After they finished introducing each other, Yves and Yun descended the stairs to the ground floor of the tower. The former showed the latter to the shower room, and stood guard just outside the entrance.
Part of being a guide meant that Yves was not to leave Yun's side at all costs, even while he was taking a shower. As a Spark, his death would still have catastrophic consequences, that is, turning into a Plague catalyst.
An outbreak this far into the East Wing's outskirts would be manageable, but it was still something to be avoided.
Yun didn't mind though, it wasn't too different from the communal bathrooms he was accustomed to in his old neighbourhood. This actually gave him more privacy… and security.
He made sure to shut the door behind him, at least.
There were ten showering compartments lined up, all empty, but Yun chose the furthest one to the left.
He threw his old rags into a basket beside the entrance and stepped under the rain of warm water. Immediately, he felt all his mental fatigue wash away. His muscles relaxed so much he almost collapsed right then and there.
Yun let out a satisfied moan.
"Are you okay in there?" asked Yves with a slight tremor in his voice.
"Focus, Yves. Don't worry about me."
"O-okay."
Yun continued to enjoy his shower with his eyes closed. He'd apparently spent nearly four days in the Vision. Four days sitting on a stiff, wooden chair.
"My poor back."
Dion guarded his body for the first few hours, but given how busy she was, she delegated the task to Yves.
The two of them worked for the government, Human Society, rather than being agents of Descendant Society via their Clans.
Yves also explained that, due to Descendant Society having jurisdiction over all its internal affairs (which include their policy towards Tainted and Divine awakening), Dion greatly overstepped by taking Yun under her care. But due to her high rank as a Virtue, not many could argue against her decision.
Most Divines were Heralds, which was the rank one achieved from successfully crossing the Great Break, journeying through the Forsaken Realm, and returning alive. The Curse would award the effort with a second Celestial Fragment.
This was the fate that awaited Yun within the next few days.
Above that, if he managed to find and consume another Celestial Fragment, he would enter the Second Vision. Surviving that would grant him the rank of Power, who were the rare elites of humanity's army against the Plague. Some of them even led their own ordinary Clans.
Coming back to Dion, after conquering the Third Vision, she achieved the rank of Virtue, of which there's only a couple dozen. That achievement alone placed her in the same echelon as the lords of the High Clans. Practically a goddess in her own right.
That simple fact made Yun tremble while scrubbing his tired body. No wonder she could strong-arm Descendant Society into capitulating to her stubbornness.
The only Divines above her were the Thrones; the most powerful beings on the planet.
If Virtues were practically gods, Thrones were actual deities. In all of history, there has only been four of them in existence, and they currently ruled over Descendant Society spread out between the four Wings: North, South, East, and West.
Yun stepped out of the shower, savouring the cool sensation that overtook his body.
After wrapping a towel around his waist, he decided to do something he'd put off doing long enough.
"Time to meet my feathery companion."
He took one deep breath. "Hail Galing."
***
The tiny creature appeared with a poof.
It flapped its wings and began flying in a circle over Yun's head like a halo.
"Well, aren't you a curious little thing?"
At first glance, the first thing Yun thought of was a fairy or a bird, but both were equally mythical at this point.
Yun commanded his companion to come and settle on his palm so he could properly examine it.
The galing's body consisted almost exclusively of its wings, covered in fluffy radiant feathers. There was no face to speak of — not even a pair of eyes hidden in its plumage. Even its "head" was little more than a smooth, delicate shape.
Yet somehow, its fluttering wings and gentle movements conveyed a strange sense of curiosity, as if the little creature was quietly observing the world around it.
"Weird…"
The creature tilted its head as Yun examined it, following every movement. When his curiosity turned into suspicion, the little thing puffed up its feathers indignantly, as if offended by the thought.
"Pii!"
Suppressing the immediate question of where the squeaky sound came from — seriously, where is its mouth? — Yun cracked a smile.
The thing could even read his thoughts and emotions.
"It's kinda cute, actually."
Yun extended a finger to pet it, but the galing, impudent little shit, slapped his hand away.
"Ouch! What the hell was that for?"
The galing flapped its wings up and down. "Piip! Piip!"
Yun's face wrinkled.
"A single finger is degrading? You want me to use my whole hand when I pet you? Ridiculous!"
The galing crossed its wings and turned away…? It was kinda hard to tell given the whole "no face" thing.
"Pii."
"Severin's mercy, what a drag," Yun sighed. "You no-face-having imp."
He opened up his palm and stroked the unexpectedly warm, fluffy feathers. In the end, the whole experience ended up being a weird and uncomfortable experience for everyone involved — due to the creature's tiny size, Yun could only use his middle finger to pet it, but he had to pretend otherwise.
"Yeah, I'm never trying this again."
The creature flinched. "Pii?"
"Don't look at me like that. You did this to yourself."
"P-pii!" (roughly translates to, "W-well, whatever! I don't like it anyway. Hmph!")
"Glad we're in agreement, then."
Yun let out a deep sigh. "Now, enough of the first-meeting-shenanigans nonsense. Let's see what you can do."
[Hail Galing], his Birthright Ability, was the defining ability of his Lineage Path. All subsequent abilities he'd gain as he ranks up would use it as the bedrock. The sedimentary foundation. The trunk out of which the smaller branches would grow. The main river from where smaller streams would split—
Okay, that's enough.
Ranking up itself would require searching and consuming the remaining Celestial Fragments of his celestial core, which was a big undertaking on its own, but baby steps, right?
Yun cleared his throat and gave the galing a mental command. The creature responded with a determined "Pii!" and flew off Yun's palm, heading for the hallway outside the bathroom.
"Wait, let me open the door for—"
The galing, much to Yun's surprise, passed through the door like it was dissolving into the metal.
"Huh?"
"Pii?"
Almost simultaneously, both summon and summoner let out confused yelps.
Yun threw his hands up in the air. "What do you mean, 'I didn't know I could do that'? Be serious!"
But… wasn't I just touching it right now? Ugh, whatever. I'll worry about that later.
He watched the galing pass through the door, then after counting ten seconds, he closed his eyes.
Then…
He activated [Vision Swap].