Chapter 559: Unsheathing Strategy

Zae Zin Nim was an unparalleled cultivator, with an unprecedented level of strength at Earth Soul. She had crushed multiple sects and was feared as a matriarch across all the Eastern Plains. Currently she was exploring the paths of power with her spouses, who were if anything even more formidable, and she saw only a bright future ahead.

Somehow, she ended up acting as babysitter.

Ever since Omilaena's final ploy with the new pools had been successful, Zae Zin Nim had little to do with training the Irunian soldiers. Tusquo and Quinta were also absent quite frequently, which meant that only their child was still at the home. Shockingly, they didn't have servants to handle such things. Technically no one had ordered Zae Zin Nim to take care of the child, but it was still the two of them alone. What if the girl had some sort of... child problem?

For the most part Ruotu stayed on her own, the problem was that she would peek. Zae Zin Nim sensed the presence and opened her eyes just a sliver: the girl was at the door to the room, peering inside. Unused to strangers at all, or looking at the freak?

Well, there had been enough of that. Zae Zin Nim could have moved to the girl's position in an instant, but she remembered cultivators toying with her as a child and she had never liked it. Instead, she would use the girl's upbringing against her.

"It's rude to stare," Zae Zin Nim said to the room.

"I..." Ruotu shuffled around the corner and gave a wobbly Irunian bow. "I am sorry."

Zae Zin Nim opened her eyes to look at her. "Do you need something?"

"May I... look at your hair?"

Not remotely what she expected. Zae Zin Nim resisted the urge to frown and instead gestured for the girl to enter. She did so shyly, bowing again on her way, and then drew close. With wide dark eyes, the girl ran a finger through her hair.

"It's pretty."

Was she to accept a compliment from a child? Zae Zin Nim decided to nod and respond with a question instead. "Did your mother say it was okay to talk to me?"

"First Mother says no, then she says it's okay." Ruotu had been absurdly somber before, but now she gave a more child-appropriate smile. "Your hair is so long. Mother says I can't grow mine yet."

"I see." Zae Zin Nim had the vague impression that she should encourage this, or encourage obeying parents, but that absolutely hadn't worked for her and she was still skeptical of Quinta. "You aren't... scared of the way I look?"

"You look like metal. It's pretty. Father looks like metal now too."

Heavens help her, was Zae Zin Nim now engaged in conversation with a child? She had never been good with children like this, in part because of their uncomfortable role in the harem and in part because she didn't know how to behave with them. Ruotu was at least very polite, and she could understand the girl's fascination with her hair. Fancy styles and hair ornaments had been beautiful to Zae Zin Nim too, before she understood the grim elements of her father's court.

It was entirely unclear what she was supposed to do now. Zae Zin Nim's hair needed little care now thanks to her cultivation level, but perhaps...

"I need to cultivate," Zae Zin Nim said. "That is like your parents' training."

"Okay." Ruotu started to draw away, but Zae Zin Nim managed a smile for her.

"If you're quiet and don't tug, you can braid my hair."

A spark appeared in the girl's eyes and she nodded eagerly, then gave a twitchy little bow for good measure. Zae Zin Nim got back to work and ignored the tiny hands braiding her hair.

Or rather, trying to braid it. The girl seemed older due to how serious she was, but she was still very young, so the best she could manage was a sloppy twist. Zae Zin Nim resisted the urge to sigh and resolved to comb it out later, but in the meantime it seemed to make Ruotu happy. She helped the girl pin her short hair in different styles, which pleased her greatly.

All of that seemed like great success... until Ruotu showed up the next day eager for more, and Zae Zin Nim realized that she had made a grave mistake.

Somehow she managed to endure, and she was saved the following day: all of the others returned with serious expressions. Ruotu immediately ran to her parents, moving between them and gripping their robes. Zae Zin Nim checked that her hair was not currently a mess before going to intercept her spouses.

"Time for the final contest," Omilaena said. "You've been holding down the fort here?"

"That is... one way to put it." Zae Zin Nim narrowed her eyes at the girl, wondering if she would babble to her parents.

"Well, you're welcome to come along. There's always a chance that Yuinafal or his allies could be sore losers, so we could use the backup."

"Does that mean you are not concerned about the contest itself?"

Omilaena grinned at her. "Just wait and see."

Such secret-keeping was mildly aggravating, but only mildly. When it came to the truly important issues, Omilaena was as open as a spouse should be, and her playful secrets had been enjoyable enough from time to time. Resolving to put up with it, Zae Zin Nim went along with the others to see the results of their work.

When they arrived at the same arena as the first contest, there were more people present, including more elders. Yuinafal and his allies had already taken up positions, and they looked extremely confident. Zae Zin Nim frowned and observed the strength of their soldiers.

<

Name: ???

Total Power: 170

Physique Level: E-2 (86)

Irunian Chakra: Opal Rank (41)

Chakra Booster (+10)

Soul Level: 3 (9)

Path of Steel: Iron 3 (15)

Steel Booster (+10)

>

Their souls had the same primary strength as before, from Irunian Chakra, but each of them now had two additional boosts of +10. Zae Zin Nim had to admit that it was impressive that Yuinafal could manage such, given what he had to work with and how few could accomplish such things. On average the soldiers had 170 Power, which was far above what Irun had before.

That should have been intimidating... but Omilaena looked completely unconcerned. She gestured and her soldiers filed into the arena as well, and Zae Zin Nim began to understand.

<

Name: ???

Total Power: 196

Physique Level: E-5 (95)

Enhanced Physique (+35)

Soul Level: 5 (25)

Path of Steel: Iron 5 (25)

Ironbody Physique (+30)

>

Her wife's soldiers had close to 200 Power, which might not be much on their level, but was very important to such soldiers. Perhaps even more importantly, she hadn't added any more abilities or sources of power, just increased those they already had.

Was it enough to overcome the handicap they had allegedly been given? Would their enemy still attempt to argue that they had succeeded merely by greater resources? Yuinafal's smile might be more brittle than before, but he still looked confident on his side of the arena. Zae Zin Nim gathered herself to neutralize him if necessary, in case he reacted violently to losing.

"We have little time for words today." The Irunian elder Pourila had moved in between the two sides while Zae Zin Nim was distracted and now addressed the crowds. "Little time remains before the incursion and we must choose between the paths offered us. Today is the time to make a decision."

It seemed like that might be it and the battle would commence. But before Pourila could step away, Omilaena rose to her feet. "One additional thing."

"This is not the time for speeches," Pourila said crossly.

"I don't have anything to say." Omilaena's smile was tightly controlled to be less sinister than usual. "They do."

She sat back down, and one of the soldiers on Omilaena's side stepped forward into the gap between sides. Some of the elders, especially those with Yuinafal, looked irritated at this breach of protocol, but it had certainly captured everyone's attention.

"We are here to defend Irun," the man said, "not to win a competition. I freely give of my power, so that all those on the other side may strengthen themselves." He formed a basin from his Path of Steel ability, then began pouring liquid metal into it. This was the silvery type that Zae Zin Nim had seen, much more like the original Insanity than the new variants, and everyone stared at it.

"This is ridiculous!" Yuinafal burst to his feet, glaring across the arena. "This isn't some cheap game where any dirty trick will work. You really expect my soldiers to just absorb an unknown power?"

Omilaena smiled broader, but didn't answer.

"Excuse me." The voice came from the soldier with the basin and it took Yuinafal a second to look down at him. "Sir, this is an earnest attempt to help my brothers and sisters. If you insist on insulting my honor, I demand you come down to face me yourself. I will lose, but I will prove my sincerity, and Irun will benefit."

It was absurd for a soldier like that, mostly boosted by external sources, to challenge an elite with many times his strength. At home, he would have been blasted apart for his insolence. But perhaps Zae Zin Nim was becoming used to the strange morality of Deadwaste, because she realized how powerful a position this was.

The challenge shamed Yuinafal, but would it work? The elders were silent, and the soldiers below remained still and uncertain... until one from the enemy side stepped forward. She gingerly touched the liquid metal in the basin, then dipped her hand into it. Power flooded into her, but her soul absorbed it without harm and Zae Zin Nim looked again.

<

Name: ???

Total Power: 180

Physique Level: E-2 (86)

Irunian Chakra: Opal Rank (41)

Chakra Booster (+10)

Soul Level: 3 (9)

Path of Steel: Iron 3 (15)

Ironpath Physique (+20)

>

Now the enemy soldier had risen to 180 Power, which seemed counter-productive... except that Zae Zin Nim saw the change in the woman's soul. Omilaena's Ironpath Physique had entirely absorbed one of the weaker boosts, proving its superiority. For any elders who doubted, there were a multitude of stronger examples, leading up to Tusquo.

"This... this is..." The woman looked shocked by her new power, but she was clearly unharmed.

"I will offer as much as I can," the first soldier said. "That will exhaust me, but when it is done, my allies will fight the battle, and we will win."

For several seconds, silence reigned. Then, the enemy soldiers - who Zae Zin Nim realized that she should stop thinking about as enemies - began to bow in the Irunian style. Omilaena's side moved forward, raising up their allies, and the two began to embrace. There was to be no battle... and when Zae Zin Nim examined the other side, she saw the elders nodding in approval.

Across the arena, Yuinafal glared at them, then stormed away. It seemed that this strange result was clear enough to him that he didn't even intend to contest it.

"Bizarre." Zae Zin Nim looked over at Omilaena. "I should congratulate you, but I find this all difficult to swallow."

"She's just gotten used to the Irunian mindset," Kai said with a grin. He reached over to put his arm around Omilaena's shoulders and she grinned back.

"Internal competition has never been our way." Tusquo rose from his seat and now walked out in front of them. "Some of the elders have always been uncomfortable with granting outsiders control over our affairs, especially using us as tools."

"That rule about the handicap worried me," Omilaena said by way of explanation. "I was afraid that, even if I had a good edge in power, he'd find some way to argue that his results were still better. Two months isn't enough time to show the full potential of a path, so there's a lot of room for bullshit."

"But this is a decisive victory. You won the competition of numbers, but you also offered a path forward for the other side instead of rendering them the defeated." Tusquo gave all three of them a deep Irunian bow. "I trusted that you would help, but I did not imagine that you would perform so well. There is nothing that we can possibly do to repay your help."

Zae Zin Nim nodded her understanding as Omilaena thanked them graciously. Even though it should have been irrelevant to her, Zae Zin Nim found herself more satisfied than expected. Tusquo and his allies weren't quite so pathetic anymore and they might survive what was coming.

"I only have one more request of you," Tusquo said, a slight smile appearing on his face. "Would you do my wife and I the honor of a meal together? We have been so focused on business, there has been n-"

"Not yet."

The interruption started everyone, even Zae Zin Nim: the elite portals could appear out of nowhere, with shocking speed compared to qi-based teleportation. It was Gunjin and Sheiri, both with grim looks on their faces. Kai had leapt to his feet immediately, and though the celebration continued around them, in their bubble atop the arena, the atmosphere had cooled.

"We were waiting for this to end," Gunjin said, "but there's not much time. We have a big problem in Krysal."