Chapter 9
Ryan
Moving down the rocky path, the carriage jolted and shook violently, each bump rattling IAM's bones. He gazed upward at the clear blue sky, which seemed unnervingly close—like he could just reach out and touch it with his hand. But no matter how far he stretched, no matter how much he tried, the sky remained just out of reach. You could never reach it.
Never...
The trees blurred past as they made their way toward the meeting point for new recruits, which the awkwardly social green-eyed man sitting beside IAM in the back of the carriage called The Hold.
The Hold was one of the largest military camps in all of Hope—a place where men and women came to be transformed into soldiers. It sat on the edge of a notorious region known as The Deadline. Beyond this boundary, the chances of survival dropped drastically; the area was infested with bloodthirsty creatures that preyed on anything that dared to enter.
But if the zone was so dangerous, why fight a war against CLAW—the opposing country—in such a perilous place?
The answer was simple, yet baffling.
Every country on every continent was surrounded by an enormous wall, stretching as high as 15,000 meters. Who built these walls? How long did it take? Why were they built? These were among the greatest mysteries of this world.
The walls could be damaged, but only with an immense amount of energy and time. Each country guarded its gates—located on the east, west, south, and north sides—with extreme vigilance, making it nearly impossible to bypass one another.
Due to this, and the fact that each country is contained within its massive walls, they do not fight over territory with one another. Instead, the battles are fought over resources, secrets, plans, and high-level ascenders the neighboring countries might possess. Because fighting on each other's home ground is inconvenient and risky, wars are forced to take place in what are called deadlines.
Deadlines are lands that remain unexplored or unconquered by humans and are filled to the brim with grotesque creatures. Any war must be fought in these dangerous zones to avoid disturbing established human settlements. However, the smell of bloodshed and flesh naturally attracts these monstrous creatures, who always pose a significant threat to any army. Many of these creatures have strange and unique abilities, making them especially deadly.
Technically, every major battle is essentially a three-way fight (except in rare cases where countries form alliances) — between the two opposing forces and the monstrous creatures of the deadlines.
As a result, battles are often chaotic, with accidents and disasters being common. This compels armies to seek as much cannon fodder as possible, meaning many people who have never trained for war find themselves caught between terrifying creatures and highly skilled soldiers capable of folding them with minimal effort.
A situation the main character will undoubtedly face many, many times.
How did IAM know all this?
Well, it was all thanks to Ryan, who surprisingly knew a lot about things like this. He said his knowledge came from having lived in Hope before. However, after his parents died in an accident when he was young, he inherited their fortune—but being just 15 and inexperienced in the harsh world, he was scammed out of nearly all of it and forced to move to Hope's End.
From that day, he promised himself never to be tricked or scammed again. You could see the flicker of rage and determination burning in his eyes whenever he talked about it.
Hmm, for someone who claims to avoid falling for tricks, he sure is a blabbermouth, IAM thought.
Ryan would talk whenever he got the chance—about anything and everything. But thanks to him, IAM had gained a decent understanding of the world around him.
"Anyway, how's your progress forming an avien? I'm not doing great. I can barely suck in mana for more than about 20 seconds."
"... 20?!" If one listened closely, they could hear a slight crack in IAM's voice.
"Yeah! But I'm so excited to become an ascender!" Ryan beamed.
"Yeah..." IAM replied quietly.
Ryan then suggested they practice their skills before they reached The Hold.
........
Joe whipped his horses with the reins, urging them to keep up a steady, respectable pace toward their destination.
He'd been on the road for as long as he could remember—30 years, maybe more—delivering goods across every stretch of land imaginable. Rain or shine, dirt or mud, mountains or plains, Joe had hauled it all. Not much fazed him anymore.
At least, that's what he thought.
Then the noises started coming from the back of the carriage.
"Ughhh, this is sooo hard…" one voice groaned in strained exhaustion.
Joe glanced back, expecting maybe some complaining about the rough ride, but saw nothing but two passengers awkwardly stuffed among the supplies. Shrugging, he turned forward again.
A few minutes later came another tortured moan. "Yeah, I can barely take it… ughhh, it hurts!!"
Now Joe's curiosity was piqued. He wasn't deaf. And this was no ordinary groaning.
"Oh my god, I want it to stop!! But I can't... be... because I want to ascend!"
Joe blinked. That was… oddly passionate for mere practice. He forced himself not to imagine what was going on.
The noises continued. Heavy breathing, desperate gasps, and occasional strained exclamations of "Not enough! Keep going!" echoed through the cramped space.
At one point, Joe swore he heard a faint thud, like someone hitting the wooden floor—probably the poor old crate they'd used for a seat.
Hours passed. The rhythmic, increasingly dramatic sounds carried on, occasionally interrupted by whispered encouragements and muffled curses.
Joe tried to keep his mind on the road ahead, but his imagination was running wild. Was this some strange new ascension ritual? Some hardcore training method? Or had he unwittingly become a chauffeur to two lovers in the throes of passion?
By the end of the ride, Joe was absolutely convinced of two things: one, he hadn't seen or heard it all—not even close. And two, if this was the price of ascension, he might reconsider signing up himself.
As the horses slowed, Joe shook his head and muttered under his breath, "If this is what 'mana training' sounds like, I hope those boys have a very good reason for all that noise… and maybe some thicker walls next time