The Innkeeper

Chapter 2065: Before it’s too late

Lex genuinely needed to think of a way to recover mental energy. If he could not, there was no way he would be able to attend the entire meeting. He had not even spent a full day, and the mental exhaustion was beginning to seriously affect him. Fortunately, Voidmaw was giving him a good excuse to use the hot tub, which should help with the situation.

Lex had no idea if he was contaminated by Dao aura, or if there was some other reason behind his exhaustion. He could only try things one by one to help him recover, and the hot tub was as decent a place to start as anywhere else.

Without looking back at the guest in the room, or so much as even bidding him farewell, the Innkeeper followed Voidmaw out the room. The unusual behavior of the Innkeeper was not missed by any of the nearby Dao Lords, all of them turning to look at the guest within, already planning out their next moves. Some moved to investigate, while others moved to distance themselves.

"Are you beginning to see the drawbacks of making yourself too available?" Ventura asked. "They’re like bees to honey whenever they see someone who does not fawn over them all the time. I tell you, no one appreciates anything given to them freely. You must make access to yourself more restricted, if only for your own sake."

The Innkeeper chuckled in amusement.

"But this access was not free. They each paid with one Dao material," the Innkeeper said, but upon hearing that both Voidmaw and Ventura burst into laughter.

"I have to admit, you’re a lot funnier than I imagined," Voidmaw said. "When I heard you’re on good terms with Eclipse, I couldn’t believe it. She’s too picky, not to mention she feels disgruntled whenever she needs to deal with other Dao Lords. But I can see how she would get along with you - and the sense of humor is only part of it."

The Innkeeper gave Voidmaw an unusual look, but kept quiet.

"Come on boys, we’re not here to talk about Eclipse," said Ventura as he lowered himself into the hot tub. "Come on, get in the tub. Let’s relax a little. All this talk of war is not good for the nerves."

For once, Lex was inclined to agree.

"Tell me about it," muttered the Innkeeper as he looked down at the hot tub. His Host Attire had a function that allowed it to change forms, so he simply had it change from a suit to some trunks before stepping into the water.

The warm, soothing waters gently caressed Lex’s body, releasing all the pent up stress he had accumulated during the show. It wasn’t just the possibility of constant universal wars that were affecting him - it was mere exposure to so many Dao Lords. Even all the protection he had was not enough to save him from tiring out.

"This toy is not bad," Voidmaw said, jumping in as well. "I plan on making one for myself when I get back home. Naturally, my hot tub will be designed with myself in mind rather than mere immortals, so it should be even better."

The Innkeeper studied Voidmaw’s relaxed expression, and couldn’t help but voice a question he was wondering about.

"If you design a hot tub for yourself, how exactly will it be better than this one?" the Innkeeper asked. "What more features would you add to it, or like to add to it?"

Voidmaw pondered for a moment, as if not expecting a followup question.

"Well, seeing as the best feature about the hot tub is the soothing, bubbling sound as well as the sensation of the bubbles, I’d work on improving those. I’d probably replace the water with another liquid which makes crisp sounds, and produces soft and velvety bubbles - it’s all about the texture."

The Innkeeper looked down at the hot tub he was in, and then at Voidmaw once more. Sure, Lex was beginning to feel relaxed and refreshed from the effects of the tub, and such a thing wasn’t likely possible for a Dao Lord but... were they really just using the hot tub as a source for real life ASMR?

"You find the idea unusual?" Ventura asked, observing the Innkeeper’s expression.

The Innkeeper, in turn, shook his head.

"Not really - I was just thinking about how much you might enjoy a specific type of artwork I encountered once. It is focused primarily on sounds, so it might just be the thing you need."

Voidmaw nodded, as if appreciating it.

"I am quite open to exploring new art forms," he said. "It is one of the best ways to pass eternity."

Lex immediately noticed something odd about the last statement made by Voidmaw. Although on the surface it seemed like a praise for art, Lex detected a hint of despondency. If even he, as an immortal, could detect it then it was clearly obvious that Voidmaw had revealed that weakness on purpose for the Innkeeper to detect.

Was he... depressed?

The Innkeeper turned from Voidmaw to Ventura, and found that the mysterious owner of the universe’s largest academy was already looking at the Innkeeper.

"Do you realize the issue, Innkeeper?" he asked. "The problem with our universe?"

The question, for Lex, was entirely unexpected and immediately reversed the sense of relaxation he had managed to build up. Yet despite the unusual question, Voidmaw did not react at all.

Seeing that the Innkeeper did not answer immediately, Ventura seemed to get the hint.

"I’ve known you from before Nuwa turned her gaze towards you," Ventura said. "I saw you back in the Crystal realm when only he had paid attention to you."

Though Lex said nothing, and revealed nothing, he could not help but think of that mysterious guy who had shown up inside his Inn one random day, instructing him to go set off on the journey that had set him on the path for where he stood today.

If Ventura had his eye on Lex since then, was it possible that his system had already been detected by him? Or maybe his facade had been seen through. Both theories were incredibly dangerous, and yet Lex felt no threat whatsoever.

"I am not too interested in your past, nor am I interested in interfering in Nuwa’s matters," Ventura explained. "I only have one thing I am interested in, and chances are, you can help me achieve that."

The Innkeeper did not reveal even the slightest expression that something was amiss or that he might be panicking, leaving the impression that he was only listening curiously.

"Do you know much about the evolution of universes, Innkeeper?" Ventura asked, yet instead of waiting for an answer, he just began explaining. "The starting of the universe is one of the most important factors that determine the extent of the universe’s growth. The longer it is allowed to exist without maturing, the stronger and better foundation it has. Subsequently, the greater the peak such a universe can reach.

"However, even so, most universes have a starting Era that lasts no more than 50 billion years. However, our universe has deviated from that timeframe by... way too much. Voidmaw, how long ago did you meet Eclipse?"

The question seemed unrelated to the length of a universe’s Era’s, but obviously it was linked.

"A little over 200 billion years ago," Voidmaw answered, absently.

Ventura nodded, as if that answer was within his expectations.

"You see, Innkeeper. 200 billion years, and that’s only how long ago he met Eclipse, not his actual age. That does not even include the length of time the Primordial Age existed. Our universe has already existed for way too long in stagnation. Yes, it will set us up for an even grander peak once we reach it, but unless that stagnation ends, we may never get a chance to see that peak. We may all be wiped out by the subtle onslaught of time induced madness."

The Innkeeper did not say anything yet, as if merely listening and waiting for Ventura to get to the point.

"The opportunity to experience eternity is a great gift, but eternity mired in stagnation and constriction may actually be the worst form of torture. You see, as the universe refuses to grow, many others are forced into an abnormal state beyond what they are supposed to be doing. That is equally true for Dao Lords, and slowly we are reaching a tipping point.

"Unless the attention and purpose of all Dao Lords undergo a natural shift within due time, they will set on an irreversible course for self destruction. Once such a thing happens, the chances of the universe being destroyed are far greater than of it maturing."

The Innkeeper, who up until now had merely been listening silently, finally asked a question.

"How is it that you would like me to assist in this endeavor of yours?" he asked, requesting some clarification.

"Simple," answered Voidmaw. "Even though you’re not married to her, you were able to do something even I was never able to do by having her host this tea party. Now, for the sake of the universe itself, you must convince her to let the universe grow before it is too late."