By Antons best judgnt, Matija was the premier cultivator on Rutera, with the training of a proper Spirit Building cultivator and the actual energy of soone more akin to Essence Collection. Most Ruterans developed their energy subconsciously through the use of their devices, many drawing upon their own energy in so part. They were aware of this, they just hadnt had the basis for consciously training natural energy. And because nobody knew where to start or had the combined inspiration, drive, and talent to succeed on their own it remained that way for a significant ti.
There was also the matter of the lower levels of natural energy. In truth, the Ruterans had worked well with what they had, developing an effective system that overca their natural limitations instead of being confined by it. It made Anton wonder what other lower realms had no cultivators to speak of, and no contact with the wider world. Perhaps most of them, at least in terms of contact. Even Ceretos had only rarely produced ascension cultivators for the majority of its history- with the probable exception of the Exalted Archipelago, intentionally kept separate.
Just like the other Ruterans, Anton was leading Matija through a modified version of the Hundred Stars. Not because he wanted to keep the main technique secret from them, but because they already had so level of natural energy and needed to focus on control more than growth, except in terms of their bodies. They werent weak, exercise and health allowing them to go beyond the normal bodily limits of non-cultivators, but they hadnt undergone proper body tempering. The body was the basis of cultivation, and even Anton needed his body to hold together while he used energy. His ridians, at least, were continually tempered to support his cultivation. The rest he still trained, though not to the level of people like Ayotunde practicing the Western Steel Body, or Nthanda.
Im glad I finished Body Tempering, Matija comnted. Im not built for that sort of then. Contemplative techniques like Spirit Building really suit .
Then youre going to love the latter half, Anton said. You get to connect your body and spirit together.
... what? Matija asked.
Anton shrugged, Sorry. Its impossible to get away from the body completely. Thats why all cultivators eventually grow old and die.
Even people like you?
Absolutely, Anton said, Though I cant be certain of the ti scale. asured in centuries, to be sure, but will it be much greater than the peak of Life Transformation? That I cannot say. Anton shrugged, And starting old did no favors in that regard. At this point, I imagine each star I gradually approach my end.
... is that okay? Matija asked.
Of course. As I said, everyone has to die. Ive already accepted it a few tis.
What about the afterlife?
Im not certain there is one, Anton said.
...Reincarnation?
I wont rember it, Anton shrugged. I might miss the next few cycles, or maybe Ill never reincarnate. But I already got two lives anyway.
Wait, reincarnation is real?
I have a dear friend who has just recently found himself incarnated in a new body, in fact, Anton nodded. And theres an entire extrely unpleasant sect founded upon the certainty of it, though they twist the system to suit their own needs. Otherwise, they could not guarantee any mories- at which point, they might not really be the sa person.
Okay but Matija seed to be struggling with Antons bluntness. Youre not joking, right?
I usually strive to make my joking clear, Anton said. I am quite serious on this.
This is a serious revelation. Is it possible to et this friend of yours?
Im afraid not, Anton shook his head. Hes in the upper realms.
... but isnt that just the afterlife, or whatever?
I wouldnt call it that, Anton said, Since it does not require death to get there and neither is coming from there akin to returning to life. Its simply difficult, constrained by the tides of the world and other limitations. Anton shrugged, If youre wondering, its vaguely over there, he waved his arm.
Over there like how far? Matija asked.
Sothing like dozens or hundreds of systems separate, Anton said. Could be thousands, but Id imagine its on the low end. I dont know if your instrunts could be fine tuned enough to pick up upper energy in that region but actually perhaps you could help with that.
How so? Matija asked.
Anton held out his hand, cupping a small amount of ascension energy in his palm. You could scan this. I am able to borrow the tiniest portion of energy from there. If you could learn about this form of energy, you might help learn about its properties, specifically how it makes travel difficult. At least so part of it is the shift between the different energies- cultivators really only function well with a purity of one or the other it seems. But Im certain theres more to it.
Matija looked at the energy in Antons palm. Can I touch it?
I wouldnt, Anton said. I have control over it, but you wont be able to feel anything and it would simply get you in the bad habit of sticking your hand into furnaces.
... Ill get one of the scanners, she said. Actually, it would be better if you could co to our lab.
-----
Alarms rang out, screeching sirens and warbling bells creating a cacophony of noise. Soone turn those off! Matija yelled. Everything is fine!
... Sorry, Anton said. I was simply curious and probing around. I didnt think every sensor in the building would pick up my energy.
Its fine, Matija said. Itll get sorted out.
During that process, a man ca running into the room. There you are! he said to Matija. I found it!
Found what, Fintan? Matija asked.
Those sa fluctuations! The recent changes in the sun, matching the energy fluctuations in uh its Ceretos now, I think. This energy signature that blanketed the lab is a perfect match!
Matija squinted, Well, yeah. It should be. She gestured, This is Anton. You know, the one from Ceretos.
Oh! the scientist known as Fintan perford an awkward sort of bow. Pleasure to et you, sir. Would it interest you to know that our star produced fluctuations just like your own? Maybe its so sort of resonance or-
Its just , Anton said. I connected to your star as well.
Oh. Fintan paused. I see.
I must ask though, when did you notice the changes?
It must have been a year or so ago? Fintan pondered. I can get you the exact date.
Not necessary, Anton said. I suppose you noticed a recent spike in activity?
Boy did we! Fintan said excitedly. It was right after the invasion began! Everyone thought it was a coincidence but I showed them! Though I guess it was just you, huh?
Correct, Anton nodded. Since I fought in the battle, I had to draw upon so of the stars power. And also deepen my connection. Anton looked to Matija. Sorry, I might have neglected to ntion this.
Im going to be honest, she said. Ive had my head so full of cultivation I cant say for sure. But I kind of figured.
Please continue to monitor the situation, Anton said. I didnt fully intentionally form the connection to your star, and while a cultivators instincts are usually reliable- and mine are that no harm will co to your star or system from my connection- they are not perfect.
Right, Fintan nodded, Actually its pretty small, but distinct. Like soone threw a very thin screen over the sun. But the whole thing at once, so the finest sensors can pick it up. If theyre lucky, or looking specifically for it.
Good, Anton said. I wouldnt want to cause trouble.
Hey, Fintan shrugged, If you have to do it to fight off space aliens, then its what needs to be done. Though I dont actually have any authority to give you permission. Or deny it.
I receive a sort of informal acceptance from the president, Anton shrugged. I believe it is being kept secret from the public at large. Also space aliens?
Well, obviously. What else could they be? Though I guess technically youd be an alien as well, even though you look human.
Im sure you might be disappointed to learn this, Anton said, But they will be very close to the sa sort of human as you and I. So prior event seems to have scattered humans throughout the galaxy and maintained certain features and connections. Though most seem to just accept it without knowing why.
Did we already know this? Fintan looked at Matija. I feel like we have to have heard so of this and I just wasnt paying attention.
Our lab was privy to so of this information, Matija said. For the most part, information about cultivators and the upper realms is being verified and carefully distributed to the population. They deserve to know the truth, but that ans not flooding them with half-baked or dangerous information.
On the topic of dangerous information, Anton said to Fintan, Why are you not cultivating?
Busy! Fintan said.
That might be one of the best and worst excuses Ive ever heard, Anton replied.
-----
The trouble that the group in the Labyrinth ran into- and there had to be so sort of trouble- ca in the form of worms. They at first appeared to be rather easy to defeat, despite their uncomfortable size of approximately three ters long. They seed to have the ability to devour natural energy, but they werent swift enough to properly latch onto any of those present. Bisecting them resulted in a spray of acid that could be avoided, but their defenses were practically nonexistent so the task was easily manageable.
After they nearly finished defeating the wave of bodies it was noticed that so had snuck in behind the front lines sohow, and those were swiftly cut, stabbed, stomped and chomped. Unfortunately, the majority of those thods had the sa result. Naly, the worms reforming into two or three new ones from the bodies. The main thod that seed to finish them off was the chomping- but that resulted in Fuzz and Spikes having acid dripping down their throats, so they werent eager to continuously repeat the process.
Hoyt began to incinerate the creatures, and that worked- if he fully completed the process. If he left behind a shriveled husk, they seed just as capable of reforming as those killed in other ways. Or perhaps it wasnt correct to say they were killed- because they could die, and just usually didnt.
Ultimately, there was no such thing as an immortal creature, though the worms did a good job of appearing so. Their ability to ingest energy seed to be marginally effective with it scattered about them, but it was clear they needed it to reform- along with a substantial portion from their internal reserves. The only part of them that seed to be durable in any way was a strange form of dantian that was happily reford into multiple pieces with a split of the energy.
Once the group learned this information, they focused on more thodical destruction of the creatures, overwhelming them or simply destroying the sa individuals over and over until they could no longer reform. When they finally all shriveled away to nothing Catarina prepared a formation that would drain every last drop of energy from the area just to make sure those things couldnt co back.
They would have to be wary of more of that sort of creature deeper in potentially stronger versions. Perhaps it would be a one ti deal, but it was a significant expenditure of energy, and they didnt want to be whittled away to nothing.
Now they just had to find their way deeper in- at least they presud it was deeper. It was possible they were actually heading towards one of the outside walls, but the only thing that was certain was their goal was becoming more apparent, and that it was intentionally difficult to reach.
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