Chapter 645
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Chapter 645
The Sergeant was feeling much better about her mission, after having spent a whole year without being compromised twice. And being able to openly visit Anishka made everything easier. Such as the transition to another location. It would have been possible to sneak onto another ship going towards the poles, but that would have required waiting around in the proper location for a long time. And she would have had a difficult time finding Anishkas location in such a situation, except for the particular circumstances they were in.
Specifically, the Northern Glacier Sect was located exactly where one would expect, and with as much population and traffic as could be expected. Which was to say, they had a sizable population of cultivators making up their sect and few other permanent residents.
Everything was cold. The area was cold. The people were cold. Their energy was cold.
The only thing that warmed the Sergeant up was nibbling on Anishkas energy, unless she was training- which was kind of the whole point of her being in the area. If only Patka were around, she was doing a good job of learning the basics of cultivation, and thus was half fire. But sadly, she had not been able to come with them. The Northern Glacier Sect was willing to accept a visitor from Ceretos, but not some random peasant from their own planet.
Technically, they didnt say peasant- but the Sergeant knew what people were thinking. And for an ant coming from a society with a defined group of queens, the local class structures were both insulting and inefficient. That might put Ekict on the uninhabitable list.
There wasnt really much for the Sergeant to do, so she put up with the freezing cold and chomped on people energy. Cold. Cold. Cold. Existential. Cold.Ñ00v€l--ß1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.
Wait what was that one?
The Sergeant focused on the feeling. She had been carefully inspecting the upper echelon of the sect. The energy was a bit strong for her, so she wasnt digesting it. She went back just in case.
Her initial impression hadnt been wrong. There was an icy tint over the existential uncertainty, but the flavor was quite clear. It reminded her of nothing she had ever tasted. But was somehow familiar. What was it? And why was it so potent?
This wasnt the first odd source of energy. There was the nothingness and one more thing while she was in Arioron. An impossibly powerful taste that shed convinced herself was a mistake both times, given how far apart they were. This could be the third mistake. But it was easily replicable.
Who was this person? A young woman. Too young, for her strength. Except that was never true. Human cultivators had the possibility to grow with frightening speed on occasion, based on natural talent and circumstances. This, then, should be the same.
But it was still highly suspect. How could she find out more? Obviously it was too risky to ask Anishka for information. That would only lead to many questions, and people looking for answers that couldnt be given along with danger for the young woman.
She had to think. Who could she follow, to learn this information? Then she remembered something. Something very human, yet so useful shed forgotten. Writing. Humans did that, and she even knew how to read it. Mostly. She hadnt thought she would be sent off on a spy mission, and it wasnt necessary around the colony.
So, written records. Those would have to exist- Ekict didnt have technology, like everywhere normal. Though many sects kept their records apart from technology anyway. That gave her a goal, and it only took a day of wandering the overly large halls while freezing her lower limbs off. But fortunately, her durability had grown during her mission, possibly due to eating such powerful energy. And that wasnt counting the three anomalies. A little bit of cold wouldnt actually kill her, which was a serious concern if she had been a normal ant.
Star roads. There was a thought. Not something he would actually get much done with, of course, but perhaps someone else could determine if there was a viable concept there. Though the various methods they had worked far better than he could have anticipated even when he was in Life Transformation. Assimilation was a big leap forward.
Azun was a great comfort. It was a roaring fire in winter, a heavy blanket coating him. And, yes, he understood that such a fire could overwhelm him and turn him to ash. The weight of the neutron star could crush him with himself. But the same was true for many interactions Anton was involved with on the other side. He simply trusted that it would not do such to him, as he avoided doing to others. Though of course, Azun probably didnt think or have will.
Anton couldnt be completely certain of that, even if he hadnt seen any real signs of it from Azun or any other star. Because anything of such vast power could quite possibly have a consciousness he was unable to understand. If so, Anton was glad it did not mind sharing a little bit of itself.
He reveled in the fire and weight, as well as the magnetism which was so powerful as to reveal how it affected anything with the slightest notion that it was magnetic, the field affect it all with so much vigor that his clothes felt like metal weights holding him back. But as he moved around through it, he felt how it resisted the motion and cataloged insights to share with Varghese. Anton wanted to bring the young man to this place some day, but he would have to be able to survive the trip. Anton could manage most of that, but to be safe it was better if he was stronger. And perhaps facing the overwhelming power of it would have the opposite effect, if he was not ready. Some people were discouraged by what they felt they could not reach. Anton had never been the sort, and now he was not truly convinced there was any height he couldnt reach.
Even if Domination was another order of magnitude beyond his comprehension, he could still envision reaching such a level of power at some point in the future. Assuming he lived that long. He was no longer considering that as a factor in anything he did, but it was an important point. He was fairly certain that his lifespan was growing and depleting at similar rates, or perhaps expired but somehow not falling over the threshold. The latter seemed more unlikely, but he wasnt truly sure.
He should set up a farm. The thought went through Antons mind anything he was not on a farm, admittedly. But it was particularly ridiculous where he was. Azun wasnt exactly a good source of anything but gravity, and it didnt have planets anyway. Unless he could get something to grow in space, orbiting around the star
But Anton was not a creator of life. Even selective breeding of plants didnt reveal new traits, only recombining what was already possible. Anything beyond that was not in Antons wheelhouse. But should he stumble across something so miraculous, he would consider putting some here.
-----
Though there were no messages going off planet at the moment, Chidi still gave one to be delivered should the time come. It had alternated between asking his parents for rescue and telling them he was fine and without worry. Ultimately, he just noted that he was alive along with Aconite.
He was unsure if the message would reach them. Technically, he didnt even know they were alive- he just believe they would be, despite intending to go up against saints. And if they could plan to take down Augmentation cultivators while only in Intregration, couldnt he do the same thing? It was just he wouldnt even be peak Life Transformation in twenty-five years. In fact, he might not even be early Life Transformation. Did Chikere not remember how long it took? If he recalled correctly, she took around the full century that was the minimum training time of those from Ceretos. Though information on her was often sparse, her ascension had not been subtle.
All of those thoughts were for later. Training, too. For now, he needed to enjoy the small break that Chikeres absence provided, before he had to contribute to missions for Shutoll. They would still be scouting, of course, but Chidi wasnt sure if he would be part of the same squad, or what would happen with any of the others. He would still help train anyone who wanted it while they were together, if either side was up for it.
How do you feel about all of this, Aconite? Chidi asked. Weve survived. For now, at least.
And we will continue to survive, she declared. We cannot leave, not without considering our ability to engage in space combat, but I also do not think we must. This is what you wanted, a good tempering ground.
It is, isnt it? Chidi sighed. I wish it didnt come with so much death. On our side, of course. Though he wasnt fully comfortable with the enemies hed slain either. He had to do it to survive, but aside from a few of them, were the Harmonious Citadel disciples really here by choice? Even more reason to kill those leading them. But he was not going to hold back in a combat situation, especially not with how close things had already been.
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Chapter 645
The Sergeant was feeling much better about her mission, after having spent a whole year without being compromised twice. And being able to openly visit Anishka made everything easier. Such as the transition to another location. It would have been possible to sneak onto another ship going towards the poles, but that would have required waiting around in the proper location for a long time. And she would have had a difficult time finding Anishkas location in such a situation, except for the particular circumstances they were in.
Specifically, the Northern Glacier Sect was located exactly where one would expect, and with as much population and traffic as could be expected. Which was to say, they had a sizable population of cultivators making up their sect and few other permanent residents.
Everything was cold. The area was cold. The people were cold. Their energy was cold.
The only thing that warmed the Sergeant up was nibbling on Anishkas energy, unless she was training- which was kind of the whole point of her being in the area. If only Patka were around, she was doing a good job of learning the basics of cultivation, and thus was half fire. But sadly, she had not been able to come with them. The Northern Glacier Sect was willing to accept a visitor from Ceretos, but not some random peasant from their own planet.
Technically, they didnt say peasant- but the Sergeant knew what people were thinking. And for an ant coming from a society with a defined group of queens, the local class structures were both insulting and inefficient. That might put Ekict on the uninhabitable list.
There wasnt really much for the Sergeant to do, so she put up with the freezing cold and chomped on people energy. Cold. Cold. Cold. Existential. Cold.Ñ00v€l--ß1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.
Wait what was that one?
The Sergeant focused on the feeling. She had been carefully inspecting the upper echelon of the sect. The energy was a bit strong for her, so she wasnt digesting it. She went back just in case.
Her initial impression hadnt been wrong. There was an icy tint over the existential uncertainty, but the flavor was quite clear. It reminded her of nothing she had ever tasted. But was somehow familiar. What was it? And why was it so potent?
This wasnt the first odd source of energy. There was the nothingness and one more thing while she was in Arioron. An impossibly powerful taste that shed convinced herself was a mistake both times, given how far apart they were. This could be the third mistake. But it was easily replicable.
Who was this person? A young woman. Too young, for her strength. Except that was never true. Human cultivators had the possibility to grow with frightening speed on occasion, based on natural talent and circumstances. This, then, should be the same.
But it was still highly suspect. How could she find out more? Obviously it was too risky to ask Anishka for information. That would only lead to many questions, and people looking for answers that couldnt be given along with danger for the young woman.
She had to think. Who could she follow, to learn this information? Then she remembered something. Something very human, yet so useful shed forgotten. Writing. Humans did that, and she even knew how to read it. Mostly. She hadnt thought she would be sent off on a spy mission, and it wasnt necessary around the colony.
So, written records. Those would have to exist- Ekict didnt have technology, like everywhere normal. Though many sects kept their records apart from technology anyway. That gave her a goal, and it only took a day of wandering the overly large halls while freezing her lower limbs off. But fortunately, her durability had grown during her mission, possibly due to eating such powerful energy. And that wasnt counting the three anomalies. A little bit of cold wouldnt actually kill her, which was a serious concern if she had been a normal ant.
Star roads. There was a thought. Not something he would actually get much done with, of course, but perhaps someone else could determine if there was a viable concept there. Though the various methods they had worked far better than he could have anticipated even when he was in Life Transformation. Assimilation was a big leap forward.
Azun was a great comfort. It was a roaring fire in winter, a heavy blanket coating him. And, yes, he understood that such a fire could overwhelm him and turn him to ash. The weight of the neutron star could crush him with himself. But the same was true for many interactions Anton was involved with on the other side. He simply trusted that it would not do such to him, as he avoided doing to others. Though of course, Azun probably didnt think or have will.
Anton couldnt be completely certain of that, even if he hadnt seen any real signs of it from Azun or any other star. Because anything of such vast power could quite possibly have a consciousness he was unable to understand. If so, Anton was glad it did not mind sharing a little bit of itself.
He reveled in the fire and weight, as well as the magnetism which was so powerful as to reveal how it affected anything with the slightest notion that it was magnetic, the field affect it all with so much vigor that his clothes felt like metal weights holding him back. But as he moved around through it, he felt how it resisted the motion and cataloged insights to share with Varghese. Anton wanted to bring the young man to this place some day, but he would have to be able to survive the trip. Anton could manage most of that, but to be safe it was better if he was stronger. And perhaps facing the overwhelming power of it would have the opposite effect, if he was not ready. Some people were discouraged by what they felt they could not reach. Anton had never been the sort, and now he was not truly convinced there was any height he couldnt reach.
Even if Domination was another order of magnitude beyond his comprehension, he could still envision reaching such a level of power at some point in the future. Assuming he lived that long. He was no longer considering that as a factor in anything he did, but it was an important point. He was fairly certain that his lifespan was growing and depleting at similar rates, or perhaps expired but somehow not falling over the threshold. The latter seemed more unlikely, but he wasnt truly sure.
He should set up a farm. The thought went through Antons mind anything he was not on a farm, admittedly. But it was particularly ridiculous where he was. Azun wasnt exactly a good source of anything but gravity, and it didnt have planets anyway. Unless he could get something to grow in space, orbiting around the star
But Anton was not a creator of life. Even selective breeding of plants didnt reveal new traits, only recombining what was already possible. Anything beyond that was not in Antons wheelhouse. But should he stumble across something so miraculous, he would consider putting some here.
-----
Though there were no messages going off planet at the moment, Chidi still gave one to be delivered should the time come. It had alternated between asking his parents for rescue and telling them he was fine and without worry. Ultimately, he just noted that he was alive along with Aconite.
He was unsure if the message would reach them. Technically, he didnt even know they were alive- he just believe they would be, despite intending to go up against saints. And if they could plan to take down Augmentation cultivators while only in Intregration, couldnt he do the same thing? It was just he wouldnt even be peak Life Transformation in twenty-five years. In fact, he might not even be early Life Transformation. Did Chikere not remember how long it took? If he recalled correctly, she took around the full century that was the minimum training time of those from Ceretos. Though information on her was often sparse, her ascension had not been subtle.
All of those thoughts were for later. Training, too. For now, he needed to enjoy the small break that Chikeres absence provided, before he had to contribute to missions for Shutoll. They would still be scouting, of course, but Chidi wasnt sure if he would be part of the same squad, or what would happen with any of the others. He would still help train anyone who wanted it while they were together, if either side was up for it.
How do you feel about all of this, Aconite? Chidi asked. Weve survived. For now, at least.
And we will continue to survive, she declared. We cannot leave, not without considering our ability to engage in space combat, but I also do not think we must. This is what you wanted, a good tempering ground.
It is, isnt it? Chidi sighed. I wish it didnt come with so much death. On our side, of course. Though he wasnt fully comfortable with the enemies hed slain either. He had to do it to survive, but aside from a few of them, were the Harmonious Citadel disciples really here by choice? Even more reason to kill those leading them. But he was not going to hold back in a combat situation, especially not with how close things had already been.
Chapter 645The Sergeant was feeling much better about her mission, after having spent a whole year without being compromised twice. And being able to openly visit Anishka made everything easier. Such as the transition to another location. It would have been possible to sneak onto another ship going towards the poles, but that would have required waiting around in the proper location for a long time. And she would have had a difficult time finding Anishkas location in such a situation, except for the particular circumstances they were in.Specifically, the Northern Glacier Sect was located exactly where one would expect, and with as much population and traffic as could be expected. Which was to say, they had a sizable population of cultivators making up their sect and few other permanent residents.Everything was cold. The area was cold. The people were cold. Their energy was cold.The only thing that warmed the Sergeant up was nibbling on Anishkas energy, unless she was training- which was kind of the whole point of her being in the area. If only Patka were around, she was doing a good job of learning the basics of cultivation, and thus was half fire. But sadly, she had not been able to come with them. The Northern Glacier Sect was willing to accept a visitor from Ceretos, but not some random peasant from their own planet.Technically, they didnt say peasant- but the Sergeant knew what people were thinking. And for an ant coming from a society with a defined group of queens, the local class structures were both insulting and inefficient. That might put Ekict on the uninhabitable list.There wasnt really much for the Sergeant to do, so she put up with the freezing cold and chomped on people energy. Cold. Cold. Cold. Existential. Cold.N00vl--1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.Wait what was that one?The Sergeant focused on the feeling. She had been carefully inspecting the upper echelon of the sect. The energy was a bit strong for her, so she wasnt digesting it. She went back just in case. Her initial impression hadnt been wrong. There was an icy tint over the existential uncertainty, but the flavor was quite clear. It reminded her of nothing she had ever tasted. But was somehow familiar. What was it? And why was it so potent?This wasnt the first odd source of energy. There was the nothingness and one more thing while she was in Arioron. An impossibly powerful taste that shed convinced herself was a mistake both times, given how far apart they were. This could be the third mistake. But it was easily replicable. Who was this person? A young woman. Too young, for her strength. Except that was never true. Human cultivators had the possibility to grow with frightening speed on occasion, based on natural talent and circumstances. This, then, should be the same.But it was still highly suspect. How could she find out more? Obviously it was too risky to ask Anishka for information. That would only lead to many questions, and people looking for answers that couldnt be given along with danger for the young woman. She had to think. Who could she follow, to learn this information? Then she remembered something. Something very human, yet so useful shed forgotten. Writing. Humans did that, and she even knew how to read it. Mostly. She hadnt thought she would be sent off on a spy mission, and it wasnt necessary around the colony. So, written records. Those would have to exist- Ekict didnt have technology, like everywhere normal. Though many sects kept their records apart from technology anyway. That gave her a goal, and it only took a day of wandering the overly large halls while freezing her lower limbs off. But fortunately, her durability had grown during her mission, possibly due to eating such powerful energy. And that wasnt counting the three anomalies. A little bit of cold wouldnt actually kill her, which was a serious concern if she had been a normal ant.Star roads. There was a thought. Not something he would actually get much done with, of course, but perhaps someone else could determine if there was a viable concept there. Though the various methods they had worked far better than he could have anticipated even when he was in Life Transformation. Assimilation was a big leap forward.Azun was a great comfort. It was a roaring fire in winter, a heavy blanket coating him. And, yes, he understood that such a fire could overwhelm him and turn him to ash. The weight of the neutron star could crush him with himself. But the same was true for many interactions Anton was involved with on the other side. He simply trusted that it would not do such to him, as he avoided doing to others. Though of course, Azun probably didnt think or have will.Anton couldnt be completely certain of that, even if he hadnt seen any real signs of it from Azun or any other star. Because anything of such vast power could quite possibly have a consciousness he was unable to understand. If so, Anton was glad it did not mind sharing a little bit of itself. He reveled in the fire and weight, as well as the magnetism which was so powerful as to reveal how it affected anything with the slightest notion that it was magnetic, the field affect it all with so much vigor that his clothes felt like metal weights holding him back. But as he moved around through it, he felt how it resisted the motion and cataloged insights to share with Varghese. Anton wanted to bring the young man to this place some day, but he would have to be able to survive the trip. Anton could manage most of that, but to be safe it was better if he was stronger. And perhaps facing the overwhelming power of it would have the opposite effect, if he was not ready. Some people were discouraged by what they felt they could not reach. Anton had never been the sort, and now he was not truly convinced there was any height he couldnt reach.Even if Domination was another order of magnitude beyond his comprehension, he could still envision reaching such a level of power at some point in the future. Assuming he lived that long. He was no longer considering that as a factor in anything he did, but it was an important point. He was fairly certain that his lifespan was growing and depleting at similar rates, or perhaps expired but somehow not falling over the threshold. The latter seemed more unlikely, but he wasnt truly sure.He should set up a farm. The thought went through Antons mind anything he was not on a farm, admittedly. But it was particularly ridiculous where he was. Azun wasnt exactly a good source of anything but gravity, and it didnt have planets anyway. Unless he could get something to grow in space, orbiting around the starBut Anton was not a creator of life. Even selective breeding of plants didnt reveal new traits, only recombining what was already possible. Anything beyond that was not in Antons wheelhouse. But should he stumble across something so miraculous, he would consider putting some here.-----Though there were no messages going off planet at the moment, Chidi still gave one to be delivered should the time come. It had alternated between asking his parents for rescue and telling them he was fine and without worry. Ultimately, he just noted that he was alive along with Aconite. He was unsure if the message would reach them. Technically, he didnt even know they were alive- he just believe they would be, despite intending to go up against saints. And if they could plan to take down Augmentation cultivators while only in Intregration, couldnt he do the same thing? It was just he wouldnt even be peak Life Transformation in twenty-five years. In fact, he might not even be early Life Transformation. Did Chikere not remember how long it took? If he recalled correctly, she took around the full century that was the minimum training time of those from Ceretos. Though information on her was often sparse, her ascension had not been subtle.All of those thoughts were for later. Training, too. For now, he needed to enjoy the small break that Chikeres absence provided, before he had to contribute to missions for Shutoll. They would still be scouting, of course, but Chidi wasnt sure if he would be part of the same squad, or what would happen with any of the others. He would still help train anyone who wanted it while they were together, if either side was up for it.How do you feel about all of this, Aconite? Chidi asked. Weve survived. For now, at least.And we will continue to survive, she declared. We cannot leave, not without considering our ability to engage in space combat, but I also do not think we must. This is what you wanted, a good tempering ground.It is, isnt it? Chidi sighed. I wish it didnt come with so much death. On our side, of course. Though he wasnt fully comfortable with the enemies hed slain either. He had to do it to survive, but aside from a few of them, were the Harmonious Citadel disciples really here by choice? Even more reason to kill those leading them. But he was not going to hold back in a combat situation, especially not with how close things had already been.
