Chapter 27
The name of the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars carried great weight in all of Graotan, but especially nearby. Anton was surprised it was so easy to get the villagers of Thuston to believe them with nothing but their word. Then again, the consequences of potentially ignoring the situation were unfathomable. If for some reason the horde of beasts didn't come to Thuston or never existed at all, they would merely lose part of a day. Anton knew he would have been gladly willing to sacrifice time to defend his home and family… but he never had the chance.
"...Anton. I need assistance." Catarina stood nearby. "The formation will require more energy to start functioning."
Anton nodded. Unlike when she had moved around a few sticks and sliced through branches, the current setup in the village was more complex. It also took a lot more work to put together. "It would be better if we could break down some walls." Catarina seemed disappointed that she couldn't quite set things up the way she thought they should go, but Anton contributing energy where she asked helped quite a bit. He could feel it more this time. He still had no idea how it worked, but that was why people trained hard to be a formation master, if they had the aptitude. If they had more time, Catarina might have been able to do more… but she would reach the limits of her own energy and Anton's soon enough.
The villagers had called in all of the nearby field workers, gathering everyone who wished to stay and fight. Some had weapons, swords, bows, and the like. Others took any sort of sharp implements they had lying around. Pitchforks were a thousand times better than fighting barehanded, even if they weren't optimal weapons. One thing that Thuston had different from Dungannon is that a handful of the villagers had trained in cultivation. Only to the first or second star- but with the Ninety-Nine Stars readily available, nearly everyone gave cultivation a try. Anyone who reached the third star would have already gone to join the Order, but any amount of cultivation at all could greatly increase combat capabilities.
At the edge of town Anton stood atop a grain silo. It was the highest point around and gave him a good view of the approaching beasts. He had a look of concern on his face because they were right, and the beasts were headed for Thuston instead of merely spreading out. He couldn't be sure that a few hadn't trailed off, but the numbers of the various creatures were still high. Hundreds… maybe more, since there were creatures of all different sizes grouped together in a way that was impossible to count.
The movements of the beasts were highly unnatural. Wolves kept pace with snakes and boars, bears walked underneath circling eagles… the only thing that reassured Anton was that there were very few signatures of magical beasts among the group. However, few magical beasts was not none. He was glad the villagers hadn't chosen to flee, because three of them couldn't handle so many beasts… and they wouldn't be able to outrun the tide. It wasn't fast, but Anton saw no signs of it slowing. "I've spotted them on the horizon! It will only be a few minutes before they arrive."
Timothy stood at the main entrance to the village below, flanked on either side by barrels and crates mostly at least half full, providing a partial barrier to the village between two buildings. Catarina stood nearby, ready to move wherever necessary to deal with beasts that didn't attack from the front. The formation should apparently encourage them to move as she intended, but nothing was perfect. Anton, of course, would also be able to move around if necessary. He was surprised at how little he was worried about getting down from the top of a silo, as he wouldn't have been able to even make the attempt a year before. He'd changed so much.
Anton looked to the sky. The most troublesome beasts would be those that flew. While they could be attacked when they came down to claw at people, they had sharp talons that could piece flesh or stab through an eye.
A moving target at a few hundred meters was about the maximum range for Anton. He could do a bit more, but additional distance took a disproportionate amount of energy, as his control wavered so far from himself. That was doubly so with Spirit Arrows, though his control was more precise with them out to a more conservative two hundred meters.
As the beasts came within range, Anton picked a target. There were so many it hardly mattered, but he supposed some early casualties might discourage them. He didn't have a good angle for a kill shot on most of the creatures, but he pulled back his bow. It no longer seemed as if the heavy draw weight of it were so much more than a normal bow, after he'd finished muscle tempering and continued practicing with the bow. The black steel string had the proper springiness he would expect of a traditional string, and the bow bent back in a curve as he pulled back, his arm and back muscles tensing but only holding for a moment before release.
The arrow- a real arrow with his energy enhancing it- flew straight and true towards the shoulder of a large bear, sinking in half of its length. If it had been any normal bear it would have likely gone down in an instant, but it continued hobbling forward for a dozen meters. By that point, Anton had fired three more arrows at the beasts on the ground and was changing his target to the air, having staggered the front ranks of the beasts as much as he practically could.
Shooting up into the air, the weight of an arrow was more significant. Spirit Arrows were able to overcome that barrier, with only a small arc at most and the ability to fly more quickly with less drag. His first target was an eagle, its wingspan at least as wide as a man was tall. His arrow flew towards it, and as the bird curved in flight to avoid the attack the arrow changed trajectory slightly as well. He only managed to pierce through a wing instead of the chest, but that was sufficient to bring it down. As it spiralled downward into the ground he knew it wouldn't be moving about after it hit.
The villagers with bows were further back and could shoot less distance, but soon the beasts were close enough for them to open fire. A dozen arrows flew in a small volley into the crowd of animals of various sorts, and while the effects weren't immediately obvious, more bodies were trailing behind the end of the swarm.
Anton continued to fire at the flying beasts, preparing himself to move. Though the silo wasn't a large platform to stand on, with Swan Steps he thought he could dodge around past a bird or two. If he couldn't, he could at least manage his fall to the ground below. He knew he was a target with his position… but that was the whole point. He couldn't allow the villagers of Thuston to suffer when he had the power to fight.
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Timothy nervously held his position in front of the village. He saw how many beasts were rushing towards them, but he kept his confidence high. Individually, most of them weren't a threat. He could kill one with a single stab of his sword. If only he had the luxury of fighting just one at a time. Behind him stood other villagers, and more were preparing for beasts to sneak around the sides, away from the main street.
A wildcat was the first thing to break away from the pack and charge. Timothy held his sword and shield at the ready, impaling the creature as it leaped and catching its paw with his shield. His body rocked backwards from the momentum of the attack, and it took him a moment to free his sword. By that point, a wolf had slipped past him and he found himself facing a snake and a bear. He swiped at the bear before it got close, his sword cutting along its nose and sending it reeling away. The snake he batted away with his shield, flinging it into the stacked pile next to him. The tide of beasts began to crash into the barrier, attempting to knock it over and starting to climb over it.
There was no way it would have held together without the effect of the formation fortifying the village. Even so, it was clear it wouldn't last long. Timothy gathered his own energy, carefully breathing in to draw more natural energy from the world as he did so. After he'd begun to temper his meridians with the guidance of Anton, he'd felt his ability to control energy increase immensely. He stabilized himself against the ground while at the same time using the force of the approaching tide to push back against them.
He never took more than a step away from his position even as he began to be surrounded. This is what cultivators were supposed to do. The Order of Ninety-Nine Stars protected people, and he was one of their disciples. He found himself in a trance of slicing and stabbing, unable to thinkabout his next moves and merely performing them. His mind numbed the pain when his armor was dented or torn through, when his bones cracked from the impact of large beasts and when blood began to flow from his body.
Timothy knew he absolutely couldn't stop everything from passing him, but he did his very best. He was already the weakest member of the team, probably included because he lived in the same complex as Anton- or because Catarina asked. Even with Anton's personal guidance he was a full star behind the next two members. He knew he could never keep up with Catarina, but he also didn't want to disappoint her. Or himself.
He continued to hold his position until the tide started thinning… but while he might have liked to sigh in relief he knew things weren't over. A few magical beasts were among the remaining half of the creatures, and he was starting to slow down. He really hoped backup would arrive soon… though he knew Hoyt had quite a distance to run to find any help, and the return trip might take just as long. Timothy almost didn't believe his eyes when he saw the bear rear up in front of him, seemingly as big as either of the buildings that stood on either side of him. Unless support was already on the horizon, he couldn't count on any help beyond what they had. He grit his teeth to prepare to face the beast.
Chapter 28
Up on its hind legs, the bear in front of Timothy looked to be at least five meters tall, and maybe half as wide. It had bark brown fur and limbs as thick around as his torso for their entire length. When it plopped back onto its front legs the ground trembled for a moment. This was the sort of thing that could wipe out Thuston all on its own. A nebulous energy surrounded it, and though its size was likely a bigger factor the energy couldn't be ignored. If Timothy was careless, he might find his attacks not being as effective as he intended at a critical moment, or not defending himself adequately because he didn't consider the augmentation energy could provide to a magical beast.
It was fortunate that the bear's arrival sent most of the nearby beasts scattering away as it charged. Timothy was hoping to get some support from Anton up above, but a quick glance showed the old man was dealing with his own troubles, large taloned birds attacking him atop the silo. At least there were villagers available to support him, though Timothy didn't want to risk their lives if possible. He would have to bear the brunt of the danger.
The great bear charged forward almost ponderously. It almost looked like it was moving through molasses… except for the fact that it was rapidly growing closer. Each giant step it took was several meters of distance despite the small number of actual paces. A moment later it arrived in front of the 'wall' that had been set up, sweeping a great paw and shattering the crates and barrels into pieces. Timothy blocked the splinters flying towards his face as he tried to figure out how to fight the creature.
The only thing he knew for sure is he couldn't let it get into the village. Without thinking, his legs carried him forward towards the bear. He ducked under its other paw which was sweeping back across the same area, swinging his sword outward as he circled around the beast. He thought he had a pretty good hit, but as his sword raked along the beast's fur he realized he probably didn't even get through to the flesh.
At least he succeeded in drawing its attention. It quickly turned and swept down towards him with its paws. The speed at which it moved was deceptive because of its size. Timothy wanted to keep circling around the creature, but through the bear's legs he saw villagers approaching it from behind. If he dodged around it, he'd lead it to attack them.
Timothy thrust his sword in its lower belly, piercing through the fur into the fat, and when it flattened itself to try to crush him he dove away. A dozen weapons stabbed into the creature's rear, though without the power of a fourth star cultivator their effects were limited. Timothy moved back in towards the creature's lowered face, slashing across its nose. In return, the bear swiped at him. Though he dodged away, five gashes were torn across his chest from the creature's claws, as if he had no armor at all. Of course, without the armor and his energy he would instead have half of his chest torn away. Timothy knew he was riding the line, but he had managed to keep its focus on him.
He stepped forward in a feint, pulling away as the creature swiped back in the other direction. He swung his sword between the claws, hoping to slice through the forearm lengthwise but instead settling for a bleeding gash. With every move it was stabbed in the rear, but it focused its gaze on him as the target in front.
Timothy attempted another feint, but in his peripheral vision he caught the movement of both paws at once, slightly offset. The beast was stepping forward as well, so if he retreated he would be caught and torn apart regardless. That left him with the only option to move forward. It was terrifying to get closer to the massive beast, but he gathered his energy and thrust his sword deep into its belly. Deep enough he couldn't pull it out, and he didn't roll away fast enough when it flopped down on him.
It was close. It was just a single foot that didn't make it out. The 'softness' of the creature's fur and flesh mean his foot wasn't completely crushed, but it was definitely broken. Timothy yanked his foot out from under the creature. He could stand on it, but he certainly couldn't dodge well.
While turning its ponderous mass to face him, the bear twisted its upper body and neck so it could bite at him. The jaws were large enough to fit him entirely inside, widthwise at least. Timothy had to think fast, unstrapping his shield and throwing it at the bear's nose where he had previously cut. It wasn't real damage, but the creature flinched in pain. That allowed him just a single moment to grab fistfuls of fur around its upper jaw and pull himself upward. He flipped himself over and found himself astride the bear's snout, his legs barely able to split wide enough to fit around. He'd ridden a horse in the past, back in his hometown of Carran. He squeezed with his thighs… and with nothing else he could do he punched out with a gauntleted fist towards the creature's eye. It closed a massive eyelid and his fist rebounded, but he reached out towards with both hands, tearing at the eyelid where it closed together.
It was like trying to tear apart a canvas tent, except even more difficult. His tempered muscles and energy were barely enough… but he revealed a few centimeters of bare eyeball. He stabbed out with his fingers and as much energy as he could, piercing into it… as a paw batted him away.
One claw tore into his shoulder, but he was mostly hit by the pad. Even so, it felt like everything broke as he slammed through a nearby wall and into the floor. So much for protecting the structures, he could barely even protect himself. If he hadn't tempered his bones, would he just be a pile of mush?
Somehow he managed to sit up, and looked straight into the eye of the bear. The one he'd pierced was closed and bleeding… but was it enough blood? He couldn't say. The creature likely had enough to fill an entire well. If only he could stand up...
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Though only a small portion of the beasts moved around to alternate entrances to the village, they were the more clever ones. Catarina found herself fully occupied scurrying around fending off the strongest beasts. She was barely able to keep up. It almost seemed like her formation wasn't working, but she knew what the real issue was. She just wasn't strong enough. She said she knew formations… and she did. Like a young child might know how to speak. She could do it… but she was certainly no master yet. She'd barely been able to understand the barrier around the forest, just enough to know it was broken. Covering an entire village in enhancements was difficult. And it might not be enough.
All around her Catarina saw villagers injured by the beasts she couldn't reach in time. They were fighting, slaying the creatures as well… but none of them were really prepared for what they were facing. Maybe they should have just told them to abandon everything. They could have at least saved their lives.
Catarina first noticed a new threat by sensing its energy. A magical beast- her eyes flickered to it and saw a large, black furred cat. The panther had led at least a dozen mismatched beasts into the village.
As if they had agreed upon a match, both Catarina and the panther moved towards each other. She darted past it, slashing with her sword. She thought she would avoid its swiping claws, but she felt traces of blood on her upper arm… and then the pain a moment later. It was fast. Too fast, and much too strong to face alone. Catarina changed her tactics. She moved at a different angle, focusing more on her defense as she passed the creature back and forth. Her sword might not even find purchase with each pass, but the same was true for the panther.
However, Catarina was consuming her energy rapidly… and the panther mostly relied on its body. Catarina had five stars of body tempering, but muscle wasn't one of them… she needed energy to swiftly kill creatures as well as to defend herself.
The pair continued to pass each other seemingly at random, but Catarina was leading the panther towards a particular point. She was glad to see that none of the villagers were along the path to be collateral damage. There was a fountain at the center of the village, and Catarina leapt up to stand atop it.
The panther wriggled, preparing to pounce… but Catarina didn't move. She was concentrating on gathering energy, what she had inside of herself and everything swirling about the village. This was the central point of the formation she'd set up, and the best point for her to empower herself.
The panther leaped, jaws open and claws ready to latch onto her, as if having her head crushed in the jaws wouldn't be enough. Catarina could dodge, but she wouldn't keep control of the energy if she did so. She thrust her sword in front of her, right into the open jaw, through the roof of the mouth, and into the creature's brain. Her sword, her arm, the fountain and everything around trembled as the energy of the formation collided with the creature, stopping its momentum and killing it. Her entire arm suffered cuts and she knew there was internal damage. Her meridians were strained, and the fountain was cracked… but she pulled her sword out of the creature's mouth. She looked around… but wasn't ready to see another creature, a wolf half again bigger than the panther. Another magical beast. What had they gotten themselves into?
Chapter 29
The sound of hurried boots crunching leaves, sticks, and undergrowth filled the forest, along with the sound of heavy paws. Hoyt breathed deeply, trying to maintain a steady rhythm as his lungs burned. Running with wolves nipping at his heels wasn't something he enjoyed, but at least they motivated him to go even faster.
Honestly, Hoyt would have enjoyed the whole thing except for the danger to himself and to those he was trying to save. Pushing his body to the limits for cultivation was a wonderful feeling… at least later, when he was recovering. In the moment, the burning lungs and muscle pain were the worst part. Hoyt couldn't say he enjoyed the way he was draining his reserves of energy, either. There was only so much natural energy he could take in, and it wasn't keeping up.
He ignored the wolves behind him, since looking back would merely cause him to trip up as he moved forward. They were loud enough he knew they were at least several paces back. As long as nothing slowed him down…
But of course, the forest wouldn't let things be so easy. A giant boar spotted him, not that he expected to pass unseen. However, as with most of the creatures in the forest it was aggressive. It charged straight for him from the front, with wolves behind.
With just a few moments to consider if he could afford the time to dodge around it, especially with the wolves being spread out on either side behind him, he chose a more direct option. He couldn't be sure it would work until he tried it. Cultivators were probably supposed to make better decisions than normal people, but Hoyt knew they really just made decisions with the power to recover from mistakes… as long as such mistakes weren't too big.
He continued to run at the boar that was as tall as himself head on. Twenty paces. Ten paces. Five paces, and the boar had lowered its head. The tusks were long enough to impale him from below his ribcage up into his jaw. Hoyt put on a small burst of speed, putting himself one step ahead of where he would have been, then jumped. Not high… but enough to get a foot on top of the boar's snout as it flipped its head up.
His head crashed through the branches above as he tumbled through the air. Hoyt knew he was keeping forward momentum for the most part, but he tried to orient himself for his landing. During his relatively effortless handful of seconds in the air while he was upside down he thought he saw a pile composed of the boar and wolves. While the creatures of the forest seemed more interested in attacking humans for the most part, a direct collision seemed likely to turn into a proper conflict.
A few moments before he hit the ground, crashing through more branches, Hoyt managed to right himself. When he hit the ground he rolled, wrapping his energy around himself as he turned into a ball. He only intended to roll once, but he flipped at least a dozen times. His axe caught on something and the strap tore off, but he sprang back to his feet and kept moving. He could get it later- or replace it. People couldn't be replaced. Especially not people like Anton. The others were fine as well… but that old man was something special. Not just his cultivation talent, either.
He kept sprinting.
Hoyt was pretty sure that the fact that he could barely see now wasn't a good sign. His vision narrowed to a small tunnel in front of him. His lungs were just numb and he was pretty sure he was slowing down and that some of the muscles in his legs just didn't work. It was hard to tell if he was still moving, with the change in perspective. His legs kept trying to move even as a hand rested on his shoulder.
"Need help?"
The voice seemed familiar for some reason. The face… was indiscernible. "...Thuston…" Hoyt managed to choke down a lungful of air, "Anton…" Did he even have lungs? He wasn't sure anymore. "...beast swarm…" He was pretty sure he was supposed to say more words. And be standing vertically.
Why was he on his side? The trees were moving at least. But as they thinned and Hoyt's brain managed to regain a semblance of understanding, he realized they were going the wrong way. This was out of the forest, completely in the opposite direction of Anton and the others. Thuston was about as far away from the center of the Order's territory as anything could get, except the deep forest.
"No… other way…" Hoyt muttered. "Thus… ton…"
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Birds- even large birds- were easy to kill if he could hit them. The first few had been simple. Anton tracked their movements and got an arrow through them easily enough. Body or wings didn't matter. Either way they fell, and the ground wouldn't be kind to them. However, after his first few shots the raptors started to recognize their own mortality. They had the ability to turn rapidly, even diving or rising swiftly if they needed to. He could only redirect his arrows a certain amount, and there were too many to focus on taking down just one.
Everything was more difficult when they reached him in his position atop the silo, slashing at him with claws and beaks. He got some practical experience dodging in a tight space. He knew he could just drop down, and perhaps that would be safest for himself. He could continue to pick off the raptors as they attacked the villagers, keeping himself safe at the cost of the people of Thuston.
But of course, he couldn't. While it wasn't hisvillage, they were still people. They were farmers and smiths and grocers and weavers… people. They didn't deserve to die. Especially not for an old man. His thoughts flickered to the thought of some of the villagers of Dungannon and his family in slavery. He wanted to save them too, but he wasn't strong enough. He just couldn't let himself choose something more dear to himself over present, actual lives he could save. And nothing said he couldn't do both. He just had to live.
Blood trickled down his cheek. Giant raptor talons were sharp enough to tear through his energy with seemingly little effort. He could focus on a single area to protect it, but that would leave the rest of his body open. Then a little cut like that would become a spike sticking through his head or shoulder.
The most important thing for Anton was predicting the enemies' movements. One Step Ahead… he honestly didn't know how anyone was supposed to comprehend what it was saying. Grasping what your enemy- or possibly enemies-would do in the future wasn't so easy. But Anton was certain that at least Elder Kseniya knew how to do it. In her demonstrations, she most certainly fought unseen opponents. More than just one, Anton had realized after some consideration. He'd attempted to do the same… and just maybe that practice let him keep his footing while avoiding most of the danger. He couldn't say he even had the first level of understanding of One Step Ahead, but he felt a certain tingling sensation of progress.
Another thing Elder Kseniya had done came to mind. He didn't always have time to draw his bow, but Spirit Arrows were merely sharp stabbing implements made of energy. They did well enough when not propelled by the bow, and he didn't have to let them disperse. He stabbed at one of the raptors- probably an eagle but he didn't have time to observe so closely for details- forcing it to swerve away. Then he fired the same arrow at another just a handful of meters away, using a partial draw with less power but sufficient speed.
A dozen large birds dwindled to a half dozen, three, two… but one remained. It had actually been hanging further back, circling around and watching Anton. It radiated energy, indicating it was a magical beast. As it flew towards him, Anton could see it gained speed from more than just the flapping of its wings. Waves of winds flattened plants down below as it moved. He just barely moved out of the way of talons trying to impale his head.
Anton returned to the center of the silo so he could dodge in every direction. He managed to fire a single arrow at the beast as it turned around, but it came back at him just as swiftly. His arrow deflected off a wing- the first time he hadn't pierced into one- and he found himself having to fall to his back to get under the bird. Shooting from a prone position wasn't optimal at all, but that forced it to swerve on its return and gave him time to stand. However, it was clear to Anton that he was becoming fatigued, and the magical beast was merely growing more used to his movements. Unless it was distracted, he doubted he could get a solid hit on it… and anything less wouldn't penetrate through its defensive energy and surprisingly durable feathers. The beast swooped around, and Anton felt it focusing itself for a powerful attack.
Birds did have some weaknesses, though. Even at the creature's size, it probably wasn't any heavier than Anton. He might not be able to dodge it, but the actual force behind its blows, as long as he avoided the talons… he could withstand it. And if he was making that choice, he was glad he'd studied Golden Armor. It wasn't anything particularly profound, but having a proper method to solidify his energy into a stronger defensive layer was quite useful. He just had to be resolved to take a hit, and to expend the energy for the technique.
Anton readied his bow as the bird flew towards him, talons outstretched. Was it a hawk? This one might have been. Either way, Hawk Eyes let him focus on its movements regardless of whether or not it shared a name. Along with that, splitting his attention between Spirit Arrows and Golden Armor was too much… so he drew one of his few remaining physical arrows. It would still be enhanced sufficiently with his own energy.
The arrow flew towards the great hawk, sticking a finger length into its chest. That might have been enough for the lesser beasts, but the hawk continued its motion unperturbed. Anton watched as talons came straight for him. At the very last moment, he tilted his body and bow at a strange angle. Talons scraped along his arm, leaving a bloody gash even with a glance along his Golden Armor protected limb.
Anton raised his arm, the bow and string around the leg as he lifted as high as he could, catching the leg. The momentum of the creature yanked him off of his feet- and the silo- but he grabbed a wing with his other hand. Then he was spinning, down towards the ground. He repositioned himself to land atop the great bird with all of his weight, rolling away almost nimbly after they impacted. The great bird wasn't quite dead, but the hollow bones of an avian couldn't survive such a feat even if the particular one in question was a magical beast. Anton's own tempered bones were barely holding on after the impact. And while the bird would never fly again, Anton found himself just barely able to walk, his energy exhausted. And there were more beasts to combat. Even a few normal wolves would be able to bring him down.
Even as he began to wish he had begun cultivating sooner, and not wrapped up Timothy and Catarina into a suicidal mission… his eyes drifted towards the sky. For some reason, he felt like he saw a giant eye staring down at him. Anton wasn't sure if he believed in gods of any sort… and he certainly didn't think cultivators would truly become gods, as some believed… but the eye made him reconsider the possibility. A moment later, the sky darkened and all of the energy in the area was pulled away in a great swirling vortex. Something truly unfathomable at Anton's current cultivation level was happening… and he couldn't afford to miss a single moment.
Chapter 30
The force of the flowing energy nearly pulled Anton off his feet. While he was certainly unsteady at the moment, the fact that merely gathering energy had that effect left him in awe. As the sky continued to darken, the lone eye he'd spotted grew clear and bright. Along with the eye was a wrinkled hand, more folded skin and gnarls than even Anton had ever had.
All of the energy in the area around Thuston gathered into that hand. Anton knew he shouldn't be stopping to stare at it, but the beast swarm had paused as well. Perhaps they couldn'tdo anything else.
Though Anton was quite certain it was merely early evening, stars bloomed in the sky. However, as the great hand in the sky closed, the stars started to fall. His head turned as he watched the first star streak from the sky, striking a great bear, leaving behind only a flaming crater and no discernable remains of the creature. However, despite the power of the falling star the building immediately adjacent didn't even get singed.
Smaller stars rained down on other beasts, sometimes merely piercing through beasts like flaming spears. Those were especially common inside the village, where the powerful concentrations of energy brushed past the villagers of Thuston without harming a single one.
Soon enough, the great eye and hand turned… more stars plummeting into the forest, though leaving behind no fire.
As the last of the stars in the sky fell, the sky began to return to the dull red sky of sunset. The hand and eye faded from existence, but Anton couldn't help but think that right before they disappeared the eye turned back and focused directly on him, just for a moment.
Unsure what to do, Anton half walked half hobbled into Thuston. Timothy crawled out of a hole in the side of a building and joined him. The villagers of Thuston were all talking with each other about what happened. Upon seeing Anton and Timothy, they asked them.
"I can't say I know for sure," Anton said. "Though I would expect a grand elder got involved." Timothy didn't know either, and he kept looking over his shoulder into the sky.
There were dead beasts around the streets of Thuston, and while there were a few injured villagers, and some dead, along with a few destroyed buildings Anton was still willing to declare the battle a victory. He just wasn't sure if he had an important impact on it, if everything was finished off by someone not even present. But instead of feeling discouraged, Anton supposed he should be thinking about reaching that level of power. Cultivation was so much more than just what he had seen and experienced so far.
After finding Catarina to determine she was alright- injured just like the other two, but nothing fatal- Anton requested the villagers for a place to rest. Cultivators could recover pretty much anywhere, but a proper room and comfort could help immensely.
Natural energy was just beginning to flow back into the area after having been entirely used up. It wasn't an issue, since Anton found himself only able to handle just a little. His meridians ached from overuse, but he didn't exactly have the luxury to hold back in a battle. He spent several hours circulating energy throughout his body. He found that his tendons- the next target of his tempering- had progressed quite significantly. Though they were sore now, he was likely only a week or two from completing the tempering and the seventh star. At least the desperate battle had been good for something.
Anton was disturbed from his cultivation by a smell. Not a bad one, but the pleasant smell of food. Upon stepping outside his borrowed room, he found the center of town was filled with a large number of bonfires and roasting meat.
The villagers waved him over. "You're finally out! This feast is in honor of you, and the survival of our village!"
Among the food was a large amount of boar and surprisingly large drumsticks of avian meat. Anton smiled. His mind returned to celebrations in the past. He pushed away thoughts of those no longer with him, and instead focused on the happy feelings. Timothy seemed to be enjoying the festivities already, while it seemed that Catarina had hidden away with a plate of food.
The feasting and celebration lasted well into the night, but eventually the time came for sleep, and then the morning. Just because the beast swarm had been defeated didn't mean everything was resolved. There were still many bodies of beasts- despite many being destroyed or consumed- and while Anton and the others filled the magic bag there were many more. Tanners and butchers had already gone to work dismantling beasts, and the villagers had sent people to nearby villages and to the Order for help. Those sent to the Order wouldn't have arrived just yet, but Thuston knew the Order would pay them for the materials… and help remove the corpses before they started rotting.
Thinking of the Order, Anton found the others. "I am going to go secure the hole in the barrier. Just in case…" He knew he wasn't fully recovered yet, and both Timothy and Catarina were the same. Hoyt had… probably reached the Order the evening before. It seemed unlikely a Grand Elder would have gotten involved by random chance. Unless there were some other powerful cultivator in the area who just happened to help, but that seemed completely improbable. Besides, that cultivation power had radiated the aura of the Ninety-Nine Stars, in addition to the dramatic method of their attacks.
Anton didn't want to bring his young companions into more danger, but he also couldn't refuse to let them come with him. Besides, he might need their help. At the end of their almost leisurely hike back to the barrier, Anton's concerns of danger were immediately assuaged.
"Anton!" Elder Vincent waved. "It's good to see you made it. I was just providing some support as these fine fellows repaired the barrier," he gestured behind him. Vincent nodded to Timothy and Catarina, "Your companion Hoyt nearly ran himself to death to warn us what was happening. A dangerous situation you got into."
Anton nodded. "Yes… I'm not sure we handled it the right way."
"Did the defense of the village go poorly?" Vincent asked. "I heard the situation had been resolved but…"
"Some of the villagers were injured, and others died. I wonder if we could have drawn the beasts away, or if we should have abandoned the village…" Anton bit his lip.
Vincent gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, you made the right choice. A beast swarm like that wasn't running on just instinct. They were seeking out people. You might not have been able to draw them away from the village, and if they fled… they would merely have been caught without a defensible position, and likely without their homes. Magical beasts can be incredibly destructive."
"Vincent!" one of the elders at the barrier called.
"I have to finish here," Vincent waved. "Oh, The Hunt is officially over. It seemed we made a mistake with our estimations of the danger, and this break in the barrier…" he shook his head. "Get back to the Order and get your well deserved rewards."
-----
Elder Lois was not alone in handling the rewards hall at the current moment. After all, The Hunt brought many people to collect rewards. The contents of the magic bags were actually sorted by the equipment refinement department, but they sent a report on the value to the rewards hall, where the points would be logged. There was a bit of a line, but almost everyone was in good spirits.
Even though the points would be split in four, a full magic bag had to be worth quite a few contribution points. The villagers of Thuston wanted to give them more, but they had participated in the battle as well and deserved some recompense. Anton and the others had taken the most valuable remains of the magical beasts, where they still had structure.
Anton ended up being attended to by Elder Lois herself. "Hello again!" she said as Anton handed over his token. "Let's see here… with the information from the refinement department and the other rewards… your portion of the total should be this." She held out a sheet for him to see. The number 2308 was on the paper. "Your team also received some commendations, which are more than just a nice word."
"Is that number right? I thought my share of the materials would only be half that, at most." Anton was concerned the others might have given him a larger share because of his higher cultivation level, even though they needed the contribution points as well.
Elder Lois smiled, "The additional points are for valorous actions. The Order absolutely rewards defending villages. That includes all forms, such as your friend who ran to retrieve assistance."
Anton nodded. "Good. Thank you." He had no idea what he would do with so many contribution points. He didn't need a new bow- he doubted he would find one significantly better within that range. Perhaps some armor. He had heard there were exceptional armors available, light like clothing but able to defend like steel. He had used armor along a similar vein- though the more mundane sort, enough that it had protected him from dying at least. Now that he had been through some battles and could afford it, the thought of something better was quite appealing. He understood that he was quite mortal even after cultivating, and he had things he wanted to live for still.
Since money burning a hole in the pocket was a poor reason to spend, Anton decided to wait until another day and give some proper thought to it. Perhaps there was something he needed more but wouldn't consider right away. Besides, he still wanted to rest more.
When he arrived back at the complex where he lived, he was surprised to find an unknown elder waiting for him. The elder bowed his head. "Anton Krantz. Grand Elder Vandale has requested to meet with you, at your earliest convenience."
Anton understood what that meant. It meant now. Sure, he could make an elder wait around for a while to escort him to see someone important… but he had no intent to be petty. Especially not if he was right in his estimation that this Grand Elder was the eye and hand in the sky.
Chapter 31
The elder escorted Anton to the top of the mountain. Not the central area where all of the facilities were located- that was closer to the starting point of the journey. Anton was quite confident that just a year before he wouldn't have been able to make the full trip to the top. Traipsing through the forest for a hunt was one thing- and he really probably shouldn't have been doing that- but climbing a mountain, even with proper paths and stairs, was quite a bit harder. Anton had only heard about the air thinning at the top of a mountain, and had never experienced it before. If his lungs and heart had not been tempered, he wasn't sure how far he could have gone. Perhaps the elder escorting him could have carried him, but it was embarrassing enough to accept that in an emergency situation. If he couldn't at least traverse the mountain on his own merits, he wasn't sure he deserved to meet with a Grand Elder. He wasn't certain about that regardless, but Anton wasn't the one responsible for that decision.
The Order of Ninety-Nine Stars had many elders, including a collection of ninety elders on the council that formed the backbone of their strength, along with nine Grand Elders. Anton would have thought that was far too many elders to include in any sort of council, but numbers had meaning in cultivation. For the most part, the Grand Elders would handle important decisions among their smaller number, with the advice and information of ten elders serving directly below them.
Anton looked down the mountain behind him, at the land blanketed by sunset. He had no idea how many steps he'd taken, but it didn't seem to be a specific count. A thousand, nine thousand... The steps seemed instead practically placed when necessary. The thin air around Anton was offset by greater concentrations of natural energy. However, despite or perhaps because of the density of the energy… Anton found it quite difficult to draw it in. The lower areas of the sect were much more optimal, at least at his level. He also found his ability to use energy weakened from his previous exertions.
Just a small way further in front of Anton were a number of structures. The one he was being led toward was a large dome with a curious protrusion out of the top. Inside was one massive and dark room, nearly empty except for what Anton now realized was a massive spyglass… and a single old man sitting next to it. Anton couldn't see his eyes, but a glimpse of one gnarled hand indicated that this was likely the one who had appeared in the sky to save Thuston.
Anton felt a slight tingling all over himself, and then the figure turned slowly. The eye was clearly the same. Its intensity was unforgettable. However, it appeared Grand Elder Vandale had only the single eye. At least, he kept his other eyelid closed, and Anton didn't see the shape of an eyeball pressing against it. "Anton Krantz." Grand Elder Vandale's voice was raspy and almost weak… but when it struck Anton's ears he couldn't help but listen intently. "To my senses and my eye you are almost two different people. My eye sees before me an old man who has lived many hard years, enduring many hardships. Yet my senses tell me there is a newly growing cultivator."
Anton waited a moment, then supposed a reply would be in order. "I never had the opportunity to become a cultivator while younger… though I don't know if I would have taken it, regardless."
Grand Elder Vandale nodded. "Perhaps the far corners of Graotan have been overlooked… though we have certainly taken more care in recent years." He paused for a moment, "Young Vincent told me of what happened in your region. He thought he could handle it alone… and with it being so far from our center of power, we let the problem continue for far too long. Relationships with Ofrurg have always been touchy..." he shook his head sadly.
Anton still wasn't sure why he had been called to see Grand Elder Vandale. Was it for a sort of apology on behalf of the sect? While Anton certainly was still bitter about what happened, he could never find it in himself to blame others for actions that weren't theirs. "Elder Vincent was trying to hunt them down for years. Apparently, only a formation master would have helped."
"We have far too few of those," Grand Elder Vandale clicked his tongue. "Come, let me show you something." He walked over to the base of the large spyglass. "This is a telescope. It is much like a spyglass, but made for much further viewing. Stars are… an almost unfathomable distance away." He placed his eye against a small segment on the side of the telescope, then turned a crank which rotated the telescope- and the whole dome- just slightly. Another one adjusted the angle vertically a small amount. "Look at this. What do you see?"
Anton stepped forward and did so. It took a moment for his eye to focus, but he saw that it was now fully nighttime. He could see a cluster of stars, lustrous against the black sky. "A group of stars. They're quite a sight to behold like this." Anton had certainly taken pleasure from looking at the stars, but they were so much more clear through a telescope.
Grand Elder Vandale made a sound like a dry cough that Anton took a moment to realize was a chuckle. "Certainly, they would appear to be a group. Though studious observations have told us that they are quite far removed from each other." Anton turned to look at the Grand Elder. "The Ninety-Nine Stars has little tangible connection to actual stars in the sky, but in my case I find that the observation suits my style of cultivation. Anything in the world can give insights, if viewed in the right way at the right time." He retook his position from Anton, moving the telescope once more. "Here. This is a nebula. A collection of mere dust, similarly unfathomable in size like anything beyond our home here. Yet see how it sparkles."
Anton enjoyed looking at everything Grand Elder Vandale showed him. It was a relaxing time, and it continued well into the night. However, he wasn't sure as to the purpose of him being called. There weren't many things that had been said. If the sort of apology wasn't it, then perhaps it was that he should seek insights from the world? Certainly, he shouldn't take any of the words of a Grand Elder casually.
It was very late into the night when Grand Elder Vandale sighed. "I should not keep you forever. You have been quite patient with me. You must have questions. About me, the sect, cultivation… feel free to ask any of them."
Anton nodded. He had questions… but he wasn't sure if any of them were good questions. He might as well start off with something straightforward. "How does one grow in cultivation quickly? How can someone reach the same level as you?" Anton couldn't feel the exact strength of Grand Elder Vandale. He wasn't hiding it, but Anton just wasn't prepared to sense it. It was like looking into the sun. From what he knew, however, any of the Grand Elders were likely in Galaxy Construction- and perhaps near the peak of known cultivation.
"Two questions that almost sound like they might have the same answer," Grand Elder Vandale showed a smile that had many missing and crooked teeth. "I can't answer the former. Honestly, I don't know. It took me hundreds of years to reach this point. That hardly seems quick. I suppose that might answer the second question as well… but that's not a very helpfulanswer, is it? I would have to say… dedicate yourself to cultivation, but don't forget why you wish to grow. If you cultivate for temporal reasons, your growth will likewise be impermanent. Though it is possible to merely have a change in focus. If I cultivated… it would be for the Order."
"... do you not cultivate?"
Grand Elder Vandale shook his head, "I find myself unable to take the next step. Cultivation is quite difficult on this old body… though I'm sure you have some idea of that. Cultivation can maintain and restore youth, but only if you make progress rapidly enough. Since I've hit the limit of both cultivation and age… I merely continue living out of duty. I can't do much but defend the sect anymore."
Anton sensed something more from him when he said that. While Anton could certainly feel power from him, it was not just hard to pin down… but almost muted beneath the surface. With a day of rest- not counting the trip back to the sect and up the mountain- Anton had recovered somewhat from his fatigue. He had been able to fill himself full of natural energy once more. However, Grand Elder Vandale seemed as if he were almost empty- just a bright shell around an empty core. If Anton were to compare himself, he was like a bucket. Filling it up was not difficult, but filling up a great lake or a sea like the Grand Elder was much harder. Energy that was merely several times denser would be insufficient for rapid recovery. As for the difficulty of using energy at a far distance, Anton could only imagine. "Are there any insights you can give me for once I step past Body Tempering?"
"I could. And I will, if you later have need of them. But first, you should think about the purifications yourself."
Anton half grinned, "That will be at least eight months from now."
"Why not sooner? Ah." A dry chuckle once more, "I forgot. Here." Grand Elder Vandale pulled out a scroll. "The full Ninety-Nine Stars, continuing past Body Tempering." Anton looked at him for confirmation before cautiously taking it. "What, are you worried about that rule? The one year thing… it doesn't mean anything for you. There are many exceptions made. It is just the baseline until we determine whether we want someone to be able to continue cultivating the Ninety-Nine Stars. It's not like we would deny someone the continuation of the technique after they reached the peak of Body Tempering, if they are a decent person."
Anton thought for a moment, then nodded. "Good. I was actually a bit worried."
"You've been here four months. At your rate of progression, I can see why you'd be concerned about reaching the end of Body Tempering with nowhere to go." Grand Elder Vandale breathed out slowly. "I must be off. Do not hesitate to return if you have questions only I can answer. Though you need not walk all the way up here for much, since the other elders can answer most things just as well."
Anton bowed before turning to leave. He really didn't have any proper questions to ask, and he was eager to take a look at the full version of the Ninety-Nine Stars. Just completing Body Tempering would merely get him to the weakest point he could truly think about revenge.
Chapter 32
For basically as long as he could remember, waking up with the dawn had been part of Anton's life. That hadn't changed with becoming a cultivator, but when Anton awoke the sun was high in the sky. Resting for the night in Thuston hadn't been enough to fully recover, and then hiking up the mountain, staying up late into the night looking at the stars, the hike back down… and he hadn't thought a little bit of cultivating would be a problem. Instead, it wiped him out.
It didn't actually matter that he awoke late, because he hadn't planned to work in the fields or anything else that would constrain his time. The Hunt was still supposed to be continuing, if things hadn't gone the way they did.
He had been able to fill his dantian with natural energy, but it was work. His body grew tired, and that included his meridians and dantian. Perhaps he had really needed the rest. The cuts along his arm and elsewhere didn't help either. He'd applied salves and bandages, but the healing process had only just started. He'd lost blood, and while walking back to the sect had been fine he only now realized how weak he had been.
Once he finished Body Refinement, perhaps the problems wouldn't be so pronounced. Refining his skin wouldn't just make it more durable, it would heal more quickly along with his flesh. Refining his marrow would also allow for recovering blood more quickly, among other benefits.
Anton stretched, arms up above his head. Before he did any of that, he needed to finish refining his tendons. Some archery practice and some movement techniques would be a good start. Despite his fatigue, everything felt just a bit smoother. As Anton imagined a foe, he formed a Spirit Arrow at the same time as he determined where it would go. He hadn't previously been waiting to draw the arrow, but this way it formed at the earliest opportunity but not too early. Holding a Spirit Arrow in its shape took some amount of effort and while over a single shot it didn't matter, over a hundred any inefficiencies could add up. Anton now had practical experience avoiding attacks as well. Sparring had been something, but facing actual danger to his life was much more effective. Being reminded of his mortality was also good motivation.
After some time spent in cultivation, Anton pulled out the scroll of the Ninety-Nine Stars. Not just the first section, but the full technique given to him by Grand Elder Vandale. He reviewed the Body Tempering section, just to make sure it wasn't any different. He didn't expect that to be the case, but it wasn't as if all copies of everything were exactly the same. People made mistakes or abbreviations or extra notes. Anton didn't see any substantial differences, though the language was less elementary. Anton had learned to read well, more than just enough to get by, but that didn't mean he spent a lot of time reading books with flowery language and certainly not cultivation before recently. It hadn't even been suggested that it would be useful for farmers. It was for warriors. Though he knew better now.
The next section covered the segment of cultivation the Ninety-Nine Stars called Spirit Building. It was similar in nature to Body Refining, but of course tempering the spirit instead of the body. The next seven stars were the seven purifications, a much more abstract process where various facets of the spirit were tempered. Only one aspect could receive the prime tempering, though just like Body Tempering that didn't mean the others couldn't catch up given time. For a practical point of comparison, Anton considered a few of the elders he had seen in action. Mental Vision was strongly displayed by Elder Kseniya, and perhaps was a requirement for One Step Ahead. On the other hand, Grand Elder Vandale seemed to embody more of Spiritual Connection, with the way he interacted with the stars. Those were the most prominently displayed facets of those two, though he couldn't be sure if they actually had those as prime refinements. Vandale in particular Anton had only interacted with for a short time, so Anton's judgement might mean nothing.
The eleven orbits following the seven purifications were simply a revisiting of the various facets of body tempering and strengthening the connection between the body and spirit. On an individual level they were nothing special, but the whole process was important. The prime refinement was merely the completion of the task. Important, but not a decision that had to be made.
Beyond that was what the Ninety-Nine Stars called Constellation Formation. It was even more abstract than the previous level, and Anton could tell he wasn't ready to truly dive into it yet. Maybe… never. He wasn't sure if he could ever reach that far. Even if he could, he had to do more than just cultivate before then. Participating in The Hunt had been good not just for himself but because of protecting Thuston. Anton knew there were more dangers in the world, and there was also everything he still had to do. He found himself growing impatient with himself, which seemed like it would lead to harm. More than just getting in over his head in a battle.
He needed to properly prepare himself for the future. Among other things that meant continuing with his cultivation. Since he couldn't be sure how long he would live even if he didn't throw himself into danger, he also wanted to actually do things to leave the world a better place while he had the chance.
-----
Timothy breathed out heavily, swirling a small bit of excess natural energy he hadn't absorbed around himself. "I was so close. I almost caught up to her." He looked to Anton, "I wish I could keep you around all the time. Your advice is very helpful, Anton."
Anton grinned. "Enjoy it while it lasts. Though I'm still planning to stay around for a while."
"Oh, yes. I just meant… we're planning to return to Carran for a while. So I'll probably be away for a couple months."
"Carran," Anton nodded, "Your hometown. I'm sure they'd be happy to see your progress, and it might even help your cultivation to return." Anton returned the topic to where it had been, "On that note, why are you concerned that Catarina reached sixth star before you reached fifth?"
Timothy sighed, "I wanted to catch up to her, at least for a bit. To be as strong as her again. I just want to keep up."
"So you want to be as strong as Catarina?" Anton asked. "Don't be embarrassed. It's quite understandable. However… to summarize the words of someone even older and wiser than myself… think about why you wish to grow. Why you want to be as strong as her."
Timothy looked over towards the adjacent courtyard, which was currently empty. "I want to…"
"Protect her? Impress her?" Anton grinned, "Maybe you don't even know yet. Whether you want to keep your friend safe… or show off your ability… I think you might have the wrong focus on your cultivation. Tell me, do you want to match her or be stronger than her?"
Timothy shook his head, "I'm not sure I can do either."
"There is the core of the problem. It's not so easy to fix." Anton thought for a few moments, "I'll say this. I know you can't just suddenly become confident in your own abilities. That is a process that takes time. But it might do you good to reframe the way you look at your own strength. Whether you work for yourself or for someone else's sake… ultimately I'm not sure it matters. It can even be both. The important part is that you-" Anton poked his finger into Timothy's chest, "You, Timothy, want to be stronger. As strong as you can be. It doesn't matter what anyone else's cultivation level is. So you're slightly more than a full star behind. That's not an impossible gap. You almost did it… but lost focus on the fact that no matter what you intend to do with it, your cultivation is part of you." Anton shook his head, "Like I said though, it's not so easy. Don't forget, she even used one of her tempering pills to break through to the fifth star. Prime ones aren't so easy. You have contribution points still."
"That's right. Actually…" Timothy scratched the back of his head. "I thought with your guidance… maybe I didn't need it."
"You don't. But it will save you time." Anton had learned enough about those sorts of medicines to know that limited use of them was fine.
Timothy looked towards his home. "Actually, she gave me one before we started training for The Hunt. I just thought it was out of pity."
Anton laughed, "I doubt she has any pity in her. But you should know her better than me."
"Right." Timothy nodded. "Tempering the meridians is important. I shouldn't be stubborn about it."
Anton left Timothy alone as he returned to cultivating. If Timothy took that pill, he could form the fifth star pretty much immediately. Anton had studied the pill Catarina gave to him. They were high quality, radiating energy similar to those costing a thousand contribution points in the rewards hall at least. The prizes for the entrance exams were certainly excellent. If she had used one herself and given one to him… then the last went to Timothy. Anton wondered if he should return his. Of course, practically he could not. It would make her think he didn't appreciate it. But he didn't need pity or help keeping up, not yet at least. At the rate things were going… he should be fine until the tenth star. He wasn't sure how much more difficult that might be. Perhaps he would reach his limits there.
But Anton wasn't likely to get more opportunities for so many contribution points before then, so if he didn't want to spend the majority of his points on medicines, he should plan to use it at that point. And, there was something else. He wasn't certain, but he supposed that having received it as a gift would make it more effective. Not in any practical way, but cultivation was a mental process. If nothing else… he could tell Catarina he used it to form the tenth star. He just had the next couple to complete first. If he could manage that.
Chapter 33
The outer parts of the forest were much more pleasant when wild beasts didn't attack every few minutes. Anton led the group back into the forest, not because he expected to need assistance in battle but because there was still one profitable venture to handle before Timothy and Catarina went to visit home. It had been forgotten on their return trip from Thuston, both because everyone was exhausted and they didn't return through the forest.
"There it is," Anton announced.
"I still don't see anything," Timothy said.
"The spiders seem to have moved back," Anton commented as he saw nearly-clear creatures on similarly concealed strands of spider silk. "It seems they were more disturbed out of their natural habitat than part of the beast horde."
"If the spiders are back… do we just leave?" Timothy asked. "I know they're not thatdangerous individually… but…"
"I believe Catarina has prepared something," Anton looked to her. "If you please."
Catarina nodded. "If you could direct me, I'm not exactly certain of the location of the webs." Hoyt and Timothy had little else to do but wait while Catarina and Anton moved about the area, Anton helping her avoid webs while she set up a formation. "I can see them when they skitter through the light," Catarina said. "I think… we have finished. They should be repelled from this area."
Anton nodded. "I don't see any remaining in this section." They had cordoned off about half of the group of webs. Diamondsilk spiders were more communal than other spiders- with many living together peacefully. It helped that they were able to catch prey such as birds many times larger than themselves while they remained individually small with only moderate food needs. From Anton's research they did require a larger amount of food to produce their webs, but if they left some behind the colony of spiders should be alright. The cultivators had actually been hoping the group had migrated- since animals often learned which section they inhabited- but at least this way they could get some of the webs without driving the group to death or provoking their wrath. Anton took the first of many spindles out of his pack and found where one strand attached to a tree, sticking it to the roller and beginning the motion. "Timothy, start with this."
They didn't exactly have to be gentle with the roller. It wasn't called diamondsilk for nothing. However, there were good reasons to roll at a measured pace. Strands crossed each other, and if the whole web was just pulled into one bundle around a spindle it was less usable than if it were properly rolled. Of course, with many of them unable to really make out what they were working with… it still happened. They were all amateurs in the field regardless of other talents. Still, it was good to try to do it themselves rather than hiring someone else.
Everyone twisting a spindle could feel the tension, even if they couldn't see the thread until it started to form multiple layers around the spindle. It wasn't completely invisible, and the repeated distortion of light through its strands allowed it to gradually become more visible on the spindles. Anton continued to pick his way around, starting spindles and picking out crossing strands. He really missed having a magic bag. Unfortunately, they weren't cheap. Five thousand contribution points… might actually be obtainable in a reasonable time. But at the moment it was just a convenience instead of a necessity.
Anton stepped over to one side of their cleared area. "The spiders seem to be returning…" Despite their exceptional nature, diamondsilk spiders weren't magical beasts able to use energy. Thus, forming a small barrier to keep them away was simple. Even with dozens of them, their combined force was less than a child pushing against him with one hand. Anton held up the temporary barrier while he looked to Catarina.
"The formation… changed…" Catarina said. She looked around. "I forgot. We changed the flow of energy by removing the webs."
Anton shrugged, "I can't really tell any difference. But I'll leave the judgement to you."
Catarina moved about, fixing the formation, and the spiders pulled away again. "Now we can finish."
-----
Diamondsilk could easily be exchanged for contribution points- even if the Order raised some spiders, they really needed a lot of space and the right conditions… which were mostly in the forest. It was also tricky work that required someone with refined eyes to watch for spiders attempting to leave containment.
However, nobody was really hurting for contribution points at the moment. Each had received an equal share of contribution points for The Hunt- even if Hoyt wasn't physically present in Thuston he was certainly responsible for some of the success in the village's survival. Making something practical out of it would in turn cost some contribution points, but much less since they could provide the materials.
Even with giant webs and a large number of them, the amount of material they had was limited. Each strand was extremely thin, so weaving it into clothing wasn't really possible. At most, they could make a full undershirt for one of them. However, while it would certainly be valuable to do so, the actual practical effect wouldn't be as much as splitting it. Diamondsilk could be woven into other thread to greatly increase its strength- enough that everyone could get a full undershirt that would protect against cuts and stabs. Since it was flexible and thin cloth, it would do little against bludgeoning impacts but it could be worn under anything else without discomfort. Personally, Anton thought full diamondsilk garments would be a bit… uncomfortable. Not physically, but mentally. It was almost completely invisible, after all. Certainly not something that could be worn as anything but an additional layer.
The decision to have defensive undershirts made would slightly delay the departure of Catarina and Timothy, but they didn't have a strict schedule they were adhering to regardless. It was unlikely they would need the additional protection on that journey, but everyone was eagerly looking forward to some tangible fruits of their labor.
-----
Anton stretched. He felt like a cat, though the way they distorted themselves he knew he was at best only slightly catlike. He still had a spine and all that. Sometimes, he wasn't sure that cats did. He could feel his tendons reaching the peak of the refinement process. Each additional step towards refining his body took more work, but Anton found the whole process invigorating. Though he might traditionally stay statically in place for the formation of a star, that was merely for purposes of concentration. He found he was experienced enough in cultivation that he could do so while moving, though of course the effect might vary greatly. In battle would be quite impossible, but a nice bit of moving around his courtyard was easy enough. Even for a breakthrough it felt appropriate to make use of his body. He pulled on his bowstring, with no arrows, just feeling the strain on his tendons as he did so.
He had no idea how strong he needed to be. Spirit Building at the very least, but he didn't need to stop there if he could go further. The world just didn't have the problems of Dungannon to deal with, but others like those bandits and dangerous beasts. It even could use more everyday people who knew a bit of cultivation in their work, further from centers of cultivation like the Order.
It wasn't clear if making himself and the world better was a proper reason to cultivate. It seemed a bit too broad…but it was certainly better than just revenge. The bowstring twanged as Anton's fingers let it go. Revenge was certainly still on the table. However, he had to balance between practically being able to accomplish that revenge and spending too much time. It had been nearly eight months since the destruction of Dungannon and the beginning of his cultivation. Anton knew cultivators worked in longer timespans than the rest of humanity, but it felt so long. When he'd been living happily and working? Eight months was almost nothing. Every year birthdays of great-grandchildren had surprised him. Now, he never truly relaxed. At most, he distracted himself for a time.
His grip tightened on the bow. He pulled back, almost as if he was trying to break his bow or his arm or snap his tendons. That wasn't quite the case. If he truly injured himself he wasn't sure if he could recover even with good medicines and the aid of natural energy. However, he had to push himself. Anton was beginning to understand that his speed of cultivation was unexpected for his age, and perhaps even faster than some of the younger generations. He couldn't say it was easy, though he had to admit it was more smooth than he'd anticipated… but he always had to push himself. If he slowed down now… he felt he would never accomplish anything. Complacency would be the end. And yet… he needed patience.
His arm strained, muscle and bone and especially tendons. He switched sides, though he would never have reason to shoot left handed. He stretched his body to the limit as he forced energy into it. Just a bit more patience. As he felt the pressure peak inside of him, it finally collapsed into the seventh star. He breathed out slowly. He wasn't sure if he would have the proper mental and spiritual fortitude for Spirit Building. He might destroy himself. Perhaps he needed to take some of his own advice and revisit his home. How different would it seem, not even a year later?
Chapter 34
Sometimes, an old man just had to be a little bit selfish. He knew what he needed to do, but he just couldn't face it yet. So when he was invited by Timothy and Catarina to come to their village of Carran, he gladly accepted. Hoyt was invited as well, but he had other plans to attend to.
Anton had little to do to prepare. He stocked up on necessary supplies such as arrows and some emergency rations just in case. He exchanged some contribution points for money- he was almost surprised at how much he could have, but he had fought more beasts than he would hunt in a year so it was actually quite reasonable. It was slightly disconcerting to think his bow might cost as much as a barn… but then again, it was comparing a barn made out of mundane wood to something of special materials, even if it was much smaller.
A horse might travel further in a day than a man on foot, though their true speed advantage was in short bursts. Cultivators, however, could sustain a speed faster than a horse while walking. Of course, there were special breeds and magical beasts who were even faster… but those were quite a bit more expensive. The official recommendation for members of the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars was to walk, if speed was not required.. Anton hadn't known about it, but it made sense. Walking served the dual purpose of training the body of the cultivator and allowing the citizens of Graotan to see them. While they didn't necessarily show the symbol of the Order, people could still recognize them. For their current group, it was only an academic choice regardless. Nobody wanted to spend their entire stock of contribution points on a creature only marginally faster than their current speed, something they would soon outclass.
"I'm going to show everyone how strong I am when I get back," Timothy declared, hands behind his head as he walked confidently. "How about you, Catarina?"
"Mmn. Just want to see family."
"I thought so. You're not really the type to show off…" Timothy nodded to himself, "Still, we can be proud. We both joined the Order, and we've grown even stronger in the last few months."
"Yes," Catarina replied, "But we are still weak."
"I don't know if that's fair to say. We're not weak… everything else is just too strong. Besides, we're at least strong enough to protect Carran."
Anton's face grew stern, "Don't rest on your laurels so easily. Magical beasts might not live in the area, but not all cultivators are upright and honest, and they won't care how long you've cultivated… or if you have at all." The tone of his voice was cold, and soured the discussion for the rest of the day. Not that Catarina would have contributed much anyway.
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When there was no conversation the next morning, Anton offered an apology. "I did not mean to be so harsh with my words yesterday. The two of you have done quite well with your devotion to cultivation. I'm sure you friends and family will be proud of you." He paused, "But I don't know if it can ever be truly said that you are 'strong enough.'" He'd thought he was strong. Old as he was, it was hard for anyone to say he wasn't strong, or at least tough. But he hadn't even been present to do anything- and if he had, he knew he would have had no effect.
Catarina looked over at him, "Where are you from?"
"Dungannon," Anton replied. "Near Alcombey."
"Oh," Timothy said. "That's almost in Ofrurg."
Anton hadn't thought of it that way, but it was indeed closer to Ofrurg than any of the major parts of Graotan, despite the official borders. He hadn't thought well of it before, but had little interaction with anyone from the area, even when he visited Alcombey. Now that he knew more, it was one of the places in the world he'd least like to visit… and he was absolutely going to go there in the future. The near future.
"Do you… want to talk about what happened?" Catarina asked.
"...No." Anton breathed out heavily. "Not yet." It wasn't just that they were young. Maybe they would understand… but speaking about it was hard. Even with Vincent, who already knew everything. If only Vincent could just go into Ofrurg and just tear it apart… but of course Graotan wasn't the only place with cultivators.
The tone of the conversation eventually lightened up, talking about the things they'd done at home, how the upcoming winter might affect things, and the like. Anton did his best not to bring things down. Not just for the two younger folk, but because dwelling on what he couldn't do at this very moment would just hurt him more.
Having not been away from the Order's lands in the four and a half months he'd been here, Anton wasn't sure how cultivating would go in areas of lower density natural energy. He wondered if his continued speed was just boosted by the greater availability of energy. Now that he was away from the area, he could confirm it had an effect- but his increased learning was also important. He had tempered his meridians before he even took a step on the Order's lands, and though he continued to develop them as he could, their overall quality was similar enough. Yet he could gather and more smoothly manipulate energy. Storing more was just a given, since the stars in the Dantian were able to do so, but just having the experience cultivating made Anton certain he could do it again faster. Of course, if his cultivation actually reset to the beginning his body would probably just give out. Not that it was a possibility. Certainly not more likely or easy than being killed by something.
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Anton didn't really expect trouble in the midst of Graotan where the population was high and other disciples of the Order traveled and patrolled. Even so, he was relieved when the journey actually went smoothly. Carran was just a few days away- at their current walking speed- still quite near the Order on the whole scale of things… but nothing was ever perfectly safe. He just couldn't help but think about what might go wrong. Wild beasts from the forests and bandits were of course the strongest in his mind.
"There it is," Timothy declared. They'd been walking past farms for quite some time, and that hadn't actually changed. "I'd recognize that roofline anywhere."
"Pretty sure they changed it," Catarina countered. "That one is new."
Anton looked ahead at the town. People were moving about doing everyday business. Someone in particular caught his eye. "Catarina. Does your mother look like you?"
"Yes. Quite. So I am told."
"It appears she is at the market, then." Anton found the more he used Hawk Eyes to see, the better his eyes became even when he wasn't focusing his energy. They still weren't the best they'd been, but when he focused… picking out faces on the horizon wasn't too difficult. Especially somewhat familiar ones. As he approached closer, the difference in faces was obvious… but not too much. Just a couple small decades of age.
Catarina waved as her mother spotted her. "Mom!" That one energetic word was perhaps the most enthusiastic Anton had ever seen Catarina. "I'm back to visit."
"So I see. Though you only sent a letter when you got into the Order… and Timothy didn't even remember to inform his father," she looked at him, placing her hand on her hips… but her smile belied the posture. "Welcome back you two. I'm Flora Riley. A pleasure to meet you. And you are?"
"Anton Krantz," he inclined his head, watching her face for signs of recognition. He had an idea… but perhaps it was wrong. "I'm another disciple of the Order. We share a complex where we live, and I fought together along with these two."
"Fought?" Catarina's mother paled slightly and turned to her.
Catarina nodded. "You know cultivators often have to fight. We protected a village."
"Well I-" she stopped whatever she was going to say. "I'm glad you are alright." She inclined her head to Anton, "Thank you for taking care of them. Do you have a place to stay?"
Catarina spoke up before Anton could, "I was hoping he could stay in the spare room. He's guiding Timothy with cultivation, so if he only had to go next door instead of walking out of town, it would be more convenient." Catarina was slightly more verbose with her mother, though she still didn't seem talkative. Maybe she simply needed to explain everything… or she just wasn't that comfortable around Anton yet.
"Of course he can stay. Any of your friends are welcome." Flora's eyes sparkled slightly and she looked at Timothy, "And I'm sure some people will be glad you didn't bring home a young man." Timothy swallowed slightly, but didn't say anything.
The three of them helped Flora carry her shopping back with her- though any one of them could carry far more than she wanted to purchase. Timothy made sure to stop by his home next door when they passed. Anton just enjoyed interacting with a city where nothing was going wrong. Nobody needed saving from a flood or bandits or wild beasts. And he would do his utmost to make sure it stayed that way- as well as every village in Graotan.