Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2360 The mission

”...I was painting upon a flowing river.”

Clack.

On the other side, Marlik slowly drew his sword, the metallic sound echoing clearly through the surroundings before his voice followed a moment later.

”Tsk~ Itʼs the refined brat.”

Then he took several measured steps forward until he deliberately positioned himself between Sevar and the golden ring, making it clear that no conversation would proceed without passing through him first.

”What do you want?”

”...?”

Qarunʼs brows immediately drew together into a deep frown.

”Sevar, throw your dog aside before itʼs too late.”

”Tsk.” Marlik spat dismissively to the side before speaking again. ”His Excellency the Archon doesnʼt have time for you, you weasel. Iʼd advise you to—”

”Thatʼs enough, Marlik.” From behind him, Sevar finally opened his mouth, casually raising a hand in a calm gesture. ”My big brother doesnʼt contact me every day, nor does he tell me I was right every hour. This sounds interesting.”

”.....”

Marlik glanced back over his shoulder.

An entire month had already passed, and although his masterʼs external injuries had long since healed, he knew very well that Sevar had yet to fully recover. The last thing he wanted was for a prolonged exchange with Qarun to expose that fact and hand him information he could later exploit against his lord.

Once again, he deliberately played the fool while continuing to belittle Qarun, casually pointing toward him as he spoke.

”Under my lordʼs orders, Iʼll step aside. But donʼt let me see that face for much. Say whatever you want to say... then disappear.”

Only after saying those words did he slowly move aside.

”...?”

Qarun watched him retreat to the side with visible bewilderment, unmistakable disdain... and the faintest trace of envy. Although he knew full well that he himself was stronger than Marlik, he possessed no subordinate whose strength could remotely compare to the butcher standing before him.

Shaking his head, he turned his attention back toward Sevar.

Only a moment later, however, surprise appeared across his face.

”...Youʼre injured?”

”...?!” Marlikʼs entire body jerked as he whipped around, murderous intent pouring from his eyes with almost tangible intensity.

”Heh~” Sevar, however, remained remarkably calm, his expression barely changing. ”So your Causality has reached this level? It seems youʼre approaching the Sixth Grade.”

At this moment, Qarun and Sevar could perceive one another as nothing more than vague silhouettes.

The golden ring was not a portal at all, but something entirely different in nature.

It was a medium employed by a practitioner of Causality to strike the threads of the Cosmic Laws themselves and compel them to carry sound across unimaginable distances, along with a very limited amount of additional information, such as the speakerʼs physical appearance while the conversation was taking place.

For Qarun to discover information like this through nothing more than a voice connection meant that merely allowing him to establish communication through Causality was already sufficient for him to expose the region itself, as well as the condition of those residing within it.

A region inhabited by a Sixth-Grade Causality user.

”Itʼs only a matter of time. It always has been.”

Qarun slightly lifted his chin.

”And you know perfectly well why Iʼve been delayed.”

”Youʼre going to say itʼs because youʼve been focusing on your other two Master Laws?”

Sevar continued smiling without the slightest hesitation.

”That old excuse youʼve always used to explain why Iʼve grown stronger than you despite the fact that you were awakened as a candidate millions of years before I was. Are you honestly still using it?”

”An excuse?” Qarunʼs irritation became immediately apparent. ”Do you possess even one additional complete Master Law? Do you have the slightest idea how difficult that path truly is before you speak so lightly about it?”

”I donʼt need one.” Sevar merely shrugged. ”Just look at yourself. You devoted your efforts to them... yet I still surpassed you.”

”And can you accomplish even a quarter of what Iʼm capable of?” Qarun narrowed his eyes, wearing the expression of someone forced to explain obvious truths to an ignorant fool incapable of understanding them. ”Can you even begin to imagine the countless possibilities that have been opened before me?”

”Will any of that actually help you in a direct confrontation with me?” Sevar let out a quiet laugh. ”Iʼm still stronger.”

”Heh~”

A faint smile slowly appeared upon Qarunʼs face.

”Setting the third one aside, my Causality has already reached the peak of the Fifth Grade, and my Creation has reached the Fifth Grade as well. Do you truly believe youʼre stronger than I am?”

”Iʼd crush you like an insect.” A broad grin spread confidently across Sevarʼs face.

”....”

Qarun answered with an equally broad smile, his eyes never leaving Sevarʼs silhouette.

”I wonder... just how large was the insect that managed to leave you in this condition?”

”...”

The smile gradually disappeared from Sevarʼs face, the amusement fading from his expression until nothing remained but quiet composure. ”What do you want, Qarun? You said I was right about the Master. Whatʼs new about that?”

”Have you seen them?” Qarun asked directly, his voice calm but carrying unmistakable weight.

”...Yes.” Sevar slightly raised his head before pausing for the briefest of moments, as though carefully choosing the next word that would leave his mouth. ”Two Unbound ones have been unleashed upon the universe.”

”And what are you going to do about them?” Qarun asked calmly, his eyes never leaving Sevarʼs silhouette.

”I have plans of my own.” Sevar replied with a courteous smile that revealed nothing beyond the surface.

”What are they, Sevar?” Qarun repeated the question without changing his expression. ”I donʼt want whatever weʼre about to do to interfere with one another, and I donʼt want us wasting our time using Causality against each other when our objectives may already overlap.”

”Oh?” A faint trace of surprise appeared upon Sevarʼs face before a subtle smile followed. ”So youʼre finally planning to make a real move against the Seer and his candidate? Youʼve finally grown a pair and decided to move forward instead of waiting forever?”

”....” Qarun stared at him with obvious irritation before answering. ”Letʼs just say I am.”

After remaining silent for a brief moment, he continued in a noticeably heavier voice.

”I did everything for his sake. In the end, he brought in another candidate. I ignored the candidate and continued waiting even longer... but then he went and gave him The Unbound. I couldnʼt tolerate that kind of injustice any longer, nor could I continue remaining silent after something like that.”

”Heh.”Sevar quietly chuckled, the sound carrying far more ridicule than surprise.

”...?”

Qarun immediately knitted his brows together.

”Whatʼs so funny? Did your childhood memories flashed before your eyes or something?”

”....” Sevarʼs laughter gradually faded until only a faint smile remained. ”Whatʼs funny is that I already told you why he never contacted you. I advised you back then to move forward, but you convinced yourself that I was lying to you or trying to harm you.”

”Your explanation was shallow and completely unconvincing.” Qarun answered without the slightest hesitation, dismissing it outright.

”Really?” Sevar laughed once more. ”Arenʼt you simply a selfish man who does whatever he wants and then pins it all on the Master? You love authority, so you seize it and claim itʼs for his sake. You love wealth, so you accumulate it and claim itʼs for his sake. You hate dirtying your own hands and despise direct combat, so you ignite conspiracies and filthy internal wars, then convince yourself theyʼre all for the Masterʼs benefit, because somehow theyʼll produce the best possible outcome for him.”

He laughed again before continuing.

”Your very first assignment was to lead a specific Star Academy. That academy happened to be located within a sector consumed by the Plague, and its Headmaster was an honorable man doing everything within his power to stop it, yet he remained powerless because of the obsolete system restraining him. And in that very same sector, there also existed a Centennial Empire serving one of the patrons.”

Then he slowly pointed toward Qarun.

”Knowing the seerʼs usual style, you were supposed to prove your administrative ability and your wisdom, earn leadership of the Academy through legitimate means, then assist that Headmaster in cleansing the entire sector. Afterward, you would use your newly earned authority to eliminate that Centennial Empire. You could simply accuse them of supporting the Plague. It wouldʼve been an easy task for someone like you, and at the same time it wouldʼve served as a perfectly reasonable explanation for why the Plague had spread throughout that particular sector in the first place, hitting multiple birds with one stone, then taking your authority to the next level, looking at the near sectors, maybe befriend the cosmic elder... Now that, would be a win.”

”Hehehe... but instead, you relied on all your little schemes to wipe out the entire Board of Directors of the academy, planted yourself in the Headmasterʼs seat, and immediately started hoarding wealth. Hahaha... and now that very Centennial Empire has gone on to become the foundation of a Behemoth Galaxy! Hahahahaha!”

Craaack!