Chapter 1438 — Chapter 1438 New kid on the block II

Imex's last statement caused quite a stir, as many of the sponsorees began to murmur amongst themselves. Most of them sounded offended that Imex even thought that they would need such protection, which let Lex know that these were exactly the kind of people this warning had been for.

Every single being here came from a powerful background, most likely near or at the Dao level. Despite how rare Dao Lords were, when considered on a universal scale, it made sense that there would be a lot of them. As such, there were naturally a lot of Dao level organizations.

Lex was not surprised at all that anyone from such a prestigious background would be prideful, but in his opinion that was false pride. What was the point of that pride when it relied entirely on someone else?

They did not understand the pressure one had to face to keep them safe without the presence of a Dao Lord. They did not know how vulnerable and weak they would be. Moreover, the power scale of Dao Lords was complex and it was not easy to determine who was stronger or weaker - at least for simple Immortals like them.

In that case, why would they even risk attracting antagonistic attention towards their own backgrounds?

Lex couldn't see the logic in it, but it only made sense that such actions were not logical. The strong were used to being revered, and suddenly being told that they had to revere others in turn offended their sensibilities.

But Lex didn't care about them. No, what lex picked up, the hidden message between the lines, was that the bank was purposefully trying to raise the prestige of the Artica race. No doubt many of those here would not heed the bank's warning, or would forget about it. Only when they faced the repercussions would they remember this little warning.

It was quite curious that the bank was putting in a lot of thought and effort towards propping up the Artica race. Either their cooperation was far greater than Lex originally imagined, or there was more going on behind the scenes. Probably both.

"The Artica realm has a strong affinity towards anything associated with cold, ice, yin, frigid, and such, but that does not mean that other elements are not present. It's just that these are in greater abundance.

"Moreover, the existence model within the Artica race is a blend between star and galaxy models, with power level distinctions and sub realms that are not Minor realms. Basically, there exist levels within the Artica realm, and only beings of a specific power level can exist within those levels.

"Through various means those boundaries can be temporarily circumvented, but that comes at a great cost. For example, the most basic level, which also contains the higher number of beings, only allows beings up to the Foundation level of power.

"Once someone wishes to transcend that level, and they have the ability to do so, the laws of the realm bring them to an alternate realm that the locals call the Challenge Realm, where they must overcome a trial specific to them. Overcoming that trial automatically allows them to break through to the Golden core level, without so much as a hint of a bottle neck.

"But that is not necessarily a good thing, for in the subsequent level, the power level is between Golden Core and Nascent levels of power, with none stronger or weaker allowed to exist within. In this case, the new transcended Golden core cultivator automatically goes from being at the highest power within their level, to the lowest one.

"Similarly, if someone within a higher level has a child or offspring, that child is automatically transported to the appropriate level for their existence. The locals have developed a strong culture of protecting the young, for if it were not so then none would survive and all races would go extinct. Also, it isn't worth offending someone at a higher level, for those living in higher levels have a degree of control and influence over the lower levels.

"The third, and up until recently final level of the Artica realm was for immortals. It used to be the largest, and was filled solely with immortals, though the innate dangers of that level kept their numbers from rising too high despite their apparent immortality.

"Each level, divided from one another, is like its own unique realm, but at the same time holds numerous Superclusters - massive structures containing multiple galaxy clusters and groups.

"The newest, and most powerful level of the Artica race, is for Dao Lords. Due to the inherent structure of the entire realm, any Dao Lord that gains control of the highest level gains control over, and the power of, the entire Major realm.

"Suffice to say, the Artica race has gained that control, and hold the power of an entire Major realm in their palms. Such a potent power is rare in the entire universe, and cannot be challenged easily."

Imex paused at that point, letting his words sink in. The entire room was silent, as everyone stared in disbelief at what they had heard. Even Lex himself, who was not entirely sure of what it meant to wield the entire power of a Major realm, could appreciate that such a power was surely beyond insane.

He had heard that the reason that Devils could transform from their mundane into the Devilish form was because of the power their entire race received from being in control of Garvitz.

Lex could only presume that their uncanny ability to teleport anywhere they wished in the universe from Garvitz, as well as control Demons to a fault, also came from their realm.

As such, he could not even imagine what it would be like if the entire power of a Major realm could be controlled and used as one wished.

"That is a brief history of the Artica realm, so now we will be going over the power distribution of the realm, their rules and restrictions, and finally the details of the realm. Below the Artica race are a number of other races who serve the Artica race, the most prominent of whom are the Prism Whales, and the Jagged Stallions.

"The Prism Whales act as stewards of the realm, while the Jagger Stallions are the peacekeepers. Considering that the realm in itself is extremely dangerous, they do not allow large scale conflicts and wars.

"Unauthorized combat in occupied areas is a very severe crime, punishable by crippling or death, however it is fairly easy to receive authorization should anyone require. However, there are a few rules even to that. Under no circumstances is any adult allowed to fight or harm a child in any way.

"The definition of child, according to the norms of the Artica realm, is anyone who has yet to participate in the Transcendance ritual - something unique to those born in the Artica realm. Although during the Expo, none of you will be sent to areas where there should be any children, I must emphasize this particular detail in case of unexpected incidents.

"The Artica race itself is a semi-aquatic, semi-aerial race with a pair of wings that also serve as fins, as well as a long tail. Though they avoid land when they can due to the absence of legs, it does not mean that they cannot go there.

"They share the same affinities as that of the realm, and conduct themselves according to a strict hierarchy based on their strength. The strong are respected, while the weak are protected. They are a highly unified, highly cohesive race who put the well being of their collective over the individual.

"After years of contact, the bank can describe the Artica race as having strong morals and guiding principles, who will not tolerate a breach of the rules. However, as long as you operate within their rules, they will not discriminate or treat you unfairly.

"I will now provide you with a comprehensive breakdown of the rules you are expected to follow as guests, and keep in mind that there have been many allowances made due to the Expo.

"For those interested in visiting the realm under different circumstances, a 300 volume collection of laws has been compiled for you to peruse. Now let's begin. As a visitor, you must…"

Lex was highly intrigued by the uniqueness of the Artica realm, as well as the unusual way in which they operated. The rules also, in his opinion, were also great and were just a compilation of basic etiquette in his opinion.

But it seemed like not everyone else was of the same opinion, for the rule prohibiting bringing any slaves at all was very unpopular. Unfortunately, that also gave Lex a lot of insight into how common slavery was in the universe. He wondered if others had brought slaves into the Inn yet. It was entirely possible, but it was not something he had been looking out for, so he never noticed.

At least it brought him a new appreciation for the Artica race, which was a surprise considering what he learned previously was beginning to paint them in a negative light. It seemed like the new kids on the block were far from simple.