The Innkeeper

Chapter 2187: Baby pink

"Why can’t things stay normal for once?" Lex muttered to himself as he rubbed his temple. The issue was both big, and not so big. Wu Kong worked for Nuwa, and apparently so did Lex, so there wasn’t much conflict between them in that regard. However, Lex was also aware of how loose Nuwa’s command over her subordinates was. That meant that Lex could be threatened by Wu Kong, or even controlled entirely, and yet Nuwa would do nothing about it... maybe.

This wasn’t exactly an easy situation to resolve. Thus, all he could do was focus on the task at hand. He sent out a notice to all the workers, alerting them to the situation, and drafted a notice for the guests as well.

This was about to seriously affect his Satisfaction rating, but there wasn’t much that could be done about that. He needed to compile a list of everyone who was missing, and then begin working on a rescue plan. He couldn’t just leave his workers and guests inside a realm that even Dao Lords found annoying.

Among those missing were Brenda and Pierre as well, but only because they had been inside the tavern that Wu Kong took with him, may he survive that experience unharmed. If he himself were available, venturing into this realm himself is something he would have taken on. Unfortunately, he was busy, so he could only leave this to his workers.

Hopefully, the situation wouldn’t be too bad. After all, whoever unsealed the Dream realm probably did so to target Dao Lords, or those powerful realms. It should have nothing to do with the weaker cultivators, right?

While Lex worked on a rescue plan himself, Jack finally understood what the opportunity he found was. He looked at his crew, all of whom were being punished for taking advantage of him. All except Bob, who had shown unwavering loyalty during this period - mainly because he was tied to the ship, and his mouth was blocked using a Divine Wine cork.

"Our opportunity to leave this forsaken place has finally come," Jack said as he began to flap his wings, channeling his energy into the ship.

The crew, which had been chained up alongside the two gravity eels, felt a tremendous amount of relief because they finally felt like they were going to be let loose. In all fairness, it was Jack’s own fault that his mere presence killed all enemies. What were they supposed to do? Not use his body like a battering ram to collect an unbelievable amount of loot?

Yet their relief did not last long because Jack made no move to untie them. Instead, he removed Bob’s cork.

"What do you say, Bob? You want to go on an adventure with the whole crew to the Dream realm?" Jack asked the Drama-cat. He had been holding in his words for a long time now, so the effect of his next few sentences should be extremely potent.

The Drama-cat did not immediately speak, however. No, he opened and closed his lips, as if practicing how to speak... almost as if he had forgotten how to. Of course, only a fool would believe as much. Jack could feel the divine energy building up inside the Drama-cat’s body.

Overhead, grey clouds began to gather, slowly turning dark as streaks of blue lightning flashed within. Yet there was only lightning, no thunder. It was as if the world itself had hushed up, in anticipation for what was to come.

"It is naught but foolishness," whispered Bob as his small hands reached up and twirled his magnificent moustache. "To live... and not adventure is naught but foolishness. Yet to live and to adventure with the captain is nothing less than glory personified!"

The more he spoke, the more his volume rose. The winds blew, the clouds trembled, and a storm began to gather all around the Jolly Rancher.

"Verily, I say unto the void," his voice boomed, echoing across the endless skies. "To live and follow the captain to adventure is glory! But to dream, and follow the captain even within dreams is more than just glorious! It is more than just magenta! It is... baby pink!"

The thunder that had been accumulating was finally unleashed, shaking the very space of the Major realm. Lightning flashed, blinding living and dead alike, hiding from all existence what was unfolding in the epicenter of such turbulence.

When the thunder stilled, and the lightning disappeared, all that was left behind was an emptiness, and a memory of something glorious that was just beginning. Yet how could the words of Bob, spoken after such a long time, be spoken in vain?

It was not just the Jolly Rancher and its crew that entered the Dream realm. Nay, it was all vessels, all ships, all floats, all vehicles of any kind upon which a Drama-cat was present.

All of a sudden the Dream realm, which was becoming the center of a number of chaotic events occurring all across the universe, became the focal point wherein the Drama-cats converged from across the universe.

The Deity of Entropy, the Deity of Chaos had entered the realm of dreams, and brought along with him his race of followers. But perhaps it was because so many Drama-cats were entering the realm all at once, no one was able to notice the tiny, small, nearly insignificant matter of there being two Drama-cats already inside the Dream realm, long before the others came in.

"I say, dear Clifford, I seem to be unable to move. Mayhaps, stepping atop the giant jewel in the center of an ocean of cosmic energy was not the best idea," said a very young Drama-cat to his companion.

"Do not utter such nonsense again, Belfry," responded the companion, who was also frozen in place atop the pulsing, purple jewel. "Clearly this is a bed, and we are unable to leave until napping satisfactorily. Close thy eyes posthaste, and let thine dreaming commence."

Belfry, the first Drama-cat, nodded eagerly, as if seeing the light.

"Astute observation, my good fellow. Most astute. I will hence undertake the assignment of napping most contentedly. Observe, if you wish to learn."

Clifford put on the most serious of expressions as he began to study how it was that Belfry went about taking his nap. This was good research material.

Over in the Midnight realm, once he was done with everything else, Lex still felt like he was forgetting something, but couldn’t recall what it was. After a while, he just shrugged and gave up. It would come to him if it was important.

Meanwhile, within Arch-Heaven, Fenrir and Mango kept staring at each other, in silence, waiting. What they were waiting for, Mango wasn’t quite sure. But they were waiting nonetheless.

"Do you want to take a nap?" Mango suddenly asked.