Chapters 15-24 (Patreon)

Chapter 15: The Wages of Effort

Only Gunjin's request not to make a scene kept Kaiin his seat. Once everyone was dismissed, heshot up and marched to the front of the room. The clan heads were speaking to one another, apparently in a wonderful mood, until he arrived.

"Why was I disqualified?" Kaidemanded. He glared across all the clan heads. "Why?"

"Rewards are granted at the discretion of the judges," Hannagan Lantrian said. "You have skill, boy, but it seems being a monster hunter isn't your fate. The city cannot afford to invest resources on someone so weak."

"Did I look weak at the end?" He didn't want to admit it, but there were tears in the corners of his eyes. "I fought as hard as anyone, against the hunters you just praised as the best! I deserve to be given the same chances they have."

"You fought warriors who had been training in their Classes for a few days. Do you truly believe that you can keep up with them for months and years? Over that time, the gap will only grow. It's best for everyone if you find a new life for yourself now. I'm sure you can turn that determination toward a more productive end."

Hannagan spoke in soothing, confident tones and stroked his beard with one hand. It was infuriating. Kai clenched his fists and stepped forward, without any idea what he was going to do.

Something slammed into his face and the next thing he knew he was lying on the ground. As he struggled to sit up, he saw Hannagan straighten and realize that the old man had headbuttedhim. Hannagan kept up that soft smile, but his eyes were like flint.

"I'll speak to the boy." Gunjin stepped in and drew Kai to his feet. "Please excuse us."

Part of Kai wanted to fight, but the blow had knocked most of the anger out of him. He didn't want to believe that it was true, but he had to admit that Monskon City and all Goralia were built on strength. No matter how unfair it was, he had no recourse if he couldn't prove his point.

Gunjin pulled him into a side hallway and then finally turned to him. "I'm sorry, Kai. Though it seems unfair, I believe the judges made the correct decision. There are records of several promising candidates receiving a Class similar to yours, and none of them uncovered any hidden potential. It's no fault of your own, but you would not have been able to make good use of the rewards."

"How can they act like I don't have any potential? You can all see my Levels, can't you? I've advanced beyond most of the other candidates there!"

"A demonstration of your willpower, to be sure, but unfortunately many are inclined to dismiss it. Some theorized that your Class may slightly increase physical growth, and thus they believe this is already your full potential." For the first time Gunjin's eyes wandered, and he frowned at nothing. "In this, I disagree with them. Just as some Classes are stronger than others, some are barely Classes at all. This is rare, but... I'm afraid you need to face the truth."

"The truth?" Kai grabbed his mentor's shirt and forced him to meet his gaze. "They rejected all my accomplishments so they could give the rewards to Fhazi and-"

Gunjin raised a hand in front of his face and cut him off as surely as a blow. The grim sorrow in his mentor's eyes broke Kai's growing rage.

"Listen to me: Fhazi Lantrian received almost nothing. Yes, he'll live life with a silver spoon in his mouth. But he'll never be able to buy his way to true strength, and even Hannagan can't bestow treasures on him. Our survival is too precarious to give away power to fools."

"But..."

"Shut up and listen. That same logic is why we can't afford to give you anything." Gunjin took at step toward him, his eyes flashing. "You still think of this as a game because you have no idea of the threats we face. Do you even know why monsters exist, or what this city was built to protect? You're a child throwing a tantrum because life isn't fair while people are dying."

The lecture from his mentor took even more wind out of Kai's sails. He took a slow breath and forced himself to look into Gunjin's eyes directly before he spoke. "Tell me one thing: is this my fault? Could I have trained harder.... done something different... why did this happen?"

"I... truly am sorry." The brutal look in Gunjin's eyes faded and he touched Kai on the shoulder almost gently. "You did everything right, my boy. I've never had a student apply himself with such dedication. But we don't live in a fair world, and it seems you've been given a cruel fate."

With that, his mentor turned away as if to leave him. Kai felt as though his chest had been caved in, and he could have just stood there. But he couldn't let it end, not like that. Before Gunjin could leave the corridor, Kai ran after him.

"Wait!" Kai opened the door and thrust a finger toward the table filled with monster cores. "My cores were given to the Hunters Guild, but I received nothing in return. It might be your right not to invest anything in me, but if you take those, you're nothing but thieves!"

His wild declaration drew everyone's attention. Some elders looked puzzled, the assistants looked nervous, and Hannagan looked like he wanted to headbutt him again. But before anyone could speak, Gunjin gave a low chuckle and gestured to one of the assistants.

"Fair enough. Do as he says."

Kai shifted nervously while cores were placed into a sack. He counted each and every one, and it seemed they really had kept track of his total. They even gave him the Direboar core, still throbbing a day later. Judging from the way the others turned away, they didn't seem to consider this any great loss. Though he didn't have a real plan, Kai knew that cores could be traded for money, so at least he wouldn't be left with nothing.

When he finally had his sack, the assistants made it clear that he should depart soon. Kai had been hoping to return with Gunjin, but his mentor - his former mentor - slightly shook his head. All of Kai's anger was cold and dead now, so he couldn't rage again. The best he could do was gesture for Gunjin to talk one last time.

"Let me prove myself," Kai said. He gripped the sack so tightly that the canvas burned his fingers. "If I'm wrong and I can't keep up, I'll accept what you said. But you have to give me a chance."

"One chance, on one condition." Gunjin raised a finger. "You can pursue your own training as before, and the Granfian clan will continue to house and feed you. But this stunt has branded you as a troublemaker, and you could become a liability. No senseless fights, no trouble-making, no attacking other clans. Understand?"

"Thank you!" Kai felt pathetically grateful, but he needed to cling to any advantage he had.

"In a little over one year, the next monster incursion will threaten us all. Perhaps even more so than usual. If you are capable of holding your own at that time, then I'll throw the resources of the Granfian clan behind you. Everyone wouldreconsider their judgments, because you'll have done something considered impossible."

"I'll just have to do the impossible, then." Kai grinned at him and turned to leave the Hunters Guild.

He managed to keep up his smile until he made it all the way out the door and was engulfed in the bustle of Monskon City. Then Kai forced himself to breathe slowly. He did have options. They might have taken all the direct rewards from him, but they couldn't remove his more intangible accomplishments from the Hunter Trials. Even after a few minutes, he already had a few plans for how he could train to be ready for the monster incursion.

But right at that moment, he just felt like an idiot carrying a sack of monster guts.

Chapter 16: A New Side of Monskon City

Two days later, Kai was beginning to realize just how much of his life had been dictated by his hypothetical future.

Anywhere he'd gone in Monskon City, doors had been open to him as a promising young hunter. While they weren't closed in his face now, it was obvious that the attention of the city had gone toward those who had been most successful. Older veterans who had volunteered time in the practice yards were now too busy to work with him. They all apologized with smiles on their faces and made excuses, but he knew what they meant.

The same day that the Hunters Guild had rejected him, Kai had struck back with a thousand plans. Even if he didn't have a useful Class, even if they wouldn't give him what he was due, he would find a way to keep up.

And again, he'd discovered that his life would never be the same. He'd sent letters to the Lantrian, Orgoron, and Corinin clans... only for them to simply not respond. They'd never ignored him like that in the past, even if they declined his requests for extra training. Above all, the other members of the Granfian clan treated him more like a disabled veteran than a young warrior.

Their pity made him spend more time out in the city, which might as well have been a new place. Oh, he was still allowed everywhere, but he saw it with new eyes. Instead of focusing on the highest institutions, he found himself noticing just how much better the streets were in the upper city. Even the part of the lower city where the Granfian clan lived was much better maintained than others, much less the shacks outside the outer wall where citizens were at great risk of monster attacks.

Once, he'd thought that the citizens held an attitude of grateful respect toward the hunters who kept them safe so near the Frontier. Now, it looked more like deference. He never saw a hunter exploit anyone, but given how much more powerful their Classes made them, did they need to? Instead of Goralia being a nation of people all working together, he saw a hierarchy determined by dumb luck.

None of it was fair, but he couldn't do a damn thing about any of it.

As Kai approached the mercantile square, he wondered if even the merchants were looking at him differently. Since he no longer had easy access to the clan's resources, he had begun buying mana-infused items from an elderly woman who ran a stall. She certainly glowered at him, but it seemed like she glowered at everyone.

"You again? What now?" She sucked on her gums as she eyed him from within a fortress of hanging ferns and piles of jars.

"I've converted my monster cores this time." Kai forced himself to smile pleasantly as he hefted his bag of coins. He thought he could have traded with the raw cores before, but he'd been forced to sell them for proper currency.

"Good. Children these days, trading oozing cores." The old woman glowered at his bag of coins for a time. "Well? What do you want?"

It was a question he hoped to answer soon. Kai had sold all of the cores he'd collected except for the five largest, which he still hoped to find another use for. That left him with 176 Goralian Eagles, which was more money than he'd ever carried before, but not much compared to the amounts he heard veteran hunters discuss. How far it went... he was about to find out.

"I was interested in one of these sanitation stones," Kai said. "How much?"

"Ten Eagles for the pumice. More for the nice-smelling ones."

His eyebrows shot up. Sanitation stones kept a person clean and not smelling awful - he hadn't been interested in actually buying one so much as checking it as the cheapest magical object he knew. "What about a magical tent?"

"Hmph, how long is a piece of string?" The old woman shook her head. "That one you see hanging in back will cost you two hundred and fifty. They go higher."

So magical equipment was a lot more expensive than he had expected. When it came to average food and supplies, everything was cheap enough that he'd need to break his Goralian Eagles into smaller coins. By the austere standards of the Granfian clan, one Eagle was about a month of expenses. But none of that was what he cared about in the short term.

The woman sold simple healing potions for a few Eagles apiece, and hunter-grade potions for twenty or more. Kai didn't buy any of them, since he still hoped he would be able to talk to Juray and get a better deal, but that was much worse than he had hoped. Even if he was careful, the injuries he received hunting monsters on his own would consume most of his profits.

"No idle questions! You'd better actually buy something," the old woman groused, "or I'll be cross."

"Oh dear," Kai said, "I wouldn't you to be cross."

"Hush. You haven't seen me more than disgruntled."

He couldn't afford to antagonize her, so Kai moved to his next goal. "These are moonfire herbs, right? For enhancement potions?"

"Seven apiece, thirty for a bundle of five. But you don't look like you know anything about herbalism."

"I'll manage somehow." Kai managed a smile and bought a whole bundle. From what he'd seen, the type of enhancement potions that the winning candidates had received cost at least a hundred Eagles. The ones he could have made himself wouldn't be as potent, but they'd prevent him from falling too far behind.

"Anything else?"

"I guess I just wanted to ask... do you sell mana seedlings here?"

For the first time, the old woman actually looked surprised. She blinked owlishly within her little fortress before responding. "I could maybe get my hands on one if I had a buyer. But you're going to be looking at a thousand Eagles, minimum. Depending on the market. I'd ask if you want to order one, but frankly..."

"Right, no thank you." Kai nodded to her and moved away before he could flush.

Once again, he'd entirely underestimated just how much it would cost. The Hunters Guild and the major clans poured thousands of Eagles worth of resources into their top candidates. No amount of solo monster hunting, much less a normal job, was ever going to let him pay for it himself.

As he walked to his next destination, Kai tried to think of a way forward. If he had no ambitions, he had enough money to live comfortably for years. Trying to become a true monster hunter without any support, he could burn through it all in days. Worse, he wouldn't be able to stay in the Granfian clan forever unless he proved himself, which would only add to his expenses.

No wonder the Hunter Trials made all the difference. It was the only way that someone without clan backing could afford to train... and that path had been taken away from him by his useless Class.

His muscles ached more than he had expected after that morning's training session. Kai was still pushing himself as hard as he could, even without magical support. He could suffer through some pain without potions to ease the aches, but the physical exercises that had once been his life were no longer enough. After two days of grueling work, he felt like he hadn't progressed at all.

When he reached Juray's shop, Kai barely glanced at the window and almost walked on. After two days of finding her absent, he had begun to wonder if she was ignoring him too. The fact that she had opened up her storefront was so unexpected it took him a second to accept it.

"Oh, Kai!" Juray had been working with a mortar and pestle, but began wiping off her hands when she saw him. Far from avoiding him, she smiled rather broadly. "I haven't seen you since the Hunter Trials."

"I tried to stop by," Kai said, "but I didn't see you."

"I'm so sorry about that. The guild has been commissioning me constantly since the trials, restoring their supply of potions and all of that sort of thing. Do you need something?"

He dropped the bundle of moonfire herbs onto her counter. "I've tried to research enhancement potions. These are the main ingredient, right? Could you mix one for me?"

Immediately he saw the sorrow enter her expression, but at least it wasn't pity. Juray barely looked at the herbs, instead examining his face. "The guild judged you, did they?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"If they judge someone doesn't have enough value to them, everything changes. I've seen it before, starting with myself. I was never a fighter, so I can't really understand what you're going through, but... I'm sorry that it turned out this way, Kai."

Her compassion didn't grate quite as much as the others, but Kai still frowned and pushed through. "Thanks, but that's life. Can you make the potion or not?"

"I certainly can, it just depends on what exactly you want. You won't... I may not be an expert in training, but I know my craft. You won't be able to maintain all of the amenities that the clan scions can. If you want to advance without them, you'll need other strategies."

"I know." This, at least, seemed more like a test than condescension. Kai reached into his sack and dropped one of the largest monster cores onto the table - he'd had it encased in crystal to keep it fresh. "If all you care about is power, you can brew a potion with more toxicity, right?"

Juray's eyebrows rose slowly. "Well, you're more ambitious than I thought. Yes, I can extract some mana from a monster core of sufficient quality... which that seems to be. It wouldn't be the sort of thing you'd want to take to enhance your training - that sort of potion is grueling enough on its own."

As far as he'd read, potions like that were basically poisoning yourself, but they were the only kind within reach. "I only want to use them to break through walls," Kai explained. "I don't understand everything about them yet, but I can push through normal advancement with effort."

"I'm afraid I know even less about that. My Class doesn't have any severe breaks in power like the military ones. But yes, with these and just a few other ingredients, I can make you one hefty potion."

"How much will the brewing cost?"

Juray tapped a finger on her lips for a while, examining him with a strange expression, then answered slowly. "If you agree to bring me all of the rarest ingredients you find or buy, I won't charge you anything."

"Are you sure?" Kai asked. "Is that really a fair deal?"

"It's not pity, if that's what you think." Juray crossed her arms and leaned against the wall of her storefront. "One of the main things that prevents me from growing as an herbalist is lack of expensive ingredients. I could brew amazing potions like the prizes for the Hunter Trials all the time if I had the resources, but most of the year those are all being taken by better healers, or those with rarer Classes. I'll never develop just brewing the same old potions for aches and pains."

"Then consider it a deal." Kai suspected that she was trying to hide her generosity, since there was little hope that he would bring her rare ingredients, but he would take what kindness he could get. Juray was one of the only people who hadn't changed how she treated him, so he made sure to smile at her before he departed.

Was it her ordinary Class that held her back in life? He'd always thought that she could get married easily, given how attractive she was. Just owning a shop put her well ahead of most inhabitants of the city, so she should have been a catch for any man. But thinking about that didn't do him any good, especially since she was one of his only allies in his new life.

On his way back home, Kai was thinking so much about his next training session that he bumped shoulders with another man. He automatically apologized and was surprised when the middle-aged worker quickly apologized and moved away.

He realized that he'd been wrong earlier: the average citizens of the city hadn't changed how they treated him. It wasn't just that laborer, everyone he'd encountered had been a bit differential. Since he wasn't important enough for any of them to have heard about his Class, it might be that the difference didn't matter to them. For the average citizen, anyone who even dreamed of becoming a monster hunter was high above them.

It should have made him grateful, but Kai stormed back in a worse mood. All around him, he saw citizens trudging between home and work, barely putting food on the table. They never dared to dream of anything else, they just accepted their fate.

The same thing wouldn't happen to him. He wouldn't allow it. Kai hated what that thought implied about his view of all the citizens he was supposed to protect, but he shoved the thought down and got back to work.

Chapter 17: Advanced Spiritual Sight

Long before dawn, Kai was alone in the training yard going through his exercises. He might not have any advanced techniques, and Juray needed more time to complete his enhancement potion, but that didn't mean he couldn't work. A Physique Level of G-6 might seem like just symbols in his spiritual sight, but in the real world it made him superhuman.

Exercises that had once risked injury were now easy, so he pushed himself much harder than before. All of the new hunters in the Granfian family were experiencing increased strength now that their Classes had awakened, but Kai had always spent more time training and could test his limits even further. He had no idea how much work it would take to reach G-7, but he'd fight his way there no matter how long it took.

As he worked, Kai kept his mind off the futility of it all by focusing on future plans. It had been yet another day without an answer to his letters, so he needed to discount help from the clans. He had Juray as an ally and hoped to discuss further ideas with her. Even though he could imagine various schemes that would produce a positive feedback loop, the problem was that he had so little kindling to start any fires. Just the money he had from the monster cores and a few resources provided to all Granfian hunters.

Eventually Kai reached his physical limits and recognized that he wasn't getting anything further from his training. He had cleaned himself off and sat down to recover for future training when others arrived in the yard.

"Kai, there you are. Good thing you're here early."

The familiar voice surprised him at first and Kai popped to his feet to see an old friend. Yangil Granfian was a hunter about five years older than him, a lean but muscular man wearing full steel armor. A five year gap had been insurmountable when they were younger, then Yangil had been a bit of a mentor, and recently the difference hadn't seemed so large at all. They were both technically full hunters now, and the idea made Kai examine his friend with his spiritual sight.

<

Name: Yangil Granfian

Total Power: 48

Knight Class: 9

Physique Level: G-9

Soul Level: 3

>

Though Yangil wasn't as powerful as some of the veterans, he was still impressive. His Physique was right at the peak of the G rank and he had a Soul Level just as high as many warriors. But Kai realized that staring at all the symbols would make him seem awkward, so he pushed through them to smile.

"Yangil, I haven't seen you in a long time! You're back from the hunt?"

"Frontier gets worse every year." Yangil gestured for the other trainees to spread out before walking closer and lowering his voice. "Listen, Kai... it might be best if you moved your training hours earlier. We're going to have a lot of new Granfian trainees who will need the space."

Kai frowned at the implication but tried to shrug it off. "I didn't arrive now, I've just finished training."

"Oh? You always were out here early. Well, that might be easiest on everyone. We'll talk later, alright?"

"Are you seriously kicking me out?"

Yangil had been smiling since he entered, but that expression slipped away as he stepped even closer. "I can't order you, but give these kids the same chance you had. Maybe one of them won't be dealt such a bad hand by fate."

"It's that bad?" Kai struggled to keep his face neutral, which required swallowing both anger and shame. His friend... no, Yangil had never really been his friend. Maybe all he'd ever had were allies who wanted his potential future power.

"Worse than I'd heard. Not even a Novice Class... or can you not see that part? I'd tell you to work on your spiritual sight, but I guess it doesn't matter now."

Right at the end, the politeness slipped away from Yangil's eyes. Behind it, Kai could see not just pity but scorn. He'd seen that more than once: the idea that he must have done something to deserve this. Kai opened his mouth to say something, realized it would sound petulant, and walked away.

As he left the training yard, most of the new recruits didn't pay any attention to him. Just as well, considering that Yangil might try to humiliate him if he pressed the issue. Kai had always thought of the older man as jovial and fun-loving, but in retrospect his sense of humor seemed cruel. It had just never fallen on Kai because he was always at the head of the pack.

Before he could descend into petty anger, Kai forced himself to refocus. Even though it was intended as an insult, Yangil had pointed out a real shortcoming: his spiritual sense wasn't fully developed. It might not grant strength directly, but spiritual sight was a critical skill for any hunter. Developing it might be the best use of his time even if he had access to the training yard, since his physical development was plateauing.

The Granfian clan had their personal library near the center of their village within the city, and at least no one there scorned him. They might be stingy with power, but the clan had been founded on increasing access to knowledge. Now that he had passed the Hunter Trials, the warriors running the library took him directly to the books on spiritual sight without question.

Now that Kai had actually experienced it for himself, the language wasn't so confusing. None of the symbols were so concrete that they could be drawn in the books, but there were underlying truths. Kai rapidly clarified a few points that had been unclear to him.

Chief among them, the reason that some Classes used the word "Novice" and some didn't. It seemed that most Classes began in a nascent form that fluctuated wildly before reaching its mature state. This meant they were briefly weaker, but when they reached their "Level 1" would be more powerful than the first step of another Class.

So that was what Yangil had meant: his "Laborer" Class didn't have a nascent form and so it had no chance of evolving.

Rather than dwelling on that, Kai soaked up all the knowledge he could about developing spiritual sight. The books suggested that it would take the average hunter a month or more to fully develop their sight after first awakening it. But the books also seemed to imply that those hunters hadn't done many of the basic mental exercises that he had pushed through while still in training, so he hoped it wouldn't take that long.

For the next several days, Kai developed a new routine. He stayed out of the training yards during the day, not wanting to be shamed by Yangil again. If he went even earlier in the morning and then returned late at night, he could get just as much physical training as any of the others. That left him with the middle of the day to deepen his spiritual sight.

Just in case he'd missed something, Kai went back over all the old exercises: envisioning symbols perfectly in his mind, memorizing phrases forward and backward, gathering his will into a line to cast outward. Far from missing something, every exercise was much easier now that he had personal experience with what they discussed.

The new exercises took him a little longer to grasp, but he threw himself into them. Some, like trying to fix the floating symbols in place, didn't seem useful but must be training his general capacities. What interested him most was the idea of looking deeper into the symbols.

According to the theory, spiritual sight both identified objective facts about someone's development and tried to quantify their value. For the Classes of Goralia, these were simple numbers, but the systems of other nations could be more complex. Though even Goralia wasn't perfectly simple, given what he'd learned about Novice Classes.

Even though it wasn't immediately useful, Kai made himself memorize all the exercises for evaluating monsters. They lacked some essence - possibly the soul - that made them fundamentally different, but their strength could still be ranked from alpha to delta. The books said that it could take hunters several months to grasp any symbols at all from monsters and potentially years for their judgments to be accurate.

Sometimes he noticed other young hunters putting in work on the same exercises. He tried exchanging tips and suggestions with them, but most seemed more interested in developing their Classes. Since he was on his own, Kai resolved to put in twice as much work as everyone else and hope he could keep up.

Since he had been braced for a long struggle, Kai was shocked one day when he looked at his own soul and saw a new host of symbols:

<

Name: Kai Granfian

Total Power: 27

Laborer Class: 4 (4)

Physique Level: G-6 (14)

Soul Level: 3 (9)

???: ???

>

Along with each category, he now had a distinct impression of its overall "weight." His Physique Level of G-6 was no longer just useful for comparing to others, he could see that it was the core of his strength. His Soul Level of 3 was also weightier than the number suggested, even if he didn't understand it. Perhaps most importantly, these new symbols all added up perfectly to his overall strength.

Only one thing stood out to him: there were some fuzzy ambiguous symbols when he looked at himself that he never saw around others. He realized that he'd been seeing them ever since the Hunter Trials, he just hadn't focused on them. They weren't mentioned in any of the books he read and none of the exercises made them go away, so Kai set them aside.

Everything else was exactly like the books had suggested. Even the fact that his Class barely offered him any strength couldn't dampen his enthusiasm at this new revelation. Kai spent an hour just staring at people, getting used to his new senses and marveling at how it all connected perfectly. No more ambiguity. Now he could really see the weight of everyone's souls in a coherent system.

Only after he got bored with that did it occur to him that he'd mastered his spiritual vision in four days.

Realizing that left him with strangely mixed feelings. It reminded him of the old days when he had been working harder and pushing further than anyone else, but those memories had a melancholy tinge now. Being able to see how far behind he was might just be depressing... and yet he found himself more motivated than anything.

He walked back to the training yard even though it was still the middle of the day, evaluating as he went. The untrained members of the Granfian clan usually had a total strength of one to three, while hunter candidates were all under ten. Veterans he respected were all much closer to a hundred, though he didn't actually see anyone in three digits.

When he reached the yard, Kai stayed at the entrance and evaluated some of the others who had completed the Hunter Trials. A few were more remarkable, but most were like a young woman who was clearly going through early sword exercises:

<

Name: Unknown Granfian

Total Power: 14

Warrior Novice Class: 5 (5)

Physique Level: G-3 (8)

Soul Level: 1 (1)

>

Despite her new Class, she was evaluated as much weaker than him. The insights from his spiritual sight roughly matched his normal intuitions: she wasn't untalented, but her fitness and skill were both beneath his. Until her Class began granting her overwhelming power, she'd be at a disadvantage if they fought.

Yangil looked up at him with a frown and Kai didn't back down, staring directly into his eyes with his new sight.

<

Name: Yangil Granfian

Total Power: 48

Knight Class: 9 (19)

Physique Level: G-9 (20)

Soul Level: 3 (9)

>

Despite all his experience, Yangil's Physique was still stuck at the G rank and his Soul was no stronger than Kai's. Yes, his developed Class granted him great power, but he wasn't impossibly far ahead. If they fought that day, Kai knew he would almost certainly lose.

But in a year? The idea made Kai's heart race. If Yangil had only made so little progress in five years as a full hunter, then even Kai's unsupported progress didn't seem so meager.

Still, there was no point in starting at fight that moment. Kai gave the older man an honest smile and turned away from the training yard. Now that he didn't need to train his spiritual sight anymore, he needed to find a new way to productively fill his hours. Perhaps Juray was done making his potion or he could find another idea in the city.

"Excuse me? Hunter Kai?" One of the officials stopped him near the entrance.

"What is it?" Normally Kai would have been searching for any sign of pity, but his mood was too good to bother with it. Besides, it looked like the official just had a message for him.

"This came for you." The man handed him a small slip of paper and then hurried on his way.

The message was scrawled in such a sloppy hand that it took Kai a moment to read it, but then the letters came together: it was Inafay Corinin. She implied that her clan hadn't shown his letter to her, but she had found it and then responded. Not only that, she suggested a time and place for them to meet. It seemed like she remembered their duel during the Hunter Trials and clearly was looking forward to fighting again.

Kai's grin broadened. He forgot all about hunters just getting by: if he wanted to advance his ambitions, he needed to compare himself to someone like Inafay.

Chapter 18: Corinin Clan Secrets

For several days Kai anxiously alternated between the training yards and the library. There were more complex exercises available, but they were fundamentally different from what the other young hunters were doing. It seemed that the clan had deeper secrets for advanced training which they didn't share with everyone. He suspected that they involved leaning into one's Class, so he wasn't sure if they would even be effective for him.

But all of that was just trying to fill his time efficiently before his meeting with Inafay. When the day she'd identified arrived, he eagerly headed out into Monskon City.

The Corinin clan was too important to have a single complex: buildings they owned were strewn all across the upper city. For that matter, they had connections all across Goralia: each clan was bigger than a single city, to one degree or another. Whatever the overall clan politics, at the moment what mattered was that Inafay had asked him to meet her in a space they owned, but didn't fully control.

Kai left early in case he couldn't find the place, only to figure it out almost immediately. That left him potentially arriving too early, which would be more than simply awkward: given the weakness of his position, he couldn't afford to look desperate. Her letter had been friendly, but also hasty, so he wasn't sure about her real position.

"Yo!" Inafay dropped out of a nearby tree right beside him, then grinned at him cheerfully while wiping off her butt. "You finally get here!"

"Uh, sorry if I was late." Kai made sure to keep his gaze professional, even though her clothing was even more casual than before. Still practical, but she clearly didn't expect a serious attack. Had her abdominal muscles gotten even more toned?

"No problem, no problem," Inafay said. "No sword this time, huh?"

"The, uh, the Direboar stomped it."

"That's okay, we've got extras. All kinds of practice stuff here." Inafay led him over to the side of a training yard that was more like a private garden. The central cobblestone space was shaded by a canopy of trees, carefully pruned over the years to provide a green space in the middle of the city.

More relevant to his purposes, there was a rack filled with wooden training weapons. Though Kai had gone with a long sword previously, he selected a spear instead. If his Class didn't use any particular weapon, and he still hadn't specialized, he might as well use a weapon that was well-suited to an opponent with such a frustrating combination of long range and close range capabilities.

"I want to talk later," Inafay said as she pulled on her spiked gauntlets, "but let's spar first."

Only then did Kai realize that he had failed to look at her with his spiritual sight. He'd been developing the habit of examining everyone, but the importance of their meeting had thoroughly distracted him. As they squared off, Kai amended that error.

<

Name: Inafay Corinin

Total Power: 25

Windcutter Novice Class: 9 (9)

Physique Level: G-5 (12)

Soul Level: 2 (4)

>

In the short time since their previous fight, her power had almost doubled. He wasn't surprised that she'd developed her Class, but he was a bit intimidated that her Physique Level had almost caught up to his. It wasn't too visible physically, since she'd been fit from the start, but he could feel a more potent current of mana running through her body.

"Just until first blood, or a blow that would draw blood." She banged her gauntlets together cheerfully. "Oh, and breaking the trees counts as a loss. Let's go!"

Inafay was standing near one of the trees, so Kai started with a thrust at full extension, hoping to get her to damage some branches with her wind magic. It seemed like her control had improved, since she easily redirected his blow with a current of emerald wind that barely rustled the leaves. She raised her fists, grinning, and began hopping back and forth with wind at her heels.

As he dodged her wind-fueled strikes, Kai wondered who would win if they fought for real. He didn't have as much of an edge as before and her Class had clearly become more flexible, but neither of them was putting their all into the fight. Soon he put aside such thoughts and focused fully on enjoying the sparring match.

Anything more than a glancing blow from her wind would be disabling, if she didn't hold back. Kai managed to stay ahead of her until the end, when she leapt into the air in a move that looked foolish... and then redirected herself with a burst of wind that put her gauntlet just beside his jaw.

"And that's match!" Inafay tapped the side of his head with a grin, then pulled back. "I'd like to say we're even now, but you weren't anywhere near as serious about this."

"I wasn't taking you lightly," Kai said.

"Oh, I didn't mean it that way. But during our fight, you looked deadly serious."

They walked away from the training yard to a mossy area centered around a pool filled with clear water. While Inafay tugged off a gauntlet and pushed her windswept hair into place, Kai drank his fill. She grabbed the dipper after he was done, drank and splashed her face, then sat down on the side of the pool.

"Did you really agree to meet just to spar?" Kai asked as he sat down nearby. Inafay only shrugged.

"Yes and no. I want someone willing to kick the crap out of me, because none of the other Corinins will. Oh, don't get me wrong, they work me pretty hard. But I feel like I'm missing something and I don't want to rely on the clan for everything. So I think we can help each other."

"I don't know how much I can offer, but I'm glad I was the first person to come to mind when you needed someone to kick that crap out of a woman."

"Oh, don't start." Inafay punched his shoulder, not lightly. "I heard you had terrible luck with your Class, and I don't know what to tell you. No good ideas from me. But it's really fucking unfair that they took your rewards away from you."

Kai resisted the urge to hug her, but his smile might have been a little misty-eyed. "That's, uh... thanks. But how much help can I really be? If you'd landed with a real blow, it probably would have taken me out."

"Injured you horribly? Yes. Taken you out? Don't think so. You're a physical beast, Kai. I'm hoping that you can help me break through into F rank Physique Levels, probably by getting there first. It might not solve your problem, but at least you'll be able to resist Classes."

"Resist Classes?"

Inafay cast him an odd look, then shrugged. "Do they really not tell you this? Going from G-9 to F-0 isn't just another little step, it means your body is permanently reinforced with mana. All hunters are required to hit at least F-0 to go on any really dangerous hunts. But more importantly for you, if you can reach that point, mana that tears through flesh won't immediately disable you."

"Huh." Kai had known about warriors becoming reinforced with mana, but the fact that it was tied to the letter grade was news to him. That probably explained why so many hunters he saw were in the low F rankings. "It seems to get harder the higher you go."

"Don't I know it. I've been stuck at the peak of Windcutter for a while now."

"You were at 6 before, so... I suppose you've only managed three stages in two weeks?"

"It's even worse than that, because I hit seven right after fighting you." Inafay stuck out her tongue irritably. "I know these are the easy beginning stages, but I hate being stalled like this. My trainers have all kinds of ideas about how I can break through, but they've been wrong so far. Some said I needed to develop my Class with different skills, but as you can see that didn't help at all. Others said it was about Physique Levels, but that didn't work either."

"What about Soul?"

"Nobody seems to know exactly how that works, but they say it has nothing to do with your Class."

Kai observed her in his spiritual sight again, and though he didn't uncover any secrets, he was already feeling more comfortable. This wasn't just pity. "So you're looking to use your time productively instead of just grinding against the wall. I don't know how much I can help, but I guess I can show you some new exercises."

"I'll take them, but I brought some of my own. You see, as soon as your Class awakens, there are all kinds of mana resistance exercises..."

Those exercises proved to be exactly the sort of thing that the clan had been withholding from Kai. They couldn't entirely replace his ordinary training, but he could sense that new spiritual muscles were being exercised and felt like they might help him progress. Fortunately, he had a few tricks to offer Inafay as well, so she seemed eager for their next sparring match.

They scheduled another meeting in two days and Kai left in a good mood. For once, things were looking up. He was sure that fate had something awful in store for him, but he planned to charge straight into it.

Chapter 19: Blood Potions

Using his connection to Inafay, Kai began another whirlwind of training. She might not be able to grant him the potions and other benefits of her clan, but she freely shared their knowledge of complex techniques. Both of them had already advanced a Physique Level in just a week and she hinted that she wanted to try even more things.

But she could only spar every other day, so Kai kept up with everything else. He was too young a hunter to get good jobs at the Guild, but he spent some time training with the veterans in monster lore and survival. Back with Clan Granfian, he pored over their library for everything related to Classes. He'd advanced again as a Laborer, and even though it didn't seem to do him much good, he figured that it didn't hurt. According to his improved senses, it did add a small amount to his total strength.

The only relaxation he allowed himself was going to visit Juray and chatting about potions. It wasn't really necessary, but she didn't seem to mind his presence. They were mostly idle visits, but one fine day Kai received a message that his custom potion had been completed.

When he arrived, Juray was busy helping an old man. She barely looked at him while working and he was almost disappointed, but as soon as her customer was gone, she pulled him inside and closed her shop window.

"It's finally done. You'd want another few weeks of refinement for a smoother potion, but you won't lose any strength with this." She opened a locked cabinet and unveiled a large crimson flask with a flourish. "It may not be a Hunters Guild prize, but once this is complete, you won't find a better enhancement potion."

"Once it's complete?" Kai asked. "I thought it was finished." He tried to take the flask, but she pulled it out of his reach.

"I'll explain in a moment. We need to talk about what exactly you intend to use this for."

After studying the matter over the past week, Kai was pretty sure he had his answer. "I need to save it for when I hit G-9. I'm slowing a bit right now, but given that I have at most two of these, I can't afford to waste them. This can help me get over the wall between G and F Physique, right?"

"It definitely can, it just needs a different finishing agent. Please step over here and lend me a bit of your blood." Juray pulled him to her work table and handed him a knife before uncorking the flask. "We need quite a bit of blood, at least ten big drops."

With anyone else he would have been skeptical, but Juray had always been open about her work. If she said the potion needed his blood, it really did. He carefully made a cut on his forearm and squeezed drops into the opening. When they hit the liquid, it churned wildly and he felt the mana throbbing in time with his heartbeat.

Abruptly Juray made a cutting gesture and pulled the potion away. He held the wound closed and watched as she quickly capped the flask again and began to heat it over a flame. She added a blue powder to the candle flame very carefully, but after that seemed to relax.

"This liquid is now specifically aligned with you," she explained. "Someone else in your position might get a little benefit out of it, but I don't recommend giving it away."

"Do the scions of the big clans get potions like this all the time?" Kai accepted a clean cloth from her and carefully dealt with the small wound while he listened.

"They probably don't use blood as a finishing agent, but some do. Most likely the best hunters won't overuse them, even though it's never been exactly proven that using too many weakens you."

"But some people believe that?"

"My theory is that it's just because the talentless wealthy constantly drink these sorts of potions." Juray tapped the flask and seemed pleased by how it swirled, then turned a smirk on him. "So your precious Inafay has probably only had one or two of these."

"Precious?" Kai spluttered for a second before he could pull himself together. "It's not like that at-"

"It's not? But you always look so happy after your little fight dates."

Seeing that she was just mocking him, Kai rolled his eyes and refused to engage. But the subject had really never come up. Inafay was cute, and seemed to dress to attract a bit of attention, but she had never once brought up the subject or flirted. Given that she was likely to be the strongest Corinin of her year at minimum, she would have almost total freedom with such a decision.

That soured what good humor there had been. Kai had always just assumed that marriage was somewhere in his future and focused on training. But now... even if he managed to succeed, his worthless Class would always be a mark against him. Even if Classes weren't exactly inherited, any family with means would consider it too much of a risk.

"Aww, I didn't mean anything by it." Juray finally plucked the flask from its place and delivered it to him, then folded his hands around it. Her hands were shockingly soft. "Be careful with this. The glass is tough, but it's not invincible, and you can't afford very many of these."

"Umm, speaking of..." Kai pulled away from her hands, which were very warm, and fumbled for his sack of money. "We haven't discussed the payment for all your work. I do have enough, even if-"

"Nonsense. I'll count us even if you tell your hunter friends about me, alright?"

That wasn't a fair deal, but Kai found himself smiling back and agreeing. Whatever else Juray's kindness held, it wasn't pity. He carefully placed the flask in a secure pouch on his belt and instead withdrew his remaining large monster core. It throbbed within the crystal prison, no weaker than before.

"I need to decide about this," Kai said slowly, "but I wanted to ask you another question first. During the Mana Trials, I received something called a mana seedling. Should I not have used it then? If I'd saved it until now, could it have helped me break through a different barrier?"

"No, I think you made the right choice." Juray pulled back to sit on the edge of her table. "I don't get to work with many of those, but I know the theory. A mana seedling opens your soul to new experiences, so it's best used in times of great stress. There's no hard and fast rule for these things. The potion I just gave you is the exact opposite: you'll want to use it when you're completely calm."

"I thought it might be something like that." Kai stared down at his last core as he rolled it around his hand. "I could use this for another potion just like the first one, right? It would still be helpful?"

"That one turned out well, so having two wouldn't hurt."

"But would that be a good idea? If this is the last high quality core I'm likely to get, I was wondering if I needed to save the potion for when I get through all the G ranks, for when I reach F-9 and run into another barrier. I know it would be less effective then, but..."

To his surprise, Juray snorted. "Do you have any idea how few people in my shop are even thinking about E rankings? If my little potions are the best you can do when you reach such a rarefied position, something has gone horribly wrong."

"So we should use the monster core for something else." He'd suspected as much and was almost glad to get the confirmation. Based on his limited resources, he had a theory about what he needed next. "I think what I need, more than anything, is a potion for emergencies. Something that will keep me from dying if things go wrong. Could you make this into one?"

"Not exactly." Juray plucked the core from his hand and examined it. "If you want something that will knit you back together from the verge of death, I can't help you. Those are expensive potions and you don't have the right ingredients for one anyway. But..."

"But...? Don't tease."

"Just thinking about reagents. I can't make you a miracle potion, but this could be used to create one that could prevent a career-ending injury."

Kai blinked at her uncertainly and Juray waved a hand.

"Maybe you haven't seen it in the big clans, but plenty of hunters end up unable to fight. Your type takes all kinds of crippling injuries, after all. With the right potion, you can come out the other side stronger instead of maimed for life. Now, nothing I make will regenerate an eye or limb or anything, but it might still be worth it to-"

"That sounds perfect. Thanks, Juray."

He lingered for a while longer as she told him which ingredients he would need to buy. It was going to cost almost fifty Goralian Eagles all told, but in the end he'd have a potion could keep him moving forward instead of backward. In his time he'd seen a lot of veteran hunters end up with horrible injuries and he wasn't arrogant enough to assume he could escape the same fate.

On his way back home, Kai considered his training while cheerfully tapping the flask at his belt. If he was a more popular member of the clan, he might celebrate his successes with feasting and drinking. Being unpopular might be lonely, but at least it gave him plenty more time for training. It was getting late, so if the trainees had stopped early, he might be able to use the practice yard.

But when he got close to home, he heard the sounds of a scuffle. Kai forgot about everything else and rushed toward the outer courtyard where he could see the densest tangle of power. The symbols were too enmeshed to read, but his improved sight caught glimpses of both Classes and something he hadn't seen for a while... the Path of Steel from Irun.

When Kai burst into the courtyard, it was already over. Fhazi Lantrian was there for some reason, flanked by his two enormous goons. Standing opposed to them, Tusquo Agyama stood with a sword drawn and blood along the edge. His Irunian friends were with him, but one of the women knelt on the ground clutching her head.

"Ah," Tusquo said quietly, "just the man we wanted to see."

Fhazi turned to him with eyes blazing. "You! This is all your fault!"

Chapter 20: The Unexpected Hunt

Kai's first instinct was to draw a weapon, but he remembered what Gunjin had said about not causing trouble and restrained himself. Instead he carefully raised his empty hands and swept his gaze across both groups.

"Can someone explain what's going on here?" he asked.

"I believe we have made an error of protocol." Tusquo carefully wiped off his sword and lowered it. "We had intended to meet with you to make a request."

"Liar!" Fhazi jabbed a gauntlet in his direction. "You know the laws of Goralia! We treat you like honored guests, and you start collaborating to undermine the Hunters Guild?"

"That was never our intention. We only-"

"Kai put you up to this, didn't he?" Fhazi whirled back on him with a glower. "You're pissed that you didn't get anything, so you mislead the Irunians. That's just the kind of dirty trick you'd pull."

Tusquo sheathed his sword further, and at his gesture the other Irunians lowered their weapons as well. When their attention wavered, Fhazi lunged out to kick the woman on the ground. All the social confusion had thrown Kai at first, but the violence made him snap into action: he stepped forward and caught Fhazi's leg.

He'd planned several follow-up defenses, only to find them unnecessary. Fhazi's blow felt surprisingly weak, especially after so many bouts getting bludgeoned by Inafay's wind. To avoid antagonizing Fhazi, Kai pretended to fall back a step and put some distance between them.

"Let me see if I understand," Kai said, loud enough to talk over both sides as well as the mutterings from the growing audience. "Our guests from Irun came here to request work, believing it was a private matter when it should have gone through the Hunters Guild. Just a simple mistake, right?"

Fhazi glowered but didn't contradict him, while Tusquo bowed politely before responding. "I believe that is accurate."

"Then this all makes sense... except for one thing. Fhazi Lantrian, what were you doing at the Granfian complex?"

"That's..." Fhazi started to take a step forward, but one of his goons put a hand on his shoulder. He squirmed out of it, then realized just how outnumbered they were. "We saw something inappropriate and took action, like any citizen should! If you're going to make this right with the Guild, then we'll be moving along."

Gesturing to his entourage, Fhazi departed with as much dignity as possible. As they departed, Kai swept his spiritual senses over the group.

<

Name: Fhazi Lantrian

Total Power: 12

Grandfist Novice Class: 5 (5)

Physique Level: G-2 (6)

Soul Level: 1 (1)

>

They'd all improved since the Hunter Trials, but it was Fhazi that drew his attention. Even being fed everything the Lantrian family could afford, he hadn't advanced very far. At the moment he might be a threat, if he could land a hit with his Class abilities, but Kai felt sure he could resist those at F rank. With a little more work, he would be beyond such bullies.

He wanted to check Tusquo next, but the Irunians had finished taking care of their injured member and now faced him as a single somber group. Probably not the best of times to be comparing strength. Before Kai could come up with anything, Tusquo spoke.

"I apologize if our behavior has inadvertently complicated your life."

"No, he was obviously looking for a way to cause trouble." Kai folded his arms as he looked over the group. "What were you coming to ask?"

"We hoped that the Granfian family, and you in particular, would be willing to provide support when we venture into the wilderness. Our route will be leaving the common paths, so the quantity of monsters we are likely to encounter will be beyond our ability to resist."

"That's definitely the domain of the Hunters Guild, and I think you know that. Why come to me first?"

"Let me ask you a different question, Kai Granfian." Tusquo took a step closer, eyes flinty. "Would you be willing to risk your life for power, if that power was necessary to defend yourself and those you care about?"

The question was asked so seriously that Kai hesitated, but he knew that he only had one answer: "Of course."

"The same is true for us, and the nation of Irun. Please escort us to the Hunters Guild and I will make everything clear."

In the usual Irunian fashion, Tusquo talked around the issue instead of being direct. As far as Kai could tell, they had a very specific reason to want to explore the wilderness. One that they didn't want others to know about, or perhaps even a secret kept from Goralia in general. If it had been any nation other than Irun, Kai might have been suspicious, but he assumed they had legitimate reasons.

The conversation on the way was partially focused on convincing him not to hint any of their intentions for the trip. Other than potentially being a risk, Kai had no problem with that. The Hunters Guild took a cut of every assignment through them, so he didn't mind a tighter operation that didn't rely on the guild so much.

Along the way, he took the opportunity to examine Tusquo's strength again:

<

Name: Tusquo Agyama of Irun

Total Power: 29

Manablade Novice Class: 7 (7)

Physique Level: G-3 (8)

Soul Level: 2 (4)

Path of Steel: Iron 2 (10)

>

His Manablade Class had clearly improved, faster than anyone Kai had seen except Inafay. By far the largest surprise was observing the "Path of Steel" with his improved sight: each stage of it seemed to be valued more highly than any other system of power Kai had observed. Then again, he hadn't seen very many Krysali warriors recently and no one from the Elemental Nations at all.

"Our journey should begin in a fortnight," Tusquo was saying. "There are, again, important reasons that it must occur at that time, but we would prefer not to state those so clearly."

"Because someone else might learn something from it?" Kai asked. The timing meant nothing to him, but others knew a lot more about foreign powers.

"They might." Tusquo stared back at him, clearly unwilling to give any more information.

"Alright, then... you want me to suggest the timing? I'm not sure that's actually logical timing for me, but I can try to come up with an excuse."

"Your cooperation is much appreciated."

"I have a question for you." Kai paused, sorting through his words, and eventually decided to just plunge forward with it. "Why did you take until now to contact me? Is that part of the timing too?"

"No, not at all." Tusquo blinked at him in surprise. "We have taken until now to consider your initial letter to us. We agreed that your behavior during the Hunter Trials was honorable, but working together more closely is a delicate matter."

Kai shouldn't have been surprised. He chuckled over it as they reached the Hunters Guild, but his good humor died as they entered.

Hannagan Lantrian stood in front of the main desk, his arms folded over his broad chest. The head of the Hunters Guild looked none too happy, and the reason was obvious: Fhazi stood not far behind him with a smirk on his face. He hadn't been running away, he had gone to try to sabotage them.

"Honored Irunian guests." Hannagan gave them a perfect Irunian bow and ignored Kai entirely. "If you require the services of the Hunters Guild, we would be more than happy to offer assistance. Indeed, it is unnecessary to pay individual clans, considering the longstanding alliance between our nations."

"That is exceedingly generous," Tusquo said, bowing in return. "However, this is a trivial matter, nothing but a training excursion. We did not want to trouble you."

"It is no trouble at all. Would you like to be escorted by my grandson and his friends? The boy could use a little danger to shake up his life."

Fhazi jumped as if he hadn't expected that and started to say something, but Hannagan elbowed him in the ribs. The old man moved so fast that Kai barely saw the movement, just the results.

Of course, Tusquo refused the offer. The two of them sparred back and forth with polite language until Hannagan eventually gave in. He gave them all a polite smile, then gestured for Kai to approach.

"You have every right to choose your own companions," Hannagan said, "but I care for each and every hunter in Monskon City. Allow me to give him a few suggestions while you finish the paperwork, will you?"

There was no way to refuse that from the head of the Hunters Guild, so Kai followed him into a side chamber. As soon as the door closed, the old man wrapped a hand around his neck and slammed him into the wall. Kai struggled to move his arm, but it might as well have been made of steel. Even his spiritual sight slid off the old man's power.

"I cannot stop this idiocy, but I do not approve." Each of Hannagan's words was crisp and precise. "You're not remotely capable of surviving in the wilderness on your own. You think this will be like the tame monsters in the reserve? Without a proper Class, the real thing will tear you apart. All of this work, this effort... it's taking resources away from those who deserve them. If you had any decency, you would reject this offer and retire."

"I'm... a hunter..." Kai could barely choke out the words, but he glared back at Hannagan without blinking.

"For now. Maybe if you survive, this journey will show you your place. Just know that if you do anything to jeopardize the Guild, Monskon City, or Goralia... you will be exterminated. I will allow nothing to undermine our defenses, not even fools."

Hannagan threw him to the ground and Kai barely caught himself. Once he would have been choking, but his improving Physique left him less vulnerable. Since he doubted that Hannagan wanted to see any defiance, he let himself gasp for breath and recover from the choke.

"Know your place, trash!" Fhazi stepped forward and tried to kick him in the side. Kai wasn't going to let himself be humiliated that much: he raised a forearm and deflected the blows.

Before the third kick, Hannagan slapped his grandson in the face. Fhazi staggered back, less injured than shocked, staring at the old man.

"Don't humiliate the Lantrians any further." Hannagan spared Fhazi only a moment of scorn before he turned his attention back to Kai. "We won't treat you unfairly, boy. But if you fail in this assignment, it will be your last. If you do anything to alienate Irun, you're done. All I need is one good reason."

With that he spun away and left the room, Fhazi on his heels. Kai remained on his hands and knees, struggling to swallow his rage.

Chapter 21: Delving into Classes

Kai sat in the center of the Corinin yard, pretending that he was pushing deep into his own soul and mainly worrying that he just looked constipated. The new exercise involved focusing on his own mana and straining to push it deeper outside his body, which just felt awkward. He'd been much better at the differentiating exercises that Inafay had taught him first.

Inafay herself was walking around the square, doing a more elaborate version of the same exercise. He wasn't sure exactly why she was pushing so hard on this new spiritual training, other than that it had something to do with her Class. Whatever the reason, she'd been passionate about it for their past two sessions.

Struggling to push aside such thoughts, Kai returned to his meditation... and realized that he had finally done it. While thoroughly distracted, he'd managed to push a bead of pure mana into the world. It was a murky brown, incredibly mundane compared to the iridescent pearl that Inafay had shown him, but he was still shocked to have done it.

"Uh... I think..." He didn't want to say too much or raise his voice for fear that it would vanish. Fortunately, Inafay heard him and hopped closer to peer at it.

"Not bad, Kai, not bad. Your work paid off and it came out right the first time: this is the pure form of your Class mana, nothing else. It's easy to get it all muddled if you rush."

"And that's... good? What do I do with it?"

"You don't feel anything unusual?" Inafay bent closer, examining his face with the bead of mana between them. "Look at the mana, really look, and you should start feeling intuitions. There are all kinds of metaphors... imagine finding a weapon you've never seen before. You can tell something about it by the edge, the balance, and so on, right? Do the same with your mana."

Such abstract exercises weren't Kai's strength, but he'd forced himself through plenty of mana preparation training in the past. He tried to filter out the rest of the world and focused solely on the bead. This was allegedly a manifestation of his Class itself, so surely it could reveal something.

Gradually he began feeling a phantom ache, like he'd spent all day on manual labor. When he stared into the murkiness of the mana, he thought he saw glimpses of himself training as he usually did. Something within him pulsed in response and he felt certain that this mana was infusing his body, making him just a little stronger and more durable.

But that was all. He hadn't expected to discover that his Class possessed hidden legendary powers or anything so fantastical, but he had expected something. Kai looked up to see if Inafay had any new hope for him, but she sighed and dropped to sit on the cobblestones opposite him.

"No big revelations, judging from your face. Sorry about that."

"Why did you suggest this exercise?" Kai asked. "Should it have revealed something new?"

"It's not just a training exercise: there are lots of other ways to strengthen your Class. This one helps you understand it better." Inafay waved a hand near her chest and he had a feeling she saw her own symbols hovering there. "Some Classes are common, but new types show up every year, so of course they've developed ways to explore unknown ones. Even mine is a bit new, so I had to do all this to figure out the limits of what I could do."

"But nothing much in my case, unless I did it wrong."

"No, I think you did everything right. There's at least a silver lining: manifesting your mana like this can be good for making potions. I figure you can use the help there too, right?"

"That's kind of you." Kai smiled, but he was concerned about the new expression on her face. "Inafay, is everything alright?"

She stared at him, then laughed oddly. "What? No, nothing serious. I just didn't want to say that I'm not going to be able to make our training sessions for a while. Gotta go away for some intensive training."

"Is that why you were trying to teach me all these new things?"

"I guess so, yeah. I'll be back eventually, since I still need to improve my Physique Level, but you'll be on your own for a while with... everything. I wanted us to be square before I left."

That would disrupt his plans to prepare for the trip, but Kai focused on what she was saying. "Why are you leaving for this special training?"

"Because I'm about to break through!" Inafay hopped up as if she was too excited to stay seated. "Everyone in the clan is claiming credit, but I'm sure it's you! Fighting here I just feel so much more in touch with my Class... it's like the wind has been getting more and more intense, and now it's about to burst."

"That's great." Kai swallowed his bitterness and got up to congratulate her. "So you leave the Novice classification behind and get a boost?"

"Actually, the boost itself isn't that significant, not like with Physique rankings. But the main thing is that, instead of running up against the limits of my Class, I'll be starting over fresh. I should be able to gain strength rapidly in their intensive training course, and after it, I'll be able to go Class-to-Class with some adult hunters. Of course, I'm not aiming so low, so I'll be back to keep training."

"You'll blow past most of the people here, then. I assume that means you're destined for better things?"

"Either I go south to the wealthier cities or, if I'm good enough, to fight on the Frontier with the elites." Inafay's enthusiasm finally faded and she gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I know boasting about all this must seem cruel to you."

"No, it's... the way things are."

"I don't have any answers, but I do have this!" Inafay reached into a pouch and then thrust out a fist. "You said you wanted a mana seedling, right? Well, I couldn't get one, but this overdrive pill is as close as I could find. It's not a potion, because apparently they concentrate mana in pills over in Krysal. But it should work, if you use it right!"

Carefully accepting the gift, Kai found himself staring at a crystalline sphere in his palm. Instead of the hum of a mana-filled potion, it seemed to tremble with a different sort of mana. Allegedly his training was enough to absorb mana from any source, but that wasn't the biggest problem. "Are you... sure you want to give this to me?"

"I will punch you if you refuse! I was serious about you being the one to get me to this point, and none of the information I've given you is a fair payment. With this, we're even. I insist."

Even if it was partially charity, Kai accepted the pill without further objections. "What were you saying about using it correctly?"

"This one is actually pretty dangerous." Inafay put her hands on her hips and frowned down at it. "Apparently it throws your body into overdrive, putting so much stress on you that it could do more harm than good if you don't use it at a time when you're already going to take a beating. Like, they stressed to me that I shouldn't use it even in serious sparring. But the overdrive pill could help you pull through a crisis point and get stronger, so I figured it would do you some good."

"Thank you, Inafay."

"No, thank you. I'll get in touch after my training is done, alright?" With that, she leapt away and left only a streak of green mana piercing the trees.

Kai stared after her, wondering if that could have been his life if fate had chosen a little differently. Instead of being stuck with a useless Class, he would be competing with her to fully awaken his Class and develop new abilities. Part of him was happy for her, yes, but he couldn't help feeling bitter.

Since there was nothing he could do about that, Kai focused on the practical: her absence threw off his plans to prepare for Tusquo's trip. He only had a week and a half to prepare for a journey that would be dangerous at the best of times, and apparently the Hunters Guild would be watching closely for a reason to kick him out. His only chance of keeping up with everyone else was definitely on the line.

As he developed a new training schedule in his head, Kai walked back to the lower city. Since he had more time, he should return to Juray and explore the possibilities for his new mana techniques. Most likely they wouldn't result in anything, but he couldn't leave the chance on the table.

"Hello again, Kai." Juray gave him a broad smile and ushered him closer to her shop window. "I'm afraid there's no chance I can finish your second potion in time for your big trip, if that's why you're here."

"No, I wanted to talk about something else." Kai drew his focus together and hoped he didn't look too stupid as he tried to concentrate mana. "Can you create potions from pure Class mana?"

Her eyebrows immediately shot up. "Well, is there any kind of training you aren't doing? I know what you're talking about, but I don't have much experience with it. I've met some more powerful Herbalists can take mana from extremely powerful hunters and distill it into a potion that briefly grants someone a bit of their essence. There are also mixes that try to feed a person with their own power. But, to be honest... I wouldn't get your hopes up."

"But can we try?" Kai finally finished and lifted in a bead of muddy mana in his cupped palms.

Instead of answering directly, Juray disappeared into her shop and returned with a small bowl. It was unusually thick and formed from a dark metal, but otherwise Kai couldn't tell anything about it. Maybe an arcane metal from Irun?

She coaxed the bead of mana into the bowl, where it not only maintained its cohesion away from him, it hovered in the center. Juray sighed in relief, then began running a number of experiments. Since he had no idea what she was doing, Kai simply watched as she poked, extracted, heated, and otherwise analyzed his mana.

Eventually she straightened up and shook her head. "I hope you weren't expecting to learn that your Class had some amazing application in potion-making."

"I'm not even slightly surprised." Kai stared down at the bowl forlornly. "Is it any good at all?"

"You could probably sell it to day laborers who need refreshment, but it would be too expensive for them. There's a chance that making potent ones and drinking them yourself could help a little... but probably not a lot."

"I think we have to try."

They discussed an exact plan, since the potions would require purchasing new ingredients that Juray didn't have on hand. In the end, Kai decided to spend another ten Eagles to fund the creation of an entire set of the potions. His dwindling money wasn't doing him any good sitting in a sack, after all.

Besides, if he succeeded at Tusquo's request, he'd soon be paid more anyway. Either he'd have more money, his life would be ruined, or he'd be dead.

Chapter 22: Not the Intended Preparations

One day. Just one more day.

Kai had prepared himself about as well as he could, in terms of his own strength. He'd undergone a brutal training regimen combining all the exercises he'd learned up to that point, but now he needed to rest or he would be too exhausted to fight. Though he hadn't been able to spar with Inafay, he'd spent time with the Irunians to make sure they could work as a team.

They'd had some new ideas for him, but he'd focused on exercises he'd already mastered to avoid injuring himself. As he walked back into the city, Kai used his spiritual sight to see the strength he'd be leaving the city with:

<

Name: Kai Granfian

Total Power: 34

Laborer Class: 7 (7)

Physique Level: G-8 (18)

Soul Level: 3 (9)

???: ???

>

As hard as he'd worked, hitting G-9 had proved impossible. His useless Class had continued advancing thanks to his new experiments, but he'd take what he could get. The fact that his Soul Level hadn't improved had frustrated him until he read in the Granfian Library that it almost never developed with pure training, only in true combat.

Since he couldn't increase his Physique rank, he'd decided to leave his special flask with Juray: the risk of it breaking in the wastelands was too high. Instead, he carried a number of cheap healing potions. They'd drained his funds yet further, but he needed to put everything on surviving this mission.

To avoid draining himself further, Kai had scheduled all of his other preparations for the final day. Going around Monskon City purchasing ordinary supplies like tents and flints was practically a vacation compared to his usual training schedule. Though he looked longingly at some of the mana-enhanced equipment, he just purchased the cheapest options of decent quality. The goal was to increase his survivability, not travel in comfort.

His errands were all finished by early evening, so Kai found himself wandering and trying to imagine what else could help. He couldn't think of any other purchases to make and he had no one to really relax with, so he headed to the Hunters Guild. Perhaps the veterans there could tell him more about monsters along the Irunians' chosen route.

Along the side of the primary Guild building there were a number of terraces crowning the city. Some held chambers for the top hunters, others stored valuable materials, and a few offered other amenities. One of the lowest held the Guild restaurant and bar, which Kai technically was permitted to enter but hadn't had time for before that point.

As he entered he looked over the veterans, wondering how many would be willing to speak to him. No doubt they had heard about his disappointing Class, but he thought he had a decent relationship with many of them. Maybe they could commiserate, at least...

Then Kai saw Fhazi and realized that nothing was going the way he planned.

The young Lantrian scion sat at one of the largest tables, surrounded by a group that included the two huge goons and the ever-present quiet woman. They were relatively far away, though, compared to all the wealthy young people Fhazi was socializing with. Members of the Orgoron and Corinin clans, Krysali merchants standing out with their dusky skin and colored robes, even a couple of Irunians. All the types of people who made the world move and no longer had anything to do with Kai's life.

"Kai Granfian!" Fhazi stood up with a wicked grin. "Have you mastered your Class yet? Does the might Laborer Class letyou bring us a round of drinks better than any servant here?"

Kai could feelthe warriors at the table examining him, observing his useless Class. Those who lacked spiritual sight took in his shabby robe and rough hands and learned everything they needed. Instead of responding, Kai ignored all of them and moved to the bar.

Though Fhazi could be impetuous, he wasn't foolishly cruel. This overt malice was clearly trying to provoke a response. If Kai started a fight, or even spoke back too aggressively, then Hannagan would immediately take the opportunity to expel him from the Hunters Guild. Since he wasn't about to fall for that, Kai took the higher path and ignored the taunting.

A mug of beer splashed over his head, drenching his hair and soaking into his shirt. Kai whirled, a fist raised, and held back an inch from Fhazi's smug face.

"You really want to trade punches?" Fhazi asked. "Because my Grandfist has been getting stronger and stronger. Go ahead, I'll give you the first hit. Just so long as you don't go crying back home when mine hurts way worse."

"If I'm not welcome here, I'll leave." Kai gave the entire group a flat smile, pretending that their smug looks didn't hurt. At least a few had the decency not to laugh, though it was hard to tell anything on the largest thugs' dull faces. "Have a lovely evening."

He turned around and left with as much dignity as he could while dripping with beer. Fhazi shouted a few more insults, which accomplished nothing, and then hurled the empty mug at him. Now that he was ready, Kai easily caught the mug before it could strike his back, then set it down on a table with exaggerated care.

Once he was out of sight of the Guild, however, his composure crumbled. He had wanted to punch Fhazi directly in his smug face and a darker part of him wanted to tear out his throat. Maybe with his teeth. Trying not to think about where that savagery came from, Kai wrung out his hair and tried to dry his shirt a little.

"It's not right, for him to do that."

The voice took Kai completely off guard. He didn't recognize it at all and whirled suspiciously, only to freeze. To his surprise, one of Fhazi's enormous goons had followed him. The man loomed on the shadowy street, but he didn't look like he planned to start any trouble. His face didn't give anything away, but if anything, he looked... sympathetic?

"I'm sorry I can't do anything." The enormous man cracked his knuckles on one fist, but instead of a threat, it conveyed nervousness. "But I thought you should know. Some of us think it's not right. It's not your fault you got a bad Class."

"If you feel so bad for me," Kai spat, "then why do you go along with everything Fhazi does?"

"Don't got a choice. We need the Lantrian clan to help us advance. They told us to take care of Fhazi, so that's what we gotta do."

"There's no way that's true. With your strength, any clan would hire you. If you stick around with that little shit, that's on you."

"Maybe that's true for somebody like you." The man startedon the knuckles of his other hand, his eyes constantly downward. "When you're as big as my brother and me, everybody knows what you're gonna be. We're not dumb, not like everybody thinks. But we're not as smart as you. They'd never train us in swords and traps and everything. Just brawling."

Part of Kai still wanted to be angry, but the bile drained out of him. Actually, he was the one being shitty and petty when the man was trying to reach out. Kai took a deep breath, tried to forget about the smell of beer all over himself, and forced a smile.

"Maybe we've gotten off on the wrong foot. What's your name?"

"Raghi Tonjin."

"Tonjin?"

"Yeah." Raghi shrugged with a sheepish grin. "Nobody knows us, and we're not really a clan. But that's our name. It's just me and Lofgan now. That's my brother."

For the first time, Kai tried to really look at the man, not just assume a stereotype about him. Yes, he was built like a particularly uninspired pile of bricks and lacked anything resembling a neck. But based on everything he had said, it was wrong to simply lump him in with Fhazi's hangers-on. Kai opened his spiritual sight to truly examine the man.

<

Name: Raghi Tonjin

Total Power: 25

Scrapper Novice Class: 7 (7)

Physique Level: G-6 (14)

Soul Level: 2 (4)

>

The fact that Raghi hadgrown so much stronger since the Hunter Trials should have angered Kai, but he couldn't think about anything the same way anymore. Raghi and his brother weren't just being handed power, they were struggling to get whatever they could. After Kai had seen how hard was for those without backing, it would be wrong to look down on anyone for doing what they had to.

"If you just wanted to apologize," Kai said, "your apology is accepted. I understand why you have to serve a major clan, but that isn't going to help me the next time Fhazi orders you to hit me."

"We're sorry about that." The new voice took Kai off guard and he whirled to see the other brother emerge from the shadows. Lofgan looked even more nervous than his brother. "But no hard feelings? You seem like you enjoy a good fight."

"I guess so." Kai looked between the two and found himself smiling. "I wish I could convince you to join another clan, but I guess you have your reasons. Can you at least tell me why Fhazi hates me so much?"

"He thinks you took everything he deserved," Raghi answered. "You and people like you. He thought he was going to be the greatest monster hunter, then people like you blew past him. He really tried for a while, but he couldn't keep up. Even with all his father's wealth, he isn't advancing."

"Did his father hire you two to protect him?"

"That's right."

Kai glanced back toward the bar, thinking over the usual fighters that surrounded Fhazi. "Some of those with him are Lantrians, but not all. Just how many of his people are hired? Do the rest of them feel like you do?"

"Not really." Raghi answered simply and shook his head, but Lofgan spoke up again.

"You've gotta be careful about Yerinna. She's the woman with the needles, you've seen her. I'm not sure why, but she's real loyal. And lethal."

"Yeah." Raghi raised his hands and squeezed the air. "In a straight fight, if I could get my hands on her, she'd be dead. But in reality, she'd cut my throat while I was asleep or something. She's dangerous."

Lofgan bobbed his head in agreement. "No idea where she came from, and the others don't know either. She's not very friendly with anybody, even Fhazi."

That was valuable intelligence, but Kai found himself wondering exactly where this conversation was going. Since the brothers seemed more earnest than conniving, he decided to just be direct. "Alright, you've apologized and answered my question. Is there something else you wanted?"

The two looked at one another and shuffled awkwardly before Lofgan spoke up quietly. "Maybe a drink? Umm, one not poured over your head."

Despite himself, Kai laughed and joined the brothers. He was worried that being seen together would ruin their reputation, but they took him not only out of the inner city, but even past the outer wall. Apparently there were bars in the outskirts, never visited by hunters. Though he didn't ask, Kai got the sense that the Tonjin brothers had been born in the outermost city before being recruited.

As the three of them shared a drink, Kai cameto know the brothers better than he had ever expected. Though they looked very similar, Raghi was actually two years older and had a different father. They didn't like to talk about their parents, but they were glad to talk about anything and everything else. Kai got the sense that they didn't get the chance to trulycommunicate with someone often, since Fhazi mainly wanted to hear himself.

Instead of viewing the two as matching thugs, Kai began to wonder how he ever saw them as identical goons. Raghi had darker hair and a scar across his jaw, while Lofgan had a leaner face. Lofgan drank beer as copiously as you'd expect for a man his size, but Raghi actually preferred mulberry wine. Though Raghi had manifested a typical Scrapper Class, Lofgan was something called a Whistlewind that no one was sure what to make of.

By the end of the night, Kai couldn't exactly say they had become friends. The brothers did have a stubborn loyalty toward the Lantrian clan and they didn't seem inclined to think about certain subjects very much. They weren't likely to become regular drinking partners. But as he finished his last drink and wished them well, Kai was glad he'd gotten to know them.

Walking home down the darkening streets, Kai began to reverse that conclusion. Seeing Monskon City from their perspective, there was even more injustice than he had realized. Even if he'd shed blood and tears for everything he'd earned, there were other people who started with worse fates.

A night of relaxed drinking should have been exactly what he needed before a stressful journey. As Kai tried to go to sleep, he wondered if this hadn't been the worst possible start. Everything had seemed so much simpler that morning.

Chapter 23: Venturing From Monskon City

As many times as Kai had left the city, he still felt nervous the first time he left as an official hunter. No, he wasn't leaving on an official hunt, but encountering monsters was a virtual certainty when leaving well-patrolled lands. This was his first chance to do more than just take the city's resources, to actually protect people from the monster scourge and make a difference.

Despite the difficult path they'd chosen, the trip should be easier than the average escort job. Instead of guarding merchants or other civilians, their central group was all Irunians, most of whom could defend themselves. Tusquo and an Irunian woman had developed a Class, two others were skilled warriors even if they hadn't finished the Hunter Trials, and even the three specialists seemed capable of defending themselves.

Perhaps for that reason, or because this mission was somewhat secret, there were only five hunters from Monskon City. While he kept watch for monsters, Kai checked on the entire group again. Their leader was Curaina Granfian, who he couldn't see at the moment. Yangil headed up the group. That left Kai and two hunters he barely knew.

It occurred to Kai that, even though he'd been using his spiritual sight on everyone in their group, he hadn't really considered them systematically. He still didn't see Curaina, but knew that she was the only member with a Power total over 50. Yangil and one of the other hunters were rated in the 40s, then there was a drop to four along with Kai in the 20s and 30s. Two Irunians with ratings below 20, then the civilians with single digits.

Was that enough? Even though the numbers older hunters regularly talked about made more sense to him now, Kai wasn't sure. He felt like some trips had gone smoothly with fewer hunters while at other times even veteran hunters didn't make it back. Even with all their preparations, they didn't have the monster scourge fully under control.

"Kai." Curaina appeared with very little warning from the bushes alongside their path. She was a woman in her thirties with slate gray hair pulled back in a tail, clad in a scale hauberk. Though he'd seen her among the other Granfian trainers from time to time, Kai hadn't had many chances to observe her strength with his new senses.

<

Name: Curaina Granfian

Total Power: 64

Stonecaster Class: 15 (25)

Physique Level: F-0 (30)

Soul Level: 3 (9)

>

He blinked aside the symbols to focus fully on her. "What is it?"

"I've been scouting ahead, and I'm afraid we're going into this under-powered." Curaina ground her teeth as she fell into pace alongside him. "If the Irunians weren't so damn secretive, we could have taken a stronger group. Anyway, no disrespect to you, but I want you to take more of a supporting role. Get a longer weapon from the Irunians."

"You think a sword won't be appropriate?" Kai set his hand on the hilt of the simple sword he'd bought earlier.

"You have some disadvantages, but I know you keep a level head. Given this group, we're likely to end up grappling with monsters we can barely match. I don't want you to take them head on, I want you to stay at a distance and strike. Without hitting us, mind."

As soon as Kai nodded, Curaina marched away to speak to the others. She wasn't the most reassuring of leaders, but at least she had offered a reasonable plan instead of mocking him. Kai went to go speak to the Irunians about getting another weapon.

His first intent was to talk to Tusquo, but at the moment the Irunian leader was deep in conversation with some of the hunters in back. That left the others... who didn't exactly look friendly. Then again, they were all going to be traveling together for some time, so surely they wouldn't reject him. Kai decided to speak to the young woman who had first dropped out of the Hunter Trials, gave her a careful look with his spiritual sight, then spoke up.

"Uh, hi." Kai matched her pace and tried not to stumble over his own feet when she turned her hard gaze on him. "I don't want to bother you, but-"

"You have fought at my side and saved my life against the monster threat in the reserve." She smiled as if the expression took a supreme act of will. "It is not a bother."

"Good. I'm Kai from the-"

"I know who you are, Kai Granfian. I am Kanaqa Hiryla. How can I assist you?"

"Our leader just suggested that I needed a longer range weapon to provide support. I know that generating steel isn't easy for you, but I hope that, given the circumstances..."

Anoqa examined him seriously. "It is not an unreasonable request, but why did you ask me?"

"Because you're the only one other than Tusquo who rates higher than the first stage of your Path of Steel. I don't know a lot about it, but I figured that would be good."

"I have focused on the path of Irun because I failed to awaken one of your Goralian Classes." Anoqa frowned, but he thought she was pleased that he'd noticed judging from her eyes. "It is no trouble to form a weapon for you."

After some discussion about her skills and his goals, she formed a long pike. It took more time than past weapons, the sphere of liquid metal between her palms ebbing and flowing as she wove strands into the long shaft. He considered that it might have been easier to provide her with a wooden shaft, because the final weapon was immensely heavy. Still, with his mana-enhanced Physique it wasn't difficult to wield, and it wouldn't break easily.

Over the next several days, Kai had little chance to use his new weapon. They did run into a few monsters, but they were only familiar twisted dogs like he'd fought in the monster reserve. Not many of them could get close, because Curaina tended to skewer them with floating shards of rock as soon as they appeared.

When he did face off with one, Kai was especially careful, only for it to die in a single thrust. His spiritual sense for monsters was still forming, but he was fairly confident that these were no stronger than the ones he'd fought previously. If they fought nothing but similar alpha-ranked creatures, they had nothing to be worried about.

During the time he wasn't holding a key position, Kai tried to get closer to the other members of the expedition. The Irunians were polite to him, but reserved. He spent almost an hour talking to the woman who had gained a class alongside Tusquo - she proved able to cast shards of ice - but she never even gave him her name. He had to ask directly before she reluctantly identified herself as Anoqa Hiryla. They were willing to risk their lives fighting alongside him, but he suspected they wouldn't invite him over for dinner unless forced.

Just when Kai was beginning to think the trip might go smoothly, an enormous monster burst from the bushes and charged toward him.

Though it was only about a third the size of the Direboar, the creature was entirely covered in armored scales and still outweighed him. Worse, the single horn jutting from its head looked rather sharp. Kai immediately hefted his pike and began to retreat, but the civilians were only a few paces behind him. With no sign of Curaina and the other hunters at a distance, he had no choice.

Kai set his legs and thrust with his full strength... and the tip of his pike glanced off the monster's armor.

An instant later it was on him, bucking its head to try to spear him with the horn. Kai barely managed to dodge to the side, only for its heavy head to slam into his side. It was already inside the range of his pike, so he drew his sword with his off hand and tried to stab it in the eye.

Another blow skating off the armored scales. An instant later its shoulder crashed into him and Kai tumbled across the ground, dropping his weapons to avoid skewering himself.

He pulled back to his feet and was shocked at how far he'd been thrown. Fortunately, the others were closing on the monster and the Irunian civilians sensibly retreated. Tusquo was battering it with arcs of mana from his sword, the blows failing to draw blood but at least staggering the creature. When Anoqa joined in, several of her ice shards managed to pierce between the monster's scales.

It bellowed in pain, but it wasn't close to down, and its next charge scattered the group. Kai hastened to get back into the fight.

While recollecting his weapons, Kai realized that he had a severe cut along his side where the horn must have hooked him. In the midst of things, he hadn't even noticed. Being slammed by the creature's weight hurt more and his chest ached. Kai decided that he needed to drink one of the minor healing potions immediately, then waited for a chance to enter the fight.

Just when it looked like the beast might trample over the Irunians despite their best efforts, Yangil leapt into the fight. He wielded what looked like a simple sword, but he swung it with the full weight of his Knight Class behind the blow. The first swing cut deep into the monster's shoulder and it bellowed more loudly than before.

Yangil's second cut tore scales from its chest, but then the beast's horn very nearly skewered him. The sword was knocked from his hands and he desperately grabbed the horn. For a moment he arrested its movements, then it began to push him back, head bucking to try to drive him to the ground.

Tusquo and Anoqa continued to strike it with ranged strikes, but the beast was in a blood rage and barely seemed to notice the new injuries. The others, even the experienced hunters, stood at a distance too uncertain to take action.

Then it was up to him. Kai ran closer and cut at one of the monster's legs. Once again, the tip of his pike failed to penetrate, but he'd expected that: Kai got one of the spikes of his weapon around the creature's leg and tugged as hard as he could.

His pull managed to drop the monster onto its side, which gave Yangil time to retreat to a safe distance. But the beast lurched back up, far faster than he'd expected, and it was almost on him.

Kai whipped his pike around, slamming the butt into the beast's eye. He could feel something give, but his blow didn't stop its charge and pain tore through his side. All too quickly he was on his back again, the monster rearing over him, its sharp hooves dropping like death...

Earth erupted from beside him and an enormous spike of rock pierced the monster's chest. Even that didn't kill it, the beast shaking its head wildly and stabbing in all directions with its horn. By the time Kai looked back to see Curaina, she had stepped closer and driven another spike through its head.

"Sorry I couldn't get back in time." Curaina glanced over the group, then down at him. "Good work, but that injury will need immediate treatment. Take a potion now, get a bandage on it, then drink another in an hour."

With that she moved away to assist the others. Kai did as she asked, his fingers lingering on the third potion in his pouch... his last. Several days into the journey and he'd already burned through his preparations.

Chapter 24: Aquagorgon

The next several days of the trip went smoothly. Kai stayed in formation and contributed when necessary. The group collected monster cores. They were allegedly nearing their destination.

But he felt as though he was dragging himself half-dead. It had been days since he'd properly cleaned up and he had the start of a messy beard. He still hadn't repaired his shirt in the places it had been torn. None of it mattered.

Maybe Gunjin and Hannagan and everyone else had been right to think he was doomed without a strong Class. Kai thought he was about as skilled as any member of their group, and he was more durable than most. But if they ever ran into a monster that couldn't be harmed by ordinary human weapons, he would immediately become a liability. Even if he put inhuman effort into improving himself, he wouldn't be able to handle the more powerful monsters deeper in the wastelands, much less defend the city during an incursion.

Once, Kai would have been glad for more experience against monsters. Now, every time they encountered something new, he held back and let the others handle it. He still watched carefully, particularly when they encountered a nest of snakes that instinctively dodged all ranged attacks. But he had no healing left and lacked the spirit to throw himself into danger.

"Hey!" Yangil trotted back from the front and waved to everyone. "There's a pond up ahead, and it carries some residual mana!"

"Wait." Curaina intercepted the group as they started to move forward. "I know you all want the chance to rest, but we've never confirmed the water is safe in this region. We need to check it out first."

Even if Kai hadn't been able to sense the hum of mana from the water, it would have been obvious: the hollow surrounding the pond flourished with plants that glittered purple. He didn't see anything dangerous in the clear water, but waited for Curaina to investigate.

Once she confirmed that she didn't sense anything, Kai waded into the shallows along with the others. He cupped his hands to draw some to his lips and was surprised that it tasted a bit like common potions. Mana-infused water was often used as a base, though he thought that it needed to be more intense than this pond. Something definitely felt wrong about it, even if he wasn't sure what. Maybe a question to ask Juray after he got back.

While the others drank or cleaned themselves, Curaina stood with her arms folded. After observing her scowl remain unchanged for some time, Kai approached. "Everything okay?"

"I feel like there's something wrong, but I have no rational reason to believe that." Curaina stared down into the deepest section of the water. "Some monsters can hide their presences, particularly hunters, so the lack of mana doesn't necessarily mean it's safe. But I examined every inch of the water and there's not even a flesh-eating minnow. Maybe it's just nerves."

"Uh..." Kai hesitated to contradict a veteran hunter, but his stomach was beginning to knot itself. "Is that the problem? Shouldn't a mana-rich pond like this have at least some monsters?"

"Shit. Everyone, listen up! No fast movements, but we need to-"

Before she could finish her sentence, eels erupted from the mud beneath the pond. Kai caught a glimpse of the Irunians closing together in a tight formation, weapons drawn, then he had an eel of his own to deal with. It lunged at him, mouth impossibly wide, and he only barely raised his pike in time.

After the eel skewered itself, Kai swept his pike in a wide arc, trying to ward off any others that wanted to strike. He noticed something odd: the monsters were all rising from the edges of the pond and arcing into the air before striking. They were spaced too evenly as well, as if it was a planned ambush. That, or it could be something much worse...

It looked like the Irunians were safe in a cluster, but two of the hunters struggled at the edge. Yangil waded in to save them, the eels clamping down on his armor. He grunted in pain, as if some of their teeth got through, but tore through the group. There was only a brief gap before the eels shifted to keep them enclosed within the pond.

The mud beneath Kai's feet shifted dangerous as something enormous emerged in the center. It had an narrow head roughly similar to the eels, but with far larger teeth and three glowing purple eyes. As more serpentine lengths uncoiled around it, Kai realized that what he'd been thinking of as eels were eyeless extensions of the central creature.

Curaina struck before it could, stone spikes exploding from the pond in all directions. The burst of water was quickly joined by blood as tentacles fell in all directions. A larger spike tore through the center of the beast, which was just translucent enough that the stone was visible through its body. Deeper within, Kai thought he saw something deep purple stirring.... the beast might be sagging, but it was definitely still alive.

"Okay..." It took Curaina some time to catch her breath, but then she managed to call to the others. "This is an Aquagorgon... we're lucky it's an immature one that still can't regenerate well."

"You mean it's not dead?" Yangil blurted.

"Not yet. Stay away from the tentacles until we're sure. Everyone who can fight at range, begin carving up the central body. Every part of it is a threat until the core is destroyed."

The others began hurling mana toward the beast, which groaned and twisted as pieces were torn from its body. That left Kai useless, but instead of despairing he tried to examine the pond carefully. Many of the jawed tentacles had been severed, while the others lay still... oddly still. If the monster was in so much pain, why weren't its outer limbs thrashing?

"Wait, it's-" Whatever he had been about to say, he was too late. Apparently dead appendages leapt up and tore into the entire group.

Kai instinctively lunged to help the Irunians, skewering one of the jaws about to clamp down on Anoqa's head. Another bit down on Tusquo's shoulder and he grunted in pain. Before the others could close in, he swung his sword in a broad arc, a circle of mana tearing through the nearest. Anoqa recovered from her shock and sent ice spikes through most of the others near them, earning a moment to breathe.

The others hadn't been so lucky. All of them had been bitten by several tentacles, though their jaws were stopped by Yangil's armor and Curaina impaled all those near her with stone. Both of the other hunters managed to fight them off and raised their weapons, fending off the tentacles rising around them.

In the center of the pond, the Aquagorgon slid off the spike that had been impaling it, translucent purple flesh healing almost as quickly as it moved. Though the formerly clear water was now roiling with blood-stained mud, it didn't look like it had been dealt any serious injuries. Even when Curaina tore through its base, it only seemed to slow down.

So this had all been a trap. Kai was surprised that such an intelligent monster always made its tentacles rear up out of the water instead of...

"Get out of the water!" Kai shouted.

Fortunately, the Irunians understood. Tusquo swung his sword toward the shore and severed a swath of tentacles, then they all leapt. More tentacles tried to lunge at them, but Kai and Anoqa speared them out of the air and they managed to land safely on the shore. Kai urged them further back, just in case the Aquagorgon could tunnel further outside the pond.

When he turned back, for a moment he thought that his warning had been completely in vain. Curaina looked skeptical, while the other hunters stared back at him as if he was a coward. So far, the tentacles had remained back, dodging away from their weapons.

Then one of the hunters went down with a cry as the water churned around her. There were a few glimpses of more jaws rising to clamp down on her, drawing her under to finish tearing her apart. Her screams of pain were drowned almost immediately.

The others might have fallen as well if Curaina hadn't acted quickly. She drew up an entire platform of rock under the remaining hunters, the sheer edges cutting through some of the tentacles trying to ambush them. Yangil was still on his feet, but the other hunter had collapsed to one leg, clutching his injuries.

Another tentacle curled upward, snapping out and grabbing Curaina's outstretched arm. She must have been exhausted by the effort of raising the earth, because she hacked through the tentacle with a knife instead of generating any more spikes. Blood was pouring from multiple wounds now, but she still managed to shout to the others.

"Hit the core, or it will never stop!" She managed to generate another thick spike that temporarily pinned the Aquagorgon in place, but judging from her grimace it wasn't enough. "Yangil, I just need a distraction. Use your armor and-"

But Yangil used his firm footing to leap out of the pond. Curaina stared after him in shock, then several more tentacles clamped down on her body. Her F-rank Physique endured instead of being torn apart, but she obviously couldn't survive much more.

Behind her, the central maw of the Aquagorgon rose to consume her. Curaina struggled, but each spike emerged a little slower. Tusquo and Anoqa struck at range, but the Aquagorgon was healing almost as quickly as they damaged it. There was no one else coming to save them.

Before he knew what he was doing, Kai popped the overdrive pill into his mouth and swallowed. He felt nothing as he charged back toward the pond, but he didn't stop: they needed to kill it while it was still weakened from Curaina's strikes or they were all dead. As he jumped through the regenerating tentacles, he felt a surge of new mana and found the strength to knock them aside.

It was still nothing close to the burst of power he'd needed to overcome such a powerful foe. And yet Kai leapt from the stone, directly into the Aquagorgon's mouth. The hooked teeth closed around him and his vision went red.