Chapter 405
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Chapter 405
The further Antons cultivation improved, the further his senses could extend. As it was now, a mere few stars away from the peak of Life Transformation, he could stretch beyond a hundred and fifty kilometers at the far end, with various factors limiting him. Wild energy, either natural or intentionally stirred up made the process more difficult, and of course that was sensing through open air. Having to make turns in tunnels or to sense through water or solid materials all limited him in various ways.
But as his senses once more stretched into the sky, they extended further. And if he wasnt searching for anything in particular but simply making a thin string, it could go many times further. The exact distance was difficult to determine without some sort of reference. Though normally his thin threads of sensing energy covered an area several meters in height and spread out across the ground to optimally detect most cultivators, when narrowed to the size of actual threads and moving without interference it was inestimably far.
Though such threads were weak, easily broken by any sort of energy fluctuation out in space. Even the suns rays, an extremely diffuse sort of power, were enough to throw him off at extreme distances. His attempts could fail at any time for pretty much any reason but on a few occasions he thought he felt something.
He wasnt just randomly reaching up into the sky. In one direction he knew there were the upper realms- or at least the main density of ascension energy seemed to be in that direction. It seemed to shift, but that was only relative to his position upon Ceretos. The changing of the seasons and the rotation around the sun would naturally provide some differences, so he had to pay attention to star charts to guide himself properly. As far as he could tell, ascension energy didnt end up in quite every direction. As for the distance he was unsure.
As for feeling something beyond ascension energy, the closest celestial body was the moon. He was aware it was an almost unfathomable distance away, and his senses would have to stretch several thousand times further than normal but he could swear once or twice he brushed up against it. That always came with an immediate breaking of the thread of energy, however, so he couldnt be sure. It could have simply been a miniscule piece of space debris, as could only sense a tiny point. The only thing that made him have some confidence was that with the thread of energy so fine, the fact that he only ever sensed something at the tip should mean something. Perhaps it wasnt the moon itself, but some sort of atmosphere? Or lingering remnants of Everhearts formations.
Or hopeful imagination.
Anton returned back to himself, unsure if he was really making any progress. Ultimately it didnt matter if he could touch the moon or not, with his real target so much further away. If he understood correctly, there would be little of interest remaining on the moon, perhaps nothing at all. The life Everheart had taken there would have no doubt perished with everything else- formations that could only last for so long by stealing away a false future they would never have. Damage to the surface could be seen with a proper telescope and some enhanced vision, the same as they had been so many years prior to the best of Antons understanding.
Hoyt would be gone soon, and following him Alva. It was impossible to say they had a clear picture of what the Scarlet Midfields were like, and information about where individual ascenders might appear was cagy at best. Perhaps there was some way to predict it, but Catarina and Timothy had not found it. What they could say was that local groups were quite eager to snatch up new ascenders- and finding the right group was crucial. New ascenders werent exactly weak, but they found it difficult to stand on their own.
Near Catarina and Timothy were a few prominent groups. One that controlled several systems was known as the Harmonious Citadel. They were powerful, but had strict rules for those who joined them. A more sinister group that was only whispered about were the Dark Ring, known for snatching people away for them to never be seen again. They were in direct conflict with the Harmonious Citadel, though presumably somewhat weaker. The general area they controlled was known, but specific outposts were impossible to find and destroy.
He gave himself a push, accelerating in one direction at a rate he felt he could maintain indefinitely. Closer to the star he might be able to find a planet to land on hopefully one with proper resources. It was strange, as Timothy and Catarina had not experienced the same but appeared on the surface of Nuvater.
It was at that point he realized he should attempt to send a message to someone- anyone. There were a few devices, one of which might connect him to Catarina, if both sides had managed to properly link their devices beforehand. Another would most definitely link him back home, though the messages would take a very long round trip- though whether it would be shorter or longer than reaching the other two there was no way to know.
As Hoyt drifted through space, he focused on the star. He didnt want to actually get close to it- he couldnt handle that much energy, no matter what stage he was in. But getting a better look might be interesting. He did cultivate the Hundred Stars, after all. Or perhaps it was inappropriate to call it that beyond ascension. Maybe it would be something more.
He almost didnt notice something pass in front of his vision. As he turned his head, he could barely make out a black spot against the nothingness of space around him- the object visible only from how it blocked smaller stars in the distance. Hoyt slightly changed his trajectory, wondering about the new object. Though perhaps he neednt have bothered, since he suddenly found himself entangled in some sort of great web- or net.
It yanked him towards the object, and only then did Hoyt comprehend their relative momentums. He was moving incredibly fast, though with nothing to stop him or to compare against hed felt almost like he was not moving at all. The net whipped around behind the object, but it did not let go. Instead, it continuously pulled him closer as he swung around and around. He tried to struggle against it, but somehow it was restricting his ability to properly control his energy or maybe it was that he was unfamiliar with his new state. Perhaps both.
Either way, he was able to maintain a semblance of his defenses as he moved towards his inevitable crash. Except before he got close, another net surrounded him, slowing his angular movement. He was barely able to make out the surface below, almost invisible to the eye but becoming more clear with his energy senses. There were people there and more than a few.
When he landed, he was still entangled by a mesh of energy holding him still but he landed softly, his energy cushioning the impact enough. And he felt air around him, though it was thin.
Hey kid, came a womans voice from behind him. Seems like you were a little bit lost. Welcome to the Dark Ring.
Well. Perhaps he should have remained back on Ceretos after all though the fact that he survived his landing meant there was still some opportunity for him to survive. Thank you, he managed to say politely. I dont suppose you could remove these? He gestured to the nets as he tried to turn and see faces.
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Chapter 405
The further Antons cultivation improved, the further his senses could extend. As it was now, a mere few stars away from the peak of Life Transformation, he could stretch beyond a hundred and fifty kilometers at the far end, with various factors limiting him. Wild energy, either natural or intentionally stirred up made the process more difficult, and of course that was sensing through open air. Having to make turns in tunnels or to sense through water or solid materials all limited him in various ways.
But as his senses once more stretched into the sky, they extended further. And if he wasnt searching for anything in particular but simply making a thin string, it could go many times further. The exact distance was difficult to determine without some sort of reference. Though normally his thin threads of sensing energy covered an area several meters in height and spread out across the ground to optimally detect most cultivators, when narrowed to the size of actual threads and moving without interference it was inestimably far.
Though such threads were weak, easily broken by any sort of energy fluctuation out in space. Even the suns rays, an extremely diffuse sort of power, were enough to throw him off at extreme distances. His attempts could fail at any time for pretty much any reason but on a few occasions he thought he felt something.
He wasnt just randomly reaching up into the sky. In one direction he knew there were the upper realms- or at least the main density of ascension energy seemed to be in that direction. It seemed to shift, but that was only relative to his position upon Ceretos. The changing of the seasons and the rotation around the sun would naturally provide some differences, so he had to pay attention to star charts to guide himself properly. As far as he could tell, ascension energy didnt end up in quite every direction. As for the distance he was unsure.
As for feeling something beyond ascension energy, the closest celestial body was the moon. He was aware it was an almost unfathomable distance away, and his senses would have to stretch several thousand times further than normal but he could swear once or twice he brushed up against it. That always came with an immediate breaking of the thread of energy, however, so he couldnt be sure. It could have simply been a miniscule piece of space debris, as could only sense a tiny point. The only thing that made him have some confidence was that with the thread of energy so fine, the fact that he only ever sensed something at the tip should mean something. Perhaps it wasnt the moon itself, but some sort of atmosphere? Or lingering remnants of Everhearts formations.
Or hopeful imagination.
Anton returned back to himself, unsure if he was really making any progress. Ultimately it didnt matter if he could touch the moon or not, with his real target so much further away. If he understood correctly, there would be little of interest remaining on the moon, perhaps nothing at all. The life Everheart had taken there would have no doubt perished with everything else- formations that could only last for so long by stealing away a false future they would never have. Damage to the surface could be seen with a proper telescope and some enhanced vision, the same as they had been so many years prior to the best of Antons understanding.
Hoyt would be gone soon, and following him Alva. It was impossible to say they had a clear picture of what the Scarlet Midfields were like, and information about where individual ascenders might appear was cagy at best. Perhaps there was some way to predict it, but Catarina and Timothy had not found it. What they could say was that local groups were quite eager to snatch up new ascenders- and finding the right group was crucial. New ascenders werent exactly weak, but they found it difficult to stand on their own.
Near Catarina and Timothy were a few prominent groups. One that controlled several systems was known as the Harmonious Citadel. They were powerful, but had strict rules for those who joined them. A more sinister group that was only whispered about were the Dark Ring, known for snatching people away for them to never be seen again. They were in direct conflict with the Harmonious Citadel, though presumably somewhat weaker. The general area they controlled was known, but specific outposts were impossible to find and destroy.
He gave himself a push, accelerating in one direction at a rate he felt he could maintain indefinitely. Closer to the star he might be able to find a planet to land on hopefully one with proper resources. It was strange, as Timothy and Catarina had not experienced the same but appeared on the surface of Nuvater.
It was at that point he realized he should attempt to send a message to someone- anyone. There were a few devices, one of which might connect him to Catarina, if both sides had managed to properly link their devices beforehand. Another would most definitely link him back home, though the messages would take a very long round trip- though whether it would be shorter or longer than reaching the other two there was no way to know.
As Hoyt drifted through space, he focused on the star. He didnt want to actually get close to it- he couldnt handle that much energy, no matter what stage he was in. But getting a better look might be interesting. He did cultivate the Hundred Stars, after all. Or perhaps it was inappropriate to call it that beyond ascension. Maybe it would be something more.
He almost didnt notice something pass in front of his vision. As he turned his head, he could barely make out a black spot against the nothingness of space around him- the object visible only from how it blocked smaller stars in the distance. Hoyt slightly changed his trajectory, wondering about the new object. Though perhaps he neednt have bothered, since he suddenly found himself entangled in some sort of great web- or net.
It yanked him towards the object, and only then did Hoyt comprehend their relative momentums. He was moving incredibly fast, though with nothing to stop him or to compare against hed felt almost like he was not moving at all. The net whipped around behind the object, but it did not let go. Instead, it continuously pulled him closer as he swung around and around. He tried to struggle against it, but somehow it was restricting his ability to properly control his energy or maybe it was that he was unfamiliar with his new state. Perhaps both.
Either way, he was able to maintain a semblance of his defenses as he moved towards his inevitable crash. Except before he got close, another net surrounded him, slowing his angular movement. He was barely able to make out the surface below, almost invisible to the eye but becoming more clear with his energy senses. There were people there and more than a few.
When he landed, he was still entangled by a mesh of energy holding him still but he landed softly, his energy cushioning the impact enough. And he felt air around him, though it was thin.
Hey kid, came a womans voice from behind him. Seems like you were a little bit lost. Welcome to the Dark Ring.
Well. Perhaps he should have remained back on Ceretos after all though the fact that he survived his landing meant there was still some opportunity for him to survive. Thank you, he managed to say politely. I dont suppose you could remove these? He gestured to the nets as he tried to turn and see faces.
Chapter 405The further Antons cultivation improved, the further his senses could extend. As it was now, a mere few stars away from the peak of Life Transformation, he could stretch beyond a hundred and fifty kilometers at the far end, with various factors limiting him. Wild energy, either natural or intentionally stirred up made the process more difficult, and of course that was sensing through open air. Having to make turns in tunnels or to sense through water or solid materials all limited him in various ways.But as his senses once more stretched into the sky, they extended further. And if he wasnt searching for anything in particular but simply making a thin string, it could go many times further. The exact distance was difficult to determine without some sort of reference. Though normally his thin threads of sensing energy covered an area several meters in height and spread out across the ground to optimally detect most cultivators, when narrowed to the size of actual threads and moving without interference it was inestimably far.Though such threads were weak, easily broken by any sort of energy fluctuation out in space. Even the suns rays, an extremely diffuse sort of power, were enough to throw him off at extreme distances. His attempts could fail at any time for pretty much any reason but on a few occasions he thought he felt something. He wasnt just randomly reaching up into the sky. In one direction he knew there were the upper realms- or at least the main density of ascension energy seemed to be in that direction. It seemed to shift, but that was only relative to his position upon Ceretos. The changing of the seasons and the rotation around the sun would naturally provide some differences, so he had to pay attention to star charts to guide himself properly. As far as he could tell, ascension energy didnt end up in quite every direction. As for the distance he was unsure.As for feeling something beyond ascension energy, the closest celestial body was the moon. He was aware it was an almost unfathomable distance away, and his senses would have to stretch several thousand times further than normal but he could swear once or twice he brushed up against it. That always came with an immediate breaking of the thread of energy, however, so he couldnt be sure. It could have simply been a miniscule piece of space debris, as could only sense a tiny point. The only thing that made him have some confidence was that with the thread of energy so fine, the fact that he only ever sensed something at the tip should mean something. Perhaps it wasnt the moon itself, but some sort of atmosphere? Or lingering remnants of Everhearts formations.Or hopeful imagination. Anton returned back to himself, unsure if he was really making any progress. Ultimately it didnt matter if he could touch the moon or not, with his real target so much further away. If he understood correctly, there would be little of interest remaining on the moon, perhaps nothing at all. The life Everheart had taken there would have no doubt perished with everything else- formations that could only last for so long by stealing away a false future they would never have. Damage to the surface could be seen with a proper telescope and some enhanced vision, the same as they had been so many years prior to the best of Antons understanding.Hoyt would be gone soon, and following him Alva. It was impossible to say they had a clear picture of what the Scarlet Midfields were like, and information about where individual ascenders might appear was cagy at best. Perhaps there was some way to predict it, but Catarina and Timothy had not found it. What they could say was that local groups were quite eager to snatch up new ascenders- and finding the right group was crucial. New ascenders werent exactly weak, but they found it difficult to stand on their own.Near Catarina and Timothy were a few prominent groups. One that controlled several systems was known as the Harmonious Citadel. They were powerful, but had strict rules for those who joined them. A more sinister group that was only whispered about were the Dark Ring, known for snatching people away for them to never be seen again. They were in direct conflict with the Harmonious Citadel, though presumably somewhat weaker. The general area they controlled was known, but specific outposts were impossible to find and destroy.He gave himself a push, accelerating in one direction at a rate he felt he could maintain indefinitely. Closer to the star he might be able to find a planet to land on hopefully one with proper resources. It was strange, as Timothy and Catarina had not experienced the same but appeared on the surface of Nuvater.It was at that point he realized he should attempt to send a message to someone- anyone. There were a few devices, one of which might connect him to Catarina, if both sides had managed to properly link their devices beforehand. Another would most definitely link him back home, though the messages would take a very long round trip- though whether it would be shorter or longer than reaching the other two there was no way to know.As Hoyt drifted through space, he focused on the star. He didnt want to actually get close to it- he couldnt handle that much energy, no matter what stage he was in. But getting a better look might be interesting. He did cultivate the Hundred Stars, after all. Or perhaps it was inappropriate to call it that beyond ascension. Maybe it would be something more.He almost didnt notice something pass in front of his vision. As he turned his head, he could barely make out a black spot against the nothingness of space around him- the object visible only from how it blocked smaller stars in the distance. Hoyt slightly changed his trajectory, wondering about the new object. Though perhaps he neednt have bothered, since he suddenly found himself entangled in some sort of great web- or net.It yanked him towards the object, and only then did Hoyt comprehend their relative momentums. He was moving incredibly fast, though with nothing to stop him or to compare against hed felt almost like he was not moving at all. The net whipped around behind the object, but it did not let go. Instead, it continuously pulled him closer as he swung around and around. He tried to struggle against it, but somehow it was restricting his ability to properly control his energy or maybe it was that he was unfamiliar with his new state. Perhaps both.Either way, he was able to maintain a semblance of his defenses as he moved towards his inevitable crash. Except before he got close, another net surrounded him, slowing his angular movement. He was barely able to make out the surface below, almost invisible to the eye but becoming more clear with his energy senses. There were people there and more than a few.When he landed, he was still entangled by a mesh of energy holding him still but he landed softly, his energy cushioning the impact enough. And he felt air around him, though it was thin.Hey kid, came a womans voice from behind him. Seems like you were a little bit lost. Welcome to the Dark Ring.Well. Perhaps he should have remained back on Ceretos after all though the fact that he survived his landing meant there was still some opportunity for him to survive. Thank you, he managed to say politely. I dont suppose you could remove these? He gestured to the nets as he tried to turn and see faces.
