Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2493 Imprudence

On the surface of a nearby planet—

Marlik watched Robinʼs calmness after those explosive declarations, observing how easily he returned to the gifts before him after saying things capable of shaking the entire universe... and somehow, despite everything Robin had just revealed, Marlik himself appeared equally calm on the surface.

He didnʼt burst into laughter like his master Sevar, nor did he explode in rage like Antares after hearing those words... He merely continued staring coldly at Robinʼs face through the broadcast, without allowing any obvious reaction to appear.

It was a coldness accompanied by such accumulated killing intent that the region around him had become completely uninhabitable.

As the executive responsible for all of the Syndicateʼs operations, he knew better than almost anyone exactly how badly Robin had just screwed over those operations and how troublesome the consequences of those few declarations could become.

The Syndicate was, quite simply, one enormous farm, and everything it had been doing could be understood through that simple description.

The owner of the farm was Sevar, its manager was Marlik, and then came the employees at their various levels, who were none other than the rest of the Syndicateʼs criminals, whether they belonged to the administration or were merely the most insignificant members at the very bottom.

And, of course, the cows and chickens on that enormous farm were the inhabitants of the universe themselves.

The Syndicateʼs entire system had been created for two purposes. The first was to gradually destroy the structure of the universe and weaken it on behalf of the Weaver, while the second was to gather as many sealed ancient artifacts left behind from previous cycles as possible, along with the greatest possible quantity of resources that might possess any value whatsoever once the event finally began.

That system had been working astonishingly well under the cover of the Syndicate being an underground organization. The employees believed they would remain safe forever as long as they remained beneath the Syndicateʼs enormous umbrella and continued doing their jobs, while the livestock believed they too would remain perfectly fine as long as they continued obediently handing over their eggs.

But Robin had just told those employees that they were working without any insurance whatsoever, that the road they were walking led toward actual death, and that at a certain point they would simply be disposed of. At the same time, he was telling the chickens that they would eventually be roasted no matter how many eggs they handed over, and telling the cows that they would eventually be slaughtered no matter how much milk they continued producing.

This was exactly where the problems would begin... If the employee already knew what awaited him at the end, why would he continue working, and if the livestock knew that obedience wouldnʼt change its final fate, why would it continue obeying?

They were all dead anyway, regardless of how well they performed their roles.

That was exactly what Robin Burton had just done with those few statements.

As the Syndicateʼs manager, Marlik didnʼt care about any of the other nonsense surrounding the revelation right now; the only thing that mattered to him was figuring out how to get the Syndicateʼs interests and operations running properly again after this disaster and repair the damage that had already been done.

He appeared like nothing more than a calm man staring toward Robin with a pair of sleepy eyes, but that outward calm existed because his mind was working at twice its usual speed, rapidly trying to gather every possible means, argument, and method he could later use to discredit Robinʼs words and repair everything that had just been ruined.

”...All you have to do now is shut up and keep eating that damn cake...”

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At the edge of the star field—

Asteron opened his mouth after staring at the broadcast for a while. ”So this is... the person you serve.”

Asteronʼs eyes remained completely unreadable as he watched, his eyebrows raised slightly and his heart beating just a little faster than its usual rhythm, but other than those subtle signs, no noticeable changes appeared on him.

”Thatʼs him.” Arkail replied simply, standing a few kilometers away from Asteron while watching the same broadcast as well.

After news of the broadcast spread across the battlefield and Robin Burton himself appeared before everyone, the clashes throughout every battlefield gradually came to a halt. Without anyone issuing a single order to stop fighting, whenever the news reached the captain of one of the fleets, he would begin trying to withdraw slowly from the confrontation, while his enemy on the opposite side would likewise retreat rather than pursue him, wanting to listen to the broadcast as well.

The exact same thing applied to all the Dominators, Nexus States, and the others scattered across the battlefields. They were either watching the broadcast from inside one of the vessels available to them, or had hidden themselves somewhere inside one of the planets so they could enter the Soul Society personally and listen to what Robin Burton was saying.

”I didnʼt know...” Asteron finally spoke slowly after listening for some time, his gaze still fixed on the broadcast. ”That your master was this good at lying. I almost believed him.”

”Is that what you took away from everything he just said?” Arkail chuckled, looking at Asteron as though his conclusion was the most amusing part of the entire broadcast.

He himself hadnʼt known many of the things Robin had just revealed, especially the matter of survival and what would happen after a hundred million years when that annihilation arrived, but despite the weight of those revelations, he had felt noticeably relieved the moment Robin said that he would try to save as many of his followers as he possibly could.

Perhaps Lord Robin couldnʼt save every cat and dog scattered throughout his vast, sprawling Sectors when that day finally came, but surely he would take along the powerful Temporal Behemoth who had stood beside him and helped him throughout his conquests!!

”Believe whatever you want.” Arkail waved his hand with complete confidence, showing no intention of arguing over whether Robin should be believed. ”The Lord said it himself. He doesnʼt want anything from anyone, nor does he want anyoneʼs acknowledgment or approval, and he certainly isnʼt saying any of this merely to push you into believing him.”

”Are you seriously trying to convince me that he doesnʼt know his words are being broadcast?!” Asteron raised his voice in disbelief, then waved his hand as well, as though temporarily setting that objection aside. ”Fine, let me swallow that and say he genuinely doesnʼt know heʼs being filmed, and that he truly doesnʼt intend to broadcast all that poison that will bring chaos to the entire universe.”

Then he raised one finger and pointed directly toward Robin on the broadcast, focusing on the more important question in his mind. ”But does what he said actually match what heʼs doing?”

”What do you mean?” Arkail asked in a deep voice, turning more of his attention toward Asteron.

”He says the Day of Judgment is inevitably coming, that the great figures are trying to save themselves, and that he himself is trying to survive along with his followers, yet he spends his time waging wars and carrying out conquest after conquest?” Then Asteron raised his voice slightly as he pressed the point. ”How exactly is invading Mid Sector 89 supposed to be useful for his survival?”

”...You donʼt know either, do you?” A small laugh escaped Asteronʼs mouth as he caught the slight weakness in Arkailʼs position. ”I noticed your expressions shifting a moment ago while you were listening... Some of what he said was something youʼd never heard before either.” Then he slowly shook his head. ”Tsk, tsk~ Just how far has your status fallen exactly, Your... Your Excellency the Behemoth?”

”Couldnʼt I say the same thing about you?” Arkail began stroking his beard, completely ignoring the mockery in Asteronʼs tone. ”Once you do your due diligence and confirm for yourself that Lord Robinʼs words are actually true, how exactly will that make you look when youʼre being used by the Syndicate as the spearhead meant to stand in Lord Robinʼs path and stop him?”

Then he laughed, finding the situation increasingly amusing the more he looked at it from that angle. ”According to Lord Robinʼs own words, heʼs trying to save you, while youʼre standing here fighting because you apparently want to die like an ignorant puppy when that day finally comes. Haha, donʼt you see just how ridiculous that is? Youʼre defending people who already see you as something destined to perish anyway, something that will inevitably disappear when the time comes?”

12:41

”.....” Asteronʼs eyes widened slightly as Arkailʼs words sank into his mind.

That look Marlik always gave him whenever they spoke... that unmistakably condescending look, as though he were constantly annoyed by his presence, as though he were always speaking down to some stupid child who couldnʼt understand what was happening around him, that strange and incomprehensible look that Asteron had never been able to properly explain...

Could that actually be a look of annoyance because, in Marlikʼs eyes, Asteron should simply carry out the orders given to him in silence because he was destined to die anyway?

”Shut up!” Asteron tightened his grip around his scepter with even greater force, refusing to allow that thought to continue spreading through his mind. ”Itʼs obvious that devil has infected you with the magic of his words, but that wonʼt work on me. I wonʼt fight for anyone, and I donʼt care about anyoneʼs plans. All I want is to protect my Sector, and anyone who dares come near it will be annihilated by my own hand!!”

Then he laughed, his confidence quickly returning as he considered the enormous amount of time still remaining. ”Weʼre going to die in 2.2 million years? Fine. Iʼll hold on to my Sector until then, and when that time finally comes, Iʼll personally see what gets thrown at me and deal with it then. Let your master say whatever he wants; not a single word that comes out of his mouth will be enough to change anything!”

Asteronʼs confidence soared to the heavens as he reached that conclusion, leaving little room for the unease that had briefly appeared inside him.

2.2 million years? Perhaps, just perhaps, Robin Burtonʼs words really were true and there truly was something waiting for them at the end of that period...

Then Robin Burton had spoken at exactly the right time. Asteron could conduct his own research, contact the other Behemoths and discuss the matter with them, and together they could work something out. The amount of time remaining was more than enough to verify whether this claim was actually true and, if it was, find some way to confront it!

Then...

Robin continued speaking—