Chapter 54 – The Door to the Forgotten Realm
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A Portal Between Erased Realities
The Void Anchor pulsed in Luo Fan's grasp, its dark light flickering in an unstable rhythm. The energy it radiated wasn't like spiritual qi or divine essence—it was wrong, unnatural.
The Merchant of Lost Things smiled thinly. "Step forward, and the way shall open."
Luo Fan narrowed his eyes. "What's the catch?"
> "Oh, I dunno, maybe the fact that we just traded a core memory for a ticket to the most cursed place in existence?" EchoStar muttered. "No big deal."
Shen Mu kept a firm grip on his sword. "I don't trust this merchant."
The Merchant chuckled. "Wise. But irrelevant." He gestured to the shimmering veil forming before them. "The Forgotten Realm does not bargain. It only takes."
Luo Fan took a breath. "Then let's see what it wants from me."
He stepped forward, pressing the Void Anchor against the veil.
Reality fractured.
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A Path That Shouldn't Exist
Darkness swallowed him whole.
No ground. No sky. No direction.
Just an endless abyss.
For a moment, Luo Fan felt himself falling without end.
Then—
A path formed beneath his feet.
A bridge of broken memories, shattered remnants of erased worlds.
> "Oh, great. We're literally walking on deleted history," EchoStar said dryly. "This is fine."
Luo Fan steadied himself. His body felt lighter—almost like he wasn't fully real.
Shen Mu appeared beside him, his figure flickering slightly. "This place… it's unstable."
Ahead of them, the bridge stretched into infinity.
And far, far in the distance—
A door.
A massive, weathered gate, its surface covered in faded engravings.
It pulsed with a familiar forbidden power.
> "That door, Luo Fan…" EchoStar's voice turned serious. "It's connected to the same kind of energy as the Devourer."
Luo Fan clenched his fists. "Then we're going in."
They took the first step forward—
And the bridge trembled.
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A Guardian of Forgotten Things
The air rippled.
A low, guttural growl rumbled from the void.
Luo Fan turned sharply—
And something rose from the abyss.
A towering figure, its body stitched together from countless broken fragments of existence.
It had no face. No eyes. Only a shifting, swirling void where its head should be.
"Step no further." The voice was like a thousand whispers overlapping at once.
Luo Fan didn't hesitate. "We're passing through."
> "Wow, no diplomacy, huh? Just straight to confrontation. Love that for us."
The Guardian moved.
Shadows lunged, twisting into razor-sharp chains that shot toward them.
Shen Mu's sword flashed, severing the first wave of attacks. "Luo Fan! Keep moving!"
Luo Fan surged forward—only for the Guardian to teleport instantly, appearing before him.
"You do not belong here."
A claw swiped toward him.
Luo Fan barely dodged, rolling across the unstable bridge.
> "Okay, new plan!" EchoStar yelped. "RUN."
Luo Fan gritted his teeth. "We're not running."
His eyes locked onto the door at the end of the bridge.
That was their destination.
That was the key.
They just had to reach it.
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[To Be Continued...]