Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1818 New mission

Noise... noise...

The ruler of the Crumbled Meteors Empire watched his subordinates - his bloodline, his officers, and his senior generals - scramble out of the grand hall in a frantic rush, escaping one after another the very instant Sakaar issued a single command. Not a single one of them even paused to look back at him, nor did anyone wait for the slightest confirmation from their emperor!!

The planetary emperor remained frozen in place, his eyes half-lidded and his breath trapped somewhere in his tightening chest. He wanted to shout at them, to order them to halt, to remind them that he not Sakaar - was their sovereign. Yet deep inside, just like every one of them... he felt the same unavoidable compulsion to obey.

Was it the overwhelming, crushing power that Marshal Sakaar and his Crimson Forces had displayed repeatedly through decades of war?

Or the unspoken gratitude for the countless times they had saved his people from extinction? ... Most likely the former.

But no one, absolutely no one, would ever admit something so humiliating. Clack-clack.

Only after the massive gate closed behind the last fleeing official did Sakaar finally open his mouth. ”Now that thereʼs no more useless echo polluting this hall... speak. Directly.” ”.....

The planetary emperor stepped back twice, almost stumbling, before sitting heavily upon his throne again, gripping both armrests until his knuckles strained. ”I believe Iʼve already been direct enough, Marshal Sakaar. Your presence at our side has been a mercy from the heavens themselves an answer to the desperate prayers of widows and survivors. But... circumstances have changed. The war has shifted completely into the Middle Belt, so why not head there and display your abilities where they will truly shine, hmm?” ”Oh... display my abilities in the Middle Belt?”

Sakaar tilted his head ever so slightly. His tone was impossibly calm, a level of calm that made it impossible to understand what he was thinking. ”Yes! This limited battlefield has nothing left to offer soldiers as formidable as you. Youʼve helped us reclaim two thousand planets - we are deeply grateful for that but the remaining three hundred? We can recover them ourselves now. After all, we are not a millennial empire for nothing, haha... ha.”

The planetary emperor swallowed hard, the skeletal structure forming half of his throat shifting under his skin.

Then he continued: ”On your noble journey, we will supply you with whatever ships, weapons, and raw materials you desire. And as a farewell gift, we shall present ten million Pearls of energy. We wish you the finest success in the true battlefield that deserves your strength - serving our great Monarch Hedrick!” ”Khkhkh-aaahahaha!!”

Liusar clapped his hands together repeatedly with a deliberately mocking laugh, then pointed straight at the emperor with wild excitement. ”Can I eat him? Can I eat him?!” ” [”

The emperorʼs expression instantly soured, a deep shade of rage and humiliation sweeping across his face. Then, forcing himself to maintain dignity, he looked back at Sakaar. ”I will overlook this insult... but I suggest disciplining your son. He will bring you serious trouble if you let him roam without restraint.” ”He is not my son,” Sakaar replied, shaking his head slowly. ”Secondly, he is not a child. His mental faculties likely surpass both of ours - he simply chooses to grow at his own pace.”

He stepped forward, his crimson boots echoing through the hall. ”And third... he really could devour you if I allowed him. Without a single intervention from me.” ”I am the owner of this planet!”

The emperor slammed his hand against the throne, trembling with wounded pride. ”The owner, hah...”

Sakaar continued his ascent toward the throne, each step radiating unseen pressure. He planted one foot on the elevated platform and spoke in a low voice, barely above a whisper, yet sharp enough to cut through the air: ”Bring me a seat identical to the one you sit on... or stand and speak to me the way I speak to you.

This is the only respect I grant your position, the respect of allowing you to act like an equal, nothing more.”

The emperor swallowed again - loudly this time and without fully realizing it, he began to rise from his seat.

He might not be completely convinced of Sakaarʼs words about that grotesque creature beside him...

But he did understand, very clearly, the terrifying force wielded by the Crimson Soldiers.

As he stood, he felt the joints of his knees tremble violently, threatening to buckle.

He had intended to pressure Sakaar earlier - to smother him with gifts and diplomatic flattery, to treat him as a celebrated hero so he would leave peacefully once the war ended.

But Sakaar had crushed that entire strategy with a single sentence...

And now, he wasnʼt treating him like a victorious emperor at all.

This cold, overwhelming manner...

It felt less like diplomacy... ...and more like the dominion of a conqueror. ”Now this is far better.”

Sakaar tilted his head downward, his piercing gaze falling on the emperor, who barely reached the middle of his own stomach. His presence alone seemed to dwarf the man. ”Now... you are saying that you want us to leave?” ”... You have fulfilled your duty - and more than that. There is no longer a need for your presence here. I wish to bring in the families of my soldiers, to repopulate the planet, and restore its vitality... yet your continued presence terrifies the troops, let alone their families.”

The planetary emperor looked down at the land beneath him, drawing upon every ounce of courage left in his chest, forcing himself to speak clearly and aloud. ”Thank you for everything you have done, truly... but the time has come for you to move forward, for the chapter to end.” ”Heh~”

Sakaar let out a slow, low chuckle that carried both amusement and disdain. ”I cannot even begin to describe the depth of your misunderstanding, nor the staggering folly you hold toward us.”

Finally, he turned slightly to the left and began to stride away from the throne, his movements calm, deliberate, and commanding. ”You claim that you are now safe, that prosperity has returned... and for that reason, we must leave? What a foolish notion. Do you even realize that we were the reason both safety and prosperity exist in the first place?” ”What do you mean by that?”

The planetary emperor lifted his head, his voice rising with a mixture of fear and indignation. ”Are you suggesting that you are now colonizing us? You halpped us and now we have fallen under occupation?!”

The worst fear that had haunted the emperorʼs heart for the last three decades was now unfolding before him.

Sakaar and his companions had begun to see themselves as an entity far greater, far more consequential than merely a supporting force. They regarded their own role as pivotal, indispensable, and undeniably dominant.

The only comfort that remained in his heart was the knowledge that they had come under the authority of a partner of Lord Hedrick.

He clung to the fragile hope that his kingdom might eventually be returned fully to his control, even though there were now places within Verilion - no, even within the Mother Continent itself - where he could not even set foot. ”If I intended to occupy you,” Sakaar continued, his tone calm, almost lazy, ”we would not be having this conversation as equals. Perhaps you have never seen my full strength in person, but you have witnessed General Helgaʼs unit. Do you truly think we linger here for some secret plot? You are far beneath that. Destroying all of you would be easier than retrieving a single corpse from

Liusarʼs hands!” ”Heheh-heh-ho~”

The white Demon laughed in a peculiar, unnerving way, still regarding the planetary emperor as if he were nothing more than a dish set before a feast. His eyes gleamed with a strange, almost playful malice. ”...Then what is it that you want? Why do you refuse to leave?”

The emperor gritted his teeth, swallowing his humiliation bitterly. ”Will you say again that it is your orders to protect Verilion until you reach the

Middle Belt? There is no longer any danger here. I promise you, I can protect it myself.”” ”Hmm? What if an Armada retuned after I left?”

Sakaarʼs expression conveyed sheer enjoyment, as though he were savoring every word. ”When my lord comes to ask me why was Verilion seed destroyed after I gave you explicit orders to protect it... should I tell him itʼs because the Nameless piece of meat promised it would remain intact?” ”...!?!?!?” ”In any case, we have new orders.””

Sakaar turned his head, slowly surveying the hall as if admiring the intricate, newly restored palace decorations. Each carving, each reflection of light, seemed to please him. ”New orders? From the Shadow Swords?”

Swallow. The emperor braced himself mentally, his heart pounding in his chest. ”What are they?” ”We are to assist you in reclaiming every single one of your planets, and then aid you in conquering more under your name. Several Note fleets of the

Crimson variant are already en route to us, prepared for deployment.” ”What? Conquer more planets in our name?!”

The planetary emperor waved his hand furiously, eyes wide with shock. ”We do not want that! All we seek now is a semblance of peace! We must rebuild what was destroyed! That is all we ask!” ”The orders have come, and they will be executed,” Sakaar said calmly, turning his gaze toward the emperor one final time before striding toward the massive gate. ”You may behave like a stubborn child who refuses to eat what is placed before him, but I will pry your mouth open and feed it to you if necessary... Prepare yourself for a massive campaign that will soon begin against every empire that dared attack you during the previous calamity!” ”Wha- What?!”

The emperorʼs eyes widened in shock. He stumbled forward two steps, panic overtaking him completely. ”What is happening here? What is happening heereee?!”