The Children nodded and waved to everyone, signalling that they understood and welcomed them. Any lingering unease about the Elders or the Medical Facility appeared to have vanished.
One Child raised their hand and spoke to a servant. After the customary nod, the servant relayed the message to the Elders. The Elders expressed their surprise, and Celestial Demon Elder Sky responded. "Child, to be honest, this is indeed a reasonable request, and we have no qualms about granting it. However, allow me to explain first that we may look quite different from what you are used to, and I want to assure you that there is no need to fear us. In fact, please expect to have appearances similar to ours once you complete the Awakening."
Mortal Demon Elder Sean laughed heartily. "Allow me to clarify the colour coding, as it can become quite complicated. Each Clan has a Clan colour, an accessory colour, and several Class colours. However, the Demon Class—and by extension the Twin Demon Class—are exceptions, possessing only two colours: the Clan and accessory colours, with no Class colour."
"The Celestial Clan's Clan colour is white, and its accessory colour is gold. The Class colour can be complicated, as it varies by Class. All Clans share the same Classes, but you'll learn more details in the basic Knowledge you will soon receive. The Infernal Clan's Clan colour is black, with silver as its accessory colour—the Class line-up is the same as the Celestials. The Immortal Clan's Clan colour is green, and its accessory colour is jade. The Mortal Clan's Clan colour is brown, while its accessory colour is diamond," Mortal Demon Elder Sean explained patiently, with the others nodding in agreement.
The Children clapped and smiled at the explanation.
Celestial Elder Soleil stood up. "Now that the colour coding has been explained, let us show you how we look. You will notice that all Elders, except the Demon Elders, share a standard colour known as our Class colour. This makes identification easier, ensuring you use the correct honorifics when addressing any Heavenly Clan member. For Demons, simply addressing them as such suffices, since they do not possess Class colours. However, Twin Demons are easy to recognise when merged, as they will have four arms. I will begin, and then each of the other Elders will follow."
Celestial Elder Soleil then removed his cloak, revealing his whole appearance for the first time since the Children had entered the Hall. He was tall, with a feminine build and face, wearing a Hanfu-style robe, predominantly white with gold trimming along the hems and a light blue motif. His hair blended the three colours, and golden lashes and eyebrows framed his light blue eyes. His ears were elongated, elf-like, adorned with golden cuffs at the ends and golden antlers resembling those of a deer. Light blue crystals could be seen on various parts of his body, including his forehead, neck, and sternum.
The Children expressed wonder and awe at his appearance.
Suddenly, the Infernal Elder exclaimed, "Brace yourselves, everyone! An Infernal Slayer and their Twin Demon are incoming, ETA one minute!"
The other Elders gasped in surprise. Celestial Elder Soleil quickly turned to the Children and explained, "Children, we are about to welcome an Infernal Slayer and their Twin Demon. Please do not be alarmed by their appearance or behaviour; they will not harm you. Although they might tease you, they mean no malice."
"Although the Infernal Slayer may scrutinise you and make comments, they will not do anything untoward. I am curious, however, as to why they are coming here, as there is an agreement they should avoid the Halls on summoning days," Infernal Elder Caine said, with a gruff sense of amusement.
At that moment, three enormous figures appeared, all dressed in black cloaks. One emitted some unintelligible, eerie sounds, and suddenly, ten purple orbs of energy manifested, shooting through the Hall at alarming speed. The orbs collided with seemingly empty spaces, after which ten beings materialised where the orbs had struck, frozen in place—though no ice was visible.
"Oh, it seems some Outsider rats managed to sneak into the Hall. We thank you for catching them, Infernal Slayer," Infernal Elder Caine said, bowing to the cloaked figures.
The hulking beings turned toward him and replied, now speaking clearly understandable. "No need to thank us, Infernal Elder. Tian Dao tasked us to hunt down these rats. Apparently, they managed to teleport directly into the Hall at the very moment you were summoning, which is why it took us so long to find them." The central being continued, waving its hand dismissively, "How is everything here? Did the intruders give you any trouble?"
"We didn't even notice them, to be honest. It's strange how they managed to teleport into the Hall, as that usually shouldn't be possible," Immortal Elder Lucius said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"We're not sure yet, but these individuals should provide us with the answers we need. The Inquisitors are sending Wardens to secure them and transport them to the Abyss for a Soul Search. We'll know more about how and why they entered once the Search is complete," replied the being on the right in a deep, hoarse voice.
Meanwhile, the central figure turned, seemingly observing the Children within the light pillars. "Oh, by the looks of it, it seems we'll be seeing more Twin Demons soon," it remarked.
At that moment, ten more large, black-cloaked beings appeared. They bowed toward the Elders and the previous three figures, then each approached a frozen entity and strapped them onto stretchers conjured from thin air. They disappeared once again, taking the stretchers with them.
"Seriously, would it hurt the Wardens to be a bit more social?" Mortal Elder Kyle was heard complaining. This drew a laugh from the central black-cloaked being.
"Now then, Children, enjoy the rest of your orientation. Don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have; the Elders will gladly answer whatever they can and let you know if something is beyond their ability to answer. It is their responsibility as Elders, after all," the central being addressed the Children, before the three black-cloaked figures vanished.
The Children began murmuring as the Infernal Slayer and the Twin Demon departed. The Elders observed them kindly for a moment, then Celestial Elder Soleil spoke again. "I expect many of you have questions about what just occurred, and we will explain once we finish what we started before we were interrupted. Now, let me explain why I look the way I do, and what you can expect to look like after your Awakening."
"The reason for my appearance is tied to my Clan and Class. As a Celestial, my Clan colour is white, which serves as my primary colour. My accessory colour is gold, which is why the trimmings—as well as my lashes, eyebrows, horns, and ear cuffs—are gold. My Class colour is light blue, reflected in my eyes and clothing motif," he explained, pointing to different parts of himself as examples.
He then summoned a floating, glowing screen in front of him, waving his hand several times. Suddenly, a similar screen appeared in front of each Child.
"I have created a temporary tutorial screen before you so that I can show you things in greater detail," said Celestial Elder Soleil.
"As you may have noticed, I have several crystals embedded in my body, each in my Class colour. The screen will help show you the details. These crystals are embedded naturally for Clan members born within the Nursery. For you, the crystals will be embedded during a painless, minimally invasive procedure at the Medical Facility. This is necessary, as the crystals serve essential functions beyond just aesthetics," Celestial Elder Soleil elaborated, pulling up files on his screen.
One of the Children raised their hand. After receiving an encouraging nod from the Elders, the Child spoke to the servant outside their light pillar. Following the customary nod, the servant addressed the Elders, who listened and smiled.
"Child, I am genuinely pleased to see you're comfortable enough to express your curiosity," Celestial Elder Soleil said, smiling as he clasped his hands over his chest, as if about to swoon.
"These crystals form naturally for those gestated and born in the Nursery, while those like you, who are summoned, must have them embedded. We've performed the procedure countless times; it takes no more than five minutes for all the crystals, and you won't feel a thing during or after."
"As for the crystals' functions, look at the screen in front of you—it will display the details as I explain."
"The crystal embedded in the forehead is not just any crystal. It is an all-in-one device that serves as a personal computer, mobile phone, wallet, ID, and more."
"The other crystals serve as indicators of your cultivation level: the one on your throat denotes the first level, the one on your sternum the second, and the navel the third. Two crystals on each shoulder mark the fourth level. The elbows—two on each—are for the fifth. Two on each wrist are the sixth. The waist, just above the hips, signals the seventh level."
"Moving down, two on your outer thighs, just below the hips, denote the eighth level. Two just above each knee are the ninth. Finally, two just above each ankle represent the tenth level," Celestial Elder Soleil explained, displaying corresponding pictures on the screens in front of the Children.
"When born in the Nursery, only the forehead crystal is coloured according to the Class; the others are grey. As you progress in your cultivation, these crystals gradually change colour until, at the tenth and final level, all crystals match your Class colour."
"There are exceptions. During gestation, Tian Dao identifies individuals with remarkable potential. These are born with an additional six crystals along the spine, from the neck to the base of the spine, just above the hips."
"This phenomenon can occur in any Class, with each crystal corresponding to an additional cultivation level, moving downward from the neck."
Each screen now displayed the corresponding image for each explanation.
Another Child, a Twin this time, raised his hand and spoke to the servant. After the usual nod, the servant repeated the question for the Elders. Celestial Demon Elder Sky acknowledged the question and responded, "Yes, Children, what you've asked can and most likely will happen to you as well. Since Tian Dao will be directing the Medical Puppets who perform your procedures, it may not occur for all of you, but some will likely receive the additional crystals. We can make educated guesses, as we can sense your energies."
The Children murmured amongst themselves as they processed the information, while the Elders took a moment to sip from their cups and converse.
Suddenly, the same Child raised his hand again, this time expressing an almost palpable sense of urgency. The servant nodded and relayed the question. The Elders seemed surprised. Mortal Demon Elder Sean laughed heartily, nearly doubling over.
Once he regained his composure, he spoke. "Excuse me for laughing, but I wasn't expecting such an urgent question; usually, it arises much later. Since it's been asked, I'll explain everything from the beginning, while Celestial Elder Soleil operates the screens with the details."
"As many of you may have noticed, Celestial Elder Soleil has a slimmer build than one might expect for a male. That's because his gender is not male; he is actually a third-gender person known as a Ger. A Ger appears male on the outside but has a skeletal structure leaning toward a female physique. The key difference between a male and a Ger is that Gers can be impregnated but cannot impregnate others."
"Pregnancies for Gers and females are identical, but they differ greatly from those you may know on your home world. There, Children are born after a gestation of at least nine months in the mother's womb, with the Children emerging helpless and dependent. Here, our process involves two gestational periods and two births."
"The first gestational phase occurs within the womb of the female or Ger, lasting three months. After this, the Children are born as small eggs that grow rapidly within thirty minutes after birth. They are then transferred to the Nursery, where they experience a second gestational period of one year. Then, the Children hatch, appearing about a year old, able to speak within five minutes of hatching and walk within thirty."
"Dedicated servants, called Mammys and created by Tian Dao, care for the Children in the Nursery until they mature and move to their own homes. The Mammys remain with them until their Eternal Slumber, after which Tian Dao reclaims them."
"We still don't know how or where Tian Dao creates these Mammys, and honestly, it's not a priority since they fulfil all our needs as parents."
"Children are raised this way not because we lack parenting skills, but due to our hyper-fertility: each pregnancy results in one hundred Children, making it impossible for us to raise, nurture, and educate them all properly. That is why the Nursery and Mammys exist."
"I hope this eases any fears you may have about being abandoned once again," Mortal Demon Elder Sean concluded kindly and hopefully.
The Children sat with wide eyes and open mouths, processing all they had been told and shown. After a moment, they began to stir as if they were slowly absorbing the information.