When the world was rewritten by the appearance of Rifts, humanity survived by creating heroes called Rankers. Power determined worth. Rank decided fate. And those at the bottom were meant to be forgotten.

Ayaan Verma was the weakest of them all.

An F-rank with almost no mana, no abilities, and no future, Ayaan existed only as expendable support for stronger Rankers. Mocked by guilds, ignored by the system, and treated as bait inside dangerous Rifts, his life held no value in a world obsessed with strength.

That was until he was betrayed and left to die inside a collapsing Rift.

As death closed in and the world’s system officially rejected his existence, an unknown force responded instead. A forbidden protocol—older, darker, and never meant to activate—awakened within him. It did not promise justice or heroism. It offered only one thing: survival through ascension.

With every enemy he kills, Ayaan gains fragments of power. With every victory, something inside him changes. Skills are stolen, limits are broken, and a black sigil spreads across his body like a living curse. But power always has a price, and the stronger he becomes, the more distant his humanity feels.

As corrupt guilds, false heroes, and global organizations begin hunting the anomaly known as Ayaan Verma, the truth behind the Rifts slowly comes to light. The world is not being invaded—it is being tested.

And Ayaan may be the mistake that breaks it.

In a brutal journey filled with betrayal, relentless combat, and moral decay, Shadow Ascendant tells the story of a man the world rejected—
and the monster it unknowingly created.

The sky above was black. Not dark—empty.


A massive shape crawled out of the fog—horned, armored, its eyes glowing crimson.


Claws ripped into his side, throwing him against a broken pillar. Bones cracked. Blood filled his mouth.


As darkness crept in, a thought surfaced.


Chapter 2 - CHAPTER 2 – BETRAYAL INSIDE THE RIFT