Chapter 7

Justin didn't tell Bruno or Matilda where he was going.

He just walked.

Into the tunnels. Into the dark. Into the part of Ascension Protocol that didn't show up on any official map.

Because if the Shadow Syndicate wanted to play god and rewrite the rules… he had to understand them. From the inside.

The tunnel walls were damp and cold, slick with moss and decay. Justin's boots made almost no sound as he walked, but every step felt like a heartbeat echoed by the game itself. Floor 2 was supposed to be a low-tier safe zone.

Now it was a breeding ground for death.

Hakuda's voice pinged softly in his mind:

"This path leads away from balance. Toward chaos. Proceed?"

Justin didn't answer. He kept walking.

If fear was the gate, then pain would be the key.

After what felt like an hour, a red sigil glowed faintly on the wall ahead.

A symbol of a fanged mask, grinning wide.

Justin pressed his palm against it.

The wall… melted.

No, not melted—shimmered, like a screen being peeled back.

Behind it, a shadowy chamber opened up. Dozens of players in black armor, cloaks, and masks stood in a circle around a central stage. Crimson lanterns floated in the air, giving the entire room a haunted glow.

The Shadow Syndicate Auction.

Weapons. Keys. Skills. Even players—tied, gagged, and sold to the highest bidder. A sick kind of capitalism born from chaos.

Justin slipped into the back, hood up, eyes scanning everything. No one stopped him.

Yet.

A woman stepped onto the stage.

She didn't wear a mask.

Her hair was silver-white, eyes piercing violet, body wrapped in a silk-black combat robe. Her presence silenced the room like gravity had shifted.

And when she spoke, even the lanterns seemed to dim.

"Welcome to the auction. I am Lysaria."

She smiled like a predator.

"Tonight, we sell more than just gear. We sell immunity. Access. Freedom. And one final item…" She gestured to a sealed crystal box behind her. "A legendary drop from Floor 5: [Soul Pierce – Assassin Class Exclusive]."

Murmurs rippled.

Justin's breath caught.

He recognized the weapon. It was a twin dagger once wielded by the number one assassin in Ascension Protocol's closed beta. A blade that ignored armor and struck through soul points, dealing permanent damage.

Lysaria continued. "But first… a new guest joins us."

And that's when Justin realized:

They already knew he was here.

Every masked head turned toward him.

A spotlight from one of the lanterns flared directly above.

He stood still.

No blades. No words. Just eyes. Cold and calm.

Lysaria's voice softened. "The Lethal Assassin graces us with his presence. Alone. Brave. Or foolish?"

Justin finally spoke. "Depends who's watching."

A few chuckles.

Lysaria descended from the stage, walking slowly toward him, bare feet gliding across stone.

"You've made enemies," she said. "More than you know. But you've also made… impressions."

"Not interested in alliances."

"Good," she smiled. "This isn't an alliance. It's an invitation."

She lifted a black obsidian coin from her belt and tossed it toward him.

He caught it midair. Cold. Heavy. Etched with the same fang-mask sigil.

[System Alert – Hidden Pathway Unlocked]

You've received: Shadow Syndicate Invitation Coin (1x)

You now have access to:

– Black Market Shops

– Hidden Quests

– Syndicate Inner Layer (Floor 2+)

Warning: Affiliation may alter your system standing.

Justin's grip tightened on the coin.

"This is a choice," Lysaria said. "One you won't be offered again."

He looked around the chamber. The auction continued behind them. One player was being traded for a bundle of XP scrolls. Another for a rare rifle.

This wasn't a game. It was a kingdom built on shadows and silence.

"You kill inside safe zones," he said flatly.

"We purge the weak. Remove the noisy. And in return, the system lets us slip between its fingers."

"How?"

She leaned in closer.

Her breath was warm, but her eyes were colder than anything Justin had faced on the battlefield.

"Because we don't fight the system," she whispered. "We become part of it."

That night, Justin didn't go back to the camp.

He slept—barely—in a crumbling tunnel near the edge of the zone, under a broken stone archway. Coin in hand.

Not because he wanted to join them.

But because he needed answers.

The Shadow Syndicate wasn't just dangerous. It was protected.

By something… or someone… behind the curtain of the game.

Hakuda didn't speak. For the first time since the tutorial, the system voice remained completely quiet.

And that silence was more terrifying than any threat.

The next morning, Matilda found him.

She said nothing when she arrived. Just sat beside him, brushing hair from her face.

"You disappeared," she said softly.

"I needed air."

"Funny. Smells more like betrayal down here."

He didn't respond.

After a long pause, she added, "I'm not mad. Just worried. They kill people like it's breathing. And now you have their coin."

Justin finally looked at her. Really looked.

Blood dried under her fingernails. Her lip was cut. She hadn't slept.

And still… she followed him.

"You think I'll change?"

"I think this place wants you to," she whispered. "Wants us all to."

He stood slowly.

Then handed her the coin.

"Keep it," he said.

She blinked. "What?"

"Hold onto it. If things go sideways, you'll need a door out."

"But you earned it—"

"I don't care about titles or factions," Justin said. "I care about staying alive. And keeping you and Bruno alive too."

Matilda swallowed hard.

Then pocketed the coin like it burned.

That evening, as the countdown ticked toward the next floor gate opening, Bruno returned with news.

Bad news.

"Crimson Fangs are planning a takeover. Full assault. They want the Shadow Syndicate gone. And anyone caught in between?" He tossed down a bloody scarf. "Collateral."

Justin stared at the fire.

Then at the map.

Then at the two people standing with him.

War wasn't coming.

It was already here.

And Justin Reyners—the boy once called a loser, the orphan gamer who wanted respect—now stood between two monsters.

The only question left was:

Would he become one too?

(To Be Continued ....)