The Innkeeper

Typically, Lex had a lot of confidence in himself. He had proven his competence at every turn, and achieved much in his short life. But he knew when to admit that he'd met someone better than him, and that is exactly what happened.

Lilith had melted like butter in his hands, and she was practically inseparable from him. He didn't want to pry into their private matters so he didn't check her age, but he was certain she wasn't exactly a teenager, so it was quite admirable how easily she had swooned.

Of course, Lex also used his own sixth sense to judge if she was doing this just to get close to him. The devils did not have a stellar reputation to begin with, and it wouldn't even be the first time they targeted the Inn.

But whether they were his instincts, which he could guide to target something much more easily now, his sixth sense, or his general ability to read his target, they all agreed that Lilith was being quite genuine in her appreciation of Gerard. Though, his instincts did give him a soft warning that she came with her own baggage. A devil with a past hiding out at the Inn wasn't exactly news of the century, so he moved on.

Fortunately, Cindy had completely lost interest in Lex after getting the pint of ice cream as her welcoming gift, though she did share the ice cream with him so that was nice. But the lack of concern over the date put Lex in the unique opportunity to gather information about Lilith, if he so wished. After all, even if she didn't have ulterior motives didn't mean she wouldn't be trouble.

But after thinking about it for a while, Lex ultimately decided not to pry. If Gerard asked for his help, he'd look into her. But since he only asked for help in ensuring the date went well, that is what he focused on.

The four of them squeezed into the Tuk-tuk while Lilith followed Gerards instructions and led them to Cirk, who was waiting with the Silent Wanderer to take them to their next spot. Lex had to admit, without the fear of imminent death, it was quite an enjoyable ride.

Cirk then flew them to the site for the next segment of their date, which was a hilly region occupied by a race of evolved worms called Worpal. They were not sentient, but they were incredibly strong as well as dangerous. They had to be, considering that the mountains and hills in the Midnight realm were made mostly of giant spirit stones. Any worm that could bore through that was far from simple.

What made this site perfect for the continuation of their date was that they terraformed the spirit stone, turning it first into fine grains, which eventually clumped together to form some kind of soil.

But the region was still being formed, and the soil made of spirit stone dust still contained a tremendous amount of energy, which meant that the slightest touch might actually cause the ground beneath you to explode!

Of course, that was not an issue for Lex or any of the others, but for ordinary people this was quite a dangerous location. For them though, it was just an interesting racecourse with unpredictable traps. That just added to the excitement of the racing.

For this, the group of workers had golf carts that had been slightly modified with a temporary boost button. If any of them sensed that the ground underneath their carts was going to explode and they hit the button in time, it would dash forward and move out of the explosion range.

The track had been clearly marked, so there was no danger of anyone getting lost or ending up elsewhere, and it ended at the mouth of a cave that everyone was just temporarily called the icy caverns.

In truth, it was a cavern filled with a type of extremely clear spirit stone that looked like ice, and along with some local plant life, it made for quite a romantic spot. In fact, they had been planning on extending official Inn residences nearby once the Innkeeper returned.

They had prepared many such proposals while they explored the new lands, and tried to become familiar with it.

Once the Silent Wanderer landed, Lex jumped out, and was surprised when he sensed a pulse of energy traveling through the ground, responding to his footsteps. Each time he took a step, another pulse traveled through the ground, and he could tell that if he were a little forceful, that pulse might change into something a little more deadly.

He could imagine how a single explosion here might set off a chain of explosions that would cause the entire region to explode. Were they racing or setting off a nuclear explosion? And why was he so excited by the idea?

It suddenly occurred to him that if he were back on earth, he could probably weather a nuclear explosion with his body, unaffected. Well, maybe he'd be slightly harmed, and burn a few hairs here and there, but he'd come out fine. After all, he was tempering himself to survive the ultimate volcanic eruption.

"Are you sure the mountain won't blow up underneath us?" Lex had to ask. Although he knew about the realm, that was only to a certain extent, and even then he found it difficult to access all the information. He was not kept up to date with the new changes taking place in the realm, such as this particular race course.

"We've already caused a few explosions while testing the spot out. There is a natural mechanism in place to prevent the explosion from affecting the rest of the soil, so there's no concern. They will, at most, harm the golf carts a little," answered Gerard.

"Since there is a race, there also has to be a prize," said Cindy who also jumped out of the ship.

Gerard hesitated, since he hadn't prepared anything, but since Lex was there to back him up, how could he let him look bad? He quickly accessed his knowledge of everything inside the Midnight Inn, and searched for natural treasures nearby.

Like the Mountain Milk, there were countless other resources born here that could directly benefit cultivators even at the immortal levels. Even though he had not spied on them, Lex had spent enough time around other cultivators to be able to judge their levels. Cindy and Lilith both were immortals.

Since when were immortals so common? There was no point pondering over such a question, because it was in Lex's fate to continuously run into cultivators stronger than him.

"About 500 miles from here there is a valley where a piece of a rainbow broke off and solidified, turning into small gems. The winner can take one of those gems for free. I believe you might have heard of them. They're official name is Skittelz."

Both Lilith and Cindy froze. Skittelz were legendary natural treasures that had no fixed price in the outside world, because they were never for sale! Not only did they taste amazing, but they also strengthened one's skin, improving the defensive capabilities of any who eats them by manyfold. As a result of skin being refined in such a way, it also naturally enhanced beauty and charm of whoever ate them. They also tasted great.

Gerard, who had the Regalia Bloom bloodline, which had undergone multiple evolutions, was the personification of walking, talking charm. The bloodline made everything about him extremely appealing, which had been a source of great pain for him as he gained too many admirers as a result, which impeded him from doing his job. So it was suffice to say, he did not really care about that part of the gems capability. But even he was tempted by that increase in defense - especially since it could even work on immortals.

Lilith and Cindy, too, did not care about the beauty at all. Their eyes were completely not gleaming at the thought of getting their hands on Skittelz, and a baleful aura did not immediately surround them. That was all in Lex's mind. None of it was real.

"I think they like the prize," he said to Gerard, who only smiled. There was a competitiveness in his eyes that said he was not about to just let them win.

Without any more banter, everyone quickly got in their respective carts. Lex tossed a rock in the air, and as soon as it touched the ground everyone slammed their foot on the accelerator. The game was on, and it was no longer a playful experience.

"Are there any rules?" Lilith yelled over from her cart.

Yeah, just don't kill anyone," Lex responded jokingly, but the very serious nod she gave made him think that she might not have gotten his joke.

The next moment, a massive meteor suddenly just appeared in the sky, and it was aiming for all of them!