The Innkeeper

"Is there a quota on how many core students there can be?" Lex asked curiously.

"No, there's no quota. But there's only so many things you can do that count towards getting you a spot as a core student that are as 'easy' as taking control of a Minor realm. There will be a lot of Minor realms, and the fight for the focal point for each of them will be intense. We are probably the first ones to actually reach a focal point, all thanks to you and Patrick sensing the energy signatures. Most others will probably spend weeks scouring the realms for it."

He paused for a moment, looked at Lex, then continued.

"The real prize Cwenhild is after is not this Minor realm, despite how valuable it is. It's the admission into the core of the academy. And when she becomes a member, she can nominate 5 people to come along with her. They won't be core members themselves, but they'll still be better than normal students."

Realization dawned on Lex, and he understood now why Jovi had asked about his relationship with Cwenhild. He probably also understood the animosity Bearin had towards him. The group was full of competitors, and everyone wanted to be the one Cwenhild nominated.

"What actually happens when you become a core disciple?" Lex asked curiously. If the benefits were worth it, he would consider it as well. After all, he had plans on absorbing energy from the other Minor realms, anyway. He didn't mind claiming one if the benefits were worth it. He'd also thought of claiming the Minor realms for himself if possible, but if that opportunity arose, he'd already thought of an alternative that suited him more.

"What happens once you've become a core student is a closely guarded matter. Cwenhild may know a bit, but mostly it is kept secret. What is commonly known, however, is that every student who enters goes through explosive growth. But… most importantly… almost 30% of core students… end up becoming Immortals."

Jovi became out of breath as he said the last sentence, and his eyes widened with longing. Even Lex paused his thoughts, then shook his head. Higher realms were not his focus right now. He needed energy, and that's where his focus lay.

The process of taking control of the focal point was not quick, and it actually took a few hours before Cwenhild finished. As unfortunate as it was, as soon as she did, she ended up absorbing all the accumulated energy. Somehow, the loss of the energy hurt Lex more than the severe burns on his chest and the poison still coursing through his veins.

With the realm under her control now, the blue flame died out. But instead of the realm falling into darkness, an orb of gentle yellow light appeared in the sky, illuminating the lands.

She did not pay attention to the change in lighting and instead the first thing Cwenhild did was give Lex a complicated look full of wonder, gratitude and admiration.

"It's done, the Minor realm is under my control. I'll take you all back to get treated, and then we can discuss payment and the next steps after everyone is healed. But first, let's get rid of all those treasure hunters snooping around my new realm."

No one protested, for everyone needed medical aid, but they all looked at one another with complicated eyes. Lex especially received the most looks of envy and jealousy.

Cwenhild placed a hand on top of the dish in which the fire was lit and, after a moment, let out a sigh of relief.

"It's done, and the timing couldn't be better. Some people were actually trying to break the barrier to the sleeping Crystals. Anyway, let's get out of here."

Instead of a portal opening up for them to walk though, like last time, Lex was directly with the strange yet familiar feeling of the disconnect between his body and his consciousness. But having already experienced it once, Lex handled it like a pro.

A moment later, he was back in the familiar setting of Cwenhild's apartment. A team of doctors and emergency responders were already waiting for them and quickly swarmed the group.

Those who were in the worst conditions were immediately taken away while the slightly less injured were given support while the doctors examined them directly where they stood. While Lex could also use medical attention, there was something slightly more urgent to take care of.

Under the horrified gaze of the doctor who was looking at the massive cauterized wounds on Lex's chest, he signaled Cwenhild to meet him on the side.

"How are you doing?" she asked, now that she could better see his condition. The nonchalance on his face earlier had fooled her into thinking he took on no injuries, but seeing the fact that he had simply been ignoring his wounds worried her. From their voice to their ridiculous strength to the poisonous slime, everything about Kraven was designed to kill. In a way, surviving with injuries was more impressive than not getting injured at all.

"I have a request, a favor and business proposition for you," Lex said, after considering his words.

"I'll start with the request. I'd like to replace my payment with the crown you're carrying."

"This?" Cwenhild asked, holding up the crown that had been hung around her waist, surprised. They'd had the crown for many days, which had given her plenty of time to experiment with it, but she had discovered nothing special. She'd even worn it, and besides acting as a beautiful headpiece, it seemed to offer nothing else.

"Do you know what it does?"

"I know a little about it," Lex said, without elaborating.

Cwenhild shrugged and handed it over without much consideration. As valuable as it might be, it could not compete with the hundreds of actual sleeping Crystals in her realm, and Lex had helped tremendously. He more than earned it.

"Take it as a bonus for beating the Kraven on your own, and expect your payment in full. We cooperated well. I hope we'll be able to do so again in the future/"

"Much appreciated," he said without being pedantic. "Now, for the request. As you know, I still plan on visiting other Minor realms, but I don't want to waste too much time healing. At the same time, I can't afford to go if I'm not in top condition. I need to speed up my recovery as much as possible, and I'm guessing you'd have access to better facilities than anywhere else. If you could help me out, I'd greatly appreciate it."

"Consider it done," Cwenhild said. Even if she didn't believe Lex was her half brother, he had proved himself extremely valuable and she would have wanted to maintain an excellent relationship with him. If she could use something as simple as resources to win over his favor, she'd consider it a bargain. "But it still won't be a miraculous recovery. First the doctors will need to check your condition to figure out the extent of your injuries, and based on that, we can move forward."

"Not a problem. Finally, the business proposal. So I was thinking…"

As Lex explained his plan to her, she gave him a befuddled look, which then fluctuated between absolute disgust and amazement. If he could pull off what he was thinking, it would be the most broken way to earn money she had ever encountered. She had to be a part of this.

*****

Osaka, Japan, Earth

Souta Ito slowly wiped the blood from his Katana, ignoring the dozens of dismembered bodies around him. A faint smell of death had begun to envelope the area, but the coming storm clouds should wash away the stain of his sins.

In the distance, a crowd had gathered as they watched, horrified but at the same time, numbed.

For a time, while the Council of New Order ruled Earth, Souta had purged Japan of all external influence, and taken control. The fact that every time he overcame an obstacle, or killed a strong opponent, his system would give him generous rewards was in fact just a bonus to him.

The people of Japan had long since become used to his ruthlessness and brutality. Most looked at him with disgust and hate, though they did their best to hide it. Some formed a zealous cult, worshiping his actions of bringing Japan back to its roots. What no one knew was that, deep inside, this was not what he wanted.

Souta had lived a simple life before receiving the Samurai system, and lived in a small town. His ambitions extended as far as retiring his parents and starting a family, and nothing more. When he received his system, instead of glory and wonder, it brought him hell. The reason was simple.

The Samurai system made him incredibly strong, and as a system that directly increased his strength and combat abilities, made it so that there was no danger he could not face. But it came with one great flaw. In the old days, samurais were retainers under their feudal lords. Similarly now, as a Samurai, his system made him unquestionably loyal to his 'feudal lord'. Unfortunately, through a twist of fate, he had pledged his loyalty to an extremely ambitious man who, while ignorant of the system, understood full well how to take advantage of Souta's strength.

This man, who went only by the name Suzuki, had tasted the power of ruling, before Fernanda retook control of the Earth and stabilized everything. Now though, he spent all his time venting his anger on the weak, through Souta, of course.

"Come Souta," the extremely well dressed man said as he walked away from the bloody scene, even less bothered by the surrounding gore. "We have a new commission - someone named Larry who's been hiding at the Midnight Inn. For now though, we'll only collect information on the target. I've heard security is very tight at the Inn."

Souta said nothing, and followed Suzuki, his expression indifferent. He had learned to hide his emotions from his lord. Until he found a way to regain his freedom from this cursed system, he needed to hide as much as he could.