Chapter 581: A Whirlwind Through Monskon
Kai didn't trust the general members of the Hunters Guild not to be Lantrian toadies, but he sent a message to Gunjin to ask about his other trainees, and the others spoke to Rallia for suggestions. She didn't know anyone with nearly as much potential as her, but she recruited a couple of friends who Omilaena was able to boost from 60 to 90 Power. Good enough for backup.
While waiting on Gunjin's response, they headed out of the city to check in with Ankrastor. Kai had planned to fly around the countryside, looking for the bone pits, since it had been ages since he'd visited them. Instead, they almost immediately ran into Ankrastor, returning with a large group of people.
"That is too many," Zae Zin Nim said disapprovingly, "and the average quality is low."
"I didn't use a conventional test." Ankrastor bowed apologetically, but spoke clearly. "Instead of seeking power, I shrouded my strength and set up scenarios where I was under assault by monsters. Those with me are those who tried to help, so while their strength may vary..."
"They have some minimum moral fiber." Kai nodded approvingly. "Good tactic given how little time we have. Alright, let's line them up and do some triage."
This group was hardly elites, or even the semi-elites that Monskon City needed, but there was more strength there than he would have expected. With a few boosts from Omilaena, they were able to get a dozen up to around 50 Power, and two actually reached 75. Not much to them, but this was a militia and Monskon City could use all the help it could get.
Just when it seemed like they were probably done, Kai sensed a familiar presence. It had less to do with his spiritual senses and more to do with raw instinct: he'd smelled that scent before. When he was much younger, without his full monstrous abilities.
Not even stopping to explain, Kai hurtled across the wasteland toward the source. He spotted the old man seated by a campfire, cooking some monster meat - Aglahai first leapt in alarm, then sat back down when he realized that he was entirely outmatched.
"You here to eat?" the old man asked. "Seems like someone like you can get their own food."
<
Name: Aglahai Clanless
Total Power: 99
Lancer Class: 30 (40)
Physique Level: F-2 (34)
Soul Level: 5 (25)
>
Aglahai might have developed little, up against the 99 Power barrier, but he was still spry and out in the wilderness on his own, eating monsters. Without his help, Kai might have starved when exiled, or even never managed to get onto his current path where eating monsters came as easily as breathing.
"Aglahai Clanless." Kai put his hands on his hips as he greeted him. "I never thought I'd see you again."
"Neither did I," the old man said with a shrug. "Figured I'd be dead by now."
"Seeing as you're not, would you be willing to help fight in the incursion in exchange for getting your exile revoked?"
The proposal lit a fire in Aglahai's eyes, and Kai knew that he had him. It was substantially more difficult for the old man to process the moonmelt pill, after decades at the barrier, but he managed it in the end. Once he did, Omilaena gave him options and Aglahai, claiming he was too old to train, accepted an injection that raised his Physique at the cost of future progress.
<
Name: Aglahai Clanless
Total Power: 128
Lancer Class: 35 (45)
Physique Level: F-9 (48)
Soul Level: 5 (25)
Grizzled Physique (+10)
>
In the end, he had 128 Power, and with his experience, Kai would have bet on him over any young crystallier. Plus, that was another fighter who was uncomfortably close to Hannagan. The point wasn't to actually beat him, which Kai could have done on his own, but to destroy the environment in which he was the top local warrior.
That gave them a good-sized militia, but of course that alone would never be enough - which was why Kai had saved the strongest for last. As they marched back into Monskon City, he examined Ankrastor's soul.
<
Name: Ankrastor of the Undertow
Total Power: 257
Flameborn: Twiceburned (112)
Firebrand Class: 18 (28)
Physique: E-9 (107)
Soul Level: 5 (25)
>
With 257 Power, the young man was clearly stronger than anyone else in the city - he could have taken over or destroyed it on his own, or more practically, he could have gone off to be well-paid in a place like Krysal. But he had promised to help Goralia, and when Kai met his gaze, the younger man nodded to reaffirm his commitment.
Back in the city, the Hunters Guild was uncomfortable with all the new fighters, accepting them only as a provisional militia. They might not have gotten away with it, if not for Kai's reputation and Rallia supporting them. But once they got started, and the exiles rejoiced to be back in civilization, there was an energy to the crowd that even Hannagan couldn't break.
He didn't try, merely watching from atop the city wall.
They got one other surprise boost on their return: Gunjin had responded with suggestions. Apparently he didn't think any of the recent generations of hunters had been as talented as Kai's year, but he did suggest some orphans who had made enough progress for Omilaena to boost them. One skinny young man even made it up to E-rank Physique and 120 Power.
Once they all gathered together, it was an impressive force, by the standards of Monskon City. If they'd had support like this seven years ago, Kai might not have needed to take on the behemoth on his own.
"This is the power we'll bring to the incursion," Kai told the crowd, "but a friend of mine will be staying to help. If you can stop the monster horde, he'll take care of the big ones."
Ankrastor stepped forward to bow - the hunters liked his humility and the outsiders liked him for recruiting them, so he was off to a good start. But his real backing would be what came next: Ankrastor knelt in a meditation position and nodded for Omilaena to finally give him a Physique injection. He had been struggling at E-9 for so long, he'd hopefully built up enough potential for Omilaena's injection to grant him something new.
As it worked through his body, he grimaced and twitched, struggling to remain under control. Familiar with such trials, the Goralians shouted encouragement until he was done. And once he was, the crowd was silent.
<
Name: Ankrastor of the Undertow
Total Power: 475
Flameborn: Twiceburned (112)
Firebrand Class: 18 (28)
Manafire Physique: E-0 (300)
Soul Level: 5 (25)
Twinflame Physique (+10)
>
With his new total of 475 Power and E-rank "Manafire Physique", Ankrastor was closer to the elites than he was to the people on top of Monskon City. Even his Class alone, far from the core of his power, was as strong as many average hunters. But as he rose to his feet, he walked to Rallia and bowed low.
"I look forward to serving under you," he said quietly, then turned to the gathered veteran hunters. "This will be my first incursion, so please show me how I can be of use."
He got an enthusiastic response, but Kai was looking beyond the crowd, to Hannagan and his supporters. Morale and support were well and good, but Kai wasn't going to leave his allies without overwhelming power.
And he'd done that. Rallia was younger than Hannagan, yet stronger than he'd ever been. Aglahai and Gunjin's best student were both above 100, stronger than the hunters the Lantrian clan would have sent. Between Rallia's friends, Granfians, and the top outsiders, they had half a dozen with the strength of veteran hunters, and more than two dozen other decent hunters.
When the group headed back to the Hunters Guild, they acted like a triumphant army, even though no official decision had been made and the incursion was yet to come. The hunters in the guild, whether they were neutral veterans or Lantrian supporters, saw that there was no point trying to fight this new momentum.
While they spent time together, Kai walked out to the city wall and looked up. Hannagan stared down from the top, then leapt to land in front of him.
"What now?" he asked, surprisingly quietly. "Are you planning to kill me? Wait for my moment of total humiliation and then finish me?"
"Not at all," Kai said with a smile. "You've seen how we're helping hunters who are stuck at a given level. I noticed that you've been at F-9 for years now... you could fight much better for Monskon City at E rank."
Hannagan recoiled as if struck. "A... a poison?"
"Of course not." Kai's smile, however, was venomous. "But you know that Monskon City lies on a knife-edge of survival. Resources need to be distributed wherever they can best be used, after all."
That was what finally did it. Hannagan had been ready to die, but he wasn't prepared for an act of charity. Of course they both knew that it was the same logic he had thrown in Kai's face, years ago. And it went unspoken that Kai was handing him power because it meant nothing to him: it wasn't even a threat to his plan to reorganize Monskon City, much less a personal threat.
"You really mean to do this, then." Hannagan squared his shoulders like a soldier facing the enemy. "Despite everything that was done to you."
"The incursion is coming," Kai told him. "I'll be counting on you to do your part."
Chapter 582: Imminent Incursion Impending
Six months.
Six months... come and gone.
On the seventh anniversary of the previous incursion, everyone made a grim final celebration, accepting that preparations were ending. Many spent time with their loved ones, knowing that the exact beginning was uncertain, but expecting to wake up soon with monster hordes pouring out of the Frontier.
The day after the planned date was an oddity, an unexpected gift that might be unwanted. A few commented about having extra time to train, yet everyone was too tense anticipating the beginning to take any extreme actions.
Two days after, tensions began to rise. The stress and uncertainty worked itself out in a dozen little interactions, everyone just wanting it to be over with. Apparently many relationships were tested, though Kai and his wives didn't argue, just went about their business more grouchily than usual.
Days three and four, reactions began to split. Tension increased for some, while others seemed to relax, joking about how the incursion was late. More than a few of Kai's students independently mocked him for lecturing them about possibly having less than a full month, and he took it in stride even though his own tension was building.
Five days in, Kai recognized that he wasn't training effectively and went to go talk to Gunjin. They met at the center of the Frontier, where various elites were contemplating the central pit. Kai strained his senses, but didn't feel anything in particular.
"Before you ask," Gunjin said without turning around, "no, we don't have any idea when it will start. I know we caution people not to anticipate an early incursion, but statistically speaking, it's late just as often as early. That's what averages mean."
"So this is within expectations?" Kai asked as he walked up beside him.
"Entirely. The record, at least in our histories, is five months late."
"Was that incursion particularly notable?"
"Nigh-apocalyptic." Gunjin shook his head. "Everyone theorizes that monsters build up in the extra time, but we don't actually have good data to prove that. It's also possible that there's a natural ebb and flow to the cycles. Because the last incursion was so far above normal, it wouldn't be surprising if this one was irregular too."
"But no guarantee." Kai sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Last time I had a... strong premonition about the starting time. Which I don't think was my imagination, given my abilities. I'm not sure if it will happen again."
"Your guess is as good as mine. But if I were in your shoes, I'd act. Don't take any major risks, but keep training as if you have years."
"Yeah, maybe you're right. If that's our policy... any risks we take should be taken early, right?"
Gunjin turned away from the pit to look at him. "Oh?"
"I was thinking that I'd like to spar with some elites." Kai rolled his shoulders as he thought about it. "Our strength won't increase too much in the time we have left, but I figure we can sharpen one another. Isn't it worth a try?"
That received a grunt in response, which was apparently an affirmative. By the end of the day, Kai was back in the Frontier wasteland, facing no fewer than five elites. He recognized Sheiri Kagskan with a smile and Yuinafal of Spring with disguised trepidation. There was also Fornil Andalion, present in case of injuries, and a Krysali woman he didn't know.
The odd one out was Talndim Bundrin, who was a step weaker than the others. When Kai glanced at him, he didn't stare, but the man laughed anyway.
"The way I see it," Talndim said, "this is just an extension of phase training. That's where we're starting, right? Or there's no point to any of this."
"Fine," Kai said, cracking his knuckles. "Last time, I tried to take on all the phases at once and I wasn't ready. I've had a lot more practice since then."
They began slowly, almost ritualistically. All of them were dealing with a large amount of power, after all, and if their defensive phases faltered, a blow could be potentially lethal. Kai clashed at least once with each, confirming they were both phased, then things began to intensify.
Sheiri, Yuinafal, and the Krysali woman blurred, and if Kai hadn't been so experienced with fast opponents, he might have lost instantly, just as the Windlord killed all his opponents. Instead, it was if the rest of the world came to a halt while the rest of them continued fighting at normal speeds.
Once they were all phased, Kai was still faster by a fair margin, so he should have had the fight in hand. Yet Sheiri could use her liquid metal whip with great creativity and the Krysali launched numerous crystal shards, which seriously taxed his attention. That gave Yuinafal time to close: he was skilled but definitely weaker than Kai, and if he had been able to focus on Yuinafal for just a short time, he could have ended it, but he never got that chance.
It was absurd that people this much weaker could be giving him trouble... and Kai wondered if that was how the great powers of Rosemount and Cloudspire felt when facing the elites. No doubt these were the strategies they used, when they absolutely had to fight such an opponent.
But there was a weak link: Talndim could only manage a power phase, not a speed phase. He wasn't entirely frozen, his eyes trying to track the fighting and his limbs shifting as if through water, but he was unquestionably vulnerable. Obviously Kai didn't intend to actually kill him, but he broke off to target him next and take down one opponent.
Just before he arrived, the ground exploded. A crystalline trap had been placed there and erupted with terrible force - Kai would have been skewered if he hadn't used Thunderbird's Wings to burst straight up.
But he'd barely done that when Yuinafal attacked from above - no, he'd already been there, anticipating the dodge. Kai blocked his overhead smash and darted back down, just as Sheiri moved in from her own position, whip lashing again. They all descended on him just in front of Talndim - almost still as a statue - aiming for finishing blows.
Kai wouldn't let them. Before their combined assault arrived, Kai unleashed a Tyrant's Claw, which smashed into the Krysali's armor and drove her back. That opened him to the next attacks, but he grabbed Sheiri's whip out of the air. Even though it began to spike into his hands, he ignored the pain and headbutted Yuinafal before he could attack.
Three elites fell back... and Talndim's fist hit Kai's back.
He smashed across the wasteland, pain wracking his body after taking such a solid phased blow. That would have been a serious problem for him a few years ago, but he could survive a lot more now, and had the presence of mind to look back to figure out what had happened.
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Talndim was slowing down, his grin frozen in time. For just a brief moment, a splinter of a phase, he had attained the same speed. Focused on the others, Kai hadn't realized the new threat in time.
If the battle had continued, Kai was eager to see how it might go. But as he pulled himself up, he saw that the others had dropped their phases, and Fornil was beginning to treat minor wounds. Shame. As much as he wanted to continue, however, he had to admit that it wasn't worth the risk of someone actually dying.
"I'm impressed," Kai said to the group. "I see how you could take on stronger opponents."
"They don't usually have a very sophisticated grasp of power," Talndim said, massaging his knuckles. "It's just 'weaker' and 'stronger' and so we can take advantage of that."
"The risk is still high." Sheiri recoiled her liquid metal whip, repairing damage as she did so. "A stronger opponent who can break through our phase advantage and get a hit could easily kill us. We could use practice against an equivalent opponent."
"Happy to be your great power or patriarch." Kai gave them an ironic salute. "I could use the practice fighting fully phased."
"Actually, you're frustratingly good at it." Yuinafal placed his palms together and bowed, yet it didn't seem entirely respectful. "What you need more practice with is fighting opponents who are weaker, but still capable of harming you. Disregarding smaller threats is what gets a lot of powers killed."
Kai wanted to continue that conversation, but Fornil had finished treating the others and come to Kai. When he reached out with gathered energy, however, Kai stopped him. "Save your strength," he said. "I'll heal."
Fornil raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps, but are you healing as fast as you expect?"
"Huh. Guess not." Kai rubbed the injury on his side, which felt like a bruise and a broken rib. It had been a long time since such injuries had really impeded him. "Let me guess: phased injuries require phased healing?"
"That would cure them quickly, but it isn't so simple." Fornil examined his injury, then seemed to accept his conclusion. "If unphased defenses are struck by a phased attack, you simply die. But when you survive such a wound, in the wake of it... your body is straining to hold itself together, to prevent the remnants of energy from doing more damage."
Behemoth's Heart was certainly pounding, and Kai gave a hat tip to Talndim for the solid blow. He would have to keep in mind that he wouldn't regenerate as quickly from such injuries... but it was regenerating. More importantly, this was giving Behemoth's Heart a workout in a way that he hadn't felt in a long time, and he hoped that it would grow stronger through the process.
So Kai grinned and turned to the elites. "Well? We're just getting started, right?"
Chapter 583: Graduating the Students
As Kai kept sparring with the elites, more of them came to take their shot and build experience. Because he didn't want to accidentally kill anyone, Kai wasn't sure how he would do if he fought with his full ferocity... but he wasn't completely confident that he could win, not when outnumbered. The elites definitely punched above their weight.
Fighting at such a high level for sustained periods solidified everything he'd learned about phases. He couldn't call it effortless, but it became second nature, so normal monsters would be completely helpless against him. That was just the entry requirement for being a true elite of the elite, but they all acknowledged that he'd made it.
The process was so beneficial that he insisted Zae Zin Nim and Omilaena participate as well, which they did to varying degrees. Omilaena was annoyingly fast to pick up the tricks and round out her phase usage, though she had less stamina for it. Zae Zin Nim participated a few times before returning to cultivation, and the elites admitted that this was probably fine: if she reached Sky Soul, her phase training combined with her new qi would allow her to fight at the highest level.
It was so much fun that Kai would have loved to train with them all day, but unfortunately there was a limiting factor: with an unknown amount until the incursion, they couldn't injure anyone too severely, or leave Fornil and other healers drained. This forced him to adopt a more balanced schedule, which was probably for the best.
He spent some time with his students, but there was increasingly little he could do for them, as they needed to find their own paths. They still needed two things: Physique... and a final edge. Kai put off the former until Omilaena came to him.
"Some of the kids are ready for their Physique breakthroughs," she said.
"Do you need blood?" Kai asked.
"Nah, I don't need anything from you." Omilaena raised an eyebrow at him. "They just want you around, for moral support. Now, are you going to be a good father or not?"
So he went to observe, and the group did seem to perk up when he arrived. Looking over the group, Kai was surprised that only one of them wouldn't reach D-rank Physique: Mariyay had been too focused on her varying skills and was only at E-7.
"Cheer for me!" Bonto saluted the group before thrusting out his arm for the injection with an exaggerated grimace. Omilaena rolled her eyes, but the group chuckled.
It proved to be a conventional breakthrough, bringing Bonto up to par. The surprise was Tori, who was still a slip of a woman, but had somehow pushed her way to E-9. She winced sincerely as she prepared herself, and Mariyay held her hand as she underwent the process.
"Now the tricky one." Omilaena laced her fingers and cracked them all at once as she looked toward Kifaela. "I've gotten a lot of experience with fundamental essence, so we're going to try something. You're going to burn out the naiad part of her soul."
"Wouldn't that... kill her?" Mariyay asked suspiciously.
"No, we discussed this." Kifaela took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Very well, I am prepared as I'll ever be."
"We'll be disappointed in you if you can't do this," Untariin said, and she gave him a curt nod.
"To be clear, you shouldn't go burning out parts of your soul at random," Omilaena said as she began preparing an injection. This one took longer: as she pulled back the stopper, it seemed to take real effort, and chakra formed slowly within the syringe. "But Kifaela's personal essence has withered and is holding her back, so we're going to try an elemental shift."
In other words, both exactly what she needed and another step in Omilaena's plans for herself. Kai had to admire her ability to do both at once sometimes and wondered how he should thank her for it later. For now, he waited to watch the transformation along with all the students.
Kifaela's transformation was much worse than the others, her body twisting in agony as she screamed over and over. But Omilaena kept her neck still as she slowly injected all the chakra and it spread through her body, glowing like molten lava. It seemed especially bright along all of Kifaela's scarring, as if she was burning from the inside, and then it suddenly surged in a blinding flash.
When it was done, Kifaela had transformed. The useless Naiad Essence in her soul was gone, replaced with a new "Plague Naiad" entry. Instead of disappearing, the scars across her body now glowed green, and her milky eye was green as well. It was certainly a striking look.
"Badass!" Bonto rushed in, wrapping an arm around Kifaela's neck and knuckling her head. She laughed and pretended to struggle while the others gathered around in a circle of good cheer.
Seeing it continue, Kai decided to give them a little more time. But when he started to back away, Tori noticed and turned to him.
"Thank you," she said with a deep bow. "Kai, for believing in us, and Omilaena, for helping us unlock so much. We hope to do you proud."
"Why are you talking like you're finished training?" Kai asked, and he saw the group go still.
Surprised, but alert.
"There's one final step for you to take," he continued, "to sharpen you for the incursion. I wasn't going to do it due to the high risk, since you all had Physique progress to make. But since you're there... the incursion risk only gets higher from here, so no time like the present."
"What else is there?" Untariin asked. "Surely you can't have even more power up your sleeve."
"Soul Level isn't as dramatic as some other abilities, but I've always believed it's more important than it's given credit for. When you're pushed to your limits in the incursion, that could be the difference between life and death."
"That's fine to say," Mariyay said, "but Soul only seems to go up in truly dangerous situations."
"This will be." Kai smiled proudly at the group, then let his jaws shift into a toothy maw. "I'm going to be hunting you."
.
..
.
For three days, Kai subjected his students to a hellish experience. Not only did they need to survive in the twisted environment of the Frontier, he hunted them relentlessly.
Of course his full strength would have killed them, but he could still push them to the brink. They had never faced the full power of his Void Gaze or Famished World, which would have broken lesser fighters. He didn't hold back from cutting deep wounds with Tyrant's Claw or poisoning them with Manticore's Spine. Kai even exhaled Baleful Breath toward some of them, putting them a hair's breadth from being consumed.
By the end of it, the group was utterly exhausted, but they had faced themselves at their worst and come out stronger. Kai had arranged with Fornil and some other healers to help them at the end, but they still needed a full day to recover.
Surprisingly, Gunjin came along. For a while he didn't say anything, looking over the group before eventually coming to stand alongside Kai.
"Alright, now you're just making me feel bad."
"What do you mean?" Kai asked. "They should help against the incursion."
"You're doing what I'm trying to do, but better." Gunjin chuckled and shook his head. "I wish that I'd stayed behind you, so that I could say I was proud. But you should be proud of them."
Kai wanted to object or offer some encouragement, but his mentor moved away too quickly. Once Fornil had finished his work - and given Kai a lecture about causing harm - they were gone, leaving only Kai and his students.
Without any announcement, the group knew that this had been their final challenge together and that they would soon be parting ways. The night after they recovered, they spent a long time around a campfire together, sometimes celebrating loudly and sometimes quiet. A few might have slipped off with one another, but Kai decided that was none of his business and didn't pay close attention.
In the morning, all of them were waiting and ready. As Kai looked over the group, he knew he should have felt pride, but mostly he worried about all of them. They were more than up to the average challenge, but what would they face in the incursion?
"The speech can wait until after," he told them. "We still don't know how late the incursion will be, but we're going to move you to your locations now. Use the remaining time to fully recover and get to know the battlegrounds where you might be fighting."
He got seven nods in return.
First they sent off the Goralian group: Untariin with Razz in Goraykan, Ankrastor taking care of Monskon City.
<
Name: Ankrastor of the Undertow
Total Power: 513
Flameborn: Twiceburned (114)
Firebrand Class: 23 (33)
Physique: E-1 (305)
Soul Level: 6 (36)
Twinflame Physique (+15)
Soulbronze Armor (+10)
>
<
Name: Untariin of Cuulisi
Total Power: 405
Crystal Cultivation: 9999 (125)
Rogue Class: 19 (29)
Physique: D-1 (205)
Soul Level: 6 (36)
Soulbronze Armor (+10)
>
As the others said farewells, Kai noticed Tori lingering and made the connection to the "Soulbronze Armor" he saw in everyone's souls. Apparently she had gained the ability to make defenses for others and somehow found the time to make six suits of it.
Tori herself joined Bonto to go to Krysal.
<
Name: Tori Quondan
Total Power: 407
Path of Steel: Bronze 9 (18)
Silver Hand: Opal Rank (35)
Crystal Cultivation: 4280 (93)
Physique: D-0 (200)
Soul Level: 6 (36)
Soul of Creation (+25)
>
<
Name: Bonto of Birtaegal
Total Power: 393
Manalance: 29 (49)
Crystal Cultivation: 7371 (109)
Physique: D-0 (200)
Soul Level: 5 (25)
Soulbronze Armor (+10)
>
The final training had put Tori over 400 Power, but Bonto was still a little below, so Kai worried for him. Krysal was a uniquely difficult position, given the political chaos. Then again, they had spent months in the crystal mines, so they should have a grounding, or so he hoped.
Next came a more unusual pairing: Kifaela and Mariyay were headed to Irun. Both of them had strong sets of abilities near 400 Power total.
<
Name: Kifaela
Total Power: 418
Plague Artisan: Amber Rank (70)
Tideblade Class: 17 (27)
Physique: D-5 (225)
Soul Level: 6 (36)
Plague Naiad (+50)
Soulbronze Armor (+10)
>
<
Name: Mariyay Hafkrir
Total Power: 372
Builder Class: 54 (64)
Earthborn: Onceshaken (70)
Path of Steel: Steel 3 (63)
Physique: E-8 (104)
Soul Level: 6 (36)
Earthfist (+25)
Soulbronze Armor (+10)
>
Their bonds to their nation weren't as strong, but they had still agreed to risk their lives in order to defend it. Kai nodded to them as they stepped into the portal and could only hope that it conveyed everything necessary.
That left only Kyridnyiam, standing awkwardly on his own.
<
Name: Kyridnyiam
Total Power: 326
Dryad Essence: 35 (105)
Cultivation: Body Refinement 0% (100)
Waterborn: Oncedrowned (66)
Soul Level: 5 (25)
Soulbronze Armor (+10)
Tidebearer (+10)
Crystal Helm (+10)
>
With just over 300 power, he was the "kid brother" of the group, though Kai saw that the others had given him the best support they could. Tori had made her Soulbronze Armor, of course, but it looked like Untariin had uncharacteristically offered something, and even Mariyay had broken her usual policies to make him a spear.
"You'll do fine," Kai said, clapping the young dryad on the back. "Now go have fun in the Water Union."
Then he was gone, the portal died away, and Kai stood alone hoping that he hadn't lied. Not long ago, he had been hunting his students like a monster, but now he could only feel like a father.
Chapter 584: An Electrifying Dinner
"When do we stop?" Kai asked.
The question hung over the wasteland, and to their credit, the elites seemed to consider it seriously. They were all a bit worn down from training, nursing injuries and headaches. Kai was now extremely confident fighting with phases, but the elites were getting better at ganging up on him, so the sparring was still rough.
"We don't," Sheiri answered first. "We can rest a little between incursions, but there's always another one. Even if we were gaining ground, I don't see it ending."
"Sorry, I didn't mean that in a philosophical way." Kai chuckled awkwardly. "I just mean how we prepare before this incursion. It's easier to plan for a specific date and I'm not sure how to make the most of this extra time."
"You're doing plenty." Talndim spoke up, since he'd been a vocal regular ever since Omilaena had helped him get to D-rank. "Too many people consider these late incursions a sort of vacation."
"I couldn't. We have more time now, yes, but less for the next one."
Kai hadn't planned that as a statement, it was just his current thoughts, but several of the elites nodded in agreement. They needed to have long time frames, given the difficulties of their work, and that was one of the things that had always appealed to him. In the end, Sheiri was the one who spoke up again.
"We're split, actually," she said. "Some believe that you'll get a premonition, so we'll have forewarning. Others say we should plan in case you don't. But either way, we just have to stay prepared at all times, doing more cycling of training. Don't relax... but you can't maintain focus this long either, so take rest if it comes your way."
He grunted in acceptance. So much for hoping that they had some magic solution to such an abstract problem.
Continued training was the easy part: Kai kept up his routine of exercising and cultivating - actually cultivating more than before, aiming for another breakthrough. Elites started coming solo and he would try to fight them with only his human abilities, one-on-on. They were some of the most skilled, cleverest, most inventive opponents he'd ever faced, and Kai hadn't been pushed like that in some time.
At this stage, however, he was seeking incremental power mostly because he was hungry for it. Any meaningful improvement to his performance in the incursion would come from qualitative advancements, and there he wasn't coming up with as much. So when they received an unexpected invitation from the Elemental Nations, he wasn't opposed.
"Dinner with the 'Lord and Lady of Mistral'," Omilaena read off the card. "That's Inafay and Orotaisin, right? There are a lot of people calling themselves 'of Mistral' but maybe they have special right to the name."
"Does that mean they're married?" Zae Zin Nim asked. "We should accept and ask them."
"Well! When did you become so interested in couples' dinners?"
"Since meeting with Tusquo and Quinta. On Cloudspire, the sexes always separate into different events, but I approve of this."
"In that case..." Omilaena turned to Kai and clasped her hands before her chest in mock desperation. "Surely we can take a little time off? I promise the incursion won't happen if we stop gritting our teeth for an hour or two."
"I'm not going to object," Kai said as he got up from his cultivation. Even without what the elites had just said to him, he wanted to see Inafay and Orotaisin again.
"Who are you and what have you done with Kai?"
"Hey, we need to mentally refresh ourselves so that we can face the incursion at our peak."
Omilaena rolled her eyes while Zae Zin Nim nodded in agreement. In any case, they accepted the invitation, and given their use of teleportation, they'd get to the Elemental Nations in a flash. The only delay was minor negotiations with the elites, who agreed so long as they offered some of their usual assistance and morale while there.
Kai agreed, not thinking much of it, but that actually proved to involve a small amount of touring. They met with a few local hunters, distributing encouragement, qi, or injections as appropriate, and though it didn't make a huge difference in strength, Kai was glad to have toured all four Frontier nations before the incursion began.
It didn't seem like the Elemental Nations needed the help, anyway. In addition to their usual strong warriors, they had their house in order, extra defenses built, and their alliances strong. They would be fine so long as Krysal and Irun didn't collapse and lead to monsters flooding from three sides.
When the official directed them to their dinner, it seemed like they were just pointing to a storm cloud. Their direction didn't change, however, so they shrugged and flew to investigate. Kai lifted into the air, with Omilaena on one arm for support, and Zae Zin Nim placing a hand on his other arm apparently just for symbolic reasons.
Once they got higher and closer, they spotted it: a disc floating in the middle of the storm. It was dark blue and painted with storm clouds that were, demonstrably, rather realistic. Occasionally a bolt of lightning struck it, always being channeled through the metal in an arc around the side.
In the center stood a table, chairs... and Inafay and Orotaisin, the former waving cheerfully. When Kai and his wives landed, the couple was already coming to greet them.
"So glad you could make it!" Inafay beamed as she approached, clasping hands with both Omilaena and Zae Zin Nim. Since that was happening, Kai exchanged a handshake with Orotaisin.
"You have improved," Zae Zin Nim remarked, which reminded Kai to inspect their souls.
<
Name: Inafay Corinin
Total Power: 626
Windcutter Class: 99 (109)
Windborn: Twiceswept (141)
Qi Condensation 90% (17)
Physique Level: D-2 (210)
Soul Level: 7 (49)
Highwinds Essence (+100)
>
<
Name: Orotaisin of Mistral
Total Power: 782
Windborn: Thriceswept (342)
Physique Level: D-3 (215)
Body Refinement 8% (101)
Soul Level: 7 (49)
Highwinds Essence (+75)
>
With Inafay at 626 Power and Orotaisin at 782, they were quite the power couple... but what drew Kai's attention was that Inafay was at the very peak of her Class. She had been on her way before, but apparently the final level had been unbreakable... except that Inafay had a gleam in her eyes.
"This is actually a secret ceremony to reach my Advanced Class," she told them in a stage whisper. "Don't worry, we'll actually have dinner too. All you need to do is help with the mana."
For once, they were going to get to watch a breakthrough that didn't require them doing all the work. While Inafay knelt down near the center of the disc, meditating to prepare, Orotaisin remained near and spoke in a low voice.
"This is a traditional Wind Union method," he explained. "With the addition of mana, it should be enough for her Class, but should also lay the groundwork for future developments."
"Absorbing a storm along with the mana, huh?" Omilaena observed the storm and nodded appreciatively. "That could work. Really mixing together all the elements of her soul."
"The process will also saturate the food, which may offer benefits to us. Truthfully, we do not expect it to make much difference for you, but Inafay wanted to invite you and I agreed."
They didn't have much more time to talk because Inafay appeared ready, though she was unusually somber. Orotaisin handed each of them a large bowl filled with liquid mana, even more intense than would be used for a mana pool to awaken a Class. Except this time, they weren't going to put the mana in a pool.
This time, Inafay would become the pool.
Once all four of them surrounded her, Inafay gave the signal. Orotaisin began, emptying out his bowl over her head. Inafay's entire body shivered as she was hit with a shocking intensity of mana, but she gripped her knees tightly and nodded again. Next came Omilaena, then Zae Zin Nim, each time the mana intensifying.
A whirlwind burst around Inafay now, intense enough that weaker people would have been torn apart. Yet beyond the Class mana, Kai could feel that chakra and qi were stirring within her... when Inafay opened her eyes, they crackled with lightning.
It was his turn, so Kai emptied the last bowl over Inafay's head. The mana splashed off her this time, almost as if it would be lost in the air, but it was caught up in the whirlwind. Inafay sucked it all back into herself and her body lit up from within, as if she was a cloud filled with lightning.
She reached out, her hand unsteady... and Orotaisin gripped it firmly. He seemed to push upward and Inafay shot into the sky, trailing lightning behind her. Even though Kai had grown used to such explosions, the column of lightning actually blinded him briefly.
When he could see again, he didn't see Inafay, but he heard her cackling overhead. She streaked through the air, faster than before, exploding with new power. While she enjoyed her advancement, Kai checked her soul.
<
Name: Inafay Corinin
Total Power: 822
Advanced Windcutter Class: 1 (303)
Windborn: Twiceswept (143)
Qi Condensation 90% (17)
Physique Level: D-2 (210)
Soul Level: 7 (49)
Highwinds Essence (+100)
>
"Very good." Zae Zin Nim nodded approvingly.
"I'll have to take a sample," Omilaena said, "but I suppose a formal dinner isn't the time."
Inafay returned to them, colliding against Orotaisin and kissing him with explosive force. He endured the storm of lightning around her, drinking it in, then finally pulled back. Even after they parted, Inafay remained close, arm at his side as she danced between her feet.
"I'd love to use this," she said, "but I'm also ravenous. I'm beginning to think that the idea of a meal after breaking through isn't just a celebration thing."
So they sat down to eat, relaxing into comfortable conversation despite not having seen each other in some time. It was good to talk to other warriors, and Inafay and Orotaisin were especially fun because they were among the few who could discuss the subjects at a high level. Kai would have been glad to spend time with them even if they were weak, but he joined in congratulating them both and especially Inafay.
Of course they discussed the incursion, but it was kept to the margins as they shared more casual conversations. When it did come up, Inafay was one of the few who talked about the years after in practical terms. They were considering when to get married and when to have children as well as when to train with the elite and where they might live next. There was a constant question of pursuing Orotaisin's position as the Seat of Mistral or returning to Goralia with Inafay.
Normally Kai would have been left out of such mundane conversations, yet somehow he had things to say here. They could talk about going back to Cloudspire to deal with the Brightwind Sect, which wasn't just a name to the other couple now. Omilaena brought up the possibility of Rosemount and in particular its elemental chakra. And beyond that, in this company Kai could express his desire to explore the Blood Current or Lostwreck without getting looks of shock.
The meal itself was delicious, and it crackled with the power of the storm, but that was secondary compared to enjoying the company.
When the conversation did turn serious, Kai was the one responsible, somehow getting on the subject of his qualitative improvements. Normally he would have apologized, but here they shifted easily to practical matters.
"I have more essence," he explained, "but I'm not sure what to develop. I feel like I have a fairly rounded set of skills... what am I missing?"
Inafay raised a finger and said, "Underkill."
"What?" Kai narrowed his eyes as he considered what that could mean.
"You have impressive skills, but they all tend to be overwhelming. When you aren't fighting the big ones, the incursion will be a lot of monsters absurdly weaker than you. Using huge attacks to kill swaths of them can get draining, even if all the monsters are harmless."
"I have Manticore's Spine for more targeted attacks."
"Still overkill for a single monster," Orotaisin argued. "You have stamina, but everyone needs to worry about attrition during incursions. In the Elemental Nations it's common for the strongest to do restraint training, or they'll waste energy blowing away weak monsters."
"Huh." Kai considered the argument, and as soon as he shifted his thinking, a new idea came to him. He was actually already most of the way there, he just needed a little more. Even if the incursion was around the corner, he could manage this.
There was time for one more hunt.
