Chapter 410
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Chapter 410
Staring up into the sky, Velvet had long lost track of Antons energy. Unlike the archer, her senses were trained to focus more on what was closer. Though she still acted as a scout, the distance she focused on was a more modest few kilometers. She knew that what happened was quite unlike ascension- while she felt him, Anton had been moving at a relatively modest speed. He didnt step through a rift in space or otherwise disappear directly.
She waited a day for his return. Then two. After a week, she finally had to give into the urging of the others and go to sleep. Even Kseniya herself had lost track of Anton not long after. Hell either succeed and come back, or not. Theres nothing we can do, Kseniya pointed out. Except to continue what he expected of us. I dont know if whatever hes up to can succeed, but he said it shouldnt be ascension. Which means Catarina and the others could still use a good archer up there. I should still be first, though Marcio and some of the others have a chance to follow in a decade or two. Kseniya shrugged, If my cultivation speed was as quick as my archery progress I should have been there long ago, though resolving some flaws in the technique and completing it has obviously helped.
What about here? Velvet asked.
There will always be more of us here, Kseniya said. You dont have to hurry off to ascend, of course, but dont miss a good opportunity if it comes up. Make sure youre ready.
That didnt actually resolve anything happening with Anton, but cultivation would be a good distraction. Velvet hadnt trailed all that far behind the others with Antons guidance, but she had a couple stars she still needed before she could try to ascend. A few years each, then she could sort out what the best move was. Hopefully by then those already ascended would have managed to meet up.
-----
I have to admit, Hoyt said. I expected to be dead or significantly more restricted.N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.
Im surprised you had a pre-formed opinion on us, Zazil said. You ascended from a lower realm, didnt you? Yet youre not from one of the big sects, or you wouldnt have ended up out here.
Is that so? Hoyt asked.
Thats right. They have drawing formations that bring in those attuned to their particular cultivation techniques.
Thats unexpected.
Is it? Zazil asked. Or do you mean me giving an honest answer?
Both, I suppose, Hoyt admitted.
Look, I know youve probably heard that we ambush and kill people and we do, Zazil said.
Hoyt waited for the but that never came. Uh, yeah. Thats it?
What? You thought there was more.
It felt like there should be.
Alva certainly wasnt part of the crew, so she made her way off with the others. Shortly after she did, Chikere briefly caught her eye. She held a finger up to her lips as she glanced towards the bandit base, but Alva wasnt sure what for. She hadnt said anything about Chikere so far and didnt plan to change that, though she was curious. And she definitely didnt have secrets about the bandits.
Battle started with a sudden blade of energy cutting their forces in half. It wasnt a precisely calculated move meant to split them apart, but simply a powerful attack aimed right in the middle. Most managed to avoid it, though some were simply too slow. The preparation time for such an attack had simply been too short.
Then they were fighting. Alvas instincts told her to pick out targets among the rapidly approaching enemies, and combat lines closed in on each other quickly. She began to shoot arrows at the enemy group, missing her familiar allies. And Fuzz, because she was much less effective without him. Her range was decent enough, but having to focus more of her energy on moving and less on her shots made her less effective.
The forces werent arranged in a way that Alva could tell how they matched up, but she could tell that the leader of the enemy forces was strong. He should only technically be in Integration like herself, but the mans sword cut down anyone who got near him- with near being a not insignificant range. At least a hundred meters. Several Integration and twice as many Life Transformation cultivators fell, though in other parts of the battle things were going the other way.
Alva tried to focus on the battle as a whole so she wasnt surprised by anything, but something made her stop on Chikere. The woman was using swords in either hand to fight off her opponents, but she wasnt looking at them. Her eyes were fixed on the swordmaster cutting people down, though she made no move to approach. She did lick her lips, however.
There were a few things Alva was learning about the battle. First, random disorganized cultivators were much less effective than anything shed been a part of in her entire career as a cultivator. Was the Harmonious Citadel trying to get some of them killed? She hadnt exactly planned any tactics either, but shed kind of thought they would figure things out. At least she was an archer who could stay towards the back. Even the bandits were more organized.
When she glanced over at Rahmi, he seemed hesitant to lead more people towards the swordmaster. Something about that one was a secret? Alva didnt know what, because she didnt know anything about them. Except now that she thought about it, maybe she had seen him before? Which was odd. Then she realized. It was Swordmaster Rahayu. Theyd never been well acquainted- hed ascended fairly quickly after shed arrived on Aicenith- but she was familiar with him through seeing him vaguely a couple times. Just not in combat.
Maybe shed been missing out. He was amazing, though he was also on the wrong side of the battle. That did make things awkward. And though hed ascended almost a century prior, Alva was surprised at how strong he was. Fortunately, it seemed that Rahmi was as well.
They have someone on the verge of Augmentation! We need to pull back to somewhere more favorable.
While there was nothing technically wrong with those orders, could anyone really afford to turn their back on Swordmaster Rahayu? Alva was able to retreat, but many others were in a poor state for it.
Fortunately for them Chikere was walking towards him. Shed been his disciple for a time, so maybe she could talk him into letting them retreat? Alva didnt really care about any of those present, but she still preferred for her allies not to die.
Chikere got close, and her eyes locked with Rahayu. She put the tip of her blades in the ground. Rahayu momentarily stopped, and Alva breathed a sigh of relief. Then Chikere turned out her storage bag onto the ground, creating a small mountain of swords which flew out of their sheaths in unity.
Alva sighed again, but with significantly less calm. Of course that was what Chikere was going to do.
A moment later the ground began to split apart around the two swordmasters, and the forces from the Harmonious Citadel seemed as if they might rally- but just because Rahayu was being held back didnt mean the rest of the battle was going well. And nobody seemed concerned about abandoning Chikere.
Alva might have done something about that, but if she tried to stop that fight she imagined Chikere would never forgive her. Besides, Rahayu wouldnt kill his student, would he?
As a rift was slashed in the ground next to Alva she threw herself to the side. The attack hadnt even been aimed at her- she just happened to be behind Chikere at that moment. Yeah, shed leave Chikere to that whole thing. In any other circumstance she wouldnt leave a friend behind, but this was a special exception.
As Alva retreated with the others, she had to wonder about the whole situation. Rahayu might not have been universally beloved, but he had been a decent fellow, hadnt he? Honorable, at least. Not a bandit. Those thoughts led to others which all made Alva uncomfortable, and unfortunately she didnt know of any way to get easy answers. But as long as she was alive and safe, she could figure something out.
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Chapter 410
Staring up into the sky, Velvet had long lost track of Antons energy. Unlike the archer, her senses were trained to focus more on what was closer. Though she still acted as a scout, the distance she focused on was a more modest few kilometers. She knew that what happened was quite unlike ascension- while she felt him, Anton had been moving at a relatively modest speed. He didnt step through a rift in space or otherwise disappear directly.
She waited a day for his return. Then two. After a week, she finally had to give into the urging of the others and go to sleep. Even Kseniya herself had lost track of Anton not long after. Hell either succeed and come back, or not. Theres nothing we can do, Kseniya pointed out. Except to continue what he expected of us. I dont know if whatever hes up to can succeed, but he said it shouldnt be ascension. Which means Catarina and the others could still use a good archer up there. I should still be first, though Marcio and some of the others have a chance to follow in a decade or two. Kseniya shrugged, If my cultivation speed was as quick as my archery progress I should have been there long ago, though resolving some flaws in the technique and completing it has obviously helped.
What about here? Velvet asked.
There will always be more of us here, Kseniya said. You dont have to hurry off to ascend, of course, but dont miss a good opportunity if it comes up. Make sure youre ready.
That didnt actually resolve anything happening with Anton, but cultivation would be a good distraction. Velvet hadnt trailed all that far behind the others with Antons guidance, but she had a couple stars she still needed before she could try to ascend. A few years each, then she could sort out what the best move was. Hopefully by then those already ascended would have managed to meet up.
-----
I have to admit, Hoyt said. I expected to be dead or significantly more restricted.N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.
Im surprised you had a pre-formed opinion on us, Zazil said. You ascended from a lower realm, didnt you? Yet youre not from one of the big sects, or you wouldnt have ended up out here.
Is that so? Hoyt asked.
Thats right. They have drawing formations that bring in those attuned to their particular cultivation techniques.
Thats unexpected.
Is it? Zazil asked. Or do you mean me giving an honest answer?
Both, I suppose, Hoyt admitted.
Look, I know youve probably heard that we ambush and kill people and we do, Zazil said.
Hoyt waited for the but that never came. Uh, yeah. Thats it?
What? You thought there was more.
It felt like there should be.
Alva certainly wasnt part of the crew, so she made her way off with the others. Shortly after she did, Chikere briefly caught her eye. She held a finger up to her lips as she glanced towards the bandit base, but Alva wasnt sure what for. She hadnt said anything about Chikere so far and didnt plan to change that, though she was curious. And she definitely didnt have secrets about the bandits.
Battle started with a sudden blade of energy cutting their forces in half. It wasnt a precisely calculated move meant to split them apart, but simply a powerful attack aimed right in the middle. Most managed to avoid it, though some were simply too slow. The preparation time for such an attack had simply been too short.
Then they were fighting. Alvas instincts told her to pick out targets among the rapidly approaching enemies, and combat lines closed in on each other quickly. She began to shoot arrows at the enemy group, missing her familiar allies. And Fuzz, because she was much less effective without him. Her range was decent enough, but having to focus more of her energy on moving and less on her shots made her less effective.
The forces werent arranged in a way that Alva could tell how they matched up, but she could tell that the leader of the enemy forces was strong. He should only technically be in Integration like herself, but the mans sword cut down anyone who got near him- with near being a not insignificant range. At least a hundred meters. Several Integration and twice as many Life Transformation cultivators fell, though in other parts of the battle things were going the other way.
Alva tried to focus on the battle as a whole so she wasnt surprised by anything, but something made her stop on Chikere. The woman was using swords in either hand to fight off her opponents, but she wasnt looking at them. Her eyes were fixed on the swordmaster cutting people down, though she made no move to approach. She did lick her lips, however.
There were a few things Alva was learning about the battle. First, random disorganized cultivators were much less effective than anything shed been a part of in her entire career as a cultivator. Was the Harmonious Citadel trying to get some of them killed? She hadnt exactly planned any tactics either, but shed kind of thought they would figure things out. At least she was an archer who could stay towards the back. Even the bandits were more organized.
When she glanced over at Rahmi, he seemed hesitant to lead more people towards the swordmaster. Something about that one was a secret? Alva didnt know what, because she didnt know anything about them. Except now that she thought about it, maybe she had seen him before? Which was odd. Then she realized. It was Swordmaster Rahayu. Theyd never been well acquainted- hed ascended fairly quickly after shed arrived on Aicenith- but she was familiar with him through seeing him vaguely a couple times. Just not in combat.
Maybe shed been missing out. He was amazing, though he was also on the wrong side of the battle. That did make things awkward. And though hed ascended almost a century prior, Alva was surprised at how strong he was. Fortunately, it seemed that Rahmi was as well.
They have someone on the verge of Augmentation! We need to pull back to somewhere more favorable.
While there was nothing technically wrong with those orders, could anyone really afford to turn their back on Swordmaster Rahayu? Alva was able to retreat, but many others were in a poor state for it.
Fortunately for them Chikere was walking towards him. Shed been his disciple for a time, so maybe she could talk him into letting them retreat? Alva didnt really care about any of those present, but she still preferred for her allies not to die.
Chikere got close, and her eyes locked with Rahayu. She put the tip of her blades in the ground. Rahayu momentarily stopped, and Alva breathed a sigh of relief. Then Chikere turned out her storage bag onto the ground, creating a small mountain of swords which flew out of their sheaths in unity.
Alva sighed again, but with significantly less calm. Of course that was what Chikere was going to do.
A moment later the ground began to split apart around the two swordmasters, and the forces from the Harmonious Citadel seemed as if they might rally- but just because Rahayu was being held back didnt mean the rest of the battle was going well. And nobody seemed concerned about abandoning Chikere.
Alva might have done something about that, but if she tried to stop that fight she imagined Chikere would never forgive her. Besides, Rahayu wouldnt kill his student, would he?
As a rift was slashed in the ground next to Alva she threw herself to the side. The attack hadnt even been aimed at her- she just happened to be behind Chikere at that moment. Yeah, shed leave Chikere to that whole thing. In any other circumstance she wouldnt leave a friend behind, but this was a special exception.
As Alva retreated with the others, she had to wonder about the whole situation. Rahayu might not have been universally beloved, but he had been a decent fellow, hadnt he? Honorable, at least. Not a bandit. Those thoughts led to others which all made Alva uncomfortable, and unfortunately she didnt know of any way to get easy answers. But as long as she was alive and safe, she could figure something out.
Chapter 410Staring up into the sky, Velvet had long lost track of Antons energy. Unlike the archer, her senses were trained to focus more on what was closer. Though she still acted as a scout, the distance she focused on was a more modest few kilometers. She knew that what happened was quite unlike ascension- while she felt him, Anton had been moving at a relatively modest speed. He didnt step through a rift in space or otherwise disappear directly. She waited a day for his return. Then two. After a week, she finally had to give into the urging of the others and go to sleep. Even Kseniya herself had lost track of Anton not long after. Hell either succeed and come back, or not. Theres nothing we can do, Kseniya pointed out. Except to continue what he expected of us. I dont know if whatever hes up to can succeed, but he said it shouldnt be ascension. Which means Catarina and the others could still use a good archer up there. I should still be first, though Marcio and some of the others have a chance to follow in a decade or two. Kseniya shrugged, If my cultivation speed was as quick as my archery progress I should have been there long ago, though resolving some flaws in the technique and completing it has obviously helped.What about here? Velvet asked.There will always be more of us here, Kseniya said. You dont have to hurry off to ascend, of course, but dont miss a good opportunity if it comes up. Make sure youre ready.That didnt actually resolve anything happening with Anton, but cultivation would be a good distraction. Velvet hadnt trailed all that far behind the others with Antons guidance, but she had a couple stars she still needed before she could try to ascend. A few years each, then she could sort out what the best move was. Hopefully by then those already ascended would have managed to meet up.-----I have to admit, Hoyt said. I expected to be dead or significantly more restricted.N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.Im surprised you had a pre-formed opinion on us, Zazil said. You ascended from a lower realm, didnt you? Yet youre not from one of the big sects, or you wouldnt have ended up out here.Is that so? Hoyt asked.Thats right. They have drawing formations that bring in those attuned to their particular cultivation techniques.Thats unexpected.Is it? Zazil asked. Or do you mean me giving an honest answer?Both, I suppose, Hoyt admitted. Look, I know youve probably heard that we ambush and kill people and we do, Zazil said.Hoyt waited for the but that never came. Uh, yeah. Thats it?What? You thought there was more.It felt like there should be.Alva certainly wasnt part of the crew, so she made her way off with the others. Shortly after she did, Chikere briefly caught her eye. She held a finger up to her lips as she glanced towards the bandit base, but Alva wasnt sure what for. She hadnt said anything about Chikere so far and didnt plan to change that, though she was curious. And she definitely didnt have secrets about the bandits.Battle started with a sudden blade of energy cutting their forces in half. It wasnt a precisely calculated move meant to split them apart, but simply a powerful attack aimed right in the middle. Most managed to avoid it, though some were simply too slow. The preparation time for such an attack had simply been too short. Then they were fighting. Alvas instincts told her to pick out targets among the rapidly approaching enemies, and combat lines closed in on each other quickly. She began to shoot arrows at the enemy group, missing her familiar allies. And Fuzz, because she was much less effective without him. Her range was decent enough, but having to focus more of her energy on moving and less on her shots made her less effective.The forces werent arranged in a way that Alva could tell how they matched up, but she could tell that the leader of the enemy forces was strong. He should only technically be in Integration like herself, but the mans sword cut down anyone who got near him- with near being a not insignificant range. At least a hundred meters. Several Integration and twice as many Life Transformation cultivators fell, though in other parts of the battle things were going the other way. Alva tried to focus on the battle as a whole so she wasnt surprised by anything, but something made her stop on Chikere. The woman was using swords in either hand to fight off her opponents, but she wasnt looking at them. Her eyes were fixed on the swordmaster cutting people down, though she made no move to approach. She did lick her lips, however. There were a few things Alva was learning about the battle. First, random disorganized cultivators were much less effective than anything shed been a part of in her entire career as a cultivator. Was the Harmonious Citadel trying to get some of them killed? She hadnt exactly planned any tactics either, but shed kind of thought they would figure things out. At least she was an archer who could stay towards the back. Even the bandits were more organized.When she glanced over at Rahmi, he seemed hesitant to lead more people towards the swordmaster. Something about that one was a secret? Alva didnt know what, because she didnt know anything about them. Except now that she thought about it, maybe she had seen him before? Which was odd. Then she realized. It was Swordmaster Rahayu. Theyd never been well acquainted- hed ascended fairly quickly after shed arrived on Aicenith- but she was familiar with him through seeing him vaguely a couple times. Just not in combat.Maybe shed been missing out. He was amazing, though he was also on the wrong side of the battle. That did make things awkward. And though hed ascended almost a century prior, Alva was surprised at how strong he was. Fortunately, it seemed that Rahmi was as well.They have someone on the verge of Augmentation! We need to pull back to somewhere more favorable.While there was nothing technically wrong with those orders, could anyone really afford to turn their back on Swordmaster Rahayu? Alva was able to retreat, but many others were in a poor state for it.Fortunately for them Chikere was walking towards him. Shed been his disciple for a time, so maybe she could talk him into letting them retreat? Alva didnt really care about any of those present, but she still preferred for her allies not to die.Chikere got close, and her eyes locked with Rahayu. She put the tip of her blades in the ground. Rahayu momentarily stopped, and Alva breathed a sigh of relief. Then Chikere turned out her storage bag onto the ground, creating a small mountain of swords which flew out of their sheaths in unity.Alva sighed again, but with significantly less calm. Of course that was what Chikere was going to do.A moment later the ground began to split apart around the two swordmasters, and the forces from the Harmonious Citadel seemed as if they might rally- but just because Rahayu was being held back didnt mean the rest of the battle was going well. And nobody seemed concerned about abandoning Chikere.Alva might have done something about that, but if she tried to stop that fight she imagined Chikere would never forgive her. Besides, Rahayu wouldnt kill his student, would he?As a rift was slashed in the ground next to Alva she threw herself to the side. The attack hadnt even been aimed at her- she just happened to be behind Chikere at that moment. Yeah, shed leave Chikere to that whole thing. In any other circumstance she wouldnt leave a friend behind, but this was a special exception.As Alva retreated with the others, she had to wonder about the whole situation. Rahayu might not have been universally beloved, but he had been a decent fellow, hadnt he? Honorable, at least. Not a bandit. Those thoughts led to others which all made Alva uncomfortable, and unfortunately she didnt know of any way to get easy answers. But as long as she was alive and safe, she could figure something out.
