Chapter 37
Kon
IAM rubbed his eyes, blinked, then rubbed them again. Nope, still there.
He pinched his cheek. Nothing. No waking up from this nightmare.
The nightmare had a name—and it came in the shape of a six-foot-five slab of muscle that looked more like a walking wall than a man. Kon.
He was still wielding that disgustingly massive shield, half his size and no less threatening than before. It looked like something a frontline tank in a fantasy world would carry—simple, practical, brutal. Etched in its center was a red badge with a black 'H,' clearly marking his allegiance to The Hold.
IAM stared. The shield looked particularly... head-smashy today. Like it could easily crush someone's skull, especially someone with a name starting with "I."
He gulped.
Now that IAM had mana flowing through him, he understood better just how overwhelmingly powerful ascenders could be. The strength. The speed. The sheer pressure. It didn't comfort him—it made everything worse. Kon had likely been an ascender for years. That experience... that confidence.
And IAM was still getting used to not tripping over his own feet.
As he finally arrived in front of the group, he felt his smile falter. Kon, with his wild black hair and intense brown eyes, looked like the giant descendent right now—not IAM. IAM's muscles were still catching up.
Just his luck. Please, no. If Kon turned out to be the leader—
Oh no.
Oh shit. I—
"Hey. Hello? Over here, sleepy head."
IAM blinked. He had been so focused on Kon's massive frame that he'd completely missed the woman standing beside him, holding the tablet.
"...Might just die right now," IAM muttered without thinking, the words slipping out as his brain scrambled.
"What? What the fuck is—" the woman cut herself off with a groan. She pinched the bridge of her nose, visibly exasperated. "Why... why do I always get the retarded ones?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but her words carried. Everyone heard. All slightly offended.
She didn't seem to care. Or feel embarrassed. At all.
IAM took a second to actually look at her. She was clearly older than most, probably in her late 40s, with a short greying bob streaked with black. Wrinkles gathered lightly around her eyes and forehead, but she still carried an undeniable, seasoned beauty. She was a beast-man descendent and stood around 5'6", but her presence undeniable. Authority radiated from her—the kind earned from years of leadership and near-death experiences.
She wore a hoodie with three stars stitched proudly onto the red badge.
"Alright," she said, rolling her dark blue eyes, "moving on. I'd like to officially welcome you newbies to the cause. My name is Mia. I'll be the leader of this little group. I'm a Rule Path ascender, and I've been with The Hold for twenty-three long years, slaving my ass off for this country. I'd like to live long enough to retire—so I'll be trusting my life to you, just as you'll be trusting yours to me."
She looked over them all, calm but sharp. "Don't worry. You're in safe hands."
A moment of silence passed.
"Now. Introduce yourselves."
IAM cleared his throat. "Uh... I'm IAM. I'm on the Cursed and Blessed Speech Path. No stars. I'm excited to meet you all."
Mia's frown deepened slightly at the mention of his path, but she gave a short nod.
Next, a tall girl stepped forward—5'11", giant descendent, with short fluffy hair, dark skin, and soft light brown eyes.
"I'm Jasmine. I'm of the Healer Path. No star. Nice to meet you."
Mia smiled for the first time. A healer was always a blessing—vital to any team's long-term survival. Clearly, she was happy to have Jasmine on board.
Then a boy IAM's age stepped forward, about 5'6", knight descendent, curly hair, hazel eyes, and a grin that screamed trouble.
"Hello, hello, my friends!" he said with flair. "Name's Leovico Hernan, of the Earth Path, no star. Nice to meet you all—especially the fine ladies."
He winked at Jasmine, who blinked once and gave him a blank stare.
Mia was already frowning again.
This one... was going to be a headache.
Next was a beast-man descendent—tall at six feet, long hair down to his shoulders, and metal stud earrings in both ears. His whole demeanor was laid back, borderline horizontal.
He spoke slowly, dragging each word like it physically pained him.
"Hhheeyyy... mmyyy naaame... iiissss... Bryaaaaan(Bryan). I'mmm... frommm... theee... Paaath... oooff... Waarrrr. Nnnooo... staaarr..."
Mia visibly stiffened. Her blood pressure was rising. This group might actually kill her before the next mission even started.
Then came Kon.
Still smirking. Still watching IAM like a predator does prey.
"Name's Kon," he said, casual as ever. "War Path. One star... . And I love cracking bones and hurting annoying people."
The last line was spoken slow and pointed—clearly aimed at IAM.
IAM's internal response was instant:
"Why? Why, God? Why me?"
Mia sighed again. She had worked with Kon before. Besides the fact that his face was just... inherently punchable, he was dependable in a fight. A hothead, sure. But effective.
Just as she opened her mouth to continue—
"Actually, Cap," Kon interrupted, "I've got a little proposition. Since we're gonna be working together for a while, why not do a bit of bonding? A sparring match, maybe. Just to get a feel for each other's powers."
He turned, eyes practically glowing with mischief. "How about... me and that IAM kid start us off?"
He added, too quietly for Mia to hear, "I promise to stop when the tears start."
IAM slowly pointed to himself. Me...?
"Actually, that's a great idea," Mia said without hesitation. "Go ahead."
IAM's soul left his body.
He wasn't even given a chance to respond. Not even a pity glance.
Mia wasn't blind—she could tell something was going on between the two. But in her experience, it was better to let people settle their differences in front of her than behind her back. Let the tension out now, under her supervision.
Kon grinned, rolling his shoulders. "You ready for this beating, bitch?"
IAM tried to deflect. "No. I mean... how can anyone be ready with your face that close?"
Kon's grin widened. "Oh. You're fucked now."
IAM fired back without thinking, "You look like you'd do the fucking for both of us."
A pause.
Kon blinked. "What?"
IAM blinked. "...What?"
A longer pause. Everyone stared.
IAM wanted to slap himself. That was not how that line was supposed to come out.
He was unraveling fast. He hadn't even had a proper fight yet, hadn't fleshed out his path, had barely even used his mana for shit.
In a way... he was right.
He was about to get absolutely fucked.
And Kon?
Kon was definitely going to be the one doing the fucking.
Wait—
This entire metaphor had spiraled out of control. IAM's thoughts were crumbling. He was losing it. Absolutely, completely losing it.