Ascension Protocol

Arc 1 – Tutorial of Death Chapter 1 — The Weakest in the World

The rain poured over the crumbling alleyways of Shakuga District, washing the stench of blood into the gutters. Somewhere in the distance, an air-raid siren howled, but no one ran. No one cared. For the slums, death was as common as the sunrise.

Kael Renji leaned against a cold brick wall, his breath ragged, chest heaving. His left hand clutched a knife — a pathetic, rusted thing that had chipped halfway down the blade. His right arm hung uselessly, trembling from the weight of exhaustion.

His vision blurred, but the notification hanging in the corner of his eyes was painfully clear:

> [Warning: HP Critical — 3% Remaining]

[Level: 1]

[EXP: 0 / 100]

The red glow of the system’s text almost mocked him.

He spat onto the wet ground, tasting iron and dirt.

“Three years…” His voice was hoarse. “Three years… and I’m still stuck at Level One?”

The streets around him were silent except for the splashing of rainwater. A dead man lay at his feet — no, not a man. A scavenger beast. Its grey, furless body was twisted, ribs showing through thin skin, yellow eyes staring lifelessly at nothing. It was one of the weakest monsters in Shakuga. Killing one should have been easy. For anyone else.

For Kael, it had nearly killed him.

---

The World That Left Him Behind

The year was 392 After Collapse. A hundred years ago, a surge of unknown energy had ripped open countless Gates across the world, spilling monsters into reality. The only defense humanity found was The System — a mysterious force that granted skills, stats, and levels to chosen individuals called Awakened.

Kael was one of them. Or at least, he was supposed to be.

The System had blessed him at age 15… and given him nothing.

No special skill.

No combat stats.

No quest rewards.

Just the most humiliating title possible:

> [Title Acquired: The Weakest]

It wasn’t even a joke. For three years, Kael hadn’t leveled once. He hunted the lowest creatures and barely survived. His peers had already reached Levels 20, 30, even 50, taking high-paying jobs as Gate raiders.

Kael was a nobody, scraping by for scraps of meat in monster-infested slums.

---

The rain intensified, pattering against his skin. His knees threatened to give out, but he forced himself upright.

“Just one more day… I can survive one more day,” he muttered, gripping the scavenger’s corpse. Monster meat was barely edible, but if you cooked it long enough, it kept you alive.

A shadow fell over him.

---

The Humiliation

“Renji.”

The voice was deep and cold, cutting through the rain. Kael looked up to see three figures approaching from the mouth of the alley. They wore black armor laced with red, the symbol of the Bloodfang Clan carved into their breastplates. Each of them was at least Level 15 — he could tell just from the way they moved, the unnatural speed, the faint aura radiating from their bodies.

At their center stood Ryven, a tall man with slicked-back hair and the kind of smile that made you want to keep your distance.

Kael’s grip tightened on the knife. “…Ryven.”

Ryven’s eyes swept over him, the corpse, the knife — and then a smirk curved his lips.

“You’ve been busy,” he said. “Killing rats.”

Kael said nothing.

“You still haven’t leveled, have you?” Ryven asked, stepping closer. “Three years and you’re still a worthless Level One. You know… the Clan has a rule about weaklings hunting in their territory.”

“This isn’t Bloodfang territory,” Kael muttered.

Ryven’s boot hit him in the stomach before he even saw it coming. Pain shot through his body, and he crumpled against the wall, coughing. His vision flickered as the system updated:

> [HP: 1% Remaining]

“Everything in Shakuga is Bloodfang territory,” Ryven said, crouching down to Kael’s level. “Remember that.”

The two other men dragged the scavenger’s corpse away. Kael’s jaw clenched, but he stayed silent. Fighting now meant dying.

Ryven stood, brushing invisible dust from his gauntlet. “Be smart, Renji. People like you… don’t live long.”

And with that, they left, disappearing into the rain.

---

The Edge of Breaking

Kael remained on the ground for a long time after they were gone. The rain was freezing now, soaking through his threadbare jacket, but his mind was somewhere else — somewhere between rage and despair.

He’d had enough.

Enough of starving.

Enough of being humiliated.

Enough of being The Weakest.

His hand tightened into a fist, nails biting into his palm. “If the System won’t help me… I’ll break it. Or I’ll die trying.”

The words were barely a whisper, but they felt heavy in the air.

A distant sound reached his ears — faint footsteps, almost too light to notice. He turned his head sharply, scanning the shadows.

That’s when he saw her.

---

The Stranger

She stood at the end of the alley, a small figure in a white cloak, untouched by the rain. The hood shadowed her face, but strands of silver hair escaped, glinting faintly even in the darkness. She was holding something — a small, black crystal that pulsed with an unnatural light.

Kael’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”

She didn’t answer. Instead, she walked toward him, her steps unnaturally quiet. Every instinct in Kael screamed danger, but he couldn’t move — not from fear, but from the strange heat blooming in his chest. It was as if the air itself was vibrating.

When she reached him, she knelt down, meeting his eyes. Her voice was soft, almost musical.

“You want power, don’t you?”

The question hit him harder than Ryven’s kick. “What?”

“You hate being weak,” she said. “You’ve been crawling in the dirt, hoping for a miracle. I can give it to you.”

Kael’s throat tightened. “Who… are you?”

She smiled faintly — the kind of smile that promised nothing good. “Names aren’t important. What matters is the deal.”

She held out the black crystal. Up close, it was mesmerizing — swirling shadows trapped inside, like a storm in miniature.

> [Warning: Unknown Item Detected]

[Scanning… Unable to Identify]

The System couldn’t read it.

“This will rewrite your contract with the System,” she said. “You’ll gain the power to level faster than anyone alive.”

Kael’s pulse quickened. “What’s the catch?”

Her eyes — now visible under the hood — were the color of molten gold. “The catch,” she whispered, “is that it will kill you if you stop fighting.”

---

The Choice

The rain around them seemed to fade, replaced by the pounding of Kael’s heart. Everything in his head screamed trap, danger, don’t do it. And yet…

He thought of Ryven’s smirk.

He thought of the scavenger’s corpse being stolen.

He thought of three years of starvation and humiliation.

He reached out.

The moment his fingers touched the crystal, it shattered into smoke, flooding into his chest like liquid fire. Pain exploded through his body — his vision went white, his lungs seized, and every muscle locked at once. It felt like something was tearing through his veins, rewriting him from the inside out.

Somewhere in the haze of agony, the System’s voice returned — deeper, harsher, almost alive.

> [System Overwrite Initiated]

[New Skill Acquired: Predator’s Growth]

[Effect: All kills grant exponential EXP. Failure to kill for 24 hours results in HP drain until death.]

[Level Up!] → Level 2

[Level Up!] → Level 3

The rush of power was intoxicating — hot, violent, addictive. For the first time in three years, Kael felt the change.

When his vision cleared, the girl was gone. Only her voice lingered in the air, soft as the rain:

“Survive, Kael Renji. Or die.”

---

Kael stared at his hands, trembling — but not from weakness this time. His lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile.

“I’ll survive,” he whispered to himself. “And I’ll make them regret ever calling me weak.”