The Innkeeper
Chapter 1465: Charming

Lex was confused, right up until Velma showed him the newspaper. Technically, it was a news hologram, projected onto their hand by the vast computer that monitored the Azure asteroid field. Worthy of note was that though the computer boasted artificial intelligence, it did not cross the threshold that would allow for it to gain a soul.

This was, strictly speaking, still a provocation to the A.I. race, but no one could tell the Artica race what to do in their own realm.

Regardless, when he looked at the newspaper, he saw a small article in the corner, showing his picture and listing his phenomenal achievement of gaining initial mastery of a technique that, on average, takes an entire century to get started in.

That minor achievement was akin to getting a distinction in a subject in college, earning praise from his professor.

Lex didn't care about that. What he cared about was the fact that such an article had been printed about him, yet he had not known at all. That showed a massive problem!

Within 100 miles of him, anyone cannot even think about him without Lex realizing. At greater distances, if anyone has any strong emotions related to him, Lex would feel them too.

Even if something was so far away from him that it did not elicit a reaction from his instincts, he still would have felt a warning at least if there were any significant matters related to him.

Now, the fact that an entire article had been published about him, yet he remained completely unaware about it displayed that there was a grave issue somewhere.

Lex suddenly felt incredibly wary of the Artica realm. Clearly, they had a role to play in this development. Even though they had a very high moral code, and it was incredibly unlikely that they were specifically targeting Lex, it was a fact that he was being affected.

"Don't worry about Misha, I'll explain things to her and clear the air," Lex said with a soft smile as he looked at her. At least some of his abilities were still working, because from Misha he could detect all kinds of hidden information.

Even being a Heavenly Immortal, she could not hide her inner thoughts and intentions from Lex. After all, he was adept at reading people's thoughts and emotions.

As it happened, just as Lex spoke, Misha turned to look out the window of the cafe where she sat, and spotted Lex. The elf froze, panic and embarrassment clearly painted on her face. It was a little cute. Or maybe Lex thought that because he had a thing for redheads.

He waved at her, and approached her.

"I didn't think I'd see you again considering I didn't get a response from you," Lex said as he pulled up a chair and sat opposite to her, smiling warmly. "I believe there might have been a small misunderstanding between us."

"No, Leon, it's not… it's not you it's me! I… I am not ready for something like that yet," Misha said a faint voice, barely audible to Lex even with his enhanced senses.

Lex laughed at her adorableness and shook his hands.

"That's exactly what I mean," he said. "I was just there because I am interested in learning Karma techniques, and it was the nearest one to my position. The actual content that the class was based around was a coincidence. I am only interested in learning about Karma, nothing else."

Misha's face turned red like a tomato as she realized the misunderstanding. She didn't know where to hide, so she buried her face in the menu. The entire sight was quite adorable, which caused Lex to smile.

But internally, Lex was extremely calm and collected. The exchange between him and Misha was as much a strategic match as the Go he was playing against that Nas. The dainty looking elf was not as helpless and harmless as she was appearing to be. Hidden beneath that facade was a capable and qualified representative for the terrorist organization Fuegan. To underestimate her for even a second would be a critical mistake. In fact, Lex was certain that by now she knew his real identity - it couldn't be helped since he didn't change his appearance.

The thing was, changing his appearance wouldn't have mattered at all. Giving a fake name was enough to let someone know that Lex wanted to maintain his privacy. In this Expo, filled with the peak powers of the universe, Lex did not think he could really fool anyone.

Those powerful enough, and interested in learning about him would be able to see through his disguise. After all, higher level cultivators could identify people by more than just their appearance. While for those who weren't interested, why did it matter if they were powerful enough to see through a disguise? A fake name was enough.

His real protection was the card carrying the Innkeepers aura that he kept in his pocket. With that on his person, why would anyone purposefully look into him when he gave a fake name?

Only those who already knew him, such as those from the Origin realm, would actually recognize him from his appearance.

Lex ordered a few local specialties, supposedly giving Misha enough time to recover, not that he intended to let her control the flow of their date for much longer. Though she was using no seduction techniques, she was clearly doing something or else she would not be hitting all his soft spots.

It was as if she wanted to use her innocence and cuteness to lower his guard, and lead the conversation towards her goals - whatever they may be. He could also take advantage of this, making her think he was falling for her trap and then learning her secrets from within.

However, the incident with the newspaper made him feel unsafe. He no longer knew what to think of the Artica realm, but he didn't like that they were interfering with his danger sense and ability to gauge things related to himself.

"Now that the air is clear, can we consider this as our date?" Lex asked, wearing a charming smile. Though he had limited experience dating, it wasn't as if he was a complete buffoon in terms of relationships.

From his appearance, to his scent, to the warmth of his otherwise powerful aura, all of it was quite charming.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt if it's just a date," she said shyly.

Lex chuckled.

"This side of you is very different from when you were arm wrestling me, daring me to be worthy of courting you."

"It was just a game. Besides, I didn't think you'd actually win. I was trying to humble you."

"Whatever do you mean? I am the humblest person around."

Misha rolled her eyes, her shyness fading as Lex cracked a lame joke and returned to some semblance of normalcy.

"Very humble, sure. I can tell from your proud expression in the picture next to your distinction announcement about how humble you are."

"I had no hand in that picture," Lex declared openly. "If you knew me better, you'd know that I'm a down to earth person who stays in his lane and does not cause trouble."

"Somehow that's exactly the impression you give off," Misha said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

"I must say, I'm surprised you found that picture so quickly," said Lex, not responding to her sarcasm. Instead, he brought the conversation back to the announcement about himself - like any humble person would.

"I myself only just found out about that article."

"Well, you can't blame a woman for looking into the man asking her out," Misha said, her voice once again weak and sympathetic. It was such a stark difference from her earlier bravado when they first met. Lex had to say, she was taking the damsel routine a little far.

"Oh? How interesting. Actually, I also tried looking into you a bit, but found nothing. I'm curious to see what you found out about me."

Misha's eyes flashed, as she sensed a subtle change in Lex's tone. It was still soft and polite, but it lacked a certain element of teasing that it had earlier. The tone and the words didn't match, which only meant that his intentions were changing, and her strategy wasn't working effectively.

Before she could answer, however, Lex leaned back in his chair and continued to speak.

"Oh I forgot to mention, while I didn't find out anything about you, I learned quite a bit about the Fuegan. I'm surprised they were able to send a representative to this Expo. You guys must have some amazing secret sponsors, huh?"

This time, Lex did not rush to speak, and let the silence hang in the air as he looked at Misha. His expression didn't change, still soft and smiling, but her's did. Her previously mischievous smile slowly faded from her face, and she studied him carefully before speaking.

"Well, we do alright, though our sponsor isn't nearly as amazing and secretive as the Midnight Inn."

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