The Innkeeper

The meeting ended up being a lot longer than Lex originally expected, mostly because he was doing the respectable thing by letting the panther talk as much as he wanted about the containers. Who was he to refuse the panther?

The poor fellow was probably distraught over the countless containers that were destroyed in the recent attack on the bank. Considering the immense cost of the container, it only made sense that the loss or damage of even a single one was immense.

During the process, Lex also understood why exactly he was able to display such a formidable strength. He had not hidden anything, and had openly revealed that he had strengthened the defense of the container, but the result was far stronger than Lex anticipated.

According to the panther, there were two main reasons for this. The first, and surprisingly less significant reason was that the container itself served as an amplifier for any and all protective measures and techniques. This aspect of it was embedded into every inch of its being, or else it would not be able to safely travel through the Void.

One should not judge the Void by the fact that Lex had been able to survive the Void in the past, merely becoming a meat patty in the process. The pressure of the Void was unequal, and it was impossible to tell where it would be low and where it would be high. That was to say that even now, Lex could be in danger if he visited the Void.

That was exactly why the container enhanced everything related to its own defense astronomically. Lex had never seen an item that seemed more suitable for him. If he could buy one of the containers, he'd have the confidence to literally face Celestial immortals without fear.

The second, more significant reason Lex had been able to so easily rebuff the attack on the container was because, well, that they were traveling through the Void. As obvious as it seems, the primary reason that the gargoyles had been successful in their attacks was because their infiltration remained undetected.

The method they used to track and target the containers was still unknown, but most likely they used a very precise method, calculating exactly how they needed to enter the containers themselves. At most, they would have used a slightly additional amount of force in case there was a small deviation from their calculations.

But when Lex significantly increased the defensive capabilities of the container, the enemies were able to reach it, but not penetrate through it. Considering the extremely dangerous environment during teleportation, unable to enter the protection of the container, they simply slammed into the container, were disintegrated by the force of the collision, their remains randomly teleported once they left the influence of the container.

That knowledge gave Lex numerous ideas about new combat techniques he could create, leveraging his skills in defense and teleportation to face his enemies. But as of now, the ideas were immature. It would require more brainstorming and experimentation before he could implement them.

A sound attracted Lex's attention, and when he looked over he was surprised to find that Gerard was also exiting his interview at the same time as him. Though, oddly enough, Gerard looked absolutely fine, yet the interviewer came out with trembling legs, as if he had endured three rounds of interrogative torture.

Lex opened his mouth to ask a question, but as it turned out, Velma stepped out of her interview at that exact moment!

"Oh? You're all still here?" she asked, surprised. Behind her, a cautious and sweaty Bagheera stepped out as well.

The three panthers looked at each other, and then looked away. Neither of them wanted to be there any longer.

The sight was genuinely confusing. Lex knew that his interviewer was embarrassed because, right at the very end, he had realized that he had accidentally divulged too much information, and had fallen into Lex's trap. But what was wrong with the other two?

"The interview was… quite draining," Gerard said, his voice tinged with disappointment and fatigue. "Shall we go and enjoy our host's hospitality? I've been told that there is a lovely cafe nearby called Rendezvous."

Bagheera nearly collapsed on the floor, and looked at Gerard with horror, which was incredibly confusing to both Lex and Gerard, but Velma's eyes only twinkled.

"Yes, hurry, let's go. I want to check it out," Velma exclaimed, grabbing Lex and Gerard by the hand and pulling them along.

Bagheera could only watch them leave, as a deep panic grew within his heart. That was the cafe where he was supposed to meet her! That's exactly why he kept thinking of his rendezvous with her, because the cafe was so aptly named.

"No, I have to go there as soon as possible before something happens!" Bagheera exclaimed, not at all caring that he was speaking out loud, and dashed towards his office. He had to submit the report before he could take a lunch break. He just hoped he was fast enough to prevent something from happening.

He was now sure that someone was targeting him. It was unusual enough for the girl Vivian to know about her, but how could her companions know where he was supposed to meet her? This had to be a conspiracy!

"By the way, from now on, if anyone asks how we survived the attack on the container, blame it all on Ripley," Lex told the other two through his spirit sense. "The bank knows the truth, but no one else needs to know the exact details. If word gets out that we avoided the attack on our own, we'll attract unnecessary trouble. There's no need to get involved in this conflict. Instead, just pass the blame onto Ripley. The bank will protect him anyway."

Since Velma and Gerard did not have as much exposure as Lex did in the outside world, he thought he'd give them a little lesson in the art of not getting sucked into unrelated problems.

Gerard nodded, and so did Velma. Lex was a professional, so they would take his advice on this matter.

Soon they made their way to the cafe, but before they could enter, they were stopped by someone.

"Excuse me," said a charming looking Koala Bear, walking up to them with a clipboard. "Could I take a moment of your time? The Polar Forests of Arshuman are in trouble, and you could help."

Lex groaned. He never thought he'd encounter these evil devils outside of New York. He was more than familiar with them, for they were everywhere back on Earth. Environmental activists, the most cunning and talented devils in manipulating emotions to ever be born. Explore more adventures at empire