The Innkeeper

Lex had been homeschooled a lot, so he did not know what a traditional P.E. teacher was like. The only thing he had to compare it with was when his dad would put on a tracksuit, grab a whistle and make him and his sisters do odd, random exercises.

Sometimes they would run laps around a random park and other times they'd go swimming. Sometimes, his parents would get creative after watching a martial arts movie, like The Karate Kid or something, and then make them do the same things as in the movie.

All in all, it was not too bad except for the fact that they would not be allowed to stop till they were thoroughly exhausted and drained. In hindsight, maybe it was just a way for parents to exhaust extremely energetic kids to get some rest themselves. If his parents were normal, that would have made sense.

That, however, was irrelevant. What truly mattered was the fact that Lex was having flashbacks to those days of utter exhaustion as he pushed his body beyond its limit to approach the dragon. Each movement, whether it was his hands moving back and forth to maintain balance, or each excruciating part of taking a step, had to be done with the utmost care. It was only under so much extreme pressure that Lex realized how complicated walking actually was.

He had to simultaneously cultivate, and though it had not helped him in any way yet, he was confident it would pay off. After all, with each step he took he was closer to the dragon. That also meant that each step he took increased the might of, well, Dragons Might.

There was a whimpering sound beside him, and Lex could not help but smile. After he had stood up, and regained a dignified stance, he summoned Fenrir. The poor pup was also helpless under the weight of the dragon's oppression, but the aggression buried deep in its bloodline did not allow it to kneel before the dragon. Although it did not have as specific a purpose as Lex, Fenrir too had stood up though it was extremely reluctant to get any closer. Its pride, however, would not allow it to stay back as Lex moved forward.

The reason Lex had summoned it was not because Lex did not want to suffer alone, no. It was to temper the pups will. He had noticed that the more it would hunt, the more it was starting to grow uncontrollably aggressive. It was fine for now, as it always behaved in front of Lex so far, but he thought overcoming a little hardship and realizing that he was not all powerful might be good for the pups growth.

Also, he needed someone to watch as he overcame this hurdle. What was the point of a performance without an audience? Well, there were plenty of reasons for it actually, but who cared?

It had been thirty minutes since Lex began walking, but he had not even covered five hundred feet (150 meters). This was not good because he could sense mild vibrations coming from the castle above. Something was going on, and the longer he took, the greater chances that someone else would show up soon.

His brain was filled with countless ideas for how he could make this task easier. He could use his spatial affinity to get closer, he could summon the Silent Wanderer. Heck, he was certain if he threw a golden key at the dragon hard enough, it would be crushed and send the dragon to the Inn. There, he could conduct this trial in as much time as he needed, and that would also save him enough time to loot the rest of the hoard.

He couldn't help it, Lex had been too focused on searching for loopholes so all these ideas kept coming to him. But he rejected them all. Some things had to be achieved in the moment without the thought of retreat or giving up. Sure, he could attempt the same task inside the Inn without external pressures hurrying him along, but that would defeat the point. He had to do this to prove he was not reliant on the system. Most of all, he had to conquer the dragon that made him taste the floor.

Lex did not even allow himself to enter his Flow state, or any other state. This had to be done purely by him.

Lex was so focused on the task that he did not notice at all when he started exuding his own aura. It only made sense. He was giving it everything he had, so subconsciously he included his aura in that as well.

But while his aura was previously completely suppressed all the way to his skin, under the pressure of Dragons Might and driven by the monumental achievement that was each step, it began to change.

The direction it was changing was not overwhelmingly oppressive, similar to that of Dragons Might, as hospitality was deeply ingrained in him now, and oppressing his guests was never the sign of a good host. But it was gaining authority nonetheless.

It was not the authority of a boss over his subordinates, no. It was more like the authority wielded as a result of one's own person. It was like the respect of a warrior - it was the same in a garden just as much as it was on the battlefield. It was like the confidence of a king - they did not need to prove their worth. It was like a celebrity in front of a massive crowd of fans - they did not need to introduce themselves.

It was all of that and more, and with each passing second it was being refined further. It was filled with an aura of dominance.

Yet how could something that was filled with the air of dominance be suppressed? His aura extended out 1cm from his skin, and for a moment Lex felt the illusion that his step had become easier, even if only a minute amount.