Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1939 Hell of power

Hoom - Robin took a few unsteady steps, forcing himself beyond the boundaries of the seven seals surrounding the sapling. The moment he crossed the final line, poof his legs gave out, and he collapsed, falling into a seated position where he stood. ”...Are you alright?”

Neri approached him slowly, her movements careful and restrained. She deliberately kept some distance between them, giving him space and time to breathe. ”You donʼt look well... not at all.” ”...The soul fairy Timari is leaving now-or whatever her incomprehensible true nature actually is,” Robin muttered. ”Sheʼs going personally to Lord Morval. Sheʼll hand him every plan, every schematic, every detail. And sheʼll most likely inform him about my conflict with the Sorcerer Behemoth Zargol, and about what I said regarding the cosmic elder when I dealt with the Academy of the Sacred Covenant.”

His voice dropped lower. ”And worse than all of that... the Syndicateʼs two-hundred-year promise.”

Robin couldnʼt bring himself to blame Theo for explaining the deal with the Syndicate inside the Soul Society. Theo was currently stationed in the Medium Sector 101; under normal circumstances, the only way to send information manually across such distance was through physical travel that would take three full years-or perhaps a single year, if the messenger was fortunate enough to carry a Space Flow Bracelet.

Could Robin really endure waiting for news for an entire year, trapped in uncertainty?

No. That was impossible.

Could the Shadow Swords, with Theo at their head, rely on encryption to protect their messages? The answer was painfully obvious-Timari herself. A being capable of analyzing entire, extremely complex arrays with nothing more than a glance. It was clear now that fairies were not merely programmed tools designed for assistance and reception, but entities with access to near-unlimited information and comprehension. What kind of encryption could possibly pass before them unnoticed, as if it didnʼt exist at all?

In the end, Robin had no one to blame but himself. He hadnʼt invented anything that could make communication truly independent from the Soul Society-even partially.

He ground his teeth together. ”And after transferring all my news like Iʼm some outdated newspaper page,” he continued bitterly, ”he -Morval- will sit there calmly, analyzing everything over a cup of hot drink. Heʼll decide my fate...”

Robinʼs fingers trembled. ”Heʼll judge whether these things pose a threat to the Soul Society, and if they do, heʼll send someone to kill me. Or heʼll decide they represent profit for them as well, and still refuse to sell them-just so I canʼt compete with them in wealth even if they take a massive share for themselves. And only then... after descussing my fate like a fish on a cutting board,”

His lips twisted. ”They might he deign to allow their release.” ”...?!”

Neri brought both hands to her mouth, eyes wide. Was that the real reason he had tried to gift the Soul Society something extra-something special-with almost every innovation? To lure them with profits, to soften their stance, and quietly let the deals pass?

Thinking about it more carefully, the wealth of the proprietor once those three innovations spread across the cosmos would be utterly unimaginable... The fact that the Dreamer Galaxy would accept such a thing willingly was precisely what made them appear almost angelic on the surface. ”I hate this feeling, Neri...”

Robin clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned pale. ”I hate the feeling of my fate being in someone elseʼs hands-my life, my wealth, every ambition Iʼve ever had, all tied to a single nod of yes or no from another person.”

His voice shook. ”What a filthy feeling. What a truly horrible feeling”

Neri stepped closer this time, no longer keeping her distance. She gently placed her hands on his shoulders, grounding him. ”You donʼt need to push yourself this hard,” she said softly. ”Your growth rate is terrifying-abnormal, even. Itʼs only a matter of time before you surpass them all.” ”Heh~ No need to comfort me. I wonʼt collapse from fear now.”

Robin let out a slow breath, his shoulders rising and falling. ”If I want to escape the eternal hell, then I first have to win the hell of the power struggle. I understand that better than anyone.”

He then turned his gaze toward the three Robins sitting not far away, still engaged in animated discussion. ”Hey!” he called out sharply. ”Get back to absorbing soul force and expanding the domain. The eighth star isnʼt going to compress itself!” ”Weʼre talking about the spacetime plan, you know!” ”Overbearing bastard...” ”Is that really how everyone sees me?”

Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh

After venting what was on their minds, the three opened portals almost simultaneously, pulling in the nearest three soul creatures without hesitation. Moments later, they returned, unleashing raging storms of soul force into the domain.

They became fully immersed in receiving those violent tempests, beginning to expand the soul domain in two different directions at the same time, their focus absolute.

Rumble

The vast world-large enough to contain countless soul creatures, large enough to support nine stars, seven of them purple, one blue, and the last green-began to expand.

It expanded in a manner so forceful that the entire world trembled violently, sending deep vibrations through every corner of existence. Free-roaming soul creatures fled back to their dwellings or desperately clung to the Mother Tree, Hovenheim, fearing the overwhelming change.

Meanwhile, the Third Consciousness devoted its entire focus not to expansion itself, but to stabilizing the domain-reinforcing it just enough to ensure that no cracks formed anywhere. At this moment, fractures were the greatest enemy of all.

A soul domain was much like a balloon being inflated; the higher the ratio of refined soul force essence, the more expansion it could endure.

Yet it always reached a critical point where fractures inevitably began to appear-and that was the moment a Soul Master would be defeated.

At times, even a Soul Master with a purity ratio as high as forty percent would stall at three stars, utterly unable to advance further.

They did not know how or why these fractures appeared, nor did they understand how to control or suppress them.

At such a stage, one had no choice but to rely on the experience of predecessors. But if no ancestor had left behind guidance or records, then one would have to rely solely on oneself-attempting to rediscover what thousands before had uncovered over countless years... knowledge that many had selfishly withheld, hoarded, and refused to share.

The First Consciousness observed everything in silence, at least somewhat relieved that no fractures had appeared so far. ”What will you do now?” Neri asked softly. ”About the two-hundred-year deadline.”

She hesitated for a brief moment before continuing. ”Do you really intend to gather the five hundred billion, like your son Theo told you? Is that why youʼre risking your relationship with the Soul Society?” ”...Hmm.”

Robin deliberately let the silence stretch, then finally muttered with a faint smile, ”No. I donʼt intend to pay anything more.”

A moment later, his expression brightened into a wide grin as he looked at her. ”By the way, where is Evergreen?” ”... Here or there~ She doesnʼt accompany me much anymore since she matured and became busy managing the planetary movements within the galaxy.”

Neri smiled gently, though her heart was pounding at Robinʼs answer. ”Maybe you should give her a new playmate.” ”Hm... in due time. Everything is good in its proper season.”

Robin nodded and took one last, lingering look around him, committing the scene to memory. ”Well then, my solid foundations wonʼt rebuild themselves.”

And then-whoosh-he vanished from where he stood, leaving nothing behind but a fading ripple in the air.