The Innkeeper

"You're a very interesting fellow, Lex Williams," said the figure. Lex could not focus on the figure itself, so it was the maroon leather sofa upon which it sat that became Lex's focus. After checking the sofa with every sense available to him, and being unable to detect it, Lex's mind started working in another direction.

He had no reason to believe that he had been exposed, or that someone could magically overcome the system's functions. As such, the most logical answer is that the figure does not exist, and that he is either hallucinating or dreaming. The most likely culprit is either the emperor or one of his siblings. The fact that they made a move against him is the worst-case scenario…

"No, no, no, no, no! Don't go down that path, it's a mental headache. I am not a hallucination, I assure you. I am very much real."

Lex gulped as his nerves became even tighter. The fact that the hallucination can react to his thoughts…

The figure sighed and, while Lex could not be sure, he imagined that the figure facepalmed.

"Let's start from the beginning. Why don't you take a seat first? Let's have a discussion like civilized folk."

Lex did not need to sit down. The moment the man spoke, Lex had automatically gone from standing in his room to sitting on a beige leather sofa, opposite to the mysterious figure. As much as he wanted to use the strange transition as more proof that he was hallucinating, he was suddenly filled with the belief that this was all very real. In fact, it was not belief, it was knowledge - for belief can be wrong but facts cannot.

At some point, when Lex had not noticed, they had moved out of Lex's room. Instead, it looked like Lex was sitting in a small wooden cabin, lit only by a single oil lantern.

"Have you calmed down?" the man asked.

But the moment he finished the question, Lex's emotions had already stabilized, as if his body itself did not dare to waste the figures' time. Since he wished that Lex believe this was not a hallucination, it had become so. Since he wanted Lex to calm down before they began their discussion, Lex's emotions were swept away.

But that was a good thing for Lex, at least for now. With a calm mind, Lex could think a lot more clearly, and analyze the situation a lot better. He did not know who the man was, or what he wanted, but suffice to say, if he meant Lex any harm, then Lex would already be dead. The difference between them… Lex could not even begin to understand it.

"Yes, I've calmed down," Lex answered, using his Innkeeper demeanor. No matter what, he was still the Innkeeper and a man of dignity and pride, even if the charade he had put up had come to an end.

"Who are you? How did you get here?" Lex asked, wanting to know the basic information at least. He had a feeling that the man would answer his questions.

"Me? I don't feel like doing proper introductions at this point, so I'll just introduce myself as the original owner of the Regal Embrace. As for how I got to you? The answer is, I really didn't. I'm sitting in my lounge, and you're in your room. But since I wanted to talk to you, I did a little trick."

The owner of Regal Embrace? Lex did not feel any surprise, for his emotions were completely stuck being absolutely calm. The information made sense. A being powerful enough to own the Regal Embrace would most definitely be strong enough to find him within the system, right? Lex wondered if he was above the Dao lord realm. Probably.

"But the focus for today, Lex, is not me, no. It's you. You really have managed to pull off something remarkable. Surpassing the Regal Embrace, I really didn't think it could be done. And don't try to be humble about it, there's nothing more annoying than false modesty. You may have had a lot of help along the way, but trust me, yours is not nearly the strongest system in the universe."

"Thank you," was all Lex said. There was no point in trying to probe or manipulate the conversation with this figure. So instead, Lex decided to wait to hear what it is the figure wanted.

"Oh don't be like that. Oh wait, your emotions are stuck. Young man, return to your normal self. It's not entertaining for me if I don't get any reactions at all."

Lex's emotions, which had been held back as if by a dam, came rushing back. But now was not the time for that! With a single thought, Lex entered the Overdrive state and took hold of his thoughts.

"How did you discover that I surpassed the Regal Embrace? Is there a spying system within the technique? Or can you spy on me through the system?"

"Neither child, neither. It's my eyes, you see. There are no secrets in front of them. Ah but I better get to the point quickly, you're wasting your rewards without even knowing about it. As the original owner of the Regal Embrace, I had some karma with it, so when a change occurred, I immediately felt it. I didn't mind you using my technique, but when you surpassed it, I was genuinely surprised, so I decided to give you a prize.

"You're lost and alone, trying to figure out everything on your own, so I decided to answer some of your questions. The number of questions depends on the value of your achievement as I feel like it, so if you keep asking mundane questions, you'll be wasting your reward. Feel free to ask any questions, boy. You won't have a better time than now to learn the answers."

In his overdrive state, with his emotions suppressed, Lex was able to focus on what mattered at the moment instead of trying to process the information. He asked the first question that came to his mind, a question he had been wondering for a long time.

"What is the true purpose of my system?"