The Innkeeper

Chapter 1141 Do it for the views

When Lex felt the teleportation formation activate, he was not too concerned. Once he got what he wanted, heʼd ask the hosts of the convention to send him back since he was no longer interested. He was prepared to continue confronting Sim until he yielded, but when he reappeared, he found himself alone on an entirely different planet.

From the air, the spirit energy, the gravity, and countless other minor details he could feel that he was somewhere else. More importantly, he could also feel countless formations observing him at every moment through various ways.

The convention was… a strange one. Lex was not sure how they went about getting the participants to become familiar with one another if they were all so far apart. He spread out his spirit sense in search of anyone else, and immediately found someone.

They were down in the volcano behind him. Furthermore, they were unconscious and even locked in a cage. The situation was far from normal.

But if there was one thing Lex was intimately familiar with, it was volcanoes. In fact, on the chance that he did not decide his tenet to be of becoming the best, he had considered having them be something related to volcanoes. They were just too closely linked.

When Lex sensed that the lava was becoming turbulent he dove in without hesitation to save the person in the cage. Maybe they would be able to tell him what was going on. Come to think about it, he never asked anyone how the convention was to take place. Maybe dating in the cultivation world had some odd ceremonies or traditions he was not familiar with.

When a flaming hand rose out of the lava and grabbed Lex, he was not surprised. Of course he knew that a Molten Giant was inside the lava. Why else would the lava suddenly become turbulent? The giant rose out of the lava, its heat and power bearing down on Lex, not that Lex himself was bothered. Instead, he looked at the Molten Giant and tried to determine if it was a worthy opponent for his sword.

It was not.

Lex extended his Domination, freezing the giant as it stood, before breaking free of its grip. Lex looked down at himself and found that not even his clothes were singed, though considering even his casual clothes were made from the Midnight Tailor, it was no surprise.

He flew down to the woman in the cage and discovered that it was an angel. Her white feathers were tucked neatly behind her back, covered by her blonde hair, but some of it was still visible.

A glance and a scan were enough for Lex to learn that she was being kept unconscious through abnormal means.

He ripped the cage apart with his hands, the resistance it offered not even worth his attention, lifted her up in his hands, and began to fly back out of the volcano.

Across the Origin realm countless countless viewers hooted and whistled as they saw Lex rip the bars that blocked him from reaching the helpless damsel, lift her up in his arms and fly through the sky, the evil Molten Giant still frozen under Lexʼs aura.

”Ladies, it seems we have a real man here,” yelled the narrator with endless enthusiasm as he watched Lex fly. ”Vote now if you want your latest heartthrob, Lex Dragonsbane, to survive the preliminary rounds. With his silent, brooding nature and his bursting passion, it seems heʼs a bane for more than just dragons.”

Back on Yildirim Utopia Moon was recording every moment that Lex was on screen as blackmail material. She didnʼt know how he ended up there, but she was not going to let him forget it.

Lex, completely unaware that countless women across the universe were voting to keep him on Loverʼs Island longer, carefully laid the angel down and then began to treat her. He used a soothing technique that eliminates toxins from her body, while reinvigorating her.

At the same time, he used a Glyph that would push away the strange technique that was targeting her and keeping her asleep.

Lex was just being helpful, and acting in the most efficient way to heal her, completely unaware that his casual display of Glyphs enraged dragons everywhere.

The angel groaned, and slowly began to move as she recovered, pressing her forehead, trying to abate her headache.

”Take it slow, Iʼm healing you,” said Lex in a warm, comforting voice. Even so, the angel was startled and quickly pulled away. Lex stayed put and raised his hands, as if to show that he meant to harm.

The angel, with her radiant, golden eyes, scrutinized Lex as if to determine who he was and what he was doing and who he was. Then she felt her own body, and sensed that Lex was indeed helping her out.

She relaxed, though she did not completely let down her guard.

”Forgive my hasty retreat, I was startled,” she said, her voice as sweet as honey and as smooth as silk. ”You have my gratitude for your aid.”

”Itʼs no trouble. In fact, I was hoping to ask you some questions. Do you know whatʼs going on here? When I was teleported over, I was all alone. Iʼm looking for a person, I need to complete a business deal with him.”

Upon hearing the question, the angel grimaced.

”What is going on? How can you not know if you are here? We are in the heart of the territory of devils, in their most accursed domain of twisted desire and showmanship. We are on Loverʼs Island.”

Lex waited for her to explain more, but she looked back at him as if that alone should explain everything.

”It seems like there is some communication gap. I am aware that there is some kind of dating convention called Loverʼs Island. Iʼm not sure what you mean by land of twisted desire and such, but I just need to find someone. Do you have any idea where people might be?”

The angel turned her head and… looked at him as if he were stupid. ”Are you not aware of what Loverʼs Island represents?” she asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice.

”The way you are asking makes me think I might not. Is it more than a dating convention?”

The angel kept looking at him for a bit, opened her mouth to answer, but then closed it. She opened it again, and then once more closed it. Finally, the third time, she answered.

”Loverʼs Island is a reality tv show, and at the same time, it is an untamed 4 star planet. This planet is full of exceptional dangers, and the only way to survive is to find a partner and overcome the challenges of this world together. If the viewers think that the partnership is good, or that they have good chemistry, they can voet for the teams or contestants. The more votes you get, the safer you are.

”If the viewers donʼt like the partner you have, they can instead vote for one person instead of the dup, making it likely that one of them will die, forcing the remaining person to survive on their own until they can find another suitable partner.

”Only if the viewers think that the contestants are truly a good couple do the usually make it to the end. Of course, sometimes viewers fall in love with some contestants and keep killing their partners because they want the contestant to remain single. But if they do that, they risk letting the contestant they love die due to facing dangers alone.

”In short, its a planet where your very survival is dependant on viewers all over the realm, and how good of a show you put on. The better the show you put on, the better your chances of survival. Most couples who survive Loverʼs Island end up becoming a couple for real.”

Lex continued to stare at her, waiting for the part where she would say she was joking, but it never came.

”People volunteer for this?” he asked, remembering the massive line outside of the studio.

”Of course. Nothing builds camaraderie like surviving life and death together, and that often leads to true love. For the chance at a suitable partner you can face the dangers of the universe with, people line up for miles sometimes. Of course, there are some people who get selected without their choice - such as me.”

”So what youʼre telling me is that… Iʼm on a realm wide show based on finding love?”

Before the angel could answer, Lex suddenly looked up, and spotted a meteor, leaving behind a rainbow colored trail, crashing towards them specifically. Lex was beyond the level where meteors could threaten him, but the rainbow made him feel a significant threat. He grabbed the angelʼs hand and suddenly teleported the two of them away, yet the rainbow meteor turned, continuing to aim towards them.

He narrowed his eyes. He didnʼt have time for this, so he better hurry up and find Sim. But first, he had to deal with this meteor.