Chapter 557: One Week Left in Irun

  As they lay together in their bed in Tusquo's home, Kai emerged from the warm haze with a strange sense of clarity. Despite the stereotypes, he realized that the sex was far less important to him than just reinforcing that Omilaena was alive and well. He was driven, on a level he hadn't understood, by a fear of loss: of his friends, his home, and now his relationships. For all that he went on about injustice, a large part of him wanted to be strong enough that he wouldn't lose anything ever again.

  Strange to be thinking such abstract thoughts when he had Omilaena relaxing back against him, cradling Zae Zin Nim, all their legs tangled together, but the relationship had become old and comfortable while he wasn't looking. He stretched his arms around both women and squeezed a little tighter.

  "Are you satisfied?" Omilaena asked, stroking Zae Zin Nim's hair.

  "Mm." Zae Zin Nim cuddled up against her.

  "I'm just wondering how long I should remain all warm and grateful before I can start bitching. I risk my life with an Insanity, you two go to great lengths to keep me alive, and I don't even get much of a Power boost out of it? Ridiculous."

  Kai had been mostly glad that Omilaena was alive, and his thoughts beyond that were less analytical, but now he checked her soul.

  <

  Name: Omilaena

  Total Power: 1825

  Heart of Poison: Level 92 (644)

  *Prana Jewels: Level +6 (42)

  Lethal Artisan: Spinel Rank (325)

  Ice Refinement (123)

  Path of Venomsteel: Step 11 (165)

  Physique: D-9 (245)

  Soul Level: 9 (81)

  Azure Core (+200)

  >

  She'd risen to 1825 total Power, which was insane by most standards, but she was right, it wasn't much beyond where she had been before.

  "So my Azure Core jumped in response," Omilaena said, "and it seemed to count as absorbing some metal. But zero change in Physique, not even a mundane breakthrough, and nothing else developed. Did I really drive you two crazy just to give the Irunians a fancy new bath?"

  "You feel nicer to me," Zae Zin Nim said, still nuzzling into her.

  "Okay, I admit this mode for you is nice, though I hope I don't need to nearly die to see it again. But you're not going to get angry at me for whining about not making progress?"

  "Never. And we'll help with that too."

  The two of them were being very cute together, but Kai's mind was shifting back into a more thoughtful mode. He examined Omilaena's soul not on the first and most obvious level, but the deeper one they had half-mastered on Cloudspire. It was still hard for him in most cases, but he knew his wives so well that the spiritual sight deepened more easily.

  <

  Name: Omilaena

  Physique: Steelsoul Mortal (900 year lifespan)

  Soul: Enhanced Mortal (300 year lifespan)

  Supremacy: None

  Talent Capacity: Path of Venomsteel

  Elemental Capacity: Heart of Poison

  Essence Capacity: Lethal Artisan

  Cultivation Capacity: Ice Refinement

  (Azure Core)

  (Prana Jewel Bond)

  >

  For the most part, Omilaeana's soul capacities hadn't changed: she had the most complete set of abilities of any of them, with everything filled except the mysterious Supremacy category. But since he had last checked, her Physique had changed substantially from the "Enhanced Mortal" state that he saw with many warriors. He wasn't sure how much the lifespan indicators in spiritual sight meant, but hers had skyrocketed to close to a millennium.

  "Check your deeper soul," he suggested. "That looks promising to me."

  "I..." Omilaena's eyes went unfocused briefly, then she tilted her head back and grinned up at him. "I'll be damned, you got there ahead of me. I'm not sure what a 'Steelsoul Mortal' is, but it sounds better than being a normal garden variety mortal."

  "Steelsoul should not be in the Physique category," Zae Zin Nim said with a frown. It seemed she had come out of her warm haze and was back to stern expressions, though perversely this made Kai want to hug her. "That's just irrational."

  "Especially since my Soul category didn't change. Well, I guess this process was thoroughly physical, so it would be too much to hope that it changed my soul. It has my lifespan as even longer than yours, too... damn, nine hundred years."

  "What does that mean, though?" Kai asked. "I mean, I know we've been over that question, but I can't help but wonder what will happen in three hundred years..."

  "If I haven't upgraded my soul in three centuries, something has gone very wrong." Omilaena grinned and swatted him playfully. "Afraid that I'll turn into a withered husk, are you? But you're right, I'd prefer to have answers to those questions."

  "I wonder if it means that you made progress on a deeper level, though. Zin Nim had the Blackblood Physique for a long time before it paid dividends in raw power. You might have taken a significant step toward the Physique you've been working on, even if it didn't pay off now."

  "That's the optimistic way of looking at it. Part of me likes that the system goes deeper than blunt power, but it's a real bitch to figure out these abstract details."

  "I am glad we're together again," Zae Zin Nim said as she propped herself up to look at them both, "but you were right, we must discuss our strategy for the Irunians. There is not much time left." Even though she had returned to being serious, she looked amazing like that, and Kai had to restrain himself. Fortunately Omilaena was more focused.

  "Well, catch me up on what I slept through," she said. "Give me all the details."

  They explained what they had done while she was incapacitated, and though Omilaena played it off casually, Kai thought she was a bit touched. She was pleased with his further training of the Irunians, since apparently that sort of tempering was what they'd been missing. Thanks to the success of her experiment, their base power was increasing, though she was eager to examine them herself.

  Omilaena flounced out of bed and into a thin robe, apparently ready to go through the house like that. She stopped at the door of the bedroom, then turned back and rolled her eyes.

  "Okay, I'm not in the mood for niceties, but with so little time left, we need to play to win." She gestured at the two of them. "Let's do this formally, Irunian-style. I'll focus on sheer quality, but I want both of you to be preparing for any gimmicks that Yuinafal might throw at us."

  So they got more formally clothed, which in Omilaena's case meant a dress that didn't show cleavage or thigh. Zae Zin Nim dressed in her normal robes, because that was formal enough. There wasn't much Kai really needed to do, but when he cast a mental command toward the Begger King's Rags, they reformed themselves into a light gray version of the Irunian uniform.

  "There are a lot of things we need to play based on how the variables look," Omilaena said while they dressed. "A new boost is good, but how accessible is it to the average warrior? Can we do the same for Tusquo and the other stronger ones?"

  "Should we focus on that, when they aren't part of the contest?" Kai asked.

  "Maybe not, but Yuinafal made this about a narrative, so we need to win the overall messaging too. The problem is, stronger abilities usually take time to grow, and time is what we don't have. Like I said, we'll need to have a flexible strategy."

  They continued chatting as they entered the central chambers of the home, largely about specific training plans. Even though Zae Zin Nim didn't have a large part to play, it seemed to be implicit that she was staying with them until they all went back to Krysal. Maybe that was a less efficient distribution of their resources, but he was happy to have her around.

  Whatever their plans had been for Tusquo, they were interrupted by someone else: Quinta was working in her garden. When she saw them pass, she observed them with a hard gaze for a time... and then she faced them and bowed, all the way to the ground.

  "I apologize," she stated. "I have... judged you unjustly."

  "Not that I'm complaining," Omilaena said, "but what has all this been about?"

  "This is not the time for my trivial concerns. I heard you speak of training my countrymen, and your logic is sound." Quinta stood up and drew back one of her sleeves, baring a strong arm. "Do you still have a need for my blood? I would give it freely, if it helps produce a stronger Irun."

  Omilaena turned to smirk back at them. "You see, this is exactly what I was saying about complete unknowns. We need to be flexible enough to go in new directions."

  "Then... my assistance would be of use?"

  "Oh yes." Omilaena grinned, and in that feral anticipation she looked like her old self again. "Now, how generous are you willing to be with that blood?"

  Chapter 558: The True Ironpath Physique

  Irun was a fucking mess. A more powerful mess than when Omilaena had gone unconscious, but she was still a bit irritated at how many things had gotten off track. Since the others had gone to so much effort to help her, she tried to spin it as a positive challenge. Not very successfully.

  Everyone on her original Ironbody Physique path was doing fine: they could absorb metal from her new pool and receive a major boost that didn't overwhelm their own training. But those who had her Enhanced Physique had gone in different directions: some had stunted their growth, some had sort of developed a new unnamed path, and some had transitioned over to Ironbody. On top of that, when fresh soldiers had gone into the pool, they had ended up with a "Bluesteel Physique" that she had yet to fully analyze and hadn't planned at all.

  They only had a week left to show up that Yuinafal asshole, so she needed to be judicious. The good news was that her soldiers had really leapt upward, plus she could spin these different options. The bad news was that the new pool she had created was diminishing.

  So she took Kai back to the pool, leaving Zae Zin Nim in case she got too protective. It was kind of gratifying when their wife acted like she'd tear anyone's head off if they got too close, but it could also get in the way.

  "Are you sure about this?" Kai asked, with his own version of caution.

  "Just the pool should be harmless," Omilaena told him as they entered. "Relax - originally I was thinking I'd try to create another pool from the Insanity. And I think it would be harmless this time... but I was wrong before, so I'm not going to risk it."

  "Then you're just trying to create a third pool."

  "Actually, I figured I'd just rejuvenate this one."

  When they arrived, they met Tusquo and Quinta, who were their official Irunian witnesses. This was technically another big moment of truth, but after facing an Insanity and surviving, Omilaena couldn't get too worked up about it. She nodded to them both, then marched forward to kneel beside the pool.

  Using her poison-focused arm, to keep qi out of the equation, Omilaena drew some of the liquid metal into herself, like it was any other metal. It felt natural and cool, which was expected given that she had generated all this. More importantly, when she began burning her chakra, she could generate more of it. Omilaena took a deep breath and then began forcing drops of the silvery blue liquid out into the pool, which gradually began to fill.

  "So it is rejuvenating," Tusquo said. "The elders will be pleased."

  "They'll be even more pleased once they see the next step." It was hard to look casual while dribbling metal out of your hand, but Omilaena did her best and smirked at the couple. "There's a reason I wanted the two of you to observe: you're next."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I promised that Irun would be able to handle this themselves, didn't I? And honestly, that's for the best, because I don't want to run back here to do chores for you. So Tusquo, you're going to be using your traditional skills to do what I did, focusing on the pure Ironpath Physique. Quinta, you're going to draw it into you physically and do as we discussed."

  Both of them nodded and moved closer, though they would still need instruction. Ever since abruptly changing her tune, Quinta had been entirely cooperative. Omilaena was tempted to tease her about it, but she could well turn frosty again, so better not to waste the opportunity. Her blood had been very instructive, because the past Irunians hadn't been entirely on the wrong track.

  Once Omilaena had filled the central pool, she felt a little drained, but none the worse for the wear. The process would be much harder for the weaker Irunians and she assumed they would have to collaborate in teams... shouldn't be a challenge for them. These two, though, they were good test subjects, so if it didn't work for them, there would be problems.

  "Moment of truth," Omilaena said to the couple as they knelt beside the pool. "Draw it in, then move to your own pools."

  At Omilaena's instruction, the cave had been expanded and two more pools had been carved into the floor. Tusquo and Quinta each tried to absorb the blue-silver metal, Quinta picking up the technique faster, but Tusquo absorbing in greater quantities. Both struggled a little, and when they had reached their limit, they moved in opposite directions to the other pools.

  Since Tusquo had already been injected once, years ago, he was a better vessel. Soon enough he was spinning out more liquid metal using his Path of Steel abilities. The resulting metal, however, lacked a blue finish and was instead dark gray, like iron. While he worked, Omilaena examined his soul.

  <

  Name: Tusquo Agyama of Irun

  Total Power: 431

  Manablade Class: 66 (76)

  Physique Level: E-9 (107)

  Soul Level: 7 (49)

  Path of Steel: Steel 7 (100)

  Ironpath Physique (+100)

  >

  Absorbing from her pool earlier had made his Ironpath Physique leap upward, but she was willing to bet that they could do better than that now. His body was so thoroughly attuned to Irunian steel, surely it would work and he wouldn't turn into a statue or anything.

  Meanwhile, Quinta was engaged in a more difficult process. Unlike her husband, who used the traditional Irunian metal-shaping abilities, Quinta actually drew the metal into her body. The toxicity would kill most, even Irunians, but her lineage had been trying to metallicize their bodies and it was enough for her to use Omilaena's technique.

  The resulting pool was bright silver, which seemed promising. That was an experiment for tomorrow, however, as Omilaena turned back to Tusquo as he finished his pool.

  "I feel... weakened but not diminished." Tusquo placed his hands on his knees and closed his eyes for a moment. "Do you think I should attempt a Physique advancement at this time?"

  "That's the plan," Omilaena said. "Unless you're feeling like you don't have the willpower for it. This will be risky - I don't mean pain and gnashing of teeth risky, I mean that if it goes wrong, you could harm your growth permanently."

  "My body is-"

  "Is Irun, I know. Cool line, but you said it last time. You've refined the raw power via the Ironpath Physique, and you've been at the peak for a while, so you're ready. The only question is if you can handle the transition."

  Tusquo nodded and took a moment to compose himself. Quinta stopped filling her own pool and came over, presumably out of matrimonial concern. Her wifely empathy looked remarkably similar to a stern glare, but maybe that worked for Irunians. Fuck, now she was thinking about what Kai had said.

  "I will begin." Tusquo opened his eyes, then plunged directly into the dark pool.

  It didn't behave like normal liquid, instead swallowing him with a surge of Essence, just like the original pool. Completely unlike that one, the liquid metal became disturbed, starting with bubbling and soon thrashing like rapids.

  "Is that expected?" Kai moved up beside her, half-ready to jump in. "Should I pull him out?"

  "We have to leave it to him," Omilaena said in a low voice. "The safe method would have been to use an injection, but he wanted to try under his own power. There's enough of a spiritual convergence there that anyone else jumping in would just screw things up."

  "His soul is still strong." Quinta spoke flatly, but her hands were clenched tightly at her sides.

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Then the pool began to grow still again. Even though Omilaena could feel that Tusquo's soul was still intact, she leaned forward: these quasi-spiritual spaces made her nervous, and she wasn't sure what to expect. If he did drown, that would ruin their chances, plus it would be a real setback for her own plans. Oh, and he'd die.

  The last ripples disappeared, absorbed by the heavy metal. Tusquo was gone without a trace. Quinta leaned forward, staring as if she could pierce the liquid metal with her eyes.

  Without warning, Tusquo burst out of the pool in a shower of liquid metal. His body struck the ceiling with an odd sound, metal against rock, but he was unharmed. He simply pushed off the cavern ceiling and landed beside them, unharmed and clearly stronger.

  "Tusquo." Quinta moved to him quickly - Omilaena was betting with herself that they would just clasp wrists, but instead they moved in and kissed with surprising passion.

  Well, that was hot and all, but Omilaena was more concerned about the results. Physically, Tusquo's skin had darkened a little, gaining a dull luster like iron. His eyes, which had been ordinary dark brown before, were clearly metallic. And most importantly, his soul...

  <

  Name: Tusquo Agyama of Irun

  Total Power: 525

  Manablade Class: 66 (76)

  Ironpath Physique: E-0 (300)

  Soul Level: 7 (49)

  Path of Steel: Steel 7 (100)

  >

  Excellent: he had leapt from 431 Power to 525. More importantly, his stray Ironpath Physique boost had been properly fused into the other parts of his soul, forming a single unique Physique. At E-0 it granted 300 Power, which was lower than Zin Nim's Blackblood Physique, but over just about everyone else.

  "Little unfair that he gets a unique Physique before me," Omilaena muttered to Kai.

  "You're complaining about getting a test subject?" he asked wryly.

  "Don't underestimate my ability to complain." Honestly, though, this was a very promising result. She had only been able to assist Zin Nim with an ancient technique, but here Omilaena had produced a brand new Physique entirely based on her comprehension of souls. There was more to Physique, and she could potentially repeat the process in herself.

  "Thank you." Tusquo turned to them, still holding Quinta with one arm, and bowed. "You have done an immense service to Irun."

  "Hey, this part was all you," Omilaena told them. "You did the transition under your own power, and you can manage the pools from now on. All I ask is that you train that Physique so I can see what kind of results you get."

  "What about me?" Quinta asked. "As admirable as this is, you spoke about another plan?"

  "I'm afraid there's not enough time before we have to face Yuinafal. If you want the elites to fund more of this sort of thing, we need to win that decisively. On that note..." Omilaena looked back at Kai, who nodded. "Alright, we've been talking about an alternate strategy..."

  Chapter 559: Unsheathing Strategy

  Zae Zin Nim was an unparalleled cultivator, with an unprecedented level of strength at Earth Soul. She had crushed multiple sects and was feared as a matriarch across all the Eastern Plains. Currently she was exploring the paths of power with her spouses, who were if anything even more formidable, and she saw only a bright future ahead.

  Somehow, she ended up acting as babysitter.

  Ever since Omilaena's final ploy with the new pools had been successful, Zae Zin Nim had little to do with training the Irunian soldiers. Tusquo and Quinta were also absent quite frequently, which meant that only their child was still at the home. Shockingly, they didn't have servants to handle such things. Technically no one had ordered Zae Zin Nim to take care of the child, but it was still the two of them alone. What if the girl had some sort of... child problem?

  For the most part Ruotu stayed on her own, the problem was that she would peek. Zae Zin Nim sensed the presence and opened her eyes just a sliver: the girl was at the door to the room, peering inside. Unused to strangers at all, or looking at the freak?

  Well, there had been enough of that. Zae Zin Nim could have moved to the girl's position in an instant, but she remembered cultivators toying with her as a child and she had never liked it. Instead, she would use the girl's upbringing against her.

  "It's rude to stare," Zae Zin Nim said to the room.

  "I..." Ruotu shuffled around the corner and gave a wobbly Irunian bow. "I am sorry."

  Zae Zin Nim opened her eyes to look at her. "Do you need something?"

  "May I... look at your hair?"

  Not remotely what she expected. Zae Zin Nim resisted the urge to frown and instead gestured for the girl to enter. She did so shyly, bowing again on her way, and then drew close. With wide dark eyes, the girl ran a finger through her hair.

  "It's pretty."

  Was she to accept a compliment from a child? Zae Zin Nim decided to nod and respond with a question instead. "Did your mother say it was okay to talk to me?"

  "First Mother says no, then she says it's okay." Ruotu had been absurdly somber before, but now she gave a more child-appropriate smile. "Your hair is so long. Mother says I can't grow mine yet."

  "I see." Zae Zin Nim had the vague impression that she should encourage this, or encourage obeying parents, but that absolutely hadn't worked for her and she was still skeptical of Quinta. "You aren't... scared of the way I look?"

  "You look like metal. It's pretty. Father looks like metal now too."

  Heavens help her, was Zae Zin Nim now engaged in conversation with a child? She had never been good with children like this, in part because of their uncomfortable role in the harem and in part because she didn't know how to behave with them. Ruotu was at least very polite, and she could understand the girl's fascination with her hair. Fancy styles and hair ornaments had been beautiful to Zae Zin Nim too, before she understood the grim elements of her father's court.

  It was entirely unclear what she was supposed to do now. Zae Zin Nim's hair needed little care now thanks to her cultivation level, but perhaps...

  "I need to cultivate," Zae Zin Nim said. "That is like your parents' training."

  "Okay." Ruotu started to draw away, but Zae Zin Nim managed a smile for her.

  "If you're quiet and don't tug, you can braid my hair."

  A spark appeared in the girl's eyes and she nodded eagerly, then gave a twitchy little bow for good measure. Zae Zin Nim got back to work and ignored the tiny hands braiding her hair.

  Or rather, trying to braid it. The girl seemed older due to how serious she was, but she was still very young, so the best she could manage was a sloppy twist. Zae Zin Nim resisted the urge to sigh and resolved to comb it out later, but in the meantime it seemed to make Ruotu happy. She helped the girl pin her short hair in different styles, which pleased her greatly.

  All of that seemed like great success... until Ruotu showed up the next day eager for more, and Zae Zin Nim realized that she had made a grave mistake.

  Somehow she managed to endure, and she was saved the following day: all of the others returned with serious expressions. Ruotu immediately ran to her parents, moving between them and gripping their robes. Zae Zin Nim checked that her hair was not currently a mess before going to intercept her spouses.

  "Time for the final contest," Omilaena said. "You've been holding down the fort here?"

  "That is... one way to put it." Zae Zin Nim narrowed her eyes at the girl, wondering if she would babble to her parents.

  "Well, you're welcome to come along. There's always a chance that Yuinafal or his allies could be sore losers, so we could use the backup."

  "Does that mean you are not concerned about the contest itself?"

  Omilaena grinned at her. "Just wait and see."

  Such secret-keeping was mildly aggravating, but only mildly. When it came to the truly important issues, Omilaena was as open as a spouse should be, and her playful secrets had been enjoyable enough from time to time. Resolving to put up with it, Zae Zin Nim went along with the others to see the results of their work.

  When they arrived at the same arena as the first contest, there were more people present, including more elders. Yuinafal and his allies had already taken up positions, and they looked extremely confident. Zae Zin Nim frowned and observed the strength of their soldiers.

  <

  Name: ???

  Total Power: 170

  Physique Level: E-2 (86)

  Irunian Chakra: Opal Rank (41)

  Chakra Booster (+10)

  Soul Level: 3 (9)

  Path of Steel: Iron 3 (15)

  Steel Booster (+10)

  >

  Their souls had the same primary strength as before, from Irunian Chakra, but each of them now had two additional boosts of +10. Zae Zin Nim had to admit that it was impressive that Yuinafal could manage such, given what he had to work with and how few could accomplish such things. On average the soldiers had 170 Power, which was far above what Irun had before.

  That should have been intimidating... but Omilaena looked completely unconcerned. She gestured and her soldiers filed into the arena as well, and Zae Zin Nim began to understand.

  <

  Name: ???

  Total Power: 196

  Physique Level: E-5 (95)

  Enhanced Physique (+35)

  Soul Level: 5 (25)

  Path of Steel: Iron 5 (25)

  Ironbody Physique (+30)

  >

  Her wife's soldiers had close to 200 Power, which might not be much on their level, but was very important to such soldiers. Perhaps even more importantly, she hadn't added any more abilities or sources of power, just increased those they already had.

  Was it enough to overcome the handicap they had allegedly been given? Would their enemy still attempt to argue that they had succeeded merely by greater resources? Yuinafal's smile might be more brittle than before, but he still looked confident on his side of the arena. Zae Zin Nim gathered herself to neutralize him if necessary, in case he reacted violently to losing.

  "We have little time for words today." The Irunian elder Pourila had moved in between the two sides while Zae Zin Nim was distracted and now addressed the crowds. "Little time remains before the incursion and we must choose between the paths offered us. Today is the time to make a decision."

  It seemed like that might be it and the battle would commence. But before Pourila could step away, Omilaena rose to her feet. "One additional thing."

  "This is not the time for speeches," Pourila said crossly.

  "I don't have anything to say." Omilaena's smile was tightly controlled to be less sinister than usual. "They do."

  She sat back down, and one of the soldiers on Omilaena's side stepped forward into the gap between sides. Some of the elders, especially those with Yuinafal, looked irritated at this breach of protocol, but it had certainly captured everyone's attention.

  "We are here to defend Irun," the man said, "not to win a competition. I freely give of my power, so that all those on the other side may strengthen themselves." He formed a basin from his Path of Steel ability, then began pouring liquid metal into it. This was the silvery type that Zae Zin Nim had seen, much more like the original Insanity than the new variants, and everyone stared at it.

  "This is ridiculous!" Yuinafal burst to his feet, glaring across the arena. "This isn't some cheap game where any dirty trick will work. You really expect my soldiers to just absorb an unknown power?"

  Omilaena smiled broader, but didn't answer.

  "Excuse me." The voice came from the soldier with the basin and it took Yuinafal a second to look down at him. "Sir, this is an earnest attempt to help my brothers and sisters. If you insist on insulting my honor, I demand you come down to face me yourself. I will lose, but I will prove my sincerity, and Irun will benefit."

  It was absurd for a soldier like that, mostly boosted by external sources, to challenge an elite with many times his strength. At home, he would have been blasted apart for his insolence. But perhaps Zae Zin Nim was becoming used to the strange morality of Deadwaste, because she realized how powerful a position this was.

  The challenge shamed Yuinafal, but would it work? The elders were silent, and the soldiers below remained still and uncertain... until one from the enemy side stepped forward. She gingerly touched the liquid metal in the basin, then dipped her hand into it. Power flooded into her, but her soul absorbed it without harm and Zae Zin Nim looked again.

  <

  Name: ???

  Total Power: 180

  Physique Level: E-2 (86)

  Irunian Chakra: Opal Rank (41)

  Chakra Booster (+10)

  Soul Level: 3 (9)

  Path of Steel: Iron 3 (15)

  Ironpath Physique (+20)

  >

  Now the enemy soldier had risen to 180 Power, which seemed counter-productive... except that Zae Zin Nim saw the change in the woman's soul. Omilaena's Ironpath Physique had entirely absorbed one of the weaker boosts, proving its superiority. For any elders who doubted, there were a multitude of stronger examples, leading up to Tusquo.

  "This... this is..." The woman looked shocked by her new power, but she was clearly unharmed.

  "I will offer as much as I can," the first soldier said. "That will exhaust me, but when it is done, my allies will fight the battle, and we will win."

  For several seconds, silence reigned. Then, the enemy soldiers - who Zae Zin Nim realized that she should stop thinking about as enemies - began to bow in the Irunian style. Omilaena's side moved forward, raising up their allies, and the two began to embrace. There was to be no battle... and when Zae Zin Nim examined the other side, she saw the elders nodding in approval.

  Across the arena, Yuinafal glared at them, then stormed away. It seemed that this strange result was clear enough to him that he didn't even intend to contest it.

  "Bizarre." Zae Zin Nim looked over at Omilaena. "I should congratulate you, but I find this all difficult to swallow."

  "She's just gotten used to the Irunian mindset," Kai said with a grin. He reached over to put his arm around Omilaena's shoulders and she grinned back.

  "Internal competition has never been our way." Tusquo rose from his seat and now walked out in front of them. "Some of the elders have always been uncomfortable with granting outsiders control over our affairs, especially using us as tools."

  "That rule about the handicap worried me," Omilaena said by way of explanation. "I was afraid that, even if I had a good edge in power, he'd find some way to argue that his results were still better. Two months isn't enough time to show the full potential of a path, so there's a lot of room for bullshit."

  "But this is a decisive victory. You won the competition of numbers, but you also offered a path forward for the other side instead of rendering them the defeated." Tusquo gave all three of them a deep Irunian bow. "I trusted that you would help, but I did not imagine that you would perform so well. There is nothing that we can possibly do to repay your help."

  Zae Zin Nim nodded her understanding as Omilaena thanked them graciously. Even though it should have been irrelevant to her, Zae Zin Nim found herself more satisfied than expected. Tusquo and his allies weren't quite so pathetic anymore and they might survive what was coming.

  "I only have one more request of you," Tusquo said, a slight smile appearing on his face. "Would you do my wife and I the honor of a meal together? We have been so focused on business, there has been n-"

  "Not yet."

  The interruption started everyone, even Zae Zin Nim: the elite portals could appear out of nowhere, with shocking speed compared to qi-based teleportation. It was Gunjin and Sheiri, both with grim looks on their faces. Kai had leapt to his feet immediately, and though the celebration continued around them, in their bubble atop the arena, the atmosphere had cooled.

  "We were waiting for this to end," Gunjin said, "but there's not much time. We have a big problem in Krysal."

  Chapter 560: The New Chaos of Krysal

  When they teleported into Krysal, for a moment Kai felt a strange sense of disorientation. The city in front of him was familiar, yet he couldn't put a name or even any experiences to it. Presumably it was one that he must have fought in during the revolution, one of many he had gone through in a haze of exhausted bloodlust.

  The problem was strange but immediately obvious: the city's guard towers were under siege... from the inside. Kai and the others had teleported in the air, hovering on a metallic disc controlled by Sheiri, which gave them a clear enough view. Kai could see a large mass of people within the city gates, occasionally throwing rocks at their own tower, but mostly milling restlessly. He figured out the reason next: there were crystal walls defending the weak points of the tower.

  So for whatever reason, someone had holed up in the tower and the people of the city had put them under siege. Based on the restlessness, it had gone on long enough for the initial rush of fighting to end, but not so long that hunger, boredom, or anger took over.

  But all of that aside: why?

  "Well, shit," Omilaena said. "Is that what I think it is?"

  "Just this morning, a debate in the city of Torleen turned into a riot," Sheiri explained in a tense voice. "I wasn't present and I don't know the details, and they're giving contradictory information about those. What I can tell you is that during the revolution, a group of crystalliers defected to preserve their city. It had been peaceful until now, when apparently a mob attacked the crystalliers and drove them to that fortified position."

  "Have you been able to talk to both sides?" Kai asked.

  "Oh, they're declaring for anyone who will listen. The former slaves claim that the crystalliers are trying to take over and return to the previous order. The former crystalliers claim that the current rule is a disaster and that they just want someone competent in charge."

  "Is either side lying?"

  "Impossible to say. I can tell you that the former crystalliers' official statement now doesn't demand any control for themselves. The other side is more scattered: some are out for blood and some just want to put the crystalliers in their place. I think, by now, many people of Torleen just want things to go back to normal."

  "Which is what I want from all of you," Gunjin put in. He'd stepped to the very edge of the platform to stare down at the situation, but now turned back to them. "The incursion is coming up and we can't deal with this nonsense. It needs to end."

  "Actually, I think we can handle this one." Despite the ugliness of the situation, when Kai glanced at his wives, he ended up smiling. "I'm not saying we can actually solve the underlying problem, but I'm pretty sure we can end the siege."

  "Do you need any other resources from us?"

  "No, probably not."

  "Good. You did well in Irun, but you need to whip Krysal into shape or we'll have a problem." Gunjin stepped off the edge of the platform and fell, directly into a portal, and then he was gone.

  That gave them a rather clear assignment, and part of Kai wanted to leap down there himself. He waited first, since Sheiri was still holding them up. She didn't look nearly as cavalier as Gunjin about the situation - whatever her original history, she was tied to Krysal now.

  "What are you going to do?" she asked.

  "I'm pretty sure he's planning to throw his weight around," Omilaena said with a smirk. "He's a hero of the revolution, after all."

  "All of us are," Zae Zin Nim put in quietly. "We have some reputation here."

  Put that way, it seemed a little too blunt, but that had indeed been the basics of Kai's plan. Unlike so many other places where he was a stranger, he had a real history in Krysal. If something as important as the incursion couldn't make the people unify, then there might be no hope for them. Despite the chaos going on beneath them, Kai was more hopeful than that.

  "We were finished in Irun anyway," he told Sheiri. "We'll focus on Krysal now and see what we can do to stabilize it."

  "Be careful. You technically only have a month before your effect here is evaluated." She looked over the three of them and shook her head. "What you did in Irun definitely earned you more respect, and based on what I saw of your work, that respect will increase as the new abilities of Irun become clear. But Krysal has always been the weakest point, both on the continent and for your reputation. Keep it stable."

  "We'll do our best."

  Sheiri nodded to them one more time, then they parted ways. She flashed off on her own platform, while theirs lowered to a safer location before dissolving. That meant they all dropped from a great height, though for them it was nothing dangerous.

  They hit the streets in a shockwave of dust and power.

  That got immediate attention, and the mob around the tower didn't attempt to attack. First in shock, then in recognition: he heard the shouts of "Kai Clanless" first, but Zae Zin Nim received calls of her old pseudonym, and even Omilaena was referenced. They had been at the front of the revolution, after all, so they had touched far more lives than they knew.

  "Enough!" Kai raised a hand and actually got silence from the crowd. "We heard there was a problem, but not the details. What's going on?"

  Many people began to babble at once before they sent forward a representative, a heavily scarred former crystal miner. "The crystalliers tried to take over!" she insisted. "They've been trying to claw back what they had for years, but this time, they actually tried to take over. But we aren't as easy as we were before, hah! We've got them penned up in there."

  "Kill them!" someone in the crowd shouted.

  "Breathe fire!" came another shout.

  "Easy." Kai raised his hand again and got silence, but the audience wasn't a receptive this time. "The incursion is coming in just two months, and it's going to be rough. We can't afford to fight each other now."

  Shouts came from all directions and some even surged closer. Only to argue their case, but the tension ratcheted up and Kai saw Zae Zin Nim shift her stance. Omilaena had gone absolutely still, which was even more dangerous. They weren't remotely threatened by a crowd like this, which maxed out at maybe 100 Power, but the crowd might be ignorant enough to attack anyway.

  "Let me go take care of this," Kai declared. "The crystalliers are supposed to serve the city, right? Once I'm done, they'll serve again."

  This got a slightly more positive response, and a few people seemed to cheer just out of general principle. Since he'd regained control, Kai took a leap directly toward the tower, breaking through the crystal barrier with brute force.

  On the other side, he saw a group of perhaps a dozen crystalliers. They all had crystal weapons prepared but they didn't attack... whether out of caution or sheer terror, it was hard to tell. Kai resisted the urge to indulge old instincts and instead straightened up and spoke calmly.

  "The crowd out there claims you tried to take control by force," Kai said. "Is that true?"

  "No!" someone shouted.

  "Please don't kill us!"

  "They attacked us!"

  "Calm down." Kai was getting tired of raising his hand for silence, but it seemed to be the best way to use his reputation, which was his best weapon in a conflict where he didn't want to kill the enemy. "I don't see a way to get the exact truth of how it all started, so I'll ignore that part. What do you want now?"

  Again, some shuffling and confusion, before a middle-aged crystallier cleared his throat. "We weren't trying to take over, honest. But the current regime... you have no idea how chaotic it is. Nothing is getting done, there's trash in the streets."

  "We put up with that," an older woman said, "because they were right about the slave mines. But the incursion is coming, and we're not ready."

  "That's right. We weren't demanding power for ourselves, we just wanted the city to invest in more crystalliers. They could be miners or acid workers, that would be fine."

  "And did you make that clear?" Kai raised an eyebrow and saw some shamed looks. "I doubt you were attacked completely without provocation, but I'm not on the side of the mob here, either. Here's what we do: you stand down as a token of good faith, and I'll keep the mob at bay. Then we get to the bottom of this and find a solution. A real one."

  The crystalliers agreed one by one, some eagerly and some when they realized there was no choice. Kai let them retreat and then destroyed the rest of the crystal barriers, to great cheers from the crowd. He made one more appearance to calm them down a bit, then Kai and his wives spread out, allegedly to learn the crimes of the crystalliers and more to let everyone vent.

  Over the course of an hour, they heard a lot of different stories from both sides, as well as workers who were blindsided by the whole thing. In the end, when they returned to the tower where the crystalliers were "imprisoned" Kai was feeling much grimmer about the whole thing. Zae Zin Nim and Omilaena hadn't heard anything to contradict his picture of what had happened, it just didn't weigh on them as heavily.

  "I don't like this," Kai said. "As far as I can tell, the crystalliers had a point and the miners were the aggressors."

  "We should just deploy force," Zae Zin Nim said. When he stared at her, she huffed and continued. "I'm not saying to murder everyone. But you need these people to obey or they'll all get themselves killed. I don't know the best way to make them, but you need to find it."

  "As much as I hate that idea, we've already been doing that to some degree. Ideas, Omi?"

  "Not really." She gave an exaggerated shrug. "This is one problem that you can't really poison your way out of, so I'm helpless."

  After thinking about it a while longer, Kai went to meet with the crystalliers. They looked much reduced, less fearful but also more dejected. This time there was no chorus of voices, the middle-aged man stepped forward to speak for the group.

  "I want to help you," Kai said first. "But we need to find a compromise that will be palatable to a lot of angry people. Are there concessions you'd be willing to accept?"

  "Put Krainuun in charge," the spokesman said immediately. "That's our suggestion. The revolutionaries like him, but he actually knows what he's doing."

  "Would you be willing to officially surrender to him and do some extra work defending the city? Nothing excessive, but visible work, something to make people believe that you're on their side."

  It didn't take long for the crystalliers to agree. A few were fearful, but the majority seemed relieved. When Kai contacted Krainuun via a crystal channel, the administrator listened quietly before eventually agreeing that it sounded like a viable solution.

  "This isn't the first time that crystalliers have rebranded as public servants," he said. "It's good that you came to that solution. But you realize the position this puts me in."

  Kai nodded. "I know you have enough to d-"

  "No, I don't mean that. The more I'm associated with crystalliers, the more my position weakens with the former revolutionaries. A few believe that I 'keep the crystalliers under control' but others are starting to doubt me. It's even possible that factions are trying to arrange this situation in order to undermine me."

  "I see." Kai felt a little chagrined, not having considered that angle. "Do you think that happened here?"

  "Can't say. Torleen has always been unstable, so it's less likely, but I'll let you know when I arrive." Krainuun paused, his pace small and pinched through the crystal. "Kai... I'm glad you're back. Things have gotten even worse since you were last here."

  "Yeah." Kai looked away from the crystal to the streets, where he could hear the people chanting. "So I've seen."