Chapter 11: Ranking Up in Secret
Location: The Underveil – Crimson Circle Arena
[System Notice: You are eligible for a Rank Advancement.]
Requirements met: Tier C Initiate → Tier B ExecutionerInitiate Protocol Sequence?[Y/N]
Ryo's eyes locked onto the screen flickering in front of him. The moment had come faster than he expected.
But he couldn't celebrate—not here. Not where power was watched, measured… and feared.
He had to do this quietly.
Whispers in the Circle
Nova warned him that advancement wasn't just about strength. It was visibility. The higher you rose, the more attention you drew.
And in a place like the Crimson Circle, attention could mean assassination.
Ryo walked the Underveil's corridors with his hood low and his eyes scanning for listening shadows.
Rumors were already starting.
"Did you hear about the rookie?""Took out Varric alone.""Said he used a memory disrupt—who even has that skill?"
He needed a quiet space—somewhere he could activate the ranking protocol without anyone watching.
That's when he remembered The Echo Chamber.
The Echo Chamber
Hidden beneath the data archives, The Echo Chamber was a forgotten testing arena, where failed Protocol wielders once trained in silence.
Now it was abandoned. Perfect.
As Ryo stepped inside, the walls shimmered with faintly pulsing runes—whispers of those who came before and didn't return.
He placed his hand on the terminal and whispered, "Yes."
[Ranking Protocol Initiated.]
The Trial of Shadows
He was dropped into a black void.
No sound. No walls. Just… nothing.
Until the voices began.
"You don't deserve this power.""You'll end up like Varric.""Your sister's dying and you're playing soldier."
Ryo's heart pounded. The shadows around him took form.
His worst fears. Himself—covered in blood. Nova—impaled. His sister—cold and still.
"Stop."
The echoes laughed.
"You can't outrun what you are."
He grit his teeth and flared his shadow aura.
"Then I'll cut through it."
They attacked.
Mind vs Might
Ryo fought like a demon.
His blades sliced illusions, his Shadow Step left afterimages, and his newly acquired Echo Pulse tore through mental constructs like code through firewalls.
But it wasn't enough.
They kept coming.
One of the illusions—an older, darker version of himself—grabbed him by the throat.
"You can't save anyone. The Protocol will take you like it takes everyone."
Ryo's vision blurred… until a memory flashed—
His sister's smile.
That was enough.
"I decide who I become."
He ignited a surge of internal code—something new, something alive.
[Shadow Core Evolved → Proto-Sovereign Core (Stage 1)]
[New Skill Acquired: Shadowbind]Trap enemies in chains formed from corrupted memories. Duration based on fear level.
He unleashed Shadowbind—chains erupting from the void, locking every illusion in place.
And then—
He exploded outward.
System Update
[Trial Complete.][Rank Promoted: Tier B Executioner][Title Acquired: Void-Breaker][Access Granted: Black Missions and Crimson Council Observation Level 1]
Ryo dropped to one knee, panting.
He didn't just survive the trial.
He conquered it.
A Watchful Eye
From the shadows outside the Echo Chamber, someone watched.
A tall man in black crimson robes, with eyes made of flickering code and a smile that never reached his face.
"The boy moved too fast," he murmured. "He shouldn't have unlocked Stage 1 this early…"
He turned away, vanishing into the darkness.
"The Overseer will want to know."
Back in the Underveil
Nova raised an eyebrow as Ryo returned.
"You look like hell."
He gave a tired grin. "You should see the other guy."
She studied him for a long moment. Then her eyes narrowed. "You ranked up… didn't you?"
Ryo didn't answer.
But his shadow flickered in ways it hadn't before.
She sighed, smirking. "Fine. Just don't die before the next mission."
"That would really screw up my betting pool."
End of Chapter 11