The Sixth Realm pulsed beneath Zane Kael's boots.
Nullspire was no longer silent. The corrupted sky above shimmered with unstable coin glyphs, and the platforms below trembled with every step. The Genesis Coin's stability had dropped to 78%, and the System Coin now emitted faint pulses—like it was trying to warn him.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Anomaly Layer expanding
Coinmaster presence accelerating protocol decay
Zane moved quickly, following a trail of fractured data nodes toward a trial gate that flickered in and out of existence. It was unlike any he'd seen—half-rendered, unstable, and surrounded by floating coin fragments that whispered in broken code.
[TRIAL NODE: DELETED PROTOCOL]
Status: Corrupted / Unstable
Objective: Interface with Deleted Player
He stepped into the gate.
The world shifted.
Zane found himself in a collapsed arena—walls shattered, platforms floating in a void of static. At its center stood a figure, cloaked in glitching armor, their face hidden behind a cracked HUD mask.
"You're not supposed to be here."
Zane approached. "Neither are you."
The figure turned. Their voice was layered—multiple tones, like echoes of past versions.
"I was a Coinmaster. Before the purge. Before the Genesis rewrote the system."
Zane's HUD blinked.
[ENTITY: Player ID #0000]
Status: Deleted / Fragmented
Designation: Kairo
Kairo raised a hand. A coin hovered—black, etched with a spiral and a broken chain.
"This is the Fail-SafeCoin. It was designed to reset Velaryn. But the Genesis corrupted it."
Zane frowned. "Why?"
> "Because the Genesis isn't a coin. It's a protocol. A rewrite engine. And you're feeding it."
The trial interface unfolded.
Trial: Deleted Protocol
Type: Sync / Combat / Lore Extraction
Objective: Survive Kairo's purge attempt
Zane activated RiftChain, binding the floating platforms.
Kairo responded with a blast of corrupted energy, triggering a system-wide glitch. Zane's HUD flickered. His coins dimmed. Only the Null Coin remained active.
He triggered MemoryPurge, clearing the corrupted data.
Kairo staggered.
"You're adapting. That's what the Genesis wants."
Zane pressed forward, using EchoOverride to predict Kairo's movements. He struck with the Null Dagger, channeling coin energy through the blade.
[CRITICAL HIT]
Trial Phase 1 Complete
Kairo collapsed.
Then laughed.
"You passed. But you haven't seen the real purge."
The arena shifted.
A new coin hovered before Zane—silver and black, etched with a broken spiral.
[COIN TYPE: Fail-Safe Coin]
Status: Locked / Reactive
Skill: System Reboot (Passive)
Zane's HUD updated.
[PLAYER STATUS: ZANE KAEL]
Level:13
New Coin:Fail-Safe Coin
New Trait:System Reboot (Passive)
Coin Balance:Genesis, Whisper, Echo, Glitch, Echoglitch, System, Architect, Null, Fail-Safe
Inventory:Null Dagger, Coin Fragment ×30
System Note:Anomaly Layer expanding
Kairo faded.
But his final words echoed through the realm.
"The Genesis isn't choosing you."
"It's using you."
Zane stood alone in the fractured arena.
Above him, the Sixth Realm pulsed.
And somewhere deeper, the Genesis Protocol was evolving.