The Innkeeper-Chapter 1601: Lore Book
The feast of souls went on for four days without stopping, and the entire time Lex stayed up on that tower. Within those four days, they weren't attacked even once, nor did they experience anything unusual.
It was as if all of Abaddon was focused solely on the souls, and not a single resident of this abominable land could spare a thought for them - the souls still within their packaging.
Lex found it particularly interesting how all the souls, every single one - at least every single one that he managed to see - was that of a sinner. He began to consider, for a moment, if the stories and myths from hell on Earth, and countless other civilizations were actually inspired by Abaddon.
He also gave more thought to his theory of Abaddon being like some kind of parasite on this universe. Honestly, the thought was quite frightening, for it implied a much greater truth. It implied that there were forces even outside this universe, and some of them were capable of resisting the rules and laws of this universe.
After all, so far, according to what Lex had seen, the universe was the greatest power. Not even Dao Lords could ignore the laws of the universe, and even the Systems obeyed the Universal Mandates.
Even the beings above the Dao Lord realm played by the rules of the universe - as far as he knew. For example, no one messed with time. Even those who were daring enough to learn about the laws of time did so very carefully, ensuring they did not accidentally break any taboos.
Yet the mere existence of Abaddon potentially challenged his views that the universe was the strongest existence. After all, the very existence of Universal Rejection meant that there were beings or items which could, somehow, resist the influence of the universe and so were basically spurned by the universe. Anyone who destroyed them received rewards from the universe in the form of good karma.
It was possible that the rewards went even further than that, and he just hadn't encountered them yet.
Honestly, if such a thing proved to be true, he wouldn't be too surprised. It only made sense, after all. There were Minor realms and Major realms, and all other kinds of realms, all contained within the universe, so why wasn't it possible that the universe too was contained within something greater?
But if such a thing were true then the ramifications of it… honestly, Lex could not fully imagine what the ramifications would be. For example, the entire history of the universe would have to be reassessed.
Even Kaemon's story about the possibility of a forgotten Age might become plausible. Then, it further evoked some questions such as, what was preventing those stronger forces from coming to the universe and taking control?
If the strong forces of the universe could treat Major realms as nothing more than resources to be controlled for their various benefits, who was to say that a stronger force might not do that to this universe?
These questions, if pondered upon for too long, had the potential to give anyone, from a mere mortal to even Dao Lords, the possibility of a mental breakdown. To ponder such questions was to face just how powerless one really was.
But it did not bother Lex too much. He was still so weak, and was used to feeling powerless. To a large extent, whether there were forces stronger than the universe or not hardly mattered to him, because he couldn't do anything about it.
Having said that, Lex had an answer in his heart he believed to be true. After all, he had also been exposed to an array of unusually rare things. He recalled reading the description of the first technique he ever practiced - the Regal Embrace.
'A cultivation technique carried by a specific being in the universe as a part of his collection. Regal Embrace lets the cultivator build an impenetrable defense which can take head-on attacks even from those at a higher cultivation level. After certain accomplishments in this cultivation technique, the cultivator can stand there and embrace his enemy's attacks. At its highest level, it can allow its cultivator to survive even the destruction of a universe.'
The answer to this question was present within this description. The Regal Embrace, which was a technique carried by a specific being, could allow whoever practiced it to survive the destruction of a universe. Of 'a' universe.
For a very long time, Lex did not pay attention to the wording, or what it implied. But the answer was right there for anyone who thought about it a little. Regal Embrace was likely not a technique from this universe. In fact, it was probably from a force that surpassed the power level of this universe, for it could casually mention the destruction of an entire universe.
If one continued to think along those lines, then the cultivation technique was most likely in the possession of a being that surpassed the power of this universe, or at the very least had exited this universe at least once.
Of course, it was entirely possible that the owner had just found the techniques somewhere, and that the Regal Embrace, as well as Mo's Blessing, both of which talked about the destruction of a universe, had somehow been created within this universe.
If that was true, then all of this was nothing but baseless conjecture.
Either way, what remained true was that Lex could do nothing with this information for now. It was too far above his level. Maybe when he reached the Dao Lord level, he could think about this. Most likely, even then, he would be too weak to consider it.
So, as the mighty powers of Abaddon flexed their proverbial muscles, Lex simply observed silently, trying to understand the order of this place. Just because Abaddon was in a state of flux, ever changing beyond the horizon, it did not mean that it ceased its functions in such a state.
If he could gain some insight into how the powers of this land worked, or what their relationship with each other was, then it might be easier for him to find a solution to their current predicament.
When the four days passed, and the feast finally ended, the bright lights above Abaddon finally faded, returning to the deep crimson that they were all used to.
During this time, while Lex was unable to discern even the slightest hint of how Abaddon actually functioned, he had multiple theories about the relationship between some of the powers residing here.
"Kaemon, do you know any way we can discover one of the ruins you mentioned earlier?" Lex asked the Magma Lion once the soul feast finished, and they readied for departure. According to their experience, Abaddon was most peaceful right after the soul feast, so they could travel great distances during this time. Of course, in Abaddon one could not judge the future based on past experiences, so they were still ready to face any unexpected problems.
"Well, there is a particular set of ruins that have their entrance hidden behind waterfalls. No matter what waterfall we discover, the entrance to those ruins is hidden behind it, so all we need to do is be on the lookout for waterfalls.
"Why are you asking? If you're interested in completing the tasks for the knowledge of the ruins, I advise against it. Based on everything we've seen, the ruins are, at best, a burden on the mind, and at worst some kind of mental plague. Like I told you earlier, all of us that learned of the forgotten Age are unable to overcome the weight of that knowledge, even if we want to."
"It's not that I'm greedy for knowledge," Lex said somberly, finding it harder than usual to return to his cheery self. It was likely because his spirit was still damaged from when he blew up.
"I have some theories about Abaddon that I want to test out. If they turn out to be true, then I might be able to find the chalice much quicker."
Kaemon had no real reason to object, so they decided to be on the lookout for waterfalls. Before they left, though, Lex finally turned to look towards the system notification he had been avoiding for a few days now. He had strong suspicions about what it was really about.
Quest Update: optional objective 'Discover the secrets of Abaddon' partially updated. It is possible Abaddon is a parasitic entity from a foreign universe. Find evidence of Abaddon's origins to prove whether or not it is a foreign entity.
Optional Quest Reward: Upon discovering the origins of Abaddon, the host will be able to unlock 'Lore Book' which can forever record true secrets of the universe. Lore Book is independent of the System, but can be placed and integrated with any System the owner of the book desires, and can be withdrawn at any time.
