Elder Cultivator

Despite having a powerful sensory technique, Devon was far from a scout. At the very least, he needed to already know where his targets were. Seeking them out wasn’t within his purview.

But the Unified Cluster was extremely qualified for the task. All they needed was a vague direction to begin their search, and they began to scour the area en masse. Of course, they were making use of more than just numbers. As they spread out they made use of the web of connections between them to cover a broad area, making use of only one central group to connect them to all the systems in an area.

It was a taxing effort, but still more efficient than individually searching each and every one of potentially thousands of systems individually. It wasn’t difficult to find the first few systems through interrogating captured individuals, but the concern was that there might be even more.

Though it seemed unlikely the upper realms had foreseen events, their remaining systems were outside of the comfortable zone that had been scouted properly. Even reaching some of the enemy systems took over a year, both due to distance and the required slowdown from properly exploring the area. However, once they found the first system about two hundred lightyears off- in a direction perpendicular to the galactic plane- they found more and more.

They didn’t avoid notice completely, nor could they have been expected to. They came across dozens of occupied planets. In some places the scouts lost their lives, but their sacrifices were not in vain. Their deaths were sensed by their connected brethren, even at a vast distance. Normally the connection only stretched throughout a planet or at most a system, but consciously extending it was possible.

With their location discovered, Devon prepared to set out- along with local fleets and reinforcements from other parts of the Lower Realms Alliance. That included the Wayfarer under the command of Gabriela. The vessel was the oldest Ascension-class ship still in use, but that did not make it obsolete. Instead, it had been constantly upgraded… and its crew and commander had grown deeper connections. Just recently- in the grand flow of time, at least- they had begun to integrate the Unified Cluster’s technology, allowing for better mass energy sharing.

Along with some other familiar faces, including some powerful residents of Akrys, Devon was surprised to find out that the most familiar face was also planning to join the war. It was a face he saw more than his own, that of his wife Aerona.

“I thought you would avoid the war,” Devon commented. “We’re far from the point that we can make good use of a diplomat.”

Aerona held her head high. “Perhaps that’s simply because your diplomats have not been good enough. I refer even to myself.”

Devon could have told her that she was already the best he could imagine… but she knew that. She didn’t seem to be in a mood where she needed mental reinforcement, at least not in that manner. In fact, she looked more confident than he’d ever seen her. “What are your intentions, then?”

“I need to know the truth,” Aerona said. “Whether those of us who cultivate a path beyond battle can reach the same heights as others. I am an Assimilation cultivator, of course, but I find the concept of Enrichment difficult. It came to me that perhaps I have not properly challenged myself.”

Devon nodded. “Very well. What challenges do you think would best suit you?” He knew what worked best for him, and while he also knew her very well her path of cultivation was far different from his own.

“I need to understand people. Not just individuals… and not just those we have already connected with. I can spend a century with the natives of Ceretos, or the hive minds of the Unified Cluster. For everything I learn, however, my understanding broadens only slightly. How little I have treated with those who remained enemies I only realized recently. Like the stubborn Hardened Crown, perhaps we can reconcile with the rest.”

“Stubborn as they were- or as they are- they still showed a measure of nobility during the initial conflicts on Ceretos. They refused to follow the orders of annihilation from the upper realms. The same was not true of many sects, both from the Exalted Quadrant or the Trigold Cluster.”

“I know. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. Surely, they aren’t all completely tainted.”

Devon took some time to carefully word his next thoughts. “Not every sect, I suppose. But there was little room for the Twin Soul Sect to raise any half-decent disciples.”

“Perhaps not them,” Aerona admitted. “Though I never took the chance. The question must be… could we tolerate peace, if they should agree?”

“The very reason we can’t is because they never would. I find it quite doubtful that their leadership would let their sects have peace… nor would we be willing to forgive them. Even with the leadership slain, could we trust those who remained not to simply prepare to backstab us later?”

“Not easily,” Aerona said. “But that is the challenge of which I speak. The ability to say with certainty that a large group will act a certain way, or that they will not. Or the ability to influence things to a desired end. To even know if it is possible… I have to be there. Showing up far after the fact would provide little value.”

“Where are we headed, then?” Devon asked. There was no need to say that there would be danger… and there was similarly no need to say that Devon would be there to protect her wherever she went. Either from enemies, or from her own successes or failures.

-----

As the Scarlet Alliance continued to receive updates from the lower realms, they did not forget to pay attention to their own borders. Zaur Beridze’s fingers had not yet caused further trouble, but with news of the Citadel of Exalted Light acting in the lower realms, would he really do nothing against them? That seemed unlikely. As for whether the deeper connection had been made between the Scarlet Alliance and the lower realms- aside from of course receiving many ascended cultivators into their ranks- that was yet unknown. It was unlikely the great powers would take their losses at the end of the cycle lightly if they knew that they had a part in it.

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Just as they were looking for some way to affect the wars in the lower realms, preferably to cause damage to the upper realms sects in the short term and not just crippling their long term prospects, someone happened to show up.

“For the archives,” said the handsome young man who had walked in, hefting a few scrolls. Leonid didn’t usually work the front desk, but someone had to be there for classified receipts, and today that was him.

“Thank you,” Leonid commented, “Just leave them on the desk there.”

It might seem careless to have potentially sensitive documents just lying on the edge where anyone could snatch them, but security in the archives was not so lax that robbers would be able to make it out. More importantly, the mere act of placing it down shielded the contents with the local formations.

Aside from noting that the young man was the kind to attract others, Leonid didn’t take note of him. The scrolls were of interest, of course. Everything that came to his desk was. But when he took a look at them… well, it wasn’t that the information was not valuable enough to come into his hands. Instead, he realized there were a few things missing. Like certain security markings.

Leonid rubbed his forehead. “Again? Why does it always have to be me?”

Sure, there weren’t many others of his rank, but he hadn’t heard about them running into so many problems in recent years. Though maybe it just didn’t make for good workplace conversation.

He sent his senses out, finding of course that the young man was nowhere on the premises. “Security, please review cameras of drop-off desk B-17. Possible unwanted entry.”

Leonid relied on the formations to keep him safe as he inspected the scrolls. He wanted to make sure there was no tampering, since apparently that step had been missed. Whether anyone was going to get fired for this was another question.

An hour later when it turned out that nobody showed up on the cameras… Leonid had to accept that some sort of remedial training might be in order- but it didn’t appear that anyone failed to properly process the young man. They had simply missed him entirely. Someone might figure out how later… but as far as Leonid could tell they hadn’t actually missed any danger.

The scrolls he now held were for formations- ones with which he was familiar, even. It was simply that the exact details were secret. Or they were supposed to be. Which was exactly why it was good that these came to the archives.

Now then, who would want to know that they’d come into what looked to be legitimate schematics for ascension receiving formations… from among other things the Citadel of Exalted Light. And several other sects that they did not get along with. Leonid could of course simply copy the information into the archives, but someone might be able to make immediate use of this. Somehow.

Perhaps he’d just show it around to a few people. It wasn’t so secret that he couldn’t ask some people for suggestions. He didn’t need to go straight to the top or anything.

-----

One further hour later, Leonid found himself in a meeting with ‘the top’. Of course. Because it was going to be one of those days. He had been directed up the chain until reaching Catarina and Uzun, though he didn’t understand why at first. At least, not for one of the details. The security thing was a bit of an issue, and he’d explained all he saw several times. A young man… clearly handsome, but otherwise barely noteworthy. Which was actually extremely odd, because he should have had a perfect picture of face, voice, and clothing. Knowing things was his job, after all.

“They found it,” Catarina declared. Leonid wasn’t quite sure what it was, as these two were constantly working on several issues.

“That’s good at least,” Uzun said. “So… what’s the verdict?”

Catarina sighed. “Good news is that the detection formations must work. The bad news is that we’re still not the foremost experts on formations. But he wouldn’t have bothered disabling the detection if it wasn’t going to work.”

Leonid decided that he probably knew who this ‘he’ was, and also that he didn’t want to confirm his guess. “Is there something valuable about these formations that I should know? Is it perhaps relevant to the plans for the Citadel assault?”

Leonid knew about that because detailed information on the Citadel of Exalted Light had been requested- repeating the pattern of their first attempt, but now they had more experience. He avoided learning the actual details of the plans, though.

“It could be useful,” Uzun said, switching back to that topic. “But we were also thinking that we might have something relevant to the lower realms.”

Leonid thought for a few moments. “It would be rather extreme to train cultivators in their styles only to infiltrate them after ascension. Though I suppose that’s not unheard of, if in reverse.”

“Too risky,” Catarina said. “I doubt we’d inspire much loyalty from people trained up in that manner. Even if we knew they were perfectly loyal, so many things could go wrong. They’d be less effective if underinformed, and a liability if they were properly educated and then captured.”

“... Has such a strategy already been considered?” Leonid asked.

“Not specifically. But we’ve seen how such things go,” she said. “But with proper details, we might actually have a plan. We were just looking for something like this.”

Leonid frowned. “Ascension formations specifically?”

Uzun shook his head. “Nothing that precise. No reason to assume we have a security breach, at least. Just something connecting the upper and lower realms because of the war. Maybe this won’t lead anywhere. But with him involved, there’s probably some idea.”

That was enough of that, Leonid decided. “Do you need anything else from me?”

“Unless you remember something else,” Catarina said.

“Should I get myself checked for mental influence?” Leonid asked.

“Start with a self assessment,” Catarina shrugged. “My bet is that you never received more mental information, so there’s nothing to remember. Should be far easier than memory modification, and more passive. The formations should have stopped weird external things.”

Probably should have stopped him from just walking through as well, Leonid thought. But he wasn’t going to say that because Catarina doubtless knew that. And he knew he’d see her in the hall over the coming weeks adding further, deeper layers to the formations he could barely sense already.

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