Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1352: Among the elite

”Congratulations on a successful bid, Lord Human. The event today were truly touching. We eagerly await what you will bring us next.”

”Hmm?”

Robin turned his head slowly, eyes glowing faintly beneath his metallic mask, and found one of the floating clouds drifting closer. Atop it stood a short, elderly figure clad in a flowing silver robe etched with starlight runes.

”Lord Amalik... Thank you, truly.”

Robin offered a respectful nod. His face revealed no emotion—but the tone of his voice held a steady warmth.

”Haha! You stunned us all today, Lord Human!”

”Will we be blessed with more of your creations soon?”

In the blink of an eye, the space around him changed. It was as if the very gravity of the moment had shifted. Lords, nobles, dignitaries—more than a dozen—suddenly surrounded him, their gazes fixed, their curiosity sharp. And still, more arrived.

Robin had become the storm’s eye.

He raised his hands gently, offering a gracious bow of the head.

”Thank you all. I am honored.”

These were no mere officials—every one of them a true powerhouse of the middle planetary belt. Legendary cultivators, heads of ancient clans, titans of influence and ambition. Any one of them could crush a city with a single gesture.

But none dared to act arrogant. Not tonight.

Not in front of him.

Whether they believed he was protected by a higher force, or a master in disguise—none wanted challenge him, someone they don’t know anything about other than the fact that he might be a future Great Truth Chosen.

Whether they planned to ally, manipulate, or betray him... all of that could wait.

For now, they would smile.

”Lord Human!”

A booming, familiar voice called out as Lord Zarion approached, arms open in mock-exaggerated joy.

”You dazzled everyone today! Best buyer, best seller, and best at shoving certain inflated egos into the dirt. Truly, a performance for the ages!”

Robin couldn’t help but chuckle softly, placing his hand over his chest.

”Your words are too generous, Lord Zarion. But they are appreciated.”

”Words I have in abundance,” Zarion grinned, leaning in, voice lowering,

”but let’s save them for a setting with fewer ears and less fanfare. I have a feeling this won’t be our final encounter.”

He patted Robin’s shoulder twice, not forcefully, but with the familiarity of someone planting a flag—staking a future claim.

”I’ll be looking forward to it,” Robin replied, his tone smooth yet unreadable, before turning to the rest of his circle.

”As long as there is value to share and respect to keep—Human will always be open for cooperation.”

Those words ignited the crowd.

Smiles bloomed across faces seasoned by centuries of negotiation and warfare.

To them, having someone like ”Lord Human” in their network wasn’t just strategic. It was a privilege.

But just then... a voice came from behind. Calm. Precise. Laced with a presence that silenced the noise: ”Excellent. That means we may indeed have business between us in the future, yes?”

Robin turned instantly, his entire being sharpening with awareness.

A new figure approached. Tall, but not inhumanly so—just shy of two meters. Dark-skinned, regal in bearing, with flowing jet-black hair and a strange, glowing white mark on his forehead—half star, half cross. His eyes... they were deep wells of awareness, eyes that saw.

Robin had to steel himself. Just being looked at made his heartbeat falter.

Before that man, he placed his hand over his chest and offered a respectful, firm nod.

”It would be my honor, Lord Drathan. Once Breath of the Ages reaches your hands and you experience its essence firsthand, I have little doubt... you will find yourself reaching for me again.”

”Of course... I’ll definitely be in touch.”

A peculiar, unreadable smile curved on Drathan’s face.

”Let’s just hope that when that time comes... I happen to be in a generous mood.”

He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice,

”Who knows... maybe we’ll gift you a planet~ maybe we’ll construct a portal just for you~ maybe... just maybe... we’ll even throw in a discount on the interstellar activation fees, hehe~”

That final, teasing chuckle lingered faintly in the air as his figure began to shimmer, becoming translucent, then dissipating completely into a flicker of energy—gone without a trace, like a dream fading at dawn.

”...”

Robin remained still, his gaze fixed on the empty spot where Drathan’s cloud had floated just moments ago. After a long pause, he slowly shook his head and muttered,

”Lord Drathan... not the most comforting presence, is he?”

”Hahaha! That’s just how he is. Lord Drathan and the rest of Tyrant Galaxy’s core members are always like that—enigmatic, proud, dramatic to the core.”

Lord Amalik’s deep laughter echoed warmly as he clapped his hands together.

”Anyway, don’t forget what I said. Anything you need related to soul cultivation or soul artifacts—reach out to me anytime! Until next time!”

”And if it’s anything about beasts, bloodlines, or ancient bestial inheritances, you know who to call!”

Lord Zarion raised a thumb, his grin wide.

”Looking to purify rare elements? I’ve got the best facilities in the belt,” Lord Orion added with a gentlemanly nod.

”Want someone cursed into oblivion? Pay me a visit, I’ll work my magic!”

A raspy voice chimed in from behind, clearly enjoying the theatrics.

”Yes, yes, I’ll keep that in mind...”

Robin chuckled lightly, nodding respectfully toward each departing noble. One by one, they vanished from the platform, their visit complete—leaving behind only impressions, promises... and looming possibilities.

Finally, Robin exhaled deeply and allowed himself to collapse onto his cloud with a long, exhausted sigh.

”Ahh~ The glamorous life of a rising celebrity... more draining than I expected.”

With a flick of his finger, he opened his control interface, and a grin crept onto his face.

Just as he had predicted—his popularity had exploded.

The number of friend requests skyrocketed from a few dozen thousand... to several million in mere minutes.

”Accept... accept... accept...”

He rapidly approved all the requests from the nobles—each one a person of unimaginable influence—leaving the rest in limbo.

Opening his friend list, Robin skimmed through the new additions.

Aside from Rinara, he now had twenty-three new connections—each of them a power player capable of shaking entire galaxies with a word or a gesture.

”Huh...?”

Something caught his attention.

His brows slowly lifted.

”Lord Hedrick... actually accepted my friend request?”

Turning swiftly to his right, Robin’s eyes darted toward the seats near the cloud platforms.

He had completely forgotten about him.

Between the excitement, the chaos, the congratulations—it had all swept him away.

Lord Hedrick had neither offered congratulations nor made another bid after that moment... He had simply vanished.

And sure enough—his seat was now empty.

”When did he leave? How did I miss that?”

the fairy answered softly, circling him gently,

”...Those twenty don’t know who I really am,” Robin said quietly, frowning.

There was something gnawing at him, something unsettling.

Lord Hedrick had seemed ready to kill for that technique.

That wasn’t just desire... it was attachment.

And yet... he had walked away. Just like that.

Why?

Was he disappointed? Heartbroken? Ashamed?

Did he know something more? Was he going to speak?

The only good sign... was the fact that Hedrick had accepted the request. That meant communication was still possible—perhaps even reconciliation.

Just as Robin was deep in thought, a voice called out behind him.

”Lord Human...”

It was smooth. Calm. Inevitable.

”I believe it’s time we had a proper conversation. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Robin sighed deeply and turned around slowly, his expression weary but sharp.

”Lord Morval...”

He met his eyes squarely.

”Yes. I believe it is.”