Chapter 21
Questions
IAM sat up in the uncomfortable hospital bed, shoveling spoon after spoon of thick, brown porridge into his mouth with the desperation of a man starved. The bowl was his third, and he devoured it like a black hole swallowing stars.
Maybe it was the stress.
Maybe it was the whiplash from recent events.
Or maybe it was the backlash of mana exposure.
Whatever the reason, IAM was ravenous.
He practically licked the bowl clean before looking up expectantly. One of the male nurses, a quiet man with tired eyes and a no-nonsense demeanor, wordlessly approached with another bowl, shaking his head as he handed it over.
IAM took it without shame.
Althea stood nearby, watching with an expression that clearly said, "Your greed sickens me."
Today, she wore a dark red robe over the now-familiar black hoodie that everyone seemed to have. But what shocked IAM the most were the three stars gleaming on her badge.
She wasn't a Master. No, she was still an Experienced-Level Ascender. But her stars were earned not through raw power, but contribution—Althea was a seasoned war doctor, one of the critical cogs in the great war machine. A woman who had pulled countless soldiers back from the edge of death and shoved them right back into battle.
Her value wasn't in destruction—but in survival.
No wonder she wore three stars.
IAM was halfway through his fourth bowl when she finally spoke, her voice smooth and effortlessly commanding.
"Maybe it's because you're a descendant of a giant," she said, her hazel eyes narrowing slightly. "Your recovery's been surprisingly fast. Five days, and you're already walking, complaining, and doing… whatever it is you guys do."
She tilted her head slightly.
"But let me be clear—you still cannot absorb mana until the appointed time. Understand?"
IAM blinked. "Wait… What did y—?"
"Understand?"
"Wh—but—?"
"I said: understand."
"..."
"..."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good." She turned sharply and strode away, not even bothering to glance back as IAM called after her, pleading for her to explain what she had just said.
A descendant of a giant?
That felt… important.
Massive, even. Yet she had dropped it as casually as a weather report and walked off like it meant nothing.
IAM slumped back against the bed, stunned. His thoughts spun. Why had he been brought into this body? Was it some kind of system? A higher entity? Another human playing with fate? Or something… not quite human?
No answers came. Just more questions.
And with no way to form his avien yet, perhaps now was the time to stop chasing power blindly and start chasing knowledge.
About this world.
About its magic.
And about what he really was.
IAM wanted answers.
Real ones.
And after a lot of internal debate, the list of people he could ask wasn't long.
Regina was a no-go—she was terrifying and seemed like the type who'd eat your curiosity for breakfast. Althea, while appearing nicer, was probably far too busy keeping people alive to sit down for story time. Ryan... Well, IAM decided for now, he'd keep his guard up around him.
So that left one man.
Raj.
Out of everyone he had met so far, Raj was friendly, open, and practically oozed "Ask me questions, I'll love it." He also didn't carry the threat of emotional trauma or hidden motives. That was a rare currency here.
IAM glanced over at the two male nurses who had, unfortunately, gotten to know him more intimately than they ever wanted to. They stood nearby, finishing up some other duties, deliberately avoiding IAM's gaze—only for him to lock eyes with them and smirk, mouthing slowly, "No one hears about this."
The nurses nodded far too quickly, eyes wide with a hint of panic. It was clear they were just as eager to never relive the experience of assisting a near-immobile, half-naked IAM in the shower. No words needed to be said—they had both agreed to take this shameful secret to the grave.
With that silent oath sealed, IAM stepped out of the ward. He turned back one last time to look at the green structure with its proud red flag and the bold green "H" stabbing skyward like a defiant middle finger.
He kissed his teeth.
"Never again," he muttered. "Never again."
He didn't want to see this cursed place—or those cursed nurses—ever again... They were not delicate at all.
He moved through the camp slowly, taking in the same bleak sights: grey tents, grey dirt, grey air. The fog clung to everything like it was afraid to let go, the clouds overhead frozen in place. It was as if this world had forgotten what color felt like. IAM's soul itched for a slice of blue sky—or a single star in a night sky that wasn't smothered by unnatural gloom.
Getting lost was inevitable. After all, it was IAM.
He ended up approaching a female soldier wearing the coveted uniform, a single star shining on her chest.
She looked at him, raised an unimpressed brow, and grunted before pointing in a vague direction. No words. Just grunt and point.
"Uh… thank you?"
She waved him off without even looking back, already deep in conversation with her fellow peers.
Damn, IAM thought, everyone here's so cold if you're not wearing that uniform…
People without that black uniform and shiny stars might as well be invisible around here," IAM thought bitterly. "Yet another reason to get that damn avien... if I want to be seen, if I want to be someone here."
Arriving at the entrance of the Hub and stepping inside, IAM quickly realized just how complex and confusing the hallways were. Thankfully, a digital map glowed near the door. He traced the path with his eyes, memorizing the turns that would lead him to Raj's workshop. To his mild annoyance, he saw that there were three other workshops—one in each corner of the Hub—and of course, Raj's was the furthest away. There was even one right next to the entrance.
IAM chalked it up to Regina's trust in Raj—probably saw him as the most reliable of the four. With that thought, he began weaving through the mildly busy corridors. The closer they got to the arrival of new recruits and cannon fodder, the more crowded and noisy things became. These newcomers weren't trained like the seasoned warriors, and their chatter filled the halls with a kind of nervous energy.
Eventually, IAM reached the entrance to Raj's workshop. He placed his hand on the glowing blue screen, and the door slid open with a smooth hiss.
Inside, three other soldiers were just on their way out. The buffest of the group—towering at 6'5", with messy black hair and a shield easily larger than half of IAM's entire body—stepped forward. His light brown eyes locked on IAM with predatory mockery, and his had a face that gave one a urge to give it a dirty slap.
"The fuck is you?" he growled, stepping closer. "Oh look... just a slum rat. Ha. The fuck you doing here? Try not to shit yourself when you see a Deadline creature."
IAM didn't even blink. "And make sure they don't see your face, or they might shit AND piss themselves."
The man blinked—stunned. The room burst into hearty laughter, and his face turned red. His forehead vein pulsed visibly as his expression twisted into a snarl. He raised his heavy shield, clearly intending to smash it into IAM's face.
Before he could take a step, a cold voice echoed through the room.
"Stop, Kon."
It was Raj.
His voice was ice. His sharp grey eyes glowed faintly, and if one looked closely, they'd notice something strange—Kon's shield was trembling in his grip, like it was being resisted, controlled even.
Kon's expression twisted in internal conflict before he finally let out a sharp grunt, lowering the shield. With a glare that could cut steel, he motioned for the other two to follow and stormed out. But not without a final jab.
"I'm gonna remember that face... And Imagine what it's going to look like after I'm done with it. "
IAM smirked. "And you don't even need to imagine it. Just look at a mirror and hope it doesn't crack."
Just as Kon whirled around to retort, the door slid shut in his face. A loud bang sounded from the other side—but it didn't open.
IAM stood there in silence for a beat, then turned to Raj with a grin.
"Nice timing."
Raj sighed heavily as he wiped his glasses clean, his fingers moving with the absentminded ease of habit. Sliding them back onto the bridge of his nose, he gave IAM a measured, inquiring look.
"Well, I know you're not here for a mech or a uniform," he said dryly. "Word's gotten around… I heard what happened. So, why are you here?"
"I'm here to ask some questions," IAM replied, eyes steady. "Do you have any idea what a descendant of a giant means?"
Raj's eyebrows shot up in surprise, caught off guard.