Ethereal Ascendance: A Journey of Transformation

The two of us sat in silence in the room for a long time before I finally couldn't help but bluntly point out the key issue. "From Vivianne's tone, it must be a communal bath. Now we can only go to the women's bath and will inevitably be naked with other women..."

"So what?" To my surprise, Nicola just blinked, seemingly not expecting me to get tangled up in this. She looked very disdainful. "Now everyone is female. No one will say anything if you go in."

"But I'm scared! I used to be male! What if I lose composure later?" I had a panicked expression on my face. After all, I had never seen other females naked before, let alone more than one.

How could Nicola be so nonchalant about this? She used to be male too!

"Aren't you afraid?" I asked in surprise. "Ah..."

Suddenly I realized with a start.

"Haha, I've seen plenty." Sure enough, she had a smug expression as she boasted to me. I then remembered who she used to be—Reilly, a playboy who had dated so many girls they could circle our high school track field. Of course she wouldn't care about this.

"Then what are you worried about?" I was confused again for a moment. "If that's the case, just go take a bath. Why are you sitting here looking miserable with me?"

"Because I'm afraid of myself." Now it was her turn to complain bitterly to me. "Although I've slept with countless girls, they were still others after all. It's completely different to have to scrub and wash my own female body now. I'm afraid I can't stand it and won't be able to do it. Don't you think it's very weird?"

"Ah? Right!" It was like a bolt from the blue. I had forgotten to consider the issues with my own body. Although I had unintentionally seen my nude body several times before, at least when I walked naked in Elara Woodlands for half a day, I was covered in feathers. So it didn't really feel different from wearing clothes and I couldn't say I was used to it.

That would be troublesome. It seemed we might not be able to bathe after all! I was even considering giving up the bathing option. But I felt it wouldn't work—first, I couldn't stand not bathing myself, and second, it wouldn't look good to fool Vivianne and the others if they found out.

Moreover, even if I avoided it today, what about later? This was inevitable sooner or later. I'd have to bathe eventually.

"Why don't you...go first?" I tentatively suggested to Nicola. "Anyway, you have fewer mental obstacles. You can come back and give me some experience for reference."

"Hey! You're too unfair." She looked very unhappy at me, as if I was sending her to her death. "Am I cannon fodder?"

"Well, I can't go first either" I said with a nonchalant expression, trying to make her let go of any psychological burden. I even used facts to help her see the situation. "You're already immune to harm from others. You'll have to get past this eventually. You can't not bathe for a lifetime, right?"

After all, this made sense. She couldn't find a reason to refute me. At least for now, it seemed too inhumane to drag me to be a scapegoat. So after a period of intense inner struggle, Nicola grabbed the towel and toiletries provided by the inn and rushed out of the room.

"Good luck!" I stood at the door watching her slowly walk towards the women's bath. I happened to see Adrian and Brennan also come out of their room with towels at the same time. The three of them even greeted each other.

"What a coincidence!" I could vaguely hear Nicola's voice trembling a little.

I couldn't help laughing to myself. This was the first time I'd seen her so embarrassed. It was really fun.

While Nicola was bathing, I was bored waiting in the room. I took a walk around and when I came back, she had already finished bathing. She was sitting on the bed drying her hair.

"That fast?" As soon as I entered, I immediately asked with concern. I didn't expect it to be my turn so soon. "How was it?"

"Not bad!" Nicola looked very relaxed, only seeming to be ineffective in dealing with her long gray and white hair, unable to dry it for half a day.

"Really? That's all?" I frowned. Her answer seemed too casual. "Were there many people? Any precautions? Do you have any experience to tell me?"

"Not many, just a few people. Don't worry, you won't be stimulated. As for washing yourself, it's not a big deal. After all, it's your own body. You got used to it. You don't plan on publicly touching yourself, do you?"

Nicola answered my questions very quickly. Then she went back to fussing with her hair.

"Is it really okay?" I looked at her doubtfully. She was so calm about it. For a while, I stood still not knowing what to do. After struggling mentally for a while, I finally took my towel and toiletries and walked out of the room.

Standing in front of the door of the women's bath, I deliberately listened for a while but unfortunately didn't hear anything. It seemed there really weren't many people.

After the changing room was the bathing area. There were many small locker-like storage lockers. I found an empty one, took off my clothes after wrapping myself in a towel, and walked towards the inner room.

It seemed Nicola was right. Although I hadn't looked much before, I had unintentionally seen my own nude body several times. At least I didn't have a problem undressing.

But the moment I entered the inner room, I was at a loss for words...

I saw at least ten people in the open-air bathhall. Some were soaking in the central pool while others were sitting by the shore washing themselves.

This was not many people? I immediately realized I had been fooled. I instinctively wanted to leave and come back at another time, but when I turned around, I bumped into two familiar faces.

"Huh, Feliciana, aren't you going in?" It was Vivianne and Selene.

"You're here, what a coincidence..." I couldn't help but wrap my towel tightly around myself. I was a little dumbfounded seeing them start to undress in front of me. So I turned my head away and didn't dare look.

"Didn't you ask us to bathe together?" I heard Selene's confused voice behind me.

I never made plans with them! It turned out this was Nicola's scheming. No wonder she was so calm earlier. It was all premeditated. I finally realized I had been tricked.

But come to think of it, they were undressing behind me. This was a rare opportunity. Why not take advantage of it and take a look? Wouldn't it be just right?

After all, to say I wasn't curious would be a lie. For a moment I was itching to turn my head back around.

But after appreciating the view for a while, I immediately felt it was inappropriate. Staring at them so obviously might be too noticeable. I might get suspected. So I guiltily turned my head away again.

After this going back and forth in my mind for a long time, it wasn't until the end that...

"Why aren't you going in yet?"

The two girls behind me had already undressed. Seeing me still blocking the entrance, they pushed me into the hall. It seemed I had no choice but to face everything that was coming.

Wow, that's really eye-catching!

Although I had roughly glimpsed it before, coming in again now, I still felt I couldn't stand it. Actually the women's bath wasn't as exaggerated as I had imagined. At least most didn't look extremely thin or fat in rings. Some very old elderly customers were hard to look at. I finally understood what Nicola meant when she said I wouldn't be stimulated. But this was still eye-blinding in a different way!

After quickly rinsing off with the shower head, I immediately jumped into the pool and swam to a corner to face the wall. By comparison, Vivianne and Selene's bodies felt like two lotus flowers in a mudslide. My previously calm heart was stimulated again.

"Feliciana, why was your face red just now?" It was Vivianne's voice. She had also entered the water behind me. Seeing me with my back to her and almost my whole body submerged in the water, she said strangely, "What are you shy about? Haven't you been to a public bath before?"

"Ah, maybe I really haven't."

She suddenly realized it after thinking of me being an angel and my supposed amnesia.

I didn't dare say I'd been to one before, just the men's bath...

"Lady Nicola actually came alone first without telling me!"

Just then Selene also complained as she entered the water. She sounded very regretful.

Seeing they had both gotten in, I finally dared to turn around. At least with the pool water covering the body with only the head exposed, I wouldn't see their body.

I suddenly realized it wasn't so scary here after all. In my opinion, as long as I was careful and closed my eyes in time, I basically wouldn't see anything improper. Even if I did catch a glimpse, it would only be for a split second before I could react. No wonder Nicola was so calm about it. It wasn't only because she wanted to trick me.

With my mood relaxed, since I hadn't soaked in a bath for a long time, I couldn't help feeling a little emotional to enjoy it in this different world.

It felt so nice... I hadn't noticed before that bathing could be such a comfortable thing. I felt like I was melting away, immersed in the hot water. My whole body was in a state of euphoria and my consciousness hazy.

"Feliciana, what do you think of Brennan?" The three of us had been quietly not speaking, when Vivianne suddenly spoke up and asked me.

"Huh? Think what about him?" I was startled awake from my dazed state, not reacting for a moment.

"I mean his personality. What do you think of Brennan's personality?" What a strange question. Why ask me about Brennan's personality?

"He seems alright. Very reliable." I thought about it and replied. Actually, the deepest impression Brennan left me was his amazing techniques. They played a big role in the fight with Minos, although the lack of overall strength meant he couldn't do too much damage. But at least it allowed him to not lose when facing a stronger opponent.

"Is that so? I think so too." For some reason, whether from the steam or something else, Vivianne's cheeks suddenly turned red. I felt something was off.