The Innkeeper

Chapter 1218  Drama

"I must say, this is a rather bold fashion statement," said Geeves as he fixed Lex's tie, and took a step back to look at his latest piece of work, though its design had been according to Lex's demands.

The suit was a thing of darkness, woven from fabric that seemed to drink in the light around it, leaving an unsettling void in its wake. The blackness of the suit was not merely a color, but an abyss, a yawning chasm that hinted at unspeakable things lurking just beyond the edges of perception. The shirt beneath was as black as the deepest night, and the tie, a narrow strip of the same, lay against the chest like a serpent coiled in malevolent anticipation. There was a strange, almost eldritch quality to the suit, as though it had been stitched together not by mortal hands, but by forces best left unnamed, its very presence a silent whisper of vengeance and madness.

It was black on black on black, which would have seemed a bit excessive if not for how deeply it flattered Lex's physique. Anyone who looked at him would not be able to look away, either for his handsomeness, which had grown immensely with his cultivation. Having a well toned body also helped.

Yet much more attractive was the sense of danger oozing off his body. Danger tingled the perception of anyone who laid eyes on him, filling their mind with an excitement of living life on the very edge.

Ordinarily, Lex would not really have cared much for public attention. It was nice when he got some, but most of the time he was able to do whatever he wanted in life without caring about how others would perceive him. Yet right now he wanted to put on an act, which was not so much an act, and he needed everyone who laid eyes on him to feel his vengeful mood.

"Would you like the sheath on your hips or on your back?" Geeves asked, completely unaffected by the ethereal pull of the black suit.

"Waist is fine," Lex said, and stood still while the tailor made a small amendment to his suit to allow him to attach Naraka's sheath to it. Once it was done, Lex looked in the mirror once to admire his visage.

"Wish me luck," he said absent mindedly as he prepared to leave. "Good man, with my suit on your side, you won't need to rely on something as ephemeral as luck."

Lex chuckled, and then left the Inn. It was time. He had spent as much time preparing for this as he could. Now he just had to see things through. Even now, after everything he had done, there still wasn't complete certainty that things would pan out the way he wanted. But there was only so much he could do.

"Keep an eye on Moon for me," he told Mary, and walked forward. She still hadn't woken up, despite her body having stabilized. There was no indication of when she might wake up, which is what had dampened his mood somewhat. But he couldn't focus on that right now.

He activated his invitation to the Champions tourney, and was teleported away. He reappeared inside a room full of countless other Immortals, each one stronger than the next, all of them incredibly powerful.

As the only non-immortal in the room, his sudden arrival drew a lot of attention. His suit only increased the amount of attention he was getting, which was the point. Soon, the briefing began.

*****

In the very heart of the Origin realm, there was a landmass the size of which defied all logic and comprehension. This landmass, every single inch of it, was the Henali holyland, and served as the seat of power within the Origin realm. It was a place where even Dao Lords acted respectfully in deference to the owners of this realm.

Entering that landmass was beyond difficult, and even approaching it was akin to death, as six blackholes had been chained up around it, kept on a leash, either as guard dogs or perhaps to be kept in check. It did not matter.

What mattered was that beyond the blackholes, there were a number of artificially created rogue planets upon which guests were received. On one such planet, a gathering was being held.

This gathering was not exactly as prestigious as the Henali assembly, which was held once a century for the Dao Lords of the realm, but it was a close second, for it invited all the peak powers of the realm. Even representatives of the Dao Lords were present as well, which is why the gathering was filled by peak Celestial level, and Demi-Dao Lord level beings.

While they mingled, and discussed the future of the realm, a few of them were paying attention to a screen where the Champions tourney was being shown.

The masses were deprived of this show, but not them. After all, they were the ones who had sent most of the candidates to be crowned champion.

"Who's that?" asked an especially effeminate voice, as a flower petal moved, pointing towards a handsome man in black.

"Ah, that young man is one I have been keeping an eye on," answered Zuri, a mysterious gleam passing through her eyes.

"Zuri, have some shame. That human is at least a few hundred millennia younger than you. Just because you like to spread your clones does not mean you need to find children to help with the job."

"Fine, crack jokes," Zuri said, not at all minding the humor. "I guess that means you don't want to know the drama that's been unfolding all around him."

These beings, at the peak of the realm, barely got any free time. Most of them had never even heard of Lex, let alone focus on his problems. They had their own fair share of problems to focus on.

"Oh? Drama? And enough of it to attract your attention? Now I have to hear this."