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

Chiara's eyes opened wide as she stared at Imani.

There was complete silence in the room.

Lukas' fingers stopped tapping. His smile faded.

Wang stood frozen by the door, fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white.

No one spoke.

Then, at last, Lukas pushed off from the wall. Slowly. His arms dropped to his sides. His expression had shifted—no grin now, no casual tone.

He stepped forward.

"Tell us everything. From the start."

Imani drew in a shaky breath, nodded once, and began. "Alonso, Arjun and I were part of—"

As Imani told the story, everyone remained in stark attention. Breaths shallow. Eyes focused. No one interrupted until he finished.

There was silence for several seconds.

Then Lukas spoke again, voice low but clear.

"So you… or no one alive… actually saw Alonso die?"

"No."

"But… only two three-tailed Xok'al were enough to kill Alonso?" Chiara said suddenly, voice flat as ever.

"Only?" Imani frowned slightly, not sure what she meant. "As I said, when I went searching for him, I was attacked by two elite Xok'al. They—"

"Could've been different ones," Lukas cut in. "Also… why would the three-tailed Xok'al linger there if Alonso and the rest were already dead? They should've expected a counterattack from the Ajnal and gone back to their nests… something's missing."

Imani hesitated, gaze drifting, caught in thought. "When General Noh came, he said there were signs of a landslide. But he scouted the region—over 140 meters underground. There was no sign of Alonso."

Lukas' eyes remained sharp, even as a weight pressed down hard in his chest. He hadn't expected this. Not in all the dozens of scenarios he had mapped in his head. Alonso dying—just saying it was terrible didn't even scratch the surface. As a friend. As a leader. As someone who had chosen him as his bet. It hit too hard.

But now? Now wasn't the time to show that.

Everyone was watching him. Their eyes searching his. Right now, this couldn't turn into a funeral. It couldn't turn into despair. He needed to buy them time—time to hold together. Time to keep moving forward.

His mind worked fast. A landslide? 140 meters? Could his body's suspended state have masked him from detection? But Noh was a monster at this level—would even that have gone unnoticed? Or maybe he managed to escape the Xok'al somehow, or—

"As far as I know," Chiara said, her voice cutting through the air like a scalpel, snapping him from his thoughts, "the Ajnal aren't particularly skilled when it comes to deep EM scouting. 140 meters might sound deep, but how precise is it? Conductive cavities—blocked readings—and that's it. I wouldn't dismiss Alonso as dead."

All eyes turned to her. Lukas saw the flicker of hope in Imani's eyes.

"You mean Alonso could have been trapped underground?" Imani asked quietly.

Chiara leaned back in her chair, fingers drumming once against the surface, eyes sharp and analytical. "Imani—you were saved by one of the strongest Ajnal out of nowhere, correct? The Tower doesn't throw us into no-win scenarios. Every event it gives us is a forced adaptation challenge. The weak die, yes—but always within a progression curve. Rational. Structured. It's not designed to wipe Climbers at random. It forces them to improve. To evolve. Only those that fail to keep up will fall."

She glanced around the room, gaze impassive.

"Now tell me… is Alonso someone who would be discarded at this point in the progression curve?"

Silence. No one answered.

"And don't give me that 'anything's possible' nonsense," she added, tone now colder. "Alonso's expedition wasn't reckless. He wasn't deviating from the script. It was part of an Ajnal event. And unless something truly abnormal happened—and I doubt it—he will be alive. Somewhere. Somehow."

Her fingers stilled. Her voice dropped lower.

"Because before someone like him dies—someone who has pushed himself as far as he has—all of you will."

Lukas stared at Chiara for a moment. He sighed inwardly. Well… what's said is said.

He didn't share her view. Not entirely. More than anything, he disliked the idea that The Tower governed fate. This world—this stage—how much of it was truly scripted? Were they all just puppets dancing to its will? Were those meant to die already sentenced? Then… why try at all? And why would those behind The Tower even take the trouble?

But… in any case, her words had bought him time and space.

Lukas took a step forward, drew a breath to centre himself—then spoke, voice clear and commanding.

"In any case, we will not mourn Alonso yet. Not until we finish this stage—and can confirm it." His gaze swept the room slowly. "For now, we focus on the next steps. We focus on what we have—and what we can do."

He let that sink in, meeting each of their eyes in turn, tone steady but carrying the weight of what he meant.

"So… this is an unfortunate event. And I hope—truly—that Alonso is still out there. Safe. Alive." He exhaled slowly. "But until proven otherwise… we plan without him."

Without missing rhythm, Lukas started pacing across the room.

"Right now, we don't know what the objective of this stage is. If I had to guess, I'd say it's highly likely related to the Xok'al. But exactly what? We have no idea. Is it to kill every single Xok'al out there? Is it to take down a Xok'al leader, or a Nest Mother, some sort of final boss entity? Or is it something beyond just fighting… some mystery we haven't uncovered yet? At this point, we can only hypothesise.

"But… one thing I'm sure of—we need power. We need to increase our strength until we stand at the apex of this stage… of this world. Only then will we be able to move forward and uncover what The Tower expects of us here."

He gave them a few moments to process his words before moving on.

"After Chiara gained access to the Azcoyatl main library, we acquired valuable information about this world. Information I will share with you today."

He stopped pacing, resting a hand on the table.

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"First—there are four main powers that share this stage. One of them is the Azcoyatl. A civilization that specialises in the Pillar Path, and the control of constructs through a core EM-based method that, well, Chiara coined in English as the Orbital Multinodal Mental technique."

His gaze shifted briefly toward Chiara.

"This technique has three stages of mastery, each with a corresponding requirement in the Pillar Path. Basic Mastery requires First Pillar State, and grants one the power of what translates roughly as a 'Shaman' in Azcoyatl society. A Shaman is generally stronger than a two-tailed Xok'al.

"The next stage is Intermediate Mastery. It requires Second Pillar State, and elevates one to the rank of an 'Elite Shaman'. Elite Shamans are stronger than three-tailed Xok'al. Chiara, for instance, is currently at this stage."

As the words left him, the eyes of the others drifted toward Chiara, curiosity, surprise, and respect evident.

A thought passed through Imani's mind as he heard that. So… Chiara was stronger than the three-tailed Xok'al? Was that why she had said 'only' back then? Had she expected more of Alonso?

"In the Ajnal society," Lukas continued, "they possess a similar core technique, but the requirements are different. It demands both First Pillar State and First Body State, for both Basic and Intermediate Mastery.

"In their structure, Basic Mastery grants a title that translates roughly to 'Stone Jaguar'. Intermediate Mastery corresponds to what they call 'Lord of Sparks'."

As the words came out, Imani's and Arjun's eyes widened in understanding. The pieces were fitting together now—explained this way, it made far more sense than before.

"And… do you know the steps toward becoming a Lord of Sparks?" Arjun suddenly asked.

"I do," Imani said before Lukas could respond. "I will share it with you and the others."

Arjun nodded.

"I see, that's good, because I do not have that knowledge, neither do the Azcoyatl," Lukas said. "In any case, those two stages could be considered the basic and intermediate power levels in this world. But there is one more. The truly top tier—the level we have to aim for. It is the stage shared by the likes of the Ajnal Generals, Grand Priest, and Empress… and likewise the Right and Left Wing Primal Priests, Meca Champions, and Emperor of the Azcoyatl. And that… is the third stage."

All eyes were focused on him now. Some leaned in slightly, while others, like Chiara and Wang, showed subtle signs of already knowing.

"To reach this stage, as you can expect by now, one must achieve Advanced Mastery of the respective core technique. For the Ajnal path, this requires both Second Pillar and Second Body State. For the Azcoyatl path, it requires Third Pillar State."

"I understand, but… in the Ajnal society there are two stages above the Lord of Sparks," Imani added. "One is the Sun Bearers, and the other is—"

"The Divine Warriors of the Land," Lukas said, gaze knowing. "Correct. But think of the Sun Bearers as an intermediate point between stage two and three. They have reached both Second Pillar and Second Body State, but have not yet attained Advanced Mastery of the core technique."

The rest remained silent for a moment before Arjun spoke.

"Lukas, you mentioned the world is shared by four main powers. I suppose one is the Ajnal, the other the Azcoyatl, and a third is the Xok'al but… which is the fourth?"

"Well, you already know it," Lukas said with an easy smile, "but… I guess the Ajnal and Azcoyatl have toned them down more than they deserve, so I don't blame you."

He shifted his weight against the wall.

"The fourth power is the beastmen in the Great Plains."

Arjun raised an eyebrow. "But… aren't they just scattered, undeveloped tribes without order? I heard the only reason they still exist is because the Ajnal used to fight the Azcoyatl, and neither could afford to dedicate forces to erase the beastmen."

Lukas chuckled. "Exactly. That's what… they teach kids in school here, let's say. But as I said—that's a huge understatement, built on rivalry, and frankly, on a fair bit of discrimination."

He glanced at the others.

"You see—two of the strongest, if not the strongest, existences in this entire world are not Ajnal or Azcoyatl… they're beastmen. And you say the Ajnal never really attacked the Plains?"

"Well… I heard there was a fight between a General and a beastman called Makoh, and that it ended in the latter's victory. But that's all."

Lukas smiled faintly. "Well… it wasn't just a General."

He let that hang for a beat.

"Anyway—this 'Makoh' didn't just win back then. He was unscathed, while he and a small group of elite beastmen held off a full Azcoyatl legion when they tried to occupy the Western Plains.

"It was the greatest defeat in Ajnal history. It ended with the deaths of several Sun Bearers and thousands of Ajnal warriors. So… yeah. Don't underestimate the beastmen."

Arjun nodded slowly, clearly surprised.

"So what now, Lukas?" Chiara asked, her tone faintly impatient. It was clear she had heard parts of this before. "When are we going to search for Ayu?"

"Ayu… yes," Lukas said, his gaze sharpening. "Ayu could still be in the wilds. But if I had to bet, I'd say she's with the beastmen instead."

He paused for a moment.

"I don't know why she would be the only one to get separated. But it is what it is. Twelve of us ended up with the Ajnal, twelve with the Azcoyatl… and she alone, in the middle. Sounds highly plausible."

"So we check the beastmen next." Chiara pressed. "Can we arrange a meeting with their leaders?"

"Not quite. Even though relations are 'neutral' now, with the Xok'al being a common enemy, the Azcoyatl refrain from formally dealing with the beastmen in a diplomatic way. So… no official channels."

He looked at her.

"If we want to search for Ayu there, we either need enough standing, as in you to be the Emissary yourself—and not your master—or… we head out as a group and do it the non-diplomatic way."

Chiara's eyes narrowed slightly. "I won't be able to reach Third Stage anytime soon. Let's go for the second option."

Lukas exhaled. "I understand your worry. But if Ayu is there—she'll be safe. Really safe. Trust me."

He met Chiara's gaze evenly.

"I know Ayu. And I have read plenty about the beastmen and their culture. For someone like her… it'll be heaven. Maybe that's exactly why The Tower chose that path for her. So… I'd advise we wait."

"Wait? How long? For what?" Chiara pressed, her voice growing sharper, the exchange now more pointed.

The rest remained awkwardly silent, watching the two with a mix of tension and uncertainty.

Lukas cracked his neck, gaze drifting for a moment—letting it cool down. "One month. In one month's time… we'll meet again and scout the beastmen in search of Ayu. And… after that… we'll move to clear this stage as a group."

"A month? I won't be able to reach the Third Pillar State in one month," Chiara said. "Why that time?"

"Why not? One month is enough time for us to grow enough to defend ourselves against the Xok'al," Lukas replied calmly. "I expect most of us to reach the Second Stage by then and be able to easily take down the elite Xok'al. And perhaps—if we are all together—survive an encounter with a Xok'al Commander."

Chiara remained silent for a moment, then nodded and leaned back in her chair.

"So—what do you guys think?" Lukas asked, gaze moving across the others.

They all slowly nodded.

"Then that's decided. On to the next point," he continued, eyes shifting to Wang. "Chiara and I will be heading back with the Azcoyatl for that month. Wang, however, has decided to remain here."

He glanced at the group.

"Noticeably—because he's aiming to improve in both the Body Path and the Pillar Path. Unlike the Azcoyatl, who focus almost solely on the latter. We believe Wang can benefit a lot from the Ajnal technique that creates those capacitor nodes in the body due to its positive correlation with his Awakening."

He gave a brief pause.

"So—I ask you now. Imani, Arjun, and all those present here. Which of you feels the Pillar Path suits you more than the dual path?"

Before anyone could answer, Chiara spoke up again.

"Mei—you're coming, right?"

Mei looked slightly startled at first, but didn't hesitate. She stepped forward and nodded. "I… I would appreciate it. Yes."

"Good. I'll arrange for you to be my student—or well, disciple, as they call it over there."

Mei smiled and bowed slightly. "Thank you."

"O-kay—anyone else?" Lukas continued.

There was a moment of silence before Camila also stepped forward.

And then—Arjun did.

Lukas smiled at him, as if he had half expected—maybe even hoped—for that decision.

"Alright, guys. It's settled then. Focus on training and growing stronger during these four weeks. After that… Chiara, Arjun and I will come back and regroup with Imani, Wang, and anyone else who's reached Second Stage by then. From there—we'll move out, scout the map, and search for Ayu."

His gaze swept across the room.

"As for the rest still in First Stage—your task will remain the same. Train. Get stronger. We'll need you later on."