Chapter 112: Farewell to Goralia

They agreed to wait three days.

Kai still needed time to fully heal and to digest the intensity of the experience, not to mention literally digesting all the new monster powers he'd acquired. Zae Zin Nim was apparently eager to spend time cultivating, having broken through to a new stage after so long. In any case, their next destination was simply the vague objective of the Krysal City States, so there was no urgency.

Only a day and a half in, he spotted someone flying toward them and tensed until he saw the currents of green mana. Inafay swept across the wilderness in a tornado of her own making, directly toward them. Other than cracking open one eye, Zae Zin Nim didn't even respond. For his part, Kai got to his feet to meet Inafay and stretched, just in case she intended to fight again.

"I'm here to bring you to justice!" Inafay landed with a rush of wind and then grinned. "Nah, just kidding. A few of us noticed you were still out here, but you're not planning anything, right?"

"Just the overthrow of Monskon City." Kai folded his arms and looked past her. "So nothing has changed? Hannagan is still leading the Hunters Guild?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say nothing has changed. The truth about what happened on the flying ship has come out and a lot of people are upset about it. Most likely everyone would have praised his wisdom if he'd succeeded, but since the city was saved, all the other clans turned against him. I don't think anyone will be able to dominate the Hunters Guild for a while."

"But I'm still banished?"

"More than banished, I'm afraid." Inafay winced as she glanced back. "That part... isn't really because of Hannagan. A lot of people saw you eating monsters, and they're, uh, more disturbed than I am about it."

"I'm not surprised." He truly wasn't, but he still didn't like to have it confirmed. After rubbing over his jaw and noting all the new stubble, he glanced back to Inafay. "Why are you staying?"

"What, you expect me to leave my home? Somebody needs to lead Monskon City back on the right path, or we're all going to die in the next monster incursion. Seven years is a long time, but if the next incursion is anywhere near as bad as this one..."

"Then I wish you well, Inafay."

"Hey, don't be like that! We'll see each other again sometime." She grinned and made a fist. "The others from our generation of hunters are pissed that you blew past them, but honestly I'm inspired. I feel like everybody has been flattering me ever since I awakened, but you actually challenged me. My view of what's possible was way too low."

"So was mine." Kai couldn't help but laugh as he thought about the battle around the pit. "It's a big world out there, probably even bigger than I know. But I hope we'll meet again. Next incursion, maybe."

"Glad to hear you say that, Kai. Really. Now I just need to beat the crap out of myself and run back to say that I couldn't take you down."

He started to tell her that she didn't need to go that far, but she was already speeding off in another tornado.

Would they actually see one another again? Kai didn't feel much like he wanted to return to Monskon City, and he didn't know what mysteries of the broader world would pull him in, but he assumed he would eventually return once he felt ready to take on the abyss in the Frontier. Or perhaps for the next monster incursion, if it proved just as dangerous. By that time Inafay would probably have joined the Frontier elites. They'd have taken such different paths in life, perhaps they'd be able to compare notes.

"There are more people coming," Zae Zin Nim said abruptly, "but they're moving very slowly. We'll be here forever if we wait."

"Where now?" He pivoted to her and she pointed to the south. Since she seemed inclined to keep cultivating, he headed in that direction on his own.

This time there was no one sprinting toward him, just a group of three. Oddly, it was Juray along with the Tonjin brothers. He was glad they were all alive, he just hadn't expected them to be coming together. Maybe they'd taken his order to help Juray too much to heart. Out of habit he glanced at the brothers with his spiritual vision.

<

Name: Raghi Tonjin

Total Power: 61

Scrapper Class: 8 (18)

Physique Level: F-2 (34)

Soul Level: 3 (9)

>

<

Name: Lofgan Tonjin

Total Power: 58

Whistlewind Class: 19 (29)

Physique Level: G-9 (20)

Soul Level: 3 (9)

>

His first thought was that they were weak, but that wasn't true. For two men the Lantrian clan had been exploiting as nothing but thugs, they had advanced remarkably. Raghi had reached F-rank Physique, while Lofgan had clearly made heavy use of the Class-enhancement scroll he'd been given. The real problem was that Kai had outgrown the scale of Monskon City. In any case, Juray moved ahead of them and stopped just before she reached him.

"It seems like every time I meet you, you're covered in blood and something has gone horribly wrong." Juray smiled wistfully as she approached and brushed some of the hair away from his face. "But I guess if it's taken you this far, you need to keep going."

"Just how bad is it back in the city?" he asked.

"Well, it took me this long to get enough time to come visit. We've basically cleared out everyone's stocks of healing potions, and there will be enough lasting injuries to keep healers employed for a very long time."

Raghi coughed awkwardly. "Everyone is celebrating and mourning at the same time. It's hard to know what to feel."

Kai turned toward the brothers fully. "You two haven't gone back to Fhazi, have you? I'm afraid I don't have anything else to offer you, but you deserve better."

"The Lantrian clan asked us, but..." Raghi glanced toward his brother and Lofgan finished his sentence.

"We refused. Not sure how we'll make it on our own, but you're right. It isn't worth it."

"You don't need to worry about these two." Juray stretched up to pat them on the shoulders. "They were so nice in the battle, I'm going to give them some extra help. If they can hunt monster cores for me, I should be able to give them some potions. It should all work out."

"Not sure about that." Raghi glanced backward awkwardly. "They evacuated the houses outside the city, but all those homes are gone. And, fair or not, everybody saw the hunters retreat and leave a lot of people in the lower city to die. There are a lot of angry people saying they broke the promise that justifies their existence."

It was a surprisingly long speech from one of the Tonjin brothers, but Kai found himself nodding thoughtfully. The entire rationale for the Hunters Guild, and maybe even the entire nation of Goralia, was that it was necessary for the survival of humanity. This time, the hunters had failed even while their necessity was proven. There was no way that things could stay the same after that.

"One thing," Lofgan said softly. "That power you used... is it possible to gain it somewhere?"

"I couldn't repeat it if I tried." Kai raised his hands, feeling the potential for them to shift into claws again, and shook his head. "But if you need resources, see if you can't contact Razzagah Lantrian from Rayakan. If you tell him about our history, he might be able to help you."

The brothers nodded in unison. Juray stepped away from them and brushed Kai's arm, just enough to pull him slightly to the side.

"Even if you come back," she said, "it's going to be a long time, isn't it?"

"The truth is that I don't know what will be happening next, but... probably." Kai started to reach toward her and pulled back. "I never got a chance to tell you, but the flask you gave me worked. I guess you probably shouldn't associate yourself with me, as an outcast, but I just wanted you to know that you saved Monskon City."

Juray laughed and the sound was achingly familiar. "Truthfully, I'm just glad to know I made a difference. That's all any of us can hope for, isn't it?"

"Maybe so." They embraced one last time, then Kai pulled back. Juray and the Tonjin brothers headed back into the wastelands, though Lofgan turned to wave several times.

Kai returned to his camp in a subdued mood. Both because of the farewells and the lack of them. He thought back to the men and women who had trained him, the veteran hunters he had known, and even the shopkeepers he'd frequently visited. Of course they wouldn't come to say goodbye, and he couldn't blame them. The roots he'd been hoping to put down in Monskon City had been torn out at the Hunter Trials, they'd just taken a long time to die.

"Is that everyone?" Zae Zin Nim asked. "I wouldn't mind leaving earlier."

"I guess it is."

As they departed, Kai found his mind returning to practical matters. Having the strength to take down a giant monster was nice, but once they started traveling again he was going to be a lot more grateful for their water stone and magic tent. Despite all the chaos, they had held onto everything they had acquired and even all his Goralian Eagles, so they were in a strong position.

Then again, they had completely exhausted all their resources for advancement. He would have to form brand new plans, now that he had attained more power than he had ever dreamed. Perhaps he could finally delve further into cultivation, especially if they could find a denser source of qi. There was an entire world out there, so maybe he'd encounter something even stranger.

Kai looked toward his own essence and was overwhelmed by just how much there was to discover:

<

Name: Kai Clanless

Total Power: 125

Cultivation: Qi Condensation 65% (17)

Physique Level: E-1 (83)

Soul Level: 5 (25)

Bestial Traits: 10/6 - !!!

Monstrous Hunger - VII (eta)

Direboar's Strength - V (epsilon)

Aquagorgon's Health - V (epsilon)

Gomodo's Stamina - V (epsilon)

Isulfr's Bite - III (gamma)

Rockspider's Claw - III (gamma)

Direclam's Shell - I (alpha)

Wallcrawler's Feet - I (alpha)

Behemoth's Heart (???)

??? (???)

>

Several monsters he'd eaten during the battle had appeared in his essence, once he'd digested their flesh. Now that he understood himself better, he could see that he was trying to mix too many. Some of them still appeared unformed. He'd have to figure out the methods of merging or strengthening those abilities, and there were no guides: he was forging an entirely new path.

Even his new Physique would be an exploration. His fingers could still transform into claws at a thought and he could feel how his body strained to transform with each piece of monster essence. The exact limits and capacities of this new form remained to be seen.

After several hours of walking, just when Monskon City was almost a memory, a portal opened in the air in front of them. Gunjin Granfian stepped out and turned in their direction. The movement revealed that half his face and one of his arms were horribly burned, covered in twisted flesh. His gray clothing, usually so impeccable, was stained with dried blood.

"I heard two Frontier monsters got through." He raised his good arm and rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily. "That's awful luck. We did reasonably well, given the challenges."

"You were fighting on the Frontier?" Kai asked.

"Not with the elites, certainly, but they had to call in even someone like me."

"Then... we made it through? I haven't even heard about Irun or the other Frontier nations, but it sounds like we endured a worse incursion than anyone had predicted. I'm glad that it wasn't catastrophic."

"Absolutely not. We bought the present by selling our future." Gunjin coughed painfully, nearly doubling over, then straightened again. "Several points in the Frontier wall were broken, including one to the south. If we had tried to defend them, we would have lost too many hunters and the horde would have consumed everything."

"But that means the next incursion we won't have a chance."

"Unless we figure out something else." Gunjin shook his head. "I thought I was changing the status quo in Goralia enough, but I underestimated the problem. Everyone did, seems like. I don't know if there's any solution, but we have six or seven years to figure one out."

"Six or seven?"

"Common knowledge is seven years between incursions, but after this, I need to take a deeper look at my theories. We'd better be paranoid about it."

"Paranoid at best." Kai stared at the man who had once been his mentor and wondered what he was supposed to say. It would feel wrong to thank the older man after Gunjin refused to defend him, but equally wrong to ignore everything he'd given him in the past. "I'll be back before the next incursion, Gunjin. In the end, you won't regret your investment in me."

"Is that really how you see me?" Gunjin shook his head and in that moment looked very old. "You've already proved your worth, Kai, even if it can't be acknowledged here. But worth doesn't really matter in this world. It all comes down to luck in the end."

Maybe it did. Kai stared at Gunjin for a while longer, then nodded and walked past him. The old man turned as if he was about to say something, then walked back into his portal and vanished.

That left him in the wasteland again. Zae Zin Nim fell in beside him without saying anything. There would be time for talking later, but for now no words felt like enough. Instead they simply walked together out into the wasteland.