With the shocking revelation in the morning, Gardon decided to continue their journey to the capital immediately. He had to deliver Verin and—more importantly—get approval from his father… or rather, his foster father, to officially make Verin his student. He knew, a child like this wasn't just rare… it was almost impossible.
They mounted Joni, the giant PINK bird who remained loyal and lazy, and once again soared beneath the blue sky like the day before. The journey that day wasn't much different—except for one thing: Gardon became much more talkative.
"So… Verin, where did you get that spirit?"
"When I was almost killed hunting a bear."
"A bear? Seriously? You!"
"Yeah, why?" (a lie)
"…Incredible?"
Verin only smiled, eyes gazing at the sky as if nothing had happened. The truth, however, was far more terrifying than facing a bear.
Gardon tried another angle.
"Alright then, who's your father?"
Verin fell silent for a moment. Then replied, "My father is a good man."
"Oh please, I'm a good man too, but I'm not your father."
Failing to get anything useful, Gardon gave up. The rest of the trip continued mostly in silence, interrupted only at mealtimes. As usual, Joni would land when night fell. Gardon fell asleep with ease, while Verin continued training under the stars.
That's when Verin broke the silence.
"Why don't you train, Gardon?"
Gardon, half-asleep, opened one eye.
"With my current rank… training like that doesn't make much difference. What I need now is something that can trigger… soul union with my spirit."
Verin nodded. 'A trigger, huh…'
"Alright," he replied, sitting back down cross-legged.
The next day passed like the last, and night fell once again.
As usual, Verin resumed his training, though this time with greater curiosity.
"Gardon," he called out, eyes on the man. "Can you show me your spirit? You've seen Glacivale… so, it's only fair, right?"
Gardon went quiet. His gaze turned serious for a moment. Then he nodded.
"…Alright. It's been a while since she came out anyway."
He sat down slowly. Then stood back up. Then stretched. Then rotated his neck. Then his shoulders. Then—
"Gardon?"
"Sorry. Age. If I don't warm up, I'll cramp."
Verin just nodded.
Gardon then looked to the night sky and raised one hand.
"Daisy."
In an instant, the night changed.
The air filled with fragrance. Sweet and floral, like hundreds of flowers blooming around them—even though the ground was rocky and covered with dry grass.
From the air, from the earth, from who-knows-where, petals began to appear. Wildflowers in purple, pink, sky blue, and snow white—each glowing with a soft light.
The petals twirled and danced, swirling into the shape of a figure.
Starting from the feet… a slim waist… chest… shoulders… neck… and finally, the elegant face of a grown woman.
Then, the form suddenly blossomed.
Not shattered—but bloomed.
Like a spring flower embracing the sun's first light.
From within emerged a tall woman, easily two meters, clad in a flowing gown of leaf green and lavender purple, adorned with tiny flower motifs across the fabric.
The gown featured a high, ruffled collar shaped like a blooming rose, rising gracefully around her neck.
And on her head—
Her veil resembled a crown of petals.
Not cloth, but layered, translucent petals of pale purple and milky white, draping gently over her head and shoulders.
The veil was semi-oval, with curled edges like a lotus halfway in bloom. At the center, a prominent petal stood tall like a crown's peak—elegant and divine.
Her hair, long and the color of young leaves, flowed behind the veil like a stream of water.
Daisy opened her eyes.
Eyes that radiated life. Eyes that had healed wounds. Eyes that could make enemies falter, and flowers bloom.
Verin was stunned.
'This… this spirit is so… beautiful…'
The air around carried a scent… indescribable.
Verin slowly stepped forward, his eyes unblinking—either from awe, or disbelief. One thing had been bugging him since earlier. And as usual, if Verin was curious… he just said it.
"Miss Spirit," he asked, eyes full of innocent wonder, "were you… threatened into making a contract with that bald old man?"
He pointed at Gardon with a thumb, completely unfiltered. Gardon, who was drinking water after the summoning, immediately choked.
"Puhak–! What?!"
Daisy turned to Gardon, then chuckled softly. A gentle laugh, like the strings of a harp in spring. Even the scent around them intensified for a moment, as if the flowers themselves laughed too.
"No, little one," she replied kindly, "in fact, it was that shiny bald head that… charmed me."
Verin blinked. "…Charmed?"
"Yes. There's something mysterious about the way moonlight glints off that gleaming dome. I think… I fell in love."
"…It looks like a duck egg."
Daisy simply smiled with grace, while Gardon pretended to cough and looked away awkwardly.
"Besides," Daisy continued, "even if he's a bit… strange, his heart is pure. Not everyone can summon me. Especially not with 'bald magic.'"
"Wait—that's what it's called?"
"No. I just made that up."
The night passed in warm laughter. After some time, Daisy vanished into a swirl of petals, returning to the spirit realm. The flowers shrank and faded into the wind and earth, leaving only a faint, fragrant trace.
Gardon lay back down, mumbling a prayer.
"Alright that's enough, I'm going to sleep…"
"Thanks."
Verin returned to his seated posture, his body surrounded by silver-white aura rippling like calm waves.
And that night… was different.
Morning came. The sky still bright, the wind still cool, and Joni—the giant bird—still snoring like distant thunder.
But Verin… had changed.
He slowly opened his eyes, body lighter, mind sharper. The aura around him pulsed stronger than ever. And most shocking of all…
"Spirit Initiate… stage nine?" Gardon muttered in disbelief after checking Verin's energy. "In three nights?!"
Verin scratched his head. "I thought I was still stage six…"
Gardon stared. Then looked at the sky. Then at the ground. Then back at Verin.
"Is this kid… secretly a god's child…?"
He sighed deeply, then patted Joni to prepare.
But unlike the usual mornings, this time Gardon pulled Verin down to sit on a wide cloth he laid out. From his dimensional pouch, he brought out a feast.
Warm wheat bread, smoked meat slices, sweet fruits from the northern valley, and even a small plate of royal sweets—something Verin had never even smelled before.
"Eat well," Gardon said, eyes half-serious. "We'll reach the capital by midday. You need to look fresh and full when you meet your father."
Verin raised an eyebrow at the food, then looked at Gardon. "…You're scared he'll reject you, aren't you?"
Gardon said nothing. Just smiled while ladling meat soup into a bowl.
Sylphia—no, Verin—fell silent for a moment. The word "father" made her heart warm… and tense at the same time.
Today was the day. The day… her father would awaken.
Reyhan Alther.
Without another word, she ate. A lot. So much that Gardon had to offer a second plate.
She wanted to look strong. Healthy. Bright. Energetic. Even if her heart beat like war drums beneath her chest.
Once they finished, they mounted Joni and continued the journey—expecting to reach the capital by midday.
And for the first time… Gardon didn't crack a single joke.
Darkness.
Silence.
…Then, a click.
Whispers of wind gathered—one, two, then hundreds. They swirled, converging around something beginning to stir.
Reyhan's consciousness drifted upward.
Still in his windform, but his mind… was returning.
And just as his awareness brushed the line between sleep and wake—
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host has awakened after 5 days of unconsciousness.]
[Reward: 1 Spirit Force.]
Reyhan wasn't fully conscious yet, but that voice… 'ah, that annoying voice…' echoed once again inside his head.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations. Your first follower—Sylphia Astheris—has flawlessly executed the plan.]
[Reward: Control over 1 Additional Consciousness.]
'…So noisy,' Reyhan muttered, his head still foggy like it was filled with cotton. 'Just woke up, you know. Give me a second to breathe…'
[Ding!]
[Sylphia Astheris has reached Rank: Spirit Initiate - Level 9.]
[Reward: 30 Spirit Force.]
[Ding!]
"STOP. Stop. Hide the notifications for now. My head's spinning," Reyhan snapped, swiping the air with his wind-form hands.
[Command received. Notifications temporarily hidden.]
"Ahhh… now that's more like it. Calm. Peaceful. No noise."
"Exactly."
Reyhan turned his head. That voice… it sounded exactly like him.
And right beside him—floating lightly in this blank space—was a figure identical to himself. Also wind. Same form.
"…Wait."
"…Wait."
"Who are you?"
"I'm you."
"Huh?"
[Correct, Host. He is the Additional Consciousness you just received as a reward.]
Reyhan stared blankly. Then clicked his tongue.
"…Annoying."
"Right back at you."
[Sigh… I can't imagine how it'll be once you gain more consciousnesses. As your system, I'm seriously considering early retirement.]
"Please don't," both Reyhans replied in unison.
Brief silence.
"…You shut up."
"No, you shut up."
Reyhan groaned—utterly stressed. He had just woken up, hadn't even had breakfast or coffee, and now had to argue with himself.
"I don't have time to deal with this. I need to see my daughter."
"Well, I want to see her too. She's my daughter as well."
"Who woke up first?"
"You."
"Who met Sylphia first?"
"You again."
"Then I should be the one to see Sylphia Luan."
"…Fair enough."
[The System is experiencing spiritual fatigue.]
The new consciousness—identical in every way—crossed its arms in that annoying wise-guy fashion.
"So… what do I do now?" he asked, sounding slightly confused but trying to seem cool. "I can't just idle here, right?"
Reyhan—the original, the one who woke up first—poked the air with his wind-finger. "No clue. System, any suggestions?"
[Suggestion: The Additional Consciousness can be used to explore other continents and search for potential followers. This will make the Host's Spirit Force distribution more efficient.]
Reyhan nodded quickly. "Ooh, that's a good one."
The other Reyhan glowed faintly, a sign of agreement. "Nice. I'll explore the continents, and you go to Sylphia. We split tasks."
"Exactly," Reyhan grinned confidently. "I'll take care of our daughter. You… go find more children."
"…That sounds so wrong."
"Focus on the mission, not the wording."
They both chuckled. The wind swirled gently.
Then Reyhan—the original one—lifted his 'hand' like he had something important to say.
"Wait. Before you go, we need to make one important agreement."
The other consciousness turned. "What?"
"Names."
"…Names?"
"Yeah. We can't keep calling each other 'me' all the time. The narrator'll get confused. Might even break the system. To keep it clear, you're Reyhan 2. I'm Reyhan 1."
The other Reyhan paused for a moment. "…Why am I number 2?"
"Because I woke up first."
"… Makes sense."
[Host… is strange.]