Depthless Hunger: A Progression LitRPG, page 48
It felt like so long ago that he'd been enraged to be denied his rewards after the Hunter Trials. As unfair as that had been, it was better than this. He could understand why Gunjin Granfian thought a harsh system was better than all this corruption.
Abruptly Kai noticed a much more practically dressed group: there was a whole company of Irunians, including Tusquo. He smiled at the other man and got a nod in return. Before they could meet up to talk, Razz swept up beside him and grabbed his arm.
"Kai, there you are! They're putting out some of the best items now, so you want to make your purchases before the Corinins arrive."
"They aren't here already?" Kai had seen at least Soeraina, the unfriendly head of the Hunters Guild.
"Some of them, but the main group is waiting to make a big entrance with their new mercenary. Come on, I think I have something appropriate for you." Razz tugged him away from the main part of the garden to a gazebo that reminded him of a floral version of the shrines from home. "We have some rare mana fruit from the highest quality orchards. I don't know exactly what your biggest obstacle is, but all of these are supposed to help you break those limits."
A small group of merchants stood behind the table of mana fruit. They didn't have many customers for items with such high costs, so they greeted him cheerfully. Kai dismissed a few of the fruit that just had high concentrations of mana to focus on the most valuable.
"If I could have your attention, sir," one of the merchants said, gesturing to a spiky red sphere, "this is the finest drake fruit our orchards have ever produced. A single bite is said to improve your Physique, and the entire fruit is guaranteed to help you advance to a new stage."
No doubt an exaggeration, but that did sound promising. Kai instead pointed to a plum that glowed with purple mana. "And this?"
"You have an excellent eye, sir. These mana plums are the single most potent source we sell. The perfect choice if you have no more specific needs, and delicious to boot."
"Look at that one." Razz elbowed him and gestured further back on the table. A strange spherical fruit sat on a small plate, like an enormous white grape. The shape was so smooth and unmarred it almost didn't look like a plant at all.
"A highly specialized option, but a prized one!" The merchant swiftly moved it forward to join the other two. "Only the greatest of hunters encounter it, but it is said there comes a point when their spirit can no longer contain their strength. This soul fruit will allow you to overcome such limits. We have only one, but it would be a great investment in your future."
"Or your present." Razz pulled him away from the merchants to whisper in his ear. "To my eye, you look like you're at 87 Power and struggling to advance."
"Wasn't the barrier supposed to be at 99?" Kai asked.
"That's what I've heard, but the problem isn't that number, it's the fact that reaching a full 100 actually means something. If you're trying to grasp some power that would raise you over that point, I think it just won't work at all. At least, that's what our records say about supporting hunters."
Could that be his problem? Kai knew that there was a significant gap between F-rank and E-rank Physique, so perhaps that would take him over the limit. He was fairly confident that the mana plum was wrong for him, but the drake fruit was still tempting. Eventually he decided that there was no more time to waste and chose the longest term advantage.
"How much for the soul fruit?" he asked, pulling out the heavy pouch of money.
"For you, sir, only six thousand Eagles."
Kai couldn't hide his wince, but Razz nudged him again. "You have almost everything, I can cover you for a thousand or two more."
"Then I'll take it," Kai said. The merchants immediately became theatrically apologetic.
"We're glad to see you so eager, sir, but please bear in mind that we have only a single soul fruit for this entire market season. You must give some of the other hunters an opportunity to request it as well, so the bidding can begin."
Razz expertly swung a sack of money from his tunic and dropped it onto the table. "How many of these have you sold every year? Rayakan is fabled for its crops, not its hunters. Close the deal now and save yourselves time."
"That's very reasonable, good sir, but we have reason to believe this audience will be unusually thirsty for such valuable treasures."
After arguing for a while longer, Razz seemed to have them almost convinced. He looked away, winced, and then tapped Kai on the arm. "Dommag just got here and he's going to grandstand, so I have to go. Close the deal quick and we'll worry about money later."
Kai thanked him and then turned back to the merchants as he left. Apparently there would be no more haggling, but he didn't mind so long as he got the soul fruit. Even using the fattest coins, it would take a while to count up the entire amount.
"I'll give you six thousand two hundred." The voice rang sharply over his shoulder and Kai turned in time to see Soeraina Corinin walking up behind him. She looked no happier to see him than at the last party.
"That's very generous, madam," the merchant said, "but this good sir has already begun a transaction..."
"Make it seven thousand. The Hunters Guild needs every soul fruit it can get. They can't be wasted on fools with broken Classes."
"Well, in that case..."
"Seven thousand one hundred." The new voice came from a lean man wearing Orgoron colors. Kai watched in disbelief as he was swept aside and the merchants focused on their new offer.
At first Soeraina and the Orgoron man bid up in smaller increments, clearly beyond their intended target price. Thinking he might be able to compete, Kai estimated how much Razz had left with him, but before he was finished the total had already passed eight thousand Eagles. As he realized that they were nowhere near their limits, Kai took the money and retreated.
How could he compete with clans backed by entire mercantile operations? Even though neither clan seemed to have anyone who actually needed the soul fruit, they were still fighting over it. Was it just a petty game for them, or a treasure they'd stick in their vaults?
For a moment, he considered grabbing the soul fruit and just stuffing it into his mouth. The merchants were all untrained and Soeraina was just an average adult hunter, so they probably couldn't stop him. But Kai abandoned the foolish thought almost immediately. He might hate the decadent clans, but these merchants were independent people trying to run a business. Blaming them for wanting a good price would be absurdly selfish.
Soured by the experience, he didn't want to look at any of the other items. Anything else that might be suited for him would just be taken by someone else. The clans might even be intentionally blocking him, since he was a thorn in their side. Instead he walked to see what was happening in the central garden.
He froze. Dommag Corinin had entered with a massive entourage and appeared to be arguing with Razz, but that wasn't important. None of his petty concerns about money were important. Kai's eyes were drawn to the stunning woman in a low-cut dress who accompanied the Corinin clan.
Anaelina glanced toward him and her eyes lit up with joy.
Chapter 86: Silver and Steel
One of the most dangerous women Kai had ever known was standing across the garden, beaming at him. At first he had no idea what he was supposed to do in such an absurd situation. He wanted to attack her with all his new strength, but she was no doubt the new Corinin mercenary. If he struck the first blow everyone would turn against him and he would be vulnerable to her retaliation.
Yet if she began using her draining aura in a crowd like this, the casualties would be terrible. Instead, Kai looked to warn the few allies he had. He couldn't find Zae Zin Nim at all and could only hope that she would understand the gravity of the situation. Tusquo was standing in the Irunian group and met his gaze, but when Kai tried to gesture a warning, he only frowned.
"Well, look who it is!" Anaelina wove through the party with sinister grace and was already almost on top of him. She tried to clasp his hands and chuckled when he pulled away. "Why so cautious? Surely you're not so angry about our little spat."
"I can only think of one reason why you'd be here." Kai drew his gauntlet from his belt and tugged it over his hand, fancy party be damned.
"You mean you don't believe this is a coincidence? How terribly suspicious..." She put a finger to her lips and pretended to sulk, a mockery of her old act. "But actually, I already took what I needed from you and yet you seemed to grow some new soul. I confess, I'm not usually in this position."
Kai had no plan whatsoever, but he decided to keep her talking in hope that it would give others time to notice. "I'd be willing to forgive you for trying to kill me, but I don't think you'll let it go."
"You did impale me rather brutally. Would you believe that I just couldn't forget you?"
"No."
"Then let me try something else." Just a bit of the old silver light emerged in her eyes. "I think you know just how many people I could kill here if I felt like it, and I think you're soft enough to care about that. But if you're willing to talk to me, I might play nice."
"Then I don't have much of a choice, do I?" When Kai looked around, he was irritated by how many people were watching. A lot of men looked jealous, having absolutely no idea about the true nature of their conversation.
Anaelina simpered and grasped his arm before he could pull away. He immediately tensed, but she wasn't draining any of his strength, just leaning closer to whisper in his ear. "You know what I am and I won't pretend otherwise. But this doesn't have to be so unpleasant for you. I think we could come up with a nice arrangement..."
"This isn't what we're hiring you for, strumpet!" Kalliay Corinin stood nearby with her hands on her hips. She had dressed even more extravagantly than before, but she couldn't hide her age when standing side by side with Anaelina.
"Oh, can't I have a little fun?" Anaelina practically draped herself over his shoulder and Kai felt a chill descend from his heart to his stomach. He wasn't sure if she had really come pursuing him, but he was confident that she didn't care about the Corinin clan.
"Believe me, you don't want such a dull boy. I've already had a taste and it wasn't much to talk about."
"Kai, did you really?" Anaelina turned on him with what looked like real surprise, then laughed. "Oh, and you weren't happy about it! Want me to kill her?"
The instant he felt her feet start to move, Kai kicked her shin as hard as he could. Looking at Kalliay still filled him with revulsion, but he didn't want her to die like this. His kick only made Anaelina stumble, and since the blow was hidden by her dress, it was hard for anyone to tell what had happened.
"And you," Kalliay said with a finger in his direction, "you should have learned your lesson and-"
Anaelina tore her head off and cheerfully tossed it overhead. That was when the screams began.
Guards from the entrances immediately began rushing in, but their average strength was no more than 30. Given what Anaelina could do, they might be more of a liability than anything. The Corinin party looked especially shocked and Kai grimaced as he realized they didn't have their other elite mercenaries. Even Barroguk would have been a welcome presence right then.
"Alright, forget everything I said." Anaelina was staring at no one but him, her eyes bright. "Let's do this the fun way."
She should have been watching more closely, because at that moment Zae Zin Nim slipped from behind one of the charging guards and closed the distance. It only took a moment, then she struck the other woman in the back with her palm. A circle of blue fire expanded and Anaelina was thrown so violently that she struck one of the outer walls and demolished it in a shower of bricks and dust.
"Lost little cultivator, far from home..." The words floated to them in a sing-song tone, then Anaelina emerged from the dust with her silver cloak flowing around her. "I don't mind. Cultivation stages are delicious."
"Can she really?" Zae Zin Nim asked him without taking her eyes from the enemy.
"We'd probably better assume so." Kai dropped down into a fighting position beside her and tried to think of a way that they could turn the chaos in their favor. Anaelina was still covered in her shroud, so he couldn't even be certain how much stronger she was than last time.
The party had already broken, many of the guests fleeing and knocking over tables in their desperation. Most of the hunters fled as well, which was either cowardice or a sensible decision if they had used their spiritual sight. But the Orgoron guards were still charging in and some hunters had begun drawing weapons.
Killing her employer had made Anaelina everyone's target, but he didn't think she was foolish enough to do that on a whim. Her smile hadn't wavered in the slightest.
As soon as the guards arrived, it became a bloody brawl. They realized too late that they didn't stand a chance, bodies and tables already tumbling over the garden in a wave of violence. Zae Zin Nim used qi attacks from a distance, managing to catch Anaelina once or twice. Kai wanted to join her, but realized that it would be unwise to reveal his claw technique too early.
Grabbing one of the upright tables, Kai hurled the entire thing at Anaelina. She smoothly slid underneath it and rose facing him, still smiling.
At that moment Soeraina Corinin lunged from her hiding place behind a table and swung her sword directly into the other woman's arm. It bit deep and Anaelina winced... before her hand rose and grabbed Soeraina's wrist. The leader of the Hunters Guild gasped and struggled feebly to escape the draining grip.
Kai rushed in at that moment. Of course Anaelina was ready for him, immediately turning to intercept his charge, but he launched a claw just before he arrived. He was gratified to see a moment of shock, then the spiritual claws tore three gashes through her torso. Not losing his momentum, he slammed his shoulder into her side and sent her tumbling across the garden.
Earning a free moment, Kai pulled Soeraina back to her feet. "She can drain strength," he said, "but she's not immortal. Get hunters with ranged Classes."
"You... how did you...?" Soeraina stared between his soul and his arm. "No, that doesn't matter. I misjudged you earlier, and I-"
"Go!" Kai shook her before she could throw out any more useless apologies. She finally nodded and raced in the other direction. He realized that the head of the entire Guild had just obeyed him, but there was no time to think about that.
His blow had been solid, but he knew it wouldn't keep Anaelina down for long. Kai braced himself in combat position, ready to see her rise from where she'd fallen. An instant later he saw a silver flicker and then she was beside him, reaching out to grasp his head.
A sword pierced her arm as Tusquo stepped between them.
Anaelina grimaced more in irritation than pain and swiped at him. Tusquo deflected her hand by withdrawing his sword and tried to cut back. Despite his disciplined movements, he wasn't fast enough. Her hand wrapped around his throat the next second...
And Tusquo's sword sliced through her side. Anaelina staggered back, for the first time shocked.
"Retreat," Tusquo said brusquely, then raised his sword to attack again.
That didn't make any sense to Kai, but he assumed the other man wouldn't have said it without reason. As he ran toward the garden exit, he saw the other Irunians closing in. It looked like Anaelina wasn't able to drain the Path of Steel, but that didn't mean they were immune. Leaving them behind felt so wrong that he almost doubled back.
"Kai, this way!" Razz grabbed his shoulder and pulled him toward the street. "She's tracking you, so we need you to lead her straight east."
"What's going on?" Kai asked as they ran. Razz just pushed his shoulder to urge him on.
"There's no time to explain, just move!"
Though he hated to run from a fight, Kai kept moving because of the look in Razz's eyes. The young merchant had been absolutely terrified, but he had stayed in the garden when many hunters had fled. He wouldn't have done that unless he had planned an ambush or something else. Even though he didn't understand the plan, Kai ran into the street.
It seemed to have been somewhat evacuated, possibly just by the panic. No ambush he could see. Zae Zin Nim appeared beside him a moment later with a grim expression.
"Did that woman track you all the way here?" she asked.
"I don't know." Kai glanced back over his shoulder and saw nothing. "It's hard to believe this is a coincidence."
"Then she must have a specific method. If it's-"
Whatever Zae Zin Nim had been about to say, it was cut off by a laugh. Anaelina burst from the Orgoron estate and sprinted toward them at full speed.
Just before she arrived, a body of steel struck her from the side. An Irunian elite had covered themselves completely in liquid steel and tackled Anaelina to the ground. The armored form struggled on top and began punching downward - Kai wanted to go back, but he was still being pulled along.
Only after they turned two more corners onto a smaller street did Zae Zin Nim let him stop. She looked back once, then turned to him. "I don't think we can kill her, Kai. She can't fight everyone here, but she'll retreat before she's beaten. That means the only way we'll be free of her tracking is for you to break the connection."
"What if there isn't a connection?" Kai demanded. Could he still hear the battle?
"Then we'll have a problem. If she's using some chakra technique from Rosemount, there may be nothing we can do. But I suspect her feeding on you left some sort of connection. You need to sever it."
Zae Zin Nim guided him to look internally, just like they did for qi cultivation. Kai struggled to focus, but it was difficult with a deadly battle going on so close. No matter how hard he stared at his own essence, he didn't see anything that might be a connection.
If anything, the symbols representing him were even clearer than before. Only one line contained ambiguous symbols and that one had only emerged after he ate the twisted monster core. After draining him for the first time, she had left almost nothing... what could be connecting them?
