Chapter 677 Lament
Lex suppressed a groan. He had lost count of how many universal entities he had established a relationship with. The Midnight Inn was obvious. Then there were a number of Daolords and Demi-Dao Lords. Then there was the Henali. One could not also forget the mysterious man who suddenly showed up inside his room one day. He should also not forget that he had an unknown enemy out there somewhere from whom he had stolen Fenrir - he had no idea what level that guy was at.
There were also a number of systems he had been skirting around but avoiding getting too involved with such as the Emporium and Reaving Dread mercenary group (the group through which the Inn hired extra guards for its events).
As if all of that was not enough, now he had to deal with this Tower of Providence. Once he was done lamenting, he turned his attention back to the information he received. He had completed a task for the tower, so in exchange the tower would reward him, and at the same time make him one of its agents. As an agent, a connection between him and the tower would be established, and he could apply to complete another task whenever he wanted. As a result, he would continue to be rewarded. Moreover, the rewards would not be random, but would be what he needed most at that time.
If he chose to not take up any missions on his own, once every 100 years the tower would randomly summon him to complete another task.
Looking at it objectively, this wasn't such a bad thing. In fact, if other people encountered such a thing they would consider it their lucky break as they had encountered a fortuitous opportunity. Who would say no to being rewarded exactly what one needed most at the time?
The thing was, Lex was really too busy to care about such things. Moreover, he had numerous ways to get great opportunities. Even if his quest rewards weren't counted, he could always just go fishing inside the Well at the Inn.
As such, he really couldn't be bothered. It was like a multimillionaire who was forced to attend tedious meetings unrelated to his main business. Sure, he would be rewarded a few hundred thousand dollars now and again, but when compared to his main priorities, it really wasn't worth it.
But, since it really wasn't in his control, he stopped brooding and turned his attention to his reward. Since it was apparently the thing he needed most at the moment, it would surely be great, right?
Considering he was once again in the process of being teleported, and could not really move, he could not directly investigate the item that had landed in his hand. All he could do was check the information on it, which had also been sent to his mind.
It was a golden color translucent ball which acted as a container for an extremely precious and rare item called Taro's Fertilizer. It had many uses, all of which had been listed systematically. The one that was most relevant to Lex, however, was that it drastically sped up the sprouting of a Realm Seed. Without it, the Realm Seed would take over a million years to sprout, but with it only a few months would be needed.
Lex froze. Well, technically he was already frozen in space, but now his mind also froze. The Realm Seed would take over a million years to sprout normally? Why didn't he know this? Was this something the system would have taken care of, or was it something he would have had to figure out on his own?
Logically, if one thought about it, it made sense. A normal realm was no small matter, and was different from the Minor Realms which were found everywhere. So for one to be created, it made sense that it would take a long time. But considering that the reward was from the system, he did not think too much about it.
Nowโฆ it appeared as if things weren't so simple. Fortunately, he had run into the Tower of Providence, and received this reward. It really was the thing he needed most right now.
He spent the remainder of his time considering if there were any other misconceptions he had about information given to him by the system. He had been misdirected so easily, despite the fact that he had his guard up.
Once the teleportation finally ended, Lex found himself on the grassy plains through which he had been teleported away to begin with. He looked around to search for Fenrir, but did not find him. He was not too worried though, since according to the connection he had with Fenrir the pup was fine. He would have to leave it behind, as he didn't have time to wait around for it, but as soon as it finished its task in the tower, Lex could directly summon it to himself.
Next, he checked up on the system to ensure everything was fine, only to discover the abnormally powerful tribulation taking place! He was instantly reminded of the tribulation Ragnar underwent, and began adding additional protective formations around the tribulation room!
This was insane. The power of these stronger tribulations was too much for him to bear at the moment with the facilities he had on hand. Maybe, in the future, he should set up a restriction on the level of guests allowed to attend the Star rank upgrade ceremonies.
Curious, he checked the identity of the person undergoing the tribulation, and discovered that it was the devil that ragnar had challenged.
His name was Warheil, and he seemed completely unbothered by the lightning that was ferociously striking his body. He was sitting casually with his legs folded, as if it was not something worth considering at all.
A solemn look entered Lex's eyes. This devilโฆ was too powerful. Ragnar's performance was already impressive when he broke through, but this devil was even stronger.
Chapter 678 Out of time
?
Ragnar's tribulation, as Lex recalled, consisted of a single black lightning strike that destroyed almost every protection he set against it. Over 10 billion MP worth of protective formations had barely been enough to contain its awesome might, and in a sense, it had still failed. That was because the lightning strike had caused everyone to undergo a hallucination.
๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐น.๐โด๐ฎ
While the hallucination itself was quite an experience, and provided many with a unique insight into facing tribulations, he did not want the incident to repeat. After all, many guests were either swimming, driving, fishing or doing other tasks, an interruption during which could cause serious harm. After all, there was even an area for guests to learn the dao of the sword from Qawain at the base of the Midnight Mountain. An unfortunately timed interruption could cause serious harm.
As such, Lex had specially put formations that block spirit based attacks around each abode. But what he could not do was afford to put 10 billion MP worth of formations around each abode, so what he did was simple.
Since he had unlocked the feature of 'Room Creation' when he was tasked to design the tribulation room, he tweaked each and every room he had. As soon as any room sensed a tribulation, they would automatically begin setting up protective formations around itself. Since this did not qualify as a service to the guest, since the room was protecting itself and not the guest, the price did not increase. As a result, Lex would be the one who had to pay.
When he thought of the idea, Lex felt like a genius. Now though, he realized it was not so smart.
This devil's tribulation, while similar to Ragnar's, was also different. There was black lightning, yes. But somehow, it did not seem as dangerous. Yet at the same time, instead of a single strike, there were multiple. He did not know if the overall difficulty was decreased, increased or stayed the same. Yet he could tell based on the massive bill he had accrued that he definitely had been screwed over!
Already 13 billion MP had been spent, and the tribulation was nowhere near over! But the higher expense did not reflect the true difficulty of the tribulation. This was because when Lex chose the formations himself, he would select formations which would support one another, thus allowing each one to absorb more damage.
The formations chosen by the room itself were completely random. As long as their function was to protect the room, it would suffice. Shaking his head, Lex immediately took over and changed the formations. At the same time, his capitalistic gleam was revived.
"Mary, inform someone from the Jotun empire. The devil that Ragnar challenged to a death match is about to be free. So long as he accepts, their match can be conducted."
Unlike all the previous fights in the Murder Grounds, Lex wanted to stream this one so that he could earn some MP off of it.
But the match would not be so quick. It would still take some time for the devil to overcome his tribulation, as best as he could tell.
He checked up on the rest of the Inn, and after ensuring everything was in order, decided to continue his journey. He had already noticed that Fenrir had not returned from the tower, but he was not concerned - well, he was not too concerned. He was confident Fenrir would be able to overcome whatever trial it faced, and once it did and exited the tower, Lex would be able to use his connection to summon the pup to himself.
Speaking of the tower, he had gotten a lead of what Destiny rank meant. As usual, he could check the emporium for it, but Lex did not bother with it for now. He'd get to it eventually. For now, his anxiety about running out of time was forcing him to rush to the Crystal realm as quickly as possible.
Taking out his 'ship' he once again continued on his journey, though this time he did not relax his vigilance at all.
Days passed, and Alexander once again asked for his help as the situation on his planet was getting extremely difficult. Unfortunately for him, Lex could not yet spare any time. In fact, Lex no longer even took the time to enjoy the scenery as he traversed the land because he was too focused on getting to his destination.
Once, he even had to resort to brute force and intimidation to avoid having his teleportation delayed. Two weeks later, he finally reached the lands bordering the Crystal nation. No race besides the Trelops were allowed to take control of the land near the Crystal race, and even they were allowed to do so with very stringent requirements.
They had to use their ability to terraform the land according to the esthetics of the Crystal race, which changed from time to time. Moreover, as strange as it felt, anyone wishing to enter the Crystal nation had to go through an immigration process within the territory controlled by the Trelops.
It was thus Lex found himself standing patiently in a long line of various races, many he had never even heard of, both humanoid as well as quadrupeds. He stood at the base of a hill, and the line extended well over the peak of it and beyond to the otherside, so he had no idea how long it would take. But for once, he had no choice but to be patient. No one dared be presumptuous bordering the territory of the Crystal race.
Fortunately, after asking around, Lex discovered that there was no need for a passport or anything along those lines. If there was, he didn't know what he would do.
As for what the immigration process actually entailed, no one knew exactly. They would be made to walk through a number of formations, the purpose of which was unknown. If, for any reason, one of the formations detected that there was something wrong with you, you would be marked.
Once marked, the security team which consisted of a race known as Earth Golems would escort you to a room where the Trelop incharge of the territory would interview you.
At no point in the entire process would anyone be harmed, at least according to the established precedent, though whether you would be allowed to enter or not was up to fate. No one knew exactly what would prevent one from being cleared for entry, which is why everyone was always tense.
Since they would be spending the next few hours together, Lex got comfortable and befriended the reptilian creatures next to him. As for what race they were, they themselves did not seem to know. Or at least, since they knew who they were, they did not feel like knowing what others called them mattered.
Apparently, they had been specifically selected to inhabit some territory within the Crystal nation. But despite their invitation, their destination remained a mystery to them. Who invited them or why were all questions that they did not consider asking. After all, most of the lesser races in this entire realm practically worshiped the Crystal race. Upon getting a chance to live in their empire, none would bother asking arbitrary questions.
Despite theirโฆ lack ofโฆ well, ummโฆ Due to their limited intelligence, there was not a lot Lex could learn from them, so instead he began practicing his Innkeeper charm to keep the conversation going. The truth was, he needed to distract himself as best as he could during this long wait, because his increasing anxiety had suddenly vanished.
But the disappearance was not a good thing. From the sensation his instincts were giving him, it felt as if he had already run out of time for something.
*****
Far away from the Crystal race, on the borders of the Hum nation, an army larger than ever appeared as if overnight. The land was blanketed in darkness as if the night sky was reflected on the ground, but the truth was nowhere near as beautiful or poetic. The black, poisonous slime covered the millions of Kraven that were crossing had covered the ground evenly, not allowing a single speck of earth to remain untainted.
The army broke through the border, and invaded the nation with an unyielding ferocity, the likes of which even the Kraven themselves had never shown. Moreover, it was not just the humans that were being targeted. Every nation other than the Crystal one was suddenly being invaded, all at once.
The feeble defense of the walls and formations crumbled under the tide of immortal Kraven, and soon after, so too did the towns and cities begin to fall. The unprecedented attack on all fronts began without any warning, and continued to crash forth as if it had no intention of stopping. It seemed the Kraven were determined to end this war, once and for all.
Chapter 679 Answers
An unstoppable tide was sweeping across the Crystal realm, targeting those lands owned by the nations as well as those farther, disconnected lands held by mere nobles or less powerful races. There was no forewarning for this attack, nor had there been such a massive invading force of Kraven ever before.
The number of immortals deployed was far beyond a number that any one nation could employ. Perhaps if multiple nations worked together, they could muster up the number of immortals required to fight off the force invading a single one of them. Yet, as things stood, there seemed to be little to no recourse.
The only remaining advantage they had was that the Crystal realm was so ridiculously vast, it would take even immortals a lot of time to traverse if they were not taking teleportation formations. Moreover, since the force was invading, they had to ensure they thoroughly swept each and every spot, so not only did they move slowly, they could not utilize teleportation formations.
A state of emergency was declared in every single nation, and mass evacuations were underway. Martial law, code black, and various other such names were thrown around in almost every conversation and the countries decided how much of their territory to give up while they prepared their own defenses.
Despite their clear disadvantage, it was not as if there was nothing they could do to retaliate. The Sol and Frio birds depended on the massive populations, just as much as the people living there required those birds. This was a secret well kept, but was now put to use in every battlefront.
Although enemies of this level would not do any harm to the Kraven, yet, the birds pulled out of the territories being invaded, plunging the land into darkness. Such was the case with all the territories controlled by the Kraven. Yet despite being inundated by endless monsters spawned from the darkness, they always seemed to have enough forces to spare for attacks.
For now, the trend seemed to be set. The Kraven were advancing forward, and none of those being invaded seemed capable enough to stop them. The process had just begun, so there was no indication yet of how the nations would retaliate once they got a hold of the situation, but many were already praying that the Crystal race would get involved. Well, at least the citizens were praying for such.
Meanwhile, at the border for the Crystal nation, Lex continued to wait in line. In stark contrast to much of the realm, he enjoyed the peaceful environment and continued to wait in line. In fact, he bought some of the local fruits from a peddler who continued to walk beside the line, hoping to attract the attention of those waiting. It was quite a pleasant experience.
Several hours later, when Lex was nearing his turn to proceed through the investigative formations, a worried Mary contacted him.
"Lex there's a situation I think you need to be updated on," she said, hesitant yet concerned. "We have some new Pro bono guests, which is quite normal. But the issue is the information they revealed. When they arrived, they were in quite a wounded state. Such situations are quite normal among Pro bono guests, so they were brought to the Recovery Pods. It's when they woke and began conversing amongst themselves that I noticed something unusual. They seem to be mentioning a massive army of Kraven! They were overwhelmed and their city immediately fell under their siege."
"As unfortunate a thing as it is," Lex replied, "such things happen quite regularly here. The war with the Kraven hasn't stopped in hundreds of years."
"If that were all, it would not be worth notifying you. I thought the behavior of the survivors was unusual, and so sent Velma to investigate and interview them. As it turns out, the county they were in was four counties away from the battlefront. The Kraven should not have been able to just appear there overnight. Most importantly, while the survivors themselves were too weak to be sure, they claim that the number of immortals was way too high. Their city was ont able to put up a defense at all."
Lex frowned. He did not have enough information about the situation to judge it accurately.
"Keep an eye on guests from the Crystal realm. See if you can learn any more information about the situation. What race are the guests from?"
"The guests are Sentinels. They don't feel too comfortable at the Inn considering the number of humans and humanoid beings, but they are too afraid to return home."
"I recall we made a spot at the Inn for all the spirits and encouraged them to go there. Recommend that area to the Sentinel race, they might be more comfortable there. In the meantime, keep investigating. If you learn anything relevant, don't hesitate to contact me"
For a moment, Lex wondered if the anxiety he had been feeling had anything to do with the aforementioned Kraven invasion, but concluded that he did not have information. Although the timing seemed to match, there was no saying for certain if the matters were related. After all, Lex's instincts would only come into play if he would be the one affected. How could he possibly be influenced by an invasion far off?
He turned his attention back to the line, as soon it would be his turn. Feeling as if he was walking through security at an airport, Lex eventually walked over the illuminated path through a number of formations. As he passed, he could feel himself being probed by various senses, though he was not sure exactly what the formations were looking for.
There seemed to be no problem, though, and at the end Lex was led to a private room by a massive Earth Golem.
Inside the room, surprisingly, sat a human in a security guard uniform, studying a document. Without looking up, the man asked, "Name and purpose of visit?"
"My name is Lex," he said, feeling a mix of amusement and disbelief. "My purpose here is to visit an elder of the Crystal race. He invited me to meet him upon completion of a task he gave."
"Do you have anything that can corroborate your claim of an invitation? Or do you know the name and address of the elder you are referring to? We can ascertain the veracity of your claims ourselves as well."
"I have this," said Lex, as he handed over the letter given to him by the Crystal race elder so long ago. It was sealed, and Lex had not tried to open it, yet he had read the name and address on the letter. It bore the elder's name, alongside some numbers the purpose of which Lex could not yet identify, as well as the name of the place the elder asked Lex to meet him: Valesco.
The guard read the elders name, which was Ezio, and showed no reaction, but when he read the name Valesco he was startled and sat up straight. He gave Lex a bewildered look, before turning his attention back to the letter. Despite his station, he did not dare open it himself.
"Please wait here a moment," the guard said, and scurried out the door, letter still in hand. Lex expected somewhat of a reaction, since he had learnt that Valesco was a prison. Yet this was too much, right?
A short while later, a small cat made of tree roots walked in, followed closely by the guard, and jumped up onto the table. This was the smallest Trelop Lex had ever seen, but the aura he radiated was one of the strongest. It reminded him of Aunty Jeena, one of the first Trelops he had ever met. To date, Lex felt like she was the strongest Trelop he had ever encountered. This tiny cat was a close second.
"Dear guest, do not be alarmed. Your admission into the Crystal nation is all but assured. We just need to ask a few mandatory questions for our own record keeping purposes. Can you share with me when you received this invitation?"
"I can't remember exactly how long it's been, but it's already been many months," Lex said. To be honest, since he left Earth, he had stopped paying attention to the calendar. He didn't even know what month it was. Maybe he should create his own calendar once he has his own realm, so that he can keep better track of time.
"Can you share the location you were at when you received the invitation?"
"Inside a Minor realm."
"Were there anyโฆ significant events that took place, during your visit to that particular Minor realm?"
"A couple I suppose. For one, we discovered a sleeping chamber of the Crystal race. I don't know what happened to it, but we reported it to our seniors at the time. The second was a run in with a Kraven. To this day no one knows why a single Kraven was able to infiltrate that realm, and why it did so alone."
The more answers Lex gave, the more grave the cat looked, until Lex eventually realized something was wrong.
Chapter 680 Lord Belmont
Since the immigration process seemed to be quite thorough, it made sense that Lex would be questioned in detail about his purpose. Considering that he learnt that the invitation he had was from a supposed prison, he had already prepared himself to face some difficulty. But the issue was, Lex wasn't really facing any problems at all. In fact, even during the questioning process everyone was quite civil.
The problem was, the more questions that Lex answered, the more his questioners looked grave. It was as if their roles were reversed and Lex was grilling them instead of the other way around.
"Isโฆ is everything alright?" Lex asked, when he realized there was a pause in the questions, as the Trelop seemed to be digesting his answer.
"Yes. You have been cleared for entry, but there are some follow up procedures you have to take part in. Come with me."
The cat jumped off the table and led Lex out of the room and away from the immigration area. Once outside the building, the cat seemed to grow with each step as more roots emerged from the ground and joined with its body, until eventually the cat's body became as large as a horse.
"Climb abroad, it'll be quicker that way," said the Trelop, with no regard for the dignity of an immortal. Lex felt slightly awkward, but lacking any real reverence towards immortals, he did not hesitate and soon found himself nestled atop the wooden cat.
"Hang on tight," it said, before it suddenly leaped forward, nearly jerking Lex off its beck. Fortunately, Lex had quick reflexes and tightened his grip on the cat's body with his legs. A part of him wanted to ask the cat if it could use the roots that made its body to form stirrups or a seatbelt, but then thought better of it.
"I am taking you to one of the gates to the Crystal nation," the Trelop told him. "From there, you will be escorted to Valesco. I will share some of the Crystal race customs with you, so you do not remain ignorant of what is happening around you.
"First of all, and most importantly, inside the Crystal nation, you will have the status of a guest. That will afford you some perks, but it will also restrict you. For example, you will not be judged for any crimes you've committed outside the Crystal nation, so long as it wasn't against a member of the Crystal race. However, your rights within the nation are severely restricted. Without a member of the Crystal race sponsoring you, you cannot get a job, own or rent property, attend a school, enter museums, enter certain areas in their cities, hunt, or approach private property. Those are just some of the restrictions on you.
"But you do not have to worry about that, as you have a sponsor, which will be Ezio. Another thing, if you accidentally commit a crime while following the orders of your sponsor, you will not be held liable. Instead, it is the sponsor who will have to answer for your actions.
"Thirdly, if a priest or pastor of any of the temples requests your presenceโฆ you do not have the right to reject. I highly recommend you stay as far away from them as possible, as attracting their attention will not usually end well for you.
"Fourthly, if a member of the Crystal race takes interest in you, in any capacity, you have the right to refuse, or strike up a bargain.
"Fifthly, and most importantly in your case, if you become a witness in an ongoing legal dispute among members of the Crystal race, you will be forced to remain as long as the dispute trial goes on. In this, you will have no say."
"Why is the last one most important for me?" Lex asked gravely, a guess forming in his mind. It couldn't be, right?
The cat turned its head to look at Lex, hesitation in its eyes. It seemed to be debating something in its mind, but eventually decided not to answer.
"You'll know soon enough."
Faster than Lex anticipated, they arrived at the border to the Crystal nation, which had literal walls extending both ways, with a magnificent 100 feet (30 meters) gate in the middle. Though the walls were only slightly shorter than the gate itself, something told Lex that flying above them would prove easier said than done.
A number of guards stood at the gate, wearing armor and holding up long spears. Though it was hard to tell, since every inch of their body was covered by the armor, not even revealing their eyes, Lex believed these guards were of the Crystal race. From what he recalled, the Crystal race was a very conservative race who did not like showing their crystal to anyone.
If they revealed their crystal to you, it was a sign of great trust and intimacy. Usually. There were, of course, many members of their race who lived quite liberally and showed off their crystals bare in the wind, like precious stones.
The guards, who stood there like statues as a number of various races passed them by, seemed to gain a semblance of life as they noticed the Trelop appearing, an unknown human astride it.
"Ahoy Silvia," said one of the guards, clearly familiar with the Trelop. "How fares thy against the hoard of migrants? Tis the season of new blood, and so new blood comes roaring through to the Kingdom of Crystal."
"You're not a poet, Fran. Don't try to be eloquent," the cat replied, the dismissal ready on her lips. It seemed like the two were old friends.
The other guard only chuckled, but the exchange ended there and the cat swiftly skipped the queue and took Lex through the gates.
๐ต๐ฒ๐ซ๐ง๐ฎ๐๐.๐๐ธ๐ข
His senses tingled as he passed through, a consequence of his affinity for space he guessed, the world beyond the gate seemed entirely different. This is what his guests probably experienced, Lex thought as the pure and somehow 'cleaner' spiritual energy swirled around him, washing away the 'pollution' that was the impure energy from outside the gate.
Though Silvia, the Trelop, did not pause for she was long accustomed to this sensation, Lex stopped paying attention to his surroundings as he studied how the energy washed his body. It was curious, as he felt that even the faintest aura of energy from outside was purged, as if it wasn't energy but a plague.
Although Lex had long noticed how there is a difference in how energy behaves depending on purity, this was a phenomenon that he experienced for the first time. It was only the energy that he had stored within his body, long influenced by his affinities, that remained unaffected by the purge.
He wondered what star ranking this energy density would fall under, for it definitely wasn't the same as the rest of the realm. But Lex did not have the opportunity to wonder for long, as Silvia's voice woke him from his stupor.
"Lord Belmont, I have a case that I think you should handle personally."
Lex looked up to see a rather slender member of the Crystal race, his face entirely revealed to the world though the rest of his body was covered by a slim, fitted suit. The crystal that made up his face carried in it a faint hue of green, giving this Lord Belmont an aura of vibrancy and vitality. Just by looking at him, Lex felt his mood affected, seemingly calmed down and filled with admiration.
The sensation lasted only for a mere moment before Lex gathered himself, and detached his mind from his feelings by entering a state of flow. Although the man was not an enemy, Lex had never experienced such an influence on his mood, even when facing immortals.
Little did he know, that was because the system protected him from such things within the Inn. At the same time, while wearing the Host Attire, he himself affected others in a similar fashion. It was a natural trait of those who had exceptional mastery of certain laws.
Though Lex did not allow a single change to appear on his face as he entered the state of flow, Lord Belmont seemed to notice that Lex had extricated himself from the influence of his natural aura.
Laughing, he said, "please excuse me if you find my aura disturbing. I mean no harm by it. It is just a natural part of my being."
Lex only nodded without saying anything, as he was waiting for an explanation. It was clearly obvious now that there was something wrong with the elder who invited him. He just hoped it wouldn't present a hurdle in his own mission.
Smiling, Lord Belmont received the invitation that Silvia was handing him - the very one that Lex had presented as proof of invitation.
When he saw the names on it, Lord Belmont's pleasant expression changed to surprise.
"When did you get this?" he asked, unable to control himself.
Chapter 681 Valesco
Lex once again reiterated his whole experience, by now having mentally decided that his conjecture was most likely accurate. Mere moments after Lex was done explaining, as if confirming Lex's thoughts, Lord Belmont said, "the 'elder' who invited you is one of our most heavily guarded prisoners, locked up in maximum penitentiary. He has been under lockdown for a few hundred years, so there is no way he should have been able to invite you. Either someone else was posing as him, or he has found a way in and out of prison under our noses."
Lex did not bother to resist his sigh. Of course he would be caught up in some grand scheme. To be honest, he didn't even care about that. His greatest concern was that he was planning on leveraging the position of the elder who invited him to host a meeting of leaders at his tavern during the upcoming wedding.
Clearly that was no longer an option. But Lex had already picked out an alternative. This Lord Belmont seemed like a significant figure. If he played an integral role in resolving this situation then perhaps he could build enough of a relationship to have him come over. For this, he would pull out all the stops, including using the Golden key for the Midnight Inn to attract his attention.
"So what now?" Lex asked, though he already knew the most probable course of action.
"We have to investigate, of course. That will require some of your cooperation, as we will have to have you meet Ezio to confirm his identity."
Lex nodded, as if he was acquiesce to a request. Although Silvia had already told him that he would be required to cooperate in case he was involved in a legal dispute, that did not apply to him. If he wanted to leave, who could really stop him? He merely needed to think about it to begin the teleportation process to the Inn.
"Lord Belmont," Lex addressed the man, deciding to keep using his title for now. "Although the situation has changed now that I know Ezio is a criminal, the reason I came to the Crystal nation is regarding a matter imperative to the situation of the entire realm. I was hoping that after sharing certain important information with him, he could help me contact someone with a higher authority."
Lord Belmont smiled, as if he heard a child say something cute.
"Although we need your help to identify if the person you met was Ezio, once that is done you can have your conversation. Though he may be a criminal, he still has great influence over the nation. Your purpose may still be completed. If the matter is not a secret, I can also listen in. If it really is a matter that can influence the whole realm, then we shall do whatever is in our power to fix it."
If the matter had not been so serious, Lex somehow doubted they would have really helped. After all, they had allowed war to wage across the entire realm without caring about the consequences. Or perhaps there were still some hidden secrets in this that he was not privy to.
Either way, this was the best he could do for now.
Since the matter was decided, Lord Belmont did not procrastinate. He sent back Silvia and put his hand on Lex's shoulder, teleporting the duo to an entirely new place. During this single jump Lex was exposed to the laws of space to a greater extent than ever before, giving him some insight in teleportation.
Before he could spend any time reflecting on the experience, Belmont led him through a number of guarded rooms until they finally reached their destination. Having used them so frequently, Lex easily recognized the teleportation formation that had been established in the middle of the room. Yet how could it be that something used by the Crystal race was of the same quality as others? The formation was larger and more complex than he had ever seen, and at the same time extremely beautiful. Most other places hid the formation underneath the floor tiles, but the Crystal race had put it out on full display to be admired.
Of course, Lex had no time to admire or learn from it, for Lord Belmont did not delay for even a second.
๐ญ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐น.๐ค๐๐
Communication with the control room, probably through spirit senses, he ordered the formation to target Valesco. Lex could do nothing but follow along.
"Believe it or not, you're the first human who will be allowed to enter Valesco."
"Does that have special significance?" Lex asked, his question displaying a lack of reverence for the Crystal race. Such a thing was rare enough to be taken note of. Belmont raised an eyebrow, or what was equivalent of an eyebrow for their race, and simply said, "I guess not. It's more of a matter related to security. Holed up in Valesco are the most dangerous criminals of our race. If they are allowed to escape, the havoc and destruction they could spread is beyond what others can imagine."
Lex refrained from commenting, but wondered if their danger could meet the same level as the havoc wrought by the Kraven. He doubted it, for how can individuals match an entire hostile race?
The formation activated, and Lex once again found himself in the familiar folds of space through which they traveled while teleporting. But what was unique though was that Lex was not being oppressed by the force of space, and being forced to remain in a fixed position. He could walk around and even talk so long as he stood on the platform underneath them that seemed to be teleporting as well.
"How dangerous is Ezio?" Lex couldn't help but ask. "When I met him, he did not seem like a criminal."
"Ezio's crimes are of a different sort. Instead of harming people, he is responsible for the destruction of the history of the realm. Single-handedly he has destroyed the history and heritage, not only of the Crystal race, but of countless other races. I realize that such a crime may not seem so serious to others, but to the immortal Crystal race, the destruction of history is one of the most serious crimes!
Without art, culture and history to enrich our lives, living for eternity will become a curse rather than a blessing. Many of the Crystals who enter long hibernation do it so that they can find an entire host of new histories to discover."
Lex nodded. It made sense, somewhat. Moreover, when he met Ezio, he seemed to be destroying any ruins that may depict any information about the arrival of the Kraven. It seemed even his reasoning might not be so simple.
Before the conversation could continue, the teleportation ended, and Lex found himself in a similarly designed room.
"Though it is not entirely significant that you are the first human to be allowed in here, do take the opportunity to take in as many of the sights as possible. We Crystals take great pride in our arts, and architecture is one of the ways we bring life to art in this world."
Lex chuckled internally. It seemed to be bothering Belmont that Lex was not worshiping him as others usually do. He's taking this opportunity to show off.
Following Belmont, Lex exited the building, curious as to what he would find. He was not expecting to be impressed, but the moment he stepped out, he had to admit that he was wrong.
The teleportation building seemed to be built on a hill, so the view upon exiting encompassed the entirety of the Valesco complex. A massive, inverted pyramid that seemed to be descending into the ground rather than rising up came into view. The pyramid seemed to have countless levels as it neared the center, and each level was a massive open space filled with exquisite smaller structures that looked akin to chapels and theaters. The use of mosaics could be seen all around, accompanied by endless legends depicted in murals painted on the building walls.
It was not just the view of Valesco that was impressive, but the aura it radiated as well. Through clever use of spirit stones as tiles and marble, a massive formation was hidden that elevated the building to seem like the palace of a Deity, not a prison for dangerous criminals.
Thousands of soldiers were patrolling each level, moving in synchronization that made the palace seem like it was alive, and the moving soldiers were the pulse of the place.
The splendid use of colors, from subtle ones like beige and off white, to vibrant colors like red and orange, brought another layer of life to the place, making it shine with remarkable splendor. He had to admit, even at the Midnight Inn they had no buildings like this. That meant only one thing to Lex: he had to get himself a Crystal race architect!