Ascendancy Protocol: The Final Regression

Nexus Online—a game launched by an unknown publisher—was shunned at first but became the world's most popular phenomenon within a year. From its virtual landscapes, players rose as superstars, industries poured billions into sponsoring high-ranking players, and guilds flourished into powerful factions. But Nexus was no mere game. Slowly, its reality began to seep into the real world. Stats, skills, and items crossed over, creating a global sport—and a new world order. Guilds thrived, corporations strengthened, and humanity stood in awe. But none of it could stop the Fracture, the day the creatures of Nexus broke into reality. Only one person was chosen to stop it, but he failed. Raine Shepard failed. 400 regressions. 400 deaths. 400 failures. He had tried everything—alliances, betrayals, brute force, treasure hunts—but nothing worked. The Fracture always came. On his 400th attempt, broken and on the brink of surrender, Raine awaited death. But as the final blow struck, the treasure bound to him—the Key of Eternity—activated on its own. For the first time in three years, he regressed again. But this time, something was different. “You’re really stubborn, you know that? It seems like you can’t do this alone,” a voice said. A mysterious woman, Called Echo, emerged from the shadows of the Nexus system. And she had a rather terrifying origin.