Lex dengan cepat kembali ke kantornya dan menaruh sumber daya tingkat Celestial ke dalam difuser aroma. Kali ini, niatnya bukan untuk memasuki pencerahan atau bermeditasi, melainkan memperbaiki kondisi mentalnya saat mempertimbangkan masa depan Inn.
Pemblokiran terhadap Inn datang terlalu tiba-tiba, dan situasi di alam semesta berubah jauh terlalu cepat. Ia perlu mengevaluasi ulang beberapa rencana, mempertimbangkan masa depannya, dan mempersiapkan diri untuk masalah-masalah tertentu. Bahkan sekarang, di tengah banyak hal, Lex belum melupakan rasa bahaya samar yang dirasakannya saat meninggalkan Arch-Heaven.
Ada juga urusan Jack yang perlu dipertimbangkan, termasuk fakta bahwa tingkat kultivasinya tampak tidak mampu naik lagi.
Ia dikelilingi peluang, namun pada saat yang sama, bahaya mengintai di balik setiap bayangan.
Saat aroma halus dari difuser memenuhi ruangan, Lex jadi lebih selaras dengan instingnya, dan pikirannya jadi lebih tajam. Rencana-rencana mulai terbentuk dalam benaknya, dan ia membayangkan masa depan baru bagi Midnight Inn, bahkan di tengah perang dan kekacauan.
Namun, ia yakin bahwa tidak peduli seberapa besar reputasi yang dibangun Pengelola Inn, seseorang pasti akan mengujinya setidaknya sekali sebelum perang ini berakhir. Paling mungkin, akan diuji berulang kali. Pisau mentega akan pulih dengan sendirinya, tapi itu bukan satu-satunya yang bisa diandalkannya. Ia perlu memikirkan kontingensi lain, dan mengikat aliansi lebih dalam.
Ia memandang Sun Crow di udara, lalu memikirkan triliunan tamu di dalam Inn yang akan dikirim Primordial Garden. Saat memikirkan tujuan akhir tamu-tamu tersebut yaitu Origin realm, Lex teringat hadiah yang diberikan Hiran Kokan sebelum pergi.
Sebelumnya, ia tidak terlalu memperhatikannya. Dengan begitu banyak hal yang terjadi, bagaimana dia diharapkan fokus pada setiap hadiah kecil dari seorang Dao Lord? Ia punya terlalu banyak hadiah.
Namun kini, ia punya waktu menyelidiki. Lebih penting lagi, instingnya yang dipertajam aroma difuser samar-samar memberitahu bahwa hadiah itu jauh dari biasa.
Lex mengeluarkan kotak kayu yang diberikan Gubernur Origin realm dan hendak membukanya, tapi terhenti. Sejenak kemudian, ia berdiri dan menempelkan punggungnya ke dinding. Akan memalukan sekali kalau ia terlempar hanya karena membuka wadah hadiah lagi.
Namun saat dibukanya, tidak ada aura luar biasa yang melesat. Bahkan, tidak ada aura sama sekali. Ada tiket perak semacam itu, sepertinya terbuat dari triliunan benang seperti sutra.
Awalnya tiket itu kosong, tapi setelah terpapar energi spiritual di udara, beberapa kata mulai muncul di atasnya.
Glaticus Necropolis
Kata-kata itu terasa familiar, seolah pernah didengar di mana, tapi ia tidak bisa ingat. Bukan salahnya. Saat konfrontasi antara Hiran Kokan dan Sekhmet dulu, Hiran berteriak ke arahnya tentang pengkhianatan rahasia Origin realm. Suaranya terdengar banyak orang, tapi sebagai Dao Lord bagaimana dia bisa membuat kesalahan ceroboh?
Suara itu sendiri membawa kekuatan sehingga semua pendengar non-afiliasi otomatis lupa, dan itu termasuk Lex.
Sebelum ia sempat merenung signifikansi tiket Glaticus Necropolis, ia mendengar suara notifikasi yang familiar tapi tak terduga.
Notifikasi Baru: Aura Axis Eternum realm terdeteksi. Memulai penguatan koneksi otomatis!
Notifikasi Baru: Koneksi permanen ke Origin realm terhubung. Akses ke Origin realm tidak bisa lagi diblokir secara buatan melalui cara eksternal.
Mata Lex melebar. Ia tahu apa itu Axis Eternum, karena sebenarnya itu bukan rahasia begitu besar - setidaknya di kalangan makhluk tingkat tertentu.
Dahulu, saat ia di Crystal realm, belajar di akademi yang didirikan Cornelius, ia menjalankan misi khusus pergi dan membuat koneksi ke Minor realm. Itu melibatkan pengambilan alih inti Minor realm yang muncul berupa item khusus. Membentuk koneksi dengan Minor realm memberikan umpan balik besar berupa energi spiritual yang membantu naikkan tingkat kultivasi tanpa mempengaruhi fondasi atau melukai kultivator.
Tapi itu cuma Minor realm. Sering Lex bertanya-tanya apakah realm proper yang lebih besar, bahkan Mature realm, juga punya inti serupa. Kalau ia ikatan dengannya, ia tidak bisa bayangkan umpan balik seperti apa yang akan didapat.
Ia bahkan mencari tahu, dan lama sekali ia tidak dapet jawab. Baru saat ia mulai bergaul dengan Celestial Immortals, menamu tamu superkuat, lalu memperhatikan mereka semua lewat sistemnya, ia pertama kali mendengar istilah Axis Eternum. Begitu mendengar istilah itu, mencari tahu lebih lanjut bukan tugas sulit.
Sangat mengecewakan Lex, kebanyakan realm normal tidak punya inti berupa item, yang menyediakan cara nyaman untuk mengikat realm. Namun, ada pengecualian untuk segalanya.
Beberapa realm unik, seperti Folklore realm, tidak terbentuk normal. Kelahiran mereka biasanya lewat keadaan rumit dan tak terulang, dan sebagai hasilnya mereka cenderung melahirkan sesuatu yang disebut Axis Eternum, yang sederhananya adalah inti realm itu!
Sebenarnya, jauh lebih rumit. Itu adalah pusat fisik yang menampung semua hukum yang berlaku di realm. Normalnya, hukum realm hadir di mana-mana di seluruh realm, dan tidak ada hal seperti berasal dari pusat, itulah kenapa keberadaan Axis Eternum sebenarnya anomali.
Penjelasan panjang dan rumit, tapi intinya tetap bisa disebut inti realm, kan? Mengikat dengannya seharusnya tetap memberikan kendali atas realm dan memberlakukan siapa yang terikat bantu tremendu? Akan berpikir begitu, tapi Lex tidak dapet jawab pasti siapa pun yang ditanya. Bahkan Mary mengaku tidak tahu, atau tidak ingat. Namun, insting serta deduksi logisnya menyatakan itu jauh dari kebenaran. Ada rahasia terkait, yang ia yakin. Ia sudah cukup terpapar rahasia universal untuk bisa mendeteksi saat menemuinya.
Faktanya, kalau Lex mau ambil waktu dan mendeduksi rahasia apa, ia cukup yakin bisa menghasilkan penjelasan yang paling tidak 50% akurat. Ia tidak tau perasaan itu datang dari mana - mungkin aroma difuser - tapi nurutnya bilang itu benar. Tapi itu hampir tidak penting.
Yang lebih menarik adalah sistem bisa membuat koneksi permanen ke realm hanya dari aura Axis Eternum.
Lex tidak merenung kenapa Hiran menyerahkan tiket Axis Eternum ke Dao Lord lain. Mungkin dia yakin tak ada yang bisa curi darinya, atau mungkin rahasia lain terlibat.
Yang penting sekarang adalah...
Dari 32 miliar tamu di dalam Inn, berkultivasi dengan energi Primordial Sun Crow, kebanyakan bisa pulang ke rumahnya kalau ia buka kembali koneksi. Tapi itu juga akan mengundang banyak tamu dari Origin realm ke Inn-nya, belum lagi akan membuat tamu lain tidak bisa pergi ke realm masing-masing jadi tidak puas.
Maka, begitu koneksi permanen terbentuk, ia beli token Lockdown dari Token Shop dan memasukkan Inn ke dalam lockdown. Normalnya, itu juga mencegah dia masuk dan keluar, tapi dengan otoritas baru yang meningkat atas Inn ia bisa menghindari batasan itu.
Ini juga alasan nyaman untuk menahan semua tamu dari Primordial Garden di dalam Inn agak lebih lama. Meskipun peningkatan persentase pertumbuhan kecil mungkin kelihatan tidak signifikan, efeknya bisa menghemat jutaan tahun.
Biaya token sendiri bukan berarti bagi Lex, apalagi dengan banyak ME yang tersisa, belum lagi banyak MT dan MP. Itu juga alasan saat Primordial Garden beli banyak kunci untuk mengirim tamu mereka ke Inn, Lex memutuskan menjualnya dengan harga pokok, artinya mereka beli dengan harga persis yang ditawarkan sistem, tidak memberi Lex keuntungan.
Tindakan kecil, tapi ia percaya Dao Lord yang beli kunci akan bisa merasakan apakah Lex untung darinya atau tidak. Kalau begitu, ia lebih fokus membangun hubungan lebih baik daripada untung beberapa MT dari penjualan kunci.
Ia jadi salah satu bos besar sekarang, dengan banyak uang. Ia tidak perlu merungut soal hal kecil ini. Bicara soal itu, ia sekarang bisa mulai mengupgrade Innnya menggunakan Midnight Realm Management Panel. Dana cukup.
Lex quickly returned to his office and put a Celestial grade resource in the scent diffuser. His intention, this time, was not to enter into enlightenment or to meditate, but to enhance his mental state as he considered the future of the Inn.
The lockdown on the Inn came too abruptly, and the situation in the universe was evolving much too quickly. He needed to reevaluate some plans, consider his future, and prepare for certain troubles. Even now, in the midst of so much, Lex had not forgotten that hint of danger he felt back when he was leaving Arch-Heaven.
There were also some of Jack’s matters to consider, including the fact that his cultivation level seemed incapable of rising any further.
He was surrounded by opportunities, yet at the same time, danger lurked behind every shadow.
As the subtle scent emerging from the diffuser filled the room, Lex became more in-tune with his instincts, and his mind became even sharper. Plans began to form in his mind, and he envisioned a new future for the Midnight Inn, even inside a time of war and turmoil.
However, he was certain that no matter what reputation the Innkeeper had built, someone would test it at least once before this war concluded. Most likely, it would be tested again and again. The butter knife would heal soon enough, but that was not all he could rely on. He needed to think of other contingencies, and form deeper alliances.
He looked at the Sun Crow in the air, and then thought of the trillions of guests inside the Inn that the Primordial Garden would send. When he thought of the final destination of those guests being the Origin realm, Lex was reminded of the gift Hiran Kokan had given the Innkeeper before leaving.
Previously, he had not paid too much attention to it. With everything he had going on, how could he be expected to focus on every little gift some Dao Lord gave him? He had too many of them.
Yet now, he had the time to investigate. More importantly, his instincts, which were enhanced by the scent of the diffuser, subtly hinted to him that the gift was far from ordinary.
Lex took out the wooden box given to him by the Governor of the Origin realm and was about to open it, but paused. After a moment, he stood up and put his back against the wall. How awkward would it be if he was blown away just by opening a gift container once again?
Yet when he opened it, there was no overwhelming aura that blasted him. In fact, there was no aura at all. There was a silver ticket of some sort, seemingly made out of trillions of silk like threads.
At first, the ticket was blank, but after being exposed to the spiritual energy in the air, some words began to appear on top of it.
Glaticus Necropolis
The words seemed familiar, as if he had heard them somewhere before, but he could not recall. It was not his fault. Back during the confrontation between Hiran Kokan and Sekhmet, Hiran had screamed at her about betraying the secret of the Origin realm. His voice had been heard by many, yet as a Dao Lord how could he make a careless mistake?
The voice itself carried the power so that all non-affiliated listeners would automatically forget, and that included Lex.
Before he could ponder the significance of the Glaticus Necropolis ticket, he heard the familiar yet unexpected sound of a fresh notification.
New Notification: A realms Axis Eternum aura is detected. Initiating automatic connection strengthening!
New Notification: Permanent connection to the Origin realm established. Access to the Origin realm can no longer be artificially blocked through external means.
Lex’s eyes widened. He knew what an Axis Eternum was, as that was actually not such a great secret - at least amidst a certain level of beings.
Once, when he was in the Crystal realm, studying in the academy founded by Cornelius, he had undertaken a special mission to go and establish a connection to a Minor realm. That involved taking control of the core of the Minor realm which appeared in the form of a special item. Forming a connection with the Minor realm provided a huge feedback in terms of spiritual energy which helped raise the cultivation level without affecting the foundation or harming the cultivator.
But that was only a Minor realm. Lex had often wondered if larger, proper realms also had similar cores, or even Mature realms. If he bonded to it, he could not imagine what kind of feedback he would get.
He had even looked into it, and for a long time he found no answer. It was only when he started rubbing shoulders with Celestial Immortals, welcoming super powerful guests and then paying attention to all of them through his system that he had first heard of the term Axis Eternum. Once he heard the term, finding out more about it was not such a difficult task.
Much to Lex’s disappointment, most normal realms did not have cores in the form of items, providing a convenient way to bond the realm. However, there were exceptions to everything.
Some unique realms, such as the Folklore realm, were not formed normally. Their birth usually occurred through complicated and irreplicable circumstances, and as a result they were likely to give birth to something called the Axis Eternum, which in simple terms was the core of the realm!
In truth, it was far more complicated. It was the physical hub housing all the laws which operated in the realm. Now normally, the laws of a realm were omnipresent throughout the realm, and there was no such thing as originating from a hub, which is why the existence of an Axis Eternum was actually an anomaly.
It was a long complex explanation, but in essence it could still be called the core of a realm, right? Bonding with it should still give control over a realm and provide whoever bonded with it a tremendous boon of some sort? One would think, but Lex could not get a concrete answer no matter who he asked. Even Mary claimed to not know, or not remember. However, his instincts as well as his logical deduction stated that this was far from the truth. There were some secrets related to it, of which he was sure. He’d had enough exposure to universal secrets to be able to detect one when he encountered one.
In fact, if Lex wanted to take his time and deduce what the secret might be, he was fairly confident that he could come up with an explanation that was at least 50% accurate. He didn’t know where that feeling came from - maybe it was the scent from the diffuser - yet his gut told him it was true. But that hardly mattered.
What was more interesting was that the system could create a permanent connection to realms merely from the aura of an Axis Eternum.
Lex did not ponder over why Hiran would hand over a ticket to an Axis Eternum to another Dao Lord. Maybe he was confident that no one could steal it from him, or maybe there were other secrets involved.
What mattered for now was...
Of the 32 billion guests inside the Inn, cultivating with the energy of the Primordial Sun Crow, most could return to their homes if he reopened the connection. Yet that would also invite many guests from the Origin realm into his Inn, not to mention it would make the other guests unable to leave to their respective realms dissatisfied.
Thus, the moment the permanent connection was formed, he bought a Lockdown token from the Token Shop and put the Inn inside a lockdown. Normally, that would also prevent him from coming in and going out, but with his new increased authority over the Inn he could avoid that restriction.
This was also a convenient excuse to keep all the guests from the Primordial Garden inside the Inn a little longer. While the tiny increase in growth percentage might not seem like much, in effect it could save millions of years.
The expense for the token itself was nothing to Lex, not with so many ME left, not to mention so many MT and MP. That was also why when the Primordial Garden bought so many keys to send their guests over to the Inn, Lex decided to keep it at cost, meaning they bought it for the exact price that the system offered it for, giving Lex no profit.
It was a small act, but he believed that the Dao Lord purchasing the keys would be able to sense if Lex was profiting from him or not. In that case, he’d rather focus on establishing a better relationship than profiting a mere few MT from keys sold.
He was one of the big boys now, with a lot of money. He didn’t need to quibble over this small stuff. Speaking of which, he could now begin to upgrade his Inn using the Midnight Realm Management Panel as well. He had sufficient funds for it.
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