An enjoyably long amount of time later, Kai relaxed in a chair on top of the peak of Monskon City. He hadn't gone back solely to relish his victory, honestly, it was just a comfortable and familiar place. They had bought the best bedroom in the Hunters Guild and used it thoroughly, and now Kai's entire body was relaxed, just looking over the city.
When he heard someone beside him he glanced over lazily, and was surprised to see it was old man Aglahai. Definitely a less inviting sight than his wives, but Kai was too relaxed to be bothered, so he just waved the man to sit beside him.
"You know," Aglahai said wryly, "I think I can take credit for all of this. If I hadn't taught you to eat monsters all those years ago, none of this would have happened."
"You're definitely the real hero." Kai chuckled as he thought back to those times. "But truly, you showed me a little kindness when few others did. Thank you."
"Eh, that's just how it works here. We help one another."
"What's next for you? Seemed like you'd given up on life before, but you seem almost younger now."
"Tell my knees that." Aglahai rubbed them and groaned. "No, I'm definitely feeling my age now that the fighting's over. There's more life left in me than I thought, but soon enough I'll have more aches and pains than I have places. You have to go eventually, you know?"
"Not necessarily." Kai was thinking about immortality, particularly since it was Zae Zin Nim's newest obsession in the wake of victory. He forgot that such things were beyond the average person, so he didn't expect the old man to chuckle strangely.
"Not sure I can advise you in that," Aglahai said. "But I think something I said before still applies. You have to settle down, or stay hungry. Right now it seems like you're doing a bit of both."
"You know, you're right." Kai clapped the old man on the shoulder and levered himself to his feet. "There's something I need to do."
They had been discussing what to do next, and of course people across the world were rolling out the red carpet for their trio. There were a dozen different lives of ease and comfort that they could have chosen. But, even in this relaxed state, Kai knew that wasn't the path they would choose.
After all, the invaders had proved that they couldn't ignore the wider world. The Deadlake was supposed to be impassible, and the invaders had only managed it with outside help, but he couldn't ignore the impossibly vast outer world, filled with gods, monsters, and other things he couldn't imagine.
Kai stepped through one of the portals and teleported to the far north, back to the Elemental Nations. The ship of the invaders still sat on the rocks, with various elites examining it to learn more about phased materials. When Kai walked up they all turned to face him.
"I need you to do something for us," Kai said. "Build this back into a ship."
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Afterward Kai spoke to his wives about it, but there was no argument. Zae Zin Nim had her eyes fixed on the true cultivation of the outside world and obtaining a deeper sort of immorality. Omilaena still had her theories, and a hunger to learn more that matched his own. Still, speaking to them solidified the decision, and he began looking toward the future with farewells in mind.
Not that there was any need to rush, with so much to do. They had time to have dinner with Inafay and Orotaisin, Juray and Raghi, and new couples he wouldn't have expected. One of their trips took them down to the Southern Reach, where Razz was making alliances with the dryads and appeared to have possibly asked his love out on a date.
While he was there, Kai had another surreal experience: by random chance he finally met the dryad he had seen so long ago in the Hunter Trials. He felt like it should have been a more significant experience, since that had been so close to the beginning of everything, but aside from reminiscing about the Hunter Trials they had nothing to talk about.
Meeting with Tusquo and Quinta was the most interesting, because the place of Irun on the continent had changed so much. Birtaegal, which had always loomed over them, was now in a distinctly weakened position, especially given how many of their mercenaries had sided with the invaders.
But most importantly, Irun's weakness had been based on the weakening of the Final Metal, and the acquisition of the outsider metals had aggressively reversed that. Some of their elders and elites had taken Omilaena's soul-burning option, making them among the strongest people on the continent. Tusquo and Quinta were taking a slower path, refining their own metal to a phased form, and Kai was willing to bet that they'd surpass those elites in time.
Eventually, however, Kai and his wives had to leave Deadwaste. So they boarded the Clanless and set off into the ocean one last time to retrace the steps of the journey that had brought them together.
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Getting back to Rosemount was nice, even if it had to be a whirlwind tour. Omilaena had actually picked out a number of spots dedicated to dual cultivation that she wanted to break in, but sadly she had to acknowledge that they wouldn't really get much benefit from them, not with their current strength.
They got feted in the Coiled Empire, but didn't spend long there, as a subtle snub. The Empress had tried to participate in the clean-up operation of the invaders who had escaped, and played up the resources she had given Omilaena, but the propaganda didn't work so well. Especially since the Windlord and the elven council were on better terms now, agreeing on new treaties and mining the mountain where the Colossus had lain. That was politics for someone else to figure out.
The best part was getting to relax with Ceryyn and Yonto, who were a delight, then they headed to the Commonwealth to visit a few old haunts. Kai took another bite at the First Crest, and despite all his development, he couldn't chip it. A nice reminder that there was a hierarchy to the world that extended into the untold mists.
For her part, Omilaena was just glad to spend more time with Troulon again. He seemed content with his new place in life, including the limited role he had played in the chaos. It was nice to know that things could work out, sometimes.
But before she left, Omilaena saw Gorutiel drop from a nearby roof.
"You headed out?" he asked.
"Cloudspire next," she told him. "But if you're thinking of causing trouble here, remember, we'll be back."
"Oh, the next time might go differently." Gorutiel cracked his fists and grinned. "I'm starting to get the hang of this phased power."
Omilaena made a show of looking his soul up and down, then smirked. It was very gratifying to see a demon shift back nervously, but she didn't want to leave it at that. No, the truth was that they were heading out, so she wanted to leave an impression.
"Something to think about," Omilaena said quietly. "How long did it take you to finish the remaining invaders in Rosemount? Two, three months? If you're thinking of going to Deadwaste... just remember that they killed all of them in one day."
Judging from Gorutiel's expression, he would remember.
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By now, Zae Zin Nim's reputation had grown so fearsome that there was no need for subterfuge. Everyone knew that the Brightwind Sect's matriarch came and went at random, and after she had killed Yangix in a dramatic battle in the Southern Rivers, no one would dare to challenge her.
She was grateful for this, because she didn't want to think about politics. All she wanted to do on Cloudspire was enjoy the continent with her spouses a little longer, such as returning to the waterfalls around the central mountains and taking a truly private retreat.
Unfortunately, they couldn't completely ignore such obligations, and she had learned the necessity of such bonds. First they had needed to defeat the remaining members of the Yangix Sect, of course. Then Omilaena had spent much of her time with the Pureflower Sect, using everything that she had learned to give them new paths to power. They were all very impressed, feeling more than repaid, but in fact Zae Zin Nim knew that these were just idle experiments her wife was trying to pass the time.
They also spent some pleasant days in the Southern Rivers, making sure that everyone was okay. Cragrila had made her way back to Deadwaste, apparently, and Wan Fei had recovered. He was even stronger than before, after surviving the invaders, and would be a stable leader for the region. Zae Zin Nim was less confident about Hul Ping, but at least he seemed to be enjoying himself in the new courts.
What concerned her now, however, was her husband, who had taken to roaming throughout the Brightwind lands. Of course he would be fine, but he was making her cultivators extremely nervous. She suspected that they could sense how his cultivation hungered.
Wanting to surprise him, Zae Zin Nim kept herself hidden in the clouds, admiring from a distance. Before she could reunite, however, she saw a streak of red clothing shoot from the side toward her husband.
"You!" It was the Redstorm scion, who she hadn't thought about in months. "This is the revenge I promised! I have obtained Sky Soul, and you will rue the day you-"
Kai looked at him and the man stopped. Zae Zin Nim couldn't be sure if Kai was using Void Gaze or not, because they had come so far that Sky Soul was obsolete. She could never have imagined such a thing, before this all began.
"I forgot about this vendetta," Kai said, wrapping a clawed hand around the man's neck. "I'll go with your expertise here, do you think it would be better to finish it?"
So he had noticed her. Zae Zin Nim floated down to join him, barely looking at the Redstorm scion hanging in his grip. It seemed cleaner to just kill him, but settling scores like that was increasingly tiresome to her.
"The best revenge," Zae Zin Nim said slowly, "is not gaining the strength to kill your enemies, it is gaining so much strength that they become irrelevant."
"Then it's your lucky day." Kai let go and the Redstorm scion fled in terror.
So much could change, with unbelievable powers from the outside world entirely changing the balance. It was remotely possible that she would one day regret this act of mercy, that it could somehow come back to bite her.
But she didn't really believe it.
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On their way back, Kai and his wives stopped at Darkmist Island one more time. It was definitely an enjoyable experience, but it was also another reminder that they had grown far beyond the sources of power available to them. The only way they really grew stronger anymore was from one another.
He didn't think the others were motivated by a second honeymoon, though. Omilaena seemed mainly interested in looting various tools from her shop, while Zae Zin Nim left written instructions about the house's use, making very clear that everyone was to stay out of the bedroom. They were going to leave use of the island to the Frontier elites, along with the Clanless, and it might be some time before they returned.
Then they were back to Deadwaste, and though Kai felt as though he'd been saying farewell for months, the final goodbyes proved even longer. When they arrived to the beach where their new ship - forged from the outsider vessel and the strongest materials their world had to offer - lay, the dock was filled with everyone they were leaving behind.
There were no debates, not at this late stage. Kai had never exchanged so many embraces, nods, handshakes, and bows in his life. It felt like there were endless plans, endless promises for future reunions, and endless final words.
When he finally boarded the ship, however, he was alone. He slowly walked to the front, where Zae Zin Nim and Omilaena stood by the prow, staring out into the ocean. Kai stepped up beside them and took a deep breath of the ocean air. It was a bright day, the sun shining down over everyone on the shore as he looked back one last time.
Then they set out into the unknown.
(There is one more interludes chapter, so let's not treat this as quite the end. If you want to do something "final" at this point, or to support the story, consider leaving a review on Amazon or Audible. Heck, the story is a stub and so it won't matter much, but you could leave a review on Royal Road if you want.
Next week, and next month in general, will have the conclusion as well as more posts about the future. As I promised, all of that will be an extra gift and the Patreon won't charge anyone again. Thanks for reading.)