Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2239 Wise words

Rumble... Rumble...

The skies of Donara, which already resembled a legendary canvas painted with death, blood, destruction, and endless slaughter, transformed in a single instant.

A colossal vortex of clouds and laws covered nearly half the planet and continued rising higher and higher, expanding with unstoppable momentum until it pierced beyond the limits of the planetary atmosphere and disappeared into the dark reaches of space itself.

The phenomenon was so vast that it seemed as though an invisible giant hand had descended upon the world and begun twisting the heavens.

”...This?” Every Royal Soul Master and member of the Imperial Guard engaged in battle immediately broke off their clashes and retreated several steps to a safe distance, yet none of them opened the encirclement. The sudden development filled them with caution, and every one of them instinctively prepared for whatever terrifying change might come next.

Some raised their weapons.

Others activated defensive techniques.

A few even began gathering energy in advance.

The space beasts, however, were in an even stranger state.

”Aaaaoooohhh!!”

”RRAAAAWR—”

The beasts began releasing cries of pain, agitation, tension, and unease, looking around in confusion and visible distress, their massive bodies shifting restlessly as though they could sense something dreadful approaching.

Some stepped backward.

Others lowered their heads.

A few even seemed hesitant to continue fighting.

For creatures that rarely feared anything, such reactions were deeply unsettling.

”What exactly is happening?” Robin frowned deeply, his eyes focused solely on Althera.

Her mouth and eyes were glowing with an increasingly intense radiance, her body had gone completely limp, and she was now leaning entirely against Zara as though she had fallen into a deep sleep from which she could not be awakened.

”Sheʼs still alive. Her vital functions are stable,” Zara called toward her father after a quick examination. ”What should I do?”

”Do not try to send your energy into her body no matter what happens!!” Blokan stepped toward her with both hands extended.

Then he slowed his approach, his brows knitting together even more tightly as he observed the fluctuations surrounding Althera.

”...Could it be?”

”What is it, Blokan?” Robin asked while examining Althera. As usual, he felt blind without activating his Eye of Truth. ”I have my own guess, but I want to hear yours first.”

”Heh~” Blokan let out a long sigh. ”Thereʼs no need for guesses. I entered a similar state when I reached a higher understanding of the Fundamental Reflection Law and became a Mid Monarch... Sheʼs currently in the middle of a breakthrough.”

”Breaking through to a Mid Monarch?” Robin raised an eyebrow with a chuckle. ”Oh, Iʼve always considered my words full of wisdom, but this is unexpected.”

Blokan turned toward Robin.

”At the moment, sheʼs in a state of complete internal and external surrender. The Fundamental Repetition Law is establishing stronger connections with her and forcing the other laws to acknowledge it on a deeper level. The process isnʼt merely strengthening her control over the law, itʼs changing the relationship between her and the law itself. This process will take some time, a few months or perhaps even a few years.”

”.....” Robin stared at Althera. ”Will Zara have to carry her like this for a few years?”

His daughter was sitting in an extremely uncomfortable position, kneeling on the ground while supporting Altheraʼs head on her shoulder, hardly daring to move in fear of disturbing her condition.

”Itʼs alright, Dad. I needed a vacation anyway.” Zara tried to force a smile.

”What a noble young lady you are.” Blokan laughed. ”But itʼs much simpler than that. As long as she senses no hostility or malicious intent, her Soul Domain will remain closed. We can move her however we like, transport her across continents, relocate her between star systems, or even take her to another planet entirely without affecting the breakthrough.” Then he pointed toward Morgana. ”We can take her with us to the Sacred Covenant Planet to ensure her safety. The students there would also benefit from witnessing a phenomenon like this.”

”Thatʼs fine.” Morgana nodded before looking toward Robin. ”What does Your Majesty think?”

”....” Robin kept his gaze fixed on Althera for several long moments, carefully observing the steady glow emanating from her eyes and mouth, then shifted his attention toward the space beasts beyond the defensive lines. After a brief pause, he raised a hand and pointed toward the nearby glass residence.

”Place her in the Cosmic Elderʼs residence. He wonʼt be using it for a while anyway. Her presence here seems likely to help with the defense.”

”Understood!”

Without asking any further questions, Morgana immediately used her Soul Force to gently lift Althera from Zaraʼs shoulder. Every movement was performed with extreme caution, as though she were carrying a priceless treasure that might shatter if mishandled. She slowly guided her toward the nearby glass residence, while Zara hurried after them to prepare a proper bed, reinforce the interior, and establish multiple layers of protective barriers around the building.

Neither of them dared to underestimate the importance of what was happening.

After all, a Mid Monarch was not born every day.

At that point, Robin finally returned his attention to the battlefield. The massive vortex still dominated the sky, the beasts remained visibly disturbed, and the atmosphere throughout the region had become strangely tense.

He tilted his head slightly toward the gate.

”What do you think is happening to the beasts, Blokan?”

”....” Blokan observed the beastsʼ behavior for nearly a full minute before speaking. His eyes moved from one creature to another, carefully examining their reactions. ”At the moment, all thatʼs happening is that the laws of Planet Donara are behaving in an unusual manner. Theyʼve become more active, more responsive, and more effective. They arenʼt harming anyone directly, and I doubt youʼve even noticed any physical or spiritual changes yourself.”

”So itʼs the change thatʼs frightening them, the appearance of something unexpected.” Robin nodded thoughtfully before pointing toward the gate. ”Look, that beast just came through, yet itʼs acting strangely and hesitantly as well.”

The newly arrived beast had clearly crossed the gate successfully.

Nothing had attacked it.

Nothing had injured it.

Nothing had obstructed its movement.

Yet it still seemed restless.

Its eyes continuously scanned the surroundings, and its movements lacked the confidence displayed by the previous waves.

”In the end, theyʼre merely foolish beasts, Your Majesty.” Blokan replied with a smile. ”I alone managed to neutralize three adult space beasts using nothing more than a few techniques and tricks, even though any one of them would have pushed me into a fight to the death if raw power were the only factor involved. Strength is important, but intelligence often determines who survives.”

”Hmm, true enough. Perhaps certain patterns of law behavior are imprinted into their memories, but theyʼve suddenly encountered something different. That moment of uncertainty is probably causing their minds to slow down from tension.” Then he laughed. ”What fortunate timing, Althera. Thanks to you, our harvest is going to be abundant.”

Several nearby Royal Soul Masters exchanged glances after hearing that statement.

A battlefield filled with terrifying monsters had somehow become a harvest field in Robinʼs eyes.

Yet none of them found that surprising anymore.

”May I ask why youʼre keeping the gate open?” Blokan turned fully toward Robin and asked seriously. ”Weʼve been eagerly waiting for you to either close it or tell us how to do so ourselves, so we can avoid another catastrophe. Every additional day that thing remains open increases the possibility of another disaster. After all, who knows when another Executioner might arrive?”

The mention of an Executioner immediately caused several nearby experts to become more attentive.

The memory of that battle was still fresh in everyoneʼs minds.

”....” Robin remained silent for several moments.

His eyes drifted toward the enormous gate once again.

Countless thoughts seemed to pass through his mind before he finally spoke.

”Tell me, Blokan.” He continued in an unusually calm tone. ”If a new nest arrives, led by a new Executioner, will we handle it better or worse than we did last time?”

”....” Blokan considered the question briefly. ”Better, without a doubt.”

His answer came quickly.

There was almost no room for debate.

”Exactly.” Robin smiled. ”Experience gave us a push forward. We now know what works against them and what doesnʼt. We know their habits better. We understand their strengths better. We understand our own weaknesses better.” Then he pointed toward the gate. ”Look, weʼve already discovered another weakness.”

Blokan followed his gaze toward the battlefield.

Several beasts were still visibly distracted by the planetary changes.

Their reactions alone were valuable information.

Robin leaned back slightly, resting his hands at his sides.

”For example, I originally assumed the space beasts were creatures of pure corruption, so I used the Purgatory Flame against them. Yet it turns out theyʼre actually a special race known as the Reapers. So why did the Purgatory Flame work on them? And quite effectively, as it happens. These are the kinds of mysteries and answers that can only be uncovered through experimentation.”

He looked toward the battlefield where countless beast corpses remained scattered.

”Every battle teaches us something.”

Then he smiled faintly.

”Every corpse teaches us something too.”

”Lord Robin.” Blokan stared directly at Robinʼs face. ”Do you intend to use the gate to develop new weapons and train soldiers in preparation for what will come ten thousand years from now?”

”Thatʼs one aspect of it, yes. But thereʼs also the matter of utilizing their corpses and crystals in weapon production, and another aspect thatʼs no less important. As intelligent beings of B-14, weʼve never created energy containers more powerful or more concentrated than Reaper crystals.” Robin smiled. ”Donʼt you think thatʼs a good idea?”

”...I think itʼs a good dream.” Blokan shook his head. ”A dream that cannot be realized.”