The Innkeeper

It was also curious that a low grade system would avoid beings with higher inherent cultivation levels, meaning the cultivation level they were born with. In that case, shouldn't his system have preferred someone else with a higher realm? It still made more sense to merge with Bastet than himself.

But perhaps due to its severely damaged state, it was behaving like a low grade or newborn system.

"I've heard that systems prefer to merge with mortals, or those with lower grade cultivation levels. Doesn't that pose an issue for you while searching for systems to absorb?"

The two Rhinocentaurs looked at Lex with confusion.

"We've… never heard of a system choosing a host, so we're not sure about that. Maybe our level is too low to get in contact with such information. But most of the folks I know actively search for systems themselves and fuse with them, so while it may result in less than perfect synchronization, it still works. Even for those who accidentally got a system, by dropping blood on it in its sealed state for example, are usually initiating the merging process themselves, even if they don't know it at the time."

"What else do you know about systems?"

"That… they serve as a shortcut to growing stronger? They make it easier to get access to incredibly rare treasures, though their quests are not easy to complete. For us common folk with no background, it's immensely useful. However, for higher cultivation leveled beings or those with large backgrounds on the universal level, they might not be so attractive.

"After all, everything a system can do, high leveled cultivators can do on their own. For a system to tempt them, it would have to be truly a very high level one, but I've never heard of a system going above A grade, so it's very unlikely.

"Besides that, there are ways to make your system stronger by absorbing other systems, but that has a limit. For example, there is only so much growth a B rank system can get from absorbing an E rank system. Once that limit is reached, absorbing more of such graded systems yields no results. I've heard rumors that certain people also upgraded their systems using exceptionally rare items they found from ancient ruins or from Minor realms that had been sealed for eons, but those are just rumors. There's no proof to support such a claim."

The Rhinos stopped speaking and looked at Lex warily, hoping that he would be satisfied. Lex did learn something, such as the speculation that systems were actually naturally occurring, and that there might be a chance to find one in a newly formed realm. But those were just suspicions and there was no proof.

The fact that higher level cultivators weren't interested in systems was also new information, although it made some sense if what they got were low level systems. But one as powerful as his, which could take control of an entire realm even in its weakened state, would likely be attractive to anyone at all!

"Is that it? Is that all you know?" Lex asked, noticing that they stopped speaking.

"That really is everything," they replied.

"What about how you find systems? How do you tell if someone has a system or not? Why don't you check me to see if I have a system."

"We… we can't really reveal those things," they said with the utmost reluctance, hoping Lex would not get angry.

"What about scanning me? Can you scan me to see if you find a system? Or, better yet, can you search for systems and tell me where they are?"

"We… we had a way to search for system users but… we don't anymore."

It sounded like they were lying, which is why they were so hesitant answering, but that really was the case. They only had the most basic equipment to search for system users, and as soon as they were captured a failsafe in those equipment pieces were triggered, destroying them.

Lex frowned, which scared the Rhinocentaurs a bit. He could tell they were telling the truth, but if they could not search for signs of systems across his new realm, then he had little to no use of them for now.

How could he possibly gain from this situation? How could he use them to improve his chances of restoring his system in some way? Honestly speaking, he couldn't come up with an answer to that question.

But… upon thinking a bit, he did come up with a possible theory. He had no proof of it whatsoever, and it was a complete longshot, but at the same time, he found it hard to deny that it was possible.

The Rhinocentaurs confidence despite seeing the scale of the Inn, their assurance that they would be rescued, their extensive knowledge about systems, the fact that they even dared to insinuate that even the Innkeeper might not be able to remove their restrictions, all created a situation where Lex could believe a certain possibility.

He had already been informed by the mysterious man who guided him and told him how to fix Regal Embrace also mentioned a groupchat for system users. He could believe that a group of mysterious system hunters were possibly connected to exactly such a groupchat.

But it would be too coincidental. How could he run into them already? But at the same time, the fact that the mystery man had even warned him might mean that he foresaw exactly such an interaction in his future.

When he reached that thought, he was willing to make an attempt.

He looked at the two Rhinocentaurs, who were nervously staring at him. It was a funny sight - two massive, hulking creatures looking at a tiny human baby with fear.

"Alright, I believe you. I won't ask you any more questions on this matter - for now. Instead, I'll offer you a deal. As long as you can fulfill the conditions of this deal, you can continue to enjoy freedom. At the same time, no one will ask you how exactly you're fulfilling it either. But if you fail, even once, then it's straight back to prison for you. So what do you think, are you interested in such a deal?"