Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1259 1259: A new Holak

”…They managed to defeat Durger and even his Ten Tyrant Beasts?”

Robinʼs voice trembled slightly as the weight of those words settled. His mind searched for logic, for a crack in the tale, but Holak was grinning his teeth out.

”Defeat just Durger and the Ten Tyrants?” Holak repeated with a scoff, his tone soaked in mockery. Then, as if recounting a light-hearted joke, he bellowed a deep laugh, one that echoed across the grand hall. ”Boss, come on! Toss in the entire beast horde of Poison Rock Planet too! Only then are you starting to scratch the surface!”

He slapped a hand to his armored chest and laughed harder. ”These boys are quite good. I taught them a few classic Holak-style moves—some of the old, dangerous stuff—and would you believe it? They absorbed them like dry earth drinks the rain.”

Robinʼs expression tightened as he leaned back on the throne, eyes widening with a mix of awe and concern. ”They battled the entire beast army of Poison Rock? The full planetary horde? Not even Pythor… even at his absolute prime, could dream of accomplishing that.”

Holak just grinned, as if Robin had finally caught on. ”Well, you wanted guards. I made you guards. But not just any guards, Boss. I gave you titans wrapped in mortal skin. Iʼm becoming pretty proud of them hehe.”

Robin was silent for several moments. The gravity of Holakʼs words sank deep. These werenʼt just recruits, or trainees. These were refined monsters—beings who had survived what shouldʼve been impossible.

”…So then, this summon—was it for their laws?” Holak scratched his neck, dismissing the thought with a lazy wave. ”Honestly, I doubt laws even matter at this point. You should focus on speeding up the creation of those black imperial armors instead. The ones lucky enough to wear them during the campaign? They made art out of massacre. They reduced Durgerʼs inner circle to bloodstains. The Headquarters even had to issue several Corrosion Pearls as compensation for Durger afterward!”

He glanced down at his own armor, tugging at its heavy collar. ”Sure, theyʼre stiff and uncomfortable, but I wonʼt lie—these armors work.”

Robinʼs breath caught for a moment. His perception of the Imperial Guard had shifted—no longer were they late-bloomers waiting to be molded. Now they were juggernauts, barely bound by discipline, capable of shaking the core of worlds if left unchecked.

”…Did you make them swear any oaths upon their arrival?” he asked at last, his tone sharp with intent.

”Of course,” Holak said matter-of-factly, producing a sleek silver ring from his spatial reserve. He tapped its center, and a small bundle of shimmering contract tablets appeared, suspended in mid-air. ”Here. These are the oath tablets of the remaining boys. Keep them on you. Every one of them swore full allegiance to you—and more.”

Robin exhaled a long, slow breath of relief. ”Good… thatʼs good.” He nodded repeatedly, regaining his composure. ”Judging by what youʼve told me, itʼs clear they no longer need another push in power. But regardless—theyʼll receive it.”

With a faint flick of his hand, Robin summoned three large metallic slabs. Each one radiated a dense, invisible pressure—the kind that made space ripple ever so slightly around them. Laws etched into divine metal.

”…Distribute these according to their elemental affinities,” he said, voice unwavering.

Holakʼs smirk finally cracked. His eternal sarcasm faltered.

”…Boss…” he said, eyes locked on the slabs. ”Donʼt you think this is a bit over the top? Whatʼs the point of the rest of your armies if I hand these out?”

Robinʼs face lit up with an uncharacteristically wide smile. ”As you said, Holak—the Imperial Guard is the final wall between the enemy and me. They must never be anything less than overwhelming. Thereʼs no such thing as ʼtoo strongʼ when it comes to my last line of defense.”

He leaned forward. ”Whatʼs wrong? Afraid of your own soldiers now?”

”…A little,” Holak muttered under his breath, rubbing the back of his head. ”The first two slabs—yeah, I know them well. Just having one wielder of either is enough to make any general nervous. Major Law of Time… Major Law of Space. But this third one…”

He pointed slowly. ”Major Law of Resonant Waves? Iʼve never even heard of that. What is that supposed to be?”

Robinʼs golden eyes glowed with scholarly fire. ”During my recent research, I noticed a consistent phenomenon. Everything—and I mean everything—emits vibrations. Lifeforms. Rocks. Cells. Entire celestial bodies. All of them generate subtle, often undetectable waves.”

He leaned closer, his tone low and charged. ”When I studied those waves, traced them deeper than the eye could see—I discovered something astonishing. A force woven into existence itself. A new Fundamental Law.”

”A Fundamental law… on the same level as Time and Space?” Holak raised an eyebrow, face still unreadable. ”I canʼt quite picture that.”

”Itʼs not just equal,” Robin said softly. ”In the hands of the right individual—it might be superior. One who masters this law wonʼt simply sense those waves—theyʼll command them. Theyʼll see through everything. Nothing will escape their perception. Theyʼll manipulate the oscillations of matter and soul, accelerate or slow down biological processes, fight faster than thought, move like light, predict incoming attacks by sensing tremors, disrupt emotion, control consciousness, and even interfere with other laws.”

He smiled faintly, the edge of madness in his excitement. ”This law… is the echo of existence itself. And I want to see what happens when one of my guards wields it.”

Holak remained quiet for several moments. Then, slowly, he crouched down to better inspect the third slab, his eternal grin replaced by something rarely seen on his face—respect.

”Oh, itʼs undoubtedly powerful, Holak. And the scope of its applications? Practically limitless,” Robin said, tapping his throneʼs armrest twice with a thoughtful expression. ”I donʼt know why exactly, but I have this gut feeling—this law, the Resonant Waves Law, might be the first fragile thread that leads toward unraveling the Master Law of Identity itself.”

”…?!” Holakʼs head shot upward, eyes wide with surprise, as if Robin had just dropped a divine secret into his lap.

”What, did I share more than I should have?” Robin laughed heartily, eyes glinting with mischief. ”As my personal bodyguard, you need to expand your horizons. Itʼs about time you thought bigger.”

”No, thatʼs not it at all…” Holak muttered, his tone more subdued than usual. He clenched both fists tightly before finally exhaling a heavy breath. ”Itʼs just… Iʼm starting to question whether the path I chose was really the right one to become the strongest.”

Robinʼs gaze softened as he nodded slowly. ”To be honest, Holak, Iʼve asked myself the same question many times. Especially when I discovered that the four traditional cultivation paths donʼt even include a proper route for cultivating the physical body. That was my first red flag. Thatʼs when I realized it was a path the heavens themselves had given up on.”

”Donʼt get me wrong, Boss,” Holak said quickly, waving his hand in dismissal, his pride flaring up again. ”Iʼm not saying I doubt my strength now. Even at level 49, I still have the capability to go head-to-head with anyone in the entire empire— you excluded, of course.” He leaned back with an exaggerated sigh. ”But still… youʼre making things harder, Boss. With every new discovery of yours, everyone else keeps getting stronger, evolving, breaking limits—and Iʼm still stuck at level 49. At this rate, Iʼll be here for another thousand years. My image, my reputation, my legend—theyʼll all take a hit!”

Robin let out a warm laugh. ”I could never allow your legend to suffer, Holak.” Then, without another word, he casually produced a new metallic tablet and handed it over.

Holak seized it with curiosity and immediately infused his spiritual sense into it. A flash of energy ran through his body. His eyes widened as if heʼd just found the treasure of a lifetime. ”This… what is this?!”

”Thatʼs the fourth-grade version of the body strengthening tattoo,” Robin replied, grinning proudly. ”Based on the ancient design used by the Giants. Iʼve re-engineered it myself. I eliminated several inefficient segments that were slowing down energy absorption and dampening overall performance. Once you find a skilled specialist to inscribe it on your body using this updated schematic, youʼll break into level 50 within a year—maybe even sooner.”

He raised a single finger, cautioning him. ”But donʼt you dare go handing that out to the Imperial Guards. This is custom-made for you. Only a beast like you, Holak, can endure the strain and make full use of it.”

”Hah! I knew you wouldnʼt hold out on me, Boss!” Holak let out a hearty laugh, his deep voice echoing in the throne room. He immediately stored the three law tablets he had received earlier into his spatial ring, then lifted this new tablet with both hands, holding it up like it was a divine relic, his eyes full of reverence.

”I must apologize, though,” Robin added, voice tinged with humility. ”I havenʼt yet discovered the fifth-grade version. Truth is, I still donʼt know what a World Cataclysm-level being is truly capable of, nor do I understand how to achieve such a state… But with this improved tattoo, youʼll reach half a step into that level within a few years. No one below Calamity will be able to pose any real threat to you.”

He grinned, eyes locking with Holakʼs. ”So? Are you satisfied now?”

”More than satisfied!” Holak nodded vigorously, unable to hide the excitement on his face.

”In that case… allow me to give you one more gift,” Robin said, chuckling softly as he handed over yet another tablet.

Holak froze for a second, stunned. Then, carefully, he set aside the previous tablet—like a sacred artifact—and accepted the new one. Curiosity blazing in his eyes, he sent his soul sense into it and immediately reacted in shock. ”…This is… The Seismic Merged Law?!”

Robin smiled warmly. ”Youʼve always been a tough case when it comes to crafting a merged law that suits you. You already cultivate the Major Law of Earth, so at first, I considered giving you the Lava Law—a fusion between Earth and Fire. But then… I discovered the Fundamental Law of Resonant Waves. That changed everything.”

He pointed straight at Holak. ”This new merged law allows you to summon earthquakes with a mere gesture. Youʼll be able to level entire cities with a single charge. Itʼs the perfect companion to your terrifying physical might. The more force you use, the more intense the resulting wave—and the greater the seismic devastation. Who knows, Holak… maybe one day, youʼll punch so hard that the entire continent beneath you will split in two.”

Holak stood in stunned silence for a long moment, staring at Robin. Then, with exaggerated flair, he walked up to him, leaned in dramatically—

”Mwaaaaah~!” he planted a loud kiss on Robinʼs forehead, grinning wildly. ”If you werenʼt already my boss, Iʼd wish for you to become my boss!”

”Ugh! Get outta here!” Robin yelled, laughing as he swatted Holak on the rear and shoved him playfully toward the massive palace doors.