The Innkeeper

Chapter 2387: Get ready

Lex had barely completed the thought when the Fortune Lord appeared right in front of him, as if he had sensed an unusual fluctuation from Lex. He did not speak or ask any questions, instead simply looking at Lex as if waiting for him to speak.

"Lord Fortune, there is something I need to report to you," said Lex humbly, without any stray thoughts about being monitored by the Fortune Lord or anything of the sort. " I have received... I am not sure whether to call it advice, instructions or orders. Regardless, I heard a voice telling me that I must leave the Gilded Hollow within eleven months and twenty four days."

Instead of mentioning the Nexus event, Lex directly decided to mention the timeline within which the Nexus event would take place, subtracting one day.

"I am not sure whose voice it was speaking to me, as I do not recognize it, although it does sound extremely familiar. I cannot be certain of the intentions of the one speaking, or what harm or benefit I might get if I do not listen to it. I do not even know if the words were actually for me, since I do not even know how to exit the Gilded Hollow."

Lex spoke honestly and transparently, for the ambiguity surrounding the voice speaking to him held the potential for immense harm. If someone was trying to misguide him, or perhaps even target the Fortune Lord through him, it would be fairly easy to make him think that the voice sounded familiar. In front of a Dao Lord, he was completely vulnerable.

Even his fledgling Dao Body meant nothing in front of the direct and purposeful actions of a Dao Lord, even if they were the weakest possible Dao Lord in existence! It was the same as a mere ordinary mortal standing in front of Lex, trying to resist him if Lex wanted to implant certain memories in his head. It was impossible.

Thus, instead of deciding himself whether or not to listen to the voice, he left it to the Fortune Lord. Truth be told, it felt quite helpless to be so vulnerable in the face of a Dao Lord. It made sense that they were so powerful - they had transcended the level of existence most living beings are born in, and had survived a tribulation designed not to temper, but to kill.

They were a whole other level of being, far surpassing the level of power which Lex was used to, and were in touch with a level of the universe that he could not yet even fathom.

But even if it made sense, it felt absolutely pathetic. A silent yearning for such a level began to sprout within Lex. He’d always held a desire to grow strong, even if most of it came from the extreme vulnerability he felt running the Midnight Inn which was open to the whole universe.

But this specific desire to reach the Dao realm and finally cast away the inability to resist even the slightest was new. It stemmed from the feeling of not knowing whether his own mind was his own, and whether his own actions were his own.

Romulus did not pry into Lex’s thoughts, but he did not need to. He could feel the response of the laws to Lex’s very thoughts and intentions, and could tell at any given moment what was going on in his mind. Even if he wanted to give Lex complete privacy, it was impossible. The gap between them was too fundamental.

That said, he did not intentionally pry into his thoughts or secrets, and that was enough to show his respect for Lex and his backers.

Speaking of which, Romulus took the words that Lex heard as a direct message to himself, and not Lex. His intention to ally with Lex’s backers must have been sensed and even approved. This was not a random conclusion he came to - this was the belief he held based on the evidence he collected from what his senses told him.

He could tell that the universe was in a highly abnormal state, even if he didn’t know why that was. The deadline Lex was given must be referring to some critical event which would fundamentally alter the state of the universe. Missing out on it, or not returning to the universe before then may put Romulus at a fundamental disadvantage moving forward, which is why a warning had been sent in such a way.

Although the sped up timeline put pressure on him, he was not displeased in the slightest. Instead, Romulus felt quite pleased with the warning, meaning that a bedrock for the foundation of his return had already been placed within the universe.

"Understood. In that case... I will give you two months to finish up your tasks and prepare for what’s to come. Whether you can procure the flower you desire will be up to your own efforts. However, to make up for the reduced time, I’ll give you a little help."

Within the room Lex was in, a door appeared, leading to some unknown place. When Lex looked from the door back towards the Fortune Lord, he was already gone.

Given that the Fortune Lord had accepted the new timeline, Lex didn’t waste any time and went towards the door. Beyond it was a small room containing a small pool contained within a silver colored tub or container.

A thin, cooling mist filled the air, and even just being exposed to the mist caused Lex to feel extremely reinvigorated. From within his soul, the basic instincts of a dragon infused within his Domination - an ability derived from Dragon’s Might - began to pulse, as if telling Lex that the pool was extremely valuable, and that he should immediately submerge himself inside of it!

Lex took a deep breath and, without holding back, walked into the pool with feelings of both anticipation and an extreme desire to improve. He was too pathetically weak in the presence of a Dao Lord, and he hated that. He wanted to get as strong as possible, and the first step towards that would be to complete the changes to his necklace, and regain control of his body.

He had no idea what the liquid in the pool was, but the moment he entered, he felt that it was easier than ever to refine and absorb all the materials he had taken from the Gilded Hollow, strengthening the necklace.

In fact, that’s not all it was doing. Lex’s Primordial Dao Body had not improved in a while, but now, not only did it begin to improve again, the speed was absolutely unmatched! Since his soul and body were actually fused, the improvements being made to his soul in the necklace also counted towards the development of his Primordial Dao Body!

Lex pushed away all stray thoughts and focused solely on making sure his necklace was ready. He had only two months.