Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2203 Stages of shock

Disturbance

The nascent beasts retreated, the young beasts jolted and prepared themselves instinctively, claws digging into the empty void as waves of violent energy spread from their massive bodies, only the adult space beasts standing deeper within the nest remained unmoved by Robinʼs appearance, yet even from afar it was obvious their curiosity had risen sharply.

Some of them slowly shifted their colossal heads toward him.

Others narrowed their monstrous eyes.

The atmosphere itself seemed to tighten.

”....?!” Blukan jolted as well, but for entirely different reasons.

Seeing this army of beasts, an army capable of tearing apart the entire universe without exaggeration, retreat in such a manner... and why? Because a single human had appeared?!

Blukan immediately looked back toward Robin.

Aside from the golden glow within his eyes, there was absolutely nothing different about him, no hidden aura leaking from his body, no terrifying pressure crushing the surroundings, no giant array unfolding behind him... nothing!

He simply stood there.

Yet somehow, that alone had made the beasts hesitate.

”What is happening here?” Althera asked in confusion, her eyes still fixed on the nest, ”...did they fear your Eyes of Truth?”

”Hmm, my suspicion was correct.” Robin slowly raised his head higher, ”They feared my confidence.”

”Hah?”

Althera and Blukan completely lost the ability to process his words for a moment.

”My suspicions began the moment the passage first opened and I noticed the reactions beginning with confusion,” Robin started explaining calmly, ”At the time, I noticed their confusion wasnʼt because of our race as tiny creatures, nor because of the light and living universe they supposedly had never seen before...”

Robin narrowed his eyes slightly before continuing.

”Their confusion came from the fact that we appeared before them at all.”

His gaze slowly swept across the countless beasts.

”They looked at us like a mother who buried her son with her own hands ten years ago, only to suddenly see him standing before her again...” Robinʼs voice grew quieter, ”The reaction becomes confusion and disbelief, as if they suspect their senses betrayed them.”

”...”

Blukan and Althera returned their focus toward the massive nest.

The more they observed the beasts, the more Robinʼs explanation strangely matched what they were witnessing.

There was indeed confusion.

There was hesitation.

There was even... caution.

”After the initial shock and confirmation that what theyʼre seeing is real, curiosity enters the stage.” Robin continued elaborating, ”Inside their little minds they begin wondering, why did they appear here? How? Can I eat them now?.. From there, the thirst for blood begins to seep out naturally.”

As if proving his point, several young beasts slowly advanced again.

Their murderous instincts were clearly beginning to overpower their hesitation.

”After the initial phase of curiosity, caution knocks on the door,” Robin chuckled lightly, ”They ask themselves, these humans arenʼt supposed to be here, so why are they here? How did they break the wall? How powerful are they? What are we supposed to do with them?”

Then he tilted his head slightly.

”This particular stage is the funniest and most fascinating one to me.”

His golden eyes reflected the enormous nest before him.

”I imagine those beasts as a dog guarding a farm, and one day it suddenly finds a rabbit outside the fence, a rabbit it has never seen before.”

Robin smirked faintly.

”And now it starts wondering whether it should eat it immediately... or leave it alone and simply return it to the farm so the owner doesnʼt get angry.”

”...Owner?” Altheraʼs expression stiffened slightly.

But Robin ignored her.

Then his eyes transformed into overflowing killing intent.

”And finally...”

The void trembled faintly around him.

”...their primitive minds choose the obvious option.”

His voice turned colder.

”Movement and slaughter.”

A terrifying sharpness appeared within his gaze.

”Because that is what they were created for.”

The young beasts in the distance finally began roaring loudly again, their hesitation visibly decreasing.

”Even they were handed an opportunity,” Robin said indifferently, ”so why wouldnʼt they seize it?”

”....”

Blukan frowned deeply.

”What an interesting story.”

His tone made it impossible to tell whether he was mocking Robin or genuinely considering the explanation.

Robin immediately glanced sideways at him.

”Do you have a better one?”

”....”

Blukan fell silent.

Indeed, the story sounded as though Robin had invented it on the spot purely to justify what was happening.

Yet despite that...

He truly had no better explanation.

Robin shrugged slowly. ”In any case, I built my conclusions based on the Cosmic Elderʼs words, in addition to my own observations of those creaturesʼ movements throughout the past years. I may only be ninety-nine percent correct, I wonʼt claim Iʼm absolutely right.”

”According to what youʼre saying...” Althera released a slow breath of energy, her eyes remaining fixed on the monstrous nest in the distance, ”they know about the universe, about us, but theyʼre only surprised that we appeared before them, not the other way around?”

”Exactly.” Robin nodded calmly. ”I donʼt know the purpose or meaning behind the existence of these creatures, but itʼs obvious we are not supposed to be here. This goes against the orders they received, which is why they fall into shock and pass through those stages of slow thinking every single time they see one of us.”

”Orders?” Blukan could no longer remain silent.

His expression stiffened slightly as he stared at Robin.

”Do you have an explanation for why all of them think in exactly the same way?” Robin pointed confidently toward the nest. ”As if there is a law carved directly into their souls... all of them think the same way, only the reaction differs depending on the level of strength and intelligence.”

”...?”

Blukan kept his eyes fixed on Robinʼs face, illuminated by the Eye of Truth for several long moments.

The golden glow around Robinʼs pupils, the confidence in his posture, the way he stood before an army capable of exterminating the universe itself without trembling... all of it made Blukan feel increasingly uncomfortable.

He felt that the level of this conversation had completely surpassed him.

A Mid Monarch possessing merely a Fundamental Law should not even be standing here listening to this discussion.

Forget participating in it.

”I donʼt know whether your conclusions are correct,” Blukan finally spoke calmly, ”but I do know one thing, you truly frightened them somehow...” Then his tone sharpened slightly, ”Letʼs use this opportunity to escape and continue this discussion outside!”

”That wonʼt work.” Robin shook his head without hesitation. ”All I did was return them to the stage of caution once more. By suddenly appearing with confidence, a powerful presence, and a shining eye that illuminated their darkness, they began wondering whether I was extremely powerful, whether I used some overwhelming force to break the laws instead of merely escaping them.”

Then he chuckled lightly.

”But itʼs only a matter of time...”

Robin slowly looked toward the countless beasts again.

”Soon theyʼll realize I havenʼt actually done anything.”

The golden light in his eyes flickered faintly.

”And then theyʼll return to probing us, testing us, and showing their thirst for blood once more.”

Disturbance

Indeed, immediately after Robinʼs words, several space beasts slowly began advancing again.

At first it was only the nascent beasts.

Then even some young beasts began moving forward with cautious steps.

Their gigantic bodies drifted through the void slowly, yet every movement they made caused violent waves of pressure to spread through the surroundings.

”Damn it!” Blukan instinctively retreated as well.

Yet he quickly stopped himself midway.

He noticed that the more he retreated, the more the space beasts advanced.

”...They can smell fear?” Althera frowned.

”Something similar.” Robin answered indifferently.

The beastsʼ hesitation was visibly beginning to fade away.

Their instincts were reclaiming control little by little.

The feeling of danger surrounding Robin was no longer enough to fully suppress their murderous desires.

”Alright, we understand,” Blukan turned sharply toward Robin, ”can we leave now? Use that method you used to move Althera and get us out of here,” then he raised his voice further, ”or at least get yourself out and close the gate!!”

”No need.” Robin crossed his arms casually.

”Are you insane?!” Blukan nearly exploded.

After witnessing the movement of the beasts once more, even his scalp had begun tingling.

After all, this was not an enemy they could fight.

This was a nest.

A living disaster large enough to devour the universe.

But Robin remained calm.

”After the Cosmic Elder killed a handful from the previous nest, no adult or even young beast dared approach the passage again, and we enjoyed abundant hunting without trouble.”

Robinʼs smile widened faintly.

”They understood back then that opening the passage wasnʼt an accident and that they had to behave themselves.”

Then he slowly tilted his head.

”Itʼs obvious we need to repeat this process with every new nest.”

His gaze turned colder.

”Even if we close this gate and open another one somewhere else, the same thing will happen.”

”...What do you mean?”

Blukanʼs heart began pounding violently.

A terrible feeling suddenly rose within his chest.

”I mean...” Robin slowly raised his head higher.

The golden Eye of Truth reflected within the darkness surrounding the nest.

”...that as long as the Cosmic Elder isnʼt present...”

A small smile appeared on his face.

Bzzzzzt-

An huge number of soul portals suddenly began opening one after another across the void.

The atmosphere instantly became chaotic.

”...then I will be the one who teaches them manners.”