The Innkeeper



Although Lex had an impressive defense, he was nowhere near strong enough to cause immortals any harm. The qualitative leap in power over each large realm resulted in a difference that could only be measured on a scale of order of magnitude. Basically, Lex could do nothing to harm them. This was moreover so for a race that was not only inherently stronger than humans, but had a longer life span and more well-developed techniques.

All he could do was return to the Inn, admitting failure. Moreover, as the place that he returned to the Inn to was from prison, he would only be able to return there in the future if he wished to enter the Crystal realm. Basically, he was stuck. The only option for him now in the Crystal realm was to use his Remote Presence ability.

But Lex was not resigned to running away. Although, yes, if he kept a cool head and behaved logically, he could endure the suppression of Belmont until Ezio knocked some sense into him. The situation was, after all, not yet resolved. There was room for it to progress in any direction, and he could salvage things.

But Lex had long shed his training to cooperate with the authority which living in the legal system on Earth had embedded in him. Yes, he had been pinning his hopes on the Crystal nation. But that did not mean he was helpless without them. So while suppressing his frustration could lead to a better outcome, he was not totally dependent on the Crystal race either.

Now that he was not dependent on them for anything, he did not have to fear acting against them. But the question was, what could he even do? There was absolutely nothing he could do that could harm immortals. Moreover, they would notice and then stop him as soon as he even tried to do anything.

As if that were not all, he was even frozen in place. He had no options - supposedly. Although the pressure of the immortal held him in place, it did not extend to the depths of his body or else even his blood would be frozen in place, and he would die. If his internals were not frozen, then he could manipulate his spiritual energy.

Of course, using any technique right now would be futile, but he still had arrays did he not?

"Belmont, restrain yourself!" the voice thundered in the small room, waking the Lord from his manic episode, and restraining his aura. But in Lex's eyes, the duo did not see the relief of someone who escaped the wrath of an immortal.

Instead, in his eyes they saw the scorn of someone even more prideful than an immortal!

The duo was once again surprised, but before they could react, Lex once again disappeared, for good this time perhaps. But he did not leave without a departing gift: two arrays hung in the air where he had been.

The first was a simple array that left behind a voice message.

"I came to the Crystal nation with good intentions, to warn of an impending doom. Yet all I found were conspiracies and hostility. Perhaps the reason they do not fight against the Kraven is because they already know this realm is bound to be destroyed, and have already secured their own escape to the Primordial Garden. Why should they waste their time and effort protecting the poor vermin they know will die sooner or later anyway?"

The message was full of spite, and it was clear that Lex had developed an incredibly negative opinion of them. But who could blame him? Being oppressed by the aura of an immortal was easily said, but not easily endured. The physical and mental strain of such an experience could leave others crippled. In fact, the first time Lex had been exposed to the aura of an immortal was also during the Crystal realm, and had left him unconscious for a long time.

Though he was much stronger now, and would not be rendered unconscious just from being exposed to aura, it was still an unpleasant experience. He also did not like the notion that others felt that he could be manhandled.

Just as the duo was absorbing the words from the first array, Belmont even feeling a dash of guilt for overreacting, the second array triggered.

As it happened, the array was built around the character he saw up on the surface, with the intention of causing resonance with that character. Since that character was drawn into the structure, it would not be used up like in an array. Instead, it would continue to express the effects that character was associated with as a representation of the universal laws.

By creating a simple enough array, which resonated by that permanent and empowered character, Lex ended up creating an array with a much greater power than one would have expected.

The mansion around the two immortals morphed a little, as if the very stones making it up had undergone a change. While internally the mansion looked more or less the same, only one real change occurred. All exits from the mansion, and thus the cell, had been blocked off and moreover, reinforced by stones and rocks. Moreover, they were not so easily removed either.

As far as Lex was concerned, this was far from the retaliation he would have wanted. But, given his power, he would have to be content with a forced detention.

Ezio grimaced and looked at Belmont, who looked both awkward and angry.

"For centuries I have been lobbying against the establishment of positions based on nepotism," Ezio said, frustration and irritation evident in his voice. "Such a great accomplishment you have made, Belmont, making any enemy out of someone capable of traveling realms. Let alone the loss we will now suffer being deprived of the possibility of easy traversal between realms, can you imagine what kind of backing he must have? Can you tolerate an enemy able to facilitate inter-realm traversal? Worst of all, what if his claims are true? What if our realm is on the path to destruction?"

"Shut up!" Belmont could not help but roar, his embarrassment coloring his face red. "I will not hear lectures from a criminal!"

Ezio scoffed.

"I could receive a pardon whenever I wish, child. You know nothing of the world and its way. Just wish that things are not irredeemable, or else you may be the one coming here in place of me."

Not paying him any mind, Ezio left to try to exit his mansion. He needed to contact some Crystal on the outside and assess the situation. Behind him, though, Belmont began to worry about the repercussions to his reputation if word got out. As mind conjured up greater and greater threats to his future, his eyes once again were filled with mania. No one must know!

He locked onto Ezio's back, and attacked!

*****

In a room sat a priest, his robe worn and heavily damaged. His once tough and buff body was now also battered and bruised. His beak, one his pride and joy, had now lost a lot of its color. Like the deity he used to worship, the priest had the head of an eagle and the body of a human.

But as the religion worshiping Ra was eradicated from the Origin realm, so were almost all its followers. Even this priest had only survived due to special circumstances.

Opposite to him sat a truly revolting slug creature from a race known as Gilati. A few other creatures sat in the room with them, as well as a devil. They were all waiting patiently for news.

Some time later, a portal opened and the succubus Karen walked through.

"Ladies and gentleman, slugs and bugs, beasts and monsters, the moment we have all been waiting for has finally arrived. The location of the Midnight Inn workers have been verified, and a plan has been put into motion. Soon, you too can try to get your hands on one of them. All you need to do is sign this confidentiality contract, witnessed by an Elder Devil, and we will be ready to go. Whatever your reasons are, so long you deliver on our agreement, we will not care at all."

There was no clapping or celebrating, as everyone in that room was in a sour mood. They were all gathered here as enemies of the Midnight Inn. Some of them just wanted to hurt the Inn somehow, while others wanted to blackmail them while others still wanted to dissect and study those workers.

Their personal reasons varied, but they were unified in their goal. One by one, they got up and signed the contract. In the corner of the room, a devil watched with eager eyes and a massive grins as he rubbed his hands together. Breaking a contract with a devil was nigh impossible, but the devils oh so loved it when someone tried to do so. Even now, this devil was hoping that some of them would change their mind midway.