Chapter 529: Plans for Incursions
"Despite occasional squabbling, we all want the same thing: for Deadwaste to survive the incursion." Sheiri spoke evenly, clearly prepared, and though the information was familiar Kai sensed that she was reinforcing the elites' agreement. "Individual nations may fight selfishly, but at the Frontier we stand for all, because there is no other choice. Let me demonstrate a record of an incursion several centuries ago."
She tossed a piece of silver into the air, which was immediately caught by her power and expanded into a disc. As it formed, Kai recognized the continent of Deadwaste, rendered in simplified style. Monsters of liquid metal surged from the center, invading all four nations, and despite the chaos of detail, the results soon became clear.
Goralia and Irun stood firm, but the Elemental Nations collapsed. Monsters not only pushed further from the Frontier, they began to spread out, hitting Goralia and Irun from the north. With fewer defenses set up and fighters exhausted, the monsters punched deep into both. Kai was caught up with concern for the past hunters when the floating metal froze again.
"Handling an incursion requires strength, yes," Sheiri continued, "but also coordination. We seek to split up the monster hordes into packs that individual cities can survive. This is why the region near the walls needs to be controlled: if the monsters congregate toward a specific target, they could overwhelm our defenses, whereas the same number could be absorbed if spread out over the continent."
"We almost had a problem with that last time," Kai agreed, tactfully avoiding mention that southern Goralia had been the instigator.
"For this reason, we focus on alpha strikes on more powerful monsters near the Frontier wall. A powerful warrior who can take on a large horde can actually lead to a problem: they'll gather monsters near them, and those they don't kill will continue onward as a dangerous horde."
Zae Zin Nim stepped closer to the metallic representation and frowned. "What if the individual is capable of eliminating all of them?"
"That's tricky," Handelrey spoke up from the side. "Because monsters concentrate where others are dying, some always get around. If we try to fight at the choke point near the center, the pit retaliates with more monsters. We do attempt something similar: if, despite all our efforts, some monsters are forming an excessive horde, we drop an elite into their midst and try to draw the excess to them."
Kai wasn't sure if he would need to say anything, but Zae Zin Nim seemed satisfied by the response and stepped back beside him. He'd told her everything he'd experienced before, so even though she was still inclined to resolve the problem with overwhelming force, it seemed she'd be willing to play along.
"That's a role we hope the three of you can take," Sheiri said, "along with taking on the most dangerous monsters. However, this is where we have conflicting visions of the ideal incursion defense, because we expect various weaknesses. Yuinafal has presented a detailed plan of defenses involving squadrons strengthened by his resources, which will attempt to blunt those unstable fronts."
As she spoke, Sheiri demonstrated with new wall-like lines that rose from her liquid metal continent. There was too much detail for Kai to fully absorb, much less analyze strategically, but he thought the point was that Yuinafal had an approved plan. The man himself stood without any expression, though his supporters shifted nervously.
"Now Kai and his allies have offered their own help, and their plan isn't incompatible with these reinforced squadrons. However, both sides have methods that will work primarily on hunters with over 100 Power, and those are in short supply across the continent. Therefore we need to decide on a fundamental plan without wasting the time we have left."
When Sheiri went silent, she looked over to Aeglien, who spoke up. "Both factions will go to Irun and take a portion of their strongest soldiers, then train them for two months. At the end of that time, our administrators in Irun will determine which plan has the greater potential for their front and begin scaling up the procedure."
"How will the results be evaluated?" Yuinafal asked. "Kai has a larger number of resources, as well as treasures plundered from Cloudspire, that will give him an advantage. I suggest that each side begin with a balanced set of resources for a fairer test."
"We can't afford to weaken ourselves for the sake of fairness," Kai objected. "I suggest we use all resources available, and we'll take a handicap that Irun evaluates. If Yuinafal's methods scale better, we'll abandon our own plans and channel our resources into his."
For a moment Yuinafal stared at him, then he gave a nearly imperceptible nod. Because he thought that would benefit him, or was it actually a mark of respect? Kai's suggestion seemed to go over well with the other elites, and one of the Irunians stepped beside Sheiri.
"A hybrid result is also likely," the old man said. "Unless one side is totally superior, there will be a place for different types of warriors. We can determine the exact details of the comparison later, but Irun is content with this plan. The trouble in Krysal is a greater concern."
The others seemed to agree, leading to a shift in everyone's position. Omilaena glanced over at him and she seemed mildly annoyed, but Kai believed in her regardless of whether they had a handicap, even an unfair one. Besides, he truly meant what he said about wanting the best result for Irun overall.
Sheiri remained in the center of the group, managing the model of Deadwaste, but it seemed that she was no longer leading the conversation. Instead Aeglien stepped forward, alongside a woman who appeared to be of Krysali descent as well. Normally Kai wouldn't think about details, but since the elites seemed to be speaking for their home nations, he found himself examining the woman... she had very expensive-looking armor and what appeared to be a crystallier badge.
"Krysal is the front we're most concerned about," Aeglien said. "Here the sides are not so clear, and there is no easy competition. What is certain is that, with the crystallier system broken, Krysal is likely to struggle with the incursion. They have an increased number of hunters capable of stopping a general horde, but a deficit of those strong enough to take on stronger monsters. Furthermore, a number of other problems have emerged thanks to the political instability..."
As he continued, Sheiri began raising sections of her display. This time Kai followed more easily, remembering so many of those regions from the revolutionary war. He was glad that the elites seemed to be neutral on the political subject, but the situation sounded worse the more he heard.
"These eastern regions have the greatest weakness," Aeglien explained, "because they had the bloodiest revolutions. Thankfully the western cities have agreed to send reinforcements, unlike in the past, but they are also spread thin. Then we have this region of the southeast... the people's council that has taken over refuses to participate, demanding support as recompense for their past slavery."
"I maintain it would be easiest to leave them to their folly," the Krysali woman said. "If we coordinate between southeastern Krysal and northwestern Goralia, we can contain the disaster there and save our elites for other difficult fronts. Which, I must remind you, are quite numerous this time."
Kai struggled to believe what he was hearing: the elites were really considering just letting a whole region of Krysal die? Admittedly, they were allegedly being selfish, and he could unfortunately believe that some of the revolutionaries would do something like that. But he didn't want to think that the elites would do something so remorseless, especially since even after the revolution, the decisions were still made by a few people in charge, leaving innocents to suffer.
Unfortunately, as they outlined other problems in Krysal, Kai understood their desperation. Even if he believed that the revolution had ultimately been for the best in the long term, it had destroyed infrastructure and Krysal had yet to rebuild itself.
"What about Krysal's leadership?" Kai asked once they were done. "I assume they're cooperating, but have they agreed to sacrificing the southeastern region?"
"Admittedly, they have been better organized than before," the Krysali woman said, "but they're resistant to such suggestions. It remains to be seen how that would be resolved."
As soon as he got a chance, Kai needed to speak with Krainuun. He didn't think that all of this would be resolved at this meeting, yet it seemed like the elites were moving toward some sort of conclusion.
"We've set a deadline of three months," Aeglien announced. "At that time, we will need to decide on a policy, whether it is accepting losses or adopting some other strategy. If you can convince the principal parties, we're open to hearing your strategy for Krysal, but you can see why it looks desperate right now."
"I understand," Kai said. "Can we get teleportation out there? Maybe Omilaena to Irun, while Zae Zin Nim and I can-"
"Not quite yet," Sheiri said. She clapped her hands together and the map of the continent retracted into a globe of metal. "There's also the question of leadership. We're an egalitarian organization, but when it comes to the incursion, some people need to make decisions while others follow."
"We can live with that. But-"
"You misunderstand: there are some here who would prefer that you be placed in a leadership position. You're a son of Goralia, and for all that some have objected, you proved yourself capable of handling large scale conflicts in the Krysali revolution."
That hadn't been what he expected. Kai looked over the elites, and though he recognized only some of them, he could imagine what they saw. Yes, he'd made some mistakes, but they could acknowledge everything he'd done, from saving Monskon City to returning with unprecedented resources.
"So where does that leave us?" Kai asked.
"One final test," Sheiri said. "We will be evaluating you on several factors, from ability to work with local forces to completing your phase training. If you prove yourselves, we'll put you in charge of key fronts during the incursion. But if the majority decides against you, then we'll ask that you abide by that decision and fight where we order."
"I can live with that." Kai nodded and then glanced to his wives, who agreed with only somewhat more reluctance. Omilaena clearly wanted to be in charge of her own projects, while Zae Zin Nim would be blasting monsters regardless.
And that seemed to be the end of it. Many of the elites moved away, some even stepping directly into portals as if this had already taken too long. Yuinafal met his gaze for some time, face unreadable, then departed with his own allies. Kai found himself wondering how they were going to coordinate the rest, particularly the upcoming competition in Irun.
"So we have two months to prove ourselves in Irun." Omilaena sighed and gave an exaggerated shrug. "So be it. I'll handle the majority myself, but I do need a little support."
"I will focus on perfecting my phase training while I cultivate," Zae Zin Nim said. "I don't want to organize the armies, but I trust you in a leadership role over this Yuinafal."
"I'm not sure we're actually in competition for that part," Kai pointed out.
"That can be presumed based on everything else."
Omilaena slid an arm around Kai's waist and Zae Zin Nim's shoulders, leaning between them. "So back to work, huh? We have a two month deadline in Irun, three months to get Krysal into shape, and about four to finish our own training. Sounds manageable."
And then, Kai couldn't help but think, the incursion. The ultimate deadline.
Chapter 530: Friends Across the Frontier
After all the intense negotiations, Kai wanted some time to decompress, which meant training, spending time with his wives, or talking to someone who wasn't a Frontier elite. Unfortunately, beside the base was a bad place for training and the others had left: Handelrey had pulled Zae Zin Nim aside to discuss some sort of cultivation matter and Omilaena had gone off to talk with Irunian elites to plan their upcoming plans.
Surprisingly, Inafay arrived from a portal to rescue him.
For a while they just sat atop the rough building, staring out past the black rings - now still and silent - over the wasteland. It seemed like Inafay had been through some things of her own, and they pointedly didn't talk about anything serious. They reminisced about old times in Monskon City, which restaurants or training halls had closed or moved, how the Hunters Guild was reforming, and nothing else of consequence.
Eventually she asked him about how the trials and negotiations had gone, so he shared the story in brief. The non-hierarchical discussions among the Frontier elites didn't seem to faze her, since she'd gotten deeper into the organization while he was off on other continents. Once that was done, however, Kai went silent and waited for her to explain her own presence.
"Orotaisin and I just underwent an evaluation of our new power." Inafay ruefully ran a finger over a cut through her tunic, and the just-healed scar underneath. "We're obviously not full-fledged elites, unfortunately. They said that Cloudspire was good for our strength, but we really need to brush up on our phases, so we'll be doing focused training until the incursion."
"Makes sense." As he nodded, Kai glanced at her soul again. "And probably your Class?"
<
Name: Inafay Corinin
Total Power: 561
Windcutter Class: 98 (108)
Windborn: Twiceswept (115)
Qi Condensation 44% (14)
Physique Level: D-0 (200)
Soul Level: 7 (49)
Highwinds Essence (+75)
>
Inafay had gained a new boost in strength by getting up to D-rank Physique, but her Windcutter Class was at Level 98, tantalizingly close to becoming an Advanced Class. Then again, that tier was hardly ever reached on Deadwaste...
"That's the plan," Inafay said. "I was hoping to get some tips from Zin Nim before we went off to the Wind Union."
"That's where they're doing your training?"
"Yeah, the plan is for both of us to get entry to some sort of ancient wind shrine, one of their most conserved resources. We may not be the hot new thing, now that you're here, but the elites don't forget about anyone with potential."
"Hey," Kai said, "don't knock yourself. Sounds like you're really investing in a location, which will have benefits down the line. You won't have to spend time negotiating with the elites any time you want to do anything, for example."
Inafay cast him a wry grin. "I thought you were just trying to cheer me up, but you're right. Orotaisin and I aren't trying to jump the normal process now, but if things get ugly, we'll be fighting on the front lines with the elites. So in another seven years - assuming we all survive - we'll be key figures in the Elemental Nations."
"How does that front look? We didn't talk about it much."
"Orotaisin contacted some old buddies and they seem positive. The work you did in the Earth Union helped, and everyone else built on those agreements, so the Elemental Nations are pulling together. If you reinforce our flanks in Krysal and Irun, we should be fine."
"Sure," Kai said, "but does that mean they'll be stretching those lines thinner?"
"Yeah, most likely. Thanks to Orotaisin and me coming back stronger than they expected, they're pulling another elite away to serve as emergency reinforcement." Inafay shook her head ruefully. "But if things get really bad, I'm hoping you or the others can back us up."
"I'd definitely go there if I got a choice. I think the problem isn't likely to be any specific battle, it'll be getting pulled in too many different directions."
"Oh, don't I know it. Even we're dealing with that on a smaller scale."
They kept chatting, now about their partial understanding of the incursion strategy, until others arrived not far away. There was an elite Kai didn't know, but more importantly he brought along with him the Tonjin brothers and Orotaisin.
Inafay leapt off the roof to catch her fiance in a flying kiss, so Kai decided that he might as well greet the Tonjin brothers, albeit with less kissing and more backslapping. It hadn't actually been that long, but since he'd been spending so much time with the trainees, he felt like they hadn't gotten much time together. Then again, maybe that was appropriate - they didn't need him anymore, they were building lives for themselves.
"Same results as you," Orotaisin said once the group pulled together. "We may need to go negotiate with some reluctant parties in the Wind Union, so I'll be relying on you to dazzle them."
"Aye aye, husband!" Inafay snapped an elaborate salute.
Kai had checked the Tonjin brothers' souls recently enough, but he took a look at Orotaisin.
<
Name: Orotaisin of Mistral
Total Power: 584
Windborn: Thriceswept (291)
Physique Level: E-9 (107)
Body Refinement 0% (100)
Soul Level: 6 (36)
Highwinds Essence (+50)
>
The man had stayed just ahead of Inafay in total Power, and he had another huge boost coming if he could jump from E-9 to D-0 Physique. Kai immediately had the impulse to promise that Omilaena could help with that, but he realized that might be unnecessary: she'd been talking to them throughout the trip, so she no doubt knew. If there was any single lesson in the incursion, it was that he couldn't be everywhere at once, so he needed to leave some things to his allies.
"What about you two?" Kai asked the brothers. He directed the question to Raghi, since he was more likely to answer in a group like this, but also looked to Lofgan as well.
"Just playing soldiers," Raghi said gruffly. "We might have a fair bit of Power, but we've done no phase training at all. They say if we survive maybe we can go into full elite training, maybe get there for the next incursion."
"I'm willing to bet you can do better than that." Kai grinned at both of them. "Haven't you been defying people's expectations of you for years now? When we come back, I expect you to be running the Frontier elite program."
Lofgan gave a soft snort and looked away, while Raghi just shook his head. "More like you'll bring back some insane new resources for us. But we'll keep training."
"Are you planning to go somewhere new?" Inafay asked, swinging back into the conversation.
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"Better focus on the incursion first." Kai could only shrug. "Yes, we have some ideas, but this... we have no idea what will happen. If it's just as explosive as last time..."
He decided to leave it unsaid, but the implication alone was enough to darken the mood. All of them had leapt in strength over the past seven years, and Kai had made progress that was considered completely unprecedented, but if gods arrived again, that simply wouldn't matter.
While the group went quiet and separated into their own conversations, Kai wondered just how far those beings were above him. Most likely they simply had access to stronger sources of power, just like it was easier for a fool to attain power on Cloudspire or Rosemount than on Deadwaste. He had to at least consider the idea that they were just insanely good, with some sort of one in a trillion talent.
Or another way to think about it was to have exceptionally good fate. And Kai had never been good at letting fate have the last word.
The conversation shifted from a direction that Kai had never anticipated: Omilaena and Juray were walking toward the group. As they walked, he marveled at how comfortable they seemed with one another. Omilaena was teasing and Juray was teasing back, and from what he could understand of their conversation, they were discussing complex matters of potions and pills. It seemed odd, since Juray was so kind and Omilaena was so acidic, but in other ways it made complete sense.
"Good news!" Omilaena announced with no regard for preexisting conversations. "The elites have finally acknowledged Juray's talents and will be letting her work with their healing units."
"Just providing support," Juray said hastily. "The Frontier elites need to be very concerned about attrition, so they have a need for all types. I'll be working on potions that won't do any good in the moment, but can bring someone back from the brink of death healthy."
"Bah, more importantly, working with more valuable ingredients will help you get that Class up. I expect big things once I get back from Irun."
"I don't know if I can advance that fast."
"Oh, and you." Omilaena cheerfully slapped Raghi on the shoulder. "I expect you to give her Physique a good workout, alright? We talked about this. Even if she's not on the front lines, there's no reason for her to be all the way back in E rank."
Raghi could only shake his head, both at her innuendo and her suggestion. "This is mad... there was a time when E-rank Physique meant an elite physical fighter..."
"And that time was the past! I expect you two to get busy - I can observe and provide guidance if you want."
While Omilaena teased Raghi, and somehow even managed to get Lofgan involved, Juray shifted away from the group. She came to stand beside Kai, silently at first, then giving him an odd smile. It was indeed strange to be standing together on Deadwaste after so many years.
"Do you remember how I thought awakening an Herbalist Class ended my hopes?" Juray asked softly.
"How could I forget?" Kai closed his eyes, feeling a soft ache at the warm old memories. "I never thought that was fair, but I got wrapped up in my own problems. I'm glad you got to a better place, even if I don't really get any credit."
"Oh, I don't think Omilaena would have helped me like this did if not for you." Juray patted his arm. "I have no idea how you're making this work, Kai, but I'm glad you seem happy."
"What about you? This isn't exactly the shop and quiet life you wanted. Where do you see this taking you?"
"Well..." Juray threw up her hands. "I can't even guess. All I can think about is trying to get everyone I care about through the incursion alive. By the way, we've tested and confirmed that there's no way I can make a potion that will work for you - the gap in strength is just too far."
"That's fine, I wasn't expecting you to-"
"I wanted to. We might be leading separate lives now, but I still care about you." Juray gave him an odd smile. "But I did work up some potion ingredients for your wife, and she said she'd be back for more, so maybe I can help indirectly."
"Thanks, Juray." Kai wasn't sure what else he could say. He had an impulse to move to embrace her, but that didn't feel quite right anymore.
Except Juray moved forward to hug him, so he squeezed her quickly. Their partners were standing right there, after all, and neither looked exactly angry. Even if it was nothing like before, it felt good, and they parted easily with the group only somewhat watching him.
"Ready to go?" Juray moved to stand by Raghi's side and gave him a longer kiss.
"They're getting the teleportation techniques ready," Omilaena said, wrapping herself around Kai mischievously. "Now let's not let them out do u-"
"Not now." Kai put a hand over her face before she could try to outdo them in public displays of affection, because he had no idea how far Omilaena was willing to go. "I guess we won't see each other for a while, because we all have our own work to do."
"Hey, it's not that long," Inafay said. "You're the one who runs off to other continents for years at a time."
Despite her words, they all knew what he meant. With the incursion looming over them, all the remaining days seemed to carry a greater weight that was difficult to explain. Despite all their preparations, there might come a time when they would get back together and some of them would be missing forever.
When Kai rejoined Zae Zin Nim, they headed to meet the elites, but his thoughts remained with all the others. He didn't even know where the portal would take them, but he walked forward anyway.
Chapter 531: Separate Directions in Krysal
On the other side of the portal, Kai found himself... back at the coast of Krysal. He hesitated, not wanting to reveal his disorientation, then decided that there was no reason to try to act cool in front of his wives. Neither of them seemed surprised.
"What are we actually doing?" he asked. "What's our next objective?"
"We're skipping out on Irun for now," Omilaena said, without any teasing. "Good job playing along."
"Uh, right. Did I miss something?"
"No, you were not present when we made the decision." Zae Zin Nim folded her arms in her sleeves and nodded to him. "The enemy elite went directly to Irun, and it seems likely that he intends to put up obstacles to us and our work."
"That's right, some of the other elites dropped hints." Omilaena leaned against Zae Zin Nim casually and the other woman didn't shy away. "Basically, it seems likely that he's going to turn choosing our candidates into a game, and it doesn't sound like a fun one. Rather than take him head on, I figured we would get our orientation in Krysal first. Three months isn't long to work with, either, we can't spend two thirds of it in Irun."
Kai frowned as he considered the new information. "So we're giving him first pick of Irunians to train and taking whoever is left?"
"Presumably. I didn't make plans for getting over there, actually."
"Wait a minute, does that mean we don't actually have a plan for starting work in Irun?"
"We're counting on you to use a personal connection to Tusquo or someone." Omilaena gave him a wink. "That's right, I'm basing a plan on you being the overly friendly type."
"Tusquo is a reasonable man," Zae Zin Nim said with a slight frown. "If we explain the situation to him, I believe he will make arrangements for the good of his nation."
Presuming that he didn't have internal politics of his own to deal with. But since they had enough problems and were headed in the opposite direction, Kai kept his thoughts to himself. Omilaena's logic about getting started in Krysal was completely valid, and in most ways the situation in Krysal was more dire than in Irun.
First they went back to the seven trainees who had become his students and briefed them on what had been decided. Kai hadn't been able to negotiate teleportation for all of them individually, but the elites had agreed to take them along on other trips, so he intended to make sure all of them ended up in a position where they could grow.
For Krysal... he decided on Tori Quondan and Bonto Birtaegali, to start and continue crystal cultivation respectively. He asked Untariin if the Krysali wanted to visit back home and the man just shook his head grimly. Maybe they'd have more to talk about after Kai got the lay of the land.
After that, it was just the five of them waiting for the elites to transport them deeper - apparently they were going straight to Yulthens this time. Kai was eager to see the capital city, and more of Krysal in general. Technically he had visited during his return trip to Deadwaste, but he hadn't had time to really see old haunts or understand all the changes. It had been over five years since the revolution now and he had heard a great deal of contradictory news.
He wasn't sure what to feel about any of it. Of course he'd never been so naive to think that the revolution would immediately turn Krysal into a paradise, but hearing about some of the apparent failures still hurt. In the end, he decided that this was simply a matter of responsibility: he'd put Krysal in this state, so he needed to return to support it.
First Cragrila and Nirka joined them, fulfilling some sort of coordination plan. When an elite showed up - a Windborn woman who had been at the trial, though Kai hadn't caught her name - they were all taken through the portal. This trip didn't seem to tax the elite so much, since it was just across part of the nation, and she was gone an instant later.
Leaving them in Yulthens... with no time to look around, because there was already an official waiting to greet them.
"Welcome to Yulthens!" They were approached by a cute young woman, but Kai had hoped to see an old man. "Krainuun sent me to apologize that he couldn't meet you in person, and he wanted me to stress that he truly means that. If you'll accept our hospitality for a time, he'll arrange a proper meeting."
"I can imagine he's busy," Kai said with a shrug. "When you say hospitality...?"
"Please come this way and rest from your... well, I suppose there wasn't much of a journey. Please feel free to conduct business of your own while we get everything in order."
The aide led them away from the courtyard where they had arrived and Kai made sure to examine it on the way out. It was large and covered in dead vines, presumably a noble's garden that had been untended since the revolution. From there, they entered the broad streets he remembered, yet the city had clearly changed in his absence.
What he missed first were the highs and lows: there were no crystalliers flying about on crystals, but there also weren't peasants going about in rags. Well, he did see plenty of people wearing drab clothing, but none of them looked miserable. Then again, the life of the average city worker had been decent enough... Kai saw a man carrying a box of supplies and wondered just how much his life had actually changed.
Most people would probably miss all the crystal ornaments that had once covered the city, but Kai was more interested in the invisible things. How many people went hungry, how many had decent homes? Removing so many people from a life of abject slavery didn't necessarily mean that everyone's living conditions were better.
His estimate was that there were a lot more crystal vessels in the sky than before, they were just smaller and less fancy. Lots of them seemed to be delivering supplies, while others apparently moved along steady routes, picking up random citizens. That was certainly better than the previous system, and he assumed they had Krainuun to thank for that organization. On that note, he looked skyward for the great defensive crystals... all the ones he could see had been restored, and there were workers actively building around them.
"Don't like these crowds," Omilaena muttered.
"It may be positive for them," Zae Zin Nim responded, "but not for us."
Kai refocused - he'd noticed that they got some attention, but hadn't paid much mind to it: he was an unusually tall man, Nirka and Cragrila were local heroes, and his wives were attractive women, so getting some attention was normal. Now that he looked properly, he saw recognition in the people around them. All that had prevented them from getting mobbed earlier was awe and disbelief.
"This is your sort of thing." Omilaena dug an elbow into his ribs. "Give us an exit or Zin Nim will start slapping people's heads off."
"I will not," Zae Zin Nim said, "but you should still act."
"Alright." Kai stepped away from the women toward the nearest cluster, trying to figure out his approach. They might be afraid of him after his earlier display, or they might view him as a hero, but either way he didn't want to be ostentatious, so he just raised a hand. "Hello, everyone. Haven't been here in a while."
"Are you really Kai Clanless?" a middle-aged man asked. That set off an immediate flurry of whispers, shouts, and even a few cheers.
It was good to be back home: on Cloudspire, several people would have jumped in to loudly announce his name and ranks.
"Sorry, I'm here on business." Kai waved apologetically, examining the roofs around them and moving for a clear space. "We need to prepare for the incursion."
There were more cheers this time, along with shouts for him to stay or do something for them. Kai could only shake his head, then he leapt into the air to land on his target roof, leaving the crowds noisily disappointed behind him. His wives joined him a second later, but he realized he'd been too casual about the jump: Cragrila had followed on her own, but Nirka had been carried up by Zae Zin Nim gripping the back of her shirt.
"Can they get up here?" Omilaena asked idly, stepping to the side of the building. She stepped back when she got some more cheers.
"This is why we should never help anyone," Zae Zin Nim said sourly.
Meanwhile, Cragrila moved to stand beside him, her spear leaning over her shoulder. "I'm going to catch up with some people," she said quietly, "but let's meet again before you leave. We'll need to find out what I should do next."
"You didn't talk to the elites, did you?" Kai asked the question even as he knew the answer: Cragrila had been quiet, not engaging with them and sinking into the background. "Not interested?"
"I'll work with them, and with you, but Krysal is my home. It needs people dedicated to its future alone."
There could have been some sort of recrimination in a statement like that, yet he didn't sense it from Cragrila. In fact, she extended a hand to him, Goralian-style, and gripped his hand firmly when he shook it.
"I suspect we'll need multiple perspectives on this," Kai told her. "We'll talk again later once we all have more information."
She nodded, then she leapt off the side of the building to vanish into the city. That was good, but Kai tried to consider the matter delegated and stop thinking about it. Instead he found his gaze wandering to Nirka, who shifted uncomfortably near the edge of the roof.
They hadn't spoken much and he suspected she was avoiding him. There were a lot of people on the Clanless and problems on all sides, so it had been easy to forget about her... or, if he was honest, he had been avoiding the uncomfortable subject. Unlike Juray, who he could easily consider a friend, his relationship with Nirka loomed large in his mind.
But why leave that sort of thing in the air when he had so many other problems? Kai approached her with a smile that she almost returned before looking at him suspiciously.
"Going to send me off on a mission?" she asked.
"Only if you want one," Kai said. "I imagine you have people to see in Krysal, so I figured you could get back to it. We'll need you when the incursion starts, but you know where you can do the most good."
"Maybe. I'm stronger, but I'll need to catch up with others."
Kai glanced at her soul, which he normally would have done instinctively and now did very carefully to avoid any impression he was checking her out.
<
Name: Nirka of N District
Total Power: 205
Crystal Cultivation: 1922 (64)
Cultivation: Qi Condensation 3% (10)
Physique Level: E-9 (106)
Soul Level: 5 (25)
>
She'd risen to over 200 Power, which would have made her a crystallier in the old system, but wasn't enough for their new challenges. Strangely, seeing that number over her soul made Kai's old emotions seem petty. The time when he'd felt hurt and betrayed was so long ago, he thought about that version of himself as almost another person, a horny kid.
"Here, take these." Kai handed over one of Omilaena's Physique-boosters as well as several qi pills. "You're close to a Physique breakthrough, plus you shouldn't neglect your cultivation. I know I tend to do that."
"Thanks." Nirka hesitated briefly, then scooped up the gifts. "Listen, I know that we have a history and I don't want to get into-"
"Then we don't have to," Kai said simply. "The past is the past, right? I'm just glad we were able to get you safely back from Cloudspire. So no hard feelings?"
"Not as far as I'm concerned, but does your wife agree?"
Kai frowned and looked over, wondering which she meant before realizing that it had to be Zae Zin Nim in this case. "Why, did she threaten you?"
"Nothing like that, she just..." Nirka suddenly looked even more uncomfortable than before. "Never mind. You're right, the past is the past. Forget the emotional stuff. We fought for Krysal in the revolution, and we'll fight for it in the incursion, right?"
"Right, absolutely." They smiled at one another, but they didn't shake hands. Nirka quickly moved away and slipped from their roof to another, disappearing into the city as well.
With that taken care of, and only his wives left, Kai was feeling surprisingly light. When he turned back to them, however, he saw that they didn't feel the same way - they were examining a new group approaching them from across the rooftop.
This was no adoring crowd. At first Kai thought they wore miners' rags, yet the material was too fine. These people didn't fall into the old system, not as he understood it. But whoever they were, they were making a beeline directly toward him with purpose in their eyes.
Chapter 532: The New Revolutionaries of Krysal
Since the group was moving at normal speeds, Kai had plenty of time to examine them. They were all native Krysali, former miners based on the visible scars, yet they didn't look as welcoming as the previous crowds.
What still puzzled him were their outfits: they resembled the old rags from the mines, yet the fabric itself wasn't the foul hides he remembered. Their apparent ragged edges were symmetrical as well, and tailored... had the old miners' outfit become a sort of uniform? They seemed to wear that identity, along with their unhidden scars, as a badge of honor.
"Kai Clanless!" The men and women gave him a strange sort of fist to chest salute that he didn't remember. "Krystal needs heroes of the revolution now more than ever."
"Well, you have three of them here," Kai gestured vaguely at his wives. "It sounds like we'll have a difficult time in the incursion. We plan to help, but we're still figuring out where we can help most."
The man who had spoken first shifted oddly and an older woman spoke up. "We may face hard times, but no harder than the revolution. We came to meet you because we're afraid the elites have not told you the full truth about Krysal's current state."
A tingle went up Kai's spine. He believed in the Frontier elites overall, but it was true that they favored the bigger picture over the individual, and there had been that Krysali noble among them. Given the merchant-controlled system of the past, it made sense that the majority of the representatives would have been nobles, and no one could completely set aside their past.
Had Aeglien been a noble? He didn't have the scars of a miner, but he also hadn't behaved much like a crystallier. Kai shoved such issues out of his mind to focus on the miners in front of him.
"Go on," Kai said, "what is the full truth?"
"Krysal is growing," the lead man said, "but we haven't been able to eradicate all of the rot. There are still some nobles seeking to regain their power, and worse, there are merchants who want to buy back control with their wealth. Some of them fled to Goralia or the Elemental Nations, where they can reach back into Krysal."
"They're undermining everything we're trying to build," another of the miners explained. "Our new nation should give cultivation crystals to the miners who bled and fought for them, but the nobles are still grabbing some for themselves, seeking to rebuild the crystallier system."
"And you can't do anything about this?" Kai asked.
"They always work through proxies, avoiding any direct blame. But whenever there are difficulties, the merchants sow doubt and step forward, pretending that the solution is a return to the old ways. Unless they're rooted out, they'll continue to undermine us."
"I see." Kai frowned as he looked over the group. "What about Krainuun? Why can't he take action to prevent unfairness?"
That got a surprisingly equivocal response, the group shifting and glancing at one another. Eventually it was a young man who spoke - very young. He had a miner's scars, but if he had fought in the revolution, he would have been a child.
"Krainuun has never taken wealth for himself," the boy said, almost reluctantly, "but he still thinks too much like a merchant."
"He's done a lot of good," another added, "but he goes too far with his laws. Trying to put regulations on everything."
"But sometimes not far enough," the first man said. "We could have targeted the merchants from the beginning and eradicated them before they could regain their power."
Kai listened to the group as they threw out their opinions and then questioned them on a few specifics. It seemed that they had a positive impression of Cragrila and Nirka from the war, but their recent absence made them less relevant. That left just one other revolutionary...
"What about Maggle?" Kai asked.
"He's still a proper miner," one of them said. "A merchant struck a boy and Maggle almost took his head off."
"But he's getting soft," another objected. "He's made life too easy for himself."
"Aye, maybe, but he still has the revolutionary fire in him."
"If I want to act here," Kai said, "I'll need allies. Unfortunately, I need to visit Irun next, so I won't be able to move now. Please gather all the military intelligence you can, and meanwhile find Maggle and send him over? We'll need to gather all our allies again."
That seemed to barely satisfy them enough for the time being and, after Kai refused to start another revolution right then, they headed off the rooftop. Kai watched them go, his neutral expression struggling with a frown. If only Krysal could be a simple, easy situation... he really needed to talk to Krainuun.
"So are you going to run off and start a secondary revolution?" Omilaena asked.
"I don't like this." Kai sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Did they give you the impression...?"
When he looked toward his wives, he saw that they wouldn't need convincing: they were watching him with concern. Zae Zin Nim spoke quietly, "You are not... sympathetic to them?"
"Seems like they haven't reordered society so much as flipped around who's on top," Kai said, thinking about how Untariin of Cuulisi had been blocked from advancement. "Maybe some merchants are still trying to regain their old power, but some of what they said sounds like purges. The point was supposed to be giving everyone an equal chance, not prosecuting people from mercantile families."
"Glad to see you have your head on straight," Omilaena said. "Personally, I'm inclined to just leave their problems to them, but I might not be able to do my experiments without their politics getting in the way."
"I want to talk to Krainuun first. He might have warned me about this when we last met, so I'm sure he'll have a clear view of everything."
They talked about potential issues for a while, but it wasn't long before they were interrupted by an arm popping up over the side of the roof. It was followed by muttered curses, then a familiar unshaven face appeared as Maggle heaved himself over the side.
"How the fuck does everyone just hop so high?" Maggle muttered more curses under his breath as he got to his feet. He had put on a bit of weight, but at least some of that was muscle. While the man groused, Kai took a look at his soul.
<
Name: Maggle of N District
Total Power: 252
Crystal Cultivation: 5902 (106)
Acid Cultivation: 317 (26)
Physique Level: E-5 (95)
Soul Level: 5 (25)
>
Maggle had just reached 250 Power, which was past where Kai had last seen him when he'd departed and far beyond the man stuck at 99 who Kai had initially met. Eventually Maggle finished his complaining and turned to them, beaming an uneven smile.
"Kai motherfucking Clanless!" Maggle grabbed him with a rough hug, practically trying to strangle him. "Goddamn, they said you got strong, but this is crazy shit! What kinds of crystals have you been snorting? At least I hope that's the hole they've gone in."
"It's been a long time," Kai said, instinctively chuckling as he pulled the man back. "Maybe we can get a drink later and tell the full story. But what about you, what have you been doing?"
"Well, that's a story and a half. Most of it me being so knuckle-headed that I ruin anything good going for me. Turns out, it's really easy to charm women as a hero of the revolution, harder to keep them once they get to know me."
Maggle cackled at his own expense while he looked over the other two... and he took his time with it. Zae Zin Nim bristled and withdrew on herself, while Omilaena playfully put a hand on her hip.
"You didn't even wait for us to look away before ogling us?" she asked.
"Can you blame me?" Maggle grinned shamelessly. "That body should be registered as a lethal weapon! And you... I seem to remember you being a different color before, but you're looking good. Are you gray all over?"
Omilaena shifted in front of Zae Zin Nim, partially blocking her or possibly holding her back. "Are you ugly all over?" she shot back.
"Pretty much!" Maggle at least had the sense to back away from the murder in Zae Zin Nim's expression to turn to Kai. "I remember the three of you running off together... don't tell me you're all still-"
"We're married," Kai said. He didn't think there was any real animosity in Maggle's leering, the older man just had absolutely no filters.
"Goddamn! You are a lucky, lucky man."
"And what does that mean? Are you saying you'd have sex with my wives?"
"If they'd let me, fuck yes I would." Maggle scratched his unshaven jaw. "Not that I'm leaving you out, big man. Did you get even taller and more muscular? Okay, at some point you have to say that's enough and leave some muscle for the rest of us, but I guess if you got bigger all over, there'd be no complaints."
"No more of this," Zae Zin Nim said sternly. "We need information about Krysal."
"Aye, aye." Maggle took a step back, raising both hands. "I hear you've been talking to some of the others, and we need to talk too. But if you're waiting, I thought that I might take you over to the Acidarium."
"The what?"
"We've kept working on acid cultivation, you remember? They want to meet you - all three of you - and ask some questions. Oh, and Yurwa is there, of course, with Gundle. Not a little boy any more, since he shot up once he started getting some food in him. Actually there are a whole lot of things we need to catch up on..."
"We have some people to introduce you to," Kai said. "New trainees who could use some crystal cultivation, if you can arrange that."
"Oh, aye, I can hook them up." Maggle started to move away, then froze mid-step and pivoted back to them. "But, uh, you caused a bit of a stir, if you didn't notice. If we go back out there, we might get mobbed by happy crowds, and while there are some positives, that can also be, uh..."
"I have prepared for this." Zae Zin Nim touched the spatial bracelet in her sleeve and revealed a crystal vessel, basically indistinguishable from the others flying around Yulthens. "We should be able to travel undisturbed."
"Hot damn, you folks always have your act together. I forget my shoes half the time."
As they climbed into the crystal ship, Kai putting himself between Maggle and the women, he found an odd smile on his face. It was good to see Maggle again, particularly after an entire continent of stern cultivators, and he was looking forward to meeting the others after so many years.
But it seemed like his return to Krysal wasn't going to be simple.