Depthless Hunger

Technically these were some of the least important duels of Zae Zin Nim's entire life, yet she found herself filled with tension. Yes, nothing in her life was at stake and the Frontier elites would probably keep training them even if they failed. But if she came back to Deadwaste after gaining so much power and couldn't overcome a challenge like this... she wasn't sure she could ever live that down.

They conducted the duels in one of the nicest gardens, one with a smooth earthen slab prepared for fights. Various nobles of the Earth Union had come to watch, and according to Inafay their performance would be judged carefully. The only one Zae Zin Nim knew was the Princess of Quakes, sitting calmly on a throne-like chair. Another chair had been set out for the Prince of Pebbles, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Some Earthborn was making a big speech, but Zae Zin Nim didn't really care about him any more than she cared about every puffed up little sect. All that mattered was her own progress, and Inafay's, and finishing their objectives here.

The first battle was between Inafay and an Earthborn woman. Unlike most of the other Earthborn Zae Zin Nim had seen, she didn't build stone armor or weapons, instead she skated around the arena as if the rock was ice. She might have been a serious problem for Inafay a month earlier.

But for that entire training period, Inafay had been refining her elemental abilities. Even without the mana-limiting band she currently wore, she didn't reach for her Class. Instead she took the match slowly and carefully, not letting her opponent hem her in. There were no flashy maneuvers or new techniques, just a display of raw elemental power. That was what the guests had wanted to see, after all.

And in the end, Inafay ducked a rocky strike and released a spike of wind that knocked her opponent out of the ring. Zae Zin Nim gave her a nod.

Next came the match Zae Zin Nim cared about least: some snotty brat who was... whatever they called young masters in the Elemental Nations. Apparently Orotaisin had been working with him, and he must have done some good, because the kid actually seemed to be taking his fight seriously. It was some sort of grudge match but he didn't let his emotions get the better of him.

Instead of paying attention to them, Zae Zin Nim found herself thinking about Inafay and Orotaisin. The two of them worked well together, with Inafay drawing attention at the lead while Orotaisin quietly acted out of sight. They had an easy companionship that she envied.

And the two of them were dual cultivating because of her. She didn't regret giving them the techniques from Rosemount, but she couldn't get the images out of her head. Every time they were even slightly affectionate, such as when Inafay touched his arm after the match, she immediately thought about the whole thing again and paled.