Those damn signals!

I picked them up first thing in the morning.

They freaked me out, honestly. My first thought was that it could be some herd of creatures communicating with each other, each signal bouncing in intervals. I'd nearly jumped awake, scanning for the source. But after a few moments of tuning in, I started piecing it together. The approximate source was familiar, and the pattern wasn't like anything I'd noticed with the wildlife. This had to be the humans—my dear fellow Climbers.

I sighed, realizing there wasn't much I could do about it. This was probably going to be my new background noise for a while. Maybe getting to the next zone faster would help? Yeah, sounded like a plan.

So I set off right away.

Heading toward their camp wasn't on my list of priorities, so I took a detour, winding up to the cliffs and aiming for the longer route. It would take more distance—over 500 kilometers to the next zone—but at least I'd be out of range of that constant buzzing.

The path wound through rugged terrain, jagged rocks jutting up from the earth, sparse plants gripping to the edges. Silence stretched around me, with only the occasional gust of wind and the crunch of loose stone underfoot.

As I drew closer to the camp—still at least 200 kilometers out—that faint fluctuation cut through the quiet once more, distinct against the background field. This time, it was even clearer—consistent, rhythmic, unlike the random pulses of the terrain. Each pulse arrives at regular intervals, almost like steady heartbeats echoing through the field.

A coordinated signal. A series of pings, evenly spaced, each with a slight lag or change in intensity. Whatever it was, it was far too organized for anything randomly done.

As it grew clearer, the realization hit me: they'd likely set up some kind of network, using a low-frequency connection to keep tabs on each other or maintain a general sense of location. But how had they managed to amplify the signals this much? The natural EM field alone wouldn't account for it; there had to be something else at play.

Annoyance crept in as the signals got stronger, layering over each other in a constant buzz. It felt like I'd wandered right into their surveillance net, a whole field of pings pinging away around me. I couldn't help but wonder if they'd picked up on my presence, but then, I figured it was just their usual setup. They weren't exactly subtle about it.

The signals begin to grate, so I finally decide to filter out that specific frequency, tuning my sensitivity down until the pings faded into the background. The quiet returns, and I exhale in relief, resuming my march.

Moving through the rugged terrain, past sharp, jutting rocks and the sparse vegetation clinging to their edges, I notice a faint fluctuation in the uniform field surrounding me. But this was different from the ones before. It was targeted. Intentional. Someone trying to communicate with me?

My heart tightens as I turn toward the direction it came from, scanning the area, but I saw nothing and sense nothing, even with full Overdrive active. Estimating the distance to the origin wasn't easy; the signal had been too faint.

I weigh my options, then move into cover, keeping Overdrive at a suitable level, just in case.

Might as well hear them out and find out who was on the other end.

Not more than a minute passed before I sense another pulse—or rather, a voice echoing directly in my mind.

"I finally managed to connect with you."

That voice. Chiara?

My jaw clenches. The last person I feel like seeing right now. Should I just leave?

I briefly consider just leaving, but ultimately stay. I want to hear what she has to say. And… I need to know how Ayu is doing. As for everything else? Couldn't care less.

I step out, focusing again, but she's still distant. Only after sending out a scouting pulse at full Overdrive do I manage to detect faint vibrations moving toward me. But even then, I still don't sense Chiara herself. Her EM cloaking is something else.

I wait, tracking her movements with closed eyes, visualizing her approach through the shifts in the air and ground. It's less precise than directly sensing her with waves, but it works—I can pinpoint her position once she's within about 300 meters.

Finally, her figure appears. I nearly jump, reflexively tightening my grip, ready to strike.

What's with that crazy mask?

Chiara looks at me, then pauses, realizing. She quickly pulls the mask off.

"Oh, sorry about that," she says, a little embarrassed. "Long time no see. Hope things haven't been too rough on your end."

I exhale, relaxing just a bit, though I keep my expression cool, my curiosity briefly drawn to her strange visor. It looks crafted from wood, with what appears to be segments of arthropod antennae attached.

"Noticed, huh?" she says, gesturing to the mask. "I made it with Lukas' help. Still a work in progress, but we're crafting one for each Climber. It lets us communicate and locate each other over longer distances."

So that's it! Those fucking masks!

Amplifying the signal with the antennae, tuning into the natural field... I sigh, knowing now that the buzz won't be disappearing anytime soon.

I keep my expression neutral, offering only a faint shrug in response. She's trying to be friendly, but I'm not in the mood to entertain it. She's lucky I even decided to stop. Let's keep this quick.

"So," I say, getting to the point, "I'm guessing this isn't just a social call. What's going on? I ran into Imani the other day, and he mentioned you told the others not to engage with me. Was that because of the guy who tried to kill me? You found him alive?"

Chiara's expression changes, her gaze shifting to the ground. "Yes… about that," she begins cautiously. "I know what he did was out of line, and I appreciate that you didn't… finish him off." She lifts her head, but her eyes don't quite meet mine. "I don't expect you to let these things slide, Alonso, but sparing him—it was probably the right call. He's… he's needed back at camp. I've talked to him, and he knows better now. It won't happen again."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I grip the hilt of my sword tightly, my knuckles whitening, the anger bubbling just below the surface. "The right call? Really, Chiara? This is the thanks I get for holding back when he tried to kill me? Next time, there won't be any hesitation. If they come for me again, I'll cut them down without a second thought."

She flinches, barely noticeable, but I catch it. Her breath steadies as she forces herself to respond. "I understand, Alonso. And I've made sure the message is clear." Her tone dips, softer now, like she thinks she can appeal to me. "The camp… it's not easy to manage everyone. People have their fears, their anger, their grief. I thought… if they had someone to focus all that on, someone apart from the rest of us—"

"You mean me," I snap. "Your sacrificial scapegoat."

"It was a mistake," she says finally, her voice quiet, almost pleading. "I thought long and hard about it while you were gone. Maybe pushing you away wasn't the best decision."

I scoff, my hand twitching at my sword. "Oh, now you've figured that out? After you blackmailed me? After you tore Ayu and me apart for your pathetic excuse of unity?"

Her gaze drops for a moment before she looks back up, forcing herself to hold steady. "This trial is different, Alonso. It's open, the dangers are real, constant. Enough to push us together. We're stronger now, more focused. What I'm saying is… you don't have to be the villain anymore. I can help you make peace with them. And if anyone still refuses, I'll—"

"Chiara… stop." My voice is low, cold, cutting through her words like a blade. Her face falls, but I don't care. "I severed ties with the only person I cared about back in the Oasis because of you. There's nothing else for me here. I'm better off on my own—less dead weight, no responsibility, and no risk of betrayal. You've already proven how reliable your kind of 'unity' is."

She hesitates, nodding slowly. "I… I see." Her voice is subdued now, but she presses on. "If you ever hit a wall… if you need anything, know that I'll still be here. You don't have to face everything alone. These trials—"

"Will only make me stronger," I interrupt. "Don't twist this into some kumbaya bullshit, Chiara. I'll handle whatever comes my way, alone. And I won't waste time helping people who'd rather stab me in the back."

She straightens slightly, trying to meet my glare head-on. "You think you can do this all on your own?"

I lean forward, just enough to make her uneasy, my voice a growl. "The last time you doubted me, Siddharth ended up dead. Maybe you should remember that before you try playing your little games again."

Her expression hardens, but the faint crack in her resolve is unmistakable. She says nothing, and the silence stretches between us like a taut wire.

Then, slowly, her expression softens, and she exhales. "Alright," she says quietly. "Then… let me at least help you with something." She hesitates briefly, then adds, "I'll send you a mental map of the areas we've scouted, with details on the next zone and the abominations roaming there."

Dense images flood into my mind as I analyze the intricate wave pattern she transmitted. The map is massive, far more detailed than anything Houston has managed. It shows spawn zones for the crustaceans and arthropods, markers for taken-down creatures, the locations of Climber hunting parties, and even a scale for distance measurement. It's undeniably impressive.

I quickly memorize it all, and focus on the new zone. It's labeled 'Riftflow?' It's mostly uncharted, with faint outlines marking unknown terrain. Something else catches my eye: creatures labeled Glow-Lurkers. I squint, reading their description.

The Glow-Lurkers look like something out of a nightmare—translucent, floating shapes pulsing with an eerie, bioluminescent glow. Ghostly tentacles dangle beneath them as they hover over Riftflow's jagged terrain, gliding in smooth, hypnotic motions. A warning is shown in small text: they emit a low-frequency EM pulse, cloaking themselves in a luminous mist that distorts normal EM tracking. More creatures with EM cloaking, huh?

"I should be able to handle it," I reply, calmly.

"Well, if you can't, what hope is there for the rest of us?" Then she adds, "Alright, that's the first part. Now, for the second." She drops a heavy backpack she's been carrying, and it lands with a soft thud.

I glance down, half-expecting her to pull something out of it, but instead, she just holds it out toward me.

"What's this?" I frown, reluctant to reach for it.

"It's yours," she says.

I stare at it, then back at her. "Why?"

She exhales, slightly exasperated. "Please, just take it. I'm not looking to make things up with you, Alonso, if that's what you're thinking. But I acknowledge you're… important for clearing this Tower."

After a few seconds, I grab the pack and inspect it. It resembles my old one, but with some noticeable upgrades. "So… what's all this?"

"Well, it's some of the gear you left behind at the Oasis. I had Lukas help me upgrade it. Inside, you'll find two pairs of pants, shirts, boots, an upgraded sling with a pouch, and a sheath for your blade. Oh, and a new version of this mask," she gestures to her own. "I know communication isn't your favorite, so I modified the antenna to shift to a unique frequency only I know. I'll send the spectrum now."

Before I can respond, she sends a signal. I quickly analyze it.

"Using this frequency, you can send a wave through the uniform EM field, and I'll be able to receive it as long as we're within a 650-kilometer range. Beyond that, the signal grows too weak. Also, I'll send regular map updates, so you know where each Climber is—you can avoid them… or not, as you wish."

I'm silent for a moment, weighing my options. The rest of the stuff? Sure, that's fine. But the mask… wouldn't it mean she could pinpoint my position whenever I send out a long-range wave? Sure, I'd have her location, along with everyone else's on the map, but...

After a beat, I make up my mind. "I'll pass on the mask, Chiara," I say bluntly. "And as for communication? There's nothing I need to say to you."

Chiara opens her mouth, then hesitates, looking down for a moment. Finally, she nods, her voice subdued. "Alright…"

An awkward silence settles between us, but she eventually breaks it, her tone shifting. "There's… one more thing. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but this trial—it's strange. It resembles ancient Earth, like… from before the dinosaurs," she continues, her gaze meeting mine. "I keep thinking about the goal here. Is it just like the island—just get to the end? But as we've been updating the map every day, I started noticing something odd." She pauses, searching my face. "The land is moving."

Moving?

"You mean… the landmasses are shifting?"

"Yes. The movement is subtle, but it's happening. We can't predict the pattern yet, since the shift isn't uniform and too small for now, but we're gathering data on it. My hypothesis? This might be a recreation of Earth's ancient land formations—when everything was one massive supercontinent. Instead of the five we have now, it was… Pangaea."

That name was familiar.

"So you reckon the end isn't just about reaching a location but also… a certain point in time? We have to wait?"

"Yes," Chiara nods. "I think the end of this trial might be tied to the landmasses' movements."

Interesting.

She finishes up, checking her list. "Well, I think that's it—the map, the backpack, the shifting land. Anything else? Need food or water? I put some provisions in there. We've got a very good cook at camp, so I hope you like it."

I don't respond.

After a second, I look away, then back at her. "How's Ayu?"

Chiara's gaze softens, a touch of guilt in her expression. "I… am really sorry about—"

"Don't apologize," I cut in, my tone harsh. "Just make sure she's okay."

She nods. "I know. But honestly, she's doing great. She might even be further along in stage progress than I am. Lukas made her an atlatl, and she's gotten really good with it."

"An atlatl?"

"Yeah, like a javelin thrower. It's straightforward and gives her extra range. You want one?"

"No."

Chiara hesitates for a moment, then shakes her head.

"And who is Lukas? Tall, blond guy by any chance?"

"Yes." She frowns a bit. "You've seen him?"

"No, but he caught my attention before the duel with Siddharth," I say with a shrug.

She gives a short nod. "Alright. I won't keep you any longer. Good luck with the hunt."

I nod slightly but stay silent.

Without another word, we go our separate ways.

As I make my way down the cliff, I can't help but think of Ayu… I miss her smile today.

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