The Innkeeper

881 Hidden Temple

A fleet of alliance ships was approaching BGY-987 from a distance. Their arrival had been slowed down because on multiple occasions they encountered territories and planets which, according to their intel, were under their control and progress was good. However, reality was that all alliance forces were being heavily suppressed with all communication cut off.

While there was no overwhelming loss, this anomaly was so massive that a report to the Henali had been dispatched. What conclusion they would draw, and how they would react, was not something the alliance could speculate, but they were sure that there would definitely be some kind of reaction.

The worst of all was that they had not even reached the planet they were supposed to be investigating yet! But it was finally within sight! Or, to be more specific, their ships had locked onto it, and they would reach within the next few hours.

Both the groups leading the fleet, and their superiors at the alliance headquarters, had mentally prepared themselves to face a devastating sight upon their arrival. But their preparation fell short when the ships issued an emergency alert and forcefully exited Hyperdrive without preparation!

The abrupt halt was not well received, as usually entering and exiting Hyperdrive consisted of a few preparatory procedures for the safety of the crew and the ship. A forceful exit such as this one caused the entire fleet to sustain damage in many of their crucial areas, not to mention that the weakest members of the fleet became extremely sick and fell unconscious, with many at the risk of death!

"What the hell just happened?" a captain of one of the ships screamed, but then froze as he looked at the screens in front of him. In front of the ships was a Void, and that was not referring to the Void of space. It was an ever-expanding emptiness that was consuming the space around it.

Let alone this region, but the entire cosmic cloud faced the threat of destruction if it was not controlled.

"Re- report to headquarters! But first, turn this ship around!" the captain yelled, doing his best to control his trembling body. But he couldn't. The Void was growing too quickly, and the repercussions of this would most likely be felt on every single battlefield!

Just as they were turning around, one of the many staff members in the room yelled out, "Wait, I see something in the darkness!"

*****

Lex was completely taken aback by the change, as not only was it instantaneous, but it also was something he had never experienced before. Immediately he halted his cultivation as he could not afford any disruption, but then discovered that the change had not affected him at all!

There was no light in the Void, so he could not see, but he expanded his spirit sense to check on Z and discovered that the teenager was on the verge of death!

Without a moment's thought, Lex let go of Ra and grabbed onto Z, giving him the bathroom slippers so that he could survive in this unusual environment.

In total, Z had been exposed to the dangers of the Void for less than a second, but Lex could already feel that a majority of his bones were broken, and his consciousness was on the verge of fading.

Lex had already decided to let go of everything and immediately return to the Inn, but he had underestimated the pressure that the Void put on him. There was no ambient spiritual energy to aid him, as he felt the weight of an entire planet crush down on his body.

There was no room to think, as his mind was concussed due to the massive crushing force that impacted his skull. For a brief moment, it seemed like Lex's body could withstand the pressure. Then his skin started to tear, and blood started to squirt out of his body.

His bones were cracking within his body, and moving out of place under the influence of the massive pressure. Soon, his bones became the spears that pierced through body, cutting through muscle and organs alike.

The ring on his finger, which contained Pelvailin, began to crack, and his spatial bangle began to tremble. His pants began to disintegrate as his clothes were no obstacle to the weight of the Void.

Giving his Bathroom slippers to Z nearly became the last thing Lex ever did, as his body was torn down and his mind could not cope. Ironically, it was that very act that became his saving grace.

In the endless expanse of pure nothingness, a strange energy appeared and seemed to surround the already unconscious Z. Even though he had been saved from the dangers of the Void, he had already sustained such damage that he was unable to remain awake.

The energy surrounded him and began to pull him in a specific direction. Lex, who had gripped Z tightly, was pulled along.

For an unknown amount of time, the two drifted through the nothingness, with Lex becoming more and more unrecognizable as time went by. Eventually he became nothing more than an indistinct meat mush, though even in such a state his grip on Z never wavered. It was as if, even in this state, he knew that his life depended on holding on.

Eventually, they approached a barrier hidden in the eternal darkness and came to a halt. Another beam of energy emerged and scanned Z once, twice, countless times, as if ascertaining his identity through innumerable ways.

When the beam was done testing his identity, it retreated, and the barrier disappeared, revealing an enormous temple, its width alone spanning a million miles!

Even in the absence of light, the temple was visible from all around, and attracted the attention of Void Dwellers from far and wide. The sight of the temple was not limited to the Void, as even those outside could see its splendor, as was the case with the retreating fleet.

After absorbing Z and Lex within it, the temple began to gather energy, as if preparing for something.