I woke up in my own bed with sunlight streaming through the window and a splitting headache that felt like someone was hammering nails into my skull.
"He's awake," Yuki's voice said from somewhere nearby.
I groaned and tried to sit up, which turned out to be a mistake. Everything spun, and I fell back against the pillow.
"Easy," Lin Mei said, appearing in my field of vision. She had a bandage on her shoulder where she'd been stabbed, but otherwise looked healthy. "You've been unconscious for eight hours. Your body isn't used to channeling that much spiritual energy."
"Did everyone... make it?" I asked, my voice hoarse.
"We're all fine, thanks to you." She helped me sit up slowly, propping pillows behind me. "That technique you used Sanctuary's Judgment it saved our lives. The mercenaries scattered like frightened rabbits."
"Good. That's good." I rubbed my temples, trying to ease the pounding. "What time is it?"
"Almost noon. You slept through breakfast, which is probably a first for you."
Yuki appeared with a tray containing tea and simple rice porridge. "Drink this. I made it following your recipes, but it's nowhere near your quality. Still, it should help."
I accepted the tea gratefully, sipping slowly. The warm liquid helped clear some of the fog from my mind. "Thank you. Both of you." I looked at Lin Mei. "I'm sorry you got hurt protecting my inn."
"We chose to fight. Besides, you're the one who saved us." She sat on the edge of the bed. "Kazuki, we need to talk about what happened. That power you unleashed that's not normal innkeeper abilities."
[Warning: Guest is asking direct questions about Host's capabilities]
[Recommendation: Partial honesty may be appropriate given circumstances]
I took another sip of tea, considering my words. "The system I mentioned before it's more than just cooking skills. It's designed to help me run and protect the inn. Last night was an emergency measure, something I didn't even know I could do until the situation became desperate."
"A system that turns an inn into a weapon," Lin Mei mused. "And you're the conduit. That's... unprecedented. Most inheritance systems grant personal power. Yours seems focused on location-based abilities."
"Which makes sense for an innkeeper, I suppose."
"It also makes you incredibly valuable and incredibly vulnerable." She leaned forward, her expression serious. "Those mercenaries weren't random attackers, Kazuki. The Shadow Blade mercenary group doesn't work cheap. Someone paid good money to hit this inn specifically."
That sent a chill through me despite the warm tea. "You think it was the Phoenix Sect?"
"Most likely. They've noticed that people they're hunting seem to find their way here. They're probably trying to eliminate a problem before it grows."
Wei appeared in the doorway, notebook in hand as always. "I examined the equipment the mercenaries left behind. Confirmed Shadow Blade markings, but more interesting I found a contract seal fragment. It was partially burned, but I could make out part of the employer's signature."
"And?" I asked.
"Phoenix Sect, definitely. Specifically, it bore the seal of Senior Disciple Feng Hua."
The woman who'd come looking for Yuki. Of course.
[Quest Update: Phoenix Sect has escalated to lethal force]
[Inn status: Vulnerable for next 16 hours]
[Recommendation: Prepare for potential follow-up attack]
"We're sitting ducks until the formation recharges," I said, setting down the tea cup. "They could send more mercenaries, or come themselves."
"Which is why we're not leaving," Jin announced, ducking through the doorway. His massive frame barely fit. "We talked it over with Zhao Chen. We're staying until your defenses are back up."
"You don't have to do that. Your mission to Silverbrook"
"Can wait one more day," Lin Mei interrupted. "Kazuki, you saved our lives. You've provided sanctuary, amazing food, and honest service. We're not abandoning you when you're vulnerable. That's not how we operate."
Zhao Chen appeared behind Jin, looking much healthier after a night's rest and my cooking. "The Forest Guard also protects those who provide aid. You sheltered me, healed me, fed me. I'm staying too."
I felt emotion tighten my throat. "Thank you. All of you."
"Besides," Jin said with a grin, "if we let something happen to you, who's going to cook us that amazing food? I've gotten spoiled. Regular inn food is going to taste like dirt after this."
That broke the tension, and everyone laughed.
"Alright," I said, pushing through the exhaustion. "If we have sixteen hours to prepare, let's not waste them. What do we need to do?"
Lin Mei pulled out a map and spread it on the bed. "First, establish watch rotations. Jin and I will take six-hour shifts. Wei can set up warning talismans at key approach points. Zhao Chen, you're still recovering, so you'll be backup and messenger if needed."
"And me?" Yuki asked.
"You're our secret weapon. If they come during daylight, they won't be expecting a spiritual beast. Stay hidden until absolutely necessary."
"What about me?" I asked.
"You rest and cook," Lin Mei said firmly. "We need you at full strength when that formation comes back online. And honestly, your cooking is probably more valuable than any combat skill we could teach you in sixteen hours."
[Quest Available: Survive the Vulnerable Period]
[Objective: Protect the inn until formation array recharges]
[Time Remaining: 15 hours, 47 minutes]
[Reward: 1,000 System Points, Defensive Skill Unlock, Inn Upgrade]
[Failure: Inn destruction, possible death]
"No pressure," I muttered, reading the notification.
I spent the next hour forcing down food and regaining my energy while the adventurers fortified the inn. Wei's talismans created an early warning perimeter. Jin moved furniture to create defensive positions. Lin Mei scouted the surrounding area for the best vantage points.
By early afternoon, I was feeling well enough to cook. I prepared an elaborate lunch using the premium ingredients, focusing on dishes that would enhance combat abilities increased stamina, faster reflexes, improved spiritual energy flow.
[You have created: Warrior's Battle Feast (x4)]
[Quality: Superior]
[Effects: Enhanced combat abilities, temporary cultivation boost, rapid stamina regeneration, mental clarity]
Everyone ate together in the dining area, and I could see the food's effects taking hold. Their auras became more vibrant, their movements more confident.
"This is better than any military ration I've ever had," Zhao Chen said, finishing his third helping. "The Forest Guard would pay a fortune for food like this."
"Speaking of payment," I said, pulling out my remaining silver. "I need one of you to do me a favor. Administrator Chen Wei is expecting six silver from me by tomorrow. If something happens to me, can someone deliver this?"
"Nothing's going to happen to you," Lin Mei said firmly. "But yes, I'll make sure he gets it if necessary."
As afternoon faded to evening, tension built despite our preparations. Every sound made us alert, every shadow suspicious.
"They're not coming during the day," Wei observed as the sun set. "They'll wait for darkness. Better for stealth."
"How much longer until the formation is back?" Jin asked.
I checked with the system. "Ten hours. Midnight."
"Perfect timing for an attack," Lin Mei said grimly. "They'll hit us around two or three in the morning when people are naturally at their lowest energy."
"Then we'll be ready," I said with more confidence than I felt.
Yuki stayed close to me as night fell, sometimes in fox form, sometimes human. I could tell she was worried despite trying to hide it.
"Kazuki," she said quietly during a moment alone in the kitchen. "If things go badly tonight"
"They won't."
"But if they do, I want you to run. Take the emergency escape talisman you bought and get out. I'll hold them off."
"I'm not leaving you. I'm not leaving any of you."
"You're too stubborn for your own good."
"Says the fox who could have fled days ago but chose to stay."
She smiled despite herself. "I suppose we're both stubborn idiots then."
"Stubborn idiots together. I can live with that."
The hours crawled by. Midnight came and went. The formation was recharging, building back its power bit by bit.
[Formation Array Status: 50% recharged]
[Estimated full charge: 5 hours]
It was 2:47 in the morning when Wei's warning talismans activated.
"They're here," he called down from the second floor window. "Multiple groups, approaching from three directions."
I looked out to see torches in the darkness not six mercenaries this time, but dozens of figures in red robes with golden phoenix emblems.
The Phoenix Sect had come in force.
"How many?" Lin Mei asked, already drawing her sword.
Wei's face was pale. "At least thirty disciples. And three Core Formation experts leading them."
"Oh, that's not good," Jin said, gripping his weapon.
[EXTREME THREAT DETECTED]
[Enemy Forces: 30+ Phoenix Sect Disciples, 3 Core Formation leaders]
[Assessment: Current forces insufficient to defend]
[Recommendation: EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY]
Senior Disciple Feng Hua stepped forward from the group, her voice carrying clearly across the distance.
"Innkeeper Kazuki! You are harboring enemies of the Phoenix Sect and have attacked our contracted operatives. Come out peacefully and we will show mercy. Resist, and we will destroy your inn and everyone in it."
I looked at my companions the adventurers who'd stayed to protect me, Zhao Chen who'd been a stranger just yesterday, Yuki who'd become so much more than a guest.
Then I looked at my inn the building I'd cleaned, restored, and protected. The sanctuary I'd built.
"System," I said quietly. "Tell me I have options."
[Analyzing...]
[One option available: Desperate Measure]
[Warning: Extremely dangerous]
"Tell me."
[You can overcharge the formation array early by sacrificing System Points]
[Cost: All remaining System Points (450)]
[Result: Formation activates at 150% power for one hour, then shuts down for one week]
[Risk: High chance of permanent formation damage]
I didn't hesitate.
"Do it."
[End of Chapter 16]