Chapter 576: No Backtracking

Back above, Liam and the others stood near the edge of the slope, peering down at the churning mudslide that descended all the way to where Dylan was hanging on for dear life, his body suspended against the cliff by nothing more than a stubborn tree branch.

“Dylan, are you okay?!” Sheila shouted, her voice carrying as she carefully positioned herself closer to the edge, boots planted firmly despite the unstable ground.

“Uh… yeah,” Dylan called back. “Well, not really, but I’m alive.” He let out a shaky chuckle that echoed faintly upward. “I’m kind of just hanging onto dear life right now.” He shifted slightly, the branch creaking in protest. “So, uh… mind figuring out a way to get me out of this predicament? I don’t think this thing’s gonna support me much longer. Especially not with this extra thirty pounds of gear I’m wearing.”

“Just hold on tight,” Sheila said quickly, forcing reassurance into her tone. “We’ll get you out of there.”

“Please hurry!” Dylan yelled back, leaning fully into the dramatics. “I’m starting to reconsider all my life choices!”

Back at the top of the slope, Sheila turned to face the others, clearly preparing to issue instructions. But as she did, she froze.

For a brief moment, she found herself staring at five pairs of eyes all fixed on her, all waiting for her to tell them what to do next. The realization hit her squarely, causing her to inhale sharply before steadying herself. A second later, she straightened her posture and composed her expression.

“We need to get him out of there,” she began calmly, “but the real problem is how we’re going to do that.” She gestured toward the mudslide. “With how slippery that slope is, we’ll have to be extremely careful with whatever method we choose.”

“Would a human anchor work?” Max asked, raising a hand slightly. “If we hold onto each other like a chain, we could carefully reach him and pull him back up. As long as we move slow.”

Sheila considered the suggestion, her eyes narrowing in thought. “It’s a good idea, but the distance is the issue. Just the six of us won’t be enough to reach Dylan and make it back up safely.”

The group fell quiet as they absorbed her words, each of them thinking hard, searching for an alternative.

“Wait,” Charlotte said suddenly, catching everyone’s attention. “We can use vines.” Her eyes flicked toward the trees around them. “If we use vines, we can cover more distance and have a much stronger anchor.”

“She’s right,” Asher said evenly, nodding toward the surrounding forest. “Most of these trees have vines on them. Long ones, too.”

Sheila took in their input, her mind rapidly connecting pieces, weighing risks and possibilities. After a brief moment, she nodded decisively. “Alright then. Let’s gather as many vines as we can, quickly.”

As the group prepared to move, Liam raised his hand slightly, signaling that he had something to say.

“Just putting this out there,” he said calmly, “the objective of this trial is to head toward that mountain.”

“Yeah, we’re aware, Captain Obvious,” Asher scoffed. “What’s your point?”

“I think pulling Dylan back up here would be a waste of time,” Liam said flatly.

The words landed heavily.

Several faces turned toward him, expressions dimming with shock and disbelief.

“Hold on, don’t misunderstand me,” Liam said evenly, noticing their reactions. “What I mean is, if we bring Dylan back up here, we’ll still need to figure out a way to get down from this cliff so we can continue toward the mountain.”

Understanding dawned in Sheila’s eyes. “So instead of doing the work twice… it’s better to find a way for all of us to get down there. Including Dylan.”

Hearing that, the others began to see the path Liam was laying out—or more accurately, the direction he was subtly guiding Sheila toward so she could be the one to lead.

“That makes sense,” Ariana said softly. “But how exactly do we do that?”

While the others pondered, Liam stepped forward toward the edge of the slope and looked down at Dylan, who was still dangling there, legs braced awkwardly against the cliff as he whistled faintly to keep himself calm.

“Hey, Dylan,” Liam called out.

“Yeah?” Dylan replied. “You guys got something yet? Because this branch and I are not on good terms.”

“Almost,” Liam said evenly. “But we need to know something first. How far down do you think you are from the forest floor?”

“Huh?” Dylan sounded momentarily confused. “Uh… maybe two hundred? Three hundred feet, give or take.” He glanced downward at the dense canopy below. “Why?”

’About three hundred feet,’ Liam noted inwardly. ’That should be manageable.’

“Alright,” Liam continued. “How sturdy is the tree itself?”

“The trunk’s solid,” Dylan replied quickly. “Really solid, actually. The branches though? Not so much. So whatever you guys are planning, I’d appreciate it if you moved fast.”

“Got it,” Liam said. “Hang tight.”

He stepped away from the edge and turned back toward the others.

Asher raised a brow. “So, what was that about?”

Liam looked at them for a brief moment, weighing his next words. ’If not for the time limit, I’d let Sheila piece this together herself,’ he thought. ’But if I keep feeding her hints, we won’t move fast enough.’

“If we gather enough vines,” Liam said finally, “we can tie them together, reach the tree Dylan’s hanging onto, use it as an anchor, and lower ourselves down to the forest below. That way, we get Dylan out safely and continue the trial without backtracking.”

***

After Liam explained the plan to the others, there was hardly any hesitation before they all agreed with him. The decision was unanimous, and within moments they were already moving, splitting off into the forest to gather as many sturdy vines as they could find.

The plan itself was straightforward in structure, though precise in execution. Everyone except Liam and Ariana would head deeper into the forest to collect the vines and bring them back. Liam was tasked with assembling them, because he had a specific method of tying and weaving that would allow the vines to support significant weight without snapping or loosening. Ariana, meanwhile, would remain nearby, assisting where needed and keeping an eye on the situation below.

The technique Liam used was deceptively simple. Depending on the length of each vine, he would take five at a time and wrap them together continuously, over and over, reinforcing the structure with careful tension. Each segment was joined using a tight, deliberate knot, one that locked the fibers together rather than merely binding them. When finished, the result would be a long, steady rope of vines—thick, flexible, and strong enough to trust with their lives.

As the others disappeared into the forest to gather more material and Liam worked steadily on tying, Ariana’s role shifted to something far less technical but no less important: making sure Dylan hadn’t lost his mind—or his grip—while dangling below.

“You’re still alive, right?” Ariana called out as she knelt cautiously near the edge of the slope, careful not to disturb the unstable ground.

“Yeah, Ari, I’m alive,” Dylan answered back. “You guys might wanna hurry though, before this branch decides it’s had enough of me.”

“Don’t worry, we’re on it. Just hang in there a little longer,” Ariana replied reassuringly, before turning her attention back to Liam.

He was completely focused, his hands moving with precise, fluid motions, fingers looping and tightening the vines without a single wasted movement. There was no hesitation in him at all, as though his hands already knew exactly what to do before his mind caught up. Watching him, Ariana couldn’t help but feel impressed, and she stepped a little closer without realizing it.

“Where did you learn to do that?” she asked calmly, her eyes following the patterns his fingers traced through the vines. “It almost looks like you’re weaving.”

Liam glanced at her briefly from the corner of his eye, never stopping his work. “I learned it from one of my group members during the Vlardia exam,” he said evenly.

It was a lie, though not one spoken lightly. In truth, Liam had learned this method through the memories of his father, memories he had lived through within the Mind Realm. That knowledge was not something he was ready—or willing—to share with Ariana, or anyone else.

“Oh, I see,” Ariana said softly, still watching, clearly absorbed by the rhythmic motion of his hands as if she were studying them.

After a moment, she spoke again. “Mind if I try?” she asked, her tone gentle, almost hesitant.

Liam finally looked at her properly, pausing for just a fraction of a second before shrugging. “Yeah, why not? The more hands we have, the faster we get this done and get moving.”

At that, Ariana reached for the ends of two sets of vines and began tying them together. Liam watched her from the corner of his eye as he continued working on his own section. To his surprise, she picked it up almost immediately. Her movements were smooth, confident, and almost identical to his own method.

For a brief moment, Liam felt a flicker of surprise. ’Did she really just learn that from watching me?’ he thought as he worked. But the thought didn’t linger long. It wasn’t as though she had learned something deeply personal or irreplaceable, and he dismissed it just as quickly.

Leaving her to it, Liam and Ariana continued weaving the vines together, gradually extending the rope as the others returned again and again, arms full of fresh vines.

After what felt like ages, the work was finally complete. They gathered near the edge of the slope, Liam holding the thick coil of vine rope in his hands.

“Hopefully, this should be enough,” he said calmly.

“Good,” Sheila replied, her voice composed but firm. “Looking at how far the sun has moved, it’s been over an hour since the trial began. We need to hurry.”

“Alright,” Max said, frowning as he looked down the slope, “but how exactly do we get that thing down there? We’re not just sliding all the way to the tree and Dylan, are we?”

“Yeah,” Liam answered evenly, “that’s actually what I had in mind. I’ll slide down first, tie the rope securely around the tree, and help Dylan descend into the forest below. Once that’s done, the rest of you can follow.”

There was a brief silence after that. Then Asher shrugged, clearly unimpressed but unconcerned. “Alright, whatever. Let’s just get this over with.”

With that settled, Liam turned toward the slope and looked down at Dylan below. “Hang on tight, Dylan,” he called out.

“That’s what I’ve been doing!” Dylan yelled back.

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