Dark Matter Ascension

When the Cosmic System takes over Earth, Jace — who has already lost his sister and his legs — must survive one brutal week with nothing but his street smarts and a river otter companion. The planet is full of vicious predators that see him as an easy meal. Survive, and he gets to choose a Cosmic Power and a Class. A path to ascension. A way to bring his sister back.

After achieving Tier 3 as a Dark Matter Aspirant, Jace and his allies are on their way to Earth with a mission: take down all five megacorporations to clear the way for the Star Council. But corpo-mercs, cybered soldiers, and Ascendants are only the start — the Nebula Alliance already has agents on Earth and won't welcome a hostile takeover. Jace will also find himself fighting for the very survival of the universe itself.

Jace is assigned to a rogue planet flung from its orbit millennia ago, where many Complexes await completion. Black Hole Conclave cultists, Astral Demons, and mercenaries chasing a bounty on his head all stand in his way. The Stardust he harvests pushes him closer to Tier 10 — and closer to bringing his dead sister back. But an ancient presence named Troxanir, whose malignant influence is slowly consuming the universe, demands a power beyond even Jace's own skills.

Jace has achieved what no one else has — becoming a Tier 10 Ascendant permanently infused with the Cosmic System. He must now enter the Astral Verge, a realm of chaos wrought from the emotions and thoughts of countless universes, and fight through its layers to reach the Nethershift: the gateway to the Soul Realm and the sister he seeks to save.

Tasked with completing Xera's Grand Design and fulfilling the Mantle of Burden placed on him by the Ancients, Jace must descend through the Layers of the Astral Verge to the tenth, where madness awaits. Powerful foes seek his downfall and a bounty is on his head — familiar territory for the once-Courier. But if he can finish these tasks, he will finally be free. One last gig, and he won't be at anyone else's beck and call.