Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1357: Next period plan

Two Hours Later--

In the vast solitude of his grand chamber, Robin sat alone. His gaze was fixed on the cold, polished floor beneath him, the silence so thick it could shatter. He wasn’t meditating, nor was he resting—he was thinking. Thinking with the weight of centuries pressing against his mind.

But such silence rarely lasted long.

A familiar voice rang in his thoughts—soft, perceptive, and ever-vigilant.

(If you ask me, I think you acted a bit too rashly with the Maizer family. What if they decide to continue siding with the Iron Boar Empire and end up exposing the fact that you, Human, have secret ties to the Nine Paths Empire?)

Nery’s tone carried a trace of concern. Not fear, but strategy—cold, calculating concern.

Robin lifted an eyebrow, his voice calm, yet laced with conviction.

”Didn’t you hear what that kid said about his grandfather’s mindset? Their options are simple—either join a force aligned with that Consortium or return to their old lives on Planet Ceramon by surrender to the Nine Path Empire. I offered them the impossible—a whole planet to govern. Something they could never even dream of achieving by themselves. Why would they say no?”

He raised a hand and brushed the matter aside like dust on his sleeve.

”Besides... even if they do say no, what’s so scandalous about me —Human— trying to save other humans? Giving them a home, land, protection, under the rule of another fellow human? If anything, it’s poetic.”

Then his tone shifted, becoming more focused, his eyes narrowing.

”One of my main reasons for wanting to claim a few planets in the mid-belt is to nurture native World Cataclysms before the deadline. And now that I’ve found six of them just lying there, how can I not bow down and gather them into the fold?”

A dry laugh escaped his lips.

”Speaking of World Cataclysms ... Neri, tell the Shadow Swords where I am.”

(Oh? Are you sure?)

Neri’s voice carried a touch of amusement.

(They’ve been pestering me and Evergreen nonstop, demanding to know your whereabouts. Once this news breaks, there’ll be a tidal wave across the Empire. So... are you finally making a real move?)

”Almost.” Robin smiled faintly, like a man watching the pieces of a grand puzzle fall into place.

”It’s been 270 years since the coronation. If we don’t initiate the next phase of the Empire’s development now, we risk losing precious momentum. Time is the cruelest thief.”

Then, with a sardonic grin, he added:

”Also, I need a new hiding place. Sector One Hundred has already been picked apart by search parties hunting me like a ghost. And after that little stunt I pulled—’Cloud #100’—I’d bet my crown that all other searches in the remaining sectors have come to a halt.”

(Cloud #100?)

Nery frowned, confusion in her voice. Clearly, she had missed something that stirred the Soul Society.

”Hehe... yeah, that happened.”

Robin’s grin widened into mischief. With theatrical flair, he launched into the full story.

A few minutes later—

(You what?!)

Neri’s voice exploded in his head like a whip crack.

(You arrogant, reckless lunatic! Have you completely lost your mind?! As if your missions weren’t suicidal enough, now you’re inviting death by flaunting that ego of yours?)

”Haha! I sound proud and reckless, don’t I?”

Robin slapped his thigh with a smirk.

”Perfect. That means no one will suspect a thing.”

(Suspect what, exactly?)

Her voice was colder now, more calculating.

”That I’m leaving Mid-Sector 100, of course.”

Robin shrugged nonchalantly, as if it were the most obvious move in the universe.

”You don’t actually think I’m stupid enough to stay after all that, do you?”

He chuckled darkly.

”Most of them will fall for the bait—convinced that the arrogant, prideful, destined Great Truth Chosen is challenging them. And even if someone does see through it... well, I would be long gone, there are still 999 other sectors to search.”

(So... are you heading back to the Young Belt?)

Neri exhaled slowly, almost in relief. Maybe her master still valued survival after all.

”No. The lack of Fifth-Stage Laws there suffocates my progress. I’ll be moving to another sector in the mid-belt.”

He tapped his fingers on the edge of his bed, each tap echoing with anticipation.

”I just haven’t decided where yet.”

(That leaves you with two options—Sectors 99 and 101. I don’t see any third path here.)

Neri offered her tactical input.

(Traveling between adjacent sectors already takes years. And the farther the sector, the longer the journey. You don’t want to waste what little time you have left on travel, do you?)

Robin kept his head lowered for several moments, deep in thought, his breath steady but his mind swirling with decisions yet to be made. Finally, he gave a subtle nod.

”...While I wait for the arrival of the Shadow Swords, I’ll spend some time preparing. I need to acquire a few essential items for the journey. Notify me the moment one of them makes contact. I might also take this opportunity to investigate Mid-Sectors 99 and 101 more thoroughly. If either proves suitable, I’ll shift operations there and have the planetary displacement tool and the Scythe of Dimming delivered directly to the new location.”

(Can’t we just stay here and wait until they arrive?)

Nery tilted her head slightly, her tone laced with reasonable concern.

Robin gave a faint scoff.

”No, we can’t afford to idle here. Transferring my techniques to clients is relatively easy—they’re just intricate runes encoded into information packets, transmittable across vast distances in an instant. But these two artifacts... they’re physical. Most likely they’re sitting in storage vaults halfway across the universe, most likely they are sectors away. There’s no telling how many years—how many decades—it might take for them to arrive if I just sit here waiting.”

His gaze darkened slightly with memory.

”Take Rinara, for example. It took her thirty years just to gather the necessary components to build a fleet of star-seeker scouts for me. Thirty years. I don’t intend to waste that kind of time again.”

With a slow, calm motion, he adjusted his seated posture, then closed his eyes again. The soft hum of energy around him signaled his intent.

He was ready to reenter the Soul Society once more.

A Few Days Later—

The atmosphere within the trade hall shimmered with energy. Light displays shifted constantly, showcasing some of the rarest artifacts known to civilization. Robin stood among them, silent and observant, but always calculating.

”Hmm... Epic-grade mid-tier artifact. A bow paired with a quiver of reinforced arrows. Price: 170,000 Pearls.”

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, analyzing its stats, construction, and resonance. Then, without hesitation, he tapped purchase.

”Perfect gift for Alexander. He’s earned something worthy.”

He scrolled down.

Robin’s brows lifted slightly.

”Oh? This could serve Aro well.”

Purchase confirmed.

Further down:

”The Eternal Pulse Scepter... 90,000 Pearls?”

He leaned in with a small smirk.

”Looks like a solid amplification tool for the life-based forces... and definitely useful for the botanical divisions. You’re coming with me too.”

”What else do we have here?”

He whispered to himself as he scrolled through the Vault of Exquisite Relics, the highest-tier goods market. To most, these were legendary tools and relics worth empires.

To Robin?

They were options—investments. Weapons for the future.

In truth, even if he purchased every single item on display today, it wouldn’t dent his fortune. His current net worth had skyrocketed beyond 22 billion Pearls—and that number was growing by the second. With every rune, array, or rune sold under his name, his power and influence only deepened.

And now, things were even better.

With the recent abolition of the 10% tariff on his transactions, his income was increasing at an accelerated pace.

He may not be part of the Top 100 wealthiest individuals in the known universe.

He may not yet rank in the Top 1,000 either.

But make no mistake—Robin was well within the Top 10,000, and climbing fast.

Feeling a deep sense of satisfaction, he let himself scroll more freely, buying anything that piqued his interest or could enhance the empire’s infrastructure, training systems, or elite squads.

Then—

A flicker in the corner of his interface caught his eye. A red notification.

”Hm?”

He extended his hand, tapping the icon with a gesture. The interface shifted at once, opening the System Inbox, where a bright, blinking alert stood out like a beacon.

Robin’s breath caught in his throat. His face lost color.

”...How long... how long have I been inside the Soul Society this time?”

He whispered, astonished.