Paragon

All Auric Cain ever wanted was a chance. A chance to prove himself. A chance to take control of his life. A chance to be more than a lowly D-Tier, the lowest of the low, in a world broken by the arrival of an alien, enigmatic being known as The System.

Auric Cain found his chance. He proved himself, took control of his life, and became stronger than he ever thought possible. So why is everything falling apart? Literally. With the help of allies old and new, Auric thwarted Salvo’s plan and narrowly avoided cataclysm. But in the wake of that confrontation, something went very, very wrong. Now everywhere Auric turns he sees that his home, his world, and even the System itself are coming apart at the seams. Entropic gateborn roam the wilds unchecked while rogue storms and freak anomalies spring up seemingly at random.

Auric Cain saved Earth—and doomed himself. At least, that was the plan when he dragged the Prophet with him into the purgatorial abyss. It was working, too, right up until they landed in a new instance: West’s home world. It’s an alien, hostile place the likes of which no human has ever seen, where predators lurk behind every fern and trunk. If Auric’s not meant to be prey in this place, then why is he so tasty and bite-sized?

Barely surviving the collapse of an entire planet, Auric and West have escaped to the only place they could. Unfortunately, that place is a world out of time—or perhaps—frozen in it? A shattered, purgatorial instance where gravity doesn’t make sense, ancient guardians slumber, and the secrets of the inner workings of the System wait to be uncovered. In this place, staying alive is unlikely. Staying sane even less so.