The Innkeeper

The three of them talked for a while longer before splitting to do their own things within the short break that they had, before being taken back once more. The venue was the same, and once again the person, or rather elemental, who was briefing them was Imex.

"Today, we will go over the segments involved in the Expo, what to expect in them, and their timeline. Right off the bat, I should begin by informing you that the Expo is intended to be five years long, and the Artica realm has been preparing for it for over a century, so there is a lot to look forward to.

"An entire star system has been specifically and specially prepared for the Expo, and under ordinary circumstances, all attendees will have permission to explore anywhere within the boundaries of that star system.

"All locals you encounter within that star system will also be those who have been specifically assigned to that star system for the very purpose of this Expo. The first segment will be the introductory phase, wherein for one year you will be introduced to the various aspects of Artica.

"This includes the changing seasons, the unusual energy patterns within their star systems, the various kinds of anomalous ice available, and more. You will be given a glance at their technology, their cultivation systems, their techniques, and more.

"This will be organized through a series of games, tournaments, competitions and more. Since this is an Expo, not only will they be showcasing all of these, they will also be actively engaging you to learn how they can cooperate with you to form a mutually beneficial relationship.

"The second segment will be, by far, the shortest segment, which will take place for only three months. After the first segment is over, those selected by an independent committee formed of the Artica race will be allowed to visit the parts of the realm not specifically prepared for the Expo. This is to give various powers and organizations a glimpse into the daily life of an Artica realm local.

"This will be followed by the third segment, which will be the largest and longest segment of the Expo, where participants will compete for the right to enter into partnership and trade with the Artica race itself, as well as possibly earn the right to form an alliance with the realm itself.

"We will get into the details of the competitions shortly, but suffice to say that they will cover a vast array of subjects such as agriculture, animal husbandry, mining, manufacturing, alchemy, formations, technology, cultivation, and much more.

"The final segment, which will once again last for one year, will only be for those who were selected during the third segment as potential partners for the Artica realm, and will consist of a meeting wherein the Artica race will unveil their plans to develop their Major realm over the next fifty millenia, and how others can cooperate with it during this time. Those who were not selected can spend the remainder of their time within the designated star system, or leave if they so wish.

"This is a brief overview of how the segments will play out, but now I will go into more detail about each segment. By the way, the star system selected as a the site for the Expo is, as can be expected, highly concentrated in cold and yin energies, so those with weaknesses or conditions that do not suit this environment, please take precautions beforehand."

Lex listened to the briefing, while figuring out his own timeline as well. There was no way he had five years to waste on an Expo, not to mention the fact that time flowed faster in the Midnight realm than in the Origin realm, where time flowed faster than in Major realms!

If the Midnight Realm was 3 times faster than the Origin realm, then it was 6 times faster than Major realms.

So 5 years in the Artica realm would be equal to 30 years in the Midnight Realm. There was no way he could leave for that long - not to mention that the Midnight Games was only going to last a little less than a year in the Origin realm.

Besides that, he also had to visit the Seraphim resort for a quest, the timeline for which was moving according to the internal time of the Midnight realm.

If Lex did not have the mental capacity of an immortal, just figuring out his own timeline would give him a migraine. He had to see how much time he could afford to squander - no, how much time he could invest researching into his potential adversaries of the future.

He had a feeling - not a warning from his instincts, but one from his own judgment - that getting a glimpse into how the Artica race developed, and planned to develop for the next fifty millenia, will give him great insight into how he himself should develop, and things to watch out for.

The issue before him was complicated, but not entirely unsolvable. He looked at Gerard and Velma. Looking at the new timeline, he might have to leave them here on their own, but he'd leave it up to them whether they wanted to stay or not.

As for experiencing the Artica races development plans himself? He had another idea for that.

At the end of the briefing session, Lex asked his first question.

"Will everyone going to the Expo be going through the bank, or should we expect other forces to bring participants as well?"

Imex paused for a moment, for such a question somewhat undermined the bank, but it was a necessary question nevertheless. After all, everyone had to watch out for potential competitors.

"Yes, various forces from across the universe will be bringing in participants to the Expo," Imex answered.

It was a simple question, and did not cause many ripples within the hall. Inside the Folklore realm, however, a massive wooden ship suddenly burst forth from within a golden cloud. Gravity eels leaped up from the clouds as well, like fish jumping out of the ocean, as they gave chase to the quarry that had eluded them for so long.

The sight was as majestic as it was horrifying, for both the ship and the eels were absolutely gigantic, tearing through the skies with absolute abandon. In a strange dichotomy of the sight, a faint, almost negligible sound could be heard, as if yelled by an incredibly tiny being.

"Oh lawd, the Captain has lost his mind!" Experience exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire