The Innkeeper

Chapter 1993: An end

A part of Lex wondered if he should have given them both a couple of slaps instead of an evolution. He was sure that would have been just as satisfying. But... whatever. He was now done with them. Although Serene had some special heritage, and Leon seemed to be hiding a powerful sword intent, neither of them were things Lex was in particular need of. Furthermore, they would sever all connection between them and Lex, so henceforth, they need not be concerned with one another.

Now, Lex could finally focus on leaving this damn Arch-Heaven. He first peeked in the two crystals given to him by Serene to make sure there were no surprises waiting for him, but they were exactly what she claimed they were: techniques and knowledge.

With that done, he could now leave. A part of him wondered if they should take James with them, but considering he was a drooling mess, entirely unable to do anything until he digested all that destiny he devoured, dragging him around would be a hassle in case they faced trouble. Better to just leave him in Vox’s care for now.

"Are you ready, guys?" Lex asked, his up until now stern expression changing back to his usual, smiling self. "We’re going to go find a mermaid!"

He was expecting both Fenrir and Mango to respond with some hint of excitement, but that’s not what he got. Fenrir was feeling low. How could Lex find his parents when he wasn’t even looking for them, but Fenrir couldn’t find his sister?

Mango, too, was feeling low, but at least he was vocal about the reason why.

"First you replace my excellent swimming skills by wanting to get a mount. Then, you want to find someone else with a fin? Well, let me tell you, human, that my fin is the most fabulous fin you will find anywhere! No mermaid will have a better fin than mine!"

Then, as if he was throwing a tantrum, Mango turned around as if showing Lex his back.

Lex felt the urge to laugh, but he managed to restrain himself lest the fabulous goldfish get even more upset.

"You misunderstand me, oh fabulous and amazing Sir Mango," Lex said as he began to placate the fish.

The trio quickly went and found themselves mounts which were called, and this was no joke, Bullshoots! They were, as the name suggested, bulls with wings, and they happened to be red in color. It was quite odd and hilarious, which Lex found fitting as they set off, following his karmic string towards that mermaid. He hoped they’d be able to reach her soon.

Several hours later, Serene and Leon completed their evolution, erasing some of their physical weaknesses and somewhat improving their stamina. The change was not overwhelming, but here in Arch-Heaven where base strength mattered a lot, it would be of great help.

But instead of appreciating or admiring their changes, both of them looked at each other bewildered. Lex... was much stronger than they had expected.

Both of them actually had a much higher power percentage than Lex. While they were not as high as Mango, they used special privileges from certain secrets they learned from the heritage to disguise their actual percentage from others.

So the fact that Lex still took them by surprise said a lot about how strong he actually was. Serene, being weak, could understand how she was taken by surprise. But how exactly had Leon not seen it coming?

"He is very smart," Leon said after a moment of thinking. "He was able to determine that I was sensing him through my intent, and you through your connection as humans. He did not make it obvious, but he used that connection to show us whatever he wanted us to see. I’m afraid we have not properly gauged the depth of his strength."

Serene was taken by surprise hearing her husband’s words.

"I know it must be tough for you to stay so restrained," she said, looking at Leon gently. "But you must stay like this. This is the best form of practice for self control. Only once your control is perfect can we move onto other aspects. Remember, nothing below the Dao realm matters. Becoming Dao Lords will only be the most basic qualification to step onto the universal stage. For now, we must endure. A time will come for us to be unrestrained, but it is not now."

But Leon seemed to not be listening as his thoughts were still lingering on Lex.

"I get the feeling that... he could probably take the full strength of my sword intent without much harm," he said in almost a whisper.

"Your sword intent can harm Celestials, how can a Heaven Immortal bear it? And even if he really can, then I’m glad for him. His path may have been difficult, but it has also made him strong," she said, shaking her head. "Now, don’t waste time. We’ve let go of our final reservations. From now on, we can focus on our mission. Sever the connection."

Leon was still distracted for a few more seconds, but eventually he sighed. He pulled out his sword, a very ordinary, mundane looking weapon, and bathed it in his sword intent until it shone like a beacon in the night sky.

Grasping his sword with both hands, Leon slashed forward, cutting something. In that instant, across the universe, anyone and everyone who shared even the slightest hint of connection to them seemed to have lost it.

A majority of people didn’t even realize what happened. Damian, who was in the middle of research on the Sephore family, frowned. It seemed he had forgotten something, but after thinking about it for a few seconds couldn’t recall what it was so he pushed the thought away.

Lex, who was riding a Bullshoot, felt the change, and understood what happened. A certain weight seemed to have lifted off his shoulders - a weight he had carried all his life.

Back in the Midnight Realm, Moon frowned in her sleep, as if she lost something important to her.

Liz, on the other hand, didn’t notice at all. Nemo noticed, but after studying the change for a bit, decided to say nothing. He did not want to burden his friend with knowledge they could happily live without.

In Eden, Belle was in the midst of war. The Angels and the Seraphim had dropped all pretenses, and a war of annihilation had erupted. It seemed it was her fate to always be embroiled in fights wherever she went. Fortunately, she loved fighting.

In the middle of one such fight, she felt a change. The change was powerful, and filled her with a sense of loss, yet in the heat of battle, she could not distract herself to ponder what had happened. If she lived past this fight, she would think about it then.