Elder Cultivator

Though Anton mainly wanted to be left alone and have doctors stop pestering him, he couldn’t really tell them to stop when it wasn’t just for the sake of his own health. Also, one of them was certainly not a doctor.

A relatively large snout sniffed his hand. Anton had little opportunity to interact with Aconite in the past, given that she was born in the upper realms. Now, bringing a small number of people back and forth just took time. This particular necessity justified the use of the limited ships traveling between realms.

“I can barely smell the poisons,” Aconite admitted.

“It’s been a long time. I’m surprised you can smell them at all. Also… does that mean there are still traces in me?”

“The scanners must have trouble picking out small concentrations,” Aconite said. “Technology isn’t better than a specialist. Don’t worry, your healing is already outpacing the damage. You shouldn’t suffer any permanent harm. Aside from what already happened.”

Anton suppressed an urge to cough. It wouldn’t do any good, as the various harm to his body hadn’t particularly targeted his lungs or throat, but it was almost instinctive as the memory of illness. He hadn’t been poisoned often enough to associate such feelings with that rather than more mundane things, though Shelach’s poison had been far worse.

“What is your role here, Aconite?” Anton asked. “Determining that there are still traces of poison?”

“That’s a coincidence. I needed to observe. Can I take them out?”

“As long as it shouldn’t cause any harm.”

“... Usually poisons don’t hurt people after they’re gone.”

“The extraction process could be unpleasant,” Anton pointed out.

Aconite took some time to answer, before growling lightly. “Minimal puncture wounds.”

“You’ll have to convince the doctors. What are you going to do with it afterwards?”

“Obviously replicate it,” Aconite said. “And immunize myself and my best friend.”

“Does Chidi know that?” Anton asked.

“He will. And he’s the best choice for killing Shelach, even if not everyone knows it yet.”

Anton nodded. Chidi was the best choice for killing most Domination cultivators, really. “If you can’t get the Great Queen there. But the upper realms might have to consider their void ant policies given the news from the Chaotic Conglomeration.”

“Were they successful?” Aconite asked.

“They were.” Anton’s grin swiftly turned into a more sullen expression. “If only I could believe that wouldn’t mean more trouble in the future. The near future, if I’m not mistaken.”

-----

Velvet wanted to go congratulate her friend on successfully resisting an overwhelming force. What she needed to do was seek out the Guardians of the Veiled Brilliance. She had made the trip a few times before through various methods, though some additional care was required circumventing one of the Everheart Systems. Just because he’d delivered a message to her earlier didn’t mean she would survive if she ended up there. Even if she managed to get by unharmed, it might be a costly delay.

There were about a million questions that Velvet and the Scarlet Alliance had. Some of them Ratna could likely answer. Some she might actually answer. And another set that the Alliance could risk asking. Velvet hoped that the area of would and could answer overlapped as much as possible, but she wasn’t certain about that.

Fortunately, she at least had reliable methods to meet up with “Aunt Eka”. She still expected to wait for a while, but this time she was lucky and Ratna was available within a few days.

The old woman didn’t bother with pleasantries.“You don’t usually come here. Is there news about Durff?”

“Not this time. Just some questions about anchors.”

“I think I already told you what I know. You’ll have to pick your own carefully.”

Velvet shook her head. She didn’t have time to focus on personal development when her skills could be used directly. “I was wondering if you had additional information about the anchors of our mutual enemies.”

“No.”

“It would be beneficial for both of us.”

“This isn’t a negotiation. I don’t have any.”

“I will accept barely founded rumors or speculation.” Velvet’s eyes filled with resolve. “A dear friend has recently been attacked. We must retaliate.”

Ratna sighed. “Do you know how much trouble you are bringing upon your people with your actions? The constant push towards prominence brings more than a few enemies.”

Velvet shook her head. “I can’t imagine it’s any more than we would experience if we let ourselves be stepped upon. Possibly less, if we get it over with quickly.”

“The Scarlet Alliance and the rest of the upper realms can’t both survive as things are going.”

“Not without great change,” Velvet agreed. “But it’s already too late for that, isn’t it? How many Domination cultivators usually die within a few centuries?”

“None.”

“We’re at three,” Velvet said. “And I can’t possibly see a conclusion without at least one more. Maybe two.”

“Ambitious.”

Velvet shrugged. “In one of those possible futures, the Scarlet Alliance is annihilated. But the thing is… things have already changed irrevocably. The upper realms can no longer meddle in the affairs of the lower realms.”

“Weren’t you just talking about how Anton was injured by… someone else?”

“Shelach wouldn’t dare step foot into the lower realms,” Velvet declared.

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Ratna shuddered. “Why would you-”

“It may be too late for you. But we are not afraid.” Velvet leaned forward. “And you wouldn’t be the only one who felt better if we added a fourth to our list.”

“I still don’t have any information.”

“Literally anything,” Velvet said. “We can pay.”

“What could you offer that I would want?”

“For yourself?” Velvet pondered. “Very little. But for your sect… or sects?” Velvet raised an eyebrow. “I’m certain you could use a planet full of resources from the lower realms. Inorganic matter only, but I’m certain I could get it for you.”

“There’s no way that-”

“We stole a planet,” Velvet said. “Flinging one to the upper realms wouldn’t be too difficult. You could have delivery in less than five hundred years.”

“I’m still not certain.”

Velvet pondered for a while. “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way. Of all the people who wish no harm would come to Durff, we’re both near the top of the list. Trouble is coming, and there is no way anyone can stop him from joining in.”

“I could,” Ratna said.

“If you could,” Velvet said, “Which I’m not certain is the case… he wouldn’t be Durff anymore. Give us something so that the rest of us can handle things without him. Please.”

“... How did Korin die?”

“The Spirit Slicing Sect killed her,” Velvet said. “Along with many members of the Chaotic Conglomeration.”

Ratna shook her head. “I know you were responsible for the rise of Augmentation cultivators among them. I also know that they had nowhere near the numbers to kill her. I heard something about void ants.”

“We found void ants being kept in facilities in the lower realms. Farms, managed by the Exalted Quadrant.”

“You didn’t answer the question.”

“If you help us draw out Shelach, I’ll tell you everything the Alliance knows about void ants.”

Ratna frowned. “I already know about your connection to the lower realms, and that they have void ants. Somehow those made their way to the upper realms.”

Velvet wondered how far she could go. “You can pick out the planet. As long as it’s not in a claimed system.” She waited for Ratna to process that. “We can make the trip much more pleasant than you might be thinking. And we would guarantee your safety, of course.”

“How did your Alliance even come to be this way?” Ratna shook her head. “It’s so improbable.”

“Is it?” Velvet asked. “Because in my opinion, it was the most likely option. Nobody could gain a foothold here in the upper realms without being extraordinary in some manner. If we were mediocre, we would have been dead. You wouldn’t have even heard about our existence.”

Ratna seemed to have no counter for that. “What are the lower realms like?”

“Exactly the same as here,” Velvet said. “Full of people and wondrous things. Just with a different fundamental energy.”

“Somehow I don’t imagine it’s exactly the same,” Ratna commented.

“You’re correct. There are more meerkats. So it might be better.”

-----

“Why do you refuse to avenge yourself?” the Great Queen complained as she floated in front of Anton.

“Why are you coming with me to a planet you have no business on?” Anton asked.

“I asked first!”

“I’m shooting Shelach the instant I know where he is,” Anton said. “I can do that pretty much the same from here.” He gestured broadly. “Everything begins right over there.”

“It would not be immediate,” she said. “You should be closer to the border.”

“I want a break. I thought you liked my peaceful mode?”

The Great Queen did not answer for a while. “You were not just attacked. You were attacked above the planet my daughter founded.”

“And had to leave behind,” Anton reminded her. “It wasn’t possible for your people to be there… and the humans wouldn’t have been comfortable if they were. Furthermore, he was only present for a few seconds, not enough time for void ants to join the battle. Maybe you need a vacation. You seem stressed.”

“I have not engaged in war recently,” the Great Queen countered.

“How are those feral void ant colonies?”

“... it is difficult to communicate with those from another bloodline.”

“You should see Bear Hug. They might be freaked out by you though.”

-----

“I know that shape! It’s an ant!” Bear Hug declared confidently- but only after completely surrounding the Great Queen with their algae.

“That’s right,” Anton agreed. “Now, you should probably let you go. She can’t speak like that.”

“I apologize, slightly-not-small ant!” Bear Hug indicated. “I did not mean to restrain you long.”

“She can’t speak the energy language,” Anton said. “Though she’ll probably learn to understand fairly quickly. But as for actually doing it herself, her people are mostly incapable.”

The Great Queen looked inquisitively at Anton, so he explained. “Yes. I will learn quickly. And I might be able to use an inverse language?”

“Good point,” Anton agreed. “You have significant control over what energy you personally devour.”

“I forgot!” Bear Hug said excitedly. “Did you see my new lake? How did you find me on another planet?”

“I found Lev,” Anton gestured. “And then I found you.”

“Lev is a good friend too! He says he is uncertain about planting a tree because it might interfere with nature too much. But there are many trees here.”

“Yes, but his tree would be from a different planet.”

“Me too!” Bear Hug exclaimed. “It’s very exciting. I didn’t explore all of that other planet, but now there’s a new one. I wonder how many more there are?”

There were a few. And from what Anton understood of the local phenomenon now, things might cycle between the planets occasionally? With some getting devoured by the creatures in space or remaining there themselves. Though whether it was actually a cycle or just planets randomly tossing natural energy towards other planets remained to be seen. Ultimately, it had to balance out or one planet would be clearly less prosperous than others.

“I’m sure you’ll get to explore them all,” Anton said.

“With Liberty!”

“Where is Liberty anyway?” Anton actually knew the answer, but conversation was conversation.

“Liberty is out finding new friends. They will come back here, or live over there. But you should see my new lake. It wasn’t a very good lake until I came around, but now it is the best lake.”

“Let’s see it then.” Anton knew where it was, obviously. Most of Bear Hug was there right now. Which was… a whole lot of them. If he didn’t know better, Anton might have stepped out onto the lake and assumed it was grass. It was that green over the whole surface. “Impressive.”

“This lake was super bad. What was the word for bad, Lev?”

“Toxic.”

“It was super toxic. Lev said no fishies would ever live in the lake. They still don’t, but maybe we can pick some up and put them in?”

“You might need to let them have some sunlight,” Anton suggested. “And they’ll probably need biodiversity.”

“What’s that word?”

“It means a wide variety of plants and animals.”

“We can have me, Helix, and Liberty. And fishes.”

“Helix and Liberty don’t live in water,” Anton pointed out.

“I don’t know how to do a biodiversity. Maybe you should help me.”

“I will,” Anton said. “But it might take a while.” Hopefully, it would be a very long while.