Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1876 One-sentence agreement

”A new agreement was made in the middle of the war?” Hedrickʼs expression shifted, a mix of curiosity, disbelief, and unease twisting his sharp features. ”What was it?”

”...” Theoʼs gaze first lingered on Lord Orion, sweeping over him with a calculating intensity, then drifted to the figures standing silently behind him. Finally, he returned his eyes to Orion, his look heavy with unspoken meaning.

”...?” Orion sensed something from Theoʼs gaze alone. His voice sharpened, tinged with urgency. ”If you have anything regarding the Bright Galaxy, just say it. They are my younger siblings. They will discover the truth eventually anyway. I am not some heartless monster trying to get rid of them, as the rumors claim!!”

”Thatʼs fine.” Theoʼs voice remained calm, deliberate, yet carried an unmistakable gravity. He turned his eyes toward Lord Hedrick. ”After a nearly confirmed rumor spread that the Cosmic Elder had died, the two Behemoths began negotiating a new agreement. But they didnʼt act hastily-they first measured the waters. They assembled their massive fleets at the borders of Young Sector 101, declaring their intention to enter, yet they refrained from actually moving forward for many years. They tested, observed, and calculated every possible outcome before making a decisive move.”

”...Then, with subtle assistance from the Bright Galaxy, they secured a plausible justification to remain there, using the guise of negotiation. Step by step, they probed the sector-deploying Guardian after Guardian, carefully testing every defense, every weak point. Then, word spread of the Cosmic Elderʼs condition: youthful yet gravely wounded, having lost a leg and an arm. His unusual behavior with women confirmed the rumors... only then did they finally dare to commit, sending their full, overwhelming forces. And make no mistake, this had nothing to do with Zarion or his allied armies, nor any personal vendetta-they didnʼt even regard them as a factor.”

Theo paused, letting the weight of the moment sink in, before continuing in a tone that carried both foreboding and revelation.

”This agreement was also the reason why Marshal Brontor withdrew, ceasing his relentless assault on the Verillion seed, instead shifting his focus to the southern region- Shathar. Despite decades of failed attempts, numerous breaches, and even his eventual expulsion, he did not approach Verillion. Instead, he channeled his forces fully into the middle sector once again, a shift that reshaped the entire strategic landscape of the war.”

”Youʼre worrying me,” Hedrick muttered, narrowing his eyes, suspicion and tension mounting. ”What exactly was this agreement? Tell me the truth.”

”In its simplest form,” Theoʼs voice rose, deliberate and commanding, ”once the two Behemoths confirmed that the Cosmic Elder would not intervene in their affairs, they began thinking on a scale far beyond immediate conflicts. They planned not for today, not for the next battle, but for the near future-a time when the era of sector conquests would inevitably return. Simply preserving the secret of the Bright Galaxy and eliminating Verillion was no longer enough.” His piercing eyes scanned Hedrick and Orion, ensuring the gravity of his words settled in. ”So both Behemoths reached a silent consensus: they would swallow the sector. Entirely. Nothing less would satisfy their ambitions.”

”The Cursed Behemoth initiated the proposal,” Theo continued, voice firm. ”He informed his counterpart that he would take absolute control over Young Sector 101, and would assign the Bright Galaxy seed to one of his children, managing the sector on his behalf. Meanwhile, the Pureheart family would be gathered in Sector 102, trained, and positioned to support him, his armies, and his strategic objectives. Everything meticulously orchestrated, every move planned to maximize control and efficiency.”

”...And knowing that the Savage Behemoth would undoubtedly reject such an offer outright, the Cursed Behemoth presented an alternative- an irresistible incentive. He gifted him the Verillion seed, declaring that if the Savage Behemoth aided him in eliminating Lord Hedrick and subjugating the sector, the seed would remain under his control. He could relocate it, manage it, exploit it in any way he saw fit- even if it took millions of years. Verillion would remain fully under the Savage Behemothʼs ownership within Young Sector 101, granting him access to its resources and power, on one strict condition: he was forbidden from founding a new galaxy there!”

”......?!”

Everyone inside the tent slowly widened their eyes, as if the very air had been sucked out of their lungs. For several moments, no one could even breathe

properly.

Orion and those from the Bright Galaxy were the most affected-their faces had transformed into something almost inhuman, expressions twisted by disbelief, shock, and horror.

”What... what exactly did you just say?” Orion finally broke the silence, a strange, incredulous smile flickering across his face. Then, as the words hit him, his shock erupted into rage, and he shouted at the top of his lungs: ”Do you even realize the weight of what is coming out of your mouth?!” ”Yes, Lord Orion, I understand perfectly,” Theo said, his tone icy and detached, void of any emotion. ”The Cursed Behemoth no longer has to hide his ambition. He no longer needs to play tricks or manipulate circumstances to invade another sector or impose his control. To put it bluntly, from his perspective, he no longer needs a puppet. So why would he leave an entire artificial galaxy in your hands? He allowed your mother to cultivate it because controlling the Pureheart family is easy-but that is precisely where her influence ends.”

”... His plan is to give Bright seed to his eldest son, Damir, because refining two galaxy seeds simultaneously is simply impossible. Naturally, after cultivation, Damir will not immediately be proclaimed a Behemoth-he is still only a Royal Soul Lord with eight stars. Yet, his Soul Domain Structure possesses an astonishing 70% purity. Everyone watching knows it is only a matter of time before he earns the right to the title. And even if he never reaches the tenth star, no one will fault him. Regardless, he will remain subordinate to the Cursed Galaxy, ruling under its authority-essentially an extension of the Cursed Behemoth himself, in every conceivable way.”

Theo paused briefly, allowing the weight of his words to sink in before continuing:

”The only real concern for the Cursed Behemoth is the potential scenario where he personally subjugates Young Sector 101 to prepare it for Damir in the east, only for the Savage Behemoth to strike from the west, taking advantage of the vulnerability. This is precisely why he dangled the Verillion seed as bait- an irresistible temptation.”

”The Savage Behemoth, for his part, was also elated. Young Sector 101 had already been under the indirect control of the Cursed Behemoth. This deal would give him a legitimate claim to two sectors, allowing him to operate freely, exploiting the curses and sacrifices of his domain as he wished-though he had been doing so on a smaller scale already. And if the Savage Behemoth managed to relocate Verillion to another sector -letʼs say Young Sector 104- he could repeat the same maneuver, effectively ruling two sectors simultaneously. How could he not rejoice at such an opportunity?”

Theoʼs gaze swept slowly across the room, leaving a charged silence in the air. He paused for nearly a full minute, allowing the enormity of his revelation to settle in, before continuing in a measured tone:

”This is precisely why all the forces ignored Verillion as if it had vanished entirely. And this is why both the Savage Behemoth and the Cursed Behemoth initiated their calculated strategies of subjugation: to annihilate every empire in Young Sector 101, to break them, and to turn them into obedient followers. This is why Commander Sharmir repeatedly threatened the Bright Galaxy with open war-laying the groundwork to seize Bright under the pretext of punishing those who harbor criminals.”

A faint, almost ghostly smile spread across Theoʼs face as he continued, each word deliberate and cutting:

”Everyone is fixated on the chaos at their feet -the growing, branching battle between Lord Hedrick and Lord Zarion- but the truth, the reality of it, is far more insidious. Every outcome, every movement, every apparent choice was already orchestrated through a simple, almost trivial exchange of offers between the Cursed Behemoth and the Savage Behemoth. An exchange likely consisting of no more than a few sentences... just a handful of words...: I take Bright, you take Verillion.”