Depthless Hunger: A Progression LitRPG, page 38
Soon he found himself with an entire inn room to himself, an impressive one with two beds. Kai asked for food and a tub of hot water from the innkeeper. Only once everyone else had left the room did he allow himself to sit down and rest.
His hand still ached, but the bloodstains were the only remnants of his injuries. The worse loss was his gauntlet, which he broke apart and even picked out of his flesh in a few places. It was too much to hope that the steel Tusquo had made so long ago could have stood up to such a powerful opponent, but he still felt the loss. Now his only weapon left was one gauntlet, and it wouldn't be good enough if he needed to face off with Barroguk again.
The Lantrian assistant returned first, bearing the potions as requested, then disappeared. Kai looked over the potions, noting that many of them seemed to have conventional Fighter Classes. Given that he had drunk his final Herbalist potion before entering the city, he would take whatever he could get.
More importantly, there was a recovery potion among the others, and a rather expensive one. After staring at it for some time, Kai went to where Zae Zin Nim was lying and managed to dribble it into her mouth. She threatened to cough it up and he had to hold her jaw shut to make sure she swallowed. Her wounds continued to ooze, but at least there wasn't bile pouring from her ears.
Once she was sleeping peacefully, Kai considered the value of what they had been given. Three hundred Eagles in payment, plus the price of the potions, and the inn had been paid for. That was hundreds of Eagles worth of value thrown out as a bonus, practically as much as all his other work combined. If Zae Zin Nim didn't make it through, it wouldn't be worth it.
Instead he thought about Razzagah Lantrian. No doubt the man had made an obscene profit on his shipment, not to mention flouting rival clans. These were nothing but business expenses to him... but he could have left them as soon as he made his profits.
Finally the innkeeper returned with a huge tub of steaming water, one that required several servants to move. Kai realized that it was probably intended for two people, but that didn't matter. As soon as they were gone, he considered what he could actually do.
First, he removed Zae Zin Nim's bundle from her robes. The cloud-patterned silk robes had been partially stained by the black bile, but he set them aside. Most important was the box of pills, which rattled ominously as he picked it up. She had only a single condensed qi pill left and three of her medication. Even though she had been taking fewer lately, that was terribly few.
He wasn't sure about the water, but he hoped it could ease her physical pain. Kai scooped her up in his arms, marveling at how fragile she was. As he walked over to the tub, however, he hesitated. His first instinct had been to strip her. She was so skeletally thin that her body inspired only pity in him, but she might not feel the same way. To spare her feelings, he lowered her into the tub, robes and all.
She murmured something in her own language, incomprehensible but possibly positive. Actually waking seemed far off, but when he positioned her against the side of the tub, she remained with her head above water. He left her there to soak and went back to her pills.
It would be completely impossible to buy qi anywhere, even in such a large city, so this was all he had. Kai decided to leave the final qi pill in case she had a use for it, but took out one of the medicinal pills. In camp he'd once seen her crush one and dissolve it into her drink, so he got a mug of water and did the same. This time she was more receptive and didn't spit up any of it.
Surrounded by the steam, all her scars glistened, but they weren't oozing bile anymore. That might be all he could do for her. Kai started to think about what other business he could do before deciding that he needed to stay with her. She couldn't ward off two dangerous opponents only to drown in a bathtub.
As soon as he had nothing to do, the exhaustion hit him. Crippling waves of it, stronger each time he let himself relax even slightly. To keep himself alert, Kai focused on his own soul.
<
Name: Kai Clanless
Total Power: 74
Cultivation: Qi Condensation 10% (12)
Physique Level: F-8 (46)
Soul Level: 4 (16)
Monstrous Hunger - VI (zeta)
Direboar's Strength - III (gamma)
Aquagorgon's Health - III (gamma)
Isulfr's Bite - I (alpha)
Rockspider's Claw - II (beta)
>
His Physique had improved, which was a petty consolation prize after the brutal fight. He was more interested in the fact that Rockspider's Claw had increased to beta rank. That strongly suggested that he had tapped into it during the fight, but he couldn't do it again. At least, he had failed during the fight, and he wasn't going to make any attempts that would destroy their room.
He tried to cultivate, but struggled to focus. Eventually the tub's water had cooled and Zae Zin Nim appeared more relaxed. Even though she was dripping wet, he gently lifted her out of the tub and set her down in one of the beds. As far as he could judge, she was as stable as she could be, given the circumstances.
Now he just needed to stay alert in case they were attacked by a clan. Kai sat down on the other bed to rest his eyes for just a moment and was unconscious almost immediately.
Chapter 69: The Truth about the Blackblood Physique
The next morning, they were both still alive. Kai was shocked at how refreshed he felt and decided he had the Aquagorgon to thank. No one had attacked, Zae Zin Nim was breathing peacefully, they had been successful... and he really needed to piss.
Once nature's interruptions had been taken care of, Kai considered his next steps. Taking care of Zae Zin Nim had been his highest priority before, so the question now was how to balance it. She hadn't bled more during the night, so he hoped that her condition wouldn't worsen on its own. Leaving her alone for too long felt wrong, but realistically there wasn't much he could do for her.
Would she be upset to wake up alone? Or would she be disturbed to open her eyes to find him looming nearby?
Technically they had only one objective: gaining access to a mana pool. But that wouldn't be easy and she was in no condition to take advantage of it, so he set that goal aside. He needed to find out the truth about Razzagah and the Corinin clan. As much as he hated to believe that Inafay's clan could be corrupt, there was no way to make their decision to send mercenaries seem honorable. If it had really been about illegality or permit nonsense, they would have stopped Razzagah with official agents of the city instead of faking a bandit attack.
Finding out more about that conflict would be useful... if he had any leads. After the whole journey with the wagon and then the fight, Kai was in no mood to talk to anyone. He decided that his first priority should be strength. No matter what he ended up doing or who he faced, he would need power.
Kai sat and cultivated through the early morning, but eventually reached his limits. Since there was still no sign that Zae Zin Nim would stir, he decided it was worth the risk to venture downstairs. First he examined the whole inn from inside and outside, checking for potential weaknesses. It was sound enough, though there was nothing that would stop Barroguk or the Krysali mercenary from breaking directly through the walls.
That confirmed, he returned to speak to the innkeeper. "I'm afraid that we've made a mess of the room."
"Oh, we expected as much with hunter business." The middle-aged woman nodded to him cheerfully. "Don't worry, you're paid up. Perhaps some dry sheets?"
"Yes, that would be nice."
"And another bath, I assume? You, uh... look like you've seen better days..."
For the first time since the fight Kai actually looked down at himself. His clothes were torn, splattered with mud from the riverbank, and covered in both blood and dark bile. His hair, which had been getting longer for some time, was a chaotic mess around his head, and he had a ragged beard. The innkeeper was a consummate professional, to have delivered him a huge bathtub the day before and then politely greeted him looking like this.
After a soak in another large tub, he felt human again. They had also left out clean clothes, which he chose to believe was a complimentary gift instead of an insult to his former outfit. The tunic was too tight across the chest and the pants not quite comfortable, but they would do. Now he wouldn't shock anyone if he tried to talk to them.
Staying close to the inn, Kai began gathering what information he could. From various patrons of the tavern next door, he learned that Rayakan was rife with clan scheming. What Razzagah had claimed was true: the Corinin clan ruled with an iron fist, or perhaps a gold fist given their economic domination. The Orgoron clan seemed limited to the Hunters Guild and the Lantrians were indeed much weaker in the city. Good to know, though of course Razzagah wouldn't have lied about anything so easily verifiable.
Aside from the usual matters, there was a surprising amount of simple gossip. He'd always heard that southern Goralia was soft, spending their time on fancy balls and celebrations. The way people talked about them, they sounded more like battles. Given how much the city was controlled by trade, who made an impression at a party might actually be more important than who had the strongest hunters.
Not that it was irrelevant. Kai couldn't get information about mercenaries as easily, but eventually he struck up a conversation with an older hunter at the bar. The woman didn't want to talk about clan politics until he started asking questions about mercenaries, then she had a lot to say.
Apparently the Corinin clan had made a splash by hiring two powerful hunters to enforce their affairs. Of course Barroguk Clanless was one of them; he had been thrown out of some city further south and come here to make his fortune. The Krysali mercenary turned out to be named Iroaki of Philaster. She was less notorious, but had attracted attention when she defeated one of the strongest Orgoron hunters.
Now their enemies had names.
Both of them were almost certain to have survived, and presumably rejoined the Corinin clan. The question was whether they would come after him again. Even though the two elites had kept the upper hand during the battle, they might resent how it ended, or Iroaki might be angry about the crystals that had been destroyed. If he understood crystal cultivation, her strength had been permanently reduced.
Otherwise, all Kai accomplished was eating. He was absolutely starving, so he took advantage of the tavern and ate his fill. The day had stretched on, so he simply went through his old exercises alongside another round of cultivation before falling asleep.
In the middle of the night he woke, slightly restless. When he started to get up, he saw Zae Zin Nim's eyes glittering in the moonlight. She was almost entirely dark, just a shadow in the bed, but he could see that she had turned on her side and was watching him.
"Kai..." Her voice was hoarse, but not as weak as he'd feared.
"Are you alright?" He came to sit on the bed beside her and she didn't shy away.
"I need... to sleep more. But I thought... we should talk."
"You can rest all you need. I can tell you about the rest when you're feeling b-"
One of her hands wrapped around his wrist, gripping tightly. "Not about that." Here in the darkness, she seemed so different, at once far away and less guarded than usual. "You should know about what happened to me. You've done all this... it's not right that I never told you."
He remained silent and just held her hand.
"I used to be a celebrated young cultivator. Extremely lucky, by your standards. I naturally possessed an expansive dantian, which meant I would develop more slowly, but have higher limits. As I cultivated, I developed dense meridians, which can move more qi, but slower. I kept up or surpassed my peers, but everyone knew that it would take years to see my full potential. Do you see where this is going?"
"Everything is trading off short term gains for long term potential," Kai said. He realized that he was rubbing the back of her hand and wasn't sure if he should stop. She nodded, nestled deeper into her pillow, and continued speaking.
"When I came of age, my rivals... we call it a cursed blessing. The Blackblood Physique is a path that's usually used for those who are rising too quickly. They suffer greatly, but temporarily. Then when they break through, they have deeper reserves. And so..."
"Every single aspect of your essence was slow. You couldn't break through to recover from the Blackblood condition, and I'm guessing it stopped your cultivation."
"Yes. My sect would have spent many resources to help me, but that was the diabolical stroke." Zae Zin Nim pulled her hand away from his, only to hold it before her face and stare. "The Blackblood Physique isn't a disease, so it can't be cured. They couldn't remove it without permanently ruining my body. The best they could offer was medicine to manage the symptoms, and it soon became obvious that I wouldn't be able to advance."
"And so you fled here." Kai nodded as the pieces fell into place. "Just to find a Class, or because you were being targeted?"
"My rivals tried to assassinate me back home. I doubt they would follow me here. But Kai... I need to awaken a Class. You've staved off my condition longer than I'd expected, but I need a permanent solution."
"What about the crystal cultivation from the Krysal City States? You got a good look at it during the fight. There are some similarities, aren't there?"
Zae Zin Nim scoffed, thankfully not emitting any black bile. "An inferior version of the cultivation I know, reliant on accumulating crystal wealth. Worthless." Abruptly her scorn became an intense stare and her hand squeezed his. "I saw you fight all the mercenaries. Monstrous and human power together. But you struggled to master it, didn't you?"
"Yeah. It's nothing like anything I've trained before, and there was a skill at the end..."
"You may be walking a totally new path. It has incredible potential, but it will be difficult." Her dark eyes bored into his. "I swear to you, if you help me break through, I will repay my debt. I will use every scrap of power and knowledge in my possession to help you master your new power. Get me to the mana pool. Then we can unlock these secrets."
"I..." Kai swallowed, unsure what to say. Before he could find the words, Zae Zin Nim's concentration seemed to fade. Her hand grew slack in his and she slumped back against her pillow. When she spoke again all the intensity was gone and she mumbled the next words.
"And we should go to Krysal... I want one of those floating crystals... No more walking... no more stupid wagons..."
She seemed to be falling asleep again, so Kai eased off the bed to avoid waking her. Just when he started to walk away, she spoke again.
"Sometimes I think... your life was even worse. I could have acted differently, but there was nothing you could have done. And yet there was no self-pity... no weeping... I'm glad I met you, Kai. Please..." Whatever she had been about to say fell into mumbling.
Kai turned back, only to find her fully asleep. He watched for a while, then slipped into his own bed. Given his recovery and training, he had expected to fall asleep immediately, but instead he lay awake thinking about the politics of the Cloudspire continent.
Then suddenly it was morning, the sun was burning his face, and people were shouting at the top of their lungs.
Chapter 70: Accusations and Deception
Since he'd fallen asleep in his pants, Kai simply pulled on his tunic and grabbed his shoes on the way down. It looked like Zae Zin Nim would sleep straight through the shouting, despite its growing volume. As he leapt down the stairs, he could hear it getting even worse.
Half-way to the crowd, he barely remembered about his new Class potions. His previous supply had barely lasted to the city, and he still didn't have a strong feel for how quickly combat might burn through the new power. He drank one in a breath on the way down to be cautious.
Not a moment too late, because when he hit the bottom of the stairs, he saw chaos in the main room. There was a whole mob of hunters, some dressed as city guards and others in uniforms emblazoned with the symbol of the Corinin clan. They looked like they were trying to break into the inn, and the only things holding them back were a small group of citizens and social propriety.
Kai considered the group briefly, noting their power was between 30 and 50 on average. Not that strong for seasoned guards, but it didn't matter. What they brought against him wasn't raw power, it was the rule of law.
"There he is!" One of the Corinin hunters jabbed a finger in his direction and suddenly the entire group was looking toward him. "You there, are you a hunter?"
"I..." Kai knew he shouldn't hesitate, but the question itself made him stumble. That had been his mental identity for so long... but here, given the situation... "No. I went through formal training, but I'm not officially a Goralian hunter."
"That's obscuring the truth." A man wearing extremely fine Corinin robes took a step forward. "This man is an ex-hunter banished from a northern city for his crimes, yet the Lantrian clan is hiring him to do their dirty work."
"Do you have any evidence other than hearsay?" The new voice was Razzagah Lantrian, who Kai hadn't even noticed up to that point. He couldn't face off against the hunters, but he stepped up to the Corinin official. "You haven't showed us a contract, a warrant, or anything else. This is a flagrant misuse of the city guard."
"The evidence is standing right in front of you! If you have any honor left at all, ex-hunter, tell us the truth about how Razzagah Lantrian hired you to guard his caravan."
All eyes turned toward him, especially the city guard. Razzagah shot him a pleading glance, but Kai couldn't afford to meet his gaze or he would look suspicious. He bought time by clearing his throat, desperately considering how to answer. Normally, he would have said that it was always the best policy to stick to the truth. Considering that policy had gotten him banished...
But this confrontation was clearly about mixing truth and lies. Assuming no extra layers of deception, the Corinin clan had felt comfortable sending mercenaries everyone knew were theirs out to destroy the shipment. That would never pass if normal testimony was accepted. If so, then the accusation was just a ploy and the real question was plausible deniability.
