A few days later, Lex found himself sitting in the fastest, non-teleportation public transport on Tilaiya. For all intents and purposes, it could be considered a train, except for the fact that it did not require a track and could travel at supersonic speeds.
As the train hurtled forward, its soft vibrations providing a steady backdrop, Lex sat by the window, fixated on the approaching city skyline. Tall towers pierced the sky, glinting in the sunlight, each building a testament to wealth and glory of the capital city of Tilaiya.
The past few days had been spent in painful preparation for today, as he thoroughly investigated not only the layout of the city, the itinerary of the weddings, the necessary proceedings, but also thought out several plans with the help of Pel.
He needed some insight into what to expect from a Celestial, and what Pel told him pretty much solidified his ideas. Basically, he had no hope of hiding anything from the Celestial. Even as he sat in this train, in his stealth suit, he could be assured that the heirs father already knew he was coming, and saw each and everyone one on his moves.
The only possible way for Lex to succeed in his mission is if the Celestial never interfered. If he did anything, even so much as creating an indirect obstruction, then Lex could not hope to win.
But since the 'bet' was not anything too significant, Lex could assume that the Celestial would watch, but not interfere. Of course, this was on the premise that Kenta was not too valuable to Darmin, or that his father was confident that even after escaping he would come back. All in all, there was no point in raising the bet to begin with if he intended to interfere, or at least that is the approach Lex planned on taking with his current objective.
With each heartbeat, a surge of confidence coursed through him, reassured by the thought that he was prepared well enough. After all, under the guidance of his wooden ring, Lex finally got to checking out the dragons library in the last few days.
Most of the books were beyond him, and required some prerequisite knowledge that he lacked, making it so that he could not understand them despite being able to understand the individual words. Of course, there were a few books that even he could gain from.
But none of that mattered. What was truly important was that Pel had guided him to a single book that he could not only comprehend, but contained knowledge that he could put to practical use, right from this very mission. All he needed to do was master the written technique.
If his system was a little different, and showed him the amount of progress he made in cultivating his techniques to proficiency, then currently it would clearly show that he had, with his newfound analytic skills and powerful mind, comprehended?0.1% of the technique!
While that percentage may sound abysmal and pathetic, it was only so if there was no context. The technique he was learning was not a spiritual, soul or body technique. Instead, it was one specifically to be used by Dragons Might! As his Domination grew stronger by absorbing Dragons Might, it could also use the same technique!
But even though he could only understand such a small amount, that was already enough at his level. He could subtly influence Domination, and change the effect it had on people. It no longer necessarily had to suppress or pressure them, but could instead make them feel various different emotions or sensations.
Of course Lex had not mastered that yet, he barely understood enough to reduce his sense of presence further. This made it so that even if people saw him, they would subconsciously ignore him.
The effect was very weak right now, but when augmenting his stealth suit, the overall result was commendable.
He planned on further augmenting his stealth capabilities by bringing Fenrir, but discovered that the pup had fallen into a deep sleep upon its return from Frigra. Why did this pup sleep so much?
He had only asked the question rhetorically, but Pel had provided him with a sincere answer. Lex had used a very potent and powerful binding talisman on Fenrir to bind the two together, keeping himself as the master always. He had procured the talisman from the Emporium, and other than binding the pet with the master, it had the effect of linking their cultivations.
If one of them was stronger than the other, through their bond, they would influence the other as well, raising the speed at which they cultivated.
If Lex had a greater cultivation level, that was great for Fenrir. But if the pup tried to gain a higher level, and thereby support Lex's cultivation, it would hit a roadblock. This was due to the fact that Lex's cultivation techniques had historically been as far outside of normal as possible. It was like tying the pup to a mountain and asking it to drag the mountain along.
It just wasn't possible.
So, when it encountered a situation where its cultivation was rising, the bond forcibly stopped that rise. If there was a single redeeming factor in all of this, it was the fact that all the extra energy in his body would only strengthen him further within his existing realm, and not harm him. So ultimately, Lex was helping him in the long run.
As the train steadily closed the gap between him and the city, Lex's anticipation grew. The distant buildings were now distinct shapes, each one signifying a step closer to the moment of action. Unlike the town where he originally arrived, the capital felt more manufactured and less a part of nature, but that was only comparatively.
Lex gathered up his thoughts, no longer musing randomly, and prepared to disembark. Planning and preparing was all good, but ultimately it was his performance that would determine everything.
As soon as the train stopped, Lex got off and seemingly vanished into the crowds. The city was jam packed, as countless beings from a multitude of races had all gathered to take part in the festivities. It was a way for them to enjoy Darmin's generosity, as well as strengthen their connections with this neutral organization.
A stronger bond would not mean they expected any help with their own matters, but that they could enjoy more benefits within Darmins territories.
All in all, between the tourists, locals, security personnel and foreign dignitaries, the city was jam packed. Even for cultivators and races that could fly there was immense traffic in the air. Anticipating this situation was one of the reasons why Lex arrived in the city hours before the ceremony happened.
Silently, and without attracting any attention, Lex slowly approached the center of the city, where a grand palace stood out even when surrounded by so many majestic buildings. Getting inside the function was not difficult for Lex since he had an invitation, just time consuming. Reaching Kenta once he was inside, however, would be the true obstacle.
All guests would have designated spots where they could freely watch the ceremony, or even roam around. But the area where the ceremony was taking place could only be accessed by a select few who were important guests, relatives or played some role in the ceremony.
The ideal situation was to reach Kenta inside the palace right before he was brought to the main ceremonial altar.
Slowly and steadily, as if he was not in any rush at all, Lex approached the palace without attracting any attention. He also kept his senses peeled, listening in for any latest news regarding the wedding. Even rumors might end up being useful, so he did not dismiss anything.
Yet even with his slow speed, in a couple of hours, Lex had navigated his way through the massive city and approached the palace. Six white bridges connected the city and the palace, which was built on a floating island that had been chained to the ground.
Although Lex could have slipped by easily, he got in line and passed through the queue normally. When he reached the gates, he intentionally coughed loudly to attract the nearby guards attention, before showing him his invitation.
Upon gaining entry he silently followed the guests who walked across the bridge, taking in all its majestic glory. Although Lex did not originally plan on sightseeing, he made an exception because he felt there was something usual about the bridges and the castle. His instincts seemed to have picked up on something, but it was too vague to give him a clear feeling.
Nonetheless, once he reached the end, and finally approached the palace doors, Lex finally veered away from the other guests. He had no interest in going to his specified space, he only needed to find out where Kenta was.
His infiltration mission was finally beginning.