Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1887 Experiencing the impossible

Sector 99 Mid- Planet Kizar

This is the planet that Marshal Aro had granted to Shaddad and Jabba when they requested a location to construct the Fifth Path arrays. A planet strategically located near the capital, Apocalypse, it is considered the second-largest planet within the vast Doubled Centennial Empire. Its size and importance alone make it significant, but it also serves as a primary harbor and storage facility for war fleets, making the level of security on this planet extraordinarily high, virtually impenetrable to outsiders or unauthorized forces.

Here, in this very courtyard, decades ago, the access trials to reach the pinnacle of the Sagehood Realm in physical strength had taken place. These trials were conducted in front of Marshal Aro himself, along with all the wing leaders of that time, during a grand, boisterous ceremony filled with energy, spectators, and tension. It had been a day of glory, challenge, and anticipation, with young contenders testing their limits and striving to earn recognition and honor.

But today, the atmosphere at the same site was entirely different. The excitement of the past had vanished, replaced by a quiet, tense anticipation. Ironically, the place was far more crowded now than it had been decades ago, yet the mood was noticeably subdued, weighed down by the gravity of the proceedings.

Silence.

Shaddad swallowed hard, standing near the control panel of the array, feeling the pressure of responsibility pressing down on him. Behind him, a large crowd of obscure figures had gathered. Marshal Aro himself was absent. There was no presence of any wing leaders, not even a known general. Instead, the crowd consisted entirely of individuals wearing long, wide, identical robes, each holding metallic tablets or books. Every pair of eyes was fixed on the array with impatience, anxiety, and a heavy, almost tangible sense of responsibility.

These individuals were the members of the newly established Sky Opening City in Mid Sector 99. All of them were original inhabitants of the Mid Sector. Aro had personally gathered every researcher, scientist, and inventor who had ever created anything of note in their lives and brought them under Shaddadʼs command to carry out the monumental task of establishing the city.

Hundreds of the people present had arrived unwillingly, essentially forced into service for the cityʼs construction, yet now, bound by a sense of duty and purpose, they would not leave it even under threat of death. Their work, their skills, and their very presence were now integral to the cityʼs survival and the success of the Fifth Path array trials.

After arriving, taking a brief look around, taking the ceremonial oath, and gaining access to all the studies and discoveries conducted by the original Sky Opening City members in the Young Sector, they began rigorous training in work division, coordination, and teamwork under assistants closely linked to Zara. Slowly, they began to feel a sense of belonging, as if they had returned home rather than being forcibly brought here. The fear of being kidnapped or used had dissipated, replaced by purpose, discipline, and the drive to excel. All the elixirs, technologies, serums, combat techniques, and other specialized knowledge that were displayed and sold in the Sky Opening Hall within the Sacred Covenant Academy were, in truth, creations of these individuals themselves. Every invention, every formula, and every method they had developed had now become part of the academyʼs official curriculum and

resources.

Yet, despite their achievements, today they were not here merely to attend a lecture from the Truth Chosen or the city leader Shaddad. Their focus, just like Shaddadʼs, was entirely on the Fifth Path Body Strengthening Array-a device and trial that pushed both mind and body to their absolute limits.

At this very moment, the array held only a single occupant: one young man, seated at the core of the machine.

”Brother, are you ready? ... Are you absolutely certain?” Shaddad exhaled deeply, his voice carrying clearly across the courtyard, imbued with authority and expectation.

”Ready!”

Inside the array sat a brown-haired young human, one of the original inhabitants of Planet Kizar. At his first shout of affirmation, a nervous smile. spread across his face, followed by a brief, uneasy laugh. ”Come on, do it quickly before I run away!” he exclaimed, revealing a mix of courage and apprehension.

”... Your contribution will never be forgotten.” Shaddad remained silent for several long, heavy seconds, letting the weight of his words sink in. Then he nodded decisively and gestured to the operators beside him. ”Begin.”

Several array operators responded in unison, their voices crisp and firm, ”Understood!” They immediately pressed their designated buttons, injecting energy into multiple channels of the array. Ksshh-

The covered pool adjacent to the array began to emit intense, dazzling flashes of light. These flashes bloomed like a miniature, living rainbow-vivid reds, deep blues, and all the countless breathtaking shades in between. The colors represented the various elements used in forming the pool and the inks within the system, creating a mesmerizing display that captured both the scientific precision and artistic elegance of the process.

The entire scene was a perfect blend of science and spectacle, where rigorous physical trials intersected with the raw beauty of spiritual energy manipulation, leaving every observer-both young and seasoned-entranced by the wonder of the Fifth Path array.

The breathtaking colors emerging from the seams and folds of the metal plates covering the pool were, without a doubt, among the most mesmerizing and beautiful manifestations of working with a soul array. Each shimmer, each delicate hue, danced across the surface in a display of pure energy manipulation. The colored liquid flowing from the pool through the intricate network of pipes was, for the body refiners, the single most captivating sight- especially while they endured the torment of being processed and refined within the array. It was a sight that mingled awe with fear, a spectacle of both beauty and agony.

But only a few seconds later-oooom-

A deep, impenetrable black substance began to leak from the pool. Slowly at first, almost tentatively, it rose upward, undulating like a serpent slowly swallowing its prey. Its motion was deliberate, deliberate and unnervingly calm, as if it were alive, intelligent, and aware of the destruction it would bring. Gradually, all the radiant, vibrant colors vanished completely, leaving only the obsidian black, which now moved through the pipes with a viscous, molten-coal-like consistency, consuming everything in its path.

Crack

Silence

Crack

Shaddad swallowed hard, his throat dry, as he watched the pipes begin to fracture under the relentless pressure of the black substance. Every crack echoed ominously throughout the chamber. In a voice that trembled with both authority and urgency, he gestured to the scribes and attendants standing

behind him.

”Write everything down... document every single occurrence, no matter how insignificant it may seem. Every detail, every reaction, every anomaly... his sacrifice must not be wasted, must not go unnoticed!”

This was the very first experiment to test the possibility of breaching a World Cataclysm-an event whose very name struck fear into the hearts of even the most seasoned scholars and warriors.

What made this trial so drastically different from all previous attempts was the inclusion of a fragment of Viradium metal-the stabilizer Shaddad had specifically chosen for this experiment because of its rare combination of durability and cost-effectiveness.

In theory, the array and all its components had been ready for decades. The machinery, the matrices, even the calculations had been prepared for over twenty years. Yet Shaddad hesitated. He knew that the first few trials would almost certainly fail, and that the volunteer would undoubtedly perish. But after much contemplation, he steeled his heart and finally opened the call to volunteers.

The young man seated in the very center of the array was the only volunteer. He had arrived fully aware that death was inevitable. He asked for nothing in return-not wealth, not glory, not recognition-only that his name be remembered by future generations as someone who had helped pave the way for others. His courage was absolute, his determination unwavering.

”Here we go... here we go...”

The young man began cracking his neck from side to side, a large, tense smile spreading across his face as he observed the black substance slowly crawling toward the platform. His bulging muscles, appearing like armor forged from flesh itself, began to twitch involuntarily, as if instinctively preparing for the horror about to engulf him... a horror that promised certain death.

Then, locking eyes with Shaddad, he raised his voice boldly.

”Hey, Your Excellency, Lord of the City!”

”What do you want?” Shaddad asked, frowning deeply. ”Are you reconsidering?

If you wish, I can shut down the array immediately.”

It would have been unfortunate if the young man asked for it to stop-but

Shaddad would have halted it for him without hesitation. A task of this magnitude required absolute resolve and an unyielding will to survive for as long as possible. A single falter, a single moment of fear, could have meant instantaneous death the moment the experiment began.

”Can you...” The young man opened his eyes wide with a mixture of hope and desperation. ”Can you... pass my name on to His Majesty?”

”...?” Shaddad blinked in surprise. ”Do you mean Marshal Aro? Or the Silent

Emperor?”

”No, no,” the young man laughed softly and shook his head. ”I mean the one

who surpasses them all-the one who made all of this possible. Can you tell him my name? Tell him that I, Drok, have done something in his service!”

Shaddad studied the young manʼs face, so full of unyielding resolve and fervor,

for a long moment. Then, finally, he nodded decisively.

”Haha, excellent. Now I can die wi-”

Drokʼs voice cut off abruptly as a wave of searing pain coursed through him.

”Gaaahhh!!!”

The black liquid finally reached the platform and began to be injected into his

body.