Firnen City was a marvel of liveliness.
During the day, inhabitants of the city would set out to work. There were miners, descending into the earth to excavate heavenly crystals, which was the primary commodity.
Business places were opened, selling all manner of items as well as variants of the heavenly crystal. However, the red variant was not for sale.
Gilgamesh and Ateah had spent a day in the city already. After realizing that vigorous stones were considered the lowest kind of currency, Gilgamesh decided against renting a room.
Instead, him and Little Feather walked into a nice looking business place in the city square, decked out and furnished fancifully.
It was actually an association for the miners, allowing them to sell off what they excavated while also providing them with a means of public service and steady income.
After entering the building, Gilgamesh flexed his power and forced the woman at the front desk to take him to whomever was in charge.
On the third floor, he entered a woman's office. This was the Owner of the Miners' Association, as well as the Lady of Firnen City, Clara.
"You are now mine."
As his eyes glowed, Gilgamesh and Little Feather watched the Lady of the City become Gilgamesh's slave.
She was a Peak Soul Evolution stage figure, which Gilgamesh forced her to tell him after he made her submit.
She had evolved into a Noble, and was given position and authority by the governing powers of the world.
Gilgamesh came to find out that the world he was currently on was a servant of the The Ghost, and was overseen by his trusted aides.
Unlike The Light, the Ghost's system did not rely on Heavenly Immortals or Universe Sovereigns. Instead, he placed his most powerful allies upon the most powerful world, and they commanded the entire Page from there.
They would mobilize forces to exterminate universes, quell rebellions and kidnap potential talents. Thus, despite the methods being vastly different, The Ghost was also accomplishing the same thing as The Light.
They were both preventing the growth of something that could become a threat.
After finding out what he Clara knew and also asking the Omniscient Auther some questions, Gilgamesh had figured out exactly how the Page worked.
As he sat in Clara's office, he thought about how he could proceed.
Little Feather was encircling Clara and poking her body, bored. The woman's eyes were dim and unfocused, as if she were not even alive.
However, she was very much alive and knew what Little Feather was doing. She was just utterly suppressed and would not dare to oppose the way Little Feather was treating her like an animal in a cage.
'Little Feather's training should start with her inherent nature. She's not focused on it as she's not even at the Establishment stage, so her mastery of it is essentially bottom tier.'
'If she is to advance in the right direction... she needs to identify and master her inherent nature.'
'So, in order to ensure she can do that to the utmost...'
"Little Feather," Gilgamesh called to her, and she ceased poking and prodding Clara's supple chest.
"Yes, Big Brother?"
"Today, you are going to advance to the Establishment stage. After that, you'll cease to cultivate true energy. Your main focus will be your inherent nature, and getting a firm grip on it."
Little Feather nodded, not questioning anything. If Gilgamesh said she would advance in her cultivation, then she would.
In her mind, it was that simple.
In Clara's office, Little Feather began her cultivation. Recognizing that Gilgamesh doted heavily on this individual, the underlying powers of the Page hurried to enact his sunconscious will.
Her cultivation speed increased and she steadily climbed to the limits of her seventh meridian, then proceeded to refine the eighth.
It took her almost two hours before she got to the Peak of the Condensation stage.
"What do I do now, Gilgamesh?"
Gilgamesh blinked before consulting the Omniscient Author.
"You need to consolidate your true energy, and establish the basis upon which you will build your sea of energy. It needs to be able to support true energy natures of the appropriate level, thus you must ensure your sea of energy becomes solid."
"In other words, you need to take the first step in turning your true energy from a liquid form to a solid form. This is the foundational step for your future."
Little Feather heard Gilgamesh's words, and though she did not fully grasp the concept, she went about it in the right way.
Gilgamesh put a hand on her back and cast his divine sense into her body, able to feel a bit of what she was doing.
He could feel her true energy changing, and also felt the subtle metamorphosis of her sea of energy.
There was a series of peculiar sensations coming from her body that Gilgamesh was confused by, but as she continued he came to a profound realization.
'The energy in her body is acting as though under some kind of guidance. It seems to already know what it wants to do, and so she doesn't even have to do anything besides want the same thing.'
'This kind of cultivation... it must be because of her connection to me. This is... the Gilgamesh Cultivation Method!'
Before long, a shattering sound was heard as Little Feather's realm increased.
At the same time, tribulation clouds arose in the sky.
Looking out the glass window, Gilgamesh just sucked his teeth and waved it away, eyes glowing.
The Tribulation vanished, not daring to test Little Feather.
Just like that, she had entered the Establishment stage.
"Good job, Ateah. Now, you must cease to cultivate true energy. From now on, no matter what, you can only rely on your soul and the inherent nature within it."
"Your first task is to identify what your inherent nature is. I don't know how you'll go about doing that, but I wish you luck."
Gilgamesh suddenly pointed to the outside. Realizing what he was insinuating, Little Feather's eyes lit up.
"I'm allowed to go exploring!?"
Gilgamesh nodded and chuckled.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best Big Brother ever!" She ran over and gave him a big kiss on the cheek before running out of the office.
Soon enough, he saw her running out of the building and racing through the city.
His warm expression became icy as he folded his arms behind him.
"Clara."
The woman responded with a bow, "Yes, My King."
"Keep an eye on her. If she faces anything that can kill her, you are to kill it instead."
"Gilgamesh is giving you permission to do so, thus no one in this entire Page can stop you."
Clara nodded, while at the same time some of Gilgamesh's misty red aura settled on her body.
She shivered as beads of sweat ran down her face, creeping down into the voluptous valley below. The pressure of a tiny amount of his aura was almost too much for her.
When she felt it, her body almost shut down. Not only could she sense the undeniable authority in his aura, she could also sense the coldblooded killing intent imbued in it.
She felt like she could kill anyone as long as this aura was around her-- even The Ghost.
Clara vanished from Gilgamesh's sight, secretly tailing Little Feather.
"Now then," Gilgamesh said as he stretched and cracked his joints.
"I want to go see the ghost everyone worships."
Space heeded his command and opened up a breach, and he stepped into a endless world of inky white souls.
These were ghosts, and they made up the entirety of the Domain. Even the solid ground beneath his feet was made out of ghosts.
He looked dead ahead of him and saw the transparent figure of a woman. She was dressed in a flowing, thin dress and had a strange kind of headdress.
It looked like an eagle's skull, and it was placed on her head like a helmet. Her long and wavy white hair hovered around her, as though each strand itself was a ghost.
"You are the one that triggered the Tribulation of Surrender before ascending to my Page?"
Gilgamesh nodded as he slowly walked forward.
"The Demon of the First Book. So you are from the Past?" She asked in her ethereal voice.
"Something like that."
"So what is it that you want? To conquer the Second Book as well?" The Ghost seemed on edge, and she turned her body to face the approaching Gilgamesh.
"Not at all. I was never really interested in conquering. This time around, I'm going to do what I want to do. Nothing more."
Finally, Gilgamesh stopped just a few feet away from her. He looked her in her pale blue eyes and smirked.
"First, I want to know everything you know about the Demon of the First Book. I also want to know how long the Books have existed, and what happened when I vanished in the Past."
The Ghost paused before swallowing relexively- her mouth did not produce saliva.
"Well, I'm afraid I don't have all the answers," she weakly stated.
"That's fine, I don't really need the answers."
"There is something I need you to do, though."
All of a sudden, the cold grip of death grasped The Ghost and caused her body to lock up. She sucked in a quick breath before she was forced upon her knees.
"Please, tell me what you need." The Ghost herself wasn't sure why she spoke the words. She only knew that she absolutely had to say them.
"My little sister is using the world just below your Domain as a training ground. As the last step in her training, she will come to challenge you."
"Until that day comes, you are restricted from making any direct move against her. I know that you govern this page differently; your laws are nothing like The Light's."
The Ghost's eyes widened, and she pressed her head further into the floor until it started to disperse like smoke.
This was actually damaging to her ghostly form, but she did not care.
"Touch her, and I will mobilize my cultivation base. I'm sure you know what that means for your Domain."
The Ghost furiously nodded.
"I understand, Your Majesty. I will await the day that your Sister comes to kill me with bated breath!"
"Good." Another breach opened up and Gilgamesh turned around then left.
The Ghost, despite his departure, was unable to lift her head for the next five days.