Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1290  Soul Traits

”A Soul Type test? What exactly do you mean by that?” Robin raised a single eyebrow in clear confusion, his golden eye narrowing slightly. The term sounded completely alien to him. In his understanding, a soul was either strong or weak—there was no such thing as types, at least not in the way it was being implied here.

The young human beside him clicked his tongue with mild irritation and amusement.

”Tsk~ Seriously, where have you been living all your life, brother? Under a rock? In a forgotten dimension? Just watch, itʼll all make sense soon enough.”

He grabbed Robinʼs shoulder in a casual but firm manner, guiding him forward and making space in the densely packed crowd so that Robin could get a clearer view of the scene ahead.

From this vantage point, Robin saw it—a sleek, high-grade private spacecraft hovering just above the ground, sleek and elegant in its design. The hull shimmered with high-tier alloys, likely reinforced with defensive enchantments. In front of the shipʼs open ramp sat a young bald man, his face decorated with an array of intricate, glowing tattoos that hinted at both authority and combat experience.

He wore a dark, tight-fitted uniform with silver accents—clearly a uniform of a powerful clan or organization. He sat in an almost lazy posture, legs crossed, elbows on his knees, radiating an aura of effortless confidence.

Behind him stood two others in matching uniforms, arms folded respectfully behind their backs, expressions completely neutral, disciplined.

In the air before the bald man floated two large crystals—both perfectly oval in shape and slightly larger than a human head. They hovered effortlessly, gently spinning and glowing with ethereal energy.

These werenʼt ordinary crystals. Robin could immediately sense that. They were covered in so many layered inscriptions that their true color was almost completely obscured. The runes pulsed gently, alive with intention and power.

Before the crystals stood a line of about twenty young people, all waiting their turn. Every now and then, one would step out from the crowd, face full of either determination or anxiety, hoping to be chosen.

”Next!”

The bald manʼs voice rang out, low and bored, as though he had repeated that same command a hundred times today—and likely would a hundred more.

”Hoooh…”

The next to step forward was a young woman with uniquely long eyebrows that curved dramatically down the sides of her face. She took a deep breath, gathering her courage, and walked toward the crystal.

Once she stood before it, she raised her hand and gently placed her palm against its surface. Then she closed her eyes and consciously dropped her soul defenses, leaving herself completely open to the test.

HUMMMMM...

To Robinʼs surprise—and that of many others—the crystal began to glow softly, resonating with her touch even though she hadnʼt poured any soul force into it. It was as if the crystal responded to something deeper, something innate.

PFFF.

Just as quickly, however, the glow vanished, leaving the crystal inert and dull once more.

The bald man furrowed his brows slightly and gave a dismissive shake of the head.

”No detectable soul traits. Step aside.”

”Wait! Please, just give me a chance!” the girl cried out, stepping forward desperately.

”I swear Iʼll be useful to the clan! Iʼve cultivated 270 soul units already!” She pointed to herself emphatically, her voice trembling.

The bald man rolled his eyes and smacked the table in front of him with a sharp THUD that echoed ominously.

”And what am I supposed to do with 270 soul units when your physical body is over 700 years old?! Next!”

The tone in his voice carried finality, and the girl, eyes brimming with tears, retreated, utterly defeated.

HUMM...

The next candidate stepped forward, but the crystal only glowed faintly before fading once more.

POOF.

POOF.

POOF.

One failure followed another in a disappointing sequence.

”Well, this doesnʼt look promising,” Robin muttered with a quiet chuckle, amused by the growing frustration of the examiner.

”Thatʼs normal,” the young human beside him sighed, clearly used to this display.

”Not everyone is born with a distinguished soul type. Most of us are just… average. Itʼs rare to see someone actually qualify. I even tried it once myself… turns out, my soulʼs nothing special either.”

Robin raised an eyebrow again, pondering.

”Born with it...?” he repeated under his breath. The idea intrigued him, but he said nothing more.

After yet another string of failures, the bald examiner groaned and pressed his fingers to his forehead, his patience obviously running thin. Then he bellowed loudly across the crowd:

”Stop wasting my time, you clueless peasants! Only those who truly believe they have talent should come forward. Is that really so difficult to understand?! The next person who steps up without a clear gift will receive twenty lashes!”

”KIEEEH!”

Several people still waiting in line flinched in fear and backed away quickly, some almost tripping over themselves. Now, only two candidates remained.

One of them was a slender girl dressed in flowing robes with sleeves that brushed the ground as she moved. Her steps were light, almost weightless, and her eyes held a glimmer of confidence that none of the others before her had shown.

Without hesitation, she approached the crystal, raised her hand, and placed her palm gently against it. She closed her eyes as if falling into meditation.

HUMMMM...

The crystal responded—but this time, it didnʼt fade.

”Oooh!”

Robinʼs golden eye shimmered slightly as he widened his gaze. All around him, murmurs of awe spread among the spectators. The crystal was glowing brightly, and this time, patches of deep red light bloomed across its surface, forming intricate soul constellations.

The bald man leaned forward, finally intrigued. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he rested his chin on his palm.

”Finally, weʼre getting somewhere. You possess the trait of the Piercing Meteor. Your initial soul has the ability to unleash an incredibly powerful burst attack at moments of extreme need—even without the use of techniques.”

He nodded to himself with approval.

”If youʼre willing to join, we can immediately accept you into the military division of our clan. No entrance fees. No trials. Just say the word.”

”Oooohhh!!”

The crowd erupted into applause and gasps of admiration. Hope, long absent, seemed to return with that one successful result. The atmosphere had shifted.

The girl opened her eyes slowly and nodded, her voice calm and proud.

”Very well. I accept.”

”Haha, excellent! Now you can proceed to the second crystal to measure your true soul force,” the bald examiner said, clapping his hands together with satisfaction. His voice carried the confidence of someone who had done this a thousand times before.

He stood up from his chair, dusted off the front of his uniform, and walked a few steps forward to guide the girl to the next test.

”Just like before—place your hand on the crystal. Donʼt force anything; it will do all the work on its own.”

The girl gave a firm nod and stepped forward without hesitation. She reached out and gently pressed her hand against the surface of the second crystal.

HMMMMMMMM...

The crystal responded immediately, humming with a soft yet powerful vibration. Strange, intricate symbols began to etch themselves across its smooth surface—symbols that Robin had never seen before. They didnʼt resemble any language he was familiar with. To his eyes, they were arcane and indecipherable. But it was clear from the examinerʼs reaction that they meant something.

”Haha! Ninety soul units, and your physical age is only around eighty years? Thatʼs absolutely phenomenal!” the examiner laughed heartily, clearly impressed. His voice echoed slightly over the hushed murmurs of the crowd. Then, with a dramatic wave of his hand, he pointed toward the sleek floating ship behind him.

”Go on inside and take a well-deserved rest. Iʼll join you shortly once Iʼve wrapped things up here.”

Robin, along with several onlookers, watched with intrigue as the girl disappeared into the ship, escorted by one of the uniformed assistants who had been silently observing.

Once she was out of sight, the examiner returned to his seat with the casual elegance of someone used to being in control. His eyes drifted toward the final person waiting in line.

”Next!” he called out, his tone sharp and impatient.

The last participant was an unusual-looking man. He had an enormous pair of curled mustaches that drooped past his cheeks and a slight greenish hue to his skin that hinted at some spiritual or racial heritage. Without a momentʼs hesitation, the man stepped forward and confidently placed his hand on the first crystal.

HUUUUUMMMM...

The crystal lit up immediately. This time, it didnʼt glow in one uniform color. Instead, it sparkled with the brilliance of countless stars, each shimmering in a different hue, as if a miniature galaxy had been born within the crystal itself.

The examinerʼs eyes lit up with recognition, and a pleased smile formed across his lips.

”Spirit Trait: Godfather of Illusions,” he declared with pride.

”With the right training, youʼll be able to trap your enemies in vivid illusions, disorient their minds, and rob them of awareness far more easily than most. Youʼre an ideal candidate for the Hall of Dreams.”

The mustached man chuckled softly and shook his head.

”Hoho, thank you for the offer, but Iʼm not interested in joining. I have my own shop here in town. I was just curious to know what kind of soul trait I had.”

He turned around, clearly preparing to leave.

”Hold it right there!”

The examiner slammed his palm against the table, his smile vanishing in an instant as he stood up, glaring.

”Do you think weʼre offering free public services here?!”

The mustached man tensed, his brows furrowing and fists clenching instinctively. But then he paused, exhaled slowly, and forced a smile. He knew better than to provoke a conflict here.

”Hoho, no offense meant, young master. I didnʼt realize there were formalities. Perhaps… thereʼs another way to settle this?”

”You can pay a usage fee of 100 liters of energy essence,” the examiner said bluntly. Then, with a more amiable tone, he reached down beside his chair and pulled out a small green booklet.

”Or, you can purchase this soul cultivation technique—perfectly tailored to your trait—for just 100 energy pearls.”

”100 pearls?!”

The crowd collectively gasped. The shock rippled through the spectators like a wave. Many of those who had hesitated earlier suddenly looked relieved, grateful that they hadnʼt stepped forward and risked being swindled.

Robin raised an eyebrow and pointed at the booklet with mild curiosity.

”Wait, if it really suits him that well, isnʼt it worth the price?”

The human youth standing next to him scoffed and shook his head.

”Even if itʼs a perfect match, itʼs still just a basic soul cultivation method. Not offensive, not defensive—just support. And look at the color—itʼs green. Thatʼs the lowest tier. A green-ranked soul technique should never cost more than five pearls at most.”

Whistle~

Robin let out a soft breath. Clearly, the price of five pearls was already considered steep, and this examiner was shamelessly asking for twenty times that amount.

The mustached man looked visibly cornered. After a moment of internal struggle, he finally spoke:

”...Thank you for offering options. Iʼll pay the participation fee.”

He stepped forward slowly and reached for a small leather pouch strapped to his waist. With a deep breath, he plunged his hand into it, the pouch clearly having spatial properties. One by one, he began pulling out sealed vials—each filled with a glowing fluid, perfectly identical in shape and size.

He didnʼt stop until one hundred vials had been placed in a neat, shimmering row across the examinerʼs desk.

”Haha, excellent. You may go now,” the examiner said, nodding in satisfaction. He leaned back into his chair with a smug grin, watching the vials with hungry eyes.

There had never been a real fee, of course. All that essence would be pocketed directly.

Then, turning to the crowd with theatrical flair, the examiner threw his arms wide open.

”This is the final chance for the year! If anyone else wants to uncover their Soul Trait, step forward now—or wait until next year!”