Elder Cultivator

The amount of time it would take for a group to build up to a functional level of long distance travel varied significantly on the foundation that a group already possessed. In the case of Moturn and Unov, they had to put together a functional industry before they could start anything else. Thus it took quite some years before they could even think about more than survival. However, with the assistance of knowledge from the Lower Realms Alliance they were able to shave off centuries of development.

Anton observed genuine surprise when Alliance members began to withdraw from the system. No doubt they believed the ‘helpful occupation’ would be permanent. However, the Alliance firmly believed in freedom of choice… even if those choices ended up to be poor ones. In this case, the planets had not given any indication that they wished to formally join the Alliance- at least not as a whole- and thus those who chose to remain were left with just the extra knowledge they were given.

Of course, Anton couldn’t leave yet. Their star was quite stubborn. But with their civilization stabilized, Moturn was just about at the point that it could fully self-police, if that was what the people wanted. Which meant that Anton wouldn’t interfere in things that didn’t come into his sight.

As for the new power structures that were forming, the Twisting Spike Sect had more than fallen out of favor. Many of their members had undergone the difficult process of refactoring their cultivation into different styles to distance themselves from the negative feelings. Meanwhile, over the course of a few decades other cultivators had grown into their own power as the local natural energy began to grow.

Rather than sects being a single cultivation method, the new groups that had formed were around those with similar ideas, practicing cultivation methods both local and from the Alliance. A small but relevant group was one that Abder had slowly been forming unconsciously. From what Anton saw, it was focused on those passed over by the rest of society. Not just orphans, but also the crippled and the infirm.

Abder seemed to find great joy in finding cultivation styles suited to individuals that helped them overcome whatever they were dealing with. Food and shelter were provided only to the necessary extent, with people strongly encouraged to obtain what they needed for themself- but they were able to do so because they had others backing them.

Anton was pleased with his choice. It wasn’t exactly what he would have done, but that just made it better. Receiving help from one who had recently struggled was far more meaningful than Anton himself providing people with their needs from a place of plenty.

-----

Because Abder did not practice the One Hundred Stars, Anton didn’t establish a branch of the sect on Moturn. He believed it was possible to do so and still let them remain independent, but he needed trusted leadership. Nobody quite fit, as Draza wasn’t interested in that style of cultivation.

Unov, however, had people that fit. Not Hadrianus, because he had his own style in Life Transformation. But a woman named Yadira recommended by him had been interested. Cultivating stars without being able to see them was certainly an interesting outcome, but not unreasonable. After all, they could feel their local star because of Anton. So even when he would no longer be physically present they would have an example.

He could understand why people trapped beneath dark, freezing waters would wish to cultivate warmth and light. So they were trying it out, and there had been some success.

Yadira did have some suggestions, however. “I think we should seek the surface to properly see the stars once more. Once submarines are common enough, we can cut through the ice above.”

“I wouldn’t suggest cultivating on ice sheets,” Anton said. “It sounds like asking for trouble.”

The thin woman shook her head. “We would merely contemplate up above, then bring warmth and light back with us.”

“I see,” Anton said. “I approve. Though… if you desire the stars, why not move to New Ibbore?”

New Ibbore was the newly colonized terrestrial moon, named after their former planet. It was smaller than their original planet and its atmosphere was thin. Its ecosystem was yet incomplete. But it had access to the sky, and was far easier to live upon than either Moturn or Unov. Their one special feature happened to be a series of formations set up to conceal their planet’s energy from watching eyes so that they wouldn’t draw in future trouble.

“If we wished an easy life, we would do so,” Yadira agreed. “However, there are many people still afraid that need hope. We can bring that to them, and thus we should. And you won’t always be around.”

“That’s true,” Anton said. “But this star is being quite stubborn so it may yet be a while.”

“Decades, perhaps. Though even if I grow no further in cultivation, I should expect to spend far more time without you than with you.”

“I will come visit, of course,” Anton said.

“But you could remain only a fraction of the time. We’re not the only ones who need the attention. And you have to travel very far.”

“True,” Anton said. “No matter how swift I become, I find I just have a larger area of concern. Once, I would have been fine with a small village.”

“That’s why you rely on others.”

“It’s difficult,” Anton admitted. “Especially when it seems like I could handle everything ‘better’ myself.”

Yadira had felt Anton’s power on Moturn- being in a distant orbit didn’t completely hide the power he had displayed when removing Jaya. “You can,” she agreed. “But it’s better to find places where such power is actually needed. If… if there even are any.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“There are some,” Anton said. “This most recent cycle, a Domination cultivator invaded from the upper realms.”

“... and here I thought your people were dealing with the same troubles as us.”

“If all went well,” Anton said. “They won’t have the guts to do it again. Most likely, they’ll be stubborn and foolish. So I need to be capable of killing a Domination cultivator without luck or carelessness being involved.”

Yadira nodded. “You can at least rest assured we’ll be growing stronger here.”

-----

Normally, throwing something into a star would be a great way to dispose of it. No matter how toxic or otherwise volatile, stars could absorb pretty much anything without even a disturbance. Their sheer size and power pretty much guaranteed that. Yet the corruption in the star was stubbornly refusing to be annihilated, no matter how much Anton focused his energy. Perhaps there was some threshold he could reach that would break it down… but Anton was concerned about what might be released if he did destroy it.

After long periods of study, Anton had come to the conclusion that he couldn’t actually erase this problem. That didn’t mean he couldn’t heal the star, however. He just had to remove the corruption. And since it seemed to be physical mass of some sort, expelling it from the star might work. The problem was where it would go from there. Obviously just chucking it into another star was a terrible idea. So was leaving it in the local system.

Setting it to orbit around the system was viable, but he didn’t want to cause trouble down the line. So if he was looking for somewhere to put something massive and unpleasant, where would he look? His first thought was a more powerful star, but that wouldn’t necessarily have a better outcome.

But if he wanted something gone that couldn’t be destroyed in a star, there was a pretty good place to put it. The most theoretically inescapable location in the universe… inside a black hole.

Or he could figure out a target in the upper realms he wanted to throw it at. But that was problematic in many ways. Just because people were terrible didn’t mean their stars deserved to die. And actually reaching his target would be difficult. Furthermore, if they were the ones who had done it in the first place he would just be returning their weapon to them. It wasn’t like he could guide it the whole way, it would probably be flying hundreds of lightyears beyond the border which meant they’d have a very long time to notice and respond.

So since he didn’t want it to bother the lower realms… black hole. He just had to pick a good one. That meant doing a vast number of orbital calculations to figure out how he could toss the forbidden mass such that it wouldn’t run into any other systems on the way.

Too bad there weren’t any black holes in neighboring systems. That sure would have been convenient. But the closest one was over a thousand lightyears away and… through a very densely populated area. So he couldn’t aim that way.

Of course, if Anton was willing to commit a thousand years to guiding the mass he could certainly do so, but that seemed like an inefficient use of his lifespan. Given that he wouldn’t really be cultivating along the way except where he was binding random stars to help boost himself it seemed like a risky prospect even if he was willing to commit half of his life to effectively nothing.

So he picked a further target and prepared to set up some warning systems. Depending on how the mass functioned when free from the star, maybe they could put some formations or a beacon or something on it to warn anyone who accidentally got in the way. Just in case calculations were off over the course of millennia.

This wasn’t a project Anton felt comfortable completing alone, so he began to recruit others. Maybe someone else would figure out a better alternative, but the black hole thing seemed pretty good at the moment.

-----

Anton spent long enough in one place that he began getting visitors from the rest of the Alliance. They met him away from Moturn to keep the privacy of the locals. A small orbital platform had been set up to monitor the corrupting mass to see if something could be gleaned that Anton couldn’t, and supplies were being gathered to put together the theoretical beacons and the like.

With a steady but small stream going in and out, Anton was still surprised at a particular visitor. He came with others of the Order of One Hundred Stars on a pilgrimage of sorts, but his presence was quite a surprise.

“You’re quite out of the way, friend.”

Anton had sensed him coming, but he still hadn’t really comprehended the man’s presence until he spoke. “Vandale. Or… Prospero, since Hoyt is here too,” Anton said. “You should have come sooner.”

“We only have so many inter-realm ships, you know,” he said. “And I wasn’t expecting you to spend so many years out in the depths of nowhere.”

“You look different now,” Anton said.

“Obviously. You’ve seen me, though.”

“In pictures,” Anton agreed. “But not in person.” Anton turned his head. “Look what someone did to this star. It’s awful.”

“So I’ve heard,” Prospero agreed. “It’s really quite… grumpy isn’t it?”

“That would be because of me,” Anton said. “I’m exerting quite a bit of pressure to keep it in place. It was really hampering the star’s fusion process.” Anton paused for a bit. “I’ve been trying to take good care of the Sect.”

“I’ve seen. I stopped to speak with Vincent. Though obviously I’ve been kept in the loop. I think I was a pretty decent sect head, but you’re better.” Prospero held up a hand, “I mean it. There’s a reason I didn’t strive for a similar position after my surprising rebirth.”

Anton looked at his old friend. He could tell there was a reason Prospero hadn’t come in person earlier. Even now, things were somewhat awkward. “You were hoping to remember more.”

Prospero sighed. “Your insight has developed far too much.”

“You should know that,” Anton said. “We’ve still exchanged more words since your rebirth than we did when you were first alive. It just wasn’t in conversation.”

“... Have we really?” Prospero asked.

Anton nodded. “We only knew each other for a few decades of your life,” Anton said. “We’re not any less friends now than we were before. We just live further away, and I don’t have a passport to your country.”

“Hah. Sounds about right,” Prospero nodded. “I’ve heard you’re going to toss part of this star. I might not be the best for that anymore, but I came to offer my services.” He gestured to Hoyt. “And those of this kid.”

“I’m older than you now,” Hoyt pointed out.

Prospero held up his nose. “I’m not going to hear any excuses from my grandson.”

“Obviously we’ll help Anton… old man,” Hoyt said. “If that’s what you want to be.”

“... I may regret this,” Prospero frowned.

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