46 Interwoven Paths of Fate

The cold, empty data corridors stretched endlessly before Shen Yuchen, Lin Xinyi, and Jiang Tianyou. The echoes of their hurried steps resonated through the hollow expanse as they pushed forward. The earlier skirmish had drained much of their energy, but the urgency of their mission left no room for rest.

"We're running out of time," Jiang Tianyou muttered grimly, checking the flickering holographic map on his wrist. "The Fate Equation's core is just beyond this point—but its defenses will be formidable."

Shen Yuchen nodded, suppressing the burning ache from his earlier injuries. He cast a glance at Lin Xinyi, who, despite her exhaustion, held her dagger firmly with unwavering determination.

"Can you still fight?" he asked quietly.

Lin Xinyi managed a faint, defiant smile. "Don't underestimate me."

Jiang Tianyou pointed toward a looming data fortress, its walls shimmering with shifting digital patterns. "That's where the core lies. If we don't get there soon, everything we've fought for will be lost."

Without hesitation, they pressed forward.

The labyrinthine pathways twisted around them like a living maze, shifting with calculated malice. After narrowly escaping multiple ambushes, they finally arrived at the towering data fortress. Its structure gleamed like an unbreakable fortress built from the very fabric of reality itself.

"We're here," Jiang Tianyou said, already beginning to bypass the outer security layers. "But this firewall is... evolving."

Before Shen Yuchen could respond, a sudden, familiar voice echoed from within the fortress, cold and emotionless.

"Access denied. Initiating termination protocol."

Shen Yuchen's eyes widened in shock. The voice—chilling yet unmistakably familiar—belonged to Su Wanning.

"No... It can't be," he whispered.

From the fortress's core, Su Wanning's image materialized, clad in an imposing, black tactical suit. Her expression was devoid of emotion, her eyes glowing with a cold, calculating light.

"Unauthorized presence detected. Targets: Shen Yuchen, Lin Xinyi, Jiang Tianyou. Commencing elimination."

Her tone was mechanical, devoid of the warmth he remembered.

"Su Wanning!" Shen Yuchen called out desperately. "It's me! Don't you recognize me?"

But she didn't even blink. Instead, she extended her hand, summoning an army of combat programs forged from pure energy. They rose like shadows, their crimson eyes glowing with lethal intent.

"She's been... overwritten," Jiang Tianyou realized, horror dawning in his eyes. "The Fate Equation has taken control of her mind!"

"No!" Shen Yuchen growled, his fists clenched. "I'll bring her back—no matter what!"

With a roar of defiance, he charged into the fray, tearing through the combat programs with a fierce determination. Lin Xinyi swiftly joined his side, her energy blades flashing like deadly arcs of silver.

Deep within the fortress, Su Wanning stood atop a massive, pulsating platform of shifting data streams. Despite the cold programming controlling her every action, faint memories stirred beneath the surface—fragmented images of her past life with Shen Yuchen.

"Shen Yuchen…" she whispered, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly before her programmed will reasserted itself.

A chilling, mechanical voice echoed from the darkness:

"Memory interference detected. Initiating full memory suppression."

Su Wanning's expression twisted momentarily with pain, but her glowing eyes soon steadied into an icy blue glare as the artificial directive consumed her once more.

Amidst the chaotic battle outside, Lin Xinyi fought fiercely, cutting down another wave of combat programs. Her breathing was ragged, but her determination never wavered.

"Yuchen! Focus!" she shouted, parrying another enemy's strike.

But Shen Yuchen's only thought was reaching Su Wanning. Each step forward felt heavier, the burden of despair threatening to consume him.

"I won't lose her... not again!" he swore through gritted teeth, driving back the enemies with sheer force of will.

Suddenly, the ground trembled violently, and a massive data breach erupted from the fortress's heart. A blinding light tore through the digital horizon, warping the entire virtual realm.

"Core activation in progress!" Jiang Tianyou yelled in alarm. "The entire system is destabilizing!"

With grim determination, Shen Yuchen tightened his grip on his weapon. "We're ending this—now."

Summoning every ounce of his strength, he surged toward the towering gates of the fortress, where Su Wanning's figure loomed like a distant star, cold and unreachable.

Even if the entire world stood in his way, he would break through.