The Innkeeper



The 1000 soldiers seemed to be walking casually, but they smoothly shuffled amongst one another and came into their designated spots. While their gait remained nonchalant, they would be ready to react at the first sign of trouble.

From the moment of their birth, they had remained under the nurturing care of the Innkeeper, in the paradise that was the Midnight Inn compared to the battlefield that they had recently endured.

The battle prowess be what it may be, that did not change the fact that they were now living a completely different life and were exposed to horrors and difficulties they never could have imagined. Undoubtedly that put immense mental pressure on them. Who wanted to be on a dying, crumbling planet when they would be at the Inn instead?

Yet while they endured that pressure,their hearts never wavered. In fact, their determination to overcome these trials grew stronger. After all, they finally got a glimpse of the pressure the Innkeeper was keeping at bay for them. They finally saw first hand the trials the Innkeeper was facing alone, so that they would not have to. All they had to face were enemies near the Foundation realm, while the Innkeeper had to face the entire universe himself.

Through fire and fury and blood they renewed their resolution to grow stronger, and they did. Fighting side by side, ensuring that none of their brothers or sisters was harmed, they used this war as an anvil, and their enemies as the hammer which would shape them into the fiercest warriors. Of course, it helped that their suits made them immune to any damage from a foe at their level.

But that defense allowed them to survive their mistakes when they made it, and fix them so that they wouldn't make them again.

"Everything alright?" Gerard asked Luthor as he walked up beside him. Although they had supported his actions without question, no one actually knew why he had dived back into the lava.

Instead of answering directly, Luthor held up his right arm and conjured up a purple flame that seemed to come out of his arm itself, instead of just being summoned atop it.

"Near the core I sensed something calling me, so when I had the opportunity, I returned for it. I found a feather made of purple flames that merged into my body, and strengthened me. Apparently, I was extremely compatible.

"Information about my change appeared in my mind. This is the Purple Phoenix flame, a kind of special flame that is extremely destructive, and is born under extremely special circumstances. Of course, these are not real Phoenix flames, but that is just how it is named. By absorbing the flames, I have apparently activated my dormant physique, which is the Nine Nether Fire Body. I can continuously absorb special fires into my body, and once I've collected nine of them, they will merge and give birth to a new kind of flame."

Gerard was not surprised to hear this. Over the past month, many of them had not only awakened their bloodlines, but also other special powers. There were a few of them who had unlocked strange abilities that conformed neither to any cultivation method they were aware of. Once they were evacuated, they could request their commanding officer to give them special guidance from the allied forces training officers.

Since that would only raise their battle prowess, they would not be denied. Before they were sent to this planet, they had been briefed not only on what was expected of them, but the kind of support that they could get from the allied forces. Soon, someone with much more knowledge than them would come and teach them about the new abilities they unlocked, and how to use them.

"What's a 'special physique'? Any idea?" he asked, only mildly curious. He wondered if he had one.

"None whatsoever. But what I have figured out is the hidden reason the Innkeeper sent us all here. It may look like he was just agreeing to the demands of our hosts, who own this realm, but in fact, he just wanted us to use this opportunity to experience the universe for ourselves, and discover the direction we want to go in.

"In the safe and secure grounds of the Inn, we would never face the pressure that is required for us to grow. What do you think, Z?"

The teenager was walking behind them, seemingly distracted. His focus was on a floating 'ball' above his index finger. The ball did not exist, and seemed only visible due to the fact that light passing through it was bending across its surface. The 'ball' was also contracting and relaxing, like a beating heart.

Yet the beat did not produce a sound. Instead, it seemed to spread a ripple through space itself, one which could be felt not only through one's body, but in their soul as well. It was not really a sound as it was experienced and not heard, but at the same time it reminded one of the steady beat on drums.

A second such ball appeared above his middle finger, beating at a slightly faster pace. Together, the beating of the two balls produced a steady rhythm which tickled the memory of many of those around him. The rhythm was familiar, as if it was the beginning of a song they had heard, but could not exactly recall.

"Sure, whatever you say," Z replied, not really paying too much attention to Luthor. His focus was completely on the balls of distorted space he was playing with. Unfortunately, all of his prepared speakers broke within the last month. So now, he had to think of some alternative way of producing music. Apparently, bending space itself, before allowing it to partially return to its natural state produced a beat like drums. Now he had to figure out how to recreate the 'sound' of a guitar through space itself.

Although this was hard, once he was finished, he would be able to play his music inside a vacuum as well. That would surely help in space fights. He was looking forward to it.

Everyone around him chuckled, but said nothing. Over the past month, it was not Luthor or Gerard who had shone the most. Even with Luthor's upgraded power, he was not sure he could measure up to Z.

As if he were a protagonist of an anime, Z kept growing stronger at an exponential rate. Still in the Foundation realm, even without actualizing his affinity in his energy which only happened in the Golden core realm, Z was playing around with space as if it took no effort to distort it at all.

Although he was not the only one who had attained a space affinity, he was the only one who had mastered it to such an unbelievable level.

He was now stronger and more lethal than any of them, yet unlike the rest he did not gain a hardened and jagged aura from the month long war. Instead, he retained his childlike innocence, his slightly introverted and shy tendencies despite the fact that he had somehow become friends with almost all the workers at the Inn.

Without the music around to completely change how he behaved and fought, for a time, he had become extremely docile. After all, it was not in his nature to fight. He used the music to 'get him in the mindset' to fight. Without it, he was handicapped.

Until the last fight, in which he discovered the power of drums. Using only those, he unleashed the power of war drums.

What happened after that… well since he was the one incharge of the mech, the results spoke for themself.

Among the other battalions who had seen him fight, and recently even among his own comrades, Z had gained a new nickname though he himself was unaware. Behind his back, and in whisper, people spoke about the Little Devil who hid his true self behind a camouflage of youth and innocence.

Not that anyone was complaining, since he was on their side. The members of the Inn didn't even take it too seriously. But in the allied forces, a file was compiled on the 'Little Devil', and sent up the command chain. It seemed even some superiors had begun to keep an eye on him.

*****

In the Crystal realm, Lex continued to travel across the lands that seemed to never end. Since it was not safe to cultivate in such an environment, even inside his 'ship', Lex mostly took this time to review his arrays. He also sent his projections inside the library in the Inn to begin studying.

The lenses were revealing a lot of information to him that he didn't understand, which only showed the depth of his ignorance. He had to remedy that as soon as possible.

Like this, another two weeks passed. After traversing various terrains and avoiding countless dangers, Lex arrived at the next spot he would take a teleportation formation. For some reason, despite his progress, an anxiety began to build in Lex's heart. He seemed to be feeling like… he was running out of time.