章 44: 18-26
Chapter 18
Another week and a half out of five thousand went by in the blink of an eye. Work started early and lasted until the evening, then practicing archery techniques until he was sufficiently tired to sleep, all interspersed with meals and occasional lectures. Anton learned quite a bit, including how to properly balance his environment while cultivating. It wasn't as important as having abundant natural energy around, but it was still a factor. That included taking care of his mental state. Anton wasn't sure if his mind was exactly serene with constant thoughts of revenge, but what was he going to do about it? Focus was necessary to overcome it.
The most useful after the tips Vincent gave for cultivation was sparring practice. He was still a beginner in cultivation, so when he found himself struggling with unarmed combat he didn't feel bad. He had gotten in a few scraps in his days, but had no formal training. His muscles were decently strong, but the rest of his body just wasn't up to par. All of the others seemed to have begun lessons before him as well, but Anton didn't like making excuses. He might only rarely need to fight unarmed, but he should at least put in the effort to cover the basics.
The anticipated lecture with Elder Kseniya arrived in due time. When Anton arrived at the training field only to find it sparsely attended by merely a dozen others, he asked one of the nearest disciples, "Is this the right place for Elder Kseniya's lecture?"
The young woman nearest to him shrugged, "Lectures have words. But this is the place."
"It's… surprisingly empty."
"Elder Kseniya is the best archer in the Order," The young woman looked around before finally whispering, "...but she's not the best teacher."
Anton nodded. That often tended to be the case. Eccentric masters of one thing or another often had trouble communicating. It was certainly not impossible to be a skilled teacher and a master of something, but the skills didn't necessarily go together. Still, he might be able to learn something.
He almost didn't notice when she showed up. Anton had been conditioned into the idea that elders would look younger than they were, so when a truly ancient woman with baggy skin and thin limbs stood in front of them, he almost didn't think it was her. However, as he sensed her energy he knew it had to be her. He couldn't sense exactly, but she was at a great number of stars. Perhaps fifty or more? That would place her in the final tier of cultivation, the stage that was referred to as Galaxy Construction in the Ninety-Nine Stars method.
She said nothing, merely pulling out a bow from a magic bag- like Elder Evan had. The bow appeared quite plain- merely some sort of dark varnished wood and a string that seemed no different from many others. She had no quiver on her back, but that wasn't a surprise. Without even saying a word to those watching, her movement started.
Anton's eyes barely tracked the movement of her hand grabbing the string, the forming of a Spirit Arrow and the pulling of the string, and the arrow was out of his vision as if it completely disappeared. Then Elder Kseniya disappeared as well. However, Anton still sensed her- and his eyes snapped to her location, far from where Anton thought it should have been possible to move.
Even with his eyes already having been tempered, Anton was barely able to follow her movements. Activating the vision techniques from Hawk Eyes allowed him to not completelylose sight of her, but he was barely able to make out her specific movements even still. She drew and shot the bow, then moved to a seemingly random place to fire again in another similarly random direction. Anton's eyes occasionally followed the spirit arrows, realizing that he was half right. They did disappear, but their trajectory through the air up to the point where they vanished has also simply been too fast for him to see. Each of the Spirit Arrows destroyed itself at a specific point, though the distance wasn't always the same. Anton supposed that was the only way she wasn't going to put holes in everything around them… including the walls of the training areas and perhaps several buildings over. He was absolutely certain she would have, if the arrows didn't collapse into themselves.
Anton watched in a trance, trying to catch something from what was happening. He felt like he was on the verge of understanding, but he wasn't sure what he might learn. Then Elder Kseniya stopped. Anton reached down and found his chest was damp. He was sweating from just watching. He was almost entirely drained of energy just to catch a glimpse of what was going on. The others were in a similar boat, except a pair who grumbled to each other, "... didn't teach anything. Just showed off and left…"
Technically Anton agreed that she didn't teach anything… but the chance to see something like was still good for his developing skills. Many years of hunting and some competitions were nothing compared to her experience with the bow… but how could he make use of it?
-----
Every time he formed a Spirit Arrow, Anton pictured those made by Elder Kseniya. They were thinner, not because they contained less power but because it was even more concentrated. He had barely been able to sense how it worked with the immense power involved, but he tried some things he thought were involved. Had she started the formation at the tip? No. Though he couldn't be sure, since they seemed to appear instantly. He tried starting with the arrowhead, in the middle, and from the end with the fletching. The middle was the worst, since if he was misaligned it could scrape up against the bow at the front or slip past the string in the back. Fortunately the bow had enough durability to ignore such incidental energy.
Anton tried to imagine what her movements were for. He couldn't possibly move as she did, especially with his joints… though perhaps hers weren't any better at whatever age she was. He would have to work on his flexibility. At the very least, moving around was a good idea. Anton didn't exactly dash around, but he started incorporating movement and turning into his practice. He didn't have targets and didn't want to destroy the walls, so he just made the arrows dissipate. He wasn't confident in doing that while they were in motion, so he made sure to practice on his actual target for actual practice firing.
The other residents of the complex did their own cultivation at different times, though there was never really a time when nobody was cultivating unless the complex was empty or they were all asleep. On a particular evening another two weeks later, Catarina was cultivating in her own courtyard. Anton felt she was at a particularly crucial moment, so he decided to take a break so as to avoid disturbing her with his energy fluctuations. She was at the peak of the fourth star… and if he guessed correctly she planned to break through to the fifth. The feeling of her cultivation let Anton know she was finishing the refinement of her meridians- a solid choice, apparently. Much less foolish than doing it too early, but Anton supposed he couldn't be blamed for his thoughts. He really should have been more cautious, though.
As Catarina pushed herself to the edge, Anton sensed a sudden boost of energy from her. It didn't feel like a danger, and indeed it only took a moment for the energy to settle down and come under her control. A short time later, the scene settled down and Anton knew she had reached the fifth star. Since it wouldn't be a problem to interrupt her anymore, Anton was about to go back to training archery. However, she stepped out of her gate and he was curious where she was going to go. Spying on his neighbors wasn't proper… but he would have had to intentionally ignore her to not know where she was. Besides, she was coming towards his gate.
A moment later, she knocked. "...Anton?"
He made his way over to the gate and opened it. "Catarina, come on in," he gestured.
She shook her head. "Not necessary. Here." She held out her hand, and Anton instinctively reached out to take what she dropped. A small round pellet.
She was halfway turned around when Anton called after her. "Wait! Isn't this your last tempering pill?" Anton was quite certain that she had just used one.
"No. I have one more left."
He still didn't let her leave, "Why give it to me?"
"... For the help. Before. Save it for breaking through to sixth star."
Now that he'd gotten her to admit why, he wasn't going to refuse. He sensed she was telling the truth about having another. It seemed likely she hadn't actually used one for the fourth star. "I will graciously accept," Anton said as she was already stepping out of sight back towards her dwelling. He slowly closed the gate behind her and smiled. He would save the pill for a breakthrough. Though if she needed it before he used it, he would gladly give it to her. Better to foster someone younger who had their whole life ahead of them rather than an old man.
Chapter 19
Elder Kseniya's demonstrations were not regularly scheduled. The second one after Anton heard of her was another three weeks after the first, though it wasn't scheduled until three days in advance and Anton only heard about it by coincidence. Anton arrived a bit early, since Elder Kseniya didn't seem the sort to delay upon arriving. It wasn't exactly a short demonstration the first time, but he had the feeling that watching the whole thing would give him the best insights.
The training field the demonstration was in did have actual targets, and Anton found a young man at the seventh star training there. It was not surprising to find him forming a spirit arrow, firing one after the next into a target… though with deliberate speed rather than haste. Anton watched, feeling the young man's energy as he shot. Obviously he wasn't much compared to Elder Kseniya, but Anton wouldn't expect that. His arrows were accurate enough, but they didn't puncture very deep into the targets. At least, not as much as they should have with energy involved. Anton approached closer, "Young man… interested in advice from an old man a full two stars weaker than you?"
The young man shrugged, "Why not? I'll hear it at least."
Anton nodded. He had gotten in the habit of bringing his bow with him, since most disciples carried a weapon with them around the Order, and he quickly strung it. Theoretically, even black steel strings had to wear out eventually if it was left strung. Anton held up his fingers, creating a spirit arrow where the young man could see. "I didn't see any particular flaws in your creation, but your power seemed to suffer. That bow seems decent enough…" Anton turned to the side and pulled back the arrow, sending it flying towards the target. His energy catapulted it forward through the target. Good, at least he had something to demonstrate that he knew what he was talking about. "The problem is that you're trying too hard to hit accurately."
The young man squinted, "But if I don't hit… I can't kill anything."
"I'm not saying you shouldn't be accurate. I'm just saying you shouldn't put so much effort into it. You're stabilizing the arrow with your energy." Anton held up another spirit arrow, "That's what the fletching is for. If it didn't have a purpose, we'd merely form something like needles," Anton let the fletching fade away. "But the fletching lets it stay aligned on its own. That energy is best used to propel the whole thing forward. Don't worry if it spins, that's fine as well."
The young man nodded. "I see." Anton stepped away from the target, letting him have a straight shot. He frowned in concentration, forming an arrow and releasing it. The arrow arrived off target, but Anton knew he just needed to get used to how it behaved. Either way, it punctured most of the way through. It wasn't so inaccurate as to be a problem on any decently sized opponent, just a couple rings from the bullseye. The young man seemed to be focused on the task, so Anton just watched as he continued. Soon enough the others arrived- several new faces, and a half dozen repeats. Anton noticed the returning disciples were all higher stars than himself, but why would they not be? He was still quite new to cultivation.
Elder Kseniya's arrival was obvious, from her energy but nothing else. She wasn't hiding it, so the fact that she made no sound and had little visual presence as she arrived didn't make a difference. Anyone would notice if they were suddenly next to a raging fire.
Everyone cleared out of the area as she approached, standing over to the side and watching. Anton decided not to try to focus on the little details this time, something he couldn't even really make out as she fired arrows almost without him seeing her move… and then she herself changed locations. If he couldn't pick out fine details, he needed to follow the flow. Was it just a demonstration of how fast she could move and shoot, or was there something more?
The first arrow flew out, disappearing as it reached a point somewhere in front of her. At that point, Elder Kseniya had moved a quarter circle around the general area. Her second arrow fired at another spot entirely. As far as Anton could tell, she never aimed at the same point- though her arrows might pass through a similar target sized area, they never stopped in the same area as a previous one.
Anton noticed something else. She wasn't just running around and shooting. Her movements weren't so straightforward. She had great speed, but she didn't move straight from point to point. She changed direction unpredictably, tilting her body as she moved and occasionally pulling back steps. It was as if… she was avoiding enemy attacks. Anton's brain was overloaded with information… but if he presumed she was shooting and 'hitting' an imaginary foe, it would explain why they didn't remain in place. His suspicions were confirmed when she ducked 'under' an attack, and instead of firing her bow stabbed out with her hand… a spirit arrow existing for only the briefest of moments. Anton couldn't say he followed all of her movements, but at least he understood what was happening. It could have just been his imagination… but he thought that sometimes she missed. That is to say, the arrows had a point of maximum power. Usually, they disappeared- indicating a hit- very close to the peak of their power. Sometimes, they continued onward… fading out of existence rather than being directly dispersed. But perhaps that was just Anton reading into things too much. By the time the demonstration was over, Anton was exhausted… both his brain and his reserves of energy just to keep track of anything that was happening.
-----
Anton couldn't say he found Elder Kseniya's demonstration to be a good lesson… but he still learned some things about what she considered important. Constant movement made sense. He needed to be able to hit an opponent while both of them were moving. Predicting the opponent's movements was theoretically part of that, though Anton hadn't been able to track the 'movements' of her opponent to know that was the case.
Trying to replicate a similar situation himself stretched the limits of his capabilities, not least of which was his body complaining to him for pushing it so hard. However, he didn't feel as if he was hurting himself. Tempering his body with energy was allowing him to grow stronger, and though it might be painful in the short term, he found his overall bodily health increasing. Even if his joints burned after every practice session, and his bones creaked.
One major issue Anton ran into was imagining an opponent. He hadn't exactly been in many fights. Hunting animals… usually was done from stealth. If a boar was charging at him, he didn't use a complex series of movements. He shot it, and tried to figure out how to put a tree between them. For a combat on the level of cultivators, he really didn't know what to expect. The only images he had in his mind were Elder Kseniya and her invisible opponent. When he tried to imagine fighting them… he died. Rapidly and continuously. His arrows got nowhere near the targets he set in mind, even though he himself had chosen their movement patterns.
Anton shook his head. That wouldn't do any good. He needed some practical experience… or to pick a weaker opponent. The only other person he'd really seen move was… Vincent. He wasn't even trying to go fast most of the time, but his movements were strange and hard to follow. Anton imagined shooting at someone who moved like Vincent casually. It was difficult, but he managed some 'hits'. But that wasn't the speed Elder Vincent could move at. That was him strolling around. In his head, he pictured being carried through the forest at then-unbelieveable speeds, to return to the bandit camp. Even if that version of Elder Vincent wasn't trying to dodge him, Anton couldn't manage a hit on something that speed. On a related note, Anton found himself very glad that the walls of the courtyard were fortified to resist damage. He might still need to be more careful, but at least he wasn't punching holes in them. He couldn't do everything necessary to move and aim and shoot with proper power and consistently disperse his energy exactly when he wanted to.
Anton sighed. And here he was thinking he would take out cultivator bandits. Bandits who had years or decades of experience on him, who fought and killed for their livelihood. There was no way he could get revenge like that. Elder Vincent had managed to track down some of them- but they had apparently gone far enough into Ofrurg that he couldn't track them down while still fulfilling other responsibilities for the Order. Anton would have liked to hear they were all dead… but he also wanted to kill them himself. To do that, he needed to fight… something. Disciples were able to spar, at least. There were also magical beasts to hunt down. He wasn't sure if he was ready, but he could use the contribution points. Tempering his body while farming was good for the moment, but after the sixth and seventh star he would merely be working at the same time. His bones and tendons would be physically worked, but he wasn't sure about marrow and skin. Speaking of which, before he got into battles with wild beasts, he should have some better idea of how to defend himself with energy. He wouldn't want to fail to avoid an attack only to find himself impaled… or just simply have his body shatter to bits. He was working on part of that with the tempering of his bones, but Anton was absolutely certain he could easily break his own body with his energy. On that note, he found himself holding back so as not to actually hurt himself. At least he had some ideas in mind for what to study next.
Chapter 20
The technique library was a place Anton had only visited once before. He should have visited twice, but during the time he would have been returning his borrowed technique scrolls he was incarcerated. He might still need to look over Hawk Eyes Archery and Thousand Arrows later, but he was fairly certain he'd learned all he could from them at the moment. Spirit Arrows likely had more he could learn as well, but beyond the level of just creating an arrow he wasn't sure if he didn't just need more practice to use it to its full capacity. "Elder Mason," Anton inclined his head as he arrived. "I'm sorry these were a bit late." Elder Mason was one of the ones Anton was surewas younger than himself, but not necessarily that much. Still, her long hair and youthful skin could have easily tricked him into believing she was merely in her twenties.
Elder Mason shrugged, "If it was a real problem, we would have sent people to collect them." She looked at each scroll as she took them. "Sorry, your badge?" Anton held it out. "Oh! Anton Krantz. Sorry, but so many people come through and you've only been here once. I'm not as good as some of the others are at remembering names." She marked a ledger with a quill pen- and a little bit of energy. "Now then, since you returned… I presume you want to check out something else? More archery techniques, perhaps?"
"I might take a look at them," Anton said, "But I wanted to diversify a bit. Something defensive, and maybe for movement."
"Aha!" Elder Mason smiled. "Planning to join The Hunt?"
"No…? Maybe. I don't believe I've heard of it." Anton started following after Elder Mason as she walked along the shelves.
"That's right, it was announced nearly two months ago… so the excitement died down some. It'll pick back up soon since it's just a month away." Elder Mason pulled a few scrolls off the shelves, "Take a look to see if any of these suit you." As Anton took them, Elder Mason continued her earlier line of thought, "The Hunt is exactly what it sounds like… more or less. An organized event by the sect to thin the numbers of magical beasts in the deep forest. There are certain points not to be crossed while still in Body Tempering, but it's a group event. Good for getting to know other disciples, and for contribution points."
"I had been considering some hunting," Anton said. Steel skin… tempered skin was recommended. That wasn't high on his priority list. He would prefer something energy based. Golden Armor was in that vein, but its defenses were a bit static for his tastes. Though he could understand the appeal of solidifying your energy and letting it act as actual armor. He had trouble unfurling the third one. Ponderous Field was certainly interesting, spreading out energy to slow anything around- weapons and people alike. The most interesting thing was that there was another scroll wrapped inside that one. One Step Ahead was… a combined movement and defensive technique… technically.
"Oh. That's where that went." Elder Mason sighed, "This is why only the caretakers are supposed to shelve things."
"Is this long past due for someone?" Anton could barely believe what the technique wanted from its user. Predict the exact movements of the enemy so that you wouldn't be somewhere they could attack, while at the same time moving yourself to the optimal location to attack them. For use with archery, it said. He certainly couldn't see it working with anything in melee, because you'd always be inside your opponent's reach.
"No. But some elders write techniques and just toss them on the shelves, assuming we'll know where they are. Even though we never registered them." From the tone of her voice, Anton supposed that some elders were one specificelder.
"Who wrote this one, then? It doesn't say."
"If you'd seen more of hers, you'd know. The straightforward yet impossible to keep up with descriptions become the obvious thing. And the fact that there's no name. It's Elder Kseniya."
Anton frowned, "Spirit Arrows wasn't so… directly obtuse?"
"Oh," Elder Mason laughed, "That's the version for people who want to actually learn, instead of just stare at a page. One of the other elders clarified it."
Anton nodded, idly going over One Step Ahead. Synchronize yourself with your opponent. Take one step before them. Never two. He shook his head. There were diagrams for how to circulate energy through the meridians to achieve… presumably the desired results. But he couldn't say for sure. "Any movement techniques for people with bad joints?" Anton asked.
"Specifically that? I don't think so. But there are some focusing on smooth movements rather than jerk reactions."
Anton picked out one called Swan Steps. He… wasn't sure if he had ever seen a swan, but based on watching other waterfowl he was pretty sure they didn't do a lot of graceful walking. More of a waddle. But the technique seemed decent enough. "How many techniques can I bring with me?" Anton asked.
"The answer is… don't get greedy."
"I would like Golden Armor and Swan Steps." Anton paused for a moment, "I'm also interested in looking at One Step Ahead and… the original Spirit Arrows."
Elder Mason shrugged, "It's your time. If you can actually make sense of those two, it's not a problem. Though I need to at least properly register One Step Ahead."
-----
Golden Armor was extremely simple, though it required sufficient energy to use it. Set aside an amount of energy, convert it into a solid form around the body, and lock it in place. From that point it would last quite some time as long as nothing was actively breaking through. The downsides was that it wasn't possible to focus the armor against a big hit, though it did its best to disperse any damage across the body. On the other hand, since he couldn't do it, he didn't have to redirect his defenses while at the same time trying to coordinate his own attacks. Anton thought the best solution was to never get attacked at all, but apparently magical beasts had a number of ranged attacks at their disposal as well- from throwing things to attacks involving energy. The energy was what made them so dangerous. They weren't exactly cultivators, but absorbing large amounts of natural energy not only fortified their bodies but occasionally allowed them to perform basic techniques. They were generally more powerful than a human, as well- though still of animal intelligence.
Anton found that Swan Steps, while having very little to do with any sort of actual waterfowl, was quite useful. Especially for him, since it was easier on his joints as he moved around… but still let him move quickly and change direction when needed. That involved more energy usage than his body, but it also allowed him more options.
The other two… he only had a feeling would be useful. Between studying them and Elder Kseniya herself, he might learn something. Or maybe he was overestimating himself.
Anton had one thing he needed to do besides cultivating. Since The Hunt was a group event, he needed… a group. That could be between three and six people, but he had to actually ask people. But before he did that…
Anton circulated his energy through his meridians. He let the energy seep into his bones, seeking out areas where he was less developed. He paid special attention to his joints, and though he knew they wouldn't be completely better after the refinement… at least they would hold up until the second full body refinement. After that… well, he was already being ambitious thinking about the tenth star.
With one more pass through his body, his bones were brimming with energy. Yet he continued according to the prescribed techniques. He pulled in energy from all around him, grateful for how much natural energy was everywhere in the territory of the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars. It was enough that even an old man like himself could cultivate at a decent speed.
Anton knew that the more energy he pulled into his bones the better the final refinement would be. While he could continue to temper them later… it was optimal to do it as well as possible during this first and best opportunity. The energy started making his bones hurt. But at the moment, it was only the ache of a cold winter day. Soon it elevated to the point of feeling like he had broken a bone, except all over his body. He'd had the experience of a broken bone several times when he was younger, and as he grew older it took longer to recover from such injuries. However, his bones weren't broken. They had already undergone the first tempering, and had been gradually gaining strength as he cultivated the sixth star. They could withstand more, he was certain. He hadn't been wrong about that so far, and he wasn't going to doubt himself now. More… more… until he was more worried about the energy exploding on its own regardless of the structural integrity of his bones. The physical pain just filled him with determination as he pushed forward.
Finally, there was an explosion, but an intentional one. It focused all the energy inward, condensing it into yet another star floating around inside of him. The sixth star. Sadly, it wasn't that much of an accomplishment. Technically, the fifth star was harder, as one of the primes. He hadn't known that at the time, but it explained how things were working for him. The next couple wouldn't be so bad, but the tenth… well, he had other things to worry about first. Like whether or not he could actually fight.
Chapter 21
For the sake of contribution points, joining a group of strong disciples for The Hunt would probably be for the best. The only problem was, Anton wasn't sure if anyone would want him… or if he would want to join them. What could he learn, being supported by those stronger than him? Would it be worth it even if he got extra equipment or cultivation materials? Anton truly didn't know, but forming a group with people he knew was something he would prefer. Only… who did he know?
Elders didn't count. And, despite knowing many of them tangentially, he only really knew names and small details about most of them. Vincent was the one he knew the most, but again… it didn't matter.
Who had he met? The list was quite small. He was introduced to the sect by a young man named Sterling, but they had no contact after that. He was acquainted with several people who attended Elder Kseniya's archery demonstrations, but they were ahead of him in cultivation. That left very few people. Only the others in his complex, and Hoyt. Perhaps one of them needed one more for a group. Anton couldn't be sure if they were even going to join The Hunt, but he could ask.
Despite living in the same complex as the three others, the first Anton encountered was Hoyt. After all, he woke up much earlier than the others. Hoyt was still working the same fields as Anton, and they met regularly at breakfast. "Hoyt. Are you planning to join The Hunt?"
"I had considered it, Senior Anton." A stern look from Anton made him rephrase his sentence. "...Anton. However, I don't know many others. How about yourself? Do you plan to participate?"
Anton nodded, "I thought it would be a good experience. I've had… little exposure to combat. Though I did hunt regular animals. I have a few others I was planning to ask as well, but if you wish to enter, I would be glad to fight with you."
Hoyt looked at Anton, then nodded. "Of course, I'd be quite glad to join alongside you. Hopefully we can get enough for a full group."
"Are there any from the same complex as you that would be a good fit?" Anton asked.
Hoyt shook his head, "Not really. I don't think they would be ready."
"I have several more I can invite, I'm sure we can find at least a third."
-----
Anton started in the counterclockwise direction from his own home. He wasn't sure about Velvet since she'd been related to the earlier trouble… but it was best to be polite regardless. He knocked on her door first.
"Good evening, Anton." She greeted him as he opened the door.
"Good evening. I believe I previously overheard you talking about joining a group for The Hunt…?" He hadn't actually heard what it was for, but that was the most likely cause for forming a group at the moment.
She looked over Anton, "That's right. We're nearly full, but we might have room for one more, if you want to join."
"I appreciate the offer, but I have no desire to join a group with only one other person I know. I had thought to form a group with some acquaintances. One from the fields… Timothy…"
Velvet smiled politely, "I wish you luck then. Perhaps we will see each other out there."
Anton nodded and excused himself. He was glad he was right. And she had clearly not liked the idea of joining up with Timothy. Anton could see why, in practical terms. Timothy was cultivating outside, clearly displaying the aura of the third star. Anton stopped to feel the vigor with which the young man was cultivating. He might not have the talent, but Anton could appreciate his drive. At a moment of rest, Anton knocked on his gate.
"Who is it…?" Timothy asked as he came to the gate. "Oh, Senior Anton."
Anton smiled, "Just Anton is fine. Despite the respect of the title, I'd rather not be reminded that I'm old. It's not required by the Order, so I'd prefer if you just call me my name."
"Of course…" Timothy seemed to twitch as he tried to say Anton's name. That made him smile.
"Have you heard of The Hunt?" Anton asked.
"Absolutely," Timothy said, "It's a big event. Unfortunately… nobody would want to take someone of the third star with them."
"I don't know about that. Would you like to join me?"
Timothy's eyes grew wide, "...Really? But you're… already at the sixth star. I'd just be dead weight."
"Nonsense. Another teammate can always be useful. I was thinking of inviting Catarina as well. Do you know if she's already participating?"
"No. I mean… she isn't," Timothy said. "If you don't mind my cultivation level… I would be glad to join. Catarina… would probably like to as well. I'm sure she'd like you to ask, at least."
Anton nodded. "I have already recruited another disciple by the name of Hoyt. A solid young man. So we have a minimal team regardless. However, having a fourth would be appreciated."
Catarina was outside cultivating… though as soon as Anton approached the gate she stopped. He knocked, and she opened it a moment later. "Yes, Senior Anton?"
Anton sighed, "I would prefer to just be called Anton, if you please." Why was everyone so insistent on that? "Have you heard of The Hunt? I have been putting together a team to participate. I have already recruited one of my friends and Timothy. However, we would appreciate having a fourth."
"Timothy is going with you?" Catarina nodded. "I would be glad to join… Anton."
"Excellent. I was thinking we should all gather together to learn what each of us can do, and how we can perform the best. Do you have any particular time constraints?"
Catarina shook her head, "I have nothing that requires a set time."
"Excellent. I shall try to arrange a time that will work for everyone, perhaps in two days."
"Of course. S- Anton. I have a question before you go."
"What is it? I'm glad to answer."
"Weren't you… fourth star when we first met?"
"That is correct." Technically he had been third star when he first saw her, but they didn't really meet then. He just happened to take note of the pair of young cultivators. "I have been quite happy with my overall rate of advancement, considering my age."
Catarina nodded. "Okay. Thank you. Just let me know… when we're meeting."
-----
Though Hoyt worked all day, it wasn't as if he hadto. Neither of them were technically required to inform Elder Howland that they would not be present the next day, but it was courteous to do so. Since the other two didn't really have any scheduling requirements, they were able to meet up two days later after Anton started gathering everyone.
There were various sorts of training fields, and the particular one they were at required renting with contribution points. It wasn't just a field, but a sparring field that had a formation set up to limit damage two cultivators might do to each other. In addition to that, there was an elder on duty over several areas in case something went wrong and someone was seriously injured. It wasn't expensive, but it would cost something like ten points throughout the duration of the day, which meant beginning workers might only be able to afford to use it after a full day of work. More powerful formations for those at the final few stars of Body Tempering were more expensive, and Spirit Building was out of the question with Anton's available points. But they didn't need anything that could withstand so much.
"Hoyt, meet Timothy and Catarina. Likewise, meet Hoyt."
Both sides properly introduced themselves, as well as feeling out the cultivation of the others. Currently, they had a third star, two fifth stars, and Anton's sixth. It wasn't the most impressive group the Order had, but that didn't matter. They just had to perform their best.
"Why don't we go over our basic abilities? In case you did not guess from the fact that I always have a bow on me, I am an archer. In general, I make use of Spirit Arrows," Anton formed an arrow in his hand, "Plus some other archery techniques. I have some movement and defensive skills for my own use, but nothing I imagine would be a benefit to the group. I am of course most useful if enemies stay at range, and would much prefer to kill things there. Though I am told that's not always simple with magical beasts." Anton looked to Hoyt.
Hoyt held up a large axe. He was a fit young man, but the size of his body didn't match the mass of the weapon. "I wield the axe. I am capable of controlling a wide area and breaking through tough defenses."
Timothy was equipped with a full set of armor, including helmet and a shield. Anton didn't judge it to be cultivator grade, but it was still better than fortifying his own body. "I use sword and shield, for the most part. I… don't have much combat experience, but I've been practicing interception techniques."
Catarina had a sword at her side. However, she didn't bring it up at all, instead summarizing her abilities in a single word. "Formations."
Hoyt's jaw dropped, and even Timothy looked somewhat surprised.
Anton stroked his chin. He didn't really know what formations were, but understood they were quite useful. The bandits had even managed to hide themselves from Elder Vincent for such a long time because they had the services of a formation master. "Great. Let's get started then."
Chapter 22
"According to the report," Anton explained, "The most common beasts are merely larger versions of normal counterparts. Wolves, boars, snakes, great cats, and the like. Some bears, maybe. I won't assume everyone has experience hunting them, so we'll go over some of the basics."
As the oldest in the group, the connecting point between disparate people, and just the highest cultivation Anton took the role of leader for the training. He could also guarantee he had the most experience fighting wild animals, because even if the others had started the day they were born he still had several times their experience. Unless one of them had fought wild beasts every day for that same time, but the stories of cultivators raised by wolves or growing up in the wild were… generally exaggerated.
"Mostly, these creatures aren't threats alone. Even a large bear should be easily defeatable by…" Anton checked the information he had, "A single fourth star cultivator. Though I would suggest not trying to directly let them hit you, since you'll waste energy… you should still be alright. There are four of us, so even if one would have difficulty, together we can defeat whatever we encounter." Anton avoided calling out Timothy. It wasn't like he chose to have lower cultivation. He just wasn't there yet. "The same cannot be said of magical beasts. Even alone, they can be a threat. They have more muscle and bodily power than normal animals, and the ability to use energy for attacks and defense. We will be staying out of the deeper areas where they will be common. Disciples with higher cultivations will be facing them."
Everyone nodded, and the training began. Three of the four had preferences for melee weapons, so the simplest arrangement was for them to stand in a line in front of Anton. Perfectly functional, but nothing special. However, if he stood in the line with them he would have less worries about hitting one of them, and could more quickly kill approaching enemies as he would be closer. They would still be able to intercept enemies as they approached, and he could quickly fall back- if necessary. Anton was still capable of defending himself up close, it simply wasn't his preferred method.
Lacking actual beasts to fight against- and with the forest being too dangerous to enter at the moment, leading to the call for The Hunt- they sparred with each other to get some experience fighting. Training techniques on your own just wasn't the same. Anton had a huge advantage if they started further apart, and even at a dozen paces which would only take a few moments to cover he could shoot several times before anyone got close. Though the training arena kept people from getting seriously hurt, everyone had to admit they would probably be dead if they actually took a direct hit. So people practiced dodging, and then Anton's time to have difficulty came. In melee he wasn't exactly helpless, but he only had a standard one handed axe that cost only a handful of contribution points to use along with a small but sturdy shield. He could have used something heavier, but he needed speed more than power. He didn't have the proper techniques to use his cultivation to his advantage, and his body held him back still, since the younger cultivators were starting from a better place and had likewise tempered their bodies.
Catarina and Hoyt were mostly matched… but Timothy struggled with any combat. It wasn't that he was unskilled, but the difference of several levels of cultivation was hard to make up for. Battles were most balanced with Timothy and Anton versus the remaining two, though it mostly came down to whether they started at range… or whether Catarina had time to set up. Her ability to fight was really just average, as far as cultivators went. But as she had simply stated, her specialty was formations. Not the sort where people were arranged in particular ways- though that was sometimes part of it- but the sort where energy was arranged in a particular way.
It was a difficult subject to learn, and Catarina admitted she was still a novice… but a novice formation user was still a powerful force to reckon with. Given time, she could modify an area either through carving runes into surfaces or making them out of energy. Sometimes rearranging the area on a larger scale to affect the energy flow was involved as well, which was technically the case with the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars. Their land was a large natural formation with some modifications that gathered natural energy and protected the borders, though it wasn't exactly pulling it from elsewhere. It more encouraged energy to form.
Catarina explained some specific things she could do. "Here is a simple barrier. It uses energy more efficiently than most attackers can, so breaking through can exhaust people." It took her some time to set up every formation, but Anton could tell she wanted to actually have them visible… even if they were temporary. "Here, attuned people… allies… move more easily. Energy for others is sluggish." Catarina's movements made sense on the surface, tracing the outline of the area… but the runes sometimes were placed in geometric patterns and sometimes in ways that Anton couldn't wrap his head around. Catarina's third and final formation finished and… she disappeared. Except Anton could still feel her there, with his energy. She was just not visible. A few moments later, he felt the formation waver and break. "This one… is difficult. Maybe not useful." Catarina was sweating, despite the relatively slow movements she had been making. Controlling energy so precisely could be quite difficult, and the mental effort wasn't small either. "It's supposed to hide energy too… but I can't yet."
"That's okay, Catarina! It's still great." Timothy was very encouraging of her. They were childhood friends, after all.
"It is quite impressive," Anton said, "It requires special talent and hard work." Anton thought he saw Catarina smile slightly at that.
Hoyt nodded, "I tried learning it once. Then I realized I should stick to swinging heavy things around!" Despite his attitude, Anton knew he didn't just swing wildly. He had actual skill, and a body that was intentionally tempered in specific ways.
-----
Despite working hard throughout the day, Anton noticed that Timothy still cultivated late into the night. Anton himself was an old man who didn't sleep much, and since he wasn't getting up early for farming when they trained, he found himself spending more time awake later. From what he remembered, while Timothy had been diligent in his cultivation, he hadn't generally been up so late. It wasn't polite to spy on others cultivating, but Anton was old enough he felt he'd earned a bit of nosiness.
Anton's senses told him that Timothy's cultivation was… fine. It was progressing forward towards the next star, the refinement of his tendons going smoothly. But it certainly wasn't fast. Anton found his way around to Timothy's courtyard. With nothing particularly challenging happening in his cultivation, interrupting him wouldn't be a problem. When Timothy opened the gate to Anton's knock, he invited himself inside. "You're up quite late, aren't you? How is the cultivation going?"
Timothy shrugged, "I'm hoping to reach the fourth star before the end of the month… and The Hunt."
Anton nodded, "Refining the tendons to support your muscles for quick movements or power, quite useful. I noticed you closely follow the prescribed tempering methods laid out in the Ninety-Nine Stars."
"Of course," Timothy said, "Precision is important."
Anton smiled, "I agree. However, there is more to it than that. You were not raised as a cultivator, right? Did you work at a farm?"
"My father was a woodcutter," Timothy answered, "Though I was often called to help out nearby farms as well."
"Then you are aware of how working your muscles makes them grow stronger. That doesn't stop being the case when cultivation is involved. There is merely another avenue to do so. However, the first doesn't become useless." Anton stretched out his arm, displaying his wrist front and back. Pressing his hands together, he stretched his fingers and wrist in various ways. "Some physical exertion lets the body absorb more natural energy. Let's try some exercises."
Timothy didn't say anything, merely following along with Anton. Anton hoped he hadn't overstepped his bounds, but the young man didn't seem to have the right insights to focus his training properly. Some gentle stretching and then more rapid movements for every part of the body left Anton feeling sore… and aching more than usual. However, cultivation with energy would ease the pain.
"Follow along with my technique," Anton said, "There are some ways to make your energy flow more smoothly." Anton knew that Timothy hadn't refined his meridians yet, but that didn't mean he couldn't exert greater control. His power would be lower, but the way Anton folded energy into his tendons could be replicated. It wasn't something that could be taken from a cultivation manual, because mere words explaining would never be sufficient. In truth, Anton hadn't quite perfected the technique himself as he was currently in the middle of cultivating his tendons, but it shared the same principles as the rest. Timothy didn't quite have it down by the end of the night, but Anton planned to return to guide him in the future. It wasn't just so he would be stronger to help the team, but Anton just wanted to leave the world somewhat better once he expired. Though that might not happen so naturally anymore… there was a good chance of him getting himself killed within the next year. He couldn't just train forever and never avenge his family… or look for any survivors who were taken as slaves.
Chapter 23
In less than two weeks, Timothy had reached the fourth star, finishing the tempering of his tendons. Anton still had quite a way to go… but it was just time he required. Meanwhile, Timothy had spent a longer time at the third star because of his inefficient technique. He took well to the guidance of Anton, completing the final portion of the tempering without issue. "Thank you for the instruction, team leader Anton." Timothy and the others no longer tried to call Anton 'senior', but he couldn't refuse 'team leader'. It at least didn't make him feel old. He had hoped that they would be willing to be informal, but the large difference in age made them slightly uneasy still.
"What do you plan for the next star?" Anton asked.
"It would be best to refine my meridians but-"
"Then that is what you shall do," Anton declared. "Why would you not?"
"Well, prime refinements are more difficult. Meridians are the hardest to refine properly, and I'm not sure I have enough experience…" Timothy looked down.
"Don't worry about it and just ask when you have questions. It may be difficult, but this is an important time in your future. Catarina and Hoyt both had the fortitude to refine their meridians for a prime refinement. With my guidance you can do the same."
"Didn't you refine your muscles for the fifth refinement, team leader Anton?"
"I did," Anton acknowledged, "But that doesn't mean my meridians didn't also undergo a prime refinement. I am a bit old, though, so it may not be so obvious with my energy capacity."
Timothy frowned, "But if muscles were fifth… then meridians were…"
"Second, of course." Anton understood that was a rarity, but it had worked out well for him. He was still alive, after all. "Now then, here's what you need to do…" Anton had already finished the refinement of his meridians long before, and with his current additional experience he was quite capable of guiding Timothy's cultivation. He wasn't going to magically reach the fifth star in just a couple weeks, but if Anton was able to properly communicate the best techniques, he should be able to properly perform the tempering given time. He had enough determination, at least.
-----
At one hundred years old, Anton felt that time moved extremely rapidly. Then he had become a cultivator, and time seemed to flow even faster still. A month of training at least a few times per week with the team he had put together for The Hunt passed in what felt like an instant. Nobody but Timothy made a breakthrough to a higher cultivation level, but that was expected. The rest of the group had advanced relatively recently, and it wasn't so easy for Anton to reach the next star in just a month. He felt like he was barely halfway… maybe a bit over or under. Cultivation seemed to slow down quite significantly with each step.
The gathering for The Hunt was quite impressive. Not every disciple was participating, but Anton estimated at least one in five to ten. With how spread out they were over the land owned by the Order, there were rarely so many in one place. The Order had thousands of members around at any specific time, and hundreds were participating in The Hunt. Anton noticed many with badges of elders. At least a dozen. While that wasn't a huge portion of the order's total number of elders, it was quite significant. Anton noticed both Elder Vincent and Elder Kseniya. Vincent was greeting many people as they arrived, but Kseniya mostly watched. He wondered if anyone technically knew her, instead of just knowing who she was. He certainly couldn't consider himself acquainted.
"Anton!" Elder Vincent smiled as they approached. "I'm glad to see you are doing well. Your cultivation has progressed one step further, even." Elder Vincent turned his smile to the rest of the team. "I didn't have the pleasure of recruiting the rest of you. I'm Vincent."
"Elder Vincent," they all inclined their heads, and Vincent and Anton shared a look. He certainly deserved the respect of the title more than Anton did that of senior, but it did seem rather formal.
"We will be going over all of the updated information soon. The level of your team…" Elder Vincent nodded, "An average of fifth star is quite excellent, considering the time you have cultivated. There will be many opportunities for you to be effective in the outer forest."
The coordinator for The Hunt was one of the older looking elders, a dark skinned man called Elder Anand. Anton only knew that he was from outside Graotan initially, before finding his position with the Order. "Good day, everyone," Elder Anand spoke. Even with people scattered all about, his voice carried evenly to everyone. "Despite the fact that we will be dealing with creatures from the forest, do remember that the deep forest is off limits. It is far too dangerous… even for Spirit Building disciples. On that note, we have separated the area into several sections. The inner ring is appropriate for any Spirit Building disciples. The middle ring will mostly suit earlier Spirit Building and those near the peak of Body Tempering. Those below the seventh star are advised to stay in the outer area. Of course, these areas are not absolute. Stronger beasts may move between zones, but the elders will be doing the best to limit how many dangerous ones reach further out. We cannot guarantee that large numbers of beasts won't travel in a pack, so make sure to remain with your teams for safety. And don't forget, despite the fact that you will be rewarded per beast slain… this is a cooperative venture. If you see another team in need of assistance, please do so. And don't refuse help from others. It is better to remain alive than to get a few extra contribution points. Though… we shouldn't have to remind most of you how to behave." Elder Anand explained what to look for that would delineate the different sections- different types of trees, the density of energy, landmarks, and the like. Before sending everyone off, each group was given a magic bag.
Anton was surprised they had enough for that- if there were three hundred participants, that meant at least fifty or seventy-five magic bags. That did explain why those disciples that worked with equipment refinement had been looking a bit haggard lately.
A magic bag was theoretically simple to use. It could open widely to store objects far beyond its actual capacity, and in this case it was meant for the corpses of beasts. Among other things it would preserve them for use… and keep the forest from being littered with bodies. While scavengers would enjoy such a feast, it was best to minimize the amount to something reasonable. Besides, scavengers were already too plentiful with so many dangerous beasts growing wild.
Anton wished he had the chance to enter the forest before. He wasn't terribly worried about entering an unfamiliar forest, especially since he could always find his way back towards the center where the Order kept the main complex, but knowing the particular quirks of a forest was still good. Maybe he would have the chance later after the hunt, when things settled down. For the moment, they moved towards the outer part of the forest.
With experience hunting various creatures, it wasn't hard to find relatively larger versions of them. Anton barely even had to look to find tracks of a large boar… and he could hear it soon enough. He almost thought it was a normal sized boar but then he realized that the trees it was next to were instead much larger than he thought. The perspective was difficult, but he motioned the group forward as quietly as they could go. Anton was out in front somewhat… but just a few meters ahead. The boar hadn't noticed them yet, and he pulled on his string, forming a Spirit Arrow as he did so. He aimed lower, towards a front shoulder- and the heart.
Anton hadn't fired a Spirit Arrow at a living being not protected by the sect's defensive formations… and he was quite surprised. The arrow flew with power he knew it possessed straight and true into the boar's heart, half its length in. It left behind a hole in the pig's side… but the boar was also surprising. Its fat was also about twice as thick due to its size, and though the arrow had certainly punctured the heart it wasn't cleanly pierced through. And boars were known for being hard to take down.
It spun around towards Anton, charging towards him. Anton fired two more Spirit Arrows, though its movements and thick skin meant they only stuck more or less harmlessly into its shoulder. However, before it made it more than halfway to him… its rapid movements caused it to bleed more quickly out of the hole in its side and it collapsed. Anton nodded. He could kill one alone, but he'd had the drop on it. Theoretically the beasts would also travel in groups, and he might not always spot his quarry first. It wasn't truly a hunt, but instead an extermination… or a war.
Chapter 24
The group of four tracked down several more oversized beasts over the next few hours, with half of them being slain by Anton before reaching anyone. He let several get closer, injured, both to limit his energy usage and to give the others a chance to test their skills against the beasts. None of the other three had trouble taking down a beast alone. There was a slightly more eventful encounter with a pair of wolves- one of which snuck up from behind the group while they were focused on one in front- but Hoyt chopped straight through the neck of the creature as it attacked from the rear.
Anton scratched his chin after they placed the bodies in the magic bag they had been loaned. "I'm not sure whether this is a large quantity of wild beasts or a small number. A normal forest might not sustain this sort of population but…" he shook his head. They were also traveling faster than he was used to, covering more area, "... it doesn't seem like a worrisome overflow, even as we are moving inward slightly. They said to expect more packs."
Hoyt nodded, "I'd expect the elders knew what they were talking about. We just don't seem to be finding them."
Anton slung his bow over his shoulder. It wasn't good for long term carrying like that, but it left his hands free for a bit. "Perhaps I might spot something." Though the forest was filled with familiar trees, the sizes were larger than he was used to. Fortunately, they also had larger handholds and footholds, once he could get up the trunk. He climbed his way to the top, glad he had reached so far in the body tempering process. To get the best angle he had to walk out on a branch, but it was easily able to hold his weight. Hawk Eyes Archery had techniques to enhance the eyes, and he focused on the most distance he could. There were actually several beasts in sight, though determining if they were regular animals or the larger ones was difficult. Even so, he found himself surprised that they hadn't run into more. It seemed the creatures had been avoiding them. "It seems I must have missed some tracks. Strange, for how large these things are." Anton pointed into the distance, "There appears to be a pack of wolves up ahead. Six or seven of them, maybe. I think we can cut off their movements." He looked down at the group, "It's quite a bit more than one or two. Some of us will have to defend against several at a time. Though if it's more than two, the others can help them out quickly. Is that alright?"
"Should be easy," Catarina said. "If we can get in front, I can set up a simple formation."
"I should be able to handle two easily enough," Timothy agreed.
Hoyt also had no complaints, so Anton led the group in the direction he had determined the wolf pack would be going. "They should come from the north there. There's enough cover here for us to hide. The wind is from the same direction they're in, so they won't smell us until… maybe ten or twenty meters out." Anton wasn't sure how much size would change their sense of smell.
Catarina nodded, then took out her sword and chopped through a bush. She tossed a bundle of its leaves over to the side.
"Weren't we supposed to use that as cover…?" Timothy asked.
"It's fine," she said, "Plenty left." Catarina started walking around, occasionally dragging her feet through the leaves. Anton watched her with interest. Some of what she did certainly involved her own energy, but some of it seemed random. "How much longer?" Catarina asked.
"Maybe… three or four minutes." Anton responded, "Though they might have changed course."
Catarina nodded again, carefully laying a stick on the ground and moving behind the bushes with them. "Don't shoot until they pass the stick."
The stick in question was merely ten meters away, a short sprint for either cultivators or beasts of any size. That was much closer than Anton was comfortable with starting to shoot, but Anton knew there should be a good reason for it… and with the wolves approaching it was better to keep quiet instead of asking. Soon enough he could hear them moving through the brush, and he spotted them between the trees around the same time. The wolves moved closer… and closer… eight of them in total, one more than he had seen. The wolf in the lead was slightly larger, and while Anton expected it to notice them… it moved past the aforementioned stick without reacting. He didn't know if he was supposed to wait for all of them to pass the stick, and he decided he couldn't wait. He drew his bow, Spirit Arrow flying with all the force he could muster towards the wolf. It managed to react sufficiently to redirect the arrow to its side instead of its chest, but it couldn't avoid being wounded. The wolf immediately sprang into action, leaping towards Anton after a short burst to build up speed. Thousand Arrows had methods to shoot quickly, and he managed to form the next Spirit Arrow and release it while still having time to jump to the side.
Everything else sprang into action at the same time, Timothy moving around to one side in an attempt to draw some of the wolves towards him, while Hoyt moved directly towards the pack with Catarina. Hoyt warded off two wolves with back and forth motion of his axe, looking for a good opening. Catarina sprang into action directly, slashing along the side of one of the wolves and continuing past, between that and another wolf. They tried to turn to snap at her, but they ended up running into each other instead. There was no real damage from the collision, but it slowed them down sufficiently for her to be safely out of reach.
Three of the wolves focused in on Timothy, who was off by himself. He held his shield at the ready, keeping it towards one wolf circling around while another was in front of him. He did his best to keep a tree behind him as well. It wasn't possible to maintain that position forever, but when the wolf behind him sprang towards his leg, he was ready. He had a good enough sense of his surroundings to turn himself away, stepping back to the side as he slashed out with his sword. He only struck a glancing blow on the wolf, but with the aid of his energy he cut a gash into its side. His dodge also placed his shield mostly in the direction of the remaining wolves, so that they couldn't take advantage of the moment.
Anton was vaguely aware of everything else that was going on, but he was busy handling his own problem. He was facing just one wolf, but it was somewhat larger. However, if he let himself be intimidated by a single wolf, becoming a cultivator would have been for nothing. It wasn't a question of whether he could kill it, but how efficiently he could do so. Even with Thousand Arrows for speed, the distance was a bit too close to comfortably shoot his bow. Instead, Anton pulled out his hand axe while holding his bow in the other hand, swiping at the wolf to make it back away. Anton didn't want to draw out his fight too much, but the wolf was losing blood from two wounds. As he maneuvered around, the wolf slipped on a root- something Anton presumed was related to the effects of the formation Catarina had established- and Anton chopped forward, swinging his axe deep into the neck of the beast. It took some energy to pull it back out and Anton took a ready stance, but the wound was deep enough that the wolf collapsed a moment later.
Taking his bow back in both hands, Anton was able to begin opening fire on the remaining wolves, starting with those around Timothy who was the lowest cultivation- and against the most enemies. He interspersed physical arrows with uses of Spirit Arrows, because he didn't have enough energy to keep up an endless amount of Spirit Arrows. Standard arrows supported by his energy were good enough most of the time, and he needed to last the rest of the fight and preserve himself for future battles as well. His first shot stuck in the leg of one of the wolves, sending it limping back. Timothy took advantage of the opening to shove one wolf away with his shield and slash at the one he had wounded before, killing it. It was only a few moments before the other two were finished- and by that point Catarina and Hoyt had just finished killing the ones around them.
The group had a few wounds, and Anton noticed his gambeson had a gash down the front, even after being supported with energy. It seemed the somewhat enhanced beasts had sharper claws as well. The group took some time to bind their wounds, and to recover energy. Fatigue still built up, but half an hour later they were near peak condition and ready to move on. Anton once again climbed a tree to search for the best targets. "There's another group over there. They seem to be fighting serpents. They seem to be holding their own but..."
"We should go help," Timothy said. "Even if they are doing well, the tides of battle can change."
Catarina nodded. "Elders said so."
Hoyt smiled, "It's not like they can complain if we don't intend to take the proof of the kill."
Anton quickly climbed down. "Around this way should be the fastest. We should probably hurry… just in case."
Chapter 25
When cultivators wanted to move quickly, they could do so more than Anton had imagined. Anton knew he wasn't anywhere near the speed of Elder Daniela, and he didn't have the smoothness of Elder Vincent, but he dashed through the forest without feeling as if he were going too fast to pick his footing. Though he was sure they used some unnecessary amounts of energy to move, energy propelled him and the rest forward in addition to the power of their legs. Three of them had completed the tempering of their muscles, and while Catarina was only halfway through that process she wasn't any slower than Timothy, who had less energy to call upon having not finished the tempering of his meridians.
It wasn't long before they were close to their intended target. Other disciples of the Order of Ninety-Nine stars were fighting a mass of swarming snakes, three of them fighting hard to protect two injured members. It seemed they had made the right choice to come assist them. The snakes were of all different sizes, though none of them small, as well as having a variety of colors varying through brown, red, yellow, black… some striped and some spotted. These were the so-called rainbow serpents, and each different combination had a different sort of venom. Determining which was the worst was nearly impossible, but it was simply best to avoid all of them.
Anton would have liked to open up with a volley of arrows towards some of the closest serpents to the other group, but while he was confident in his ability to only hit the targets he was aiming at, he didn't want to startle anyone and distract them or cause them to think he was attacking them. He took shots at some of the smaller snakes, ones the size of grown adults if he were to compare to the few venomous snakes around Dungannon.
Enough serpents were slithering towards the group that the three defending couldn't prevent some from slipping past, which the two injured members had to defeat on their own. The entire group was low on energy, but they took heart at the arrival of support.
Timothy waded into the sea of snakes, his shield of little use against snakes biting at his legs… but he had armored greaves and energy to protect him. He stomped on snakes with his boots and slashed with his sword to slice several at a time. His shield did see some use as some of the snakes launched themselves at him, springing through the air.
Catarina moved around the outside of the pack where numbers were thinner, slicing into any snakes she could reach and drawing attention away from the center. Anton wasn't sure if there was some more profound meaning to the way she weaved back and forth, but he'd seen how her rearrangement of their battle site with the wolves had caused them to stumble when they should not have. There was some sort of energy flow on a level he couldn't really discern.
Hoyt had the hardest time with all of the small snakes, so instead of trying to slice through them one at a time when they chomped at him or even in bundles, he jumped forward deeper towards the larger ones. Anton saw him chop through a snake as big around as his forearm with a sickening slicing sound. He knew from attempting to kill some of them that their scales weren't so easy to penetrate. On that note, now that the other disciples wouldn't be completely surprised by his arrows he fired an arrow right into the middle, past Hoyt's shoulder and right in front of the nose of one of the other disciples, before it caught a springing red-brown snake in the eye as it attacked the rear of one of the injured disciples.
With the rainbow serpents being set upon from the outside, the sea of snakes started dwindling in number. There was a particularly large one that sprang towards Hoyt, and he chopped it out of the air with his axe. Surprisingly it resisted the blade and the energy augmenting it, at least enough not to be cleaved in two. However, when it struck again Catarina had arrived to stab her sword into its open mouth, slicing it from the inside.
Despite moving forward at a reasonable pace Anton was still ten meters or so away from the rest when the tide of serpents began dissipating. He never intended to leave all of the danger to them, but there was no point in risking himself when he was most effective at a distance. The ability to attack unrestrained helped more than distracting a few snakes would have, anyway. Anton continued to pick off escaping snakes, to prevent them from having enough numbers to trouble others.
Eventually, everything settled down. "Thank you for the help," the other disciples inclined their heads. "I don't know if we would have made it without you."
Just because the battle was over, however, didn't mean their troubles ended. All of the members of the other group had been bitten at least once- those they were sheltering had suffered several bites early in the battle. Hoyt had taken some bites as well, and though the actual wounds were almost entirely mitigated by his defensive energy, the serpents merely had to piece the skin to inject venom.
There were no universal antivenoms, even in the hands of the Order of the Ninety-Nine Stars, but there were medicines that could support a cultivator in removing the poison themselves. The process of removing poison involved circulating energy throughout the meridians around the body. Refinements to marrow which produced blood could fortify a cultivator, and the organs in the torso could help remove poison. Supporting that with active energy and entrapping the venom and carrying it out of the body could speed up the process.
Anton himself needed to recover his energy, and he sat down in a meditative position, breathing in the air full of natural energy and letting it flow into him from both the inside and outside, through his lungs and in through his skin. As he was halfway through one circulation of energy to relieve some of the fatigue throughout his body, his eyes shot open, his hand grasping in front of him. His fingers curled around a snake- a small one, no bigger around than a finger and less than a meter in length. However, Anton held onto it with all of his might. He was concerned but not entirely surprised that it didn't get crushed in his grip immediately. He focused more energy into his hand… to overcome the energy of the smaller snake. The snake thrashed about, swinging its tail into him, the tip of it carrying bursts of energy as well. Fortunately, though it was a magical beast capable of cultivating it appeared to be a young one. It had hidden among the masses of other snakes, waiting in ambush for people to relax. But with another powerful squeeze from his tempered muscles, the snake's neck snapped and it went limp. Anton looked down at his arms which would now have bruises from the tail. A gentle reminder not to let his guard down. He felt around the area for more energy, or snakes hidden among the bodies. Fortunately, that seemed to be the only one. Anton stowed the body in the magic bag that had been provided. Regardless of what they did with the rest, it would be hard to argue that their group shouldn't have that.
When Anton and the rest had recovered, they all gathered together. "Will you be alright?" Anton asked. The faces of the injured cultivators were a bit less pale at least.
They nodded. "We will not be able to stay any longer but if we head out of the area directly we should not run into any more trouble.
"Then we shall leave you to it," Anton nodded.
"Wait," their leader said. "You should take the bodies. We wouldn't have survived without you."
Anton understood how important contribution points could be, and though he had to look out for his own group, these others similarly needed the points. "An even split would not be unfair. We could not take everything from fellow disciples." The group had already decided that would be their preferred policy whether they received aid from others or helped them- though they wouldn't demand anything.
An exactly even split wouldn't be possible, with all different sized and quality of snakes… but they did the best they could. Neither side was much concerned with exactness in any case. After gathering everything and watching the other group depart towards the outer forest, Anton turned to the other three with him. "I do not think we would be advised to go deeper. If we were the ones to be initially set upon by that group, I am unsure if we would have fared better."
"Agreed," Hoyt said. "Though I don't entirely agree with the assessment, further in would be too much risk."
"I hate snakes," Timothy said. "Though uh, I don't suppose that matters. I agree with staying at this depth. I can handle myself against something like this, but much more…"
"I like snakes," Catarina said. "When they don't try to kill me." She looked wistfully off in the distance. "I want to study the barrier."
The Order controlled a large area, and though they didn't encapsulate the whole forest in the barrier, it protected the side of the forest from beasts heading towards populated areas. Anton wasn't sure exactly how it worked, but it at least lessened the amount it happened.
"Couldn't you have studied the barrier outside of a monster infested forest?" Timothy asked.
Catarina shook her head. "It should be different deeper into the forest. Can't have monsters wandering out of the forest to nearby areas."
"Fine with me," Hoyt said. "It's either that direction or the other, right?"
"Very well," Anton said. "We'll head in that direction, towards the edge of the Order's controlled area."
Chapter 26
The first thing Anton noticed was a bird in front of them. Nothing was particularly strange about the bird itself except it was larger than he would expect. In addition to that, it remained in the air with its wings out, not flapping. "Wait," Anton held his hand out to the side, the rest stopping behind him. Anton focused his eyes, and even with the highest level of Hawk's Eyes he could produce, he could only just barely see thin strings between the trees in front of them, wrapped around the bird.
"What's going on?" Timothy asked.
"Spiders. Diamondsilk spiders, to be specific." Anton was glad he'd researched the various dangers in the area before The Hunt began. He wouldn't have imagined the sort of danger before them. Normal spiders had webs that could be difficult to see- though perhaps not with the eyes of a cultivator. For its size, spider silk was normally as strong as steel. However, to have something capable of catching a large bird the webs would have to be much thicker- and thus more visible. Except in the case of diamondsilk spiders, where the webs were… well, extremely durable while thin if nothing else. Diamond was perhaps a bad comparison, except visually. "We have to be careful moving around. Only follow directly behind me." Anton looked around, seeing they had already found themselves inside the area of other webs. They were lucky not to have run into any, but now they had to be careful leaving the area. Attempting to gather the webs was a possibility, since Diamondsilk was many times stronger than normal spider silk and quite valuable. However, that came with its own dangers. It was possible to get tangled in the webs or exhaust too much energy taking them down… and then facing the spiders who produced the webs. They were actually quite small and nearly invisible themselves, though they came in large numbers to devour the choice parts of prey much larger than themselves.
Anton first looked directly behind them. They could retreat that way, but he could see more webs on either side of them which would prevent them from easily going around the area. On the other hand, he could see a way to go deeper… and hopefully through the area. He explained the options to the group.
Hoyt shrugged, "Either way is fine with me," he turned his head around, "Can't see any of these webs though."
"The flow of energy is different around here," Catarina commented. "I'd prefer to go through."
Timothy scratched his head, "I can barely even see the bird from here. Just let me know where to step."
Anton nodded. "We'll try going through then."
He was very careful with the movements he made, because while the webs couldn't be placed just anywhere- they had to string between two trees- they were even harder to see without the right light. He moved his head around to get different angles, keeping his eyes enhanced. Fortunately he only needed to track still targets, so it was less strain on his energy reserves than it would be in combat.
They picked their way through the forest one step at a time. "Careful of this one here, gotta duck below it. Watch your left foot." Anton scraped the dirt with his boot to show the edge of where they could move. As they moved further, concern grew on Anton's face. "Hmm."
"What's wrong?" Hoyt asked.
"I… haven't spotted a single Diamondsilk spider yet. The book indicated they would be easier to see than the webs, if I looked in the right place." Anton glanced down at his boots and legs, but still saw nothing. There was also nothing hanging off of the webs. He should see transparent spiders, and the library had high quality images of them. He stayed on guard as they continued forward, but eventually the webs thinned and stopped. "That's the end. We could attempt to gather some webs, but we don't have the tools. All we'd end up with is sticky, tangled bodies in the magic bag.
"We can come back after The Hunt," Catarina suggested, "It can be quite useful."
"Right." Anton nodded, but couldn't help but think about the missing spiders. It was unfortunate to miss such a good opportunity, but he couldn't help but think it was a trap of some sort.
There were no other obstructions to their path on the way to the barrier, and they only ran into a few lone beasts which were quickly defeated, along with some regular sized boars and wolves which they left alone. It wasn't as if they planned to exterminate the population.
"This should be the right place," Anton waved his hand. He could generally sense something in front of them, a flow of energy, but not much beyond that.
Catarina nodded. She stepped forward, tracing her fingers in the air. As she did, a shimmering barrier- quite like a web but less regular in arrangement and not from a central point- became visible in front of them. Catarina stared at it, enraptured.
"How long is this going to take?" Timothy asked.
"A while," she responded.
With that, Anton looked for a nice tree to take watch in. It would be better not to be stumbled upon by a pack of beasts. They should only be able to come from what was more or less a semicircle behind them, so it was easier than focusing on every direction. It was good to take a rest, as they had already spent a long day fighting and moving. Actually stopping for more than just the time to recover energy would do them good, though Catarina wasn't actually resting.
"I don't see anything," Anton said.
"That's… good, right?" Hoyt questioned. "Your tone doesn't make it sound good."
"Something is wrong. There are far, far too few beasts nearby. What does that mean…" Anton pondered from where he was sitting in a tree. "What is that?" Anton narrowed his eyes as he looked at the horizon.
"The barrier is broken," Catarina declared.
"What?" Hoyt asked.
Both Anton and Catarina spoke at the same time. "The beasts can get through this section." and "There's a large group coming."
Normal people could sometimes parse two people talking at once, and cultivators brains were better at keeping track of multiple things. Timothy was the first to react, "Are they coming towards us?"
"Yes," Anton said.
"We should get out of here…" Hoyt said.
"Thuston," Catarina said looking at a map.
"What?" Anton asked, jumping down next to her.
She pointed to the map. "Here we are. Here's Thuston. So we can tell the elders where the barrier is broken."
Anton looked in front of them, his eyes just catching sight of the town in front of them, the tallest buildings just barely visible on the horizon. "I have to protect them," Anton said. "The rest of you should be able to move along the barrier to the south into safe territory."
"What?" Hoyt tilted his head, "Oh. I see. Nah. I'm going too. The Order is responsible for protecting people, isn't it?"
"I'm coming too," Catarina said.
"Right," Timothy nodded. "I can't just leave them."
Anton nodded. "I understand. I won't refuse your help. However, someone should go. We need to inform the elders. I don't know if we can defeat what I saw. It might not have been everything."
"I can set up a formation that will help," Catarina said.
"I want to fight," Hoyt said.
Everyone turned to look at Timothy. "What? I might be the weakest, but if we're just holding out against a large number of enemies… I should be very helpful too."
Hoyt sighed, "Ah. You're right. And I can run faster." He shook his head, "Can't waste any time arguing. Good luck." With that, Hoyt broke into a sprint along the edge of the barrier.
"We'll have maybe half an hour," Anton said, "Maybe a bit less. If the beasts go into the surrounding area… we can't do much to stop them. But at least we can protect one town."
Catarina nodded. "Let's go."
There were no dangers on the way to Thuston, not that it would be expected. They should have previously been contained by the barrier, and normal animals would avoid humans if they were smart. Thuston itself was a town of a few hundred. The group got a few looks from people as they headed toward the center. There, Anton empowered his voice with some energy. "People of Thuston. We are disciples of the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars. We spotted a large number of beasts heading in this direction. We will do our best to protect you from them, but we cannot guarantee anything."
"They're coming for our town?" one man asked.
Anton shook his head. "We don't know for sure. They may spread out and leave it alone. But there are not enough of us here to stop them if they go everywhere. If you flee the village, they might follow you, but if you don't… the village may be overrun."
"But you'll protect us?" a woman asked.
"To the best of our abilities. We can't guarantee safety for any of you."
"Can we fight too?" One of the men asked. "How many are there?"
"I can't count the numbers. You can fight but… only defend yourselves from those that get past us." Anton looked around, "Who wants to help with something else? You three-" he pointed at several strong looking men, "Help her rearrange things. She knows how to set up formations."
There were whispers among the crowd about that. It seemed they had only slightly more knowledge about formations than Anton himself had known at the beginning of the year. In short, they just knew it was something powerful and rare- and connected to the barrier around the nearby forest. Anton had expected the village to panic, but instead of doing so they easily listened to his instructions. Very few chose to flee and take their lives into their own hands, instead most of them preferring to stay to fight with the cultivators. Anton hoped he hadn't led them to their doom by providing that option… but he also understood that if they didn't stay to defend their homes, they might have nothing left. Normal animals might not destroy homes, but he couldn't say the same would be true of a large pack of beasts. He hadn't been able to see clearly, but they were more like a stampede than a pack of wolves… and it had been more than just one sort of creature. Anton gripped his bow tightly. It was time to put his cultivation to a practical use.
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