Chapter 525: Facing the Frontier Elites on New Ground

Despite everything he had been through, Kai was still nervous to meet the Frontier elites as they walked through the portal. These people were everything he wanted to be, actually giving their lives in order to defend the people of Deadwaste, incursion after incursion. In theory, he had done all of this in order to support them.

Yet he didn't see very many smiling faces in the group.

He was familiar with only two of the elites: Sheiri Kagskan was the woman who had sent him to Krysal in the first place, and she had stood up for him after he caused so much trouble, so he was glad to see her again. By contrast, he hadn't seen Aeglien of Torleen since the Krysali man had teleported him away from the abyss.

Was it a bad sign that they'd sent a Krysali elite? Kai glanced around the unfamiliar faces and saw that they were from a wide range of nations across Deadwaste. All looked serious, but not entirely hostile, so he hoped they could still talk.

"Kai Clanless," one of the unknown elites said, barely a greeting. "We understand you've returned at the eleventh hour to help us prepare for the incursion."

"That's why I've done all of this," Kai said. "Wasn't I clear about that?"

"You also took four of our elites-in-training."

"For development off the continent," Sheiri put in. She glanced toward him, smiling but just a little nervous. "You did bring back Inafay and the others, right?"

"Of course." Kai gestured toward the city. "I signaled them as soon as you arrived, but you can see my other trainees meanwhile."

The group settled into an uneasy silence. Kai noticed that some of the elites had grown tenser at his words and he wondered why - had his words made it seem like he was signaling for backup? Surely he was beyond that with the Frontier elites, though he had to admit that it occurred to him.

With the group so stony-faced, he was honestly wondering how a fight with them would go. As far as he knew, people on Deadwaste never broke the 999 Power barrier, so he would be substantially stronger than each individual elite, but that didn't guarantee his victory. They all had effective shrouds that made it hard to gauge their strength, and the real problem was that they would all be attacking him with phases.

Unlike the cultivators he'd been fighting, who gained partially phased qi as they ascended, the elites wielded the compressed power like a weapon. If Kai maintained a defensive phase, his defenses should easily be able to resist their phased attacks. But if his focus faltered and one of those got through, in theory he'd be annihilated, just the way Matiavel the Destroyer had wiped out opponents.

The bigger problem might be speed phases, since they would render him moving in slow motion and give his opponents plenty of time to strike. Kai thought he had a pretty consistent half-phase of speed, from dealing with cultivators all the time, but they might still have a speed advantage over him despite their lesser Power.

Of course, none of them were supposed to fight each other. Kai was still glad that Omilaena and Zae Zin Nim were on their way.

"These are the reported trainees?" Aeglien had made his crystalline helm retract and examined the group, which was pretending to train while staring at the meeting. "Much stronger than last year."

"I didn't risk their lives on Cloudspire," Kai explained, "but I let them train in an area with enriched mana. They've done great work, so I'm pretty sure they can make other breakthroughs before the incursion begins."

"Which is what he promised," Sheiri put in with a smile. "The Clanless was a big investment, but isn't this worth it?"

"They're average." The harsh new voice came from one of the unfamiliar elites, so Kai gave him a second look.

Based on the light green hair flowing in mana wind, the man had been from the Elemental Nations originally. Yet he wore a monk's robes, a rich burgundy cloth that made Kai think of Rosemount. The beads he wore around his wrists held concentrated chakra, as did those above his bare feet. Whatever skin color he'd originally had, it now had an odd metallic sheen to it.

"We can bring many trainees to this level," the man continued scornfully. "It isn't worth mobilizing the entire continent's resources just to train a few more." He was actually speaking loudly enough for the trainees to hear, and that pushed Kai to act.

"With all due respect," he said flatly, "these aren't your trainees. These are the warriors that you rejected as having no futures, returning to defend the continent anyway. If you call them average, that's an indictment of your judgment."

"I heard you already launched an attack of your own on those cultivators." The Windborn man turned to face Kai directly, eyes narrowing. He shifted slightly, and there was something oddly liquid about his movements - Kai realized that his opponent was using a speed phase, not to attack, just to test him.

Kai matched it, his eye flicking to the subtle movement. Neither one was gathering their power, and his opponent was still firmly shrouded, yet they both compressed their power as if preparing. Strangely, even though this was more aggressive than the first meeting, Kai felt as though there was less risk of it actually becoming a fight.

That didn't mean there was less danger, though: he was being tested and he wasn't sure how.

"Kai, this is Yuinafal of Spring," Sheiri introduced, stepping between them. She might be a bit weaker, but her speed phase matched theirs. "He's one of our own, but he's spent the past five years training on Rosemount. We do sometimes decide that it's worth the risk."

"Then you should be all the more understanding," Kai said.

Yuinafal didn't respond, just continued staring at him.

The deadlock was broken by the approach of a Cloudspire vessel, a large floating sword. It had Zae Zin Nim and Omilaena at the front, looking toward him with tightly controlled concern, so he twitched his head just slightly from side to side. They'd brought along Inafay, Orotaisin, and the Tonjin brothers, so the elites should have their proof soon enough.

Actually, they looked more tense than anything, to see such powerful strangers approaching. Zae Zin Ni leapt off the sword first, landing at a safe distance and beginning another stare-off. Omilaena leapt past her and, with an odd glance at Yuinafal, came to stand beside Kai with an arm around his waist. He assumed she had a reason, though he was baffled - it wasn't like Yuinafal was hitting on him, or like Omilaena was possessive in the first place.

"What's this?" another one of the elites asked. "You brought back an expert from Rosemount and... a Cloudspire matriarch?"

"Nor precisely." Zae Zin Nim introduced the group to her scowl, then went to stand beside Kai. "I fought in the incursion seven years ago, and I am here to help again. But it seems none of you are appropriately grateful. Not to me, I mean to one of your own who has gone to great lengths to help you."

That made the silence stretch even thinner, yet Kai was less worried. A few of the elites, presumably familiar with Cloudspire sociology, relaxed slightly. Yuinafal looked even more prickly, as if the new arrivals troubled him, but he had stepped back and didn't look inclined to begin another staring contest.

"Is that you, Orotaisin?" Sheiri asked, looking up toward the sword. "Why don't you come down and let us get a look at your progress?"

He shrugged at the edge, then stepped off, with Inafay right behind him. The Tonjin brothers followed as well and soon they were surrounded by elites. Kai realized that while most of this group was unfamiliar to him, they were intimately familiar with the four young warriors who had stayed on Deadwaste. He felt a strange melancholy for the life he'd never lived: if he hadn't been denied by fate, Kai would have joined all of them in elite training.

It seemed as though that familiarity was going to end the standoff in his favor, though: the elites might not be familiar with his students, but they knew Inafay and the others well. And there was no denying their progress: they had returned with strength comparable to most elites. Plus Inafay was entirely supportive of him, effusive about their training on Darkmist Island, so she quickly turned the group in his favor.

Except for Yuinafal, who shot him another glance. Kai couldn't read a single thing in his eyes, and that neutrality itself became ominous.

"Obviously we've been gone a long time," Kai said, taking a conciliatory tone. "Where can we help? I'd love to hear about the current situation across the Frontier nations. I'm going to request some training for the others, but in return we'll go wherever you want us."

"A promising offer," Aeglien said, "but we are only here to evaluate you. For the overall situation, you must speak to our organizing body."

"I can tell you that Krysal went to hell thanks to the last time you tried to help." Yuinafal folded his arms in his sleeves and became statue-like as he spoke. "You aren't one of us, so you have no right to negotiate like this. Technically you have no more standing than any other Clanless from Goralia."

"Don't be ridiculous," Sheiri said, moving between them again and putting her fists on her hips. "Stop trying to antagonize them, Yui. Obviously we're going to work together."

"In what capacity? They aren't trainees, they're basically foreign warlords trying to interfere with the Frontier."

"What keeps us from being elites?" Omilaena asked quietly. "Seriously, if we asked to join, to work together with you properly, what would we need to do?"

That question cut through the tension again. Some of the elites nodded approvingly, including Aeglien, so it seemed like Omilaena had judged rightly. Sheiri waited at the back, more thoughtful, and he wished he could talk to her and figure out what sort of internal politics was going on. Only Yuinafal responded differently: though his face was controlled, for a moment he'd almost sneered.

"You think you're really elites?" he asked. "Then prove yourselves. It's time for mortal phase testing."