The air smelled like scorched ozone and bad decisions.
Varkus stretched his arms behind his head, lightning crackling between his fingers. "Alright, Storm Lord. You sure about this? Last guy who tried to hold my power turned into a very fancy lightning rod."
Luo Feng rolled his shoulders, the claw-mark on his chest pulsing in anticipation. "Just do it."
[System Alert: Divine Energy Transfer Protocol Initiated]
[Source: Thunder God Varkus]
[Recipient: Eclipse VE Host]
[Duration: 5 Minutes Max]
[Warning: Memory Corruption Risk - 89%]
The Thunder God didn't hesitate. He plunged his hand into his own chest and ripped out a crackling sphere of raw divinity—his god-core—before slamming it into Luo Feng's sternum.
The world exploded in blue-white fire.
[The Power: A Storm in His Veins]
For the first three minutes, it was glorious.
Lightning danced at Luo Feng's fingertips, each spark rewriting local physics.
Time stuttered under his gaze, moments fracturing like glass.
Reality itself bent, warping to the rhythm of his heartbeat.
He was limitless.
Then—
[Memory Corruption Detected]
The first thing to go was her face—the Wife of Ashes'. Her silver hair blurred, her voice dissolving into static.
The System screamed a warning, but even its voice was fading, overwritten by the Thunder God's power.
[YOU ARE FORGETTING—]
The Fox Spirit's name slipped next. Xiao Jiuying. Gone.
Li Qing's frost-touched smile. Vanished.
Varkus' grin turned grim. "Feng. Focus."
But Luo Feng couldn't remember why that name mattered.
[The Cost: A Life Unwritten]
By minute four, he'd forgotten:
The taste of the Death Queen's poisoned tea.
The weight of his first sword.
The sound of his own voice.
The Eclipse VE, now fused with Varkus' lightning, was erasing him from the inside out.
The Thunder God roared, grabbing Luo Feng's face. "STOP. NOW."
He yanked his god-core free—
—just as the last memory flared and died:
*A child's laughter. His? Someone else's? Gone._
[Check-In Complete (Catastrophic Success)]
[Reward: Divine Overload (3 Uses LEFT)]
[Penalty: 17% of Memories PERMANENTLY LOST]
Luo Feng collapsed to his knees, gasping.
Varkus looked haunted. "I told you it'd cost you."
The Fox Spirit's claws dug into his arm. "Do you remember me?"
Luo Feng stared at her.
"...Should I?"
END OF THE CHAPTER44