Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1127 1127: Visiting a beast king -2

Inside the Lair

”Hmm…” Robin advanced calmly, his hands clasped behind his back.

Ever since he had entered that massive opening in the mountain, he had been descending continuously. The passage was vast —immensely wide— but so dark that its end was completely obscured. Robin had to rely on his soul sense to navigate freely between the mounds of filth and scattered bones along the way. The deeper he went, the heavier the air became, filled with an icy chill that gnawed at his skin like tiny daggers.

At last, the descent ceased, and Robin found himself in what appeared to be an enormous cavern, its ceiling soaring at least a hundred meters high! The air inside was thick with an ancient presence, and the ground beneath him was smoother than expected, as if worn down over countless years. The space was massive enough to house an entire fortress, but only one thing resided within…

A colossal beast, curled upon itself, its massive tails coiled beneath its chin as it lay in a deep slumber.

Inhale~

As the enormous fox took a breath, Robin immediately felt a powerful suction force, as if the air itself was being drawn toward the creature. His clothes fluttered slightly from the pull, and he instinctively braced himself.

However, the beast did not exhale. Instead, it slowly opened its eyes—two radiant blue suns that shone with an ethereal glow. Its gaze locked onto Robin in complete silence, ”....”

”Hello there!” Robin raised his right hand and waved toward the fox, his tone casual and unbothered.

The creatureʼs massive eyes remained fixated on Robin for a few more seconds, as if assessing him. Then, without a word, it simply closed them again and rested its head back onto its tail.

Inhale~

”Alright… Iʼll just assume that means you consider me a friend.” Robin chuckled to himself, then turned his attention to his surroundings, taking a slow stroll around the cavern.

Despite Devosʼ colossal size taking up more than half the space within the lair, there was still plenty to observe. The cavern walls were layered with strange frost-like formations, but unlike regular ice, they pulsed with a faint luminescence, giving the entire chamber an eerie glow. The floor was littered with old remains—bones of creatures he couldnʼt immediately identify, their sizes ranging from the tiny to the absurdly large.

Then, his gaze landed on something far more interesting.

Whistle~

Robin let out a soft whistle as he spotted three towering mounds beside Devos. One hill was composed entirely of beast crystals, shimmering with raw energy. Another mound was stacked with Ice Energy Pearls, radiating an intense chill that made the air around them shimmer. But the third mound… it was filled with materials Robin had never seen before. Strange ores, herbs emitting faint auras, and peculiar artifacts scattered among them, each exuding a presence of power.

Those three mounds alone could fill the treasury of an entire empire!

”Oh, whatʼs this?” Robin crouched slightly near an item within the third mound and extended his hand. It looked like coral, but unlike any he had ever encountered before. Its transparent blue color was mesmerizing, and its aura was captivating. But that wasnʼt what drew Robinʼs interest the most—it was what was happening inside it.

Tiny, shifting specks of golden light floated within the coral-like structure, moving in slow, rhythmic patterns. Time itself seemed distorted within the object as if the space inside existed on a different temporal scale.

Just as his fingers were about to brush against its surface—

”Do not touch anything.”

Devosʼ deep, rumbling voice filled the cavern, cutting through the silence like thunder.

The language Devos spoke was unfamiliar, but thanks to his activated Instant Translation soul technique, Robin understood him immediately. His hand froze in place, but he didnʼt pull away just yet.

”Come on, big guy, donʼt be like that, Iʼm a friend!” Robin grinned. ”Itʼs not every day I find an object linked to the Path of Time!”

”I am not your friend,” Devos stated coldly. ”What does he want?”

”Who?” Robin smirked.

”I can smell the scent of a powerful beast on you,” Devos muttered. ”Is it the Beast King from that other planet where humans arrive daily? Are you his servant?” The massive fox yawned, baring his fangs before resting his head again. ”Speak your purpose, I wish to return to my slumber.”

”Oh? I wonder if youʼre smelling Crixus or Durger. Maybe I should bathe in the Fountain of Youth to rid myself of their scent.” Robin chuckled, started smelling his armpit.

Crixus was a Level 49 Beast King, and Durger was a Level 50 Beast King— both of them were undeniably stronger than Devos who is only at level 48. Perhaps that was why the fox was showing a bit of restraint.

Robin waved a hand dismissively. ”In any case, no, Iʼm not a servant to any beast—I am human.”

”Then?” Devos used one of his three tails to lazily scratch between his ears. ”Humans are servants. Isnʼt that your purpose?”

”Of course not! Who told you that?” Robin laughed. ”You have it all wrong, big guy. If anything, you are the one bound to humans, not the other way around.”

”...What?”

”You cannot grow stronger unless a human surpasses your level first,” Robin explained, his tone playful yet firm. ”How can you witness something like that and still believe you are the main character?”

Devos opened one eye slightly, as if pondering those words for the first time.

”...Hah. I had never noticed that before.” Then he shut his eye again, his tail flicking slightly. ”An interesting piece of information. Pass my regards to your master. You may leave now.”

”...!!” Robin raised an eyebrow. ”Wait… you really didnʼt know that? Donʼt you communicate with the spirit of this planet?”

”The Spirit of the Planet... the Spirit of the Planet... Oh, that annoying voice?” Devos the Transcendent appeared to sink into deep thought, his massive, glowing blue eyes flickering slightly as he recalled something. ”We donʼt talk much. Itʼs only asked for my help once or twice, and that was it~ Why? Does the voice speak to your master often?”

Robin suddenly let out a chuckle, his shoulders shaking slightly before he placed a hand over his eyes and burst into full laughter. ”Hahaha...”

Devos tilted his massive head slightly, his ears twitching ever so slightly in mild curiosity.

”When they told me you destroyed the village near your lair because of my arrays, I imagined all sorts of things. A proud, untouchable ruler, a terrifying force of nature, an ancient beast with wisdom beyond human comprehension, But I never thought Iʼd find... This!”

”And what exactly did you find?” Devos asked, his tone dripping with boredom.

Robin grinned mischievously, his eyes gleaming with amusement. ”A giant, stupid pup.”

For a moment, there was silence. Then Deivosʼ deep, rumbling voice responded, completely unbothered by the insult. ”If thatʼs what your master believes~ then so be it.”

”...” Robin scratched his head, watching the massive beastʼs indifferent demeanor. Despite his overwhelming power, Devos didnʼt act the way Robin had expected a Beast King to behave. He wasnʼt arrogant, nor was he particularly aggressive—just indifferent, as if everything around him simply wasnʼt worth his attention.

Still... Robin wasnʼt done yet.

Without a word, he extended his hand once more toward the strange coral-like object resting atop one of the treasure piles.

Clatter!

”Hmm?” Robin immediately turned his head, instincts screaming at him—

Only to meet those vast, luminous blue eyes. This time, they werenʼt lazy or indifferent. They were piercing, sharp, and utterly devoid of mercy.

The temperature in the cavern plummeted instantly. A suffocating killing intent poured forth like an avalanche, freezing the very air itself. The once-soft, pristine white fur of the massive beast bristled, standing on end as though charged with static energy. His enormous fangs, previously hidden, now gleamed in the dim light, razor-sharp and coated in a mist of frost.

”Even a messenger must know his limits.”

Robinʼs lips curled into a wide grin. ”Haha, now this is more like it! I canʼt fight someone whoʼs already surrendered!” His voice was filled with excitement as ten small soul portals suddenly materialized around him, humming with an eerie force.

From each one, a grand silver sword emerged, gleaming with an unnatural brilliance.

Deivosʼ expression didnʼt change, but his gaze flickered ever so slightly.

”...?” The Beast King had never seen such a technique before. He didnʼt know what it meant to fight a Soul Master, nor did he fully understand what these weapons were. But he could feel it. He could feel the danger radiating from each of those swords. Every single one of them carried enough concentrated energy to wound him—something that few beings in existence could claim.

”So, youʼre not just a mere messenger, then.” Deivosʼ deep voice rumbled through the cavern. ”Did the Beast King from the other planet send you to test me?”

Without waiting for an answer—

Crack!

Devos slowly rose to his full height. His pupils expanded, consuming the entirety of his glowing blue eyes. His fangs, already enormous, extended further, their edges coated in an ethereal frost that made them gleam like polished steel.

The cavern trembled as his massive form loomed over Robin. Towering dozens of meters high, with a body stretching over sixty meters from snout to waist, Deivos exuded an overwhelming presence. His three colossal tails rose behind him, each one nearly matching his own body in length.

And at the tip of each tail—

Three massive spheres of ethereal frost began forming. Each one pulsed with an eerie glow, their translucent surfaces distorting as if containing entire frozen worlds within.

”Come on then, test me!”

Robinʼs breath hitched for a fraction of a second.

Even though he had faced terrifying opponents before, merely standing before Devos in this state made him understand why the beast was given the title Transcendent. The sheer pressure he emitted was immense, comparable to the time Robin had stood before Durger, another Beast King. But logically, that shouldnʼt be the case.

By all accounts, Durger was two levels above Devos. This meant Deivos should have been weaker in comparison. And yet—

Robin clenched his fist.

The Law of Corrosion was a minor law under the Fundamental Path of Destruction, just as the Law of Permanence was secondary to the Fundamental Path of Time. Normally, such laws werenʼt supposed to be as powerful as their fundamental counterparts. But Devos had another advantage— Frost, a complex law that merged with Permanence, creating a dangerous synergy.

With that in mind…

Robin couldnʼt confidently predict the outcome of a battle between Durger and Devos.

”Heh~ Beast Kings really are incredible entities.”

Robin let out a deep sigh, shaking his head at the overwhelming presence before him. Then, with a simple motion—

Whoom! Whoom!

Dozens of additional soul gates burst open, filling the cavern with their ominous glow. One by one, they unleashed an army of silver swords, until a total of one hundred blades hovered in the air around Robin.

Each one brimming with 1,000 units of pure spirit energy.

Silence.

Deivosʼ glowing eyes flickered again. Slowly, he glanced left, then right, as if reevaluating the situation.

Then—

Without a word, he closed his mouth, let out a faint exhale, and dispelled the three massive spheres hovering above his tails.

The immense pressure in the cavern lifted.

With the same laziness as before, Devos lowered his massive body back to the ground, curled his tails around himself, and rested his chin on the soft fur of his own tail.

”Alright. Youʼve made your point.”