The Innkeeper

How cooperative the system was being was completely unanticipated on Lex's behalf, and threw him for a loop. But the problem was, even though the system was being cooperative, Lex learned nothing new.

So not only would Lex have to pay some kind of penalty for his questions, he was getting no real answers either. The only assurance he had that the system was not out to harm him was its word. For now, he would live with that.

What was most important to him, however, was to make sure that the system did not fuse with his soul, and that he got some say in how the Inn operated from now on.

He was adamant on rejecting the fusion, for his soul was literally him. If an unfathomably strong system, which also had a soul of its own, fused and became a part of him, Lex would have no idea if he would still be Lex moving forward, or he would be the system. Or perhaps, he'd be something entirely new altogether.

Since he did not know how amenable the system would be to his demands and requests, he mixed in his true purpose amidst his many other concerns. Perhaps it was unnecessary caution, but he took his life very seriously.

"I just told you that rejecting the fusion would mean you have less control over the system. Now you literally want more. That's not how this works."

Lex snorted. These would be perhaps the most important negotiations of his life, at least in the near future. There was no way he would go easy on the system. Now that he had recovered from the surprise, he had gathered himself up to be immune to the charm of the system's innocent voice.

"You're talking to me about rules, but I'm pretty sure that taking someone without any cultivation, and then having Demi-Daolords as their first guest is not a part of the rules either. If the system gives priority to someone with no cultivation, which is extremely suspicious by the way, then the quests and scope of the system should also remain within his power level. I get that because you're damaged you couldn't help it, but as far as I'm concerned, that was a pretty drastic breach of the rules as well."

The system did not respond for a time, and its glow became more intense. Lex could not tell what that meant, but if he had to guess, he'd say that the system felt awkward or shy.

"It's a two-way street," the system finally answered. "You were faced with many great challenges, but the features you got were also similarly much more advanced than what you could have received at your level. If the Inn had started normally, it would have had no teleportation feature, and would have started as a regular Inn based in your own world."

"Giving me random features is not recompense, not to mention, that was not your intention anyway. The Inn literally could not have functioned without it. I am not being unreasonable. You can see my performance has been amazing so far. If you allow me to make a few changes, it will be better for the Inn. You'll also get a chance to recover faster. Not to mention, if you really are bound to me, the stronger I get, the better it is for you. So it's a win-win, isn't it?"

"Lex, if everything were under my control, then I would do things a lot differently. But they're not. Just as there are rules for you, there are rules for me. Everyone has to play their part, don't they? Tell you what, tell me all the changes you want to implement, and I'll tell you what I can manage."

Lex did not immediately answer. There were many things he'd visualized he'd do if he could control how the system worked. But while there were many things he knew, he was also aware of how ignorant he was about the universe as a whole.

He could only plan for and anticipate dangers he was aware of, but if he did not even know that certain dangers existed, how could he prepare for them?

As far as his personal cultivation went, he could ask Cassandra, or even Pelvailin. But due to the image he had built as the Innkeeper, there was almost no one he could ask for help. Almost, because there was still one person who knew about his identity as the Innkeeper.

He turned to look at Mary, who was only silently watching from the side. What was her role in all this? Based on all the information he had, he could venture a guess.

"Before we get into those things, what about her? How does she fit into this?"

"Oh, that is one of the simpler questions you've asked. There's no punishment for this either. The entity who you have named as Mary is actually a soul remnant is my previous host, before I became the Midnight Inn. The short of it is that she faced an enemy she could not defeat and ended up dying, and I was also destroyed.

"But, through means I do not fully understand, she made herself a part of the system, yet has still retained her soul, and somehow survived actual death. The more the system recovers, the more she will also recover. But do not worry, she can no longer be the host, nor does she have any control over the system. In fact, she can't do anything that breaks the system's rules at all."

"Is there any way I can free her from the system?"

"It's completely impossible. I do not know how she managed to do what she did, and she cannot tell you what she did either because that would entail revealing the inner workings of the system. The rules prevent her from divulging such secrets. So, only if you gain your own understanding of the systems can you even begin to start thinking of a way to separate her."

Lex rubbed his chin as he contemplated what to do next. He was not too surprised about the revelation about Mary. In fact, he sort of already expected it. Now he just needed to think about how he could use it to his own benefit.