Location: Manhattan – Midtown Underground Tech Bazaar
Time: 9:15 P.M.
The underworld was always alive at night, especially beneath Midtown. Below the city's polished skyline was a labyrinth of forgotten tunnels—reclaimed by smugglers, mercs, and brokers who traded in more than just weapons.
You descended the stairs of a derelict subway station—hood up, cloak pulled tight.
[Skill Active: Stealth Lv. 5]
[Passive: Reflex Read Lv. 1 – Scanning for aggressive patterns… none detected]
You passed a guard wearing hacked S.H.I.E.L.D. armour. He nodded—clearly bribed or blind to what pulsed deeper inside.
Beyond the iron gate, the market unfolded.
Lights flickered over stalls lined with cybernetics, gene mods, vibranium shavings, and even Stark-Tech scraps. You moved through the chaos like a ghost, eyes locked on one name:
Raze Luger – Dealer. Ex-Hydra. Blackstone affiliate. Sold tech linked to Project Cradle.
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You found him near a corner stall, feeding data into a wrist-mounted pad. Bald, gold-rimmed cyber-eye, four fingers on one hand replaced with adjustable tech.
[Target Identified: Raze Luger | Reputation: Unstable | Threat Level: Moderate]
You approached. "Heard you deal in rare code. Genesis-level."
His cyber-eye flickered. "Depends who's asking."
You slipped the Ascendant Signal Beacon chip onto the table.
He stared. "Where'd you get this?"
You leaned closer. "The one I took it from won't be needing it anymore."
He hesitated—then tapped the chip into his scanner. The screen flickered. Then hissed static.
[System Notification: Signal Trap Detected – Malicious Beacon Signature Tracing Location]
"Shit." You reached for the chip—too late.
[Incoming Hostiles: 5 | Echo Protocol Trace Unit – ETA: 3 Minutes]
Raze backed away. "You brought them here?! I'm not dying for your war—"
You grabbed his collar and lifted him. "Tell me what you know about Project Nexus."
His eye focused, flickering faster. "It's a fail-safe. Cradle Labs were just the beta runs—Nexus is the final protocol. They're building something… not just tech. Something alive. A hybrid."
[Quest Updated: Nexus Protocol – Discover Subject Zero]
You dropped him. "Then run."
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You bolted out the back, sprinting through tunnels as your system updated:
[Skill Gained: Combat Sprint Lv. 1]
Boosts speed during hostile pursuit. Minor stamina cost. Critical dodge windows increased.
Behind you, walls shuddered as the Echo squad dropped in through side passages.
You activated Intercepting Step and ducked through the smoke. The lead operative fired a sonic pulse—[DODGE SUCCESSFUL]—you launched off the wall, vaulting into an abandoned tunnel vent.
You weren't ready for a full fight—not here. But you were learning.
Evolving.
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Back at Safehouse #2, breathing hard, you reviewed your system:
Level Up: 14 → 15
Stat Points: +5 (Auto-distributed)
• STR: 21
• DEX: 21
• END: 21
• INT: 21
• WIS: 21
• CHA: 21
• LUCK: 10
[Trait Progress: Adaptation Core – 88%]
[Quest Unlocked: Locate the Nexus Facility]
Status: Hidden – Requires 3 more signal keys
⸻
Ascendant wasn't just experimenting with powers anymore.
They were building something… someone.
And you were now one of the only people who could stop it.