Ascension: Shadow Protocol

Chapter 5: The Shadow Protocol Activates

Four Hours After the Dungeon Collapse — Neo-Tokyo, District 7 Outskirts

The world thought Ryo Kazen was dead.

And in many ways… it was right.

The boy who had walked into that dungeon — weak, mocked, barely hanging onto a hunter license — hadn't walked back out.

Someone else had.

The gate rupture behind him fizzled with a high-pitched whine, sealing shut with a flash of red warning lights.

Dozens of hunters, civilians, and guild officers stood beyond the emergency perimeter tape, jaws clenched, eyes scanning.

Then—

A shape emerged from the dissipating mist.

Torn cloak. Dark eyes. Blood-soaked boots.

Him.

Ryo.

Alive.

But wrong.

Somehow… off.

The crowd's shock turned into a murmur. Then silence.

"He's alive—""That's impossible. The entire squad was confirmed dead…""Wait… is that shadow energy leaking off him?"

He didn't speak. Just walked — each step leaving a faint scorch of black-glowing data on the asphalt.

Observation Tower – Above the Scene

A woman in a pristine white coat adjusted her cybernetic monocle.

"Target has returned. But the signal's off the charts…"

A nervous young analyst beside her swallowed hard. "Ma'am, the device he's carrying — it matches HELIX-class nodes. That's… forbidden tech."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "So the Protocol activated after all."

"Should we notify Central?"

"No," she said. "Central already knows. They're watching."

Back On The Ground

Ryo stopped as a squad of armored hunters stepped forward, led by a silver-haired man with a flame-shaped insignia on his chest — Captain Ren Hoshigaki of the Phoenix Guild.

He extended a hand.

"Name and registration, kid."

Ryo said nothing.

Captain Ren's fingers twitched toward his blade. "You come out of a collapsed dungeon alone, trailing shadow aura, and you expect no questions?"

Ryo finally raised his gaze — and for a second, the air warped.

A ripple of raw data.

The captain took half a step back before catching himself. "What… are you?"

Ryo's voice came low, calm, but with an unnatural edge.

"I'm the reason you should be afraid of the dark again."

Before Ren could respond, a flicker of light distorted behind Ryo.

A shadow moved.

It wasn't Ryo's.

It was alive.

And watching.

Inside the System Core – Shadow Protocol Log

Shadow Core Online.

User: Ryo KazenVariant Type: [UNREGISTERED]Alignment: UnknownAuthority Level: 1 (Locked)Active Skill: [Shadow Echo] – Lv. 1Description: Allows user to replicate and command lingering souls from battlefield data.

Back Outside

Suddenly, dozens of translucent shadow figures flickered around Ryo — phantoms shaped like the assassins he killed in the dungeon.

The crowd screamed.

Captain Ren unsheathed his blade, eyes wide. "He's a variant… a Databorn! Everyone back!"

Ryo didn't flinch.

The phantoms turned to him like soldiers awaiting orders.

And in that moment, the fear shifted — from him being alone…

…to being an army of one.

Meanwhile – Deep Within Central Tower

"The Shadow Protocol has fully activated," said a man with a mechanical voice, half-hidden behind surveillance feeds."Is it stable?""Barely. But the boy — Kazen — is not like the previous hosts.""Then observe. If he survives the next protocol phase…""…we eliminate him."

Back at the Perimeter

Ryo looked at Captain Ren, then beyond him — to the massive neon-lit skyline of Neo-Tokyo rising in the distance.

He could feel it now — the city pulsing with dungeons, secrets, lies.

And he was the glitch they didn't see coming.

[System Notification]New Quest: "Shadow Protocol: Initiate Uplink"Objective: Locate an access point to decode HELIX data.Reward: Protocol Skill Unlock – [Shadow Merge]Time Limit: 72 Hours

Challenge accepted.

Ryo turned without another word.

The crowd parted before him like he was death incarnate.

Because in their eyes — he wasn't just a survivor.

He was something new.

And terrifying.

The Protocol didn't just activate.

It had chosen.

End of Chapter 5