The Innkeeper

Chapter 1376  Monkey business

It was another average day at the Midnight Inn. The sun was shining, the birds were singing - literally there was a concert going on down at the village organized by some birds - and life was good.

Golf carts could be seen driving over lush green lawns, and peacocks could be seen running through the fields, carrying passengers. In the water, Magikarpets acted as mounts, while in the air butterflies acted as a taxi service.

It was not Heaven, but it was a paradise - at least by mortal standards.

Wu Kong was cultivating his mind by playing a game called Go Fish, a devious and ingenious method used by mortals which employed strategy and misdirection, while honing one's reflexes and keeping the mind nimble. In front of him, sat a little girl, her age not even that of a century, though for some reason she kept thinking herself old. Beside her sat her husband, a mischievous little fellow going through his rebellious phase.

These children were called Brandon and Audrey Morrison, but despite their young age, their penchant for mischief really intrigued Wu Kong, which is why he was spending time with them.

For example, at the moment it seemed like they were playing cards, but in truth they were listening in on some gossip nearby which involved a scandal among the Fiery Mammoths wherein, apparently, a young Fiery Mammoth had all its fur shaved off in the middle of a battlefield, leaving it even more naked than the day it was born.

This act was actually a result of Brandons instigation, and listening to it caused the little boy to giggle without constraint.

While all of this happened, a minor earthquake shook the Midnight realm. The quake was insignificant, almost undetectable, yet Wu Kong's expression suddenly turned solemn. He looked left or right, yet no matter where he looked, he could not find the target he was looking for.

His eyes narrowed, and he could not help but growl from deep within his throat, yet Wu Kong restrained himself. Of course, no one saw or heard Wu Kong, for in their perception he was still playing cards - just as they did not see how the laws of the realm suddenly started to become unstable.

*****

"Yeah, no kidding," responded Lex as he looked at Mary, already displaying his power in full. Within a single second he could take countless actions, and have a million thoughts, though if he always acted in his maximum capacity he would be exhausted quickly.

Now, though, at a critical moment, there was no need to hold back. In less than a second, he was confident that he could escape this room, for it had only isolated him and not trapped him. He was sure he could find a way out, yet something incredibly unexpected happened. Mary stopped him.

"But this is also a good thing. Don't leave just yet. You can stay here a few minutes without affecting the Inn. I need to take this opportunity to tell you a few things."

Mary was reacting at the same speed as Lex, so their conversation was happening incredibly fast. At the same time, Lex sensed that in the far corner, someone was sitting with his eyes closed, though he could easily guess who it was. Yet Lex did not disturb Powell yet. Instead, he focused on Mary.

"What is it?" he asked.

"This place you're in, I am familiar with it. It's called a Sani Vortex, a rare occurrence which connects in the inner and outer layer of the fabric of the universe, creating a space completely cut off from the rest of the universe. This is a rare opportunity for me to share some things with you - things you must immediately seal in your mind, locking them away in your memories - just like you sealed away your time affinity!"

"What is it?" Lex asked gravely, ready to hear some secrets about the system. What he did not expect was that Mary wanted to discuss something else entirely.

"The guest in your Inn, the one whose name you erased from your memory. He is not a normal entity, and you cannot treat him as a normal Dao Lord. He is powerful beyond your imagination, and destructive beyond what you can conceive. He is the epitome of mischievousness, and the true origin behind the expression 'monkey business'.

"Do not think you can keep any secrets from him - you can't. The only thing you can do to protect yourself is pay as little attention to him as possible, and avoid him at all costs. Let him stay in the Inn if he wishes, and don't even think about it. The less you concern yourself with him, the safer you will be."

"It seems like you know him quite intimately," Lex said, hinting at something. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Of course I know him. Even when I was born, he was a legend beyond all legends. Let me tell you something so you can understand what level of being you are dealing with. The Cosmic Ascendance Spectrum is not a real list, and does not physically exist in the universe. Or at least, it was not real, and did not exist physically. It was simply a hierarchy orchestrated by the deeper laws of the universe that everyone referred to.

"Yet he… legend has it that, dissatisfied with his position on it, he journeyed to the unknown depths of the universe, using the very fabric of reality - the same one that forms the Sani Vortex - manifested the spectrum, just so he could physically carve out his name at the top.

"Of course, no one knows if such a thing is true, and he certainly isn't at the top of the list, but for such a rumor to exist, especially among Dao Lords, you can imagine the kind of power he wields.

"But, for someone as weak as you, there is a very easy way to deal with him. As long as you ignore his existence entirely, even going as far to forgetting he exists, he will most likely leave you alone. Even the Midnight Inn, and the Innkeeper, are not enough to attract his attention. Not truly."