Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1286 1286: The blind man

”...You there! the human standing like a statue! Come here, come closer! Iʼve got a deal that will change your fate forever!”

Robin turned his head slowly toward the voice that rang out over the bustling noise of the marketplace. Sitting cross-legged behind a splintered wooden table was a peculiar vendor with unnaturally long ears that drooped all the way to his belly. The man had a ragged vest, mismatched shoes, and a suspiciously enthusiastic grin plastered across his face. In front of him were several large clay jars, old and dusty, arranged like sacred relics.

The vendor was looking straight at Robin, his hand gesturing wildly with theatrical flair.

Robin looked around, left and right, scanning the thick crowd pressing through the marketplace, as if trying to confirm whether the shout had truly been meant for him. Then, lifting an eyebrow, he pointed silently to himself.

”Yes, you!” the vendor repeated with exaggerated exasperation. ”How many other humans do you see walking around here? You think Iʼm talking to the guy with six eyes and a tail? Donʼt be shy, friend. Come closer—fortune favors the bold!”

Amused, Robin chuckled under his breath and walked forward, weaving smoothly through the chaotic movement of passersby. The vendor had made a valid point. So far, Robin hadnʼt seen a single fully human individual since stepping onto this planet. Not one with untainted blood, anyway.

”And what exactly is this ʼdeal of a lifetimeʼ youʼre offering?” Robin asked, his voice light and curious, one hand tucked calmly behind his back. As he stepped closer, he let his eyes wander over the assortment of jars lined up on the table.

”Ahahaha!” the vendor let out a dramatic laugh, rubbing his hands together like a man unveiling a treasure. ”This, my friend, is not just a deal for your lifetime—itʼs a deal for your entire lineage! Your children, your grandchildren, and even your fiftieth descendant will whisper your name with reverence every night before they sleep. This... this is what you were born for!”

With a theatrical motion, the vendor removed the lid from the largest jar placed at the center. A faint red mist curled upward like incense smoke, glinting under the ambient light.

”Go ahead,” he said with awe, ”take a long, hard look. What youʼre seeing right now is your destiny in liquid form.”

Robin leaned forward slightly, peering into the jar. As he had expected, it was filled with a thick, shimmering crimson liquid—undoubtedly blood. A knowing smile curled across his face.

The moment the vendor had called him out for being human, Robin already had a strong suspicion that he was about to be offered something linked to soul or blood. When he saw the jars, he immediately assumed blood—and he was right.

”This is whatʼs supposed to make my descendants proud of me?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked up at the vendor.

”But of course!” the vendor exclaimed, his eyes gleaming like polished gems. ”Youʼre not looking at just any blood. This, my dear human friend, is the blood of the Polar Unicorn—the ancient King of Beasts who single-handedly laid waste to Planet Bitvour! Entire planetary coalitions launched expeditions to slay it, but all failed—for over a hundred thousand years!”

He leaned forward conspiratorially, cupping his hands around his mouth as if to whisper—though his voice grew louder instead.

”It was from this very blood that the Dynasty of the Four Poles was born! The rulers of two planets trace their lineage to this beastʼs power!”

”What? Are you saying this is the same blood that runs through the veins of the Four Poles Dynasty?”

The vendorʼs ”secretive” voice had already done its job. A nearby crowd of wanderers and traders snapped their heads toward the scene. Within moments, more and more people began to gather around, drawn by the intoxicating mix of mystery and ambition. They pushed forward eagerly, faces filled with curiosity, greed, and disbelief.

Robin took the opportunity to scan the newcomers...

Most of them had barely noticeable traces of beastly blood in their veins—nowhere near enough to form a lasting bond with the heavenly laws, let alone pass down true strength to their descendants. Among them were a few mutants with unusual eyes that glowed faintly at the mention of the Polar Unicorn. Others bore the scent of noble bloodlines—genuine beast heritage—and yet even they looked upon the jar with hungry, envious eyes.

”Iʼll offer fifty liters of condensed energy essence!” shouted a voice from the crowd.

”Seventy! Iʼll take it for seventy!” cried another.

”Ninety-five!” yelled a third, shoving forward. ”Sell it to me and Iʼll even consider buying everything else youʼve got!”

The air was electric now. The bidding war had begun, and the once-empty vendor stall was now the eye of a storm of gold-eyed opportunists.

Robin sighed quietly, casting one final glance toward the swelling crowd before shaking his head and starting to push his way gently through them. He moved with a fluid grace, avoiding the pressing shoulders and eager hands, his expression calm and detached.

But the vendor, who was now almost trembling with excitement from the rising prices, noticed Robin slipping away. And he didnʼt like it.

”Hey! You, human!” he called out, desperate not to lose the centerpiece of his performance. ”Donʼt walk away now! Donʼt you see what this is? Your ancestors will send blessings from the stars, and your descendants will sing songs in your honor for a thousand generations!”

Without so much as a glance over his shoulder, Robin continued forward, his voice calm yet laced with irony,

”I highly doubt Iʼll have a bloodline to worry about… not if I inject myself with the blood of a lizard-type beast that barely reached level 15 before its death.”

”...What?!”

The vendorʼs eyes bulged as if about to leap out of their sockets, his jaw slack in disbelief. But he quickly regained his composure, throwing his hands in the air and laughing nervously,

”Ahaha! See? Humans! Always so short-sighted! Donʼt waste your time looking at him, everyone. You, sir over there—did you say 95 liters?”

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”…Hmm~”

Robin let out a low hum as he walked away, a faint but unmistakably smug smile curling at the corner of his lips, untouched by the chaos behind him.

As he made his way deeper into the market, Robinʼs eyes scanned his surroundings with the relaxed curiosity of someone who had seen plenty—but was still entertained by the bizarre.

So far, beyond the usual flashy claims of beast bones and magical blood, he had passed dozens of street vendors offering all manner of goods. He saw so-called array discs being sold like candies, books boasting ancient soul techniques, and a plethora of scrolls proclaiming mastery over secondary laws and sub-arts. There were spare parts from broken-down starships, weapons that vendors swore were ”epic,” and even—much to his amusement—three pieces of what were claimed to be planetary-grade gear. He even counted no fewer than seven martial arts manuals being offered as if they were relics from a lost civilization.

Naturally, it was all lies.

Almost everyone was either clueless about the worth of what they were selling or flat-out frauds spinning tales to the desperate. Perhaps the only vendor who wasnʼt entirely dishonest was the one selling minor law scrolls—but even he had only three genuine scrolls among dozens of worthless copies.

”Tsk~ Iʼve never laid eyes on a bigger pile of nonsense, Whatʼs this garbage about a Gravity Enhancer and Nullifier? And this is the price youʼre asking? Move along and make room for someone who takes their scam seriously!”

”Hm?”

The sharp comment caught Robinʼs attention.

He turned his head and spotted the speaker—a figure with a serpentine crown—storming away from a vendor, his hands slicing the air in frustration.

Robinʼs gaze shifted slowly toward the vendor… and his expression changed.

He was human.

An elderly man, impossibly frail and worn down by age, sat silently behind a makeshift stall. His head was completely bald, and not a single strand of hair graced his face. Toothless and sunken, his cheeks hugged the bones of his skull. His ribcage jutted out against his robes, a testament to years of physical decay. The old man sat cross-legged on a piece of cloth so dirty and ancient it looked like it had been unearthed from a forgotten ruin.

His gray robe was tattered and clung to him like the last memory of dignity. Over his eyes, he had tied a strip of the same fabric, covering his hollow sockets—he had clearly lost his sight long ago, perhaps in a past that had long since faded from memory.

In front of him, lying neatly on the frayed cloth, was a modest bundle of paper tied together with that same gray material. There were no glowing runes, no aura of mystic energy—just plain, dusty pages.

Scrawled across the top in rough, old handwriting were the words:

{A Comprehensive Study on Gravity Enhancer and Nullifier – Price: 10 Energy Pearls.}

Robin arched an eyebrow and smirked.

”Well now… what a catchy title.”

The old man slowly lifted his head, as if sensing the sarcasm, and replied in a voice soft yet sharp,

”Apparently… not catchy enough.”

Robin chuckled and stepped closer, his hands casually tucked behind his back.

”Looks like youʼve been sitting here for a while. Maybe you shouldʼve tried showing the book to one of the major shops. If the contentʼs real, they mightʼve paid you a proper price—probably more than just ten pearls.”

His tone was friendly, but it carried a hint of reprimand—like an elder brother scolding someone for selling a family heirloom at a pawn shop.

Based on what he had seen so far in this chaotic market, many vendors didnʼt even realize what they had. And those that did possess something genuine were often the most clueless about its value, parting with priceless artifacts for crumbs.

But the old man showed no sign of regret or embarrassment.

”This book,” he said slowly, deliberately, ”is not meant to be appraised or put on a shelf. Itʼs not for the merchants or their ledgers. Itʼs for the few who truly understand what it holds… for those who still have eyes to see.”

He paused, then reached out with a trembling hand and offered Robin a small stack of pages.

”Like the others, you may read the first ten pages before making your choice.”