"Zzzt...zzzt-zzzt..."
Discarded light nuclei piled up like mountains,emitting a mixture of metallic rust and the smell of decaying energy.
This was the"Forgotten Corner"of Ash City,a no-man's-land.
Lin An skillfully wielded his mechanical arm,sweeping the dull,abandoned light nuclei into a recycling bin.
He was dressed in overalls stained with oil,and his right hand was covered in a pair of tattered,fingerless gloves.
Beneath the gloves,from his right knuckles to his wrist,there was an eerie translucent hue,as if made of ice crystals.
"Crystallization Disease"—the price of long-term exposure to the contaminated zone.
His gaze swept over the crystals that had once determined the fates of countless people,numb and cold.
Suddenly,his fingertips brushed against a sharp-edged fragment.
It was not an ordinary abandoned light nucleus.
This light nucleus was shattered beyond recognition,with only a fingernail-sized piece remaining,carrying a faint energy fluctuation.
An inexplicable impulse made him remove his right glove.
His transparent fingers gently touched the fragment.
Buzz——!
A cold torrent surged into his mind in an instant!
It was not energy,but memories!The innate passive ability of an Eroded Light Bearer had been triggered!
Fragmented images,distorted sounds,like a poor-quality projection.
[...Hurry up and leave!Take An with you...]
A vague figure of a woman,her voice choked with tears and determination.
[...Target confirmed...Eroded Light Bearer lineage...Eliminate...]
Several figures in black uniforms,their faces hidden in shadows,their voices like metal grinding.
On their chests,there was no light nucleus,only a pitch-black emblem.
The woman's figure was forcibly dragged away,and she struggled to look back,her eyes filled with endless worry and...a determination that Lin An could not comprehend.
[...Survive...Find the"Key"...]
The scene cut off abruptly.
Lin An jerked his hand back,his heart pounding wildly,as if it would burst through his chest.
That woman...
was his mother!
The mother who had disappeared twelve years ago!
The black-clad figures...Eroded Light Bearer lineage...Key...
These fragmented words stabbed into his mind like steel needles.
Sweat instantly soaked his back.
So,his mother's disappearance was not an accident!
The obsession of twelve years suddenly pierced his heart.
He instinctively reached for his chest.
There,close to his body,was a rusty brass pocket watch.
Opening the watch cover,there were no clock hands inside,but some twisted,incomprehensible,and bizarre symbols.
This was the only thing his mother had left him.
"Key..."
He muttered to himself,his eyes sharp as a blade.
to be continued...