Chapter 674
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
Chapter 674
If the Great Queen were present, Anton had no doubt she would attempt to slay Otakar herself. If she was successful it would instantly resolve the most troublesome point of the war and a failure could lead to a disaster. From what Anton could tell, the void ants were currently in a state of flux, whether most of them understood it or not.
But the Great Queen was not present, and they couldnt afford to wait months for her arrival even if it were to be deemed the correct option. Ekict was preparing some sort of counterattack, and while their alliance would have an advantage if fleets fought against each other it would involve greater focused risk to the alliance cultivators overall, as well as inevitably leading to the death of tens of thousands of cultivators from Ekict who really didnt have a choice. Potentially hundreds of thousands or more, depending on how many ships Ekict had available.
With the planetary barrier down, Anton was able to get general ideas of what they had available in any particular place, but he couldnt survey a whole planet at once. Nor did he intend to focus solely on that task. Among other things, he had to watch out for his granddaughter. Or rather, great-great-granddaughter. Anishka was doing an excellent job of turning cultivators against the leading sects, though most really didnt take much nudging. Whether it was one, five, or ten at a time she was making an impact. And those people might spread the word, though there was as of yet no overarching structure or plan beyond agreeing to stand against the great sects eventually.
But even mutterings of discontent placed people in danger. More than normal in an unbalanced cultivator society, that is. Anton couldnt watch everything, but he looked wherever he could, searching for flaring energy. An Essence Collection cultivator drew a blade against a few in Spirit Building. It was much more difficult to hear the conversation than simply sense the forms of individuals, but he could surmise the general details. An arrow of light crossed the intervening distance before the blade could approach any of them, knocking it away. The small group turned and fled while the one retrieved their weapon, then looked around in paranoia for the source of the attack. But they simply didnt have the ability to detect Anton, thousands of kilometers away in space.
He kept aware of anything around him in case anyone was attempting to approach. Just because most people wouldnt be able to sense him didnt mean he was totally hidden.
Sometimes, Anton had to make difficult decisions. A fruit stand was robbed, and he only watched as the livelihood of an individual was half stolen, half destroyed. But killing the cultivator involved would simply be a death sentence for the individual in question unless he could commit to watching over them forever. Or at least the rest of the war. But as they trudged home, they at least got a pair of birds for supper. It would not fully reimburse them for their woes, but Anton could not solve everything himself. Nor was he interested in such anymore.
Anton didnt limit himself to small scuffles either. When he found elders or high ranking disciples of any of the larger sects away from protective barriers, he was not above shooting them down unceremoniously. These were only the sects that seemed to have knowledge of Transferral or were otherwise organizing the war efforts. He also did his best to make sure that they died only in the most public situations where there was nobody to blame but him.
If he was allowed to continue like that indefinitely, he could change the course of the planet in just a few months. But inevitably fleets were organized to patrol around the planet, forcing him to stay on the move. That made him only half as effective but he could pick off some of their ships as an alternative. There were only a few he would actually have to flee from. Fortunately, Otakar didnt seem to be interested in chasing him down at this exact moment. But Anton still made sure to move to cover different areas, so that his location in orbit couldnt be predicted ahead of time.
After only a few days, Anton rarely found activity taking place outside of protected barriers, with the exceptions of drafted cultivators who were being relocated. The enemy fleets also began to fly in formations specifically designed to make it difficult for him to take any of them out, and Anton was quite happy to let them believe their tactics were effective to some extent. Not that regular ships could respond to his attack patterns if he was serious.
It was impossible for Anton to commit to anything because of Otakar, and a few of the more prominent individuals gathering would also be an issue for him. But the Otakar situation was still being discussed.
-----
How go the repairs? Anton asked general Gabriela.
Full repairs would take months in a proper dry dock, but it is expected that the Wayfarer will be able to participate in fleet combat should the occasion arise. We cant deal with that Augmentation cultivator, however.
Naid Conaire took a few moments to consider his words. They likely know that as well, and we may be able to use it to our advantage.
How? Gabriela asked. Do we try to draw him into an ambush?
Im not even hiding it, he pointed out.
All I feel is- oh right. She half-glanced towards the sun- but even as a Life Transformation cultivator she wasnt willing to stare at it from barely some thousands of kilometers away. I- uh, why are you here? His sudden appearance startled her, but Anton always made her relax, perhaps more than she really should. It was so easy to just talk to him like any old grandpa.
I came to make sure all your banging didnt shove this thing off course. Your engineers did a good job, by the way, but the Wayfarer isnt equipped for finer pushing maneuvers. The two ships were practically pressing against each other, since they could only move the very large and heavy pieces slowly. If they wanted them to stop at the other end, at least.
Right. Do you really think hed be okay with us destroying his legacy? Gabriela shook her head.
Hed want you to win. This? This is just a ship. And yes, it was his ship. But just like him it has passed away.
It could have been kept intact, Gabriela said.
Without him, its just the worst Ascension-class battleship, Anton said. But if youre really bothered, Id say you should lean into it. This is general Nicodemo coming along with you to fight, he patted the ship.
I do feel somewhat better, Gabriela admitted. Thanks for coming. Though I have the feeling youre also here for something else.
The ability to read people is an important quality for a leader, Anton said, smiling. Its true. I thought Id come here and survey the battlefield, such as it is. But its mostly just empty space. Looks like Ill have to be flying laps around the sun.
Could be, Gabriela said. Would anything actually help?
How about a massive, unbreakable cage that I could shrink around him? Anton asked. Got any of those?
Only if you want to build it yourself out of asteroids.
Shame, Anton grinned. I left mine at home. And I was never much of a smith.
Well, we dont have time to make and enchant such a thing either, Gabriela gestured to the busy workers climbing about the structure of the ship. And while I dont like to get in their way, I also need to check up and make sure everythings running smoothly, especially at our chokepoints. Also, dont you have a battle to be at today?
I was just making sure to top off, Anton said, gesturing at the star. Same as your ship.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Chapter 674
If the Great Queen were present, Anton had no doubt she would attempt to slay Otakar herself. If she was successful it would instantly resolve the most troublesome point of the war and a failure could lead to a disaster. From what Anton could tell, the void ants were currently in a state of flux, whether most of them understood it or not.
But the Great Queen was not present, and they couldnt afford to wait months for her arrival even if it were to be deemed the correct option. Ekict was preparing some sort of counterattack, and while their alliance would have an advantage if fleets fought against each other it would involve greater focused risk to the alliance cultivators overall, as well as inevitably leading to the death of tens of thousands of cultivators from Ekict who really didnt have a choice. Potentially hundreds of thousands or more, depending on how many ships Ekict had available.
With the planetary barrier down, Anton was able to get general ideas of what they had available in any particular place, but he couldnt survey a whole planet at once. Nor did he intend to focus solely on that task. Among other things, he had to watch out for his granddaughter. Or rather, great-great-granddaughter. Anishka was doing an excellent job of turning cultivators against the leading sects, though most really didnt take much nudging. Whether it was one, five, or ten at a time she was making an impact. And those people might spread the word, though there was as of yet no overarching structure or plan beyond agreeing to stand against the great sects eventually.
But even mutterings of discontent placed people in danger. More than normal in an unbalanced cultivator society, that is. Anton couldnt watch everything, but he looked wherever he could, searching for flaring energy. An Essence Collection cultivator drew a blade against a few in Spirit Building. It was much more difficult to hear the conversation than simply sense the forms of individuals, but he could surmise the general details. An arrow of light crossed the intervening distance before the blade could approach any of them, knocking it away. The small group turned and fled while the one retrieved their weapon, then looked around in paranoia for the source of the attack. But they simply didnt have the ability to detect Anton, thousands of kilometers away in space.
He kept aware of anything around him in case anyone was attempting to approach. Just because most people wouldnt be able to sense him didnt mean he was totally hidden.
Sometimes, Anton had to make difficult decisions. A fruit stand was robbed, and he only watched as the livelihood of an individual was half stolen, half destroyed. But killing the cultivator involved would simply be a death sentence for the individual in question unless he could commit to watching over them forever. Or at least the rest of the war. But as they trudged home, they at least got a pair of birds for supper. It would not fully reimburse them for their woes, but Anton could not solve everything himself. Nor was he interested in such anymore.
Anton didnt limit himself to small scuffles either. When he found elders or high ranking disciples of any of the larger sects away from protective barriers, he was not above shooting them down unceremoniously. These were only the sects that seemed to have knowledge of Transferral or were otherwise organizing the war efforts. He also did his best to make sure that they died only in the most public situations where there was nobody to blame but him.
If he was allowed to continue like that indefinitely, he could change the course of the planet in just a few months. But inevitably fleets were organized to patrol around the planet, forcing him to stay on the move. That made him only half as effective but he could pick off some of their ships as an alternative. There were only a few he would actually have to flee from. Fortunately, Otakar didnt seem to be interested in chasing him down at this exact moment. But Anton still made sure to move to cover different areas, so that his location in orbit couldnt be predicted ahead of time.
After only a few days, Anton rarely found activity taking place outside of protected barriers, with the exceptions of drafted cultivators who were being relocated. The enemy fleets also began to fly in formations specifically designed to make it difficult for him to take any of them out, and Anton was quite happy to let them believe their tactics were effective to some extent. Not that regular ships could respond to his attack patterns if he was serious.
It was impossible for Anton to commit to anything because of Otakar, and a few of the more prominent individuals gathering would also be an issue for him. But the Otakar situation was still being discussed.
-----
How go the repairs? Anton asked general Gabriela.
Full repairs would take months in a proper dry dock, but it is expected that the Wayfarer will be able to participate in fleet combat should the occasion arise. We cant deal with that Augmentation cultivator, however.
Naid Conaire took a few moments to consider his words. They likely know that as well, and we may be able to use it to our advantage.
How? Gabriela asked. Do we try to draw him into an ambush?
Im not even hiding it, he pointed out.
All I feel is- oh right. She half-glanced towards the sun- but even as a Life Transformation cultivator she wasnt willing to stare at it from barely some thousands of kilometers away. I- uh, why are you here? His sudden appearance startled her, but Anton always made her relax, perhaps more than she really should. It was so easy to just talk to him like any old grandpa.
I came to make sure all your banging didnt shove this thing off course. Your engineers did a good job, by the way, but the Wayfarer isnt equipped for finer pushing maneuvers. The two ships were practically pressing against each other, since they could only move the very large and heavy pieces slowly. If they wanted them to stop at the other end, at least.
Right. Do you really think hed be okay with us destroying his legacy? Gabriela shook her head.
Hed want you to win. This? This is just a ship. And yes, it was his ship. But just like him it has passed away.
It could have been kept intact, Gabriela said.
Without him, its just the worst Ascension-class battleship, Anton said. But if youre really bothered, Id say you should lean into it. This is general Nicodemo coming along with you to fight, he patted the ship.
I do feel somewhat better, Gabriela admitted. Thanks for coming. Though I have the feeling youre also here for something else.
The ability to read people is an important quality for a leader, Anton said, smiling. Its true. I thought Id come here and survey the battlefield, such as it is. But its mostly just empty space. Looks like Ill have to be flying laps around the sun.
Could be, Gabriela said. Would anything actually help?
How about a massive, unbreakable cage that I could shrink around him? Anton asked. Got any of those?
Only if you want to build it yourself out of asteroids.
Shame, Anton grinned. I left mine at home. And I was never much of a smith.
Well, we dont have time to make and enchant such a thing either, Gabriela gestured to the busy workers climbing about the structure of the ship. And while I dont like to get in their way, I also need to check up and make sure everythings running smoothly, especially at our chokepoints. Also, dont you have a battle to be at today?
I was just making sure to top off, Anton said, gesturing at the star. Same as your ship.
Chapter 674If the Great Queen were present, Anton had no doubt she would attempt to slay Otakar herself. If she was successful it would instantly resolve the most troublesome point of the war and a failure could lead to a disaster. From what Anton could tell, the void ants were currently in a state of flux, whether most of them understood it or not. But the Great Queen was not present, and they couldnt afford to wait months for her arrival even if it were to be deemed the correct option. Ekict was preparing some sort of counterattack, and while their alliance would have an advantage if fleets fought against each other it would involve greater focused risk to the alliance cultivators overall, as well as inevitably leading to the death of tens of thousands of cultivators from Ekict who really didnt have a choice. Potentially hundreds of thousands or more, depending on how many ships Ekict had available.With the planetary barrier down, Anton was able to get general ideas of what they had available in any particular place, but he couldnt survey a whole planet at once. Nor did he intend to focus solely on that task. Among other things, he had to watch out for his granddaughter. Or rather, great-great-granddaughter. Anishka was doing an excellent job of turning cultivators against the leading sects, though most really didnt take much nudging. Whether it was one, five, or ten at a time she was making an impact. And those people might spread the word, though there was as of yet no overarching structure or plan beyond agreeing to stand against the great sects eventually.But even mutterings of discontent placed people in danger. More than normal in an unbalanced cultivator society, that is. Anton couldnt watch everything, but he looked wherever he could, searching for flaring energy. An Essence Collection cultivator drew a blade against a few in Spirit Building. It was much more difficult to hear the conversation than simply sense the forms of individuals, but he could surmise the general details. An arrow of light crossed the intervening distance before the blade could approach any of them, knocking it away. The small group turned and fled while the one retrieved their weapon, then looked around in paranoia for the source of the attack. But they simply didnt have the ability to detect Anton, thousands of kilometers away in space. He kept aware of anything around him in case anyone was attempting to approach. Just because most people wouldnt be able to sense him didnt mean he was totally hidden. Sometimes, Anton had to make difficult decisions. A fruit stand was robbed, and he only watched as the livelihood of an individual was half stolen, half destroyed. But killing the cultivator involved would simply be a death sentence for the individual in question unless he could commit to watching over them forever. Or at least the rest of the war. But as they trudged home, they at least got a pair of birds for supper. It would not fully reimburse them for their woes, but Anton could not solve everything himself. Nor was he interested in such anymore.Anton didnt limit himself to small scuffles either. When he found elders or high ranking disciples of any of the larger sects away from protective barriers, he was not above shooting them down unceremoniously. These were only the sects that seemed to have knowledge of Transferral or were otherwise organizing the war efforts. He also did his best to make sure that they died only in the most public situations where there was nobody to blame but him.If he was allowed to continue like that indefinitely, he could change the course of the planet in just a few months. But inevitably fleets were organized to patrol around the planet, forcing him to stay on the move. That made him only half as effective but he could pick off some of their ships as an alternative. There were only a few he would actually have to flee from. Fortunately, Otakar didnt seem to be interested in chasing him down at this exact moment. But Anton still made sure to move to cover different areas, so that his location in orbit couldnt be predicted ahead of time.After only a few days, Anton rarely found activity taking place outside of protected barriers, with the exceptions of drafted cultivators who were being relocated. The enemy fleets also began to fly in formations specifically designed to make it difficult for him to take any of them out, and Anton was quite happy to let them believe their tactics were effective to some extent. Not that regular ships could respond to his attack patterns if he was serious.It was impossible for Anton to commit to anything because of Otakar, and a few of the more prominent individuals gathering would also be an issue for him. But the Otakar situation was still being discussed.-----How go the repairs? Anton asked general Gabriela.Full repairs would take months in a proper dry dock, but it is expected that the Wayfarer will be able to participate in fleet combat should the occasion arise. We cant deal with that Augmentation cultivator, however.Naid Conaire took a few moments to consider his words. They likely know that as well, and we may be able to use it to our advantage.How? Gabriela asked. Do we try to draw him into an ambush?Im not even hiding it, he pointed out.All I feel is- oh right. She half-glanced towards the sun- but even as a Life Transformation cultivator she wasnt willing to stare at it from barely some thousands of kilometers away. I- uh, why are you here? His sudden appearance startled her, but Anton always made her relax, perhaps more than she really should. It was so easy to just talk to him like any old grandpa.I came to make sure all your banging didnt shove this thing off course. Your engineers did a good job, by the way, but the Wayfarer isnt equipped for finer pushing maneuvers. The two ships were practically pressing against each other, since they could only move the very large and heavy pieces slowly. If they wanted them to stop at the other end, at least.Right. Do you really think hed be okay with us destroying his legacy? Gabriela shook her head.Hed want you to win. This? This is just a ship. And yes, it was his ship. But just like him it has passed away.It could have been kept intact, Gabriela said.Without him, its just the worst Ascension-class battleship, Anton said. But if youre really bothered, Id say you should lean into it. This is general Nicodemo coming along with you to fight, he patted the ship. I do feel somewhat better, Gabriela admitted. Thanks for coming. Though I have the feeling youre also here for something else.The ability to read people is an important quality for a leader, Anton said, smiling. Its true. I thought Id come here and survey the battlefield, such as it is. But its mostly just empty space. Looks like Ill have to be flying laps around the sun.Could be, Gabriela said. Would anything actually help?How about a massive, unbreakable cage that I could shrink around him? Anton asked. Got any of those?Only if you want to build it yourself out of asteroids.Shame, Anton grinned. I left mine at home. And I was never much of a smith.Well, we dont have time to make and enchant such a thing either, Gabriela gestured to the busy workers climbing about the structure of the ship. And while I dont like to get in their way, I also need to check up and make sure everythings running smoothly, especially at our chokepoints. Also, dont you have a battle to be at today?I was just making sure to top off, Anton said, gesturing at the star. Same as your ship.
