Chapter 15
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Chapter 15
Over the next week Antons schedule remained much the same, except his archery practice was much more effective with an actual bow. Practicing on targets let him understand how much of a difference there was between using energy and not. WIthout energy, he was just a very strong old man, equivalent to a moderately strong adult male. He would just be able to reach full draw on a good hunting bow, and seemed as if he barely tapped the potential of the bow he was borrowing from the armory. Despite all the body tempering greeting affecting his abilities, Anton was behind himself when he was young. However, the inclusion of energy was significant.
Anton also borrowed a quiver of practice arrows, and while they might stick a centimeter or so into a target they certainly couldnt fly through one. It wasnt just a difference with using Spirit Arrows either, though it was hard to test because he subconsciously propelled those arrows with his own energy. How could he not? Anton doubted that he could shoot through much besides a straw target, but it could still be quite lethal for a wild boar or deer. He might get a half arrows depth in one, which would take it down much more quickly- and that was ignoring the accuracy benefits. Hawk Eyes Archery allowed him to focus in on a single point, and Thousand Arrows contained many techniques on redirecting arrows with energy, how to do it efficiently and without sending arrows spinning wildly. It was easy to just direct the tip and have it veer off course, but gently coaxing it along the right path was less energy intensive and much more useful.
Though he didnt see much of those sharing the complex with him, he often felt the other three cultivating late into the night. That was the sort of atmosphere that the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars promoted, and it felt like a waste to not spend all his time doing so. With such abundant natural energy it was easy. That said, Anton felt the difficulty of later stages. Hed thought he would form the fifth star within a month in his current environment, but it was looking like it would take at least another week or two. He felt himself slowing down. If that happened, how could he ever catch up with the bandits?
One particular night, Anton felt Catarina was cultivating particularly powerfully. He almost felt himself being pulled towards her with the rest of the natural energy in the area, though it was just a slight pressure. Then there was an intense buildup of energy from her, and a few short minutes later she had condensed the fourth star inside herself. No wonder she hadnt been worried about whether she waited a month or not to take the test. The next one was still some days away, and even with just the energy from outside the Orders grounds she would have made it before the next test. Then she wouldnt have needed to take a test at all. Perhaps her friend would do the same.
Antons ears twitched. His hearing hadnt faded as much as his eyesight, and after tempering the organs in his head he found he probably heard better than he had at his best. The two others were conversing with each other, probably in Haydens courtyard. They seemed to do so often, and Anton wished he had anything in common with the others to converse about. He couldnt hear much of their conversation, and honestly what he did overhear was an accident.
... go over?...
... tempering pills
Doesnt deserve them
People muttering about others behind their backs was a human condition. Gossip was everywhere in Dungannon, and some people just didnt mesh with others. Talking was fine, but Anton felt a stirring of energy from them as they spoke. Haydens courtyard was diagonally across from his, with Catarinas being in between them in the clockwise direction from Anton. Anton silently listened as the two left the gate of the courtyard and walked towards hers. The gates were on the second wall of each courtyard, when going clockwise. Soon, the pair knocked on the gate. Catarina? Haydens voice carried over the walls. Anton shuffled slightly closer to the wall.
Yes? Catarina called back.
May we come in? Velvet asked.
Im cultivating, Catarina answered coldly though Antons few interactions with her indicated that was just how she was.
We know, Hayden said. Listen we know you got three tempering pills from your place in the test. Now that youve used one to break through to the fourth star, you should share the others with us.
His words were technically polite and calm but just in case Anton bounced on his toes slightly. He wanted to be ready to spring up the wall if he was needed. Perhaps he was being paranoid, but if nothing happened nobody would know anything except perhaps that he was being a little bit nosy.
If you were supposed to have them, the sect would have given them to you. Anton felt Catarina stand up from the way her energy shifted position, though she felt somewhat drained after her breakthrough. If you want some, you can make a request at the rewards hall.
Hayden answered again, Your results were already so good why did they have to give you a bigger advantage? The gates were able to be locked from the inside, but there was little point to it except to prevent casual intrusion. It seemed Catarina hadnt bothered as her gate swung open, and Anton chose that moment to pull himself atop the wall between his courtyard and Catarinas.
Elder Vincent you know theres no need to be so formal. The old woman sighed, A few weeks back, there was an incident with a student recruited by you. I dont expect you to remember each and every one, but with less than a month of him being in the sect we didnt have time to judge his character. He nearly killed another disciple- a now-former disciple who was in the wrong, but who would have certainly died if I werent nearby. This particular disciple might have lapsed from your memory by now. An old one that came in at fourth star.
I cant promise I know each and every one in detail, but Ill try to remember. Whats his name?
Anton Krantz.
Vincent blinked. Sorry, I dont Anton Krantz, you said?
Thats right, do you not remember him?
Vincent frowned and muttered to himself, Was there a second one? That could have been decades ago he shook his head. I certainly remember someone by that name, but I doubt its him. Perhaps we should go see him.
Elder Daniela nodded, Good. Hes been cultivating furiously even in confinement and he was apparently a good worker. If hes likely to be trouble again in the future we might as well expel him quickly, otherwise hes served sufficient time.
What exactly happened?
One of the new disciples tried to rob another of their resources. He shot him in the heart with a Spirit Arrow. If he hadnt been so straightforwardly deadly in his approach he likely wouldnt be imprisoned still.
The cells of the Order were blissfully unused for the most part. There were two disciples in opposite cells who had clearly had too much to drink the night before, but as they walked towards the somewhat more secure rear cells Vincent only sensed one source of energy. Someone new, though he didnt always stay around potential recruits long enough to get a feel for their particular energy patterns. This one felt fairly decent, almost as if he were forming the fifth star. Vincent and Daniela just exchanged looks as they approached, stopping outside the cell. Vincent stood there watching silently as he felt the fifth star completely form inside Anton.
So Elder Daniela said as Antons energy settled down. Do you recognize him?
What? Vincent turned towards her. Oh yes. How could I not? I saw him less than six months ago.
Elder Daniela smiled, And you said your memory was decent. Shouldnt he have been someone you visited regularly, if you just saw him then?
Technically yes. But the thing is six months ago was when I gave him the manual. Vincent folded his arms. He hadnt touched cultivation before then.
An amusing joke, Elder Daniela laughed mirthlessly. But hows his temperament? Can we expect more trouble from him?
From him? Vincent raised an eyebrow. Not if nobodys acting like bandits. He was quite a stable family man once. Vincent paused, But I was dead serious about what I said. How the hell is he fifth star now?
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Chapter 15
Over the next week Antons schedule remained much the same, except his archery practice was much more effective with an actual bow. Practicing on targets let him understand how much of a difference there was between using energy and not. WIthout energy, he was just a very strong old man, equivalent to a moderately strong adult male. He would just be able to reach full draw on a good hunting bow, and seemed as if he barely tapped the potential of the bow he was borrowing from the armory. Despite all the body tempering greeting affecting his abilities, Anton was behind himself when he was young. However, the inclusion of energy was significant.
Anton also borrowed a quiver of practice arrows, and while they might stick a centimeter or so into a target they certainly couldnt fly through one. It wasnt just a difference with using Spirit Arrows either, though it was hard to test because he subconsciously propelled those arrows with his own energy. How could he not? Anton doubted that he could shoot through much besides a straw target, but it could still be quite lethal for a wild boar or deer. He might get a half arrows depth in one, which would take it down much more quickly- and that was ignoring the accuracy benefits. Hawk Eyes Archery allowed him to focus in on a single point, and Thousand Arrows contained many techniques on redirecting arrows with energy, how to do it efficiently and without sending arrows spinning wildly. It was easy to just direct the tip and have it veer off course, but gently coaxing it along the right path was less energy intensive and much more useful.
Though he didnt see much of those sharing the complex with him, he often felt the other three cultivating late into the night. That was the sort of atmosphere that the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars promoted, and it felt like a waste to not spend all his time doing so. With such abundant natural energy it was easy. That said, Anton felt the difficulty of later stages. Hed thought he would form the fifth star within a month in his current environment, but it was looking like it would take at least another week or two. He felt himself slowing down. If that happened, how could he ever catch up with the bandits?
One particular night, Anton felt Catarina was cultivating particularly powerfully. He almost felt himself being pulled towards her with the rest of the natural energy in the area, though it was just a slight pressure. Then there was an intense buildup of energy from her, and a few short minutes later she had condensed the fourth star inside herself. No wonder she hadnt been worried about whether she waited a month or not to take the test. The next one was still some days away, and even with just the energy from outside the Orders grounds she would have made it before the next test. Then she wouldnt have needed to take a test at all. Perhaps her friend would do the same.
Antons ears twitched. His hearing hadnt faded as much as his eyesight, and after tempering the organs in his head he found he probably heard better than he had at his best. The two others were conversing with each other, probably in Haydens courtyard. They seemed to do so often, and Anton wished he had anything in common with the others to converse about. He couldnt hear much of their conversation, and honestly what he did overhear was an accident.
... go over?...
... tempering pills
Doesnt deserve them
People muttering about others behind their backs was a human condition. Gossip was everywhere in Dungannon, and some people just didnt mesh with others. Talking was fine, but Anton felt a stirring of energy from them as they spoke. Haydens courtyard was diagonally across from his, with Catarinas being in between them in the clockwise direction from Anton. Anton silently listened as the two left the gate of the courtyard and walked towards hers. The gates were on the second wall of each courtyard, when going clockwise. Soon, the pair knocked on the gate. Catarina? Haydens voice carried over the walls. Anton shuffled slightly closer to the wall.
Yes? Catarina called back.
May we come in? Velvet asked.
Im cultivating, Catarina answered coldly though Antons few interactions with her indicated that was just how she was.
We know, Hayden said. Listen we know you got three tempering pills from your place in the test. Now that youve used one to break through to the fourth star, you should share the others with us.
His words were technically polite and calm but just in case Anton bounced on his toes slightly. He wanted to be ready to spring up the wall if he was needed. Perhaps he was being paranoid, but if nothing happened nobody would know anything except perhaps that he was being a little bit nosy.
If you were supposed to have them, the sect would have given them to you. Anton felt Catarina stand up from the way her energy shifted position, though she felt somewhat drained after her breakthrough. If you want some, you can make a request at the rewards hall.
Hayden answered again, Your results were already so good why did they have to give you a bigger advantage? The gates were able to be locked from the inside, but there was little point to it except to prevent casual intrusion. It seemed Catarina hadnt bothered as her gate swung open, and Anton chose that moment to pull himself atop the wall between his courtyard and Catarinas.
Elder Vincent you know theres no need to be so formal. The old woman sighed, A few weeks back, there was an incident with a student recruited by you. I dont expect you to remember each and every one, but with less than a month of him being in the sect we didnt have time to judge his character. He nearly killed another disciple- a now-former disciple who was in the wrong, but who would have certainly died if I werent nearby. This particular disciple might have lapsed from your memory by now. An old one that came in at fourth star.
I cant promise I know each and every one in detail, but Ill try to remember. Whats his name?
Anton Krantz.
Vincent blinked. Sorry, I dont Anton Krantz, you said?
Thats right, do you not remember him?
Vincent frowned and muttered to himself, Was there a second one? That could have been decades ago he shook his head. I certainly remember someone by that name, but I doubt its him. Perhaps we should go see him.
Elder Daniela nodded, Good. Hes been cultivating furiously even in confinement and he was apparently a good worker. If hes likely to be trouble again in the future we might as well expel him quickly, otherwise hes served sufficient time.
What exactly happened?
One of the new disciples tried to rob another of their resources. He shot him in the heart with a Spirit Arrow. If he hadnt been so straightforwardly deadly in his approach he likely wouldnt be imprisoned still.
The cells of the Order were blissfully unused for the most part. There were two disciples in opposite cells who had clearly had too much to drink the night before, but as they walked towards the somewhat more secure rear cells Vincent only sensed one source of energy. Someone new, though he didnt always stay around potential recruits long enough to get a feel for their particular energy patterns. This one felt fairly decent, almost as if he were forming the fifth star. Vincent and Daniela just exchanged looks as they approached, stopping outside the cell. Vincent stood there watching silently as he felt the fifth star completely form inside Anton.
So Elder Daniela said as Antons energy settled down. Do you recognize him?
What? Vincent turned towards her. Oh yes. How could I not? I saw him less than six months ago.
Elder Daniela smiled, And you said your memory was decent. Shouldnt he have been someone you visited regularly, if you just saw him then?
Technically yes. But the thing is six months ago was when I gave him the manual. Vincent folded his arms. He hadnt touched cultivation before then.
An amusing joke, Elder Daniela laughed mirthlessly. But hows his temperament? Can we expect more trouble from him?
From him? Vincent raised an eyebrow. Not if nobodys acting like bandits. He was quite a stable family man once. Vincent paused, But I was dead serious about what I said. How the hell is he fifth star now?
Chapter 15Over the next week Antons schedule remained much the same, except his archery practice was much more effective with an actual bow. Practicing on targets let him understand how much of a difference there was between using energy and not. WIthout energy, he was just a very strong old man, equivalent to a moderately strong adult male. He would just be able to reach full draw on a good hunting bow, and seemed as if he barely tapped the potential of the bow he was borrowing from the armory. Despite all the body tempering greeting affecting his abilities, Anton was behind himself when he was young. However, the inclusion of energy was significant.Anton also borrowed a quiver of practice arrows, and while they might stick a centimeter or so into a target they certainly couldnt fly through one. It wasnt just a difference with using Spirit Arrows either, though it was hard to test because he subconsciously propelled those arrows with his own energy. How could he not? Anton doubted that he could shoot through much besides a straw target, but it could still be quite lethal for a wild boar or deer. He might get a half arrows depth in one, which would take it down much more quickly- and that was ignoring the accuracy benefits. Hawk Eyes Archery allowed him to focus in on a single point, and Thousand Arrows contained many techniques on redirecting arrows with energy, how to do it efficiently and without sending arrows spinning wildly. It was easy to just direct the tip and have it veer off course, but gently coaxing it along the right path was less energy intensive and much more useful.Though he didnt see much of those sharing the complex with him, he often felt the other three cultivating late into the night. That was the sort of atmosphere that the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars promoted, and it felt like a waste to not spend all his time doing so. With such abundant natural energy it was easy. That said, Anton felt the difficulty of later stages. Hed thought he would form the fifth star within a month in his current environment, but it was looking like it would take at least another week or two. He felt himself slowing down. If that happened, how could he ever catch up with the bandits?One particular night, Anton felt Catarina was cultivating particularly powerfully. He almost felt himself being pulled towards her with the rest of the natural energy in the area, though it was just a slight pressure. Then there was an intense buildup of energy from her, and a few short minutes later she had condensed the fourth star inside herself. No wonder she hadnt been worried about whether she waited a month or not to take the test. The next one was still some days away, and even with just the energy from outside the Orders grounds she would have made it before the next test. Then she wouldnt have needed to take a test at all. Perhaps her friend would do the same.Antons ears twitched. His hearing hadnt faded as much as his eyesight, and after tempering the organs in his head he found he probably heard better than he had at his best. The two others were conversing with each other, probably in Haydens courtyard. They seemed to do so often, and Anton wished he had anything in common with the others to converse about. He couldnt hear much of their conversation, and honestly what he did overhear was an accident. ... go over?...... tempering pillsDoesnt deserve themPeople muttering about others behind their backs was a human condition. Gossip was everywhere in Dungannon, and some people just didnt mesh with others. Talking was fine, but Anton felt a stirring of energy from them as they spoke. Haydens courtyard was diagonally across from his, with Catarinas being in between them in the clockwise direction from Anton. Anton silently listened as the two left the gate of the courtyard and walked towards hers. The gates were on the second wall of each courtyard, when going clockwise. Soon, the pair knocked on the gate. Catarina? Haydens voice carried over the walls. Anton shuffled slightly closer to the wall.Yes? Catarina called back.May we come in? Velvet asked.Im cultivating, Catarina answered coldly though Antons few interactions with her indicated that was just how she was. We know, Hayden said. Listen we know you got three tempering pills from your place in the test. Now that youve used one to break through to the fourth star, you should share the others with us.His words were technically polite and calm but just in case Anton bounced on his toes slightly. He wanted to be ready to spring up the wall if he was needed. Perhaps he was being paranoid, but if nothing happened nobody would know anything except perhaps that he was being a little bit nosy.If you were supposed to have them, the sect would have given them to you. Anton felt Catarina stand up from the way her energy shifted position, though she felt somewhat drained after her breakthrough. If you want some, you can make a request at the rewards hall.Hayden answered again, Your results were already so good why did they have to give you a bigger advantage? The gates were able to be locked from the inside, but there was little point to it except to prevent casual intrusion. It seemed Catarina hadnt bothered as her gate swung open, and Anton chose that moment to pull himself atop the wall between his courtyard and Catarinas.Elder Vincent you know theres no need to be so formal. The old woman sighed, A few weeks back, there was an incident with a student recruited by you. I dont expect you to remember each and every one, but with less than a month of him being in the sect we didnt have time to judge his character. He nearly killed another disciple- a now-former disciple who was in the wrong, but who would have certainly died if I werent nearby. This particular disciple might have lapsed from your memory by now. An old one that came in at fourth star.I cant promise I know each and every one in detail, but Ill try to remember. Whats his name?Anton Krantz.Vincent blinked. Sorry, I dont Anton Krantz, you said?Thats right, do you not remember him?Vincent frowned and muttered to himself, Was there a second one? That could have been decades ago he shook his head. I certainly remember someone by that name, but I doubt its him. Perhaps we should go see him.Elder Daniela nodded, Good. Hes been cultivating furiously even in confinement and he was apparently a good worker. If hes likely to be trouble again in the future we might as well expel him quickly, otherwise hes served sufficient time.What exactly happened?One of the new disciples tried to rob another of their resources. He shot him in the heart with a Spirit Arrow. If he hadnt been so straightforwardly deadly in his approach he likely wouldnt be imprisoned still.The cells of the Order were blissfully unused for the most part. There were two disciples in opposite cells who had clearly had too much to drink the night before, but as they walked towards the somewhat more secure rear cells Vincent only sensed one source of energy. Someone new, though he didnt always stay around potential recruits long enough to get a feel for their particular energy patterns. This one felt fairly decent, almost as if he were forming the fifth star. Vincent and Daniela just exchanged looks as they approached, stopping outside the cell. Vincent stood there watching silently as he felt the fifth star completely form inside Anton.So Elder Daniela said as Antons energy settled down. Do you recognize him?What? Vincent turned towards her. Oh yes. How could I not? I saw him less than six months ago.Elder Daniela smiled, And you said your memory was decent. Shouldnt he have been someone you visited regularly, if you just saw him then?Technically yes. But the thing is six months ago was when I gave him the manual. Vincent folded his arms. He hadnt touched cultivation before then.An amusing joke, Elder Daniela laughed mirthlessly. But hows his temperament? Can we expect more trouble from him?From him? Vincent raised an eyebrow. Not if nobodys acting like bandits. He was quite a stable family man once. Vincent paused, But I was dead serious about what I said. How the hell is he fifth star now?
