Depthless Hunger: A Progression LitRPG, page 47
Their way back was equally strange. They stuck to major roads just in case the elite mercenaries might attempt another ambush, which meant a lot of people recognizing and waving at them. Some tried to invite them in, but Kai always made excuses. He soon discovered that he could use "being a hunter" as an excuse for nearly anything. Most likely he could march into people's homes, declare hunter business, and start smashing their pottery.
Eventually they saw Rayakan in the distance and he realized that they had actually gotten away with it. No signs of the city on fire or under siege by Irunian forces, either, so maybe everything was actually fine. As that fact slowly settled, he glanced over to Zae Zin Nim.
"What do you want to do with all this money?"
"I... don't know." She blinked at the bag as if unsure what it was. "Buy some cultivation resources, I guess."
"Obviously that's a good choice, but I don't know if we can find anything valuable enough to really help us. Even if we did, a few purchases would use this up quickly, so we'd have some left over. We couldn't have won without you. Surely you want something."
"Not unless they sell those floating Krysali vehicles. I'm sick of walking."
"I don't know if we can afford that, but I think you're lying." He glanced over her tunic, which was already stained with her dark blood even though she wasn't expelling it anymore. "I saw how carefully you've preserved that silk robe. I don't know if anything here will be to your standards, but would you like to buy something nice?"
"What would be the point?" She spoke with surprising venom and looked away, definitively ending the conversation. Kai sighed and let it go.
Truth was, he wasn't sure what he wanted to buy either. It just seemed that, with his luck, all the money would end up stolen if he didn't use it soon.
As they drew closer, Kai realized that one side of the river leaving the city was unusually busy. He saw quite a few Irunians walking on the docks, moving various goods. That could be a positive or negative sign, but he was just happy it was a sign they weren't attacking the city.
Once they returned, they found their old inn. The innkeeper welcomed them quickly enough, though she couldn't give them their old room. Her next offer was cramped but still had two beds, one of which Zae Zin Nim immediately used to fall asleep.
He stayed awake a while longer, both to keep watch and to think. Of course he'd always known that life wasn't fair and that the largest clans exploited their positions. That lesson had become even clearer in Rayakan. For some reason, though, it was seeing all the villagers so happy to have someone come and help them that pushed him over the edge.
Goralia couldn't continue like this. Kai still felt some resentment toward his former mentor for abandoning him, but Gunjin had been right about one thing: the whole country needed to change. To be healthy enough to survive against the monsters, it needed more than just strength or wealth. Somehow they needed a society where farmers were respected as much as hunters.
How that would happen, he had no idea. Apparently on Cloudspire villagers could be slaughtered for daring to stand up to anyone above them. Maybe there was no solution at all.
Still, when Kai heard that Razz Lantrian was here to see them, he responded quickly.
The young merchant waited in the bar downstairs, grinning to himself and then even more broadly when he saw Kai. He swept up and hugged him, which seemed a bit much. Finally Razz pulled back and thumped him on the shoulder.
"You've saved me several times, Kai. I wouldn't be here without you."
"Where is here?" Kai asked.
"My clan has a new deal with the Irunians, which won't be slowed down at all once we pull our permit trump card. We've gone from struggling to make ends meet to having enough money for new investments." Razz shook his head in disbelief. "And here I thought it was a lucky break when you showed up to save me from those monsters. You're my lucky charm, man."
Because his own luck drained into others, presumably. Kai managed a chuckle and tried to calm Razz down. "It can't be this easy. The Corinin clan must be planning to retaliate."
"Of course they are. I'm most worried about their political schemes, because Dommag is a clever old bastard." His grin finally vanished. "But it seems likely that they might plan a direct attack. Rumor has it they've hired a third foreign elite. Normally they wouldn't dare send someone to assassinate me, when it could be pinned on them, but if they're desperate..."
"And I'm guessing you don't have someone ready to fight them."
"They already hired the strongest mercenaries! No, if I'm going to get through this, I need the two of you. I know you're a bit outclassed, but you only need to be strong enough to defend me during the length of an assassination attempt."
Just as he'd feared. But since he had nowhere else to go... "If you want our support, we'll need yours."
"I already have a few ideas. I didn't expect you back so soon, so I'm not ready."
"We can talk later. But I also need strengthening options... potions, foreign pills, scrolls, whatever you would normally send north. We have almost five thousand Goralian Eagles to put down."
"Five thousand?" Razz whistled. "I was going to say that training resources are difficult to find, even for me, but that will make the difference. I'll get back to you once I've finished my research. You rest for now."
Kai nodded and let the man go. But as he sat in the tavern, he felt like there would be no more time for rest.
Chapter 84: Rebuilding Estates and Souls
The first step in Razz's plan turned out to be an unusual one: remodeling the ruined Lantrian estate. It had seemed like a complete waste of time at first, but Kai soon began to understand. Instead of hiding in a walled complex in Rayakan, the old Lantrian estate stood outside amid the farms. Still within a short distance of the city, but far enough away to send a message, especially when Razz had his clan officials give out gifts of food to all the villagers who helped with the construction.
Kai and Zae Zin Nim were both technically helping by serving as guards, but few duties were actually required of them. They spent all their time training, which also served as intimidation to potential opponents. A few workers had scoffed while watching them cultivate, saying they were just sitting around, but their experiments destroying boulders had silenced all critics.
Meanwhile, the workers were really a social defense: with everyone working together in clear view of the city, the Corinin clan couldn't strike against them. From what Razz told them, they had basically retreated to their own estates and parties. Those weren't just indulgences, though: they were making alliances and gathering forces for another confrontation. Everyone, even the villagers, seemed to know that the Lantrian clan was reborn and challenging the Corinins.
But none of it changed Kai's fundamental goal: training because his life depended on it.
As soon as a private courtyard had been cleared to train, they began to test the new ability Zae Zin Nim had uncovered while fighting the Gomodo. If it had been Kai, he would have begun experimenting immediately. She preferred to retreat inward and thoroughly examine the spiritual nature of the art before applying it practically.
When they did finally face one another to test, she certainly looked ready. "Please attack me." She slid her arms within her sleeves and stood flat-footed.
"Full power?" he asked, making a claw gesture.
"Not yet. Begin slowly."
The workers had left some practice swords and other equipment, so Kai grabbed one of them. A bit unwieldy, but it would do. He decided not to do anything fancy: he just swung it horizontally at her side. Just when he expected the wood to impact flesh, the practice sword froze in place. Not as if it had impacted something strong, as if there was nowhere to go. Blue flames outlined her arm around the point of impact.
"Hmm." Kai pulled back and struck overhead. This time he was more prepared and watched as the flames manifested from her body and intercepted his strike. There was a barely audible sound he struggled to describe, like a whoosh of flames crossed with a clear bell. "That's fast. You want me to try to hit before it can activate?"
"I'm not sure it matters." Zae Zin Nim closed her eyes and turned away from him. "Try again."
Just in case she was planning a trick, Kai shifted to the side and swung from an unexpected angle as quietly as possible. The practice sword stopped against the side of her head, just like before. She turned to look at him over it, mildly amused.
"Nice try. It isn't automatic, because it takes conscious effort, but after that I believe the aura is reactive. It activates when you connect and no sooner."
"That's pretty convenient," Kai said. "So basically it doesn't matter how much faster someone is than you, the aura will block it."
"Not exactly." Her lips twisted in disapproval, apparently at herself. "The amount of time it takes to prepare is longer than I'd like, so I'll be very vulnerable to being taken off guard before battle. At least it's instinctive, like all your skills. Let's try something else."
They spent a while testing the limits of her new ability. When he took swings at her while she was running, his blows rang off her body without slowing her momentum at all. He could stop her if he actively stood in her way, but even trying to tackle her from the side left him slipping off, his body numb from her chilling flames. It seemed that, for brief moments, she was nearly impervious.
That said, he immediately discovered a potential weakness in the technique's use. When he struck twice in quick succession, sometimes the second strike got through, particularly if it was unexpected. Zae Zin Nim muttered to herself in her own language and improved significantly, though she clearly thought that she needed more practice.
Eventually it was time for the strength test. This time she didn't stand calmly, instead bracing her feet and crossing her arms in front of her chest. She looked like a bundle of twigs that would snap at the slightest force, but Kai prepared to use a full claw.
"You ready?" he asked. She only nodded.
He swung at her from several paces away and three lines of blue fire lit up across her body. They lingered for several seconds, the ringing flame louder than before. Once they faded, Zae Zin Nim was unharmed and unmoved, but she let out a long sigh.
"We'd better not try that again." She drew back and rubbed her hands over her forearms. "My mana seems to drain away so quickly..."
"Well, it's better than dying, isn't it?"
"Yes, but if I could move proactively, there would be more efficient uses for it. I must think on this."
Since she seemed so subdued, Kai tried to smile encouragingly. "This is a pretty great ability, though. I was sure that you'd develop something that didn't just reinforce your other abilities. How do you feel overall?"
"Perhaps the word is... complete." Zae Zin Nim wreathed her arms in fire and examined them for a time, then offered a very small smile. "I believe this is what I was missing. It may yet develop, but the fundamentals are in place."
"Then is it time to try the scroll? I've been afraid it would get torn up or soaked or something."
She nodded and retrieved the enhancement scroll from her robes. Unrolling it seemed a bit uncomfortable for her, like she expected the scroll to work differently, but once she held it before her she looked confident. Her lips mouthed over the strange non-words that formed the enhancement. As she spoke, the text lit up with blue fire, then when she reached the end the entire scroll burned away and flowed into her.
Zae Zin Nim sighed again, this time in satisfaction. "Good. This is a better cultivation base, or at least that's what I'd call it. Now it's time to get to work."
She wasn't kidding. Over the next several days, she threw herself into Class training in a way she never had before and Kai was glad to match her intensity.
Every morning he began with intensive physical training, trying to push the limits of his Physique even further. The fact that he hadn't broken through to E-0 frustrated him, but he tried to use that as fuel to train even harder. Then once Zae Zin Nim had finished her morning meditation, they spent several hours sparring in different styles.
After a lunch break, during which he felt the absence of enhancement potions, it was time for their most grueling experimentation. Both pushed themselves with their new abilities, trying to polish their fundamental techniques. Manifesting the biting skill he had used to eat the Gomodo proved difficult, so Kai spent most of his time on his claw. He could activate it reliably now and was working on using it in more flexible ways.
Once he was physically exhausted it was time for a long session of cultivation, which was his least favorite part of the day. But training wouldn't really be training if it was all fun, so he threw himself into it. His goal there was less the power that the Qi Condensation stage offered than not having to drink Class potions all the time. He was getting sick of the flavor.
Ideally he would have liked the final portion of the day to be more practical training or monster hunting, but they lacked good options, so he settled for more physical exercise. Even though he was training his body as hard as he ever had, the next breakthrough remained elusive.
By contrast, Zae Zin Nim had finally connected with her Class. She broke through her Novice stage after a week and then sprinted up its new form for another week before her progress slowed. After that she redirected more of her time to cultivation, hoping to finally break through. He had to admit that she'd been stuck far longer than he was, but he still felt a little jealous when he examined her soul.
<
Name: Zae Zin Nim
Total Power: 178
Cultivation: Body Refinement 92% (100)
Coldfire Corona: 8 (18)
Blackblood Physique Level: F-7 (44)
Soul Level: 4 (16)
>
So many things had come together for her that he was starting to feel like she was leaving him behind. And yet he couldn't even be angry with her, because she was the first person he'd ever met who worked just as hard as he did, every available minute.
Honestly, their breaks to eat were one of his favorite parts of the day. She might not have shared about her past freely, but Zae Zin Nim opened up in a way she hadn't before. Despite her dour mood, he was certain that she enjoyed that time as well.
He just didn't know where any of it was going. Since the moment he had met her, she had been suffering under multiple conditions and unable to think about anything but breaking through. It was easy to imagine that once she reached the next stage of cultivation she would transform and leave him behind forever. Maybe she would leave behind a gift that settled the scales in her opinion and then never think about him again.
It was easier not to think about that. Even grinding his will against the walls that stood in his path, Kai was enjoying his training and wished that it could continue for years.
Instead he got a month, then the letter arrived and all hell broke loose.
Chapter 85: Bidding for a Breakthrough
Razz had never been shy about visiting the estate, frequently visiting the workers and other locals, but this time he sent a letter. That should have been the first warning. Just the idea of going back to Rayakan for another party should have been the second. But the letter promised so much...
"Do I have to come?" Zae Zin Nim had already changed into her good robes, so she obviously intended to join him, but she was sulking about it.
"Everyone is going to be at the market, so it's the most likely time for a fight to start." Kai didn't want to play the northern barbarian role again, so he simply sorted through his clothing and pulled on the tunic that was least torn and stained. "Besides, Razz said that all the best items would be sold there. You might find something you want to buy."
"That is unlikely. What if they're staging it as a distraction and intend to attack this estate in our absence?"
"What would they gain by that? It's just a few buildings that the Lantrian clan hasn't put too much money into yet. And the local people seem to like it, so the Corinins would just be burning approval for no reason. No, Razz said that this market was their way of making a move."
"If I have no choice, I have no choice." She scowled in the general direction of Rayakan. "Exactly what should I expect from this market? If there were valuable treasures to be sold on Cloudspire, they would be sold via a public auction."
"Honestly, I'm not sure. I get the feeling this will be fancier than anything I've been to." Kai pulled on his functional belt, then a cloth one over it. Good enough. "Alright, let's go. Allegedly we're supposed to be 'fashionably late,' whatever that means."
They left the estate to find a carriage waiting for them. That was an entirely unnecessary expense, but apparently Razz wanted them to be treated as respectable potential customers. His letter claimed that there would be rare items present that were never available otherwise. Since Kai was still holding on to nearly five thousand Eagles, he hoped to find something worthwhile.
Maybe something that would help him break through.
The carriage took them through the streets of Rayakan much faster than usual, less due to its inherent speed than the fact that everyone got out of the way. Kai saw the Corinin estate looming out the window, then they turned away. It took him longer to identify the Orgoron estate: it was large and ornate, just not as dedicated to looming.
As soon as Kai stepped into the garden, he confirmed his fear that it wouldn't be an ordinary market. He saw many of the same finely-dressed clan members, just wearing the new silks that Razz had brought. The only difference was that they stood and talked around small display tables with various items.
"Not very secure." Zae Zin Nim frowned at the nearest objects and he hastened to whisper to her.
"Don't steal anything."
"I don't intend to, I'm just making a point."
She departed to lurk around the edges before the socialites could bother her again. No one seemed as interested in Kai after his previous appearance; killing the Gomodo might have been a big deal in the surrounding farms, but it wasn't even a footnote in the lives of the major clans. As he stared around at the fake hunters talking over all of the enhancement scrolls and potions, his anger continued to rise.
