Virtual Reality Cultivator-Chapter 57: Echoes of the Past

After the chaos and explosion at the Zenith base, the Ardent Flame glided silently through the void, heading toward a temporary rest point hidden deep in the lonely asteroid belt. Wounds were being treated, bodies finally resting—but Ethan's mind was louder than ever.

In the command room, Seraphina scanned the data they had extracted from Zenith's servers just before the explosion. Her eyes narrowed at one suspicious, heavily encrypted folder:

"Project Phaethon."

"What's that?" Ethan asked, standing behind her.

Seraphina's fingers flew across the holographic keyboard. "It'll take time to fully decrypt, but there's one readable text file."

She pulled up the contents.

"Subject P-01: Ember."

Ethan froze. "Ember? You mean... her?"

Seraphina looked up, her face grave. "Looks like Zenith was researching Ember long before we even knew who she truly was."

A Familiar Presence

Nova entered with a confused look. "You both need to see this."

He pulled up a recording from one of Zenith's surveillance feeds, captured right before the explosion. On the screen, a tall figure with white hair and eyes like cold glass stood in the center of the command chamber, staring at a large monitor.

Ethan recognized him instantly.

"Victor..."

Claire walked in just in time to hear the name. "Your former commander?"

Ethan nodded slowly. "He was supposed to be dead... I saw his ship go down three years ago."

Seraphina enhanced the image. "If he's alive—and working with Zenith—it might explain how they're always one step ahead of us."

A Quiet Conversation

Later that night, Ethan sat in the observation deck beside Lena. The little girl clutched her worn-out plush toy, gazing at the stars outside the window.

"Are you my rescuer?" she asked softly.

Ethan smiled gently. "Nova's the one who saved you. I just helped a little."

Lena nodded thoughtfully. "Still, you're nice. Like... a hero from a storybook."

Simple words, but they struck deep—like a healing salve on Ethan's wounded heart. Yet he knew: heroes alone wouldn't be enough to face the ghosts of the past now rising to the surface.

Emergency Meeting

The next morning, the entire crew gathered in the strategy room. On the main screen, Seraphina revealed what she had decrypted from the Project Phaethon folder.

"Turns out... Zenith's been conducting genetic and psionic experiments for a long time. They were creating the perfect soldiers. Ember—Subject P-01—was one of their earliest results."

Claire's eyes widened. "But Ember isn't from this world."

Seraphina nodded. "Exactly. These files suggest Zenith had access to transdimensional technology. That might be how Ember ended up here."

Ethan exhaled slowly. "And now... they're trying to replicate the project."

Bell slammed a fist on the table. "Then we take them out. All the way. No mercy."

A Difficult Decision

Ethan stood before the crew, his voice calm but resolute.

"We can't just survive anymore. From now on, we go on the offensive. We find Zenith's main base. We trace every shadow of their past. Because this isn't just about revenge now... it's about saving the future."

Everyone nodded.

They were no longer just a rogue team of survivors or ex-military fugitives. They had become a real threat to the organization hiding the galaxy's darkest truths.

And through it all... Ethan knew one thing with certainty:

He would have to face his past—especially the ghost who still bore the name Victor.

End of Chapter

That night, as the Ardent Flame drifted through the stars, Ember stood alone on the upper deck, staring into the darkness of space. In her hand, she held a small metal shard—emblazoned with the Zenith insignia—found tucked inside the lining of an old jacket.

"Who am I... really?"

The soft whisper faded into the void between stars.

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But the answer... was drawing near.