Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1409: The librarian

”A professor at the Stellar Dawn light Academy, the most powerful independent force in Sector 99. Not bad, wouldn’t you say?” Althera continued walking without pause, her voice as composed as ever. ”As for your specialty... you’re free to choose whatever field you prefer.”

”Huh?!”

Robin’s face was overtaken by sheer disbelief. ”Wait—what?! Is there some kind of misunderstanding going on here? Who said I wanted to be a professor?! Or that I even have time for something like this?!”

”The Cosmic Elder’s request is an order to me,” Althera replied coolly. ”But very few people in this academy are even aware of his existence, let alone his involvement. You, a complete stranger—suddenly seen walking beside me, entering restricted buildings, meeting with a Royal Soul Master... it would raise far too many questions.”

She gave him a faint, knowing smile, one that barely tugged at the corners of her lips.

”The only reasonable cover... is to make you a professor. That way, I can personally authorize your presence and handle any special treatment you receive.”

Robin blinked a few times, stunned. She was... serious.

”No need to worry,” Althera added. ”Being a professor here is hardly demanding. All of our instructors have personal lives and ongoing research of their own. You’ll fit right in.”

”...I still don’t get it,” Robin muttered, furrowing his brow. She’s the head of the academy. Can’t she just bend the rules?

”Fine, but don’t expect too much from me.”

”One lecture,” she said, raising one elegant finger. ”Just one... whenever you find the time. That will suffice.”

She entered a particularly ornate building, its entrance engraved with luminous runes that shimmered faintly as she passed.

”Come. I’ll introduce you to your guide. From now on, he’ll assist you around the academy.”

Robin arched a brow. ”What about you?”

”Don’t be greedy,” Althera replied smoothly, still walking. ”This conversation we’re having right now? It’s the longest I’ve had with anyone in thousands of years. I have more important things to attend to. I hope you understand.”

”Oh, I feel very honored,” Robin muttered under his breath, attempting a smirk—but his lips barely moved.

This woman... she’s only giving me this attention because of the Cosmic Elder.

The moment she leaves, I’ll just be another level 11 outsider surrounded by people who don’t even believe he exists...

Still—at least being labeled a professor might at least afford him some protection. And maybe even some status.

”We’ve arrived,” Althera finally said.

She placed her hand on a modest wooden door. The moment her palm touched it, a cascade of glowing runes surged across its surface like living veins of light.

Then—click—the door opened with a soft, resonant hum.

”This is the library.”

”...This?” Robin raised a skeptical eyebrow. ”It looks a bit small for a librar—”

He didn’t finish the sentence.

His words got caught in his throat the moment the door creaked fully open.

Before him lay an entirely different world.

A world made of books.

Endless rows of bookshelves, each extending farther than the eye could see, stretched out like cosmic rivers of knowledge. Hallways beside hallways beside hallways—all varying in width and impossible height—spiraled into the horizon and beyond.

Robin instinctively looked up... and froze.

The shelves rose so high they vanished into the sky itself. He could see clouds drifting lazily between towers of books.

He turned his head to the left, then to the right—no visible end. Just corridors of knowledge, each more massive than the last.

It was like standing in the heart of a living galaxy made entirely of wisdom.

”...Incredible,” Robin whispered. ”Is this... the knowledge the Stellar Dawn light Academy has accumulated over the years?”

Althera stepped in beside him, her voice calm and reverent.

”Not exactly. While the academy has contributed significantly over the millennia, this collection spans far beyond us. It includes knowledge gathered from all living races, collected over tens of millions of years. Anything deemed valuable... we copy it, preserve it, and store it here.”

She gestured toward the infinite halls.

”Here... you don’t search for books. You imagine. Let your mind wander. Release the deepest, wildest corners of your imagination. Whatever you seek... there’s a good chance you’ll find it.”

Robin didn’t respond.

He’d already wandered a few steps into the nearest corridor, completely entranced. His hand hovered over the aged leather spines of a few thick volumes. His eyes scanned titles like a starving man at a banquet.

There was hunger in his gaze—pure, undiluted intellectual hunger.

Althera watched him for a few seconds, and for the briefest moment... a soft, barely noticeable smile graced her lips. Then she called out, ”Voltar!”

~”At your command, Monarch Althera.”~

The reply came instantly, as though the voice had been eagerly awaiting the moment its name would be called.

Whoosh!

A shadow suddenly appeared before Althera—swift and silent.

It looked like a young man, no older than twenty, with wild, untamed hair and large, bright eyes. He wore no clothing, but his body—sleek, metallic gray—was completely covered in intricate blue and black engravings, pulsing faintly with energy.

Anyone who looked closely would realize immediately: he wasn’t made of flesh.

He was entirely crafted from metal.

”...!!”

Robin’s attention snapped away from the books he’d been exploring. His entire focus shifted toward the newcomer. Taking a few curious steps forward, he began inspecting him with the keen eyes of a master craftsman.

”Incredible... what magnificent craftsmanship! Oh—are you part of a spatial array system?! The True Beginning Empire hasn’t even come close to this level of technological refinement...”

”Who is this individual, Monarch?” the mechanical voice asked. It was Voltar—his tone synthetic, but unmistakably sentient.

”This is Professor Robin,” Althera replied flatly. ”From this moment forward, he has full unrestricted access to the entire library.”

”...The entire library?” Voltar echoed in surprise. ”But—nearly eighty percent of the archive requires specific clearances. Each section is sealed with its own level of authorization...”

”All of it,” Althera repeated, her tone unyielding. She followed the words with a single nod to confirm.

”He is not to request permission from administration. He may access any book, any wing, at any time. You are to assist him fully whenever he arrives.”

Voltar turned his shimmering gaze toward Robin, who—at that very moment—was leaning forward and inspecting the underside of Voltar’s arm like a child discovering a new toy.

”...Understood,” Voltar said after a pause.

Althera’s eyes shifted across the vast library. ”Where is Shaddad? He is here, yes?”

”He’s currently in the middle of aisle four-five-nine, Monarch,” Voltar replied promptly. ”Would you like me to summon him?”

”No need. We’ll go to him,” Althera said. She gestured slightly with her head, then added, ”Bring Professor Robin with us.”

Robin, however, was completely absorbed in his analysis, talking to himself. ”...This construct carries the array core... oh, this is beautiful work... Can it fight a Nexus Entity? Probably... but it’s definitely restricted by the library’s field barrier. I wonder what the energy cost for this array was...”

”...Understood.”

Voltar gave Robin a quick side glance—his expression unreadable—and then, without warning, made a sharp gesture with his hand.

WOOOSH!

The world around them shifted violently. The air exploded outward, and a strong wave of force pushed Robin’s body into motion. His feet barely touched the ground as his body hurtled through a corridor of swirling spatial light.

Althera’s brows furrowed sharply. She turned instantly toward Voltar.

”Voltar... did you dare mess around in front of me?”

Her voice was low and calm—but laced with a dangerous undertone.

Voltar had chosen not to teleport them in the usual smooth fashion. Instead, he used rapid burst propulsion—a far harsher form of transport, especially punishing for someone at Robin’s modest level 11.

Althera understood immediately.

He’s trying to shake Robin off.

But this kind of joke was far too dangerous for a level 11 cultivator!