Vath walked out of the testing room in a daze, and Kaser didn't look much better. It had been explained to them that there was nothing wrong with being descended from a Beast. That a certain level of strength was required before a Beast's intelligence matched a human's, and that changing their shape to match a human's was usually possible for a Beast at that level of power. It was rare for such power to be attained, and rarer still to have both the knowledge and skill to change shape and the desire to use it. Void Beasts were also fairly uncommon variants, so adding all of that up, it was understandable why both disciples had been shocked and ecstatic. They certainly weren't the first; the sect had records of previous instances. In fact, the founders of the sect had either been empty wolves themselves or the direct children of some - the records weren't clear. But in thousands of years of being a prominent sect, and the preeminent void-based sect on the continent, they could count the number of instances on two hands. That the connection was strong enough to indicate a recent ancestry was all the more remarkable.

Vath's gut was churning. This could be a pathway to tremendous strength, but it would also draw so much attention. He worried that he and his brother wouldn't be able to withstand it. But what choice did they have now? He doubted the sect would just let them leave. And even with the danger, he wasn't sure that would be the right call even if they could. It wasn't as if everyone would forget about them if they left. Someone might come after them for some nefarious purpose or another, and out there they'd have no protection.

No, they'd stay. They'd learn all they could. But they'd have to work even harder than he'd initially intended to, and keep an even sharper eye out for trouble.

They followed Wald down the hole to a large store room with a single man watching over it. It only took him one look at them to tell them to come back tomorrow morning after a bath for proper measurements for their robes, but he directed them towards the other things they needed to collect. Both brothers were somewhat embarrassed by the comment, but it's not like they could have done any better. They cleaned themselves and their clothes as well as they could in the river, but they didn't have soap or anything else that would help them. Kaser thought to ask Wald whether he'd had any soap they could have used on the journey to the sect, and he'd abashedly replied that he didn't carry any because he didn't need it. The sect robes were apparently all infused with essence to be self-cleaning, and Wald could apparently do the same to his body with a void trick that wasn't safe to use on them, but that he promised to teach them once they had enough training to use it safely.

They did get new robes, they just weren't tailored, so they wouldn't fit as well, but given what both had been wearing for years, they weren't about to complain. The other thing they got, which excited them far more than robes, was their essence catalog constructs. They looked like little white spheres with an opalescent sheen to them. Neither could wait to use them, but they were told in no uncertain terms that it took hours for them to integrate, and it was best done while asleep, so they were not to swallow them until right before bed. If all went well, they could start using them when they woke up. If they had any questions or concerns that something wasn't working right, they could ask questions when they came for their tailoring, but, and the man was very direct and stern about this point, if they woke up with any noticeable side effects, they were to report to the closest healers hall immediately to be checked. He assured them that anything going wrong almost never happened, but in thousands of years of this sect's operation, they'd lost more than one promising recruit who just hadn't told anyone of a very obvious problem. They took no chances with such things anymore. After he made them promise to abide by his instructions, he gruffly welcomed them to the sect, and shooed them on their way.

Vath held tightly to his cataloger, not wanting to lose it, but Kaser couldn't stop staring at it, moving it around on his palm to catch the light. Vath could understand why; the description of how they worked was, frankly, magical. Overnight, the spheres would dissolve their casing in their stomach, and the resultant energy construct would first integrate itself into their brain, before creating thorough connections between itself and the location their core would be once it was formed, before branching from there through their essence channels to the rest of their body. By the time it was done, it would be able to monitor every facet of their physical health and cultivation, which could be called up mentally at will. It could even use their essence channels to transfer information so they could accept and keep track of tasks, access areas that needed authorization, and more. He wouldn't pretend he could even begin to understand how it did any of that, but it was more than a little impressive. Also, the sphere was pretty.

Wald led them through the outer disciple quarter, pointing out restaurants and shops he remembered from his time here as he went. After a good deal of walking, they ended up in a residential area and walked up to a door with two chests next to it, one on each side. Wald put his hand on the door for a moment, and then directed them to touch their catalogers to the door while he did. "There. The door will only open for the two of you, myself, any Elder, and authorized guardsmen. The last are in case of emergency or crime; they won't bother you often. I will, though." he finished with a grin.

Vath frowned slightly. "All of those can enter at any time?" he asked.

Wald's grin faded, but he answered, "They can, but outside great need, it is considered quite rude to do so. They will let you know they are here and wait to be invited in. There is an infusion on the door that will let out a noise inside to notify you someone is waiting. I promise you, your privacy will not be invaded without very good reason. Now," he said with his grin back, "let's go in. It's not as big as my rooms, let alone an Elder's, but I'm sure you won't be too disappointed."

That had been an understatement. To their left was a room filled with just couches, chairs, and a single low table. All were exquisitely crafted, and that room alone was the size of the house they'd grown up in. To their right was an open door, through which they could see a cooking and eating area nearly as large as the sitting room. And they could see a hallway with several more doors stretching in front of them. When they explored it, they discovered two large bedrooms opposite each other, both with luxurious beds, closets and other amenities they never used, including individual bathrooms complete with a bathtub. Both the toilet and the tub had useful infusions on them to remove waste, and the tub even had a way for you to control the temperature of water. They couldn't wait to use them. But the final room was the most interesting. It was a cultivation room. It had five doors leading into it, including one from the hallway, one from each of their rooms, and one door in the back wall of each side that led out into a small enclosed courtyard with a garden. The courtyard seemed to serve the same purpose as the sitting room, if they wanted to enjoy fresh air with or without guests, but they weren't quite sure Why there needed to be so many doors in and out of the cultivation room. At least, until Wald explained the full features of the room.

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To begin with, there were two circles on the ground on opposite sides of the room. They turned out to be essence gathering formations, with specially tuned shields around them that would let people in and out, but keep the essence trapped. When they stepped inside, both brothers were in awe of how much essence was in the air. Far more than even the Beast meat had pumped out. Wald explained that there were better versions available to the higher ranks, but they weren't necessary for outer disciples since few could ever use that much essence faster than the formation could refill it. Vath believed him. He certainly would take ages to use that much even if it wasn't replenishing itself. Although he imagined he'd get faster with practice and training; perhaps he'd even get a better technique.

The other features of the room, however, were somehow even more amazing to Vath. The doors from their rooms, in addition to just being more convenient if they were already in there, also served to allow them access when the partition was used. There was an infusion on both sides of the room that could be controlled to cut the room in half with a wall that somehow came out of the ceiling. It blocked access to the hallway door, which lit up with a symbol on the front to indicate it was blocked, but it left each brother still plenty of room to cultivate, if they ever needed to do so with no distractions, or if they simply desired solitude for a time. Similarly, the doors on the back wall were to allow both access to the courtyard even if the partition was down, but even more impressively, the back wall itself could lower. Both in conjunction with the partition and on its own, with just one half or both, it could sink into the ground to allow them to enjoy the view. It could even be left adjusted to open part way, to give them a breeze and sunlight without leaving them completely exposed to the elements.

Vath was in awe. He knew life in the village and the wilds had left him ignorant to quite a lot of the wider world, but he'd never dreamed that most of what he'd seen today was possible. So many people, so many things they sold and did, so many devices and wondrous uses of essence that he had never even considered existed. It was more than a little overwhelming. Kaser looked giddy in comparison.

Wald gave them a small smile. "Welcome to your new life. I'll leave you to settle in. I'll have food be brought to you later; you can schedule meal delivery times with the closest kitchen. It's free for disciples. Alternatively you can eat in the attached cafeterias, your choice. If you're ever not available to answer the door, they'll leave the food in the chest next to it. It has presentation infusions on it, the food will even stay warm till you get to it. Take your time getting used to the space, rest, take a walk. Whatever you want for tonight. Just make sure to swallow your cataloger before bed, and get plenty of sleep. I'll be here tomorrow morning to show you where to go. Goodnight, boys."

"Night, Wald." they chorused to his back.

When the door closed, Kaser turned to Vath with a gleam in his eye. "I'm going to check out everything in here. You coming?" he asked.

Vath shook his head, "This place is amazing, but… it's a lot to process. I'm gonna wash myself and rest. Wake me when the food gets here."

"Sure thing, Vath." Kaser responded, before rushing to the front room.

Vath took his time. He laid out his new robes on a stand next to the towels, stripped off his furs, leaving them on the floor since he didn't know what to do with them, filled the bathtub with water as warm as he could stand it, and then slipped his way in. He groaned in pleasure as warmth invaded his body in a way he'd never experienced before. He grabbed the soap from next to the tub and quickly got to properly cleaning years worth of grime that had never fully come off. There was even a bottle of some kind of thick liquid that said on the front it was for cleaning his hair, with instructions on how to use it. It smelled heavenly, and once he had finished with it and rinsed it out, his hair had never felt so soft. Vath did not consider himself a pampered person by any means, how could he, but he could get used to this. He smelled nice, he felt cleaner than he ever had, and even with a few minutes for the water to cool off and for him to adjust to its temperature, it was so comfortable to just lay there. His eyes closed, and he drifted off to sleep.

He woke to an insistent knock on the bathroom door. "Vath, you in there? The food's here, and you weren't answering your bedroom door." Kaser almost yelled.

"Yeah, I'm here. Fell asleep in the tub, I'll be right out." Vath responded.

"Heh, yeah it's great, isn't it? And you won't believe how much food they brought, either." Kaser called as he walked away.

Vath climbed out of the tub slowly, wincing at how cold it was now, and made his way to the towels, drying himself thoroughly. He put on his robes, marveling at how soft they were, and walked to the dining room. He stopped in the doorway in surprise. There was a tremendous amount of food on the table. Meats, breads, cheeses, soups, noodles, sauces, and more covered the whole thing. There were even a few jugs of different drinks. His mouth hung open a little.

"Told ya." Kaser said with a grin.

"They know there's only two of us, right?" Vath asked in disbelief.

"The person who brought it, Caretaker Yula, said they do this for all new disciples. One of everything that's free for us at the cafeterias. Says it's a welcome, as well as letting us sample things so we know what we like when we order food. The bottom of the dishes are even labeled so you know what it's called. Saves on wasted food in the long run, she said." Kaser answered.

"Well then," Vath said with an answering grin, "let's waste as little of this as possible." Both dug in with gusto. It had been a long day, and there was so much to try. They ate until they couldn't stomach more, and moved to the sitting room to relax for a few minutes. They chatted about their favorite dishes, and just generally unwound in a way they hadn't been able to in years. When they could move again, they cleaned up the table. Apparently, the chest opposite the food preserver outside the door was for trash, and it would be emptied once a day. The food and the dishes both went in. It turned out the latter were crafted by an Earth essence cultivator by the crateful, and were intended to be disposable. You could buy nicer permanent dishes for your kitchen if you wanted to cook for yourself or put on a better display for guests, but if you ordered delivery from a kitchen, you got disposable earthenware. At Vath's suggestion, they both put their furs in the chest as well. They had made them with their own two hands, but neither was particularly proud of the end result, and they didn't need them anymore.

With that, the brothers said goodnight, and retreated to their rooms. Vath collapsed to his bed, barely remembering to swallow the small white sphere before unconsciousness claimed him.