Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2049 How to manipulate a monarch

After an additional half hour-

Baa Althera landed in front of Robin with tremendous force, her eyes blazing with anger so intense it seemed as if they could burn through steel. ”You could have shrunk the portal from the very beginning?!”

”Hold on a second!” Robin raised both hands laughing, his voice carrying across the battlefield. ”I had already exhausted almost all of my Soul Force just to pierce the barrier; shrinking it at that moment was impossible. I had to come back and expend about fifty million Pearls worth of Soul Emerald just to reduce its size again-itʼs not something you can do casually!”

By now, the atmosphere of the battlefield had shifted completely.

Robin didnʼt lower his hands, and the portal began to shrink slowly but steadily. The nascent space beast that had been crossing the portal mid-flight had to retreat immediately to avoid being split in half, and the balance of the battle shifted entirely.

Althera noticed the shrinking portal and instantly adjusted her strategy-what had been merely an attempt to keep the space beasts contained transformed into a calculated execution using the Major Fundamental Repetition Law, picking off each beast one by one with ruthless precision.

More of the Imperial Guards began to engage effectively after previously struggling with their limited numbers. After each space beast was slain, its killers immediately moved to assist their comrades. Even Holak, after a brief five-minute rest, jumped back into the fight and eliminated three more beasts. Within just thirty minutes, the battlefield had become a scene of absolute carnage. Every remaining space beast on the planet was either slain or driven to retreat. Yet, naturally, those that had escaped managed to flee, disappearing into the void, leaving the carnage behind.

”Ugh!!” Althera growled, her frustration palpable, but she couldnʼt lash out at Robin after seeing his explanation and the results. ”Alright, alright... when will you regain enough power to seal it completely? Or do you want me to try destroying it once more?”

In truth, after the Cosmic Elder had struck beyond the barrier, there had been moments of calm when Althera could have obliterated the portal in a single strike using the Principal Core Repetition Law. Yet, she refrained for two

reasons:

First, because the Cosmic Elder hadnʼt done so, even though he could have, and second, she refused to destroy the six wooden planks still floating along the portalʼs edges-clearly ancient artifacts of immense value.

Now, with the portal shrunk to barely accommodate a single human, she could at least request permission before taking any action.

”Destroy what?” Robin shook his head, exasperated. ”The portal will remain at this size until I coordinate matters with the Imperial Guard, the Grave Empire, the Sky Opening Cities, and my other institutions. Only then will it be opened again.”

”Opened again?” Altheraʼs eyes widened in disbelief. ”What kind of reasoning allows you to say that?”

”Hey, if you want to quarrel, quarrel with the Cosmic Elder-Iʼm the victim here!” Robin waved dismissively, scanning the battlefield with his golden, glowing eyes. A faint, almost playful smile curved the corner of his mouth. ”...Completely victimized, extremely victimized.”

The corpses on the battlefield now exceeded a hundred, and many were no longer visible, dragged away by the Imperial Guard. This meant that over a hundred treasure chests-each containing unimaginable riches-lay scattered across the ground, waiting to be claimed.

At the same time, the cost of victory was apparent: several elite guards had been killed-veterans on whom millions of Pearls had been spent to reach peak skill and training. Hundreds of epic Mid sector armor sets had been damaged, either partially or entirely destroyed, with each piece representing a fortune in value.

Only a handful of the Imperial Guards had managed to keep their armor shining, their epic Mid sector sets completely intact and unscathed despite the relentless chaos. These were not just any soldiers-they were the team leaders, the most experienced veterans, and the close lieutenant, all wearing high-level epic armor.

Would the spoils gained from the countless slain nascent space beasts ever compensate for the staggering losses among the Imperial Guard? That question would only be answered once the Sky Opening Cities began processing the corpses, extracting the rare resources and soul essence within, and the headquarters compiled detailed reports of casualties and damages.

Robin knew well that while the rewards were immense, he could never allow such devastating losses to continue unchecked. Regardless of the moderate damage to the epic Mid sector armor that could be counted as minor losses, the Imperial Guard did not grow on trees, and seeing them fall like this was intolerable!

”Was it the Cosmic Elder who ordered the passage to be reopened?” Althera exclaimed, eyes wide with alarm and disbelief. ”Why would he do that?!”

She had been present from the very beginning, through every battle and every maneuver, and knew with certainty that Robin had never intended to assault the barrier itself. So why, then, would the Cosmic Elder insist that the passage remain open now, at this moment?

”He says these beasts will eventually attack the universe and annihilate everything in their path,” Robin explained firmly, his voice calm yet resolute. ”And because I am the one who originally opened the passage, it is my duty to lure them in and eliminate them first, before they can wreak universal devastation.”

He turned to Althera, gauging her reaction. ”So, what do you think? Should I accept this responsibility for the greater good, or should I fear for my own life

and refuse?”

”...?” Altheraʼs shock slowly melted into comprehension. She realized the weight of his choice and its implications. ”So you have accepted, and now you intend to reopen the passage?” she asked softly, a touch of humility and awe in her voice. She looked away briefly, embarrassed by her earlier hesitations. ”...The universe will remember and never forget what you are doing for its survival.” ”Yes, yes, just as it has not forgotten the deeds of the Cosmic Elder, right?” Robin said, waving dismissively. ”No, after careful consideration, it doesnʼt benefit me at all personally.” He gestured toward the neatly stacked corpses of the Imperial Guards and the hundreds of severely injured soldiers surrounding them. ”Look at my elite men-look at what has happened to them!”

He slapped his hands together with determination and stepped forward, eyes blazing with resolve. ”You know what? Iʼm going to close the passage

permanently.”

”Wait!!” Althera leapt in front of him, arms wide, her voice urgent. ”You are performing a noble, monumental duty for the entire universe! These soldiers. are heroes, and their families will be endlessly proud of them!”

”Noble?” Robin chuckled, a hint of irony in his voice. ”Tell me, Althera, if you were to report this to the Supreme Council of Academies, would they come to take charge of the passage? Could they supply soldiers strong enough to consistently lure the nascent space beasts and eliminate them day and night? Would they even see this as true sacrifices for the greater good?”

A faint, almost knowing smile curved Robinʼs lips. ”Or would they secretly ally with the Syndicate, sending innocent slaves to feed the nascent space beasts? Or perhaps deploy several Nexus State operatives and Guardians who lack the drive, passion, or understanding to fight with seriousness, leaving the nascent space beasts free to roam and devastate Sector 99 Mid, destroying it completely?” He pointed toward her. ”Come on-go, call them, bring them if you trust them, but only if you are certain they will not fail!”

”No!” Althera said, looking away, her face pale as she imagined the grim scene. To assume responsibility for a passage beyond the barrier, to lure nascent space beasts, and to kill them without leaving a single chance for escape? The Supreme Council of Stellar Academies could no longer even manage the trivial Crimson Plague, so how could anyone expect to handle this monumental task?

”If even the Supreme Council of Stellar Academies could not handle this, how could I possibly?” Robin shook his head, frustration and determination intermingling on his features as he moved toward the passage. ”No, no, no... this will not work. I will close it!”

”Just wait for a second!” Althera ran after him, desperation lacing her tone. ”What would it take for you to keep it open and help guard it? Tell me-what would convince you?”