I CLIMB (A Progression/Evolution Sci-Fi Novel)

I stare at the sky. It's showing signs of dawn, the sun setting in the distance.

I guess it's time to head back.

The swords magnetize to my hands, the familiar pull tingling through my arms.

I set off.

The ground blurs beneath my feet as I pick up speed. Wind claws at my face, eyes half-narrowed against the rush. The grass hisses in long lines beside me, dust kicking up in my wake.

I keep a comfortable pace at over a hundred miles per hour.

Feels good to be running in the open again.

It reminds me of the last stage, when I used to run freely—no worries about any Xok'al or empire here and there. Just me and Ayu, having fun, flying free. Good ol' days.

I know I could fly again now, but the speed would be lower than on land, and I'd be an easy target in the air. Not worth it.

Maybe later, in a zone I can guarantee is safe, I'll give myself the pleasure.

Like that, I keep going, passing more than one herd on the way. But it's what I see half an hour later that makes me stop.

My waves detect it first, then my eyes. There, in the distance… a settlement.

Actual fire and figures moving around it. Its walls are tall, made of spiked wood, surrounding the whole village.

I gaze at it curiously. A beastmen village?

Rather close to Xok'al territory for them to be this carefree. Strange.

I look at it a bit longer, faintly interested in how they look, since I now know from the Xayen records that they are the result of biological experimentation—mixing beast genes with humans.

But I'm not in the mood to introduce myself, so I turn around and—

My senses spike!

I push Full Overdrive, spinning back in full alert.

Before me stand two beastmen, clad in simple hide armor and holding blades that look to have been carved from beast bones.

In other circumstances I might not have given them much attention with that rustic gear but…

I ready my stance, eyes narrowing.

How the hell did they get behind me without me noticing? Makes no sense.

Even now I can't fully feel their presence, as if they're somehow masked. But it's not EM cloaking—it's cutting off all my physical senses too.

These beastmen… they're far from simple. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if they were stronger than the Lords of Sparks.

I assess them carefully. They haven't moved. That's good.

I quickly scan through the info I have about the beastmen from the Ajnal records. Apparently, relations are now neutral—at least officially—after the Xok'al appeared. But in the past they used to actively fight each other, which means I'd call that neutral-bad. Basically they don't attack each other now, but trespassing isn't tolerated.

Right now, I don't look exactly Ajnal, but the pieces of armor I'm wearing from the Xayen lab could hint at either Ajnal or Xok'al. And my blades… damn. My blades are from the Xok'al.

Alright… neutral-bad… not bad, not great.

Beastmen don't speak Ajnal, they use a different language, with small variations from tribe to tribe. They also rely heavily on sign language… which I have no clue about… but—

I straighten up and try to convey a bit of a 'I'm not dangerous' face. I lower my blades just slightly.

They don't flinch.

I then sheath one of them, and slowly raise my arm, pointing toward the West. Then toward myself, and make the running sign with my fingers.

They narrow their eyes slightly and look at each other. Seconds pass in tense silence and then—they point back toward the village, and wave at me to… follow them?

I'm… not so sure I want to. I'm not confident even fighting these two—heck, never mind whatever other overpowered beastmen might be in that village.

I just shake my head at them and, without further explanation, dash away as fast as I can.

I notice no one chasing behind me, that's—

I slide to a stop, my feet skidding hard through the dirt, carving deep paths in it.

My heart stops. My body freezes. I can barely think.

My hand trembles. I tell my body to move but it does not listen.

This aura pressing on me… my instincts are screaming—whoever is emitting this pressure…

Can kill me in an instant.

I slowly raise my eyes and notice a man in front of me. Long black hair with mixed strands of grey. Sharp eyes, straight jawline, piercing gaze. But the most distinct feature—wide, fur-covered ears rising from his head.

This beastman before me was, without a shred of doubt, the most powerful existence I had ever witnessed in The Tower.

And I… am completely at his mercy.

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He stares at me for several seconds, unreadable.

Then he speaks.

"You move from the West, outsider. What stirs your feet?"

My eyes widen. The weight pressing on my body vanishes in an instant. But more than that… this man is speaking perfect Ajnal!

I steady my breath. No sense in spinning lies now.

"I… I ended up here fleeing from the Xok'al. I'm trying to return to the Ajnal outpost where I was stationed. I mean no harm to your people."

He remains silent, gaze sharp, as though peeling away every layer of me.

Finally, he speaks again, voice calm.

"Your path carries no banner. A blade without sheath, a mind split. Yet… you walk seeking a balance unseen."

What? No banner? A blade without sheath… and a mind split?!

Can he sense Houston and Darius? No way…

My pulse quickens. Who is this?

I bow slightly. "I appreciate your wisdom, elder. If it is permitted… I would like to continue on my journey."

He holds my gaze a moment longer, then steps aside.

"You are free to go. But… what you seek does not lie in the West."

What I seek? I don't even know myself.

I stop and look at the beastman, who remains there, completely still, the wind flowing around him as if it were never interrupted.

Could he be related to the objective of this stage? The staircase to the next floor? A hint from The Tower itself?

I look at the path ahead. I do want to return to the Ajnal. Not only can they help me grow in power, but Imani and Arjun are there, and they need to know I'm still alive. I also need to climb the hierarchy ladder so I can communicate with the Azcoyatl in the near future—and regroup with Ayu, Chiara, Lukas, and the others.

Yet… this beastman I met by chance. The words he mentions… I cannot dismiss them.

As if reading my thoughts, he starts walking back through the plains.

I notice his feet move with the wind, bending the grass before he steps on it.

What kind of power is he using? An EM field should not be able to do that…

I gaze at the West one last time, then follow after him.

He walks 'slowly', but I notice I cannot keep up. I start running—and even then, he is always ahead, the distance between us unchanging.

It just feels oddly surreal, as if… the world itself bent to this person.

No—no, not bent. More like… he was part of it.

We continue across the plains, but we do not head toward the village. We pass it and keep going—up hills, crossing by herds and even solitary carnivorous beasts that don't even notice us.

Minutes pass before the beastman finally stops—and so do I.

I look around but notice nothing odd, save for a hill further ahead.

The beastman looks at me for a moment, then turns his gaze toward the hill. He says nothing.

Does he want me to walk there? Climb it?

I gaze at it a moment longer. I think about sending my waves to scout—but decide against it. It makes no sense for this to be a trap. If that beastman wanted me dead, one move would have been enough.

Since I'm here, I don't think much of it and walk toward the hill.

As I start climbing, I notice it is rather steep, the top not visible even after halfway. I keep going—and then, after one more step, I catch a glimpse of something—no, someone—at the top.

I can only see a flicker of hair from where I am. Yet—my body freezes.

My hand trembles as a faint, yet familiar scent—somehow masked by the wind itself—reaches my nostrils.

My heart tightens. My throat goes dry. My mouth trembles.

I take one more step—and her face comes into view.

One more—and I am now at the top.

She finally opens her eyes.

And the moment they meet mine—my breath stops.

Her gaze flickers for a second, not believing. Her lips part, no words. Her body tenses as if unsure whether to stand or run. Her chest rises, breath caught in her throat.

And I—

I can't move. My legs are frozen. My arms tremble. My vision blurs.

She's here.

Ayu.

I blink once, twice, as if the image might disappear. But no—she's still there, still staring at me.

The storm in my chest bursts loose.

"Ayu…"

It's all I can manage—hoarse, raw, almost broken.

And then—her eyes widen.

In an instant, she's on her feet—before I can think, before I can speak—her feet slam against the dirt and she runs straight at me.

No caution. No hesitation.

I drop both blades. I step forward, arms half-reaching.

And the next moment—she slams into me, her arms around my neck, her face buried against my shoulder.

"Alonso…"

Her voice is shaking. Barely a whisper.

I grip her tight. Arms locked around her as if the world would pull her away if I let go. My throat burns—I try to speak, but no sound comes out.

She's trembling. So am I.

We stay like that.

The wind rushes past us. The whole world feels silent.

Nearly two months. Two damn months without knowing—without seeing—without hearing.

I close my eyes. My forehead rests against her hair.

I feel the pulse of her heart, and her agitated breath.

She leans back and we both stare at each other.

"So you found me first," she finally says with a refreshing smile.

"I… guess so," I say, not exactly sure if I should take the credit for that as—"But it was someone who led me here. A beastman. He—"

Ayu's eyes widen. "Oh. Master?"

Master?

Ayu looks around, then slightly bows, arms pressed together.

I turn toward that direction and—sure enough—the mysterious beastman is there, standing with a faint smile.

"Master, thank you. Thank you for reuniting us." She straightens from the bow and then holds my hand. It feels soft and warm. "This is my partner, the one I mentioned before. Alonso."

"Thank you, elder." I also bow slightly.

"Elder?" Ayu stares at me, frowns—then chuckles.

Did I say something funny?

"Alonso, this is my master. He has a bunch of titles—The White Wolf of the West, Speaker of the Wild Silence, Son of the Winter Moon—and a lot of others. But I just call him Master Makoh."

I gulp. The White Wolf of the West?

While the Ajnal records are rough when describing the beastmen, there are two names that stand out clearly. And one of them… is none other than the beastman whose presence alone kept the entire Ajnal civilization at bay from expanding into the plains.

A figure of legend.

Said to have faced one of the Great Ajnal Generals head-on—and walked away victorious.

Tribal Grandmaster… Makoh the Silver Fang.

I don't even know how to react. I look at Ayu, who grins mischievously.

But seriously… how had Ayu ended up as the disciple of one of the most powerful figures in this entire world?