Chapter 294
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Chapter 294
In a darkness brought about not by a great structure blocking out the sun but by a lack of anything and everything, a woman stood in a cage. How long she had been there she did not know. She arrived weakened, unable to break through- and the only natural energy in the area was channeled outside the cage, beyond her reach. Through focus and meditation she had been attempting to generate some of her own, but it was difficult. Something was off about the world around her, besides seeing nothing beyond her cage. She had no food, but didnt hunger. There was no air to breath, but she felt no need.
But while it was strange, it wasnt entirely unforeseen. She remembered dying, after all. The question was why she was constrained. She had full assurance that after her death she would be rewarded. Even though her life had ended in failure, it should not have resulted in something like this. Nor did she feel anything familiar about the cage except something about the way the formations that formed it were arranged.
Perhaps she could puzzle it out. When that time came, she would cut through the formation. While she had ultimately been defeated by Rahayu, Vianne was still a swordmaster herself. Any who held that title would ultimately use similar methods to solve their problems. If she had a bit more energy, she might make the attempt even without full understanding. Waiting too long would be dangerous.
Even as she had those thoughts, a wraithlike figure showed itself in the void. It was a figure formed of skin and bone with little else, gaunt and bedraggled. Scraggly hair hung down over its face, joining with its bears to hang down below its feet into the nothingness.
Vianne gripped her sword tightly. Come to torment me, have you? Ill have you know it will do you no good. The things presence had disturbed the natural energy. She could feel some of it. Not nearly enough to fill her up, but she absorbed what she could regardless.
The ghastly figure cackled. Torment you? You think I have so much free time? The figures sunken eyes shone from beneath the tangled hair. Im far too busy for that lately. Got some very zealous people. Dismantling you and your companions had to be pushed down the line.The debut release of this chapter happened at Ñòv€l-B1n.
Come to kill me? That threat wont work. I am aware I have already died.
Not enough. Damned traitor. The figure stood in front of the cage without moving through the intervening space. I dont care about individuals, or groups, or anything except myself really- but the whole world starts to be a scale where I care. Plus the thought that I could have had more stuff if the punks you worked with hadnt plundered it first really got to me. His hand moved to a lock that suddenly appeared on her cage. So no, Im not going to kill you. Youll just stop existing.
Vianne held still where she sat, but it was a ready stance with her hand on her sword. When the cage opened and the figure stepped in, she struck. Her arms moved, her blade swift and weightless. A simple cross-body slash that would incapacitate the man, as he was nearly drained of energy as much as she was. There were only two problems. First was that the space between them bent and distorted, and the second was that she didnt have her sword. But she knew she had it. Even if this place wasnt real, it was bound to her in more than just body. How?
Shouldnt you know? the figure tilted its head, the hair tumbling in an unseemly manner over its gaunt frame. Arent you a swordmaster or something? What indeed could cause that? A disturbingly pale tongue danced out of a barely seen mouth for a moment, perhaps licking hidden lips. But since Im in the business of trying to know everything, Ill hazard a guess myself. Someone liked that sword more than you.
What? Youre insane. A bound weapon is not just about liking something. Theres a deep level of attachment a swordmaster has with her sword. An unbreakable bond forged in blood.
The figure looked at her empty hands, still acting as if they held a weapon. That bond looks pretty broken to me. Maybe someone just likes sharp swords a whole lot.
Preposterous, Vianne said. Besides, my will is strong. No matter the reason, I suppose it doesnt matter. Ill get a new sword soon.
With that, she moved. As quickly as she could, but also in a way that would be hard to track. Her remaining stores of energy werent enough to do things right, but centuries of experience allowed for astounding feats. But as she began to move into the void, hoping to break free, a hand closed around the back of her neck.
By the time Antons second shot was fired, the man was a mere three hundred meters away. The difference in timing was insignificant, as the man almost leisurely sliced with a single mantis claw, disrupting his attack once more. The surrounding foliage received the worst of the unraveling energy, leaves and limbs tearing apart.
As the final gap was being closed, Anton pushed himself to the limits, drawing upon every bit of energy he could get his hands on. His proficiency with his own natural energy and the other types he had under his command was constantly growing, though there were limits to how much he could condense it into a single attack. But splitting it into multiple attacks simply took a few extra portions of concentration. On either side of Anton, two additional bows formed, a small portion ascension energy to allow themselves sufficient punch for their arrows.
His final three shots- one from his physical bow and the extra two from his sides- were let loose when his opponent was no more than ten meters away. Anton looked into the mans eyes as he implemented his planned defense. Once more his hands- and the mantis claws they were mimicking- sliced across his body. Antons attacks were synchronized to force him to block only one of them, but the man managed to reach the leftmost arrow with the same strike, defeating the primary attack and one of the secondaries in a single move. The third arrow struck him in the shoulder, burying deep before shooting out of his back.
Then mantis claws were coming down at Anton, his feet already carrying him away. He dodged one swipe, then a second- countering with arrows of his own, hoping to capitalize on the damage he caused. But ultimately he could not overpower the man.
He held up his hands and dropped his bow, and a mantis scythe stopped just short of his neck. I know youre not defenseless like that, the man said.
Its about the principle of the thing, Anton said. You beat me, Niall.
My shoulder disagrees, the man said as his projected mantis faded away. Did you have to be so serious with your attacks?
Absolutely, Anton nodded his head. If we didnt take this seriously, would it even be training? Besides, if it was really serious that arrow would have detonated inside your shoulder. Instead it just left a nice, neat hole straight through it. Shouldnt take long to heal.
Niall inclined his head, A fair enough point. I hadnt thought someone of your cultivation would be the most well versed in ascension energy but it does seem to be true.
Ive been in an optimal state to practice Fleeting Youth, Anton pointed out. At least its good for practice.
If I wasnt ready for it, you might just have killed me, Niall admitted. I appreciate the training effort, though. Not many people are willing to weaken their own position for the sake of others they hardly know.
Were just being selfishly altruistic, Anton smiled. Youll be far too busy thinking about those invaders to want to fight me in the future.
The man laughed, There is that, true. Its oddly comforting, knowing its ultimately for the sake of you and your sects.
Anton nodded. So far, most encounters with local sects had gone amicably, and word was spreading of their presence. Some sects refused them, either because they had their own ways to train or because they didnt trust them, but they never pressed for more. If people werent willing to learn, they couldn't make them. In the end, cultivators could be expected to make themselves as strong as possible anyway. Special techniques might make a difference against the coming invaders, but nobody knew if they would be enough. Especially since they hadnt before.
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Chapter 294
In a darkness brought about not by a great structure blocking out the sun but by a lack of anything and everything, a woman stood in a cage. How long she had been there she did not know. She arrived weakened, unable to break through- and the only natural energy in the area was channeled outside the cage, beyond her reach. Through focus and meditation she had been attempting to generate some of her own, but it was difficult. Something was off about the world around her, besides seeing nothing beyond her cage. She had no food, but didnt hunger. There was no air to breath, but she felt no need.
But while it was strange, it wasnt entirely unforeseen. She remembered dying, after all. The question was why she was constrained. She had full assurance that after her death she would be rewarded. Even though her life had ended in failure, it should not have resulted in something like this. Nor did she feel anything familiar about the cage except something about the way the formations that formed it were arranged.
Perhaps she could puzzle it out. When that time came, she would cut through the formation. While she had ultimately been defeated by Rahayu, Vianne was still a swordmaster herself. Any who held that title would ultimately use similar methods to solve their problems. If she had a bit more energy, she might make the attempt even without full understanding. Waiting too long would be dangerous.
Even as she had those thoughts, a wraithlike figure showed itself in the void. It was a figure formed of skin and bone with little else, gaunt and bedraggled. Scraggly hair hung down over its face, joining with its bears to hang down below its feet into the nothingness.
Vianne gripped her sword tightly. Come to torment me, have you? Ill have you know it will do you no good. The things presence had disturbed the natural energy. She could feel some of it. Not nearly enough to fill her up, but she absorbed what she could regardless.
The ghastly figure cackled. Torment you? You think I have so much free time? The figures sunken eyes shone from beneath the tangled hair. Im far too busy for that lately. Got some very zealous people. Dismantling you and your companions had to be pushed down the line.The debut release of this chapter happened at Ñòv€l-B1n.
Come to kill me? That threat wont work. I am aware I have already died.
Not enough. Damned traitor. The figure stood in front of the cage without moving through the intervening space. I dont care about individuals, or groups, or anything except myself really- but the whole world starts to be a scale where I care. Plus the thought that I could have had more stuff if the punks you worked with hadnt plundered it first really got to me. His hand moved to a lock that suddenly appeared on her cage. So no, Im not going to kill you. Youll just stop existing.
Vianne held still where she sat, but it was a ready stance with her hand on her sword. When the cage opened and the figure stepped in, she struck. Her arms moved, her blade swift and weightless. A simple cross-body slash that would incapacitate the man, as he was nearly drained of energy as much as she was. There were only two problems. First was that the space between them bent and distorted, and the second was that she didnt have her sword. But she knew she had it. Even if this place wasnt real, it was bound to her in more than just body. How?
Shouldnt you know? the figure tilted its head, the hair tumbling in an unseemly manner over its gaunt frame. Arent you a swordmaster or something? What indeed could cause that? A disturbingly pale tongue danced out of a barely seen mouth for a moment, perhaps licking hidden lips. But since Im in the business of trying to know everything, Ill hazard a guess myself. Someone liked that sword more than you.
What? Youre insane. A bound weapon is not just about liking something. Theres a deep level of attachment a swordmaster has with her sword. An unbreakable bond forged in blood.
The figure looked at her empty hands, still acting as if they held a weapon. That bond looks pretty broken to me. Maybe someone just likes sharp swords a whole lot.
Preposterous, Vianne said. Besides, my will is strong. No matter the reason, I suppose it doesnt matter. Ill get a new sword soon.
With that, she moved. As quickly as she could, but also in a way that would be hard to track. Her remaining stores of energy werent enough to do things right, but centuries of experience allowed for astounding feats. But as she began to move into the void, hoping to break free, a hand closed around the back of her neck.
By the time Antons second shot was fired, the man was a mere three hundred meters away. The difference in timing was insignificant, as the man almost leisurely sliced with a single mantis claw, disrupting his attack once more. The surrounding foliage received the worst of the unraveling energy, leaves and limbs tearing apart.
As the final gap was being closed, Anton pushed himself to the limits, drawing upon every bit of energy he could get his hands on. His proficiency with his own natural energy and the other types he had under his command was constantly growing, though there were limits to how much he could condense it into a single attack. But splitting it into multiple attacks simply took a few extra portions of concentration. On either side of Anton, two additional bows formed, a small portion ascension energy to allow themselves sufficient punch for their arrows.
His final three shots- one from his physical bow and the extra two from his sides- were let loose when his opponent was no more than ten meters away. Anton looked into the mans eyes as he implemented his planned defense. Once more his hands- and the mantis claws they were mimicking- sliced across his body. Antons attacks were synchronized to force him to block only one of them, but the man managed to reach the leftmost arrow with the same strike, defeating the primary attack and one of the secondaries in a single move. The third arrow struck him in the shoulder, burying deep before shooting out of his back.
Then mantis claws were coming down at Anton, his feet already carrying him away. He dodged one swipe, then a second- countering with arrows of his own, hoping to capitalize on the damage he caused. But ultimately he could not overpower the man.
He held up his hands and dropped his bow, and a mantis scythe stopped just short of his neck. I know youre not defenseless like that, the man said.
Its about the principle of the thing, Anton said. You beat me, Niall.
My shoulder disagrees, the man said as his projected mantis faded away. Did you have to be so serious with your attacks?
Absolutely, Anton nodded his head. If we didnt take this seriously, would it even be training? Besides, if it was really serious that arrow would have detonated inside your shoulder. Instead it just left a nice, neat hole straight through it. Shouldnt take long to heal.
Niall inclined his head, A fair enough point. I hadnt thought someone of your cultivation would be the most well versed in ascension energy but it does seem to be true.
Ive been in an optimal state to practice Fleeting Youth, Anton pointed out. At least its good for practice.
If I wasnt ready for it, you might just have killed me, Niall admitted. I appreciate the training effort, though. Not many people are willing to weaken their own position for the sake of others they hardly know.
Were just being selfishly altruistic, Anton smiled. Youll be far too busy thinking about those invaders to want to fight me in the future.
The man laughed, There is that, true. Its oddly comforting, knowing its ultimately for the sake of you and your sects.
Anton nodded. So far, most encounters with local sects had gone amicably, and word was spreading of their presence. Some sects refused them, either because they had their own ways to train or because they didnt trust them, but they never pressed for more. If people werent willing to learn, they couldn't make them. In the end, cultivators could be expected to make themselves as strong as possible anyway. Special techniques might make a difference against the coming invaders, but nobody knew if they would be enough. Especially since they hadnt before.
Chapter 294In a darkness brought about not by a great structure blocking out the sun but by a lack of anything and everything, a woman stood in a cage. How long she had been there she did not know. She arrived weakened, unable to break through- and the only natural energy in the area was channeled outside the cage, beyond her reach. Through focus and meditation she had been attempting to generate some of her own, but it was difficult. Something was off about the world around her, besides seeing nothing beyond her cage. She had no food, but didnt hunger. There was no air to breath, but she felt no need.But while it was strange, it wasnt entirely unforeseen. She remembered dying, after all. The question was why she was constrained. She had full assurance that after her death she would be rewarded. Even though her life had ended in failure, it should not have resulted in something like this. Nor did she feel anything familiar about the cage except something about the way the formations that formed it were arranged.Perhaps she could puzzle it out. When that time came, she would cut through the formation. While she had ultimately been defeated by Rahayu, Vianne was still a swordmaster herself. Any who held that title would ultimately use similar methods to solve their problems. If she had a bit more energy, she might make the attempt even without full understanding. Waiting too long would be dangerous.Even as she had those thoughts, a wraithlike figure showed itself in the void. It was a figure formed of skin and bone with little else, gaunt and bedraggled. Scraggly hair hung down over its face, joining with its bears to hang down below its feet into the nothingness.Vianne gripped her sword tightly. Come to torment me, have you? Ill have you know it will do you no good. The things presence had disturbed the natural energy. She could feel some of it. Not nearly enough to fill her up, but she absorbed what she could regardless.The ghastly figure cackled. Torment you? You think I have so much free time? The figures sunken eyes shone from beneath the tangled hair. Im far too busy for that lately. Got some very zealous people. Dismantling you and your companions had to be pushed down the line.The debut release of this chapter happened at Novl-B1n.Come to kill me? That threat wont work. I am aware I have already died.Not enough. Damned traitor. The figure stood in front of the cage without moving through the intervening space. I dont care about individuals, or groups, or anything except myself really- but the whole world starts to be a scale where I care. Plus the thought that I could have had more stuff if the punks you worked with hadnt plundered it first really got to me. His hand moved to a lock that suddenly appeared on her cage. So no, Im not going to kill you. Youll just stop existing.Vianne held still where she sat, but it was a ready stance with her hand on her sword. When the cage opened and the figure stepped in, she struck. Her arms moved, her blade swift and weightless. A simple cross-body slash that would incapacitate the man, as he was nearly drained of energy as much as she was. There were only two problems. First was that the space between them bent and distorted, and the second was that she didnt have her sword. But she knew she had it. Even if this place wasnt real, it was bound to her in more than just body. How?Shouldnt you know? the figure tilted its head, the hair tumbling in an unseemly manner over its gaunt frame. Arent you a swordmaster or something? What indeed could cause that? A disturbingly pale tongue danced out of a barely seen mouth for a moment, perhaps licking hidden lips. But since Im in the business of trying to know everything, Ill hazard a guess myself. Someone liked that sword more than you.What? Youre insane. A bound weapon is not just about liking something. Theres a deep level of attachment a swordmaster has with her sword. An unbreakable bond forged in blood.The figure looked at her empty hands, still acting as if they held a weapon. That bond looks pretty broken to me. Maybe someone just likes sharp swords a whole lot.Preposterous, Vianne said. Besides, my will is strong. No matter the reason, I suppose it doesnt matter. Ill get a new sword soon.With that, she moved. As quickly as she could, but also in a way that would be hard to track. Her remaining stores of energy werent enough to do things right, but centuries of experience allowed for astounding feats. But as she began to move into the void, hoping to break free, a hand closed around the back of her neck.By the time Antons second shot was fired, the man was a mere three hundred meters away. The difference in timing was insignificant, as the man almost leisurely sliced with a single mantis claw, disrupting his attack once more. The surrounding foliage received the worst of the unraveling energy, leaves and limbs tearing apart. As the final gap was being closed, Anton pushed himself to the limits, drawing upon every bit of energy he could get his hands on. His proficiency with his own natural energy and the other types he had under his command was constantly growing, though there were limits to how much he could condense it into a single attack. But splitting it into multiple attacks simply took a few extra portions of concentration. On either side of Anton, two additional bows formed, a small portion ascension energy to allow themselves sufficient punch for their arrows.His final three shots- one from his physical bow and the extra two from his sides- were let loose when his opponent was no more than ten meters away. Anton looked into the mans eyes as he implemented his planned defense. Once more his hands- and the mantis claws they were mimicking- sliced across his body. Antons attacks were synchronized to force him to block only one of them, but the man managed to reach the leftmost arrow with the same strike, defeating the primary attack and one of the secondaries in a single move. The third arrow struck him in the shoulder, burying deep before shooting out of his back.Then mantis claws were coming down at Anton, his feet already carrying him away. He dodged one swipe, then a second- countering with arrows of his own, hoping to capitalize on the damage he caused. But ultimately he could not overpower the man.He held up his hands and dropped his bow, and a mantis scythe stopped just short of his neck. I know youre not defenseless like that, the man said. Its about the principle of the thing, Anton said. You beat me, Niall.My shoulder disagrees, the man said as his projected mantis faded away. Did you have to be so serious with your attacks?Absolutely, Anton nodded his head. If we didnt take this seriously, would it even be training? Besides, if it was really serious that arrow would have detonated inside your shoulder. Instead it just left a nice, neat hole straight through it. Shouldnt take long to heal.Niall inclined his head, A fair enough point. I hadnt thought someone of your cultivation would be the most well versed in ascension energy but it does seem to be true.Ive been in an optimal state to practice Fleeting Youth, Anton pointed out. At least its good for practice.If I wasnt ready for it, you might just have killed me, Niall admitted. I appreciate the training effort, though. Not many people are willing to weaken their own position for the sake of others they hardly know.Were just being selfishly altruistic, Anton smiled. Youll be far too busy thinking about those invaders to want to fight me in the future.The man laughed, There is that, true. Its oddly comforting, knowing its ultimately for the sake of you and your sects.Anton nodded. So far, most encounters with local sects had gone amicably, and word was spreading of their presence. Some sects refused them, either because they had their own ways to train or because they didnt trust them, but they never pressed for more. If people werent willing to learn, they couldn't make them. In the end, cultivators could be expected to make themselves as strong as possible anyway. Special techniques might make a difference against the coming invaders, but nobody knew if they would be enough. Especially since they hadnt before.
