For a while, Levi and Vera gave Lex and Liz their privacy. But after thirty minutes of Liz only explaining her future plans, they were forced to come back. They could only pretend to be busy for so long, and at some point, they had to go back.

"Wow, you guys have been talking nonstop, huh?" Vera said, sitting back down beside them.

"It’s only natural," responded Lex. "We have a lot to catch up on. Besides, we were discussing the kind of job Liz could take on at the Inn. It’s important."

Lex could have given Liz all the MP she needed to live as long as she wanted, but that would do her no good. Coddling hardly ever produced positive results. Besides, being productive and working were essential parts of the human psyche. If she only ever got things for free, and never worked for them, it would warp her self view and destroy her cultivation path. Just because she had fused with Nemo did not mean she was invincible - far from it in fact.

By allowing her to spread her wings in a relatively tame, relatively controlled area, he could allow her to develop her own strength and cultivation. Not to mention that Liz was no child, and she was definitely no pushover.

According to something she mentioned briefly, Liz had been invited to Prima Ventura, which was the top, elite most branch of Ventura - far higher in level and rank than where even Cornelius went to. That was not the kind of thing merely having a strong physique could allow.

Her cultivation level had been stunted because she never bonded with a beast, but now that she had, she could stop holding back.

"Unfortunately, a longer reunion will have to wait," Liz said, with a hint of sorrow in her voice.

"It can’t be helped," Lex said with a shrug. "I’m in a very critical time crunch, and I have a lot of things to do. Liz also has to begin taking her cultivation seriously, and there’s no time like the present."

Lex and Liz stared at each other for a while, but then both got up at the same time. Their reunion felt nice, and it was great to know that they were rebuilding their relationship. But these things could not be rushed.

The group said their farewells, and split off in two. Lex and Vera left in one direction, while Levi and Liz left in another.

"Your brother’s friend, that Giselle," Levi said in a low voice, once they were out of range. "Her body carries Profane energy. That is the domain of Defilers, agents of the Path of Chaos. You should be careful."

Liz nodded.

"Don’t drop your guard, but at the same time, don’t worry too much about my brother. He can take care of himself. If you pay attention to things at the Inn, you’ll hear a very interesting rumor. They say that my brother is the Innkeepers apprentice. His life is destined to be more complicated than we can imagine."

Levi raised her eyebrows, once again taken by surprise. Liz was fused with a Sovereign, and her brother was the apprentice of a Dao Lord? Their family was far from simple.

Levi just had no idea just how right she was in that thought.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Vera asked as they strolled, not at all remembering that they had talked in the chamber of secrets. That was kind of why Lex had waited till they were done to have the Nexus talk.

"What would you do if I told you that I can tell you exactly when the Nexus event will take place?" Lex asked, his voice just as casual as it had always been.

"What are you talking about? That’s impossible."

"Just humor me. What if I could tell you when the Nexus event was about to happen?"

Vera laughed, unsure about the kind of joke Lex was trying to crack. But when he didn’t laugh along, she looked at him oddly, waiting for the punchline. It never came.

"Lex, the Nexus event is a universal event that goes back as far as history records. No one knows when or why it happens, and it’s not the kind of thing that can be predicted - that’s the whole point of the Nexus event. It completely messes up the flow of destiny and fate."

"Yes, Vera, I understand that," said Lex, looking her in the eye. "Now I’m asking you to imagine a scenario where I can tell you the time of the Nexus event, before it happens? What would you do? Or rather, what I truly want to ask is, how could I take advantage of that knowledge. Hypothetically speaking, of course."

Vera’s casual smile began to fade, and the expression in her eyes became more and more serious as she began imagining the ramifications... the possibilities...

"Taking advantage of the Nexus event is not something new," she began to say, her thoughts in a mess. "Throughout history, oracles have used it to erase their punishment tribulations, and many have used it to rewrite their destinies. But all of that happens after the Nexus event has already happened. To actually know ahead of time... and plan for the Nexus event... it can only be theorized..."

Vera stopped talking, because she couldn’t even theorize. The possibilities were too great. She looked at Lex again, full of doubt and question, but she didn’t ask any questions. Instead, she said something else entirely.

"Give me some time. I need to do some research. I’ll tell you the best way I’d prepare if I knew when the Nexus event was going to happen."

Lex nodded.

"Thanks. It’s an interesting thought experiment - nothing to take too seriously. It’s naturally impossible for anyone to be able to predict the event."

"Of course," responded Vera, even if she wasn’t so sure anymore. The possibilities... as she thought about them, she found herself lost. They were too great.