The Innkeeper

Of course, nothing was ever easy or straightforward. But considering the rarity and use of the treasure he was searching for, perhaps it was called for. He felt a tinge of disappointment, but then again, he knew that there would be some kind of seal around the resin. It only made sense that it was not so simple to overcome.

He decided to mark the location and come back once he officially finished all his Innkeeper chores, but before leaving, he wanted to find the entrance. He continued to trace the domain wall, though at a distance. The last thing he wanted was to activate some kind of restriction and then be pulled into the domain against his will, once again leaving him to control the Inn remotely.

It seemed that experience really did build the man, for without his experiences, Lex wouldn't even know what possible traps to avoid.

As he trailed it, Lex was able to confirm that the domain was absolutely massive. In fact, Lex would not be surprised if the domain turned out to be bigger than some countries back on Earth.

"You said there were supposed to be multiple entrances?" Lex eventually asked Pel after nearly ten hours of trailing. By now, he was fairly certain that the domain was larger than the rocky terrain above him. That was not a good sign.

"Usually that's the case. This is because the entrances to each domain also serve as an exchange vent for the spiritual energy within and outside the domain, which is needed to maintain the delicate internal environment. If there aren't many, then perhaps the internal environment is stable enough that it doesn't need many."

"Excellent. That's great news," Lex said, realizing that his job was getting harder and harder. Normally Lex wasn't one to get flustered so easily, but the deadline, however long it was, alongside the incredibly difficult task of raising the systems level was weighing on him.

"I guess I'll come back to this," he muttered to himself, before memorizing the coordinates and teleporting away. Perhaps this was a good thing. Although he had been trying not to stress himself out, he had been rushing a little bit.

This way, by going back and completing all his tasks first, he could come and tackle the seal with a clear mind. He gave the domain one last, reluctant look, before teleporting away.

"Pel, do you have any techniques that can turn others into humans?" Lex asked casually. He was not expecting such a technique to exist, or if it did, it was probably not so easy to implement.

"Shapeshifting into a human is not a problem at all. In fact, a secret little known to most is that to sate their insatiable lust, dragons sometimes shapeshift into other creatures and mate with others of their kinds. Humans are among those races. But if you mean actually turning into a human, I fear that I don't recall such a technique. Perhaps if my memories recovered, I could offer some advice."

Lex just glanced at the Mountain-man. He didn't know what to do with him. The fellow had paid his rent in advance using gems, and then just fallen asleep and had not woken up since. He talked about wanting to grow stronger or return to his past life, and since then had just been napping.

Perhaps that was a side effect of being a mountain. Lex wanted his system, but unless he could offer a way to turn him into a human, or somehow reconnect him with the people from his past life, he had no idea how to do so.

Besides the Mountain-man, there was also that guy who ran a book club. He also had a system, but he seemed way too invested in growing his book club, which probably had something to do with his system. It was unlikely he would want to give it up.

He was treating both of them as extreme reserves, in case he needed to take some drastic measures. But he really did not want to let things come to that.

He checked and discovered that he only had four days left before his Host Attire stopped working.

Since Luthor had not returned yet from the Minor realm, Lex summoned all the other leading figures of the Inn for a joint meeting. Since he as the Innkeeper was not going to be available, and he as Lex was going to be busy, it was important to set up systems for all the workers to be able to handle any potential problems in the upcoming time.

Setting up a robust transport system was also very important, for unless they figured out how to set up teleportation formations on their own, they would need to come up with other ways to travel.

For the first time ever, over 30 workers of the Inn gathered in his office. They included members such as Velma and Gerald, but also key members of the planning division, the upcoming battalion, security, and other prominent workers who had made themselves known through exemplary service.

Those who had attended countless meetings were more or less relaxed, but the rest were jittery though they tried their best to hide it. But how could such a thing be hidden from Lex anyway?

"I am glad you are all here today, because I have an important announcement to make. The Midnight Inn has undergone a new beginning, and many things have changed over this time. Your help in tackling the countless problems we faced has been invaluable, which is why I feel confident in giving you more responsibility.

"As a result of this new beginning, there are certain matters that require my personal attention for the foreseeable future. During this period, I will not be able to divert any attention to the Inn, so any and all problems the Inn encounters will have to be handled by you."

His words stunned most of the crowd, though predictably, Gerard and Velma were unaffected. They had been with the Innkeeper the longest and had absolute faith in him. If he decided that they could deal with any problems they faced, then he had probably already foreseen what problems they would encounter. Now it was just up to them to live up to his expectations.