Chapter 328
Bribe (2)
"Uhhh, if you would follow me this way…" IAM said, pointing in the direction where he had come from.
Natsuki was silent as she stared at him, a suspicious air radiating from her as IAM shook his head lightly.
"I actually left it there because of you. Now I'm going to give it to you. Think of it as a bribe for your cooperation… or protection, if you prefer. It's not a trap."
"I'm not worried," she said simply.
Her words oozed confidence, certainty and quiet power as her eyes flashed with a dark gold. Hers was slightly different — only the golden shade near the middle of her iris brightened, while the surrounding brown remained unchanged, creating a dazzling, layered contrast.
IAM nodded, accepting the unspoken implication, as they walked in the direction he had come from.
They were walking side by side.
But...
Just a few seconds in, IAM noticed that she kept ten metres away from him. His eyes squinted slightly as he said,
"Not worried at all?"
She chose not to respond.
IAM nodded in the silence before speaking again.
"I noticed your sword… It was flying. I've never seen anything like that… How?"
There was genuine interest in his tone. It had been a long time since something truly caught his attention.
After witnessing the horrid things he had seen, he had almost forgotten that he was living in a world that could once have been described as fantasy back on Earth.
He was witnessing unbelievable sights from beings called ascenders — and he was one himself. He stood on a world the same size of the sun he once knew, yet it was filled to the brim with eerie beings known as deadline creatures that should never have existed in any rational understanding of reality. He had even performed the absurd act of returning from death itself.
And yet…
A sword flying through the air still managed to feel extraordinary.
That simple, elegant defiance of gravity had stirred something he hadn't felt in a while.
Wonder.
He knew this wouldn't be the last time he experienced something mind-bending. This world was filled with events that defied logic — and he would continue to encounter them in the far future...
She replied simply, "I'd rather not give away my secrets to strangers."
"But if we're going to fight together, won't we need an understanding of each other's weaknesses and strengths?" IAM rebutted immediately.
She paused for a few seconds before responding, "Then tell me why you aren't using your avien. Do you have something to hide?"
IAM's eyes deepened slightly. "That's a good point…"
Silence resumed. IAM found it extremely difficult to speak with Natsuki. She seemed completely closed off to the world around her, as if encased in something invisible. The only person he had ever seen pierce through that quiet barrier was Zara — which, the more he thought about it, made him increasingly impressed. He still wasn't sure how she had managed it.
No more words were spoken until they finally reached the tree. The black flag was hooked near the top, fluttering faintly against the bark of a tree that rose nearly one hundred and eighty metres into the sky.
Natsuki noticed it immediately. She turned to him.
"Is this your bribe?"
"It's the best I've got," he replied flatly.
While it may have seemed like he was throwing away an opportunity, he was actually using it to his advantage. He couldn't walk around openly carrying the flag — it would attract attention from other students who would try to take it from him, dead or alive.
But he also couldn't leave it behind. He still didn't understand its true purpose. It could be extremely important.
So the next best option was simple — let his new teammate hold onto it. Any opportunity that came with possessing it could be shared, and IAM wouldn't become the immediate target of every greedy ascender in the forest.
It was a practical plan.
And while he found himself drawn to her, he wouldn't let that cloud his judgment and simply hand over something valuable without thought.
Natsuki stared at the flag for several seconds before saying, "For some reason, I feel like this offer is filled with bad intentions…"
IAM smiled inwardly. She was perceptive — annoyingly so. He would need to tread carefully.
She turned to face him fully. Silence lingered again, this time heavier, as though she were waiting for something.
IAM frowned slightly. "What?… Are you not going to get it?"
Her expression remained perfectly straight.
"Can you get it?"
"Why?" he asked, confused.
"…I can't."
"W-why can't you get it?"
"I don't know how to climb a tree."
There wasn't even the slightest change in her face.
"⚆_⚆?"
"…"
"…Are you serious?"
"…"
"You can't climb a tree? As an ascender? Are you… scared of heights?"
"No."
"…"
"…"
"Fine… but you better catch me!"
…
A few minutes later, IAM found himself quite literally clinging to a branch for dear life. He dared a glance downward and instantly regretted it — the distance between life and death looked very small from this height. Everything below seemed miniature.
He could see Natsuki standing calmly at the base, watching him in silence. The wind at this elevation was harsher, whipping against his clothes and pushing at his balance until he felt less like a loose leaf about to be torn free.
He muttered a curse under his breath against the world as he continued climbing, inch by inch, getting closer and closer to the black flag.
He slowed down slightly as he got close to the top, his movements becoming more cautious. Surely it wouldn't be this easy. His eyes scanned the surrounding branches and trunk carefully, half-expecting hidden traps, concealed mechanisms, or even a deadline creature camouflaged among the leaves.
But there was nothing.
He edged closer, inch by inch, until he was finally within reach. Before grabbing it, he paused to properly observe it. There was nothing particularly special about its appearance. It was a plain black flag attached to a silver pole, roughly half a metre in length. There was no inscriptions or hidden markings that he could see.
He grasped it firmly and pulled it free.
He waited.
For a reaction. For a tremor. For the ground to split open or the sky to darken.
Nothing happened.
After nearly a full minute of tense anticipation, he let out a slow breath and began climbing down.
The flag was tucked securely into his waistband as he descended with controlled, steady movements. There were no sudden changes. No creatures lunging at him. Everything felt almost disappointingly normal.
Until he was a little over halfway down — only around twenty metres left.
That was when the branch he was gripping… wiggled.
!!!
His body stiffened.
The branch beneath his hand shifted again...
This time he lost his balance as the branch he held onto shifted beneath his grip, twisting just enough to betray him. His footing slipped at the exact same moment, the bark under his shoe that had also twisted slightly.
For a split second he hung there, suspended between recovery and disaster, before gravity made the decision for him.
"Ah shit… here we go again."
And then—
IAM plummeted.