Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1283: Rubin’s proposal for middle belt planets

“Excuse me?” Rinara’s expression briefly adopted a serious tone, her features tightening in thought—but only for a moment. Then, a smile spread across her face, and she gently placed her hand over her lips, as if trying to suppress an oncoming laugh. A quiet chuckle escaped her, muffled and amused.

“What’s so funny about what I said?” Robin bared his teeth in a grin, half annoyed, half amused. “Come on—share the joke with me.”

“I apologize,” she said with a soft shake of her head, her eyes still gleaming with amusement. “But a statement like that shouldn’t be coming out of the mouth of a planetary emperor—even one from the Young Belt like you.” She took a breath and continued, “You’re talking about owning planets in the Mid Belt… and I have to ask, with what forces exactly? General Raiden and his troops? They’re impressive, Robin Burton, no doubt about that. But they’re not that impressive.”

Then she gestured dismissively, her voice calm and composed. “Your General Raiden and his forces are indeed valiant and capable. However, they operate under constant protection from at least one World Cataclysm—someone who ensures they aren’t harmed by sudden attacks from other World Cataclysms. And when the true battles erupt more World Cataclysm are dispatched, then the rule of the ground armies minimize even more.”

She lifted a single finger to emphasize her point. “If we were to compare the battles of the Mid Belt to a grand game of chess, then laws users from the first to the fourth stages would merely be pawns—expendable, replaceable, and weak. The real power—the knights, the rooks, the bishops—those are the World Cataclysms.”

Then she pointed toward Robin lightly, her gaze sharpening. “Can you imagine a chessboard where one player only has pawns, and the other side possesses a full set of pieces, each with power and range? That wouldn’t be called a battle. That would be called a farce—a complete and utter slaughter.”

“I’m not so naive as to believe I can conquer Mid Belt planets without the presence of World Cataclysms,” Robin replied, waving a hand in dismissal. “Let alone maintain control of them after the conquest. Without World Cataclysms, I wouldn’t even get through the front gates.”

“So you do understand…” Rinara’s brows knit slightly, her tone still cautious.

“That’s where you come in.” Robin raised his hand and pointed directly at her, his eyes gleaming with mischievous intent. “You’re the one who’s going to provide me with the World Cataclysms I need.”

Rinara stared at him in disbelief, then slowly leaned forward, extended her hand, and gently touched Robin’s forehead. Her hand lingered there for a moment. “No signs of fever… Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Oh, so even the mighty Rinara has a playful side?” Robin laughed and shook his head in mock surprise.

“I was just about to ask you the same question,” she replied dryly. “You expect to borrow the World Cataclysms from the Empire of the Nine Paths to wage war and conquer planets for your own benefit? Robin Burton, ambition is admirable… but even ambition has limits.”

She let out a breath and shook her head again. “And even if I were willing to entertain your absurd proposal—which I’m not—my followers are already deeply involved in several ongoing wars. Every World Cataclysm I command is currently committed to critical operations. And let’s say, hypothetically, you succeed in conquering those planets. What then? Do you expect my World Cataclysms to stay there and defend them for you, too?”

“Well, of course. How else do you expect me to hold those planets with just my personal army?” Robin raised an eyebrow in mock indignation. “Sure, my army’s undefeated so far. But I’m still short on World Cataclysms—something you seem to have an abundance of. Those old monsters I saw earlier? They’d be perfect for the job.”

“…” Rinara locked eyes with Robin, her expression unreadable. She stared for a long moment, as if trying to determine whether he was joking, delusional, or simply reckless. But eventually, she gave up, pointing toward the exit with clear finality.

“Thank you for delivering the technology. Weren’t you saying you wanted to leave a moment ago?”

“Hold on—just give me a minute and hear me out!” Robin leaned forward, his smile returning as he perched at the edge of his seat. “That battle on Planet Orlando tells me something important. It tells me that you’re currently fighting on multiple fronts. Am I right?”

“Indeed, that’s something not even worth hiding—it’s practically common knowledge at this point,” Rinara responded with a composed nod, her tone calm yet weary. “At this very moment, we are locked in conflict on six separate warfronts, each demanding a significant portion of our attention and strength. The most perilous among them is the front against the Twilight Phantom Centennial Empire—a ruthless faction that has managed to seize six of our planets over the course of the past hundred years. This is precisely why I cannot offer you any form of support right now. My forces and my resources are stretched thin.”

“S—six planets?!” Robin nearly choked on his breath, his eyes widening in genuine shock and disbelief. “Even after you spent a fortune purchasing all those high-tier weapons and fortified array systems from us? You even took the War Lord Array!” He leaned back slightly, exhaling in astonishment. “Wow… your situation is even more desperate than I had anticipated. That’s borderline catastrophic.”

“Robin Burton!” Rinara’s voice snapped like a whip as her brows furrowed sharply. “Did you come here today with the sole intention of rubbing salt into my wounds? Are you enjoying this?”

“Of course not!” Robin raised both hands defensively. “Why on earth would I want to belittle or mock my own ally?” He gave a half-grin, dismissing the idea with a casual wave of his hand before quickly returning to his enthusiastic tone. “Listen. Just hear me out before you judge. Alongside your current battle with the Empire of the Twilight Phantom Centennial Empire, I want you to select one more adversary—just one—from the list of your enemies. That chosen faction will become my declared enemy as well. It will be my designated battlefield in the Mid Belt region.”

He leaned forward now, his voice dropping into a more serious register. “I’ll deploy entire legions from both my First and Third Armies—fully equipped, battle-hardened, and supported by some of the most brilliant generals under my command. You’ll have access to their strength. Your responsibility will be to accompany that force with a strategic layer of your World Cataclysms—to provide them cover and prevent catastrophic counterstrikes from the enemy’s side.”

Robin leaned in even closer, almost toppling off the edge of his seat in his eagerness. “I’m telling you now—within the next three to five decades, my First and Third Armies will evolve into nearly invincible forces. They will contain newly developed elite units that are still being refined, but when completed, they will be unmatched in combat. So there’s no need to worry about long-term viability. All you need to do is help us neutralize the enemy’s top threats- World Cataclysms and Nexus State beings— and we will handle everything else.”

Rinara tilted her head slightly and raised a single eyebrow, her interest piqued. “Go on. I’m listening.”

“Here’s the breakdown…” Robin gestured with both hands as if painting a picture in the air. “Any planet that we manage to conquer from that empire will be officially registered under your name. On paper, you’ll be the sovereign ruler. But in reality, behind the curtain, the planet will belong to me. All of it—its natural resources, its energy veins, its civilian administration, and strategic military value—it will all be under my command.” He tapped his chest confidently. “And naturally, I won’t insult your intelligence by pretending you don’t see the massive benefits that come with that setup.”

“Oh, no—please do,” Rinara replied, her voice laced with sarcasm as she crossed her arms and offered a mocking smile. “I’d love to hear about the treasures I’m supposedly receiving.”

“Very well,” Robin chuckled, undeterred. He raised a finger. “First of all, you get to eliminate a constant source of stress and conflict—one of your enemy empires will be obliterated, and an entire warfront will disappear from your strategic board. And you won’t need to invest any additional resources to make that happen. The World Cataclysms who are already stationed there will simply transition to working alongside my forces instead.”

He raised a second finger. “Secondly, this creates a powerful illusion. Your other enemies will look at the invading force and assume it belongs entirely to you. They’ll perceive it as a dramatic surge in your military power. Fear will creep in. They’ll hesitate to act rashly. And as a result, the remaining five warfronts you’re dealing with might quiet down significantly—or even halt their offensives entirely, if they’re scared enough.”

Then he raised a third finger, his grin widening. “Third I’ll personally take full responsibility for the World Cataclysms tasked with overseeing those planets. That means you’re free from the financial burden of paying them. And I know how steep those fees are.” He gave an exaggerated shrug. “And finally, even in the worst-case scenario, if we fail? You lose nothing. You’re already locked in battle with that empire. But if we succeed? You gain all the benefits I just described—without sacrificing even a single soul from your own forces. So I ask you again: what exactly do you have to lose in this?”

There was a pause.

“…And what do you stand to gain from these planets, Robin?” Rinara asked after a moment, her tone softer, more cautious now. Her eyes flickered with a subtle unease. Deep inside, she could feel that his proposal had stirred something in her—some dangerous mix of hope and suspicion. “Would you truly be content with them bearing my name? That doesn’t sound anything like the Robin Burton I’ve come to know.”