The Innkeeper

Chapter 1848: Come

"What... what are you?" the Defiler asked weakly, an undisguised dread filling his white eyes as he looked at Lex.

All around them... was nothing, because Lex had taken the Defiler and pulled him up into space when it became obvious that the mere reverberations of their fight could damage the planet.

"Shouldn’t I be the one asking that question?" Lex asked, his voice terrifying evil as it escaped through the Tyrant’s Mask. His sword, Naraka, was stabbed right through the center of the Defiler’s body, pinning him to that point in space as well as refining its edge through its blood. More importantly, once Naraka killed the Defiler, it would gain an edge against all other Defilers.

This was the unique ability of his sword. Every time it killed someone, it would gain an advantage against those of the same race. He’d never really needed that ability before, but it couldn’t hurt to level it up for the future.

"Your biology and physiology... well, let’s not even talk about that. Instead, the sheer rejection of the laws that touch your body seem so unnatural. It’s like you haven’t quite reached the point of Universal Rejection, but you’re definitely on par for Universal Disgust. What has your race done... for your entire race to be treated like this?"

Lex, sitting on nothing but moulded space, continued to study the Heaven Immortal Defiler with interest. As for the fight? These days, Lex was not too interested in fighting too much.

His tenet was suppressed by the Pineapple which was quickly reaching his limit, so if he exerted his tenet too much, there was a chance that the seal would break prematurely.

Compared to Elders and Sages, these common races, even if at the Heaven Immortal, posed no threat to Lex. Their greatest advantage lay in the fact that they could sense and manipulate Relational laws, but Lex could more or less do that too so there was no advantage at all.

By now, his body had reached the same level of strength and defense as the dragon Pelvailin before its demise, meaning that as a cultivation mat, the dragon was no longer useful for him. He’d been on the search for a Celestial Immortal mat, but unfortunately the opportunity had not arrived just yet.

"Do you know... who you’re offending by doing this? Let me go and I... will keep you protected. I can swear a soul binding oath..." the Defiler tried to plead, but his words fell on deaf ears as Lex had no interest in anything he had to say. Unfortunately, Lex wasn’t going to try and read its memories.

"I... I can share a great secret with you... if you let me go..." the Defiler finally said, sensing its end near. "This realm, the Origin realm, hides many secrets which is why it has attracted the attention of the Henali. But even they do not know why this realm is special. But there are a few... who know... If you let me live, I can tell you where to find an answer."

Lex raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. He was curious, but he also had his plate full.

"To be entirely honest, I’m not interested in that. However, there is something else I’m interested in. If you give me an honest answer, I might be open to the possibility of leaving you alive."

The Defiler looked at Lex with helplessness and a suppressed hatred. ’Open to a possibility’? Wasn’t that the same as saying nothing at all. Yet he was not in a situation to reject Lex.

"I’ve heard that Defilers are selfish. I doubt you have much loyalty to your organization, so why don’t you start by telling me about that," Lex said.

A flicker of hope flashed through the Defilers eyes.

"The organization is called DC, meaning Defilers Club. It’s run by... I don’t know who it’s run by, to be honest. They just agree to hide Defilers from detection, and let us do what we want. We’re all completely independent and just do whatever we want. The only rule is that Defilers cannot act against one another, and if we do, we lose the protection of the club."

Lex frowned, taking it in. To him, it seemed like someone was protecting and nurturing the Defilers for some unknown purpose.

Off the top of his head, he thought of the Path of Chaos, and the rumors of the impending wars in the upcoming years. Someone might be nurturing Defilers to use them in critical times. Their nature might make it so that they could not be effectively controlled, but they could be relied on to keep true to their nature, and in critical times that might be enough.

"So how are you able to operate in the Origin realm without alarming the Henali? Or does the DC take care of that too?" Lex asked.

But this time, the Defiler did not answer. He looked at Lex, withholding the information. There were no words exchanged, but it was clear. The Defiler would reveal no more unless he was promised freedom - granted freedom.

Lex smirked, and then snorted. As if any of this was important enough for him to give up a Defiler core. If a Defiler core was powerful or effective enough to turn a Deity back into a normal person, then Lex could imagine countless other situations it could be used in.

Basically, it was the best tool against laws, or contracts that used laws for binding. He would give one core to Vinei, the Phoenix Deity in the Crystal realm, and keep one for himself for contingencies.

As if sensing his intentions, the Defiler started growling, before containing himself.

"We know who you are, Lex Williams," the Defiler said, suddenly changing tactics. "Those who walk beside the herald of misfortune are all marked. We know your friends, your family. Choose wisely, and you may still find a way out of this. Or else... you will learn why the whole universe fears Defilers."

Upon hearing the threat, Lex actually smiled, but then paused. It occurred to him that the Defiler couldn’t see his smile, so for once, before he finished his opponent, Lex removed the Tyrant’s Mask.

The Defiler laid eyes upon Lex and what he saw summoned new dread in his heart. He did not see the face of a man who had exerted himself, nor did he see the face of a man who had even really tried.

He was pinned to blank space itself as his life was used to up to refine the humans sword, unable to move, unable to corrupt space, unable to leak a shred of energy, constrained by the powers of a man... who had not even really bothered to try, and that scared the Defiler a lot more than the gentle smile on Lex’s face.

The gentle smile, though, contained an enormous weight of its own.

"Everyone I meet seems to threaten me with a mark. But it seems no one is really afraid that I’ll mark them. It seems that while my name is known to many... not many know to fear me just yet. It is something I’ll have to change."

In Lex’s empty hands appeared a black bead, a black bead that seemed to contain an endless power the Defiler could not fathom.

Lex gently placed the bead on the Defiler’s body, allowing it to absorb into its body.

"Hear me now," said Lex, though his voice seemed to echo in far more than the void of space. His voice rang in the Defilers ear, but also in the ears of so many more. Profanites across the Origin realm heard his voice, but also so many more. Defilers, hiding in the shadows, and those who cast the shadow for the Defilers to hide, also heard his voice.

"You threaten me by saying you know who I am. You threaten me by saying that I am marked. That entire swarms of enemies will come after me if I don’t do as you say..."

Lex’s smile grew just a bit, but the intensity in his eyes grew far more. The Defiler, a being who did not even breath, suddenly felt like he was suffocating under that gaze. That was because Lex wasn’t just looking at him, but at his karma, and through it, he was looking at everyone who could hear his voice. Similarly, they all had a vision of a pair of eyes, looking down upon them.

"Well, I also see who you are. You are my enemies. Come to me, so that I may show you the hospitality of my blade. Come to me, so you can know what it is like when I am the one who marks you. Come."

Without waiting for the Defiler to speak, Lex drew his sword from its weakened body and slashed it, using the weight of the Defilers accumulated negative karma to smother his life.

Without waiting, he took out its core and put it away, waiting for anyone else who might want to take him up on his offer.

He waited seconds, and then minutes. But for all the bravado the Defiler showed, for all the promise of retribution, all Lex was left with was an empty void. None dared to come.

"Pity," Lex muttered as he turned away. "I really wanted to try punching a Celestial."