Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2269 Shackles

Poof.

Althera dropped to her knees, her arms hanging at her sides, her posture loose and unguarded as though something had momentarily disconnected her from the outside world.

She had not fallen because of pressure. No, she felt nothing of the sort.

There was no pressure upon her body, her soul, or her existence as a living being. What filled the sky above was merely a majestic and breathtaking sight in her eyes, a spectacle so grand that it seemed beyond mortal description, a scene that could leave even the most powerful beings speechless simply through its beauty and scale.

Nor had she fallen because she was shocked by Robinʼs power. No, if anything, she was pleased that Robin had become even stronger.

That person, aside from being a friend of the Elder Cosmic, had repeatedly proven himself dependable, proving time and again that he would fight if external forces came to harm them as they had in the past. It was only natural to feel relieved and happy knowing that someone like him carried the burden of the universe upon his shoulders, especially when that burden seemed to grow heavier with every passing year.

And yet she had fallen, her mouth slightly open and her eyes shining as though her consciousness had once again drifted away from reality, as though her mind had become focused upon something that no one else could perceive.

She stared at the magnificent formation in the sky, and something was happening within her that she could not understand. Something deep inside her was responding to the formation, to the symbols of the Master Laws, reacting in a way that felt instinctive rather than deliberate.

She felt...

That while she was looking at the formation, that terrifying arrangement composed of six Master symbols was looking back at her.

Six...

Six......

Oooomnn—

At that moment, something began to happen.

The six symbols sent golden threads in Altheraʼs direction, threads so thin and delicate from afar that they resembled rays of sunlight descending from the heavens.

Robin did not move, and from his appearance it was clear that he was unaware of what was happening, his attention remaining fixed upon the board before him as though nothing unusual had occurred.

Nor was the pressure upon the creatures of the planet lifted, and no similar phenomenon occurred to any of them.

Only Althera.

Those threads gathered together as they traveled until they transformed into something resembling a sphere of pure golden light, its surface smooth and flawless as though it had been crafted from condensed sunlight.

Then, hum, the sphere gently swallowed Althera until she disappeared inside it, and it slowly lifted her from the ground until she came to rest several meters in the air, moving with a calm and deliberate steadiness that somehow made the scene feel even stranger...

And remained there.

The sphere, with Althera contained inside it, slowly rotated around its own axis in a sight so strange and awe-inspiring that it sent chills down the spine, appearing less like a phenomenon and more like some ancient ceremony whose meaning had long been forgotten.

”....?!” Glacion saw everything, from Altheraʼs appearance to the bizarre event that followed.

What had happened was so sudden and so astonishing that it actually drew his attention away from what was taking place above, something that only moments ago he would have considered impossible.

Whether she would gain power or lose it, whether she would die or extend her lifespan, she was not the focus right now.

Whatever was happening to Althera would normally have been worthy of thousands of years of investigation by the greatest Behemoths, but at this exact moment it was not worth looking at for even a second longer, because something even more unbelievable had already seized his attention.

With tremendous difficulty, Glacion clenched his teeth and looked upward.

The sixth symbol had completed its final form and settled into place alongside its companions, taking its rightful position within the terrifying formation as though it had always belonged there.

”The Master Primordial Chaos Law...” Glacion muttered as he stared at the lone bolt of lightning rampaging within the golden cloud, destroying and recreating portions of it endlessly. ”It is undoubtedly First Grade Primordial Chaos...”

Glacion was still kneeling upon the air, and he could feel the Planet Spirit trembling, though he did not know whether that trembling came from fear, excitement, or both at once. The emotions flowing through the spirit were so turbulent that distinguishing between them had become impossible.

Then he lowered his eyes to observe Robin...

Robin, who had already lifted his hand from the board yet continued examining it with patient focus and careful scrutiny, as though the six Master Laws revolving above him were merely a secondary matter compared to whatever conclusions he was attempting to draw from the board.

Six Master Laws beneath the banner of a single individual for the first time in history.

No, for the first time anyone had ever heard of a single person wielding two Master Laws, let alone six.

Six Master Laws...

Had decided that existing together within the same body was not such a terrible thing, so long as that body belonged to Lord Robin Burton.

Six Master Laws had chosen to grant their sovereignty to another person.

By what right could he, a mere mortal, consider himself worthy of displaying even the slightest arrogance before such a being?

Glacion let out a sigh of relief, a slow breath he had not realized he had been holding for who knew how long.

He had chosen correctly when he jumped aboard the vessel of the Elder Cosmic and his friend.

No...

Rather, he had chosen correctly when he jumped aboard the vessel of Lord Robin and his friend.

Anyone who stood in the path of such an existence would bring nothing upon themselves but destruction. The more Glacion witnessed, the more firmly he became convinced that opposing Lord Robin was not a matter of bravery, principles, or determination, but a simple exercise in self-annihilation.

Then, very slowly, he cast a glance toward the people around him, intending to see how many had died following the appearance of the sixth symbol.

Yet he was surprised to find that those who had been kneeling remained kneeling, those who had been sprawled upon the ground remained sprawled there, and those who had lost consciousness remained unconscious.

Clearly, they were experiencing the same degree of pressure that he felt.

The Heavenly Laws demanded respect and reverence from every individual, each person according to the limits of what they could endure.

The pressure felt by the children of slaughterhouse workers was the same pressure felt by a Guardian. The only difference lay in the response. Would you kneel? Would you collapse onto the ground? Would you lose consciousness entirely, or would you somehow remain standing despite the overwhelming instinct urging you to submit?

”.....?!?”

Glacionʼs eyes locked onto a particular individual and began widening.

Holak.

He was still standing.

Barely.

His teeth were clenched tightly and both fists were drawn taut, resisting the urge to kneel as though his very life depended upon it. Veins bulged along his neck and arms, and every muscle in his body appeared to be straining against an invisible force.

Yet he was...

Standing.

Not upright and relaxed, not unaffected by the phenomenon, but undeniably standing while even powerful figures had already fallen.

”Lord Robin...” Glacion muttered, unable to keep the astonishment from his voice. ”What kind of monster did you choose as your personal guard?”

Oooooooomnnn—

Something happened above that forced Glacion to raise his eyes once more to see what was taking place.

The central eye opened wider, focusing upon Robin with greater intensity, as though its attention had finally settled completely upon him and nothing else existed beneath the heavens.

Hoooom

The five symbols surrounding it began revolving around the eye at greater speed, like moons orbiting a planet, their movements growing smoother and more synchronized with every passing second.

Craaack

”...?!”

Glacion turned toward the mountain as quickly as he possibly could, and for a moment he felt as though his neck would snap from the resistance.

Something was happening there as well.

An enormous golden lock appeared above Lord Robin.

And it slowly began to crack.

The lock seemed ancient beyond measure, carrying a sense of age that made entire civilizations feel insignificant by comparison. It hovered silently above Robinʼs head, radiating an authority that seemed capable of sealing anything beneath heaven and earth.

Crack. Crack.

A number of shackles appeared around Robinʼs body, shackles that pierced through his very flesh and emerged from the opposite side, ancient-looking golden restraints that radiated overwhelming strength and authority.

The sight was bizarre and terrifying.

The shackles did not appear physical, yet neither did they seem illusory. They looked more like conceptual restraints, limitations given visible form, binding something that should never have been bound in the first place.

They began cracking as well.

Fine fractures spread across their surfaces.

Then those fractures multiplied.

More and more cracks appeared as though the restraints had reached the limits of what they could endure, while the symbols above continued revolving around the great eye faster and faster.

Until—

BAAAAM

The lock exploded and the shackles shattered into pieces, countless golden fragments scattering outward before dissolving into streams of light that vanished into the surrounding heavens.