Echo of Ruins

The world we call home is a lease that has not yet expired. Before the Star Marrow Civilization was completely annihilated, the last contracts and sins were sealed into a star core, which drifted for a hundred thousand years and finally fell into the hands of a young human. Lu Ci, this ordinary archeology student, has since become the "Pattern Keeper" designated by his old creditor. The lines on the palm are the fire of civilization and the mark of sacrifice. It whispers of the erased history of the universe and attracts the Devourers who feed on history. His journey is a reverse archeology conducted in set ruins. The clue is the number "07" left behind by his father before disappearing, the faceless body on the Frontier Star, and the delirium warning about "the other side of the mind" that echoes in the Kunlun Ruins. What guides him is an AI consciousness "Stardust" that was born in destruction and has fragmented memories. The first volume is about awakening and preliminary mapping. Mapping this hopeless universe governed by a "system" of higher beings, where all cycles of civilization are coming to a predetermined end. Every step Lu Ci takes is not only looking for a way out, but also questioning: In a world where all answers have been programmed in advance, is free will just a beautiful mistake in the running of the program? When the object of protection itself is a lie, does the meaning of protection lie in uncovering it with one's own hands?