The Innkeeper

Lex relaxed considerably, though there was just something about having a finger on his forehead that could drill into his brain at any moment that didn't let him feel completely at ease. He looked at the stranger in front of him. Besides a small gap around his eyes that showed the figure was made of crystal with a blue tint in it, he was covered in wrappings from head to toe. All it would take was a pair of sunglasses and no one would ever be able to tell the figure was from the crystal race, and would mistake him for a human.

He also noticed that by commenting on the fact that he liked Lex's questions to the Kraven, he revealed that he could understand whatever language they had been speaking. Yet, the Kraven had clearly stated that his language could not be understood by inferior races. This either meant that he was lying, which was completely possible, or that the Crystal race did not fall into the category of an inferior race.

"Do you know the answers? Do you know where the Kraven came from?" Lex asked with excitement in his voice. It was a lot harder to mask his emotions when the conversation was taking place in his own brain.

The man laughed before answering.

"Of course I know the answers, and more. In fact, the reason I'm in this realm to begin with is to erase any evidence or historical records that are not for common eyes."

Lex tried to analyze his words, but the man did not give away any details. All he had managed to convey so far was that the origin of the Kraven, or perhaps their goals, may not be such a mystery to everyone. This man at least knew the answers, but wanted to avoid spreading the information.

"I'll give you a few hints though, if you're interested in searching for the answers. Matters relating to the Kraven are more complicated than you realize. At the same time, however, those that need to know about these matters, do. So, there are two ways for you to learn the answers you seek. First, you become important enough to the people who know that they share this knowledge with you. Who they are and how you can become important to them, I will leave for you to figure out on your own. Second, you find old ruins like the ones in this realm, but in an area that has been long forgotten. After all, any time a new Minor realm is opened, someone like me comes along to scrub the place clean. And any ruins back in the Crystal realm that are common knowledge have already been scrubbed clean. The only way for you to learn the truth through this method is to find a realm, or some ruins, on your own that no one else knows about."

For a moment, Lex did not respond as he thought about the information given to him. In the end, he could not stop himself from asking, "If this information is meant to be kept a secret, why are you telling me how to find it?"

"Why else? Because I think it will be entertaining. If you're able to learn the truth, you can find me in a city called Valesco to share the story of how you found out. If I like the story, for every secret you uncovered, I'll reveal another one. But I think you're still far away from that for now, so I'll give you a little help to speed up the process. The crown that the little girl is carrying around is called the Issle'Garb. It is useless to humans, unless they happen to follow what you call the True Path of cultivation." The crystal winked at Lex as he said that.

"Next, a small tip about Minor realms. Minor realms are a tear in space and so are exposed to a lot of chaotic energy, also known as radiation. If a Minor realm is naturally formed, this chaotic energy will soon cause the realm to collapse, but if a Minor realm is created, the creator naturally equips the realm with a way to harness the radiation, and spread it throughout the realm as spiritual energy. Some of it, however, is saved up in an area known as the focal point which is a treasure that can be used to influence the realm. If someone were to enter an unowned realm, and take control of the focal point, they can absorb all that energy. It's a safe way to quickly raise your cultivation."

The man winked again.

"After all that excess energy is absorbed, the cultivator can still cultivate much faster so long as they do so near the focal point. Of course, it can't compete with taking a new focal point but, typically, a person can only own one focal point at a time."

The man paused after that, almost as if considering if he wanted to give Lex a few more hints to help him, but in the end, decided not to make it too easy for Lex.

"I'll leave you with a letter. If you want to find me, just give that letter to one of the guards in Valesco."

With that the man vanished, as if he had never been there, and time seemed to flow again. Cwenhild was still walking towards the blue flame while the rest of the group was either healing or inspecting the dead Kraven.

In Lex's hand was a sealed letter with no name or destination written on any side. He put away the letter and took a deep breath of relief. Then he thought over the new information the man had given him.

So other than absorb the abundant energy in the realms into the system, he could absorb it himself and speed up his cultivation. This was good news, because it meant that all Minor realms would have a massive amount of energy stored up.

While Cwenhild did whatever she needed to do with the flame, Lex walked towards the dead assassins. Their demise had not been peaceful, as almost all of them had their bodies split in half, while others had been crushed or burned to death.

Lex removed their masks but, as expected, did not recognize any of them. He searched their bodies but, other than their weapons, they carried nothing else that may reveal their origins.

"Find anything?" Jovi asked, limping up to Lex.

"Not a thing," he replied impassively. In Lex's mind, he was already planning his next move. The chances that these assassins were after him was extremely slim, and he was sure Cwenhild would get to the bottom of it, so he already put it out of his mind.

"I… can probably guess their origin," said Jovi as he looked around, making sure no one was close. "I can tell you, but you have to answer a question of mine first."

Lex raised an eyebrow as he looked at Jovi with curiosity. Intrigued, he said, "ask away."

"What kind of relationship do you have with Cwenhild?"

Lex almost felt stupid for being curious. All that build up, and what was it for? Petty jealousy? Did he think they had a romantic relationship or something?

"Strictly professional. My designated profession at the academy is Survival Consultant, and based on my performance during a previous expedition, she thought I would be of assistance and hired me."

Jovi let out a breath of relief, and then actually laughed, for he didn't even realize he had been holding his breath.

"I'm sorry, I just… after you… the Kraven… I…" Jovi stopped and chuckled at his state. He collected his thoughts and asked, "are you familiar with the distinctions between academy students?"

"By profession?"

"No, not like that. Let me explain. The academy, as you probably know it, is a tool used by the King to train the leaders in every possible industry from the entire Hum nation. Its campus, as you've probably noticed, is ridiculously huge. That's because the academy covers more land than entire provinces such as Gristol. I'm not sure how many students the academy has at any one point, but last year, 30 billion students graduated from the academy. After they graduate, those students are sent throughout the realm and assume roles that help their respective communities in massive ways. But, all of that is just the most basic and out level of the academy. These students are, in a way, probationary students. Only by achieving something extraordinary before you graduate can you become eligible to become a true student. Another way of putting it would be that, only after you prove yourself, can you become a core student of the academy."

He paused, and turned to look at Cwenhild.

"She's been proving herself for a while now, and once she gains this Minor realm, she'll be eligible to become a core student. I'm guessing… the assassins were sent by someone who's competing with her for that position."