Metaverse of Mechas

📘 Chapter 142

🧭 Scene 1: Into the Exiled Zone

The Violet Dawn soared over a desolate, storm-torn wasteland known as the Exiled Zone—a no-fly, no-return area enveloped by quantum anomalies.

Zui's scanners fizzled.

"I'm losing satellite feed. The laws of physics here are... bending."

Kaelis, still recovering, murmured:

"There are voices here. Old ones. Watching."

Arin glanced at Zeron.

"This place feels like it's swallowing time itself."

Zeron looked out at the endless metallic skeletons of long-dead mechas littering the land.

"We're walking through the graveyard of gods."

🧱 Scene 2: The Vault's Gate

After hours of traversal, they reached a black monolith. Symbols etched across its face glowed faintly as Zeron approached.

Suddenly, Kaelis whispered:

"It's written in the Proto-Krono dialect… I can read it."

She raised her hand, placing it on the surface.

"Welcome, Blood of Kaelstrum. Enter Genesis."

The monolith rumbled, and the ground split open—revealing a spiral descent into darkness.

Zake: "That's not ominous at all."

The team descended, their suits adapting to the rising pressure and electromagnetic interference.

⚙️ Scene 3: The Heart of Genesis

They reached a vast underground chamber glowing with pulsating crystal veins—Krono in raw form, unrefined and violent.

At the center stood a sealed chamber with a glowing emblem—Project Genesis.

Zui gasped.

"This… this isn't a research lab. It's a tomb."

The chamber's walls played back holographic memories. In one, a younger Ravon Kaelstrum stood before a council of scientists.

"Krono is alive. It evolves. And if we keep using it… it will evolve us, whether we want it or not."

Another showed humanoid mecha-entities—proto-beings formed from Krono itself.

"We didn't create Krono. We disturbed it."

🧬 Scene 4: Zeron's Hidden Lineage

A vault slid open with Zeron's biometric imprint.

Inside—a stasis pod.

Arin: "Is that… a child?"

Zui examined the life signs.

"It's a clone… no, a hybrid. Human-Krono DNA."

A recording played.

"This was my final experiment. Project Helix. A being born from Krono, to interface with the Source."

"Zeron... you were never just my son. You were my contingency."

Zeron staggered back, gripping the pod frame.

"All this time… I thought I was the mistake."

Kaelis placed a hand on his shoulder.

"No. You were the key."

🪫 Scene 5: Awakening the Echo Core

The chamber shook violently.

Zui yelled: "A failsafe! Something triggered a security cascade!"

In the center, a crystal cracked—and from it emerged a slithering, semi-transparent entity made of light and code: the Echo Core.

It spoke with hundreds of voices.

"Welcome… heirs of the past. Now inherit our curse."

Kaelis stepped forward, her eyes glowing.

"It knows me. It was part of the Eclipse Protocol."

The Echo Core surged toward Zeron—but Kaelis blocked it.

Their auras clashed.

"Zeron… go to the Source Node. I'll hold it off!"

Zeron hesitated—but Kaelis shouted:

"Don't make my sacrifice meaningless!"

🔓 Scene 6: The Source Node

Racing deeper into the vault, Zeron reached the Source Node—a crystalline core pulsing with violet and golden energy.

"This… this is the origin."

A console extended. It asked for Krono signature authentication.

Zeron placed his hand on it.

Pain shot through him—visions of battles, gods, experiments—memories not his own.

"I see them… all of them…"

"They tried to bind Krono. But Krono is a will. A hunger."

The node flared.

Authorization complete. Uploading Helix Protocol.

Zeron's body radiated with violet light.

A new voice echoed inside his mind:

"Welcome, Helix Prime."

🌀 Chapter Ending Twist:

Back at the chamber, Kaelis collapsed.

The Echo Core merged into her body, overriding part of her systems.

"You can't… stop me…"

But her left eye glowed with her own resistance.

"I'm still in control… for now."

🔮 Chapter 143 Preview:

Zeron unlocks new Helix powers but at a cost—his body begins evolving.Kaelis becomes a half-possessed entity fighting against the Echo Core inside her.Arin and Zake uncover the truth about Project Eden—an artificial god.A mysterious black-cloaked figure appears, calling Zeron "Brother."And the Federation prepares to erase the Exiled Zone entirely—with a doomsday cannon.