Depthless Hunger

Chapter 121: Crystallier Evaluations

Could all of this have really been prepared for them? Kai tried not to gawk like the rube they apparently thought he was as he looked around the arena. His attention had been immediately drawn by the small army, but they were mostly weak and likely just part of the evaluation. The real threats sat higher.

Though there were stands all around the marble circle at the center of the arena, most of them were empty. Most of those he saw watching looked like merchants or nobles, not warriors. The exception was a higher box that practically burned with qi, and when he looked toward it hundreds of crystals glinted sunlight directly into his eyes.

Two figures stood out: a muscular middle-aged man and an older woman who appeared to be holding on to her youthful looks with make-up and cultivation. Both were shrouded, but he was immediately confident they were crystalliers. All of the others sitting around them didn't look like fighters, some of them even flabby, but they were wearing a huge number of crystals with real power inside them. Maybe what he'd heard about the real power in Krysal was true.

"Welcome, new crystalliers!" The middle-aged man stood up and greeted them in a booming voice. "My name is Norgoan, first ranked in the city. We hope you will agree to stay in fair Romastir, but regardless we must ask you to participate in a little test. Your performance will reveal just how much we have to offer you."

Everyone in the entire audience turned toward them at once. Without him noticing, the other crystalliers had backed away, leaving them alone in the arena. Kai swallowed and tried to answer in a strong voice.

"Show us your test!"

Some of the other crystalliers clapped or hooted, while the audience was more withdrawn. The wealthy patrons in the upper box were definitely examining them closely. Even though they might not be warriors, he presumed they had attained their position through cunning, so they would be watching closely. He needed to be especially cautious not to reveal his true nature.

"There are three tests," Norgoan announced with a gesture to the warriors below. "Nothing elaborate, no fancy games, we simply need to see your strength. One of you must step forward."

Kai glanced over at Zae Zin Nim and she shrugged. After they stared for a while, he nodded to her and she stepped closer to the center of the marble arena.

The first test was revealed to be a large number of floating crystal targets that the crystallier needed to destroy as quickly as possible. That was effortless for Zae Zin Nim, of course, who simply released seeking bolts of qi that demolished nearly all of them at the same time. The challenge struck him as suited primarily to cultivators and biased against anyone who fought melee, unless the judges were calculating accordingly.

Before he had any time to stew about it, they announced that he was up next. Apparently they were alternating turns instead of testing all three at once. As the crystals were launched into the air, Kai was tempted to try to destroy them all with a single Tyrant's Claw, but there was no sense revealing his abilities here. Instead he merely leapt from crystal to crystal, smashing them with his bare hands.

He finished the test much slower than Zae Zin Nim, though he thought he still showed his strength and speed well enough. There was no scoring, the crystalliers and merchants simply observed them and kept their own counsel.

"And now, the second test!" Norgoan gestured to the warriors in the arena, who quickly drew back to make way for archers.

For the second test, they needed to stand in the center of a circle and deflect every arrow launched in their direction. Zae Zin Nim spun gracefully among them, of course, not taking a single hit. Kai was sorely tempted to just stand there and let the arrows rain off him harmlessly, but he did his best to deflect them all. One hit his shoulder and something snarled quietly from within his soul, but it didn't even hurt.

"And for the final test... we will see your value against the fine soldiers of Romastir." Norgoan smiled in a way Kai thought was slightly unpleasant and suddenly the warriors around them began forming up. "Begin!"

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Apparently the last test was taking place simultaneously. Kai felt Zae Zin Nim spring into action behind him, since she had no qualms about mowing down opponents, but he hesitated. The soldiers facing him were decently equipped, but most had only 20-30 Power and low Physique Levels. If he fought them with his full human strength, much less everything he had, he could well leave them permanently injured. Was this a cruel test, or actually a test of their restraint?

When he looked over all the eyes staring down at them, Kai saw little mercy but no other hints. There was a spear being thrust in his direction and Kai reluctantly pulled it away from the soldier and used it to trip the nearest several.

Fine then. He wasn't going to massacre a bunch of weak soldiers just doing their jobs, but he could show what he could do.

Kai defeated every soldier on his half of the arena with almost pure Physique. At first he moved as quickly as he could, dodging around every weapon and arrow while dropping opponents individually. He didn't land disabling blows, just threw them into a pile that grew ungainly enough that they couldn't easily get up.

After he'd proved that he could be agile, Kai abruptly switched to the opposite tactic. He simply walked across the arena toward the remaining soldiers, ignoring the arrows that bounced off his chest. When he got close he calmly took their weapons away and knocked them over, then turned to stare up at the audience.

It seemed that Zae Zin Nim had already finished, so most eyes were on him. He thought he saw some amused looks, and perhaps a few were even impressed, but he hadn't blown them away. They didn't seem to value Physique much in Krysal.

"An impressive display." Norgoan clapped exactly three times, almost insultingly brief. Yet Kai thought he wasn't quite as confident as he pretended to be, not based on how quickly he shushed the merchants around him. "We have already finished our consultations. Let me introduce myself again... I am Norgoan, first ranked Crystallier of Romastir."

"And I am Uarania, ranked second." The older woman rose to her feet with narrow eyes. "If you were to remain here, we would have a new third rank." Her finger rose to point at Zae Zin Nim.

Many in the audience cheered or clapped, but Kai looked toward the young crystalliers. Most looked upset and he guessed that they had just been demoted. Even if Zae Zin Nim had shrouded her true strength, they must know that she was much stronger than them, so they couldn't object about it.

"Which brings us to Kai Clanless." Norgoan leaned forward over the side of the box, resting on both arms. "A remarkable display of raw force which would be a real threat if combined with proper cultivation. You would be ranked fifth in the current tiers, or sixth if your companion also joins."

Kai smiled and acknowledged as if he cared, but almost all his attention was on the younger crystalliers. Ailag and Naellia looked a little smug, while the others only got angrier, so he guessed that they were the third and fourth ranked. Yet he found himself much more interested in the top two. The older man and woman were completely obscured from his spiritual senses, so he couldn't properly judge their strength.

"Given the recent troubles with monsters," Uarania went on, "many of our merchants are especially interested in protection. For that reason, they have already been bidding on your services. If you choose to stay in Romastir, you could receive the winning offers." She gestured to her side and two of the merchants stood up.

"For the young lady cultivator," an old woman said, "fourteen thousand."

"Eleven thousand for the warrior," a portly merchant said.

Those were large numbers, but Kai had no idea what they actually meant. He didn't want to look ignorant in front of everyone, but he didn't have many options aside from glancing over at the crystalliers. The group moved in closer, breaking the atmosphere of the trials, and soon they were surrounded. So Kai leaned closer to Ailag to whisper.

"Thousand what? For how long?"

"What?" Ailag stared at him as if surprised. "That's the number of Goralian Eagles per month, of course. Why, how much do you get paid in Goralia?"

Kai resisted the urge to whistle, since he didn't want to look even more like a provincial fool. He glanced over at Zae Zin Nim, because numbers like those had an impact even on her. It seemed insane to think that between them they'd receive twenty five thousand Eagles every single month. Then again, the top elite mercenaries at Rayakan hadn't been stronger than they were right now.

Twenty five thousand... that would mean three hundred thousand Eagles in a single year. If the rumors about buying nobility for a million Eagles were true, that would mean they could literally buy titles within a few years. Of course, Kai had no intention of wasting his money on luxuries or fancy titles, he was already imagining how much power that much money could buy him. He'd relied almost entirely on challenges in the wastelands up to this point, so there was no doubt great potential in high society.

It looked like Zae Zin Nim agreed, or at least was tempted by something closer to what she considered real civilization. She kept the others at a distance, but seemed somewhat satisfied by the entire business. Eventually Naellia moved closer and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, barbarian? Is that enough to tempt you?"

"Maybe so." Kai smiled despite himself. "I guess we're staying."

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