Ascension: Shadow Protocol

Chapter 6: Rise from Data

Neo-Tokyo – Sector 5, Industrial Underbelly

A flickering neon sign buzzed overhead: "DAIZEN SCRAP & TECH — Closed for Renovation Since 2091."

It wasn't just a junkyard.

It was a front — for the Helix Underground.

The place where dead tech whispered and broken code came alive.

And Ryo Kazen stood outside, cloaked in a synthetic hoodie, shadow aura tucked beneath the surface like a coiled serpent.

He knocked.

Once.

Twice.

Silence.

Then the wall blinked — a faint shimmer — before dissolving into black data fragments. An entry portal.

"ID not recognized," a digital voice warned. "Unknown Protocol signature detected. Do not proceed."

Ryo stepped forward anyway.

The system didn't stop him.

It couldn't.

Interior – Helix Underground Access Point

Rows of rusting AI cores and dismembered synthetic limbs lined the walls, humming faintly. Monitors flickered with fragments of ancient war footage, dungeon anomalies, and real-time hunter feeds.

And at the center, hunched over a table of twitching machine parts…

…was a man with more implants than flesh.

He didn't look up.

"Only three types of people find this place," he said. "Desperate, dying, or datamarked."

Ryo stepped into the light.

"I'm all three."

The man raised an eyebrow, then swiveled his chair. A scar cut diagonally across his face, metal cables protruding from his jaw.

"Name?"

"Ryo Kazen."

The man froze.

"The kid from the Sector 9 dungeon collapse?""Yeah.""You should be dead."

Ryo shrugged. "I was."

That made the man chuckle, like he'd just been handed a virus worth catching.

"Name's Vex, by the way. Tech broker. HELIX code junkie. I patch systems Central can't even dream of. So—" he pointed at Ryo's chest, "—what the hell are you running?"

System Access Attempt — Shadow Protocol Sync Request

Error.Classification: [Obsidian Tier – Forbidden]Core Type: HELIX-ΩProtocol Status: Partially ActivatedUser Sync: 43%

Vex's fingers danced across his terminal.

"That's… not just a Protocol. That's the Protocol."

He leaned in, eyes wide.

"You're hosting the Shadow Variant. Do you even know what that means?"

"I know it brought me back," Ryo said. "I know it's changing me. And I know people want me dead because of it."

Vex nodded, slowly.

"They'll come in waves now. Guild hunters. Shadow agents. The Overseers."

"Let them come," Ryo said, voice quiet. "I'm done running."

Sudden System Update

[Shadow Protocol Notice]System Uplink Achieved.Data Echo Decryption in Progress…Accessing: [Legacy File – Project Obsidian: Subject RK-09]

Ryo staggered as his vision blurred.

He saw flashes — unfamiliar labs, surgeons in red, screaming data, wires threaded through his spine.

A label burned into the memory:"Subject RK-09 — Code-Eater Class."

Back in Reality

He gasped, collapsing to one knee.

Vex rushed to him. "You okay?"

"I… I was part of a project. Something before the dungeon collapse. They experimented on me—"

"No," Vex interrupted. "Not just you. Hundreds. But only a few survived. And only one triggered HELIX-Ω."

"You mean—?"

"You're the first and last successful host."

Shadow Protocol Skill Unlocked

[Skill: Shadow Merge – Lv. 1]Description: Merge with digital shadows to become untouchable for 3 seconds. Phase through physical attacks, avoid detection.Cooldown: 45 seconds

Ryo's hand trembled — the shadows under his fingers pulsed, eager.

He smiled for the first time.

"This… I can use this."

Vex's Final Warning

"There's one more thing," Vex said, tossing Ryo a black-glass hex key. "There's a core vault beneath the old Suna Research Dome. If you want real answers — about Project Obsidian, about yourself — that's where you go next."

Ryo caught it mid-air.

"And if I go?"

"You'll find what made you. But more importantly…" Vex leaned close. "You'll find what broke you."

Later That Night – Abandoned Rooftop

Ryo stood alone, city lights flickering far below. He activated Shadow Merge — his body became transparent, a blur of black glitch energy.

Three seconds later, he was solid again.

In a world of monsters, guilds, and systems… he was now something else entirely.

[New Objective Received]Mission: "Unlock Forbidden Memories"Locate: Suna Research DomeDifficulty: [Unknown]Reward: Skill Evolution + Shadow Affinity Boost

He didn't flinch.

Just whispered:

"If they created a weapon……then it's about time they saw what it could do."

End of Chapter 6