Chapter 442
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Chapter 442
Seeing much of anything but the sun was rather difficult, but Anton remained in the same relative position with what was likely the only other thing to get vaguely close to it. At the moment the metal ship was sensing Anton, much like it had been doing for the sun itself. He let it happen, since the people on board would likely be more willing to communicate if he did so. Specifically, once it was clear that he was peaceful. His actions should have made that quite obvious.
As it studied him, he continued to study the strange contraption. It was surprising that it was not incinerated, as most materials would be. The amount of energy it was using should not have been sufficient to protect it, but it seemed to be rather efficient in its functions. Perhaps there were deeper levels to it he could not sense, as the flow of energy through it was quite complex and only partially matched what he knew of formations.
He hoped something productive would come of this new contact- and that it would not turn into a battle. Yet he was prepared for that eventuality. He doubted that these new people would care that this was his native system if they felt threatened. Actually, he couldnt be completely sure they werent from a planet around the same sun. It was predicted that other planets werent habitable by humans, but if settled by cultivators with their oddities it might be possible. He should visit the other planets. And perhaps the moon, just to see what was left of Everhearts work.
The ship completed its scanning, and then began to move. Technically it was moving the whole time, but it broke away from its orbit around the sun, moving towards Anton- or rather slightly past him. He changed his own momentum to follow along behind it. He didnt feel that it was trying to run away.
It continued to accelerate, but at a steady pace. It didnt make any adjustments to its course. As they left the range of the sun where its energy signature overwhelmed almost everything else, Anton felt the ships senses upon him again. He was also able to get a clearer picture of the ship in return, a relatively small vessel with only a handful of inhabitants. He still didnt understand how it functioned, though.
Eventually the rear porthole was unsealed- it had been kept closed to block out the suns intense light and heat, but now he could see through. The person inside pointed down. Anton slightly lowered himself relative to the ship, and he could sense part of it opening. A small room that led to another. Hed sensed a change in it before it opened- the air removed. Yes, something like that would be necessary. Anton could replenish his own breath, and the ship likely did something the same for those living on it. But if they lost some, it would be gone until they entered an atmosphere.
He didnt sense any sort of trick in the small room- it seemed to simply be for entering and exiting the ship. If it came down to it, he could tear open the doors or walls unless there was something very significant he didnt sense. If communication was going to happen, someone was going to have to take the first step of trust- and honestly, allowing him into their vessel was riskier than the other way around.
After he entered, the doors closed behind him and the room once more filled up with air. Anton took a breath. It was basically what he expected, and didnt have any poisons that he could sense. Actually breathing was nice as well. Relaxing.
Several people crowded around the internal door before it opened. Not necessarily in an intimidating manner, but rather because space was limited. As the door opened, Anton held up a hand and waved. Hello. Good to see you.
They responded verbally, but not in a language Anton recognized. That was quite sensible- though Ceretos had one primary language that seemed to have mixed with what they knew of the upper realms through cultivators mingling, language wouldnt be exactly the same everywhere.
After the initial back and forth Anton was unsure if he should continue talking, but a woman in the lead gestured towards him as she spoke. Gestures could be different as well, but his training in Insight likely wouldnt lead him far astray. You want me to speak more? Im not really sure what to say. My name is Anton, he gestured to himself. And I live in this system. It seems you are from the outside?
One of them was looking at something in their hands and nodding. The woman in the lead stretched her hand out towards him. Anton. He nodded. She pointed to herself, Matija.
Anton bowed slightly, Good to meet you, Matija, he focused on the last word. If they would speak more, he might be able to pick up their language. Actually, he could hear a couple that werent in the same hallway speaking. They probably didnt think he could hear them, but he really didnt know what they were saying yet. Anton wondered how long this would take.
I dont like it at all, Catarina said.
Is there something wrong with the Hardened Crown Sect? Vari asked.
Only that theyre here, Catarina admitted. That means there are both sects from the Trigold Cluster and the Exalted Quadrant here. Our history with both is not entirely positive.
... youve fought against them before? Already? Theyre significant powers. Vari shook her head, I can avoid working with Kiran again, if you wish.
That shouldnt be necessary, Catarina said. Unlike some of the sects in the Exalted Quadrant, we have not had conflict with the Hardened Crown Sect. The issue is that both groups are here at once. Theyre not exactly friendly.
... that would be an understatement, Vari said. If I understand correctly, theyre responsible for much of the Bloodsoaked Nebula being as it is. Now that I think about it, they have agreed to keep their business out of the Scarlet Midfields after a past conflict.
Hoyt had something to say there, Maybe Everhearts Tomb doesnt count. Or the rewards are worth it somehow.
The problem that I see is that we didnt see any of either last time, Timothy said. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but I have the feeling weve been spotting more and more of them each day were here. When it was just the Trigold Cluster it seemed to be bad luck.
Enough of the Exalted Quadrant likely would be against us as well, Alva shook her head. And our backing here is minimal.
At least most people wont be able to directly recognize our cultivation techniques, Catarina said. Thats one good thing about organizations of this scale.
Vari was still just thinking. ... I cant believe your world produced Everheart and got into conflict with the two Great Powers.
Thats just how it is, Hoyt shrugged. Also, there are only two Great Powers?
The Trigold Cluster and Exalted Quadrant flank the Scarlet Midfields, so we dont really run into anything else. Vari shook her head, The upper realms are vast, but little information exists from beyond either region. And perhaps my knowledge was intentionally limited by the Harmonious Citadel. They liked to imply they were as strong as the Great Powers, but Im rather uncertain about that now.
For the moment, there was nothing that could or should be done about cultivators gathering. People had gotten most of what they could be expected to learn at the moment- and for their other purposes, they needed to reach deeper. That meant earning points somehow throughout the Tomb. It would be good to get some practical experience to see if their learning actually helped, as well.
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Chapter 442
Seeing much of anything but the sun was rather difficult, but Anton remained in the same relative position with what was likely the only other thing to get vaguely close to it. At the moment the metal ship was sensing Anton, much like it had been doing for the sun itself. He let it happen, since the people on board would likely be more willing to communicate if he did so. Specifically, once it was clear that he was peaceful. His actions should have made that quite obvious.
As it studied him, he continued to study the strange contraption. It was surprising that it was not incinerated, as most materials would be. The amount of energy it was using should not have been sufficient to protect it, but it seemed to be rather efficient in its functions. Perhaps there were deeper levels to it he could not sense, as the flow of energy through it was quite complex and only partially matched what he knew of formations.
He hoped something productive would come of this new contact- and that it would not turn into a battle. Yet he was prepared for that eventuality. He doubted that these new people would care that this was his native system if they felt threatened. Actually, he couldnt be completely sure they werent from a planet around the same sun. It was predicted that other planets werent habitable by humans, but if settled by cultivators with their oddities it might be possible. He should visit the other planets. And perhaps the moon, just to see what was left of Everhearts work.
The ship completed its scanning, and then began to move. Technically it was moving the whole time, but it broke away from its orbit around the sun, moving towards Anton- or rather slightly past him. He changed his own momentum to follow along behind it. He didnt feel that it was trying to run away.
It continued to accelerate, but at a steady pace. It didnt make any adjustments to its course. As they left the range of the sun where its energy signature overwhelmed almost everything else, Anton felt the ships senses upon him again. He was also able to get a clearer picture of the ship in return, a relatively small vessel with only a handful of inhabitants. He still didnt understand how it functioned, though.
Eventually the rear porthole was unsealed- it had been kept closed to block out the suns intense light and heat, but now he could see through. The person inside pointed down. Anton slightly lowered himself relative to the ship, and he could sense part of it opening. A small room that led to another. Hed sensed a change in it before it opened- the air removed. Yes, something like that would be necessary. Anton could replenish his own breath, and the ship likely did something the same for those living on it. But if they lost some, it would be gone until they entered an atmosphere.
He didnt sense any sort of trick in the small room- it seemed to simply be for entering and exiting the ship. If it came down to it, he could tear open the doors or walls unless there was something very significant he didnt sense. If communication was going to happen, someone was going to have to take the first step of trust- and honestly, allowing him into their vessel was riskier than the other way around.
After he entered, the doors closed behind him and the room once more filled up with air. Anton took a breath. It was basically what he expected, and didnt have any poisons that he could sense. Actually breathing was nice as well. Relaxing.
Several people crowded around the internal door before it opened. Not necessarily in an intimidating manner, but rather because space was limited. As the door opened, Anton held up a hand and waved. Hello. Good to see you.
They responded verbally, but not in a language Anton recognized. That was quite sensible- though Ceretos had one primary language that seemed to have mixed with what they knew of the upper realms through cultivators mingling, language wouldnt be exactly the same everywhere.
After the initial back and forth Anton was unsure if he should continue talking, but a woman in the lead gestured towards him as she spoke. Gestures could be different as well, but his training in Insight likely wouldnt lead him far astray. You want me to speak more? Im not really sure what to say. My name is Anton, he gestured to himself. And I live in this system. It seems you are from the outside?
One of them was looking at something in their hands and nodding. The woman in the lead stretched her hand out towards him. Anton. He nodded. She pointed to herself, Matija.
Anton bowed slightly, Good to meet you, Matija, he focused on the last word. If they would speak more, he might be able to pick up their language. Actually, he could hear a couple that werent in the same hallway speaking. They probably didnt think he could hear them, but he really didnt know what they were saying yet. Anton wondered how long this would take.
I dont like it at all, Catarina said.
Is there something wrong with the Hardened Crown Sect? Vari asked.
Only that theyre here, Catarina admitted. That means there are both sects from the Trigold Cluster and the Exalted Quadrant here. Our history with both is not entirely positive.
... youve fought against them before? Already? Theyre significant powers. Vari shook her head, I can avoid working with Kiran again, if you wish.
That shouldnt be necessary, Catarina said. Unlike some of the sects in the Exalted Quadrant, we have not had conflict with the Hardened Crown Sect. The issue is that both groups are here at once. Theyre not exactly friendly.
... that would be an understatement, Vari said. If I understand correctly, theyre responsible for much of the Bloodsoaked Nebula being as it is. Now that I think about it, they have agreed to keep their business out of the Scarlet Midfields after a past conflict.
Hoyt had something to say there, Maybe Everhearts Tomb doesnt count. Or the rewards are worth it somehow.
The problem that I see is that we didnt see any of either last time, Timothy said. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but I have the feeling weve been spotting more and more of them each day were here. When it was just the Trigold Cluster it seemed to be bad luck.
Enough of the Exalted Quadrant likely would be against us as well, Alva shook her head. And our backing here is minimal.
At least most people wont be able to directly recognize our cultivation techniques, Catarina said. Thats one good thing about organizations of this scale.
Vari was still just thinking. ... I cant believe your world produced Everheart and got into conflict with the two Great Powers.
Thats just how it is, Hoyt shrugged. Also, there are only two Great Powers?
The Trigold Cluster and Exalted Quadrant flank the Scarlet Midfields, so we dont really run into anything else. Vari shook her head, The upper realms are vast, but little information exists from beyond either region. And perhaps my knowledge was intentionally limited by the Harmonious Citadel. They liked to imply they were as strong as the Great Powers, but Im rather uncertain about that now.
For the moment, there was nothing that could or should be done about cultivators gathering. People had gotten most of what they could be expected to learn at the moment- and for their other purposes, they needed to reach deeper. That meant earning points somehow throughout the Tomb. It would be good to get some practical experience to see if their learning actually helped, as well.
Chapter 442Seeing much of anything but the sun was rather difficult, but Anton remained in the same relative position with what was likely the only other thing to get vaguely close to it. At the moment the metal ship was sensing Anton, much like it had been doing for the sun itself. He let it happen, since the people on board would likely be more willing to communicate if he did so. Specifically, once it was clear that he was peaceful. His actions should have made that quite obvious. As it studied him, he continued to study the strange contraption. It was surprising that it was not incinerated, as most materials would be. The amount of energy it was using should not have been sufficient to protect it, but it seemed to be rather efficient in its functions. Perhaps there were deeper levels to it he could not sense, as the flow of energy through it was quite complex and only partially matched what he knew of formations.He hoped something productive would come of this new contact- and that it would not turn into a battle. Yet he was prepared for that eventuality. He doubted that these new people would care that this was his native system if they felt threatened. Actually, he couldnt be completely sure they werent from a planet around the same sun. It was predicted that other planets werent habitable by humans, but if settled by cultivators with their oddities it might be possible. He should visit the other planets. And perhaps the moon, just to see what was left of Everhearts work.The ship completed its scanning, and then began to move. Technically it was moving the whole time, but it broke away from its orbit around the sun, moving towards Anton- or rather slightly past him. He changed his own momentum to follow along behind it. He didnt feel that it was trying to run away. It continued to accelerate, but at a steady pace. It didnt make any adjustments to its course. As they left the range of the sun where its energy signature overwhelmed almost everything else, Anton felt the ships senses upon him again. He was also able to get a clearer picture of the ship in return, a relatively small vessel with only a handful of inhabitants. He still didnt understand how it functioned, though.Eventually the rear porthole was unsealed- it had been kept closed to block out the suns intense light and heat, but now he could see through. The person inside pointed down. Anton slightly lowered himself relative to the ship, and he could sense part of it opening. A small room that led to another. Hed sensed a change in it before it opened- the air removed. Yes, something like that would be necessary. Anton could replenish his own breath, and the ship likely did something the same for those living on it. But if they lost some, it would be gone until they entered an atmosphere.He didnt sense any sort of trick in the small room- it seemed to simply be for entering and exiting the ship. If it came down to it, he could tear open the doors or walls unless there was something very significant he didnt sense. If communication was going to happen, someone was going to have to take the first step of trust- and honestly, allowing him into their vessel was riskier than the other way around.After he entered, the doors closed behind him and the room once more filled up with air. Anton took a breath. It was basically what he expected, and didnt have any poisons that he could sense. Actually breathing was nice as well. Relaxing.Several people crowded around the internal door before it opened. Not necessarily in an intimidating manner, but rather because space was limited. As the door opened, Anton held up a hand and waved. Hello. Good to see you.They responded verbally, but not in a language Anton recognized. That was quite sensible- though Ceretos had one primary language that seemed to have mixed with what they knew of the upper realms through cultivators mingling, language wouldnt be exactly the same everywhere.After the initial back and forth Anton was unsure if he should continue talking, but a woman in the lead gestured towards him as she spoke. Gestures could be different as well, but his training in Insight likely wouldnt lead him far astray. You want me to speak more? Im not really sure what to say. My name is Anton, he gestured to himself. And I live in this system. It seems you are from the outside?One of them was looking at something in their hands and nodding. The woman in the lead stretched her hand out towards him. Anton. He nodded. She pointed to herself, Matija.Anton bowed slightly, Good to meet you, Matija, he focused on the last word. If they would speak more, he might be able to pick up their language. Actually, he could hear a couple that werent in the same hallway speaking. They probably didnt think he could hear them, but he really didnt know what they were saying yet. Anton wondered how long this would take. I dont like it at all, Catarina said.Is there something wrong with the Hardened Crown Sect? Vari asked.Only that theyre here, Catarina admitted. That means there are both sects from the Trigold Cluster and the Exalted Quadrant here. Our history with both is not entirely positive.... youve fought against them before? Already? Theyre significant powers. Vari shook her head, I can avoid working with Kiran again, if you wish.That shouldnt be necessary, Catarina said. Unlike some of the sects in the Exalted Quadrant, we have not had conflict with the Hardened Crown Sect. The issue is that both groups are here at once. Theyre not exactly friendly.... that would be an understatement, Vari said. If I understand correctly, theyre responsible for much of the Bloodsoaked Nebula being as it is. Now that I think about it, they have agreed to keep their business out of the Scarlet Midfields after a past conflict.Hoyt had something to say there, Maybe Everhearts Tomb doesnt count. Or the rewards are worth it somehow.The problem that I see is that we didnt see any of either last time, Timothy said. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but I have the feeling weve been spotting more and more of them each day were here. When it was just the Trigold Cluster it seemed to be bad luck.Enough of the Exalted Quadrant likely would be against us as well, Alva shook her head. And our backing here is minimal.At least most people wont be able to directly recognize our cultivation techniques, Catarina said. Thats one good thing about organizations of this scale.Vari was still just thinking. ... I cant believe your world produced Everheart and got into conflict with the two Great Powers.Thats just how it is, Hoyt shrugged. Also, there are only two Great Powers?The Trigold Cluster and Exalted Quadrant flank the Scarlet Midfields, so we dont really run into anything else. Vari shook her head, The upper realms are vast, but little information exists from beyond either region. And perhaps my knowledge was intentionally limited by the Harmonious Citadel. They liked to imply they were as strong as the Great Powers, but Im rather uncertain about that now.For the moment, there was nothing that could or should be done about cultivators gathering. People had gotten most of what they could be expected to learn at the moment- and for their other purposes, they needed to reach deeper. That meant earning points somehow throughout the Tomb. It would be good to get some practical experience to see if their learning actually helped, as well.
