In the end it took over a week to dig the tunnel, despite the fact that Tyrant's Claw could easily destroy the crystal walls. He needed a stable path out, not a collapsed column of rocks. For all that people claimed power was all that mattered - whether it was Kraetius or Zae Zin Nim - it couldn't solve every problem.
Now he had a crevice that had almost reached the surface. Kai could even see sunlight filtering down from above and had to restrain himself from breaking through the last layer. The problem was that they were only reasonably sure this exit was far from the mine guards, not completely certain. Kai had spent long hours wedged between the tunnel walls, training his Physique while listening carefully with every sense for anyone nearby.
What else did he need before he left? He didn't want to leave the workers in a bad situation, but it honestly seemed like they didn't need him so much anymore. Kraetius still grumbled that they would all get themselves killed, but he was taking to the training. Maggle and Nanny Troggup could handle all the organizing, and the workers were getting better at fighting.
His personal progress had been satisfying as well. Even with his Physique advancement slowing, after several weeks of intensive training with everyone he had still managed to raise it another level. As he prepared to climb the tunnel again, Kai glanced at his soul.
<
Name: Kai Clanless
Total Power: 238 (193)
Cultivation: Body Refinement 4% (101)
Physique Level: E-7 (101)
Soul Level: 6 (36)
Monstrous Hunger - VIII (theta)
Behemoth's Heart - IV (delta)
Direboar's Strength - VI (zeta)
Isulfr's Bite - V (epsilon)
Tyrant's Claw - IV (delta)
Infernotoad's Burst - IV (delta)
-
Wallcrawler's Feet - I (alpha)
Beastbat's Wing - I (alpha)
Crystal Slime - I (alpha)
>
By an odd coincidence, both his cultivation and his Physique contributed exactly the same: 101 Power. He felt a bit of pride that either one of those sources could make him a crystallier on its own. It wasn't equal to some of the powerhouses he'd seen, but combined with his monstrous abilities, he felt confident that he could take on any of the Diamond Crystalliers and at least make a good showing.
The only problem was that his recovery slowed due to the aggressive training schedule. Sometimes at night he still woke up with slight aches, as if there were briers deep in his muscles. On a daily basis he didn't feel even slightly limited, but he suspected that if he fought opponents closer to his level, he'd realize he wasn't quite back to full strength.
That was a problem to worry about later, though. Kai leapt up into the crevice, clapped his hands against the sides, and began crab-walking his way toward the surface. Keeping the tunnel difficult to navigate both saved time on construction and served as an extra layer of defense keeping anyone from stumbling on the exit and accidentally betraying the entire operation.
At the top, Kai decided that he was done waiting. After one last check outside, he summoned a Tyrant's Claw and then stabbed for the sunlight.
His blow sent rock cascading down over him, this time joined by dirt. Kai had to spit some of it out and found himself grinning. They'd reached the surface. He forced his way upward, tearing away the remaining obstacles with his bare hands and finally heaving himself over the edge.
The exit was even better than they had hoped, coming out in a small cluster of trees beside a rocky outcropping. When he examined the horizon, he saw several other craggy hills that supposedly clustered around the mine entrance. From the reports of others, it was an open pit with everything the soldiers needed in a miniature town. There were so many objects in the line of sight between them that it would probably be safe to bring a whole army through the tunnel. Technically he could have begun right that minute.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
But first, he could afford a moment to enjoy himself.
Kai flopped onto his back and took a deep breath. Finally, after over two months in the mines, he could breathe fresh air and feel the sun again. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed them until he finally got them back.
Yet he couldn't relax in the sun for long before a sense of impending doom set in. Prior to actually getting out, he'd had an excuse for training and preparing. Now there was absolutely nothing stopping him from running to go find Zae Zin Nim or trying to take revenge on Suortril. It was even possible that she was in danger and needed him, though he had to assume that she could take care of herself.
Strategic patience was much harder when he actually had a choice about it.
Abandoning the idea of rest, Kai went to scout the area thoroughly. Just as had been reported, the soldiers were relatively contained around the mining pits. The vast majority of their security was focused inward, keeping the workers from ever escaping, with only a few patrols outside in case the other city states attacked. Even if they did, the enemy would only seize the resources, not damage their defenses, since everyone profited from keeping the workers underground.
That thought killed any remaining joy and Kai tightened his hands into fists. This wasn't just training or strategy to them, it was a matter of their very survival. It would be absurdly short-sighted of him to just take revenge on Suortril. Better to force the merchant to watch his entire system crumble.
Attempting anything like that was still premature. Kai moved around some rocks and a fallen log so that the crevice wasn't visible from a distance, despite how obscure the whole area was. They could develop an even better disguise later, once they made other plans. He needed to get back down there and return to training, find a way to get back his last bits of strength, and prepare the workers for what came next.
When he slipped down the tunnel, focused on plans, he ran into Nirka at the bottom. She started to open her mouth, then her eyes widened slightly as she saw the results on his face.
"You got through?" she breathed.
"Yeah." Kai managed to put away his scowl and smiled at her. "It looks completely safe."
"Can I go up? I don't have any reason to, I just..."
"Of course."
He needed to help her a bit with the tunnel up, but she quickly worked her way skyward along with him. When Nirka finally poked her head above the top, she stopped and stared for so long that he nudged her from below. She crawled out, her face torn between gaping and grinning.
"This is grass?" Nirka ran her hands over it. "So soft... when I heard people talk about it, I guess I was thinking something more like moss."
"You step out in a forest and what you care about most is the grass?" Kai grinned at her and she just shook her head.
"I almost don't want to look up, there's too much... I can't believe how bright it is!"
"It gets darker at night, though. I wonder if it will take you a while to get used to that cycle."
"And that must be - ow! - the sun. I wish I could just stare into it and absorb the light."
The world above was awe-inspiring and she reveled in child-like glee, but Nirka wasn't a child. Eventually she insisted on seeing the soldiers and began planning what could be done. When she saw their numbers, and trusted his words about the more powerful crystalliers in the cities, she understood why they couldn't escape prematurely. None of that could wipe the grin off her face.
"Can we stay a while longer?" she asked as they walked back to the crevice entrance. "My eyes would thank me, getting back down there, but I want to just enjoy it for a while."
"Sure." Kai led her to a softer part of the grass and sat down with his back to a broad stone.
Nirka sat down beside him and leaned back with a sigh. For a while she just rested there, absorbing the peace of the forest, but then she shifted to lean against his arm. He blinked in surprise, wondering if she wanted him to move. When he looked down at her, though, he saw her gaze locked on him.
"Until I saw the soldiers, I didn't realize how pale and scrawny we all are." She slid a hand to the muscles of his chest, as if afraid the touch would burn her. "Do you think so? You've been so kind to everyone, but are we just filthy workers you need to escape?"
"No, of course not." Since she was pushing closer, Kai slid an arm around her shoulders. "I told you back when we met, I feel like I have more in common with all of you than with the crystalliers."
"You still seem more like a crystallier to me." Nirka smirked and swung a leg over his. "I know you have to leave eventually. And I believe you when you say you'll come back, I really do. Is it wrong to want more than that? I want to remember you while you're gone."
"Are you sure?" Kai asked. He started to say more, but she leaned up to kiss him.
"In the mines we have to take pleasure where we can. You've given me so much, I want... I want..."
For a moment Kai hesitated, and strangely his thoughts floated to Zae Zin Nim. Yet despite how long they'd been traveling together, she had never once expressed interest in him. Even after her body had recovered, she kept him at a distance. He realized that he felt a pang of disappointment, but there was no sense pining after her if she only wanted him as an ally.
What mattered was that he was here with Nirka, right now.
So he reached down to grab her hips, using his superior strength to lift her into his lap. Nirka laughed in surprise, then they both laughed together.
.
..
.
In the afterglow they lay together, ragged clothes tangled around their feet. Nirka could practically use his chest as a bed and she wriggled into a more comfortable position against him. Relaxation suffusing his entire body, Kai yawned and stretched his arms far overhead.
During the stretch he realized that he didn't feel any pain within his muscles.
It pulled him out of the warm glow a little, but Kai immediately checked his soul. His power had recovered - just a little, but more than he got from a full night of sleep or other stretches he thought he was resting. He had been pushing himself so hard, he'd lost touch with his body's need for recovery. Now, spending time with Nirka and not thinking about anything except their intertwined bodies, he had truly allowed himself to recover.
There would be so much else to do later, including battles and potentially even war and revolution. But for now, Kai wrapped his arms around her and relaxed back against the warm stone.