All of the locals agreed that Gnadus was a harsh, inhospitable environnt to live in. Anton had likewise co to that understanding imdiately upon seeing the planet. Now that the crisis mont was over and the root causes all iced, discussing things further in detail could be done in a sowhat leisurely manner.
We cultivate towards Ascension to free ourselves from this place, Janae said. To rise towards the upper realms, abundant in resources.
Anton couldnt argue with that. That was the main goal of most cultivators- with Assimilation being a recently discovered alternate path. Things that seed to have little of direct value like the harshest deserts could beco a great source of power. Likewise, Anton could see the peaks of Gnadus being much the sa, or the mists themselves. The cultivators were already barely a step removed from that. The only thing was none had interest in staying. Perhaps so might have interest in lording over the terrible planet, but they would just be a big fish in a small pond.
If your main goal is to leave Gnadus Anton began, We are capable of transporting people to other systems. He had no intention of destroying a peoples way of life- but that was only if they were living instead of just surviving.
No. Janaes answer was direct. I will not circumvent adversity to shelter in comfort.
I did not expect you would, Anton admitted. He knew very little about her, but what he did know indicated she would see things through to the end. Whether that ant she died, or she ascended. However, I do intend to make the sa offer to those who might want it. Especially those who have no hope of ascension.
She closed her eyes, pondering on his words. Not all can follow the trials set down before us, she said with a vague sense of agreent. You will offer them an easy Ascension?
Ascension is never easy, Anton said. Though with proper resources, it is more achievable. Along with a good understanding of the path, of course. There are many roadblocks and dead ends along the course of cultivation.
Are those not valuable for learning?
Not all of them, Anton said. Humans are made to build upon the work of those who ca before us. So things are simply mistakes that if they were known to be coming could have been avoided without weakening the cultivator.
Perhaps.
I have seen many Ascensions, Anton said with authority. And studied many paths. Perhaps you are on the path most suited for you, but for others it might not be the sa. Anton avoided specifically ntioning her path might also be riddled with flaws. That was unnecessary.
The chill winds blew across the Third Peak, but compared to the mists below it was almost pleasant. Anton didnt find it as invigorating as the old woman clearly did, but he was more than able to ignore it.
You spoke of another path, Janae eventually said. Can you tell about it?
We refer to it as Assimilation. Other systems have called it Worldbinding. Regardless, it is the process of tying oneself to sothing inextricably and drawing power from it.
Janae nodded. That is what I sense from you, then. You must co from a very different place, to want to remain.
That is true, Anton easily agreed. I love my grandchildren, and my planet, and most of the others who live upon it. I had no reason to leave them behind. Not that I could have ascended anyway.
It does not seem you are lacking in cultivation talent. What prevented you?
A technique I practice. It provides access to certain powers in exchange for no ascension and no reincarnation. At least, not in any sense where I remain myself.
Why would you choose such?
Why would I not? Anton shrugged. I had no reason to ascend or even think about the possibility at the ti. I beca a cultivator to accomplish necessary goals, not to reach so sort of unfathomable heights. Though Assimilation is not inferior to Ascension regardless. It simply depends on your ambitions. I got what I wanted.
Clearly all of that information had given Janae plenty to think about. Though Anton didnt intend to sway her conviction, and he would gladly help her if she wished to share the Third Peaks cultivation technique. Actually it was probably mostly the sa as the First Peak, and he did have so copies of that. Perhaps he could study the technique for flaws in case she asked. Anton very much likes being a guide, after all. Even if it was for those who might be older than himself in body.
-----
Without Life Transformation cultivators, the First Peak couldnt and wouldnt stop the retrieval of Matijas ship. Unfortunately, their poking and prodding and dissecting had made it unclear in its viability for space travel. It took Matija and her crew so ti to check it over to make sure it wouldnt explode when powered up, and even then they only flew it to the Third Peak where it would be safe, half carried by Anton.
Proper repairs could be done over ti- and with reinforcents from Rutera. So were already on their way, though it was a journey of weeks to reach the system. With the loss of contact they had made so plans, though they were quite relieved to hear that the situation had been resolved.
Anton would be staying around in case any other peaks thought to do sothing stupid- and it really would be stupid once he gave the offer to transport people off world. Eventually, because they couldnt carry even a small portion of the tiny- for a planet- population with just a few ships. He would have Janae help him propose that to people, because many would be against the idea. Even so, if so were Ascending or attempting to just to leave, Anton thought they would have a better life anywhere else. Those dedicated to cultivation could choose their path.
Strangely enough, though the entire world seed to be on the edge of survival or death, Anton didnt really find a general idea that they would want to change. And as long as they were aware they had the choice, he wasnt going to make anyone do anything. He knew that the world was going to produce so impressive cultivators and likely already had. It was simply that the upper realms was a big place, so a few Ascension cultivators here or there wouldnt usually be noticed.
-----
After making sure that the Ruteran ships would be okay, and that everyone on Gnadus would be aware it wasnt beneficial to try to attack them for their resources, Anton only stayed a short ti. Just a month or so, studying their cultivation and providing guidance for those who asked- even if he didnt practice their style, he could pick out flaws. A benefit of a lifeti working with others, and a bit from the Ten Thousand Scrolls and his other studies.
Though he might have liked to stay around and attempt to improve the planet like Ceretos, ultimately that was the choice of the locals. He could only let them know there was more to the world.
So he moved on- though he had the feeling he would be back. Other systems, devoid of life and sotis devoid of planets of significant interest. Several years passed without contact with another new system, even in so of the more promising locations. That was quite reasonable- Anton felt they were already quite a populated stellar neighborhood, though ancient cultivators could have settled many of the places he passed. He could hardly imagine why they might have chosen Gnadus, except for the philosophy of trials they had passed down and ultimately dood others to require.
Anton was not disappointed by lack of other findings, nor was he intellectually confused but he couldnt help but continue searching the sa areas repeatedly instead of moving further afield. He felt he was missing sothing, though he couldnt quite place why. Cultivator intuition, combining many pieces of consciously and subconsciously known information to reach only a feeling.
Eventually he found himself moving between three systems- alone, because he didnt want to subject a crew to his obsessive wandering. If nothing else, the process improved his ability to move between systems, as he was almost constantly in motion. Being away from his Assimilated stars for so long was unpleasant, but he found himself constantly able to draw just a bit more from them. Enough that he wasnt worried about being stranded in the void between planets without a way to restore his energy, at least.
What was it about the area he found compelling? That, he couldnt determine. Everything seed completely normal. Which was, perhaps, the oddest thing about it. And another thing, though he did his best to deal with the movent of systems relative to each other, he often found himself off course by so significant degree. This was sothing he only realized after a significant number of traversals, at first presuming it to be due to his casual efforts at being precise.
He finally discovered sothing by using abilities he was still unfamiliar with. As soon as he considered the tides of the world, however, everything fit. He beca consciously aware of a sort of bubble in the center of the systems, and the more he paid attention to it the more it didnt fit in the space it appeared to occupy.
Anton considered a few possibilities for it. First, it could be a strange anomaly that ca about on its own. Such a thing might be extrely dangerous, and he couldnt determine a clear value in investigating closely. Then there was the possibility it was artificial, by the hands of cultivators. That one Anton was unsure of, though it was theoretically possible. If it was the case, then attempting anything would be both dangerous and rude. If people chose isolation through such an extre, who was he to pull them out of it?
Thus, he attempted no active change, rely doing his best to feel the flow around himself, and in the area in between. After several months of slowly patrolling the area, he decided that there was no way the phenonon was natural. It had far too much regularity for that. What, then, would he do? He could simply ignore them, as they seed to wish. But completely leaving them did not sit well for him.
So he found a reasonable spot in a nearby system, the planet closest to naturally sustaining life, and created a simple formation- one that did nothing except advertise its presence to anyone who would be looking. Then, he left a note, carved into stone. For the Hidden System, if you wish to talk. There, he left a communication device. He did the sa thing several more tis, at least once in each system surrounding the area.
Then he considered one more thing. He could not tell if it was too much, but he filled a small bag with a note and another device. The note was only slightly different, rely adding, If you wish to be left alone, simply destroy it however you please. Then, he picked up speed, tossing the bag after a solid period of increasing his velocity. There was always closer he could go to the speed of light, but it was never better than dealing with subspace and proper movent techniques. But it was the best he could do without going along.
When he tossed the sturdy contained, it continued on in his aid trajectory, carefully chosen to potentially pierce the veil. It would continue on its path for years. A decade, perhaps, before it might reasonably arrive. Most likely, the properties of the system would have him miss, and even if it passed through the system it would likely either burn up upon entering a planets atmosphere or otherwise be destroyed. But there was a small chance soone would find it depending on how closely they watched their borders. That would have to be good enough. Any more, and he felt he would be violating their unspoken request.
Reviews
All reviews (0)