Chapter 230
Wait
IAM watched from the truck as Thor landed on the roof of the leading car with a thunderous clang, the sound swallowed quickly by the rushing wind. There was a brief moment of quiet—then, as casually as someone unwrapping a piece of candy, Thor dug his fingers into the metal and peeled it back. The roof tore open with a horrible screech, steel folding like paper under his grip.
IAM blinked, head shaking slowly in disbelief.
Masters, he thought, are on an entirely different level.
The difference between a Master and a low-experienced Ascender like himself still felt surreal. It wasn't just about power. It was the ease of it. Thor hadn't even looked like he was trying.
The moment Thor had touched down, IAM had acted on instinct.
He activated his Avien—without hesitation. That strange, cool feeling immediately surged through his body, filling his limbs with the flowing strength of a low-experienced state... It was a necessary precaution.
Because something like this—He didn't know what might go wrong, but in situations like this, he couldn't afford to rely on a normal human body.
Better to be safe than sorry.
Now stabilized, IAM shifted his focus.
The car Thor had told him to keep an eye on—the one just behind the lead vehicle—was still in motion. It hadn't veered off. He narrowed his eyes and leaned forward slightly, scanning for any signs of movement inside.
What would they do now?
...
"What the fuck is that?!" the driver shouted, hands tightening around the wheel as he tried to keep the vehicle steady. His eyes were wide, darting up toward the roof. "Is that a person? Where the hell did he come from?!"
There was a sharp edge of panic in his voice. Nothing about this situation made sense anymore.
In the backseat, one of the passengers fumbled for his walkie-talkie, raising it quickly to his mouth as he pressed down on the button. His voice came laced with confusion.
"What the hell, I just saw someone jump on your roof! What's going on? Hello? Fuck—?"
He stopped mid-sentence.
The moment he caught sight of the roof being ripped off and tossed like scrap metal onto the road behind them, his face went pale. His hand released the button as he stared, dumbfounded, and then quickly cut the line.
"They've been compromised!" he shouted to the others. "Shit!"
The air in the car turned heavy.
One of the others leaned forward, peering through the back window. His tone was grim.
"We're being followed…" he said, eyes narrowing as he spotted the large truck in the distance keeping pace. "Who the hell are they? That's not a police vehicle. What are they doing?"
The driver didn't look back. He just gritted his teeth.
"It doesn't matter," he said, his voice was hard. "We're leaving. There's no point in following them now."
His foot slammed down on the accelerator.
...
IAM saw it the moment it happened.
The car ahead suddenly surged forward, engine roaring louder as it gained speed and veered sharply to the right, it's tires screeching against the road as it broke away from the original path.
IAM's eyes locked onto it immediately. His fingers tightened around the steering wheel, and without hesitation—maybe too quickly—he jerked the wheel to follow. The truck groaned beneath him as it swerved, rattling under the weight, and for a moment he felt the back end wobble slightly out of line.
He let out a quiet curse under his breath, adjusting his grip and easing into the turn more carefully the second time.
The city roads blurred past him, but he couldn't afford to lose sight of the target. His eyes kept darting between the fleeing car and the space in front of him, trying to anticipate their next move while also managing to keep the truck from flipping itself into a lamp post.
It wasn't exactly pretty driving—at least not by professional standards. IAM wasn't used to high-speed pursuit, not in a vehicle this bulky... Or in general.
Every tight turn forced him to overcorrect slightly. He could feel the engine straining, the wheels threatening to skid every time he pressed too hard on the accelerator. But even so, he kept up.
Eventually, the chase began to slow.
The fleeing car dipped off the main road, kicking up gravel as it entered a more industrial zone. The buildings here were old and wide—warehouses, most of them, the kind that looked abandoned from a distance but always had something going on inside.
IAM followed cautiously now, letting the truck coast forward as he watched their brake lights flash once—then again. The car came to a stop just outside a large metal-sided warehouse near the edge of a wide water body, its surface rippling gently in the late light. IAM parked the truck further back,the engine still running, his eyes fixed on the building like it might move.
Something about the place didn't feel right.
IAM was almost certain they had noticed him by now.
They knew he was behind them. And the fact that they hadn't tried to lose him, but had instead led him all the way out here to this remote warehouse near the water, only meant one thing.
This was either a trap… or they had reinforcements waiting.
He let out a quiet breath, fingers brushing the key before turning the truck off. The engine died with a low shudder. He sat still for a few seconds longer, listening—just in case. Then, moving with care, he opened the door and stepped out. The gravel beneath his boots crunched lightly, but he didn't waste time.
He slipped into the shadows of one of the nearby warehouses, sticking close to the wall where the light couldn't reach. The air smelled faintly of rust, old salt, and oil. From this angle, he had partial cover and just enough visibility to keep an eye on the car and the main building they had stopped in front of.
He knew his role.
Thor had made it clear—just follow. That was all. Thor would find him soon enough; the tracker hidden in the truck would make sure of that. IAM just had to trust it.
For now, his job was to watch… and wait.