Persiapan festival jauh melampaui sekadar menyiapkan beberapa kediaman dan memperluas wilayah—ngomong-ngomong soal itu, ia mengalokasikan 100 acre tanah datar yang jauh dari semua atraksi yang ada saat ini dan memberikannya khusus kepada Tukang Kebun supaya dia akhirnya bisa menyelesaikan karya seni lanskapnya.
Dari sekian banyak tugas lain yang Lex kerjakan, baik kecil maupun besar, mendekorasi Inn adalah yang paling menyita waktunya. Inn harus tampak meriah, tapi sekaligus menenangkan dan indah.
Membuat Inn tampak ceria jelas penting, karena kalau tidak, perayaannya akan terasa kurang lengkap. Namun, karena kultivasi juga menjadi tema besar, lingkungan yang menenangkan pikiran adalah keharusan. Lagipula, kultivasi, meski kadang nyaman dan santai, bisa juga berat dan membebani. Karena itu, menjaga pikiran tetap tenang dan terkendali sangatlah penting. Meski sebagian besar usaha itu jelas dilakukan oleh kultivator sendiri, menciptakan lingkungan yang mendukung tugas tersebut adalah hal minimal yang bisa dilakukan.
Karena itu, mereka memutuskan bahwa area berpenduduk padat akan didekorasi sesuai aktivitas yang sedang berlangsung, tapi semakin jauh seseorang dari tempat seperti desa dan Jalan Utama, semakin menenangkan lingkungannya.
Di sinilah kehebatan divisi Perencanaan terlihat. Kalau menuruti Lex, dia hanya akan membuat ulang dekorasi yang berasal dari budaya Bumi, tapi mereka memasukkan ide-ide dari berbagai planet.
Lampu-lampu digantung di seluruh bangunan, meski tidak dihubungkan dengan kabel atau benar-benar ditempelkan ke bangunannya. Dengan teknologi canggih dari planet-planet Vegus, jalur tak kasatmata dibentangkan di atas semua bangunan, dan cahaya-cahaya warna-warni mengalir di sepanjangnya seperti air yang mengalir di sungai. Hanya saja, itu tidak terbatas pada warna yang berbeda-beda saja. Desain dan pola indah terbentuk dengan rumit, berubah secara acak saat mengalir melintasi bangunan dan jalan.
Tag imersif dibuat untuk dibagikan kepada para tamu, dan tergantung di mana mereka berada serta aktivitas apa yang mereka tonton atau ikuti, mereka akan melihat dekorasi berbeda dan mendengar musik berbeda. Dua orang yang berdiri berdampingan tapi menyimak acara berbeda akan mengalami pengalaman yang berbeda dalam segala hal!
Mengingat sebagian pendidikannya di akademi di alam Kristal, Lex tahu bahwa bahkan energi spirit pun bisa punya aksen atau aroma yang berbeda, dan memperkuat aura serta kehadiran seseorang, meski biasanya itu harus dilatih secara sadar. Ia memasukkan fitur itu ke setiap bagian Inn, sehingga tiap tempat benar-benar terasa unik dalam segala hal.
Semakin jauh dari area Inn yang padat, jenis dekorasinya berubah. Alih-alih lampu dan musik yang dirancang memikat dan menggairahkan indra, fokus di sini lebih pada alam dan energi alami.
Lex kembali terbatas dalam hal ide, yang antara lain menanam pohon sakura dan almond yang sedang berbunga. Seluruh hamparan ladang berisi pohon penuh bunga merah muda dan putih memenuhi Inn. Semak melati ditanam di alam liar dan dekat jalur berkelok, memenuhi Inn dengan aroma sedapnya.
Divisi Perencanaan, yang jelas sudah melakukan riset, melangkah lebih jauh dan memberi Lex daftar flora lain untuk ditambahkan. Seluruh hutan pohon dengan daun kristal ungu pun muncul, yang menumbuhkan permata dan berlian alih-alih buah.
Bunga-bunga raksasa yang lebih tinggi dari pohon dengan batang lebih tebal dari tubuh manusia biasa ditanam, menghiasi lanskap. Bunga-bunga ini, yang sangat mirip bunga matahari, menumbuhkan daun dengan pola melingkar aneh di sekitar batangnya, berfungsi sebagai tangga bagi siapa pun untuk memanjat ke puncaknya. Aroma alaminya sangat menyegarkan dan punya efek pemurnian alami bagi lingkungan.
Sejumlah semak aneh juga ditanam, dengan daun berwarna kuning dan oranye, bukan hijau. Tapi warna daunnya bukanlah keanehannya. Bukan itu—di malam hari semak itu akan menyusut dan menyerap semua daunnya sampai membentuk wujud hewan acak, lalu semaknya berpindah tempat.
Lebih jauh, atas permintaan divisi itu, meski Lex enggan, ia menambahkan sejumlah serangga ke Inn. Meski sebelumnya ia hanya memakai kupu-kupu karena jelas cantik, kali ini ia menambahkan daftar serangga yang, mengejutkan, langsung membuat Inn jadi lebih baik!
Lebah madu dan kepik sudah akrab bagi Lex, tapi sisanya adalah makhluk kecil cantik dari berbagai planet lain. Mereka tidak tampak menyeramkan, melainkan berwujud peri, bunga, bola cahaya, dan lain-lain.
Seolah belum cukup, cara mereka berinteraksi dengan tanaman melepaskan aksen alami ke energi spiritual di sekitarnya, memberi petunjuk bahwa Inn akhirnya mengembangkan ekosistem yang tidak sepenuhnya bergantung pada sistem itu sendiri.
Tentu saja, tidak satu pun tanaman atau serangga ini muncul begitu saja. Dulu, saat Lex harus mendatangkan hewan dan pohon dari Bumi, ia harus mendapatkan benih atau membawa beberapa spesimen dulu sebelum Inn bisa mereplikasinya. Sekarang pun sama, bedanya hanya penggunaan ruang Guild membuat ia tak perlu mencari barang-barang itu sendiri.
Itu bagus, karena semua ini pun hanya sebagian dari hal-hal yang masuk dalam persiapan acara. Namun akhirnya, berkat bantuan sistem, para pekerja, dan usaha ekstra darinya, semuanya berjalan lancar.
Pekan itu akhirnya berlalu, dan hanya tinggal beberapa jam sebelum acara dimulai. Kerumunan besar sudah berkumpul di Inn, bukan berarti Lex harus melayani mereka sendiri.
Saat ini ia fokus menjaga kultivasinya tetap stabil. Di ruang Meditasinya, Lex yang bertelanjang dada terlihat menyeimbangkan tubuhnya hanya dengan ujung jari tengahnya. Tubuhnya terangkat tegak lurus di udara, dan butir-butir keringat menggelinding di tubuhnya saat ia melakukan push-up terus-menerus hanya dengan jarinya.
Di latar belakang, kamera yang merekamnya sama sekali tidak relevan, dan botol semprot mungil berisi keringat buatan—eh, botol semprot mungil berisi air, sama sekali tidak ada hubungannya dengan tindakannya saat ini. Ya, ia hanya menyemprotkan air ke tubuhnya untuk mendinginkan diri, bukan karena kemampuan fisiknya yang luar biasa dan mengagumkan membuatnya sulit berkeringat dalam kondisi normal.
Ia hanya menggunakan latihan fisik untuk menjaga tubuhnya tetap tegang dan mencegahnya menembus batas, ya. Lex sama sekali tidak pernah mempertimbangkan membuat kanal YouTube kalistenik di waktu luangnya. Ia benar-benar tidak punya waktu untuk itu.
The preparations for the festival went far beyond preparing a few abodes and expanding the regions - speaking of which, he allocated a 100 acres flat lands far from all current attractions and gave it exclusively to the Gardener so he could finally complete his landscaping artwork.
Of the numerous other tasks, both minor and significant, that Lex did, decorating the Inn was one which required more of Lex's time than anything. The Inn had to look both festive yet at the same time calming and beautiful.
Making the Inn look mirthful was obviously important, for the festivities would feel incomplete otherwise. Yet, since cultivation was a big theme as well, an environment which soothed the mind was imperative. After all, cultivation, while sometimes comfortable and relaxing, could also be strenuous and overwhelming. As such, it was extremely important to maintain a calm and collected state of mind. While most of that work would obviously be undertaken by the cultivator themselves, creating an environment conducive to the task was the bare minimum one could do.
As such, they decided that dense population areas would be decorated according to the ongoing activities, but the further one got from places such as the village and Main street, the more soothing the environment would be.
This was the area where the Planning division's prowess showed. While Lex would have ended up recreating decor derived from Earthen culture, they incorporated ideas from multiple planets.
Lights were hung up across buildings, though they were not connected through wires or actually connected to the buildings. Using some advanced technology from the Vegus planets, an invisible pathway was laid out over all the buildings along which the colorful lights flowed like water traveling down a stream. Only, they were not limited to just different colors. Beautiful designs and patterns were intricately formed, changing at random as they traveled across the buildings and streets.
Immersive tags were created which would be passed out to the guests, and depending on where they were and what activities they were watching or participating in, they would see different decor and hear different music. Two people standing side by side who were focused on separate events would have differing experiences in every sense!
Recalling some of his education from back at the academy at the Crystal realm, Lex knew that even spirit energy could have different accents or scents, and enhance a person's aura and presence, though usually it was something that had to be consciously cultivated. He integrated that feature into each and every part of the Inn, so each place would genuinely feel unique in every sense.
Moving further away from the crowded areas of the Inn, the kind of decor changed. Instead of lights and music and such designed to entice and invigorate the senses, the focus here was more on nature and natural energies.
Lex was once again limited in his ideas, which included planting blooming cherry blossom and almond trees. Entire fields with trees full of pink and white flowers filled the Inn. Jasmine shrubs were planted in the wild and near winding paths, filling the Inn with their pleasant scent.
The Planning division, who had obviously done their research, took things a step further and gave Lex a list of other flora to add. An entire forest of trees with purple crystal leaves appeared, which grew gems and diamonds instead of fruits.
Massive flowers that were taller than trees with stems thicker than an ordinary man were grown, dotting the landscape. These flowers, which looked awfully similar to sunflowers, grew leaves in a peculiar spiraling design around the stem, acting as a staircase for anyone to climb the top. The natural scent was extremely refreshing and had a natural purifying effect on the environment.</novelsnext>
A number of peculiar shrubs were also planted, with yellow and orange-colored leaves instead of green. Yet the color of their leaves was not their peculiarity. No, instead, at night the shrubs would shrink and absorb all their leaves until they formed the shape of a random animal, after which the shrub would relocate.
Furthermore, upon the request of the division, despite Lex's reluctance, he added a number of insects to the Inn. Although previously he had stuck to butterflies, since they were obviously beautiful, this time he added a list of insects which, surprisingly, immediately made the Inn better!
Honey bees and ladybugs Lex was familiar with, but the rest were small and beautiful critters that came from various other planets. They did not look creepy, but instead took the shape of fairies, of flowers, of orbs of light and more.
As if that was not enough, the way they interacted with the plants released a natural accent into the surrounding spiritual energy, hinting at the fact that the Inn was finally developing an ecosystem that was not completely dependent on the system itself.
Of course, none of these plants or insects just randomly appeared. Back when Lex had to bring in animals and trees from Earth, he had to get seeds or bring a few specimens in first before the Inn could replicate them. It was the same now as well, the only difference being the use of the Guild room made it, so he didn't have to source these things himself.
Which was good, because even all of these were just some of the things that went into the preparation for the event. Yet ultimately, through the assistance of the system, the workers and some extra effort on his part, everything went smoothly.
The week finally passed, and only a few hours remained before the event began. A massive crowd had already gathered at the Inn, not that Lex had to cater to them himself.
He was currently focused on keeping his cultivation steady. In his meditation room, a shirtless Lex could be seen balancing his body only on the tip of his middle finger. His body was raised vertically in the air, and beads of sweat rolled down his body as he did continuous push ups with only his finger.
In the background, the camera that was recording him was completely irrelevant, and the tiny spray bottle filled with artificial sweat- eh, the tiny spray bottle filled with water, had absolutely nothing to do with his current actions. Yes, he had merely sprayed water on himself to cool down and not because his incredible, amazing physical prowess made it difficult for him to sweat under normal conditions.
He was merely using physical exercise to keep his body strained and prevent it from breaking through, yes. Lex definitely had not considered starting a calisthenic YouTube page in his free time at all. He really did not have the time for that.
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