The wind sliced past Nocth's face as Old Jhin soared through the skies, robes flapping like a tattered banner. He held Nocth by the back of his humble robe like a sack of radishes, laughing to himself with each drunken swoop.
"Relax, Dull Eyes!" Old Jhin shouted over the gusts. "You'll thank me later—unless we crash. Then you can haunt me."
Before Nocth could reply, they curved downward and landed softly outside a massive security-guarded station. Its towering gates shimmered with greenish-blue runes, and its smooth metallic exterior had the polished, industrial elegance of celestial engineering.
Two peak Level 2 Vein Initiates, clad in dull silver Grade 5 armor, stood sentinel. Their veins pulsed with the steady glow of 201 spiritual lines, visible even without deliberate inspection. Each guard carried a spear embedded with glowing core fragments.
As they approached, neither of the guards moved to block Old Jhin. In fact, they stiffened and saluted quietly, avoiding eye contact.
"Back straight, kids," Jhin muttered to Nocth. "They're scared I'll make 'em sing opera in their underpants again. Long story."
Nocth remained quiet, gaze sweeping the structure. The station was built in a seamless horizontal design, low and sleek like a coiled serpent. Runes etched into the ground gleamed faintly underfoot.
Docked atop a levitation platform was a Sky Ferry—a graceful, narrow-bellied craft with a silver sheen and underwings made of translucent feathers that shimmered in soft blues. A faint hum emanated from its core as if it breathed.
"Get in, boy. Time to see the world outside that stone-walled academy," Old Jhin said, tugging him along.
The inside of the Sky Ferry was stunning.
Other passengers—merchants, cityfolk, and a few cloaked travelers—sat across padded benches. Spiritual light silk patterns of bluish hue danced along the interior, flowing into lifting matrices that powered the ferry's graceful ascent.
The Sky Ferry lifted smoothly, climbing above the Selun'Thael skyline.
From the windowed sides, Nocth saw the Grand Celestial Academy from a distance—its towering spires and runic structures more awe-inspiring than ever. Floating pavilions drifted above it, swirling in slow celestial rotations, protected by barriers too intricate to name.
"Down there," Old Jhin pointed with his wineskin, "see those dark floating towers?"
In the far distance, shadowy towers hovered like silent sentinels, cables of energy anchoring them to the city's inner circuits. Flying crafts darted in and out of their concealed entrances.
"Each one of those towers sits above a low subclan territory. Don't be fooled—they're power stations, guarded fiercely."
Nocth's eyes narrowed. His veins stirred faintly, allowing him to see what his physical eyes could not—outlines of the floating towers, faint like whispers, clear as etched glass.
"The runes inside those towers?" Jhin continued. "Powered by mid-grade heaven crystals. Supply the whole city's lighting. Grade 3 quality, at least. That greenish-blue glow you see? That's power circulating through the energy web of Selun'Thael."
Below them, he saw flying crafts weaving in and out of the city's spine—streamlined cargo ferries, shuttles bearing subclan seals, and others too fast and dark to identify.
"Every subclan house has a duty," Jhin said, voice quiet now. "To protect those towers. Part of their submission to the Zyreon Ruling Clan. The city's backbone is their responsibility."
As they soared higher, Nocth caught sight of a gleaming crystalline pearl podium, far below, rising above the inner city. A pang of memory hit him—it was the central amphitheater where mythic dramas were performed.
There it was—where Anu's tale had echoed in thunderous applause.
Not far from it hovered the Star Bridge Market—a marketplace floating in mid-air, crowded with moving figures. Shining stalls floated on platforms tethered by energy threads, where merchants haggled and yelled over flashing weapons and armor.
Many of the trades were being done using yellowish crystals, the weakest form of spiritual currency—Low-Grade Essence Stones.
Through his veins, Nocth could see every detail clearly—blades infused with minor laws, enchanted fabric twinkling with defensive energy, and the chaotic but vibrant pulse of the city's outer life.
And then… something shifted.
His chest flickered with sudden heat. His veins pulsed.
145... 146... 147... 148.
Four new veins awakened without warning.
Old Jhin noticed immediately.
His wine bottle paused mid-air.
He stared at Nocth, eyes no longer bleary, but sharp—bright.
"Well, well... they're still blooming, huh?" he said under his breath.
The ferry began descending toward one of the outer city districts—Mhaerun District. Its buildings were a mix of elegant martial structures and fortified stone citadels. The air grew heavier, more guarded.