Chapter 581: A Whirlwind Through Monskon

(Cognosticon here. Normal chapters this week, but hiatus the next.)

Kai didn't trust the general members of the Hunters Guild not to be Lantrian toadies, but he sent a message to Gunjin to ask about his other trainees, and the others spoke to Rallia for suggestions. She didn't know anyone with nearly as much potential as her, but she recruited a couple of friends who Omilaena was able to boost from 60 to 90 Power. Good enough for backup.

While waiting on Gunjin's response, they headed out of the city to check in with Ankrastor. Kai had planned to fly around the countryside, looking for the bone pits, since it had been ages since he'd visited them. Instead, they almost immediately ran into Ankrastor, returning with a large group of people.

"That is too many," Zae Zin Nim said disapprovingly, "and the average quality is low."

"I didn't use a conventional test." Ankrastor bowed apologetically, but spoke clearly. "Instead of seeking power, I shrouded my strength and set up scenarios where I was under assault by monsters. Those with me are those who tried to help, so while their strength may vary..."

"They have some minimum moral fiber." Kai nodded approvingly. "Good tactic given how little time we have. Alright, let's line them up and do some triage."

This group was hardly elites, or even the semi-elites that Monskon City needed, but there was more strength there than he would have expected. With a few boosts from Omilaena, they were able to get a dozen up to around 50 Power, and two actually reached 75. Not much to them, but this was a militia and Monskon City could use all the help it could get.

Just when it seemed like they were probably done, Kai sensed a familiar presence. It had less to do with his spiritual senses and more to do with raw instinct: he'd smelled that scent before. When he was much younger, without his full monstrous abilities.

Not even stopping to explain, Kai hurtled across the wasteland toward the source. He spotted the old man seated by a campfire, cooking some monster meat - Aglahai first leapt in alarm, then sat back down when he realized that he was entirely outmatched.

"You here to eat?" the old man asked. "Seems like someone like you can get their own food."

<

Name: Aglahai Clanless

Total Power: 99

Lancer Class: 30 (40)

Physique Level: F-2 (34)

Soul Level: 5 (25)

>

Aglahai might have developed little, up against the 99 Power barrier, but he was still spry and out in the wilderness on his own, eating monsters. Without his help, Kai might have starved when exiled, or even never managed to get onto his current path where eating monsters came as easily as breathing.

"Aglahai Clanless." Kai put his hands on his hips as he greeted him. "I never thought I'd see you again."

"Neither did I," the old man said with a shrug. "Figured I'd be dead by now."

"Seeing as you're not, would you be willing to help fight in the incursion in exchange for getting your exile revoked?"

The proposal lit a fire in Aglahai's eyes, and Kai knew that he had him. It was substantially more difficult for the old man to process the moonmelt pill, after decades at the barrier, but he managed it in the end. Once he did, Omilaena gave him options and Aglahai, claiming he was too old to train, accepted an injection that raised his Physique at the cost of future progress.

<

Name: Aglahai Clanless

Total Power: 128

Lancer Class: 35 (45)

Physique Level: F-9 (48)

Soul Level: 5 (25)

Grizzled Physique (+10)

>

In the end, he had 128 Power, and with his experience, Kai would have bet on him over any young crystallier. Plus, that was another fighter who was uncomfortably close to Hannagan. The point wasn't to actually beat him, which Kai could have done on his own, but to destroy the environment in which he was the top local warrior.

That gave them a good-sized militia, but of course that alone would never be enough - which was why Kai had saved the strongest for last. As they marched back into Monskon City, he examined Ankrastor's soul.

<

Name: Ankrastor of the Undertow

Total Power: 257

Flameborn: Twiceburned (112)

Firebrand Class: 18 (28)

Physique: E-9 (107)

Soul Level: 5 (25)

>

With 257 Power, the young man was clearly stronger than anyone else in the city - he could have taken over or destroyed it on his own, or more practically, he could have gone off to be well-paid in a place like Krysal. But he had promised to help Goralia, and when Kai met his gaze, the younger man nodded to reaffirm his commitment.

Back in the city, the Hunters Guild was uncomfortable with all the new fighters, accepting them only as a provisional militia. They might not have gotten away with it, if not for Kai's reputation and Rallia supporting them. But once they got started, and the exiles rejoiced to be back in civilization, there was an energy to the crowd that even Hannagan couldn't break.

He didn't try, merely watching from atop the city wall.

They got one other surprise boost on their return: Gunjin had responded with suggestions. Apparently he didn't think any of the recent generations of hunters had been as talented as Kai's year, but he did suggest some orphans who had made enough progress for Omilaena to boost them. One skinny young man even made it up to E-rank Physique and 120 Power.

Once they all gathered together, it was an impressive force, by the standards of Monskon City. If they'd had support like this seven years ago, Kai might not have needed to take on the behemoth on his own.

"This is the power we'll bring to the incursion," Kai told the crowd, "but a friend of mind will be staying to help. If you can stop the monster horde, he'll take care of the big ones."

Ankrastor stepped forward to bow - the hunters liked his humility and the outsiders liked him for recruiting them, so he was off to a good start. But his real backing would be what came next: Ankrastor knelt in a meditation position and nodded for Omilaena to finally give him a Physique injection. He had been struggling at E-9 for so long, he'd hopefully built up enough potential for Omilaena's injection to grant him something new.

As it worked through his body, he grimaced and twitched, struggling to remain under control. Familiar with such trials, the Goralians shouted encouragement until he was done. And once he was, the crowd was silent.

<

Name: Ankrastor of the Undertow

Total Power: 475

Flameborn: Twiceburned (112)

Firebrand Class: 18 (28)

Manafire Physique: E-0 (300)

Soul Level: 5 (25)

Twinflame Physique (+10)

>

With his new total of 475 Power and E-rank "Manafire Physique", Ankrastor was closer to the elites than he was to the people on top of Monskon City. Even his Class alone, far from the core of his power, was as strong as many average hunters. But as he rose to his feet, he walked to Rallia and bowed low.

"I look forward to serving under you," he said quietly, then turned to the gathered veteran hunters. "This will be my first incursion, so please show me how I can be of use."

He got an enthusiastic response, but Kai was looking beyond the crowd, to Hannagan and his supporters. Morale and support were well and good, but Kai wasn't going to leave his allies without overwhelming power.

And he'd done that. Rallia was younger than Hannagan, yet stronger than he'd ever been. Aglahai and Gunjin's best student were both above 100, stronger than the hunters the Lantrian clan would have sent. Between Rallia's friends, Granfians, and the top outsiders, they had half a dozen with the strength of veteran hunters, and more than two dozen other decent hunters.

When the group headed back to the Hunters Guild, they acted like a triumphant army, even though no official decision had been made and the incursion was yet to come. The hunters in the guild, whether they were neutral veterans or Lantrian supporters, saw that there was no point trying to fight this new momentum.

While they spent time together, Kai walked out to the city wall and looked up. Hannagan stared down from the top, then leapt to land in front of him.

"What now?" he asked, surprisingly quietly. "Are you planning to kill me? Wait for my moment of total humiliation and then finish me?"

"Not at all," Kai said with a smile. "You've seen how we're helping hunters who are stuck at a given level. I noticed that you've been at F-9 for years now... you could fight much better for Monskon City at E rank."

Hannagan recoiled as if struck. "A... a poison?"

"Of course not." Kai's smile, however, was venomous. "But you know that Monskon City lies on a knife-edge of survival. Resources need to be distributed wherever they can best be used, after all."

That was what finally did it. Hannagan had been ready to die, but he wasn't prepared for an act of charity. Of course they both knew that it was the same logic he had thrown in Kai's face, years ago. And it went unspoken that Kai was handing him power because it meant nothing to him: it wasn't even a threat to his plan to reorganize Monskon City, much less a personal threat.

"You really mean to do this, then." Hannagan squared his shoulders like a soldier facing the enemy. "Despite everything that was done to you."

"The incursion is coming," Kai told him. "I'll be counting on you to do your part."