Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2173 History Making Day

”Ahem,” Robin shook his head, forcing himself out of his drifting daydream, as though pulling his thoughts back from a distant horizon he had wandered too far into, ”as for the wormhole, it will be safe as well. The moment the galaxy emerges in the Mid Sector 99, everyone will realize we had been hiding it all along… and once that truth settles, theyʼll naturally shift their focus elsewhere and end up ignoring the area entirely, treating it as something already uncovered and no longer worth scrutiny.”

”…On top of that, weʼll withdraw all patrols from the region completely,” he continued, his tone steady and deliberate. ”No unnecessary movement, no visible presence that might attract suspicion. Weʼll only leave behind a number of arrays around the wormhole, carefully positioned arrays designed for soul-sense distortion and layered illusion, anything that bends perception and keeps attention away from it.” He paused for a moment, as if visualizing the setup. ”The seal we placed to prevent random travel by outsiders will also be reinforced, tightened to a degree that makes any unauthorized attempt nearly impossible…” His lips curved slightly. ”At that point, the wormhole will remain our little secret. No one will know about it… not even the Syndicate, no matter how deep they dig.”

”…” Theo leaned back into his chair, letting his body relax while his mind remained active, processing every detail, saying nothing for a few seconds as the implications unfolded one after another. ”…Your plan relies on a large number of breakthroughs into the World Cataclysm realm to protect the galaxy.”

”Thatʼs right.” Robin gathered the cards in front of him calmly, aligning them with careful precision as if reflecting the structure of his thoughts. ”Iʼm not blind to the fact that most of our cards will be exposed once the galaxy appears in the Mid sector. Those who donʼt know about it now… and there are many who donʼt… will step into it the moment they do, drawn by curiosity, ambition, or sheer greed.” He tapped the cards lightly. ”Many of our assets, like the Crucible of Greed and the research centers, will be placed under thousands of watchful eyes. A good portion of those eyes will be filled with hunger, the kind that devours without hesitation, and an even larger portion will completely disregard the Cosmic Elder as if his existence is nothing more than a distant rumor.”

”The fear of angering the Cosmic Elder might restrain individuals like Interas or the Dreamer,” Robin went on, his tone lowering slightly, ”people who have seen him before, who understand at least a fraction of what he represents, and who may one day stand in opposition to him. Truly powerful figures who could face him directly and still hesitate, still calculate, still fear provoking an unfavorable reaction…” He paused briefly, then his expression hardened just a touch. ”But most Behemoths wonʼt think that far. Theyʼll focus on a simpler truth: that the Cosmic Elder has pledged not to interfere in my personal affairs… and for many of them, that will be enough to justify a direct attack.”

”…Based on the timeline Hedrick showed me back then,” Robin said, his gaze drifting for an instant as he recalled that distant moment in the Soul Society, ”we may only have a few months before the galaxy is completely lost, swallowed by forces far beyond our control. That narrow window… that fragile stretch of time… is all we have.” He leaned back slightly. ”That is the period in which we must defend it with everything we possess… our current army, our authority, our wealth, our intelligence network… even our planets themselves if it comes to that.” His voice grew quieter, heavier. ”And within that same period, we must build a complete army of World Cataclysms at any cost… no hesitation, no restraint. Otherwise, everything Iʼve built, every layer of preparation, every risk Iʼve taken, will collapse into nothing.”

”Are you still trying to deny the idea that the Behemoth and the Dreamer will attack you even after your secrets are exposed?!” Theo asked, a hint of irritation slipping into his tone, his patience clearly thinning.

”Let me hope, will you!” Robin laughed loudly, the sound echoing with a strange mix of confidence and defiance, as if hope itself was another weapon he refused to abandon.

”…” Theo let out a slow breath, his shoulders easing slightly. ”Letʼs return to the main point… your plan depends on a large number of breakthroughs into the World Cataclysm realm,” he said, then fixed his gaze on his father once more, sharper this time. ”How is that going to happen?”

Robin placed a hand over his chest with exaggerated seriousness, as though delivering a grand declaration. ”With perseverance, talent, and proper preparation, of course!”

”Father…” Theo frowned, his brows tightening again, a faint edge of frustration creeping into his voice. ”You know thatʼs not what Iʼm asking.”

”…” Robin shrugged lightly with a quiet laugh, his expression relaxed, waiting patiently as if inviting Theo to dig deeper, to ask the question he truly wanted answered.

”Really now?” Theo asked in clear surprise, his voice carrying a mix of disbelief and curiosity, then he let out a slow breath as if trying to steady his thoughts. ”Father, I donʼt even know how you intend to force Nihari to break through in the first place. Youʼre supposed to achieve a breakthrough using either physical strength or internal energy, and both are completely suppressed under the restrictions of the Young Belt. Those limits arenʼt something you can simply bypass with willpower.” Then he looked straight into his fatherʼs eyes, his tone softening slightly. ”But I never questioned it before, because I believe in you. I believe that if you say something, you will make it happen, no matter how impossible it sounds at first. Youʼve carved that belief deep into our bones, layer after layer, through everything weʼve gone through together.”

Robin smiled, clearly pleased by those words, a faint warmth appearing in his expression.

”But…” Theo continued, not letting that warmth distract him from the core issue, ”even if we assume you manage to reach World Cataclysm and pull the Nihari Galaxy into the Mid sector, how will our people break through within just a few months after that?” His brows tightened slightly as he leaned forward a little. ”Humans cannot become World Cataclysms, as you know, and relying on the third path for breakthroughs would result in an enormous failure rate, a level of risk that borders on self-destruction. Even those who succeed would end up weak… hollow, lacking the foundation to stand against true power.”

”…The only ones we can rely on, even a little, are the members of the Third Army of mutants and demi-humans,” he went on, choosing his words carefully. ”But even them, you canʼt expect a large number to break into the World Cataclysm realm within a few months like youʼre hoping.” He shook his head slowly, emphasizing the point. ”Breakthroughs in the second path are bound by the limits of the beast blood flowing through their veins, and since theyʼre all within the Young range, you wonʼt find a single one among them with beast blood at the World Cataclysm level or higher, not even close!”

”…Even if their breakthrough somehow opens a new door for them, or grants them access to a higher threshold,” Theo added, thinking through every possibility, ”maybe a few individuals might break through purely through exceptional talent, through sheer force of will or rare compatibility… but numbers large enough to form an army?” He exhaled lightly. ”I donʼt think so… I donʼt think even Marshal Aro himself could break through relying solely on the Thunder Bull blood flowing in his veins, no matter how gifted he is.”

”…” Robinʼs smile gradually faded, and he raised a brow, his expression shifting into one of mild consideration. ”Hmm, I havenʼt really thought much about Aro and the Third Army,” he admitted casually, as if it were a minor detail.

”Oh, Father…” Theo sighed, a trace of frustration slipping into his voice. ”The only ones you could truly rely on to break through are the mutated ones, like the giants of Nihari, the dwarves, and other humans who donʼt carry beast blood within them. Those are the ones with real potential for stable advancement to world cataclysm realm.” He paused briefly. ”But unfortunately, we donʼt have many of those in our forces, and weʼve never focused on developing techniques tailored specifically to their kind, never invested enough into their growth.”

Then he exhaled again, this time heavier, the fatigue more apparent. ”If your plan is truly to create an army of World Cataclysms, you should have developed specialized techniques for them from the beginning, nurtured them carefully, refined their paths step by step. Theyʼre your only real treasure in this scenario, the only reliable foundation you could have built upon.”

”Forget it.” Robin waved his hand dismissively, as if brushing away the entire line of reasoning. ”I named myself Lord Human, and you expect me to rely on mutants to protect me?” A faint smirk appeared. ”My pride wouldnʼt allow it, not even for a moment.”

”Huh?” Theo raised his head in confusion, clearly thrown off by that answer. ”Then who were you relying on?”

Then he straightened in his seat abruptly, a sudden realization flashing across his face as the earlier words echoed back in his mind. ”Wait…” his eyes widened slightly. ”A moment ago… you said you hadnʼt thought about the Third Army?”

Robin chuckled, the sound light yet carrying a hidden meaning, then waved his hand casually. Poof, a small booklet appeared out of thin air and dropped onto the table in front of Theo with a soft sound. ”Take this,” he said, almost playfully, ”and spread it among your dear ones.”

”Huh?” Theo blinked, still trying to piece things together.

”Hehe, go on,” Robin leaned back slightly, clearly enjoying the moment, ”pick it up and take a look. And as you open it, I want you to kiss its pages one by one and say: welcome to the sixth path… hehe… hehehe.”

”…?!”