: the Lotus Oracle. Hair like spilled ink draped over broad shoulders; eyes glimmered like polished quartz. On her palm floated a lotus petal carved from bone, etched with half‐erased glyphs.
"Wei Lingxu," she said, voice both distant and intimate. "You carry the Void Core."
Wei halted ten paces away. His voice was low, cautious: "You know me."
"Names are but echoes," the Oracle replied. "What matters is the Core's purpose and your willingness to embrace the Rift beyond."
She extended the bone petal. Wei felt the Matrix stir. Holographic sigils danced in his vision:
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[OMNI PROVIDENCE MATRIX]
Tier 3: Annihilation Flux [Available]
Lotus Oracle's Blessing [Activate ?]
[Vitality: 88 / 100]
[Willpower: 78 / 100]
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Wei swallowed. The Oracle's petal was a catalyst legend claimed it unlocked hidden sub‐tiers within Annihilation Flux, forging soul‐shards capable of severing even Devourer tendrils. Yet each soul‐shard exacted a toll: bone would crack, memories would fracture, and the Core's hunger would grow.
"What's the price?" he asked.
Her smile was serene, yet her eyes held the weight of countless fates. "Every step you take beyond Echoing Rift erodes what makes you human. Lotus petal will grant you Flux's true power if you surrender a fragment of your past."
Wei's mind flashed to his parents' faces, his grandmother's lullabies. He clenched his fists, refusing to yield memories that anchored his soul. Still, he needed that power. The Devourers would not wait while he toyed with restraint.
He nodded once, almost imperceptibly.
The Oracle's outstretched hand glowed. A filament of white energy braided into the Void Core at his side. Wei felt the world tilt—time slowed, and the rain's pitter‐patter became the tolling of a thousand bells.
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[SYSTEM UPDATE: OMNI PROVIDENCE MATRIX]
Tier 3: Annihilation Flux [Unlocked]
[Void Shard Mechanics Integrated]
[Annihilation Burst: deal massive void‐energy damage; sever soul bonds]
[Soul‐Shard Overdrive: drains 30% vitality, 20% willpower per use]
[New Objective: Trial by Lotus – Master Annihilation Flux against three initiates within the courtyard.]
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Wei staggered as his vitality bar dipped to 60/100. Yet his eyes flared with newfound resolve. He drew the fractured blade and activated Tier 3. The courtyard's holographic lights dimmed, replaced by a silent, obsidian gloom. Across the perimeter, three sect initiates emerged—robes stained, eyes glazed with fanatic devotion.
The first lunged with a long staff. Wei countered with Annihilation Flux, a jagged wave of void‐energy that tore through the staff and splintered the attacker's grip. The man fell screaming, clutching a shard of blackened wood.
The second charged with a pair of curved blades. Wei summoned a soul‐shard: a crystalline fragment carved from the Core itself, humming with void resonance. He hurled it-it struck both blades and the attacker's arm, siphoning flesh and willpower in one brutal explosion. The man collapsed, convulsing.
The third hesitated at the courtyard's edge, terror flickering in his eyes. Wei closed the distance in a heartbeat. He could have spared him—left the boy alive with no power. But power demanded sacrifice. With a flick of his wrist, the Void Core flared. A final Annihilation Burst obliterated the third initiate in a silent flash, leaving only a puddle of rain‐water and ash.
The lotus‐white Oracle stood unmoved. As the dust settled and holographic pillars flickered back online, she inclined her head. "You have passed the Trial by Lotus," she intoned. "But remember: true sovereignty demands balance. Without mercy, the Void becomes your master."
Wei wiped his blade on his coat, chest heaving. His vitality read 45/100; willpower 52/100. He'd crossed a line. In three brutal strikes, he'd tasted the Core's absolute destruction—and felt the cold echo of his own heart chipping away.
The Oracle stretched out both hands, and the shattered jade halo in the courtyard reformed into a perfect ring. "Your next path awaits: Nexus Convergence. Seek the Three‐Veils Citadel in the Storm Isles. There lies the means to restore what you've lost."
Wei hesitated, voice rough: "Restore… memories?"
She nodded. "Or learn to live without them."
Lightning cracked overhead. Wei Lingxu stared at the pulsing Void Core, then at the silent Oracle. In that charged moment, he realized the cost of power: every step forward would demand another piece of his soul. Yet he would not retreat.
He lifted his gaze to the storm‐torn sky and whispered, "Then show me the way."
Rain sluiced down the obsidian lotus petals. Far below, Jiangbei City's neon skyline pulsed like a fading heartbeat waiting for its new sovereign to rise.