They said it was just a game.
But no one ever logged out.
Rain streaked down the cracked windows of the orphanage, blurring the world beyond like a broken memory. Seventeen-year-old Justin Reyners sat alone in the corner of the dorm room, a second-hand hoodie wrapped around his shoulders, a flickering tablet glowing in his hands. His bunk creaked beneath him, but he didn't flinch. He never did.
"System update complete. Ascension Protocol is now available worldwide."
The message popped across the screen in clean, white letters—simple, quiet, like it didn't just change the fate of the world.
Justin stared.
He'd been following it for months. Rumors. Leaks. Tech forums calling it the most advanced neural-dive RPG in history. No VR headset. No cables. Just download, agree, and dive.
No one knew who created it.
No one knew where the servers were.
But then came the trailer—broadcast live, untraceable, to every screen on Earth:
"This is Ascension Protocol. 10,000 floors. One winner. One key. Download now... or be forgotten."
And just like that, the whole world stopped.
Justin pressed his thumb against the confirmation prompt.
A soft click. A ripple of light.
Then came the message:
"Do you accept the consequences of your choice?"
He hesitated.
In the real world, he was nothing. An orphan scraping by in a system that barely knew his name. His meals were counted. His future non-existent. He wasn't a delinquent. Just invisible. A loser with a love for video games and no one to care whether he lived or died.
But maybe in this world… he could become something else.
He tapped "Yes."
The tablet went dark.
And the world vanished.
The air burned.
Justin gasped, stumbling to his knees. Cold steel met his palms—smooth, curved stone with glowing patterns. He blinked hard, his vision adjusting to a blinding sky that wasn't a sky at all—just an endless stretch of white light, fractured by a single obsidian tower rising into infinity.
[SYSTEM BOOTING...]
[WELCOME TO ASCENSION PROTOCOL]
[PLAYER RECOGNIZED: JUSTIN REYNERS]
[CODENAME: THE LETHAL ASSASSIN]
[SYSTEM NAME: HAKUDA]
[LEVEL 1 — FLOOR 1 — STATUS: ALIVE]
A soft chime echoed in his head.
Then the voice came—calm, robotic, and far too human.
"Congratulations, Justin Reyners. You have entered Ascension Protocol. There is no logout. No pause. No surrender. Death in this world means death in your original body. Your only way out is victory."
"Climb the tower. Survive all 10,000 floors. Earn the key. Escape. Claim the reward: $9.6 billion. Fail... and be erased."
Justin's breath caught in his throat.
This wasn't a game.
This was a prison with no walls. A death sentence wrapped in neon lights.
And he had just stepped willingly into it.
Around him, dozens of other players began to appear—blinking into existence in bursts of light. Confused. Shouting. Some crying. One threw up. Another collapsed, clutching their chest.
A boy near him screamed, "I—I didn't sign up for this!" Then vanished.
Not logged out. Not teleported.
Just… deleted.
[PLAYER FAILED SYSTEM SYNC. STATUS: TERMINATED.]
Justin clenched his fists. His heart raced, but his face stayed calm.
This wasn't the time to panic.
"System," he whispered. "Show me my stats."
A window opened before him—sleek and transparent, flickering with glowing blue runes.
HAKUDA SYSTEM INTERFACE
Codename: The Lethal Assassin
Level: 1
XP: 0 / 100
Class: Shadow-Based Assassin
HP: 100 / 100
Stamina: 100
Weapon Slots: Locked
Skills: None
Titles: None
Current Floor: 1
Death Penalty: Permanent
Another window appeared beside it:
"Welcome, player. I am Hakuda—your combat protocol AI. I will guide your evolution. Your path will be steep. Cold. Ruthless. But you chose this. And now, we survive. Begin?"
Justin took a breath and nodded once.
The stone platform beneath his feet cracked. Runes lit up in crimson.
A rumble shook the air.
From the center of the floor, a creature began to rise. It was no animal. No code-generated model. It looked alive—slimy skin stretched over jagged muscle, fangs like broken glass, eyes that glowed with primal hunger.
[FLOOR 1: LOW-RANK BEAST – "FLESH HOWLER"]
[LEVEL: 5]
[DANGER RATING: MEDIUM]
[REWARD: 50 XP, Bronze Dagger, 20 Coins]
Justin took a step back.
He had no weapon. No skill. No escape.
And the thing was already running toward him.
But in that moment—while others screamed or turned to run—something else lit up behind Justin's eyes.
"I don't want to be forgotten."
"I don't want to be nothing."
He waited. Let the howler leap.
At the last second, he ducked low and grabbed a loose stone shard from the floor. The creature missed—barely—and skidded. Justin lunged, jamming the shard straight into its eye with a savage twist.
Blood sprayed across his face.
The beast writhed.
Screeched.
Collapsed.
[ENEMY DEFEATED]
[+50 XP]
[+Bronze Dagger (Equipped)]
[+20 Coins]
[LEVEL UP! → LEVEL 2]
His breathing slowed.
The dagger in his hand pulsed with faint light.
His system spoke again:
"Nice kill, Lethal Assassin. Let's begin."
For the first time in his life, Justin felt something stir in his chest.
Not fear.
Not shame.
But power.
He wiped the blood from his face and stood tall, eyes fixed on the looming tower above.
10,000 floors. 1 survivor. A world of monsters.
This wasn't just a game.
This was the only place he'd ever have a chance to matter.
And he would climb it—even if he had to cut his way through every single soul.
( To be continued ....)