Elder Cultivator

Capturing enemies was a task that was extremely simple for Devon to accomplish, but also a matter he had to take very seriously. He was well aware that some cultivators managed to operate on contradictory axioms, but he was not one of those cultivators. He needed to be certain he didn’t cross a certain line transforming people from captives to slaves, nor could he allow others to do so.

His thoughts on the matter could likely fill a hundred tomes, though not every aspect would be shared with every other member of the Shattered Chains. That was fine, but as an Enrichment cultivator he couldn’t get sloppy with his actions.

Capturing enemies so that they could be interrogated? Reasonable. Though they would obviously prefer not to be imprisoned, it was a critical part of war. Imprisoning anyone that was not a threat- in any of the potential ways a person could be a threat to themselves or others- was certainly outside of Devon’s realm of operation.

There was still a lot of uncertainty in between those points, however. Even if they were enemies, Devon wouldn’t be comfortable with capturing people with the intention to force them to work. A key point was the reasoning behind the actions, and it was best to avoid anything that might lead to such ends because of how easy it was for humans to fool themselves, even cultivators with powers of deep introspection.

Where on the line did capturing cultivators close to ascension with the intention to use their deaths against other enemies fall? Devon could certainly justify wrapping someone in his chains and bludgeoning someone else to death with them… but that was neither efficient nor precisely comparable to what they had planned.

He didn’t have the answers yet, so he captured Life Transformation cultivators on the cusp of Ascension with the caveat that he might later disallow any further action. For the moment, their auras were being carefully studied while the war was ongoing.

-----

Aerona was one of the first people that Devon would go to with his struggles, moral or otherwise. Even if she had no answers herself, she always helped him learn. “Is it any different from forcing slaves to set off traps ahead of an army?” Devon asked. “A task that comes with certain death, outside of the will of the individuals involved.”

“It would somewhat depend on whether they are slaves, I would suppose,” Aerona said. “Not all prisoners are, but in such a situation it certainly seems so. As for how it is different… I can’t say much that makes it sound better.”

Aerona nodded. “It’s more like… using them as ammunition from a cannon.”

“Yeah, that’s… definitely not better,” Devon admitted. “As much as I would like to cause maximum damage to the upper realms, I don’t know if that’s appropriate for the Alliance or for myself. Though some of that is because we’d basically be forcing people to step into the cannon themselves. Though it might not be better some other way.”

“You would prefer our enemies to come to a swift end, should they deserve it. A not unreasonable solution. But what if they volunteered?”

“And why should they?” Devon asked. “It results in only death to them for no benefit, unless they seek a petty revenge on the upper realms themselves.”

“You cannot say what is in the hearts of others,” Aerona said. “Besides, they might not know the consequences of their actions.”

“I don’t think tricking them is any better,” Devon shook his head.

“Indeed. But if they were fully informed and chose that path anyway?”

“You really think there will be any?” Devon asked.

“That, I don’t know. But there are many people to choose from.”

“We’d still be forcing them, effectively,” Devon frowned. “Telling someone to choose between death and something we say is death but might result in their survival is uncomfortably coercive.”

“Do you trust me?” Aerona asked.

“I do,” Devon said.

“Then believe me when I say I am ready to extract true responses from our enemies. Maybe I am wrong and there will be none… but if we start with a planet over which we have no control? I think you will see something interesting. Though first I’m getting those answers nobody would give me earlier.”

“Ah. You’re ready?” Devon prompted.

“I believe so. I have cultivated more slowly than many others, but being constantly exposed to you and the few others I have sufficient understanding of Enrichment. Or we shall see disappointing results once more. But this time, I hope to accelerate our victories in a certain manner. Though I also need you.”

“Of course,” Devon agreed. Anything Aerona would ask him for was something he would happily do.

-----

“Bringing fleets with us would be safer,” Devon said. “But I suppose that’s not beneficial to you.”

“They would be both an energy disturbance and reduce the appropriate pressure I feel,” Aerona confirmed. “Oh. I believe they have sensed us.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Devon said. “Let them come. They can’t keep up with us. Once the ships leave atmosphere, I’ll take us around to the other side. Should give us a good bit of wiggle room.”

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So they waited, above a planet swarming to attack a seemingly vulnerable pair. Of course, they were still cautious of Devon, but the fleets gathered together into a group that would be overwhelming even for him.

A single chain wrapped around the planet, attaching to Devon and Aerona on either end. Then it contracted, whipping them around opposite sides of the planet. For Aerona’s sake, Devon took a few minutes to complete the process instead of going at the maximum velocity he could accomplish… but the fleets were far from being able to keep up.

On the other side, Devon equalized their momentum to stop them together. “What next?” he asked.

“Use your World Encompassing Chains to help me transmit my words. Include the fleets, if you would.”

Devon stretched his chains out, not bothering to hide the pattern he created. Anyone paying attention would be locked onto his energy already. The fleets were racing to meet him, with a small number of ships that had not departed taking off to reach their new position. “I hope this doesn’t take long,” Devon said. “Or that you can afford a minor disruption for battle.”

“It will only be a few moments,” Aerona said. “The power of words is quite an interesting thing.”

She took Devon’s hand, and he helped guide her natural energy- far more than was required to merely transmit her voice. Her energy was far deeper, carrying more than just the words she spoke.

“Your attempts to fight are pointless,” Aerona said. “Your defeat is inevitable. Surrender, and you will be treated well.”

With those words, the truth behind them was also transmitted. Yet the response clearly showed that it wasn’t forcing people to accept it. Instead, the response that came was difficult for Devon to interpret. Not the part where people were yelling profanities into the sky, but something else.

Aerona simply nodded to herself. “Both better and worse than I thought. Could you help me link together certain like minded individuals? It’s about… a tenth of the population.”

“My chains don’t really work like that. They’re more… restrictive.”

“What some people will use to bind in solitude we can use to tie others together,” Aerona said. She was already manipulating her energy, and Devon implicitly followed her lead. As he did, he felt her interpretation of the response coming through. Some of those below didn’t wish to die in this war. As Aerona said, perhaps a smidge more than tenth of the population which was rather small. But to them, it felt even less as they were isolated, unable to express themselves safely.

Devon’s energy flowed over the whole planet, overwhelming the senses of those watching so that they would not pick up the fine chains he connected between those like minded individuals- though really, he just provided the means. Their own will and Aerona’s guidance, her words, brought them together. Somehow, Devon knew that after this they would seek each other out in the future.

“It’s done,” Aerona said, as the closer fleets were perhaps a minute away. “Now we just need to find our volunteers.” She paused for a moment, then made her declaration. “Who would like to Ascend, even if it likely results in your own death and that of others?”

The words weren’t the limit of her meaning, and just like the first there was more to it than what she strictly said. It included the full explanation, just not in a way anyone would consciously recognize later- they couldn’t give away their plans, after all.

Devon was surprised at the vast number of responses- though at the same time, most of them were unviable. Those who wished to ascend at truly any cost were generally weaker, understanding it was impossible for them. But there were a few who were at the peak of Life Transformation, stuck at the final step. “I suppose we’ve found our volunteers.”

“Indeed,” Aerona said. “Now snatch them up. I’m sure you can manage a handful just fine.”

That he could. And as he did, he marveled at his wife. Perhaps it should have been obvious to him, but she didn’t really feel any stronger. And why should she, if her method of Enrichment didn’t require raw power? Indeed, she only needed to draw upon Devon for making something of the results she gathered.

A planet full of people able to reveal some of their true desires without judgment. Well, without judgment from Aerona at least. And Devon would keep his quiet.

Now then, time to yank a few fools into space.

-----

Even after speaking with those they grabbed, Devon couldn’t quite comprehend it. Then again, he didn’t fully understand even a single other person. In fact, he could remove other from that sentence, as his path of cultivation still required deeper understanding of himself.

The cultivators weren’t particularly happy about being snapped up, but despite certain outside protests Devon was confident in Aerona- and that they really had agreed on a primal level.

Was it wrong to shoot crazy people out of a cannon? Devon didn’t care to bother himself with further questions along that line. Whether these people thought they could sabotage the Alliance’s efforts or had some sort of grudge against the upper realms or hoped for reincarnation, the choice was there to Devon’s satisfaction.

When things were properly explained to them, they were always resistant in front of their peers… but ultimately cooperative. Devon could tell when someone really wanted to be freed from chains.

What were the chances of finding such people? Devon didn’t have to actually guess. There were four here… so it could be about one in three billion. Except there had been far more with the frankly suicidal desires in their hearts- it was merely that four were actually suited.

Now he just had to get them- and any others that would express their candidacy- to the right place. That would be Yoron, where they had constructed the necessary components of their plans. Some sort of lower realms Ascension chamber, meant to trigger ascension… but at a cost. They weren’t exactly convenient to the frontlines, but with the void ants busy securing planets Devon could afford to be away for a bit. Plus, a portion of a planet’s population should be organizing itself for surrender.

No matter how many times he thought about it, it didn’t make sense to Devon. But he fully trusted Aerona’s perception on the matter. It was difficult to imagine wanting something like power more than his own life. The only thing he ranked more highly than his life was the lives of friends and family, and the Alliance as a whole. But not much more highly, because he was aware that others would be sad to see him gone.

Anyone else who had come to Devon with this plan he would have rejected- but not only did he trust Aerona’s truth, he was also aware she didn’t have a particular stake in what they were trying to do. Damaging the upper realms, that is. War wasn’t her thing, and she barely considered military victories a positive. So she shouldn’t be trying to assist him because he subconsciously wanted an excuse, right?

“Is what I want… good?” Devon asked Aerona.

“Nice try,” Aerona said. “But you’ll have to provide those answers for yourself. But I’d like to think I wouldn’t pick someone who wasn’t at least striving for the best.”

Somehow, Devon understood that trying to provide the answers for Devon with her abilities would be unsatisfactory. Which was… just like cultivation techniques. Humans had to puzzle through the truth of the universe by relying on what wisdom they could find around them.