Chapter 530: Friends Across the Frontier

After all the intense negotiations, Kai wanted some time to decompress, which meant training, spending time with his wives, or talking to someone who wasn't a Frontier elite. Unfortunately, beside the base was a bad place for training and the others had left: Handelrey had pulled Zae Zin Nim aside to discuss some sort of cultivation matter and Omilaena had gone off to talk with Irunian elites to plan their upcoming plans.

Surprisingly, Inafay arrived from a portal to rescue him.

For a while they just sat atop the rough building, staring out past the black rings - now still and silent - over the wasteland. It seemed like Inafay had been through some things of her own, and they pointedly didn't talk about anything serious. They reminisced about old times in Monskon City, which restaurants or training halls had closed or moved, how the Hunters Guild was reforming, and nothing else of consequence.

Eventually she asked him about how the trials and negotiations had gone, so he shared the story in brief. The non-hierarchical discussions among the Frontier elites didn't seem to faze her, since she'd gotten deeper into the organization while he was off on other continents. Once that was done, however, Kai went silent and waited for her to explain her own presence.

"Orotaisin and I just underwent an evaluation of our new power." Inafay ruefully ran a finger over a cut through her tunic, and the just-healed scar underneath. "We're obviously not full-fledged elites, unfortunately. They said that Cloudspire was good for our strength, but we really need to brush up on our phases, so we'll be doing focused training until the incursion."

"Makes sense." As he nodded, Kai glanced at her soul again. "And probably your Class?"

<

Name: Inafay Corinin

Total Power: 561

Windcutter Class: 98 (108)

Windborn: Twiceswept (115)

Qi Condensation 44% (14)

Physique Level: D-0 (200)

Soul Level: 7 (49)

Highwinds Essence (+75)

>

Inafay had gained a new boost in strength by getting up to D-rank Physique, but her Windcutter Class was at Level 98, tantalizingly close to becoming an Advanced Class. Then again, that tier was hardly ever reached on Deadwaste...

"That's the plan," Inafay said. "I was hoping to get some tips from Zin Nim before we went off to the Wind Union."

"That's where they're doing your training?"

"Yeah, the plan is for both of us to get entry to some sort of ancient wind shrine, one of their most conserved resources. We may not be the hot new thing, now that you're here, but the elites don't forget about anyone with potential."

"Hey," Kai said, "don't knock yourself. Sounds like you're really investing in a location, which will have benefits down the line. You won't have to spend time negotiating with the elites any time you want to do anything, for example."

Inafay cast him a wry grin. "I thought you were just trying to cheer me up, but you're right. Orotaisin and I aren't trying to jump the normal process now, but if things get ugly, we'll be fighting on the front lines with the elites. So in another seven years - assuming we all survive - we'll be key figures in the Elemental Nations."

"How does that front look? We didn't talk about it much."

"Orotaisin contacted some old buddies and they seem positive. The work you did in the Earth Union helped, and everyone else built on those agreements, so the Elemental Nations are pulling together. If you reinforce our flanks in Krysal and Irun, we should be fine."

"Sure," Kai said, "but does that mean they'll be stretching those lines thinner?"

"Yeah, most likely. Thanks to Orotaisin and me coming back stronger than they expected, they're pulling another elite away to serve as emergency reinforcement." Inafay shook her head ruefully. "But if things get really bad, I'm hoping you or the others can back us up."

"I'd definitely go there if I got a choice. I think the problem isn't likely to be any specific battle, it'll be getting pulled in too many different directions."

"Oh, don't I know it. Even we're dealing with that on a smaller scale."

They kept chatting, now about their partial understanding of the incursion strategy, until others arrived not far away. There was an elite Kai didn't know, but more importantly he brought along with him the Tonjin brothers and Orotaisin.

Inafay leapt off the roof to catch her fiance in a flying kiss, so Kai decided that he might as well greet the Tonjin brothers, albeit with less kissing and more backslapping. It hadn't actually been that long, but since he'd been spending so much time with the trainees, he felt like they hadn't gotten much time together. Then again, maybe that was appropriate - they didn't need him anymore, they were building lives for themselves.

"Same results as you," Orotaisin said once the group pulled together. "We may need to go negotiate with some reluctant parties in the Wind Union, so I'll be relying on you to dazzle them."

"Aye aye, husband!" Inafay snapped an elaborate salute.

Kai had checked the Tonjin brothers' souls recently enough, but he took a look at Orotaisin.

<

Name: Orotaisin of Mistral

Total Power: 584

Windborn: Thriceswept (291)

Physique Level: E-9 (107)

Body Refinement 0% (100)

Soul Level: 6 (36)

Highwinds Essence (+50)

>

The man had stayed just ahead of Inafay in total Power, and he had another huge boost coming if he could jump from E-9 to D-0 Physique. Kai immediately had the impulse to promise that Omilaena could help with that, but he realized that might be unnecessary: she'd been talking to them throughout the trip, so she no doubt knew. If there was any single lesson in the incursion, it was that he couldn't be everywhere at once, so he needed to leave some things to his allies.

"What about you two?" Kai asked the brothers. He directed the question to Raghi, since he was more likely to answer in a group like this, but also looked to Lofgan as well.

"Just playing soldiers," Raghi said gruffly. "We might have a fair bit of Power, but we've done no phase training at all. They say if we survive maybe we can go into full elite training, maybe get there for the next incursion."

"I'm willing to bet you can do better than that." Kai grinned at both of them. "Haven't you been defying people's expectations of you for years now? When we come back, I expect you to be running the Frontier elite program."

Lofgan gave a soft snort and looked away, while Raghi just shook his head. "More like you'll bring back some insane new resources for us. But we'll keep training."

"Are you planning to go somewhere new?" Inafay asked, swinging back into the conversation.

"Better focus on the incursion first." Kai could only shrug. "Yes, we have some ideas, but this... we have no idea what will happen. If it's just as explosive as last time..."

He decided to leave it unsaid, but the implication alone was enough to darken the mood. All of them had leapt in strength over the past seven years, and Kai had made progress that was considered completely unprecedented, but if gods arrived again, that simply wouldn't matter.

While the group went quiet and separated into their own conversations, Kai wondered just how far those beings were above him. Most likely they simply had access to stronger sources of power, just like it was easier for a fool to attain power on Cloudspire or Rosemount than on Deadwaste. He had to at least consider the idea that they were just insanely good, with some sort of one in a trillion talent.

Or another way to think about it was to have exceptionally good fate. And Kai had never been good at letting fate have the last word.

The conversation shifted from a direction that Kai had never anticipated: Omilaena and Juray were walking toward the group. As they walked, he marveled at how comfortable they seemed with one another. Omilaena was teasing and Juray was teasing back, and from what he could understand of their conversation, they were discussing complex matters of potions and pills. It seemed odd, since Juray was so kind and Omilaena was so acidic, but in other ways it made complete sense.

"Good news!" Omilaena announced with no regard for preexisting conversations. "The elites have finally acknowledged Juray's talents and will be letting her work with their healing units."

"Just providing support," Juray said hastily. "The Frontier elites need to be very concerned about attrition, so they have a need for all types. I'll be working on potions that won't do any good in the moment, but can bring someone back from the brink of death healthy."

"Bah, more importantly, working with more valuable ingredients will help you get that Class up. I expect big things once I get back from Irun."

"I don't know if I can advance that fast."

"Oh, and you." Omilaena cheerfully slapped Raghi on the shoulder. "I expect you to give her Physique a good workout, alright? We talked about this. Even if she's not on the front lines, there's no reason for her to be all the way back in E rank."

Raghi could only shake his head, both at her innuendo and her suggestion. "This is mad... there was a time when E-rank Physique meant an elite physical fighter..."

"And that time was the past! I expect you two to get busy - I can observe and provide guidance if you want."

While Omilaena teased Raghi, and somehow even managed to get Lofgan involved, Juray shifted away from the group. She came to stand beside Kai, silently at first, then giving him an odd smile. It was indeed strange to be standing together on Deadwaste after so many years.

"Do you remember how I thought awakening an Herbalist Class ended my hopes?" Juray asked softly.

"How could I forget?" Kai closed his eyes, feeling a soft ache at the warm old memories. "I never thought that was fair, but I got wrapped up in my own problems. I'm glad you got to a better place, even if I don't really get any credit."

"Oh, I don't think Omilaena would have helped me like this did if not for you." Juray patted his arm. "I have no idea how you're making this work, Kai, but I'm glad you seem happy."

"What about you? This isn't exactly the shop and quiet life you wanted. Where do you see this taking you?"

"Well..." Juray threw up her hands. "I can't even guess. All I can think about is trying to get everyone I care about through the incursion alive. By the way, we've tested and confirmed that there's no way I can make a potion that will work for you - the gap in strength is just too far."

"That's fine, I wasn't expecting you to-"

"I wanted to. We might be leading separate lives now, but I still care about you." Juray gave him an odd smile. "But I did work up some potion ingredients for your wife, and she said she'd be back for more, so maybe I can help indirectly."

"Thanks, Juray." Kai wasn't sure what else he could say. He had an impulse to move to embrace her, but that didn't feel quite right anymore.

Except Juray moved forward to hug him, so he squeezed her quickly. Their partners were standing right there, after all, and neither looked exactly angry. Even if it was nothing like before, it felt good, and they parted easily with the group only somewhat watching him.

"Ready to go?" Juray moved to stand by Raghi's side and gave him a longer kiss.

"They're getting the teleportation techniques ready," Omilaena said, wrapping herself around Kai mischievously. "Now let's not let them out do u-"

"Not now." Kai put a hand over her face before she could try to outdo them in public displays of affection, because he had no idea how far Omilaena was willing to go. "I guess we won't see each other for a while, because we all have our own work to do."

"Hey, it's not that long," Inafay said. "You're the one who runs off to other continents for years at a time."

Despite her words, they all knew what he meant. With the incursion looming over them, all the remaining days seemed to carry a greater weight that was difficult to explain. Despite all their preparations, there might come a time when they would get back together and some of them would be missing forever.

When Kai rejoined Zae Zin Nim, they headed to meet the elites, but his thoughts remained with all the others. He didn't even know where the portal would take them, but he walked forward anyway.