Chapter 274
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Chapter 274
The first few days of sea travel were somewhat interesting, but after the novelty wore off it was rather boring. That was the best that could be hoped for, since it meant nothing problematic came up, but it really was boring. Even cultivating wasnt easy, since there wasnt enough ambient natural energy for everyone packed together on the ships.
People were still able to socialize, talking and playing card games or otherwise idly passing the time. Some were better suited to those activities than others. Anton and Elder Servaos from the Wandering Bush Sect happily chatted, not just about cultivation but about life in general. Chikere had already wandered around to everyone on her ship who wielded a sword, but since there was no place to have a proper spar there was little depth of interaction. Anish stood in awkward silence next to the pair of Alva and Annelie. In turn, Adelina and Sarka were placed on the furthest ships from each other to avoid them interacting, with Adelina in the front of the formation- the Azalea- and Sarka in the Skylark at the rear.
-----
The first obstacle they had to overcome was completely mundane- a lack of wind. While the various ships had a number of crew who could row, it would be a waste of resources not to include the various cultivators they were transporting. There were some complaints, but ultimately following the orders of Commodore Visser relayed through the various captains of the individual vessels. Unless it was something directly harmful, there was little justification to refuse.
Anton found it quite fulfilling to sit at a large oar, making precise physical motions at a measured pace and specific power. Most of the others performed well, since something all cultivators were used to was moving their body as they pleased. Everyone was physically capable, even if they had to make greater use of energy to keep up, but that wasnt the real problem encountered. The problem was people trying to do too much.
In the rear of the formation, one such problem was occurring.
Slow down? Elder Sarka flared up. I thought the whole point of this was to go faster, why should I slow down?
Captain Arendse sighed. She didnt think that should need to be explained, but such was the way of things. First, its important to keep timing. If you row as quickly as you can, using the most power, we veer to the side.
Just put more people on the left, then, Sarka countered.
Even if we did that, we cant really improve our speed since we have to keep pace with the other ships in the fleet. Not all of them can go as fast.
Then stick me on one of them!
Do you want to sleep in a smaller cabin? Captain Arendse asked.
I- well
Commodore Visser addressed the fleet as they stopped at an island. Here we are at Greatleaf Island. The last stop where we know what were getting into. We plan to gather up some fresh food for the sake of a little celebration, and well fill up on water so we dont have to have anyone do the work of purifying it. After our little party, well be heading out into unknown waters, with the only knowledge being theres not much of significance within a week of here. Based on old records, we expect to take multiple months to reach any significantly sized landmass, and those only if we navigated correctly. Sadly, our star charts out this far are hardly up to date. He shrugged, But its not like well starve. Plenty of fish and large beasts, and we can filter water. We have that going for us, at least. So as long as we dont find anything dangerous enough to wipe us out, theres little cause for concern.
His speech wasnt exactly inspiring, but it wasnt really meant to be. It was just a statement of where they were, and where things were going. Uncertainty and danger werent the biggest concerns in a cultivators life, and with the gathering of powerful cultivators they had there really wasnt too much cause for concern. At least not for most people. Not all battles would be resolved in a handful of seconds, though at least for most they would have a bit more warning than charging fish with spearlike noses happened to give.
-----
Anton never slept much, and while hed been getting more than the absolutely required few hours of sleep each night, some of that was shifted to the morning. That allowed him to spend more time looking at the stars, which was quite interesting considering that this was the biggest change hed seen from his usual location. Roaming around through the various countries he noticed some differences, but he hadnt exactly gone a week out to sea.
He saw Commodore Visser paying close attention to the stars as well, though for very different reasons. The other man was using them to navigate, though as he admitted that wouldnt necessarily be good forever.
Need any help taking measurements? Anton asked. I can at least keep accurate notes. While Graotan was landlocked, Grand Elder Vandale had also possessed an interest in navigating by the stars, which he shared with Anton. It wasnt as necessary on land, but an interesting practice regardless.
Might as well, the man said. Id thought to make new charts. A straight line journey isnt exactly the best way to gather information, but if we do it right we should be able to at least keep ourselves on relatively the same heading. Cant guarantee that the compass will stay accurate, and it doesnt exactly help us find our way back to a known point unless we manage to avoid any drift due to sea currents. Which is extremely unlikely.
Anton nodded. Normally such a project was done over a long course of time, and preferably from stationary points. But if they could quickly take down locations of stars at a certain time and match them the next night, they could at least get a passing picture of how the sky changed. That was a place being cultivators was quite handy, as it allowed them to rapidly and precisely mark things down, even on a swaying ship.
They wouldnt be entirely creating new information, of course. The intent was to stay mostly along the same line of latitude, which meant they would see the same stars in the sky, except for the difference in timing throughout the night. After all, both they and the season were moving at the same time.
Anton learned quite a bit from Visser, who was glad to share what he knew. Getting some actual practice was good as well, since Anton had never really used the theoretical knowledge he had. Anton imagined he could have been a good sailor, but then again he likely could have handled any job. As long as he felt like he was getting actual work done, of course. Anton liked to see tangible results.
What do you think well find? Anton asked.
Hopefully a big mass of land. Visser shrugged. Id be quite happy to encounter some new islands. If we can plot their location then even if this expedition has to return for some reason, well make measurable progress. I know that the various sects would be disappointed at that, but sometimes flinging ships at things just doesnt work out. And we havent even run into real danger yet.
Anton didnt say anything, so as to not invite bad omens, but following the Commodores eyeline he found it wouldnt have mattered. Dark clouds were on the horizon, and he didnt have to be a seafarer to know that meant storms. The only question was whether or not they would be too much for them to handle. Of course, a single storm would not take out such a well equipped fleet- but it was possible for them to get worn down little by little.
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Chapter 274
The first few days of sea travel were somewhat interesting, but after the novelty wore off it was rather boring. That was the best that could be hoped for, since it meant nothing problematic came up, but it really was boring. Even cultivating wasnt easy, since there wasnt enough ambient natural energy for everyone packed together on the ships.
People were still able to socialize, talking and playing card games or otherwise idly passing the time. Some were better suited to those activities than others. Anton and Elder Servaos from the Wandering Bush Sect happily chatted, not just about cultivation but about life in general. Chikere had already wandered around to everyone on her ship who wielded a sword, but since there was no place to have a proper spar there was little depth of interaction. Anish stood in awkward silence next to the pair of Alva and Annelie. In turn, Adelina and Sarka were placed on the furthest ships from each other to avoid them interacting, with Adelina in the front of the formation- the Azalea- and Sarka in the Skylark at the rear.
-----
The first obstacle they had to overcome was completely mundane- a lack of wind. While the various ships had a number of crew who could row, it would be a waste of resources not to include the various cultivators they were transporting. There were some complaints, but ultimately following the orders of Commodore Visser relayed through the various captains of the individual vessels. Unless it was something directly harmful, there was little justification to refuse.
Anton found it quite fulfilling to sit at a large oar, making precise physical motions at a measured pace and specific power. Most of the others performed well, since something all cultivators were used to was moving their body as they pleased. Everyone was physically capable, even if they had to make greater use of energy to keep up, but that wasnt the real problem encountered. The problem was people trying to do too much.
In the rear of the formation, one such problem was occurring.
Slow down? Elder Sarka flared up. I thought the whole point of this was to go faster, why should I slow down?
Captain Arendse sighed. She didnt think that should need to be explained, but such was the way of things. First, its important to keep timing. If you row as quickly as you can, using the most power, we veer to the side.
Just put more people on the left, then, Sarka countered.
Even if we did that, we cant really improve our speed since we have to keep pace with the other ships in the fleet. Not all of them can go as fast.
Then stick me on one of them!
Do you want to sleep in a smaller cabin? Captain Arendse asked.
I- well
Commodore Visser addressed the fleet as they stopped at an island. Here we are at Greatleaf Island. The last stop where we know what were getting into. We plan to gather up some fresh food for the sake of a little celebration, and well fill up on water so we dont have to have anyone do the work of purifying it. After our little party, well be heading out into unknown waters, with the only knowledge being theres not much of significance within a week of here. Based on old records, we expect to take multiple months to reach any significantly sized landmass, and those only if we navigated correctly. Sadly, our star charts out this far are hardly up to date. He shrugged, But its not like well starve. Plenty of fish and large beasts, and we can filter water. We have that going for us, at least. So as long as we dont find anything dangerous enough to wipe us out, theres little cause for concern.
His speech wasnt exactly inspiring, but it wasnt really meant to be. It was just a statement of where they were, and where things were going. Uncertainty and danger werent the biggest concerns in a cultivators life, and with the gathering of powerful cultivators they had there really wasnt too much cause for concern. At least not for most people. Not all battles would be resolved in a handful of seconds, though at least for most they would have a bit more warning than charging fish with spearlike noses happened to give.
-----
Anton never slept much, and while hed been getting more than the absolutely required few hours of sleep each night, some of that was shifted to the morning. That allowed him to spend more time looking at the stars, which was quite interesting considering that this was the biggest change hed seen from his usual location. Roaming around through the various countries he noticed some differences, but he hadnt exactly gone a week out to sea.
He saw Commodore Visser paying close attention to the stars as well, though for very different reasons. The other man was using them to navigate, though as he admitted that wouldnt necessarily be good forever.
Need any help taking measurements? Anton asked. I can at least keep accurate notes. While Graotan was landlocked, Grand Elder Vandale had also possessed an interest in navigating by the stars, which he shared with Anton. It wasnt as necessary on land, but an interesting practice regardless.
Might as well, the man said. Id thought to make new charts. A straight line journey isnt exactly the best way to gather information, but if we do it right we should be able to at least keep ourselves on relatively the same heading. Cant guarantee that the compass will stay accurate, and it doesnt exactly help us find our way back to a known point unless we manage to avoid any drift due to sea currents. Which is extremely unlikely.
Anton nodded. Normally such a project was done over a long course of time, and preferably from stationary points. But if they could quickly take down locations of stars at a certain time and match them the next night, they could at least get a passing picture of how the sky changed. That was a place being cultivators was quite handy, as it allowed them to rapidly and precisely mark things down, even on a swaying ship.
They wouldnt be entirely creating new information, of course. The intent was to stay mostly along the same line of latitude, which meant they would see the same stars in the sky, except for the difference in timing throughout the night. After all, both they and the season were moving at the same time.
Anton learned quite a bit from Visser, who was glad to share what he knew. Getting some actual practice was good as well, since Anton had never really used the theoretical knowledge he had. Anton imagined he could have been a good sailor, but then again he likely could have handled any job. As long as he felt like he was getting actual work done, of course. Anton liked to see tangible results.
What do you think well find? Anton asked.
Hopefully a big mass of land. Visser shrugged. Id be quite happy to encounter some new islands. If we can plot their location then even if this expedition has to return for some reason, well make measurable progress. I know that the various sects would be disappointed at that, but sometimes flinging ships at things just doesnt work out. And we havent even run into real danger yet.
Anton didnt say anything, so as to not invite bad omens, but following the Commodores eyeline he found it wouldnt have mattered. Dark clouds were on the horizon, and he didnt have to be a seafarer to know that meant storms. The only question was whether or not they would be too much for them to handle. Of course, a single storm would not take out such a well equipped fleet- but it was possible for them to get worn down little by little.
Chapter 274The first few days of sea travel were somewhat interesting, but after the novelty wore off it was rather boring. That was the best that could be hoped for, since it meant nothing problematic came up, but it really was boring. Even cultivating wasnt easy, since there wasnt enough ambient natural energy for everyone packed together on the ships. People were still able to socialize, talking and playing card games or otherwise idly passing the time. Some were better suited to those activities than others. Anton and Elder Servaos from the Wandering Bush Sect happily chatted, not just about cultivation but about life in general. Chikere had already wandered around to everyone on her ship who wielded a sword, but since there was no place to have a proper spar there was little depth of interaction. Anish stood in awkward silence next to the pair of Alva and Annelie. In turn, Adelina and Sarka were placed on the furthest ships from each other to avoid them interacting, with Adelina in the front of the formation- the Azalea- and Sarka in the Skylark at the rear.-----The first obstacle they had to overcome was completely mundane- a lack of wind. While the various ships had a number of crew who could row, it would be a waste of resources not to include the various cultivators they were transporting. There were some complaints, but ultimately following the orders of Commodore Visser relayed through the various captains of the individual vessels. Unless it was something directly harmful, there was little justification to refuse.Anton found it quite fulfilling to sit at a large oar, making precise physical motions at a measured pace and specific power. Most of the others performed well, since something all cultivators were used to was moving their body as they pleased. Everyone was physically capable, even if they had to make greater use of energy to keep up, but that wasnt the real problem encountered. The problem was people trying to do too much.In the rear of the formation, one such problem was occurring.Slow down? Elder Sarka flared up. I thought the whole point of this was to go faster, why should I slow down?Captain Arendse sighed. She didnt think that should need to be explained, but such was the way of things. First, its important to keep timing. If you row as quickly as you can, using the most power, we veer to the side.Just put more people on the left, then, Sarka countered.Even if we did that, we cant really improve our speed since we have to keep pace with the other ships in the fleet. Not all of them can go as fast.Then stick me on one of them!Do you want to sleep in a smaller cabin? Captain Arendse asked.I- wellCommodore Visser addressed the fleet as they stopped at an island. Here we are at Greatleaf Island. The last stop where we know what were getting into. We plan to gather up some fresh food for the sake of a little celebration, and well fill up on water so we dont have to have anyone do the work of purifying it. After our little party, well be heading out into unknown waters, with the only knowledge being theres not much of significance within a week of here. Based on old records, we expect to take multiple months to reach any significantly sized landmass, and those only if we navigated correctly. Sadly, our star charts out this far are hardly up to date. He shrugged, But its not like well starve. Plenty of fish and large beasts, and we can filter water. We have that going for us, at least. So as long as we dont find anything dangerous enough to wipe us out, theres little cause for concern.His speech wasnt exactly inspiring, but it wasnt really meant to be. It was just a statement of where they were, and where things were going. Uncertainty and danger werent the biggest concerns in a cultivators life, and with the gathering of powerful cultivators they had there really wasnt too much cause for concern. At least not for most people. Not all battles would be resolved in a handful of seconds, though at least for most they would have a bit more warning than charging fish with spearlike noses happened to give.-----Anton never slept much, and while hed been getting more than the absolutely required few hours of sleep each night, some of that was shifted to the morning. That allowed him to spend more time looking at the stars, which was quite interesting considering that this was the biggest change hed seen from his usual location. Roaming around through the various countries he noticed some differences, but he hadnt exactly gone a week out to sea.He saw Commodore Visser paying close attention to the stars as well, though for very different reasons. The other man was using them to navigate, though as he admitted that wouldnt necessarily be good forever.Need any help taking measurements? Anton asked. I can at least keep accurate notes. While Graotan was landlocked, Grand Elder Vandale had also possessed an interest in navigating by the stars, which he shared with Anton. It wasnt as necessary on land, but an interesting practice regardless.Might as well, the man said. Id thought to make new charts. A straight line journey isnt exactly the best way to gather information, but if we do it right we should be able to at least keep ourselves on relatively the same heading. Cant guarantee that the compass will stay accurate, and it doesnt exactly help us find our way back to a known point unless we manage to avoid any drift due to sea currents. Which is extremely unlikely.Anton nodded. Normally such a project was done over a long course of time, and preferably from stationary points. But if they could quickly take down locations of stars at a certain time and match them the next night, they could at least get a passing picture of how the sky changed. That was a place being cultivators was quite handy, as it allowed them to rapidly and precisely mark things down, even on a swaying ship.They wouldnt be entirely creating new information, of course. The intent was to stay mostly along the same line of latitude, which meant they would see the same stars in the sky, except for the difference in timing throughout the night. After all, both they and the season were moving at the same time. Anton learned quite a bit from Visser, who was glad to share what he knew. Getting some actual practice was good as well, since Anton had never really used the theoretical knowledge he had. Anton imagined he could have been a good sailor, but then again he likely could have handled any job. As long as he felt like he was getting actual work done, of course. Anton liked to see tangible results.What do you think well find? Anton asked.Hopefully a big mass of land. Visser shrugged. Id be quite happy to encounter some new islands. If we can plot their location then even if this expedition has to return for some reason, well make measurable progress. I know that the various sects would be disappointed at that, but sometimes flinging ships at things just doesnt work out. And we havent even run into real danger yet.Anton didnt say anything, so as to not invite bad omens, but following the Commodores eyeline he found it wouldnt have mattered. Dark clouds were on the horizon, and he didnt have to be a seafarer to know that meant storms. The only question was whether or not they would be too much for them to handle. Of course, a single storm would not take out such a well equipped fleet- but it was possible for them to get worn down little by little.
