Chapter 239
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Chapter 239
Battles between regular humans and cultivators were very different. It wasnt just the level of power each individual could display, though that was a large factor. Unlike the Order, some sects had standardized martial training that applied to everyone, but even so they would still not be arranged in a rank-and-file format like normal soldiers. Besides the fact that all but the largest sects could barely put together the numbers required for a mundane formation of people, staying in such positions would be a weakness.
Closely packed men were easy targets for wide area abilities, or even any ranged ability that didnt care precisely who it hit. And when those targets took years or decades to reach a decent level of usefulness, it was understandable that battle would focus more on individuals. The ability to fight as a group was still important, but it didnt follow such defined structures.
Arrows flew behind Antons group as they practiced a fighting retreat. Even if they were prepared for pitched battles, with the difference in numbers it would have been pointless to take a stand. They would have simply died for the possibility of killing a handful of enemies- as a group, not per individual. Anton didnt want to let anyone die, but he understood it was a possibility. But if it was going to happen, it had to be worth it.
As he and Marcio pestered people with arrows, faster enemies sometimes reached their ranks only to face coordinated attacks by the melee-focused majority of the group. It was a bit of a complicated dance, where Anton and the others had to stay together and move as quickly as they could, hoping that some of their enemies would repeat the same foolish individual attacks. They did, though not so often as to make any significant change to their overall numbers when they lost people.
Anton himself was only barely able to hinder a few people as he also had to counter incoming attacks. They had the benefit of moving further away from their enemies as they fought, effectively reducing the enemies range, but they werent fast enough for that to be enough to protect them. Still, they were approaching a place with proper fortifications- and more allies. It was the south-side cafeteria, where Anton had regularly gone for meals until he moved to his new place.
It didnt appear to be a secure facility, but looks could be deceiving. More importantly, it was a centralized location that could bring in all of those around it, so Anton knew that at least in theory some people should be there. Once they were getting close, he was relieved to find that was the case.
One good thing about constant fleeing with a large number of individuals- there was no time for their enemies to set up a proper illusion. With so many different sources of energy overlapping, and not having the element of surprise, they simply didnt have the opportunity. As Anton and the others approached the cafeteria, supporting fire came from the building, more arrows and a number of fire-based attacks as well. The enemies held back, giving them Anton and the others time to get to relative safety.
Whats going on out there? Anton recognized the figure of Daniela Selby. Thirty-seven stars, one more than when he had first seen her about a month after arriving. During the whole incident with Hayden. His own strength had multiplied many times over since then, but she was still an imposing figure.
Twin Soul Sect, Anton explained quickly. Far too much for us to handle. I assume since youre here the message got around.
Just an alarm, she said. But I suppose nobody had more specifics.
Anton explained what else he had seen, approximations of numbers and powers. There could be more than the single Life Transformation expert, Anton finished, But thats all Ive noticed so far. I might expect more.
Even if he had some limits to what he could do, Anton felt empowered as he stood among other members of the Order. It wasnt anything so fancy as a special formation like Catarina could set up- though there were protections on the building itself- but instead a feeling of camaraderie.
Yet more than that, there was a deeper strength flowing into him. It was slow, but very real. Anton continued to fire at a moderate pace, where he found his energy reserves were hardly even draining. Later he would come to the realization that as someone whose Essence was communal based, the situation was akin to actively cultivating. It didnt suddenly push him to a higher rank, but it slowed his drain of energy.
The enemy wasnt just going to let him continue shooting at them forever. It wasnt even a minute before they began their assault. Five hundred meters was something most of the enemy could cover in ten seconds flat, but as they approached they came within range of the rest of those with ranged abilities around Anton. They certainly killed many, but hundreds still remained, mainly Spirit Building and stronger.
The leading group did the logical thing, which was to jump up onto the roof to take out the archers. Though the cafeteria was a tall building, they could still make the leap. Right into a protective barrier that they had to have known would be there. Or at least assume. Even so, the moment they made contact the first couple dozen enemies were vulnerable, and another handful of them perished before they were able to reach the ground and maneuver themselves properly.
Some of them began to bombard the building with attacks, both longer range and up close. Then the doors down below swung open, and the few unlucky souls in front found themselves carved open as Elder Daniela wielded a sword at a speed he wouldnt have even been able to see when they first met. Several others were with her, stepping back and forth across the threshold.
The attackers were momentarily unsure whether the barrier would still stop them with the doors open, but they also had little chance to try. Most of those who got close were either killed or knocked backwards into the masses behind them. While there were two wide doors swung open, a handful of strong people could hold their ground easily- and one of them was Hoyt, which meant there was now a large wall of fire in front. People had to choose between removing the fire, attacking properly, or defending themselves.
-----
Grand Elder Kseniya could see almost every point in the Orders control, and those she couldnt see she could still take a shot at. But she didnt. She saw a Life Transformation expert hanging back from the crowd assaulting the southern side of the Order, but there was more. Another group, behind the first, circling around to the northern face. They had two more Life Transformation experts among them. She could probably kill at least one of them from where she was, but whichever one she targeted would likely survive long enough for any of the others to retreat.
It would have been a waste of all their effort keeping the mole alive and making themselves appear weak to start things too early. So Kseniya watched Anton as he shot into the crowd of enemies in front of him. She had seen him form a bow out of energy earlier. In her life she had done similar when the time called for it- a broken string or snapped shaft. She was the creator of Spirit Arrows after all, so it wasnt a foreign concept. She just hadnt ever considered doing entirely without a physical bow.
Clearly Anton himself still thought it was better, as he continued to shoot at his targets with a real weapon. However, Kseniya could still feel that field around him. It was easily recognizable, to her at least, as the basis for Falling Stars. It was simply kept more tightly contained- though some of that was doubtless due to Antons current cultivation restrictions. Kseniya was pleased to see that he hadnt neglected above himself.
It would have been easy to create a ring around himself and ignore verticality, but his energy stretched out more or less evenly in all directions. At the moment it was doing nothing, but he should be able to call upon it at any moment and attack from somewhere completely unexpected. Not too bad, though she still had some gripes about his fundamentals. Several of his shots had been several millimeters off target, even before people dodged.
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Chapter 239
Battles between regular humans and cultivators were very different. It wasnt just the level of power each individual could display, though that was a large factor. Unlike the Order, some sects had standardized martial training that applied to everyone, but even so they would still not be arranged in a rank-and-file format like normal soldiers. Besides the fact that all but the largest sects could barely put together the numbers required for a mundane formation of people, staying in such positions would be a weakness.
Closely packed men were easy targets for wide area abilities, or even any ranged ability that didnt care precisely who it hit. And when those targets took years or decades to reach a decent level of usefulness, it was understandable that battle would focus more on individuals. The ability to fight as a group was still important, but it didnt follow such defined structures.
Arrows flew behind Antons group as they practiced a fighting retreat. Even if they were prepared for pitched battles, with the difference in numbers it would have been pointless to take a stand. They would have simply died for the possibility of killing a handful of enemies- as a group, not per individual. Anton didnt want to let anyone die, but he understood it was a possibility. But if it was going to happen, it had to be worth it.
As he and Marcio pestered people with arrows, faster enemies sometimes reached their ranks only to face coordinated attacks by the melee-focused majority of the group. It was a bit of a complicated dance, where Anton and the others had to stay together and move as quickly as they could, hoping that some of their enemies would repeat the same foolish individual attacks. They did, though not so often as to make any significant change to their overall numbers when they lost people.
Anton himself was only barely able to hinder a few people as he also had to counter incoming attacks. They had the benefit of moving further away from their enemies as they fought, effectively reducing the enemies range, but they werent fast enough for that to be enough to protect them. Still, they were approaching a place with proper fortifications- and more allies. It was the south-side cafeteria, where Anton had regularly gone for meals until he moved to his new place.
It didnt appear to be a secure facility, but looks could be deceiving. More importantly, it was a centralized location that could bring in all of those around it, so Anton knew that at least in theory some people should be there. Once they were getting close, he was relieved to find that was the case.
One good thing about constant fleeing with a large number of individuals- there was no time for their enemies to set up a proper illusion. With so many different sources of energy overlapping, and not having the element of surprise, they simply didnt have the opportunity. As Anton and the others approached the cafeteria, supporting fire came from the building, more arrows and a number of fire-based attacks as well. The enemies held back, giving them Anton and the others time to get to relative safety.
Whats going on out there? Anton recognized the figure of Daniela Selby. Thirty-seven stars, one more than when he had first seen her about a month after arriving. During the whole incident with Hayden. His own strength had multiplied many times over since then, but she was still an imposing figure.
Twin Soul Sect, Anton explained quickly. Far too much for us to handle. I assume since youre here the message got around.
Just an alarm, she said. But I suppose nobody had more specifics.
Anton explained what else he had seen, approximations of numbers and powers. There could be more than the single Life Transformation expert, Anton finished, But thats all Ive noticed so far. I might expect more.
Even if he had some limits to what he could do, Anton felt empowered as he stood among other members of the Order. It wasnt anything so fancy as a special formation like Catarina could set up- though there were protections on the building itself- but instead a feeling of camaraderie.
Yet more than that, there was a deeper strength flowing into him. It was slow, but very real. Anton continued to fire at a moderate pace, where he found his energy reserves were hardly even draining. Later he would come to the realization that as someone whose Essence was communal based, the situation was akin to actively cultivating. It didnt suddenly push him to a higher rank, but it slowed his drain of energy.
The enemy wasnt just going to let him continue shooting at them forever. It wasnt even a minute before they began their assault. Five hundred meters was something most of the enemy could cover in ten seconds flat, but as they approached they came within range of the rest of those with ranged abilities around Anton. They certainly killed many, but hundreds still remained, mainly Spirit Building and stronger.
The leading group did the logical thing, which was to jump up onto the roof to take out the archers. Though the cafeteria was a tall building, they could still make the leap. Right into a protective barrier that they had to have known would be there. Or at least assume. Even so, the moment they made contact the first couple dozen enemies were vulnerable, and another handful of them perished before they were able to reach the ground and maneuver themselves properly.
Some of them began to bombard the building with attacks, both longer range and up close. Then the doors down below swung open, and the few unlucky souls in front found themselves carved open as Elder Daniela wielded a sword at a speed he wouldnt have even been able to see when they first met. Several others were with her, stepping back and forth across the threshold.
The attackers were momentarily unsure whether the barrier would still stop them with the doors open, but they also had little chance to try. Most of those who got close were either killed or knocked backwards into the masses behind them. While there were two wide doors swung open, a handful of strong people could hold their ground easily- and one of them was Hoyt, which meant there was now a large wall of fire in front. People had to choose between removing the fire, attacking properly, or defending themselves.
-----
Grand Elder Kseniya could see almost every point in the Orders control, and those she couldnt see she could still take a shot at. But she didnt. She saw a Life Transformation expert hanging back from the crowd assaulting the southern side of the Order, but there was more. Another group, behind the first, circling around to the northern face. They had two more Life Transformation experts among them. She could probably kill at least one of them from where she was, but whichever one she targeted would likely survive long enough for any of the others to retreat.
It would have been a waste of all their effort keeping the mole alive and making themselves appear weak to start things too early. So Kseniya watched Anton as he shot into the crowd of enemies in front of him. She had seen him form a bow out of energy earlier. In her life she had done similar when the time called for it- a broken string or snapped shaft. She was the creator of Spirit Arrows after all, so it wasnt a foreign concept. She just hadnt ever considered doing entirely without a physical bow.
Clearly Anton himself still thought it was better, as he continued to shoot at his targets with a real weapon. However, Kseniya could still feel that field around him. It was easily recognizable, to her at least, as the basis for Falling Stars. It was simply kept more tightly contained- though some of that was doubtless due to Antons current cultivation restrictions. Kseniya was pleased to see that he hadnt neglected above himself.
It would have been easy to create a ring around himself and ignore verticality, but his energy stretched out more or less evenly in all directions. At the moment it was doing nothing, but he should be able to call upon it at any moment and attack from somewhere completely unexpected. Not too bad, though she still had some gripes about his fundamentals. Several of his shots had been several millimeters off target, even before people dodged.
Chapter 239Battles between regular humans and cultivators were very different. It wasnt just the level of power each individual could display, though that was a large factor. Unlike the Order, some sects had standardized martial training that applied to everyone, but even so they would still not be arranged in a rank-and-file format like normal soldiers. Besides the fact that all but the largest sects could barely put together the numbers required for a mundane formation of people, staying in such positions would be a weakness. Closely packed men were easy targets for wide area abilities, or even any ranged ability that didnt care precisely who it hit. And when those targets took years or decades to reach a decent level of usefulness, it was understandable that battle would focus more on individuals. The ability to fight as a group was still important, but it didnt follow such defined structures. Arrows flew behind Antons group as they practiced a fighting retreat. Even if they were prepared for pitched battles, with the difference in numbers it would have been pointless to take a stand. They would have simply died for the possibility of killing a handful of enemies- as a group, not per individual. Anton didnt want to let anyone die, but he understood it was a possibility. But if it was going to happen, it had to be worth it.As he and Marcio pestered people with arrows, faster enemies sometimes reached their ranks only to face coordinated attacks by the melee-focused majority of the group. It was a bit of a complicated dance, where Anton and the others had to stay together and move as quickly as they could, hoping that some of their enemies would repeat the same foolish individual attacks. They did, though not so often as to make any significant change to their overall numbers when they lost people.Anton himself was only barely able to hinder a few people as he also had to counter incoming attacks. They had the benefit of moving further away from their enemies as they fought, effectively reducing the enemies range, but they werent fast enough for that to be enough to protect them. Still, they were approaching a place with proper fortifications- and more allies. It was the south-side cafeteria, where Anton had regularly gone for meals until he moved to his new place.It didnt appear to be a secure facility, but looks could be deceiving. More importantly, it was a centralized location that could bring in all of those around it, so Anton knew that at least in theory some people should be there. Once they were getting close, he was relieved to find that was the case. One good thing about constant fleeing with a large number of individuals- there was no time for their enemies to set up a proper illusion. With so many different sources of energy overlapping, and not having the element of surprise, they simply didnt have the opportunity. As Anton and the others approached the cafeteria, supporting fire came from the building, more arrows and a number of fire-based attacks as well. The enemies held back, giving them Anton and the others time to get to relative safety.Whats going on out there? Anton recognized the figure of Daniela Selby. Thirty-seven stars, one more than when he had first seen her about a month after arriving. During the whole incident with Hayden. His own strength had multiplied many times over since then, but she was still an imposing figure.Twin Soul Sect, Anton explained quickly. Far too much for us to handle. I assume since youre here the message got around.Just an alarm, she said. But I suppose nobody had more specifics.Anton explained what else he had seen, approximations of numbers and powers. There could be more than the single Life Transformation expert, Anton finished, But thats all Ive noticed so far. I might expect more.Even if he had some limits to what he could do, Anton felt empowered as he stood among other members of the Order. It wasnt anything so fancy as a special formation like Catarina could set up- though there were protections on the building itself- but instead a feeling of camaraderie.Yet more than that, there was a deeper strength flowing into him. It was slow, but very real. Anton continued to fire at a moderate pace, where he found his energy reserves were hardly even draining. Later he would come to the realization that as someone whose Essence was communal based, the situation was akin to actively cultivating. It didnt suddenly push him to a higher rank, but it slowed his drain of energy.The enemy wasnt just going to let him continue shooting at them forever. It wasnt even a minute before they began their assault. Five hundred meters was something most of the enemy could cover in ten seconds flat, but as they approached they came within range of the rest of those with ranged abilities around Anton. They certainly killed many, but hundreds still remained, mainly Spirit Building and stronger. The leading group did the logical thing, which was to jump up onto the roof to take out the archers. Though the cafeteria was a tall building, they could still make the leap. Right into a protective barrier that they had to have known would be there. Or at least assume. Even so, the moment they made contact the first couple dozen enemies were vulnerable, and another handful of them perished before they were able to reach the ground and maneuver themselves properly. Some of them began to bombard the building with attacks, both longer range and up close. Then the doors down below swung open, and the few unlucky souls in front found themselves carved open as Elder Daniela wielded a sword at a speed he wouldnt have even been able to see when they first met. Several others were with her, stepping back and forth across the threshold. The attackers were momentarily unsure whether the barrier would still stop them with the doors open, but they also had little chance to try. Most of those who got close were either killed or knocked backwards into the masses behind them. While there were two wide doors swung open, a handful of strong people could hold their ground easily- and one of them was Hoyt, which meant there was now a large wall of fire in front. People had to choose between removing the fire, attacking properly, or defending themselves.-----Grand Elder Kseniya could see almost every point in the Orders control, and those she couldnt see she could still take a shot at. But she didnt. She saw a Life Transformation expert hanging back from the crowd assaulting the southern side of the Order, but there was more. Another group, behind the first, circling around to the northern face. They had two more Life Transformation experts among them. She could probably kill at least one of them from where she was, but whichever one she targeted would likely survive long enough for any of the others to retreat. It would have been a waste of all their effort keeping the mole alive and making themselves appear weak to start things too early. So Kseniya watched Anton as he shot into the crowd of enemies in front of him. She had seen him form a bow out of energy earlier. In her life she had done similar when the time called for it- a broken string or snapped shaft. She was the creator of Spirit Arrows after all, so it wasnt a foreign concept. She just hadnt ever considered doing entirely without a physical bow.Clearly Anton himself still thought it was better, as he continued to shoot at his targets with a real weapon. However, Kseniya could still feel that field around him. It was easily recognizable, to her at least, as the basis for Falling Stars. It was simply kept more tightly contained- though some of that was doubtless due to Antons current cultivation restrictions. Kseniya was pleased to see that he hadnt neglected above himself. It would have been easy to create a ring around himself and ignore verticality, but his energy stretched out more or less evenly in all directions. At the moment it was doing nothing, but he should be able to call upon it at any moment and attack from somewhere completely unexpected. Not too bad, though she still had some gripes about his fundamentals. Several of his shots had been several millimeters off target, even before people dodged.
