Elder Cultivator

Chapter 1121

There was a bit of a dilemma for Anton to resolve in the new system. He didn’t want to delay in visiting any of the locations he had spotted, but he couldn’t be in two places at once. That was still true. But he was more than capable of multitasking, and he could at least be a little bit in two places at once. It seemed a bit rude to not show up in person for first contact, but it was actually a better idea for the icy moon.

He didn’t want to have to break through the ice- though he could- and he likewise didn’t want to damage their seafloor habitats. Meanwhile, he thought he could get through the barrier within the gas giant without harming anything. So he could have a sort of projection visit the former. Unlike what Everheart did, it would just be him creating a simple illusion and not some sort of independent entity. It would be little more than a mass of energy, but he could manage something like that easily enough having bound the local star.

Anton could even manage it while pushing back their star’s corruption, since that problem would take a significant amount of time to resolve regardless. Anton could try to do more, but splitting his thoughts into too many potential conversations at once might be a bit much.

If he had to stretch his energy between multiple planets he might have more trouble, but a single planet and one of its moons were close enough for such a task.

-----

Solar energy slipped through the layers of ice, following Anton’s trail of energy he had been using solely for perception. Once he was beneath the ice, he formed something like a body. He kept the amount of energy relatively conservative to not attract too much attention. He’d sensed a few things in the local waters that indicated it wasn’t entirely a lifeless planet, and he didn’t want to draw them to the habitats. Or to scare the people inside.

Obviously they would still be somewhat startled to find someone show up outside, but there was only so much Anton could do to mitigate that. He continued to dive down at a reasonable speed that would give people some time to react if they sensed him coming.

He found a nice hatch to stop outside, though he didn’t know if it would still open. It seemed like it might be functional still, which was good enough for him. Anton reached forward and carefully knocked. His energy amplified the sound to carry further, towards a group of people somewhere around fifty meters inside the undersea habitat.

As he waited for them to sort out their response, he ‘looked’ at the habitat itself. It was artfully constructed of metal and thick glass. No organic materials as far as he could see, though whether that had been because it wasn’t optimal or because they didn’t have access he couldn’t tell.

The dome-like structure held together quite well with minimal corrosion. Part of it was likely due to their formations but Anton also thought it was due to regular maintenance of some sort. That made it more likely the hatch actually worked. He didn’t see any diving suits, but maybe the cultivators did without. They’d have to withstand a tremendous amount of pressure, but so would anything like a diving suit.

Though it was far less than the gas giant had to deal with. Anton was glad he was there in person to focus more of his energy on the task.

People had definitely heard Anton. They were speaking in hushed tones that he could just barely make out with his energy. It was strange to not actually have to suppress his abilities as he was already limited in that regard. He knocked again and transmitted some speech. “Hello. I would like to speak to you, if I may.”

A short time later people started moving. Mostly not towards him, though fortunately one man drew closer. “What do you want, stranger?”

Oh good, the language was divergent for less than a cycle. Though Anton could likely learn a new one, he preferred to avoid such a struggle. “I’m a visitor from another system in the lower realms. It seems to me that your people might not have chosen your current locations without duress. I can offer help with knowledge about cultivation growth, food, and transportation.”

“How can we know you’re not an enemy?” the man asked.

“I have no way to perfectly assure you,” Anton admitted. “But my energy signature should at least assure you I am not from the upper realms. I assume that’s who pushed you to end up in such a state. Oh, forgive me. I’m Anton Krantz. Sect Head of the Order of One Hundred Stars, and member of the Lower Realms Alliance.” It was always good to remind people that he, too, was a person.

“... Hadrianus,” the man responded after a significant pause. “Guardian of the Eighth Vent.” Another pause. “We did have trouble with the upper realms.”

-----

Hadrianus kept Anton busy for a while, before finally more people showed up. That did involve some repeat introductions and statements from Anton, but he patiently went through everything.

“So what, precisely, can you offer?” someone asked.

“Well, if I could see your food production I could help you with your growth. Or,” Anton continued before anyone could react to him potentially going inside, “I could give you a manual on fungus growth as well as various seed products. Because I doubt you’re going to be able to grow much else until you get to higher level energy imbuement techniques.”

Anton was also going to make the same offer to Moturn. He just wasn’t sure in what manner. Maybe he’d find someone working in what limited farming fields they had and offer something, or maybe he’d reveal himself. Though he wasn’t fully hiding his energy there, so people would doubtless become curious about his presence.

“You’d just... give it to us?” Hadrianus asked.

“Yes. I don’t like people going hungry when they don’t need to. I don’t have the manual on me at the moment, however. Or rather, I’m not really here at the moment,” Anton clarified. “But I could have it to you with an hour’s notice easily enough. Are you in contact with the other vents?” Anton hadn’t yet pressed far enough to determine if they had connective tunnels, but he’d sensed no one trying to swim.

“Why?” Hadrianus asked.

“If you can give them copies and some spores then you could do it yourselves. Or I could make my own copies and visit them if you can’t. I imagine it’s rather difficult to reach them with the pressure out here.”

“You said you are not actually here,” Hadrianus asked. “I did feel your... insubstantiality. Can you handle the seas?”

“Absolutely. It’s less trouble than Moturn’s atmosphere.” Anton tried to judge their reaction. It was more difficult with a wall in the way and his actual body a moon’s orbit away, but they didn’t seem to be opposed.

“You entered Moturn’s atmosphere?” Hadrianus sounded incredulous.

“Your people did at some point. Why can’t I? Let me know when you want your copy delivered.” They could peruse the tomes before seeing the spores, if they were uncomfortable. Not everyone wanted to trust random fungus. Of course, as the source of both was himself they might still be wary.

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Anton was being followed. People seemed to have finally caught on to the source of his little love taps. Or at least some of them suspected. If he didn’t want them to, they couldn’t trace it back to him and they certainly wouldn’t have been able to see him moving. He didn’t need to fire his bow for such weak attacks, especially since he was inside the barrier now. He could form attacks anywhere within his aura which was diffuse throughout the city- and around where he was showing a version of himself on Unov, of course.

Rather than let on that he knew, Anton chose to interact with random citizens. He asked about many different things, though he didn’t spend long with any individual. Individually, they seemed to be casual questions. Some he already had answers to, just to throw off his followers. Soon he’d find some way to mention his tome of farming knowledge. Maybe he should try to sell it? It would be perceived as more valuable then. Good for people who were suspicious, perhaps.