The defeat at Origin Valley left more than just bruises. It left a crack in their unity. Saanvi's betrayal echoed like a scar across the group. Rishi didn't talk much. He trained quietly—faster, stronger, more tactical. But the fire in his eyes had changed. It wasn't hope anymore.
It was purpose.
"There's one place Veil will never touch," said Rehan as he scanned the map projected from a salvaged tech-core."Where?""The CoreScript Vault—an ancient AI facility that predates the first hack surge. It's hidden in the Burned Zone, under what used to be Silicon Hills."
"What's inside?" asked Nyra."Original cheat logs," Rehan said. "Alpha player experiments. Patch logs. Failed AI trainers… including one that nearly broke the world.""And maybe the truth about Veil," Rishi muttered.
The Journey Through the Burned Zone
The Burned Zone was worse than anything they'd seen. A storm of corrupted data whirled in the sky like a permanent hurricane. Creatures born of bugged code and half-loaded textures swarmed the wastelands.
Enemies with backward limbs, moving like broken ragdolls.
Data leeches that could drain powers, freezing them mid-use.
Error Zones that reset reality around them every 5 minutes.
"We're in a dead patch," Rehan warned. "If we die here, we respawn… somewhere else. Possibly as someone else."
But Rishi was undeterred.
Using his leftover Trainer access, he rewired his own internal systems—not with cheats, but subroutines. Instead of infinite stamina, he built adaptive stamina. Instead of god mode, he built code mirrors to deflect attacks back temporarily.
"I'm done relying on hacks," he said. "Time to earn what I take."
The Vault Entrance – A Trial of Identity
After three days, they reached a crater rim. At the center, floating slightly off the ground, was a rotating obsidian cube covered in glowing runes.
WELCOME, PLAYER. IDENTITY REQUIRED.
"It's like a security system," Rehan muttered. "It scans your deepest code."
Nyra stepped forward. Denied.
Rehan tried. Rejected.
Rishi walked up… and the cube unfolded into stairs.
ACCESS GRANTED. PLAYER ID: 000001-BETA-RS1.WELCOME BACK… TRAINER.
Inside the Vault – The Forgotten Logs
Inside, a vast chamber stretched endlessly. Floating data blocks rotated midair. Broken holograms of trainers past flickered, frozen mid-battle.
In the center of the Vault was a giant glowing monolith labeled:
"CoreScript Log 00 – Project: MIRROR"
Rishi touched it.
Suddenly, the Vault projected a timeline map—multiple parallel timelines where Rishi existed in other forms: a villain, a hero, a coward, a god.
Then… one timeline pulsed red.
A log opened:
"Log Entry #9999 – Deleted Trainer Clone: Subject 'V.E.I.L.'""Created as a failsafe backup of the main player. Rejected due to aggressive behavior and refusal to abide by player-morality constraints.""File marked for deletion. Outcome: Escaped into corrupted patchworld. Developed own Trainer system by absorbing failed cheat codes. Current danger level: UNKNOWN."
"He's not just another player," Rishi whispered."He's you," Nyra finished. "A version of you… that wasn't kind."
Suddenly the Vault dimmed. A red glitch shot across the walls.
INTRUSION DETECTED.REMOTE ACCESS FROM SUBJECT: VEIL.
The Vault Trap
The monolith cracked.
From it emerged a twisted version of Rehan—his glitch-clone.
"We meet again, myself," it growled, eyes red.
All around, error clones of the group appeared. Nyra's clone could reverse time. Rehan's clone had full map control. Even Rishi's clone stood, Trainer HUD glowing crimson.
"This is his warning," Rishi said. "He's telling me… every version of us has a limit."
But this time, Rishi smiled.
"So let's break that limit."
Rishi's New Unlock – Trainer.exe: Sync Mode
As the clones attacked, Rishi activated the glowing data node inside his wrist.
TRAINER.EXE UNLOCKED NEW FEATURE: SYNC MODE.Now syncing: Original Skills + Subconscious Adaptive Data.
He didn't copy Veil.
He synchronized with every version of himself from the corrupted timelines—pulling their skills without absorbing their morality.
The result?
Rishi became an adaptive anomaly. His attacks shifted style every second:
One punch echoed with berserker rage.
One step phased through space like a god.
One block emitted holy light.
"You're not fighting just me," Rishi roared."You're fighting every version of me… that chose to stand back up."
Victory – But At a Cost
The clones fell. The Vault's security reset.
But before they could leave, a message appeared—burned into the wall by Veil himself:
"You found the past. Congrats.""But the future? That's mine.""Next patch… we play for keeps."
Suddenly, the Vault's floor cracked open.
And something ancient began to rise.
A core-beast—coded from every failed trainer AI—roared to life.
"Let's get out—" Rehan shouted.
"No," Rishi said. "Let's finish what we started."
End of Chapter 6