Chapter 519
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Chapter 519
The final results of the conflict with Bala Sykora of the Ivory Maw was currently inconclusive. Anton supposed that would somewhat depend on whether they had managed to save one person or not. Alaia might still be alive, or perhaps Bala had a method to catch her between systems. It was even possible that she would be killed after arriving, but Anton didnt mind that as long as the fact that the trifold alliance would keep their end of the deal was spread first. Fighting to keep them alive was more than either had bargained for, so Zarinas death was unfortunate but not something he actually felt bad about in any way. Especially since he tried to help.
As for the battle itself, with Bala Sykora and her mountain of bone Anton wasnt sure if he could consider it a win or a loss. The Great Queen was of the opinion that she would have been able to slay the woman had she stayed, and perhaps she was right- but it was also possible the Great Queen had been ignored and Bala left to chase after Alaia. Either way, it was the first battle in a long time where Anton felt properly outclassed. Being closer to the sun would have merely narrowed the gap, and Anton couldnt guarantee that Bala had been at the peak of her potential power. The mountain of bone might have been only a part of what she was bound to. Details of that level were information Alaia and Zarina simply hadnt had access to.
The loss of Ruteran pilots was unfortunate, though in practical terms they were more easily replaceable than Elder Intan. Beyond the deaths, however, there were other things to consider. Injuries and the like, not all of which would heal easily.
-----
Laying in a hospital bed, Ty Quigley had nearly as many wrinkles as Anton himself. Alright, that was an exaggeration- but he didnt look good. There was a significant difference between forceful life draining and natural age, and the formers signs were anything but pleasant. Anton made sure to visit Ruteras ace fighter pilot in person. How are you feeling? Anton asked.
The man was conscious, at least, if not particularly energetic looking. He just sat there for a few minutes before finally answering. Angry.
That was completely understandable, though not what Anton would have supposed was the primary issue. Youll have to work hard on your recovery, then, if you wish to seek revenge.
Yeah, the man said, lacking much of his usual enthusiasm. Elder Intan he didnt make it, did he?
Im surprised you had the situational awareness to notice that, with everything else going on. Anton nodded, You are correct. He perished. Anton held his hand on his storage bag for a moment, before opening it and coaxing something into his hand with his energy. He would have wanted you to have this.
Anton presented Ty Quigley with a simple curved blade, relatively lacking in adornment- a surprise, given its origins somewhere in the upper realms. This was one of the weapons retrieved in the previous invasion by the Million Sword Vault. Perhaps it should be returned to them, but if they argued about that Anton would set them straight.
Tys eyes were unfocused on the ceiling, but as Antons hand stretched towards him they snapped down. His arm reached out, grasping the hilt. Anton let go, while Tys knuckled whitened from his tight grip. Anton could feel natural energy wildly swirling inside the man. He knew that feeling. Either the young man would do something foolish in the near future and get himself killed or this would be an opportunity for significant advancement. And attempting to stop him from anything foolish would also preclude the latter, so Anton would just leave him with a few more words. Im sure the Million Sword Vault would be glad to have you visit. You have the time, as you have a significant amount of leave to recover from your injuries. As for the aging problem, Anton wasnt sure if he could recover from that. Antons limited experience with spectral energy generally involved people dying, so the issue of recovery hadnt come up.
Ty didnt say anything more, but Anton left him, still clutching the sword.
-----
In short, for the same effort he could shoot his typical arrow of energy but cause damage in a wider area as the ripples of energy spread out from his shot. Anton made certain that he could control them as he wished- he experimented with targets and once he had the hang of it living creatures, restraining or releasing the ripples as he pleased. It took a bit to get a hang of, especially if he wanted to swap quickly, but it was fully under his control. Seeing vast amounts of spectral energy in action had been quite beneficial.
More than that, a view of something that reminded him of death itself improved his insights into that aspect of Fleeting Youth. His discussions with Prospero Vandale about death had been somewhat enlightening, but hearing something described and just seeing death- in an uncomfortably pure form, and not merely from violence- had added a new layer to his understanding. Anton was quite pleased.
He turned behind him, where the Great Queen was waiting. Are you done?
I am, he nodded.
Good. I dont like that, she gestured, clearly referring to spectral energy. Its nearly inedible.
Anton laughed, Considering that it directly kills most everyone, thats not particularly strange. Dont worry, I wont spread news of a potential weakness of yours. The widespread effect had merely fatigued the great queen, and chomping her way through bones full of spectral energy hadnt helped, but it clearly had some effect on her. If shed been directly targeted with the bolts, she might have sustained injuries even from a source that was purely energy.
That was actually comforting to Anton. Though his friendly relationship with the Great Queen meant it only benefited him if she was stronger, he couldnt guarantee that all void ants everywhere would remain friendly to humans. In fact, it would be stranger if they never came into larger scale conflict in some manner. Knowing he had an option to fight them was appealing. An option besides just having Nthanda squish them between her fingers, that was.
Do you think you really could have killed her?
If the woman had a body, I could have devoured it. If she did not, I would have torn apart the energy that gave her the core of her power, the Great Queen said confidently.
Anton looked at the ants splinted limbs. Insects didnt recover from broken appendages easily, but some experience with the matter had the void ants develop some techniques for placing their body in a state to recover. For those with sufficient power, their bodies wanted to return to a healthy state, so even if it shouldnt naturally recover consuming sufficient amounts of food- physical, energy, or both- meant they would generally recover. At least if there was nothing missing. If the Great Queen had lost limbs instead of just getting some mangled, the results were quite likely to be different- and the humans methods that sometimes allowed for recovery of lost limbs were unlikely to be of much use for those with such different anatomies.
Anton sighed slightly. Im not sure if I will be more effective if we were to fight again. Not offensively, anyway. I imagine anyone from the Ivory Maw has experience fighting against spectral energy.
Take your advances where you may. There are still ninety-five or so others who are likely to find your improvements to their significant detriment, the Great Queen encouraged him.
Of course, ninety-five probably wasnt any more accurate than just saying one hundred. There was some potential for various sects or clans in the Sylanis Cluster to have Worldbinding cultivators that were hidden, not announced to the world for tactical reasons. On the other hand, there might also be some that had died and were kept on the official rosters for similar reasons. Though Anton wasnt going to bet on there being too many of those. He also wasnt planning to work his way through the enemys Worldbinding cultivators one at a time until they were all gone. Not if he didn't have to. Hopefully, they could force some kind of peace.
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Chapter 519
The final results of the conflict with Bala Sykora of the Ivory Maw was currently inconclusive. Anton supposed that would somewhat depend on whether they had managed to save one person or not. Alaia might still be alive, or perhaps Bala had a method to catch her between systems. It was even possible that she would be killed after arriving, but Anton didnt mind that as long as the fact that the trifold alliance would keep their end of the deal was spread first. Fighting to keep them alive was more than either had bargained for, so Zarinas death was unfortunate but not something he actually felt bad about in any way. Especially since he tried to help.
As for the battle itself, with Bala Sykora and her mountain of bone Anton wasnt sure if he could consider it a win or a loss. The Great Queen was of the opinion that she would have been able to slay the woman had she stayed, and perhaps she was right- but it was also possible the Great Queen had been ignored and Bala left to chase after Alaia. Either way, it was the first battle in a long time where Anton felt properly outclassed. Being closer to the sun would have merely narrowed the gap, and Anton couldnt guarantee that Bala had been at the peak of her potential power. The mountain of bone might have been only a part of what she was bound to. Details of that level were information Alaia and Zarina simply hadnt had access to.
The loss of Ruteran pilots was unfortunate, though in practical terms they were more easily replaceable than Elder Intan. Beyond the deaths, however, there were other things to consider. Injuries and the like, not all of which would heal easily.
-----
Laying in a hospital bed, Ty Quigley had nearly as many wrinkles as Anton himself. Alright, that was an exaggeration- but he didnt look good. There was a significant difference between forceful life draining and natural age, and the formers signs were anything but pleasant. Anton made sure to visit Ruteras ace fighter pilot in person. How are you feeling? Anton asked.
The man was conscious, at least, if not particularly energetic looking. He just sat there for a few minutes before finally answering. Angry.
That was completely understandable, though not what Anton would have supposed was the primary issue. Youll have to work hard on your recovery, then, if you wish to seek revenge.
Yeah, the man said, lacking much of his usual enthusiasm. Elder Intan he didnt make it, did he?
Im surprised you had the situational awareness to notice that, with everything else going on. Anton nodded, You are correct. He perished. Anton held his hand on his storage bag for a moment, before opening it and coaxing something into his hand with his energy. He would have wanted you to have this.
Anton presented Ty Quigley with a simple curved blade, relatively lacking in adornment- a surprise, given its origins somewhere in the upper realms. This was one of the weapons retrieved in the previous invasion by the Million Sword Vault. Perhaps it should be returned to them, but if they argued about that Anton would set them straight.
Tys eyes were unfocused on the ceiling, but as Antons hand stretched towards him they snapped down. His arm reached out, grasping the hilt. Anton let go, while Tys knuckled whitened from his tight grip. Anton could feel natural energy wildly swirling inside the man. He knew that feeling. Either the young man would do something foolish in the near future and get himself killed or this would be an opportunity for significant advancement. And attempting to stop him from anything foolish would also preclude the latter, so Anton would just leave him with a few more words. Im sure the Million Sword Vault would be glad to have you visit. You have the time, as you have a significant amount of leave to recover from your injuries. As for the aging problem, Anton wasnt sure if he could recover from that. Antons limited experience with spectral energy generally involved people dying, so the issue of recovery hadnt come up.
Ty didnt say anything more, but Anton left him, still clutching the sword.
-----
In short, for the same effort he could shoot his typical arrow of energy but cause damage in a wider area as the ripples of energy spread out from his shot. Anton made certain that he could control them as he wished- he experimented with targets and once he had the hang of it living creatures, restraining or releasing the ripples as he pleased. It took a bit to get a hang of, especially if he wanted to swap quickly, but it was fully under his control. Seeing vast amounts of spectral energy in action had been quite beneficial.
More than that, a view of something that reminded him of death itself improved his insights into that aspect of Fleeting Youth. His discussions with Prospero Vandale about death had been somewhat enlightening, but hearing something described and just seeing death- in an uncomfortably pure form, and not merely from violence- had added a new layer to his understanding. Anton was quite pleased.
He turned behind him, where the Great Queen was waiting. Are you done?
I am, he nodded.
Good. I dont like that, she gestured, clearly referring to spectral energy. Its nearly inedible.
Anton laughed, Considering that it directly kills most everyone, thats not particularly strange. Dont worry, I wont spread news of a potential weakness of yours. The widespread effect had merely fatigued the great queen, and chomping her way through bones full of spectral energy hadnt helped, but it clearly had some effect on her. If shed been directly targeted with the bolts, she might have sustained injuries even from a source that was purely energy.
That was actually comforting to Anton. Though his friendly relationship with the Great Queen meant it only benefited him if she was stronger, he couldnt guarantee that all void ants everywhere would remain friendly to humans. In fact, it would be stranger if they never came into larger scale conflict in some manner. Knowing he had an option to fight them was appealing. An option besides just having Nthanda squish them between her fingers, that was.
Do you think you really could have killed her?
If the woman had a body, I could have devoured it. If she did not, I would have torn apart the energy that gave her the core of her power, the Great Queen said confidently.
Anton looked at the ants splinted limbs. Insects didnt recover from broken appendages easily, but some experience with the matter had the void ants develop some techniques for placing their body in a state to recover. For those with sufficient power, their bodies wanted to return to a healthy state, so even if it shouldnt naturally recover consuming sufficient amounts of food- physical, energy, or both- meant they would generally recover. At least if there was nothing missing. If the Great Queen had lost limbs instead of just getting some mangled, the results were quite likely to be different- and the humans methods that sometimes allowed for recovery of lost limbs were unlikely to be of much use for those with such different anatomies.
Anton sighed slightly. Im not sure if I will be more effective if we were to fight again. Not offensively, anyway. I imagine anyone from the Ivory Maw has experience fighting against spectral energy.
Take your advances where you may. There are still ninety-five or so others who are likely to find your improvements to their significant detriment, the Great Queen encouraged him.
Of course, ninety-five probably wasnt any more accurate than just saying one hundred. There was some potential for various sects or clans in the Sylanis Cluster to have Worldbinding cultivators that were hidden, not announced to the world for tactical reasons. On the other hand, there might also be some that had died and were kept on the official rosters for similar reasons. Though Anton wasnt going to bet on there being too many of those. He also wasnt planning to work his way through the enemys Worldbinding cultivators one at a time until they were all gone. Not if he didn't have to. Hopefully, they could force some kind of peace.
Chapter 519The final results of the conflict with Bala Sykora of the Ivory Maw was currently inconclusive. Anton supposed that would somewhat depend on whether they had managed to save one person or not. Alaia might still be alive, or perhaps Bala had a method to catch her between systems. It was even possible that she would be killed after arriving, but Anton didnt mind that as long as the fact that the trifold alliance would keep their end of the deal was spread first. Fighting to keep them alive was more than either had bargained for, so Zarinas death was unfortunate but not something he actually felt bad about in any way. Especially since he tried to help.As for the battle itself, with Bala Sykora and her mountain of bone Anton wasnt sure if he could consider it a win or a loss. The Great Queen was of the opinion that she would have been able to slay the woman had she stayed, and perhaps she was right- but it was also possible the Great Queen had been ignored and Bala left to chase after Alaia. Either way, it was the first battle in a long time where Anton felt properly outclassed. Being closer to the sun would have merely narrowed the gap, and Anton couldnt guarantee that Bala had been at the peak of her potential power. The mountain of bone might have been only a part of what she was bound to. Details of that level were information Alaia and Zarina simply hadnt had access to.The loss of Ruteran pilots was unfortunate, though in practical terms they were more easily replaceable than Elder Intan. Beyond the deaths, however, there were other things to consider. Injuries and the like, not all of which would heal easily.-----Laying in a hospital bed, Ty Quigley had nearly as many wrinkles as Anton himself. Alright, that was an exaggeration- but he didnt look good. There was a significant difference between forceful life draining and natural age, and the formers signs were anything but pleasant. Anton made sure to visit Ruteras ace fighter pilot in person. How are you feeling? Anton asked. The man was conscious, at least, if not particularly energetic looking. He just sat there for a few minutes before finally answering. Angry.That was completely understandable, though not what Anton would have supposed was the primary issue. Youll have to work hard on your recovery, then, if you wish to seek revenge.Yeah, the man said, lacking much of his usual enthusiasm. Elder Intan he didnt make it, did he?Im surprised you had the situational awareness to notice that, with everything else going on. Anton nodded, You are correct. He perished. Anton held his hand on his storage bag for a moment, before opening it and coaxing something into his hand with his energy. He would have wanted you to have this.Anton presented Ty Quigley with a simple curved blade, relatively lacking in adornment- a surprise, given its origins somewhere in the upper realms. This was one of the weapons retrieved in the previous invasion by the Million Sword Vault. Perhaps it should be returned to them, but if they argued about that Anton would set them straight.Tys eyes were unfocused on the ceiling, but as Antons hand stretched towards him they snapped down. His arm reached out, grasping the hilt. Anton let go, while Tys knuckled whitened from his tight grip. Anton could feel natural energy wildly swirling inside the man. He knew that feeling. Either the young man would do something foolish in the near future and get himself killed or this would be an opportunity for significant advancement. And attempting to stop him from anything foolish would also preclude the latter, so Anton would just leave him with a few more words. Im sure the Million Sword Vault would be glad to have you visit. You have the time, as you have a significant amount of leave to recover from your injuries. As for the aging problem, Anton wasnt sure if he could recover from that. Antons limited experience with spectral energy generally involved people dying, so the issue of recovery hadnt come up.Ty didnt say anything more, but Anton left him, still clutching the sword.-----In short, for the same effort he could shoot his typical arrow of energy but cause damage in a wider area as the ripples of energy spread out from his shot. Anton made certain that he could control them as he wished- he experimented with targets and once he had the hang of it living creatures, restraining or releasing the ripples as he pleased. It took a bit to get a hang of, especially if he wanted to swap quickly, but it was fully under his control. Seeing vast amounts of spectral energy in action had been quite beneficial.More than that, a view of something that reminded him of death itself improved his insights into that aspect of Fleeting Youth. His discussions with Prospero Vandale about death had been somewhat enlightening, but hearing something described and just seeing death- in an uncomfortably pure form, and not merely from violence- had added a new layer to his understanding. Anton was quite pleased.He turned behind him, where the Great Queen was waiting. Are you done?I am, he nodded.Good. I dont like that, she gestured, clearly referring to spectral energy. Its nearly inedible.Anton laughed, Considering that it directly kills most everyone, thats not particularly strange. Dont worry, I wont spread news of a potential weakness of yours. The widespread effect had merely fatigued the great queen, and chomping her way through bones full of spectral energy hadnt helped, but it clearly had some effect on her. If shed been directly targeted with the bolts, she might have sustained injuries even from a source that was purely energy. That was actually comforting to Anton. Though his friendly relationship with the Great Queen meant it only benefited him if she was stronger, he couldnt guarantee that all void ants everywhere would remain friendly to humans. In fact, it would be stranger if they never came into larger scale conflict in some manner. Knowing he had an option to fight them was appealing. An option besides just having Nthanda squish them between her fingers, that was. Do you think you really could have killed her?If the woman had a body, I could have devoured it. If she did not, I would have torn apart the energy that gave her the core of her power, the Great Queen said confidently.Anton looked at the ants splinted limbs. Insects didnt recover from broken appendages easily, but some experience with the matter had the void ants develop some techniques for placing their body in a state to recover. For those with sufficient power, their bodies wanted to return to a healthy state, so even if it shouldnt naturally recover consuming sufficient amounts of food- physical, energy, or both- meant they would generally recover. At least if there was nothing missing. If the Great Queen had lost limbs instead of just getting some mangled, the results were quite likely to be different- and the humans methods that sometimes allowed for recovery of lost limbs were unlikely to be of much use for those with such different anatomies.Anton sighed slightly. Im not sure if I will be more effective if we were to fight again. Not offensively, anyway. I imagine anyone from the Ivory Maw has experience fighting against spectral energy.Take your advances where you may. There are still ninety-five or so others who are likely to find your improvements to their significant detriment, the Great Queen encouraged him. Of course, ninety-five probably wasnt any more accurate than just saying one hundred. There was some potential for various sects or clans in the Sylanis Cluster to have Worldbinding cultivators that were hidden, not announced to the world for tactical reasons. On the other hand, there might also be some that had died and were kept on the official rosters for similar reasons. Though Anton wasnt going to bet on there being too many of those. He also wasnt planning to work his way through the enemys Worldbinding cultivators one at a time until they were all gone. Not if he didn't have to. Hopefully, they could force some kind of peace.
