Elder Cultivator

The Guardians of the Veiled Brilliance were forced to accelerate their intended extraction timeline as the planet drifted through the Trigold Cluster. The fleets that had snatched some of the easier to reach resources had already damaged some of the sealed surface, so the energy would be fading more quickly. It would take decades or centuries still, but they also had some immediate uses for even the most mundane materials imbued with lower energy.

Further attacks did not happen immediately- without more of the Imbued Fragments to serve as a distraction, few were willing to take the risk. Lexia also presumed it had something to do with Anton. She wasn’t certain when they would be out of his range, but clearly it went beyond normal bounds. Even if his target had been far weaker than him, the impact of shots between realms was psychologically greater than simply the damage caused.

It was great that they were allies. That was most of Lexia’s thoughts on the matter. She didn’t think about how to fight him if they were enemies, because the answer was obvious. She wouldn’t. The chances of becoming enemies now was particularly low, but either way she wouldn’t fight. Any sensible member of the Guardians of the Veiled Brilliance would run and hide. Surely with enough distance they could avoid whatever senses allowed him to stretch into the upper realms some handfuls of lightyears. If not, he would have harassed the enemies of the Scarlet Alliance far more.

His help was greatly appreciated, but instead of counting on Anton asking for reinforcements seemed valid. Not just more people from the Guardians, but others. Ratna agreed, and she managed to secure the aid of the Distant Shadow Sect… as well as a ship from the Scarlet Alliance.

It was a small ship. It had to be, to sneak through Trigold Cluster territory. With the Alliance’s power there was no doubt some possibility for them to openly traverse through some of the border regions, but they didn’t seem particularly eager to be at the forefront of a massive conflict again.

Lexia wanted to know what was in the ship. Was it a weapon? She’d heard of what had happened with the Swirling Swarm. The bomb used on them was an impressive weapon, but she was uncertain if explosions of that sort could harm the more powerful cultivators. She wasn’t sure what else could fit in a small ship, but she didn’t actually have to wait that long for her answer. At least, not in the grand scheme of things.

After a couple years, some of the surrounding sects were bold enough to attack. They had judged that Ratna was probably off dealing with other business again. This time they were wrong, but they still made that judgment. Swarming tactics had been successful once, so it was no surprise they were used again. Even Ratna could only kill a certain number of individuals at once. Spread out far enough, and thousands of ships could still land on the planet and hack at their resources.

Then the cultivator on the ship revealed himself. The ship itself did nothing except hide him. That was quite necessary, because he certainly couldn’t hide himself.

It was like an entire star suddenly appeared on the battlefield, bright and sparkling. Points of light appeared, and Lexia only managed to watch as they streaked through the sky before impacting their widely spread targets, wiping out both individual ships and squadrons alike. They were meteors backed by the power of a Domination cultivator. Slightly less existentially terrifying than a sniper attacking from forty or fifty lightyears distant, but far more actually dangerous.

He was also quite proficient at targeting widespread opponents. Exactly what they needed. The full consequences of his appearance struck Lexia a few moments later.

The Scarlet Alliance had three Domination cultivators. Plus that blind swordsman who’d been instrumental in killing Shelach. Those numbers might make them the single most powerful sect right now. Their alliance couldn’t match the whole of the Exalted Quadrant of the Trigold Cluster, but as far as she understood they were properly unified. Not a loose association of sects and clans living next to each other.

Sect Head Ratna supporting them might have been the most important decision she had made. More than the resources of this planet- and the one yet promised- entering into alliance with them might have been the biggest benefit the Guardians could strive for. And while that move had placed them at risk… the fact that the Alliance had sent a Domination cultivator to help with the escort meant something. Likely more than the actual combat prowess he brought to the battlefield- though that was greatly appreciated.

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Since nobody reported back, it took several incidents before people realized Prospero Vandale was part of the escort. Lexia would have personally not chosen to be part of an assault after one complete wipeout, but then again it was her faction that had possession of the valuable planet.

It was true that Ratna wasn’t always present, but he was. And Ratna’s lacking presence wasn’t always to the advantage of surrounding sects. Sometimes she was busy taking care of business within main sect territory… and sometimes she was waiting for some of the sects along the path to make a move against them.

Lexia had no proof, but she liked to imagine she was walking behind certain sect heads, waiting for the message that they launched an attack. What she did know if that none of them were Domination cultivators, so they were dead before they even knew she was there. And nobody would have actually known she was there if she didn’t want it to be known.

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It was a warning. A cultivator style warning to those who were second in command, because those first in command should have known better. A single incident had made people think that perhaps the resources were poorly protected, when in truth they only lost a tiny portion of what they possessed. They didn’t want to lose more, of course, which was why it was nice to have someone who could drop the heavens themselves on those foolish enough to show up.

After he was fully revealed, Lexia decided there was no reason not to talk to him. Leaving the ship alone to conceal secrets had been one thing. Now… well, she could at least request a conversation with a Domination cultivator. As an elder of the Guardians, the worst that would happen is she would be rejected.

“Your mastery of your elements is astounding,” she began with a compliment. “Is it possible that this humble individual could hear of your insights?”

The man laughed. She was taken aback for a moment, but it was a true, mirthful sound. He’d had such a dour face that she’d been concerned it might be something else. “It took long enough for someone to try to talk to me. I’m not some sort of person that thinks I’m above everyone, you know. How could I be?” he gestured around him. “There isn’t even an up or down here.”

Lexia blinked. “Well… that’s true,” she admitted. Most of their fleet flew with similar orientation, but that was mainly for purposes of coordination. There wasn’t really an up or down to concern themselves with. “But usually… Domination cultivators are unapproachable.”

“I understand the sentiment,” Prospero said. “And my actions certainly didn’t do much to dispel it. But even in my younger days, I did not mind conversing with those of significantly different cultivation. The Guardians… you have a core of light and darkness in your techniques, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Lexia agreed. That much wasn’t secret. She already knew that Ratna had shared far more details with the Alliance. Maybe everything, or at least everything the standard sect members would get. “You are of the One Hundred Stars, aren’t you? I heard that starbinding is a common practice among you. Is it unreasonable to ask about your anchor?”

“It’s not a star,” Prospero commented. “It could have been, for some of us,” he explained. “But I ended up with a falling star. A meteor.”

“A meteor floating among the stars…” Lexia nodded. “That does sound like an anchor of merit.”

“No. It would merely be an asteroid, were that so. I locked a falling meteor in place.”

“That… how does that work?” Lexia asked hesitantly. “Maybe you shouldn’t tell me. Anchors…”

“Anchors are meant to be known, in many cases,” Prospero pointed out. “And their secrets may not be of any use to others. I doubt any would have circumstances even remotely similar to my own, such that they would choose such an anchor over something more personal.”

“Can I ask…?”

“That, I will not say. Not now, at least. But as for how it works… it falls continually. And maybe someday, it will truly crash into the planet below.” Prospero shrugged. “It could be before or after I die.”

“Are you not concerned with… the end?”

“I’ve died before,” Prospero said. “Reincarnated, fortunately. Regained some of my memories, and then rejoined former allies. But even if I hadn’t, with my particular selection of friends… it would be quite difficult to fear death. Not because I believe it will never come for me, but because I’ve accepted that it will.”

“Then why… strive to become what you are?”

Prospero smiled. “That’s because what matters is not how long we live, but what we do while we’re alive. And I think you’ll agree that you can do far more as an Augmentation cultivator than you could do before you reached Integration, is that not so? Additional years are of great use as well. But ultimately, there are things we care about. For those things, as well as for ourselves, we choose to cultivate with the greatest vigor.”

Lexia pondered his words. She hadn’t exactly been a casual cultivator- people did not reach Augmentation on a whim. She had done it for herself. She wanted the safety and security that power brought. She’d never really thought about doing it for something outside of herself, though. “Who or what do you cultivate for?”

“This is where being born in the lower realms was a great advantage to me,” Prospero said. “In a time where cultivation was more rare. People first cared more about family and friends. It is possible to reach great heights of cultivation without… indeed, one can convince themselves that by neglecting such things they will go further. But it’s not true. Perhaps only those who never had attachments to begin with would perform better by divesting themselves of such things.”

“Do you have much family?” Lexia asked.

She felt some flickers of emotion from within the man, his face taking on a firmly neutral tone. He spoke carefully. “I did have some. My appreciation for family did not come as early as it should have, but I gained much from a second chance to develop such bonds.”

“I… see.” Lexia understood that him speaking more frankly about his anchor than his family was a sign she shouldn’t push any further. At least, for the moment. They would have further opportunities to speak. If she remained on assignment, it might be decades. Even if she was rotated out occasionally, they didn’t have to interact with any great regularity to have a significant number of opportunities.

She knew she would take them, though. It wasn’t just that he was a Domination cultivator- though having insights shared was tempting- it was the way he carried himself. He truly meant that there was something more important than his own power. Lexia might agree in vague terms. She would fight and die for the sect… but it wasn’t the same.

Lexia did recall something about Ratna having family. Was that the secret? No, several famous Domination cultivators had clearly lacking personal connections. But with three Domination cultivators coming from the Alliance, they clearly were doing something right.