The Innkeeper

Chapter 1341  Survey I

n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Excuse me, would you be willing to participate in a survey?" Ripley asked the mean looking Marzu, completely indifferent to their extremely angry expression and demeanor.

"I am Jidore, herald of the Hidden River tribe of Marzu!" the ferocious beast declared, his voice traveling far and wide. Ripley quickly noted it down. The entire army of magic wielding tyrannosauruses behind him responded to his voice by gathering their magic, having it sing as it coursed through their bodies.

"Thank you for participating. Now if you don't mind, how did you hear about the Midnight Inn?"

"Remnants of a Marzu army returned to the Hidden river with news of sabotage and deceit, as well as the untimely death of the Witch of Hidden River, Feyore! They knew not the details of the enemy, and only spoke the words 'Midnight Inn'."

"Got it… Midnight Inn… remnant army… dead witch… So these remnants from your army - what kind of feelings did they express when talking about the Midnight Inn?"

"Warriors, one and all. Cold, hard, ruthless, leaving corpses in their wake. But their excellence provoked dire consequences."

"Got it… excellent warriors… Right, I noted that down. On a scale from one to ten, how easy was it for you to find the Midnight Inn?"

Behind Ripley, Lex scratched his head at the unexpected situation. He'd already had Luthor called, who would no doubt answer any questions the angry magical dinosaurs had… but why were they taking the survey… and why was Ripley so bad at reading the room?"

"We sent legions of scouts out into the realm, scouring the earth, air and seas until they found word of the Inn hidden across space. Finally, when news of the Inn reached our empire, we waged war and laid waste to an empire of Hexapoda to acquire their golden keys and make our way here."

"Got it… laid waste to empires… just to come to the Inn… So how would you describe your actual journey to the Inn? Any teleportation nausea? Missing limbs or organs?"

"Not a single wand nor energy crystal was left behind as the entire battalion arrived from our realm to this one like lightning - in the blink of an eye."

"Seamless transport in large numbers…not really on the scale but I got it anyway… What's next? Oh right, how long do you expect to stay at the Midnight Inn? Are there any activities you are looking forward to while here?"

"We shall stay until every last drop of blood from our enemies has been spilled from their bodies, their corpses torn asunder and spread out over the landscape, and not a moment less. At the Inn we will question those who were present on the day of the witches demise! They must have news of the enemy who crossed us, and dared to make an enemy of the Hidden River tribe."

"So a long stay, and here to acquire specific news. I guess the newsroom is doing better than I thought. How much are you expecting to spend for your visit to the Inn?"

"Cost is of no consequence. The vaults of the Marzu are overflowing, but even so, why should we spend our own treasures? The very treasures of our enemies will pay for our endless conquest, and fuel the fires of war."

"Big spender, huh? Well, from a quick glance at you and your friends I can tell you guys like fighting. What are your thoughts on the ongoing Midnight Games which show conquest against mindless invading insects?"

"The Hexapoda are an infestation on creation, and any who endeavor to end their existence embark on a righteous crusade. Were we not already occupied with a quest for vengeance, then the realm would have been bequeathed the prize of watching the Hidden River tribe tear through the abominable enemy hordes."

"So you'd like to participate, but are busy. Quite regretful for you, I'm sure. What are your thoughts on the landscape of the Inn itself, as well as its level distributions?"

"Why does it matter? We shall hunt in the plains and in the valleys, we shall hunt in the oceans and across the volcanos. No storm nor tribulation will prevent us from reaching our goal of vengeance. The Inn can only pray that they are not found guilty of being responsible for the death of Feyore."

"So you like the variety of scenery, and approve of the Inn taking a neutral stance on political issues, huh? Wouldn't have taken you as a political type. But wait… does the Inn have a hunting event? I don't think so… going to have to note that down as a demerit.

"What about food? Are you looking forward to the food at the Inn? I've heard they have the heir of a Celestial level organization as a cook."

"We hunger only for the death of our enemies. We will bury their corpses in our lands, their flesh and blood nurturing the lands, granting our crops power."

"A fan of how the Inn uses fertilizers I see. How likely are you to recommend the Midnight Inn to a friend?"

"All Marzu tribes stand at the ready, already aware of our excursion into the Inn. Should we fail to return, they will take our place in our quest for vengeance. A blood debt is never forgotten!"

"Oh so you've already told all your friends, and if you find it so entertaining that you stay a while they will join? That's good to hear. Now tell me, do you plan on taking advantage of the Inns daycare services?"

By now, Luthor, Z and Gerard had already arrived, ready to answer the Marzu's questions, but they were forced to wait as the Marzu were too engrossed in the survey itself. Lex looked awkwardly at everyone, and then just shrugged.

He was having an unusual day, so he dared not say or do anything out of the ordinary, lest he attract even more trouble during the survey. As soon as he had that thought, Lex sensed the Mountain-man, who had been sleeping for a very long time, suddenly opened its eyes.