Lord of the Truth

1085  One attack

Not far from the battlefield, a pair of eyes were silently observing everything, glowing like golden lanterns. If anyone were to approach, they would see the planetary emperor, Robin Burton, sitting under a pile of rubble, watching intently.

A short while ago, when Evergreen had informed him that Pythor was preparing to use the Poison Rock Planet Spirits' Gift, Robin hastened the healing of crucial parts of his body, enabling him to climb out of the pit he had found himself in. Barely making it to the surface, he struggled to move a few rocks randomly, creating a vantage point that allowed him a clear view of the ongoing battle. From that moment on, he had remained completely still, silently observing the scene without making any further movements.

"Now I finally understand what you meant when you explained the concept of Gifts," Robin muttered under his breath. "You said that anyone who uses one in the Middle Planetary Belt would immediately be recognized as a planet owner and could potentially be hunted down and tortured. At the time, I didn't quite grasp the full weight of that statement, but now..." His golden eyes fixated on the purple sun shining ominously above Pythor's head. "This... this is simply too much. It's like a beacon calling for attention."

Crack. Crack.

(That's how battles between planet owners should be— grand, devastating, and impossible to ignore. You will rarely see anyone using their Gift in the Middle Planetary Belt, and even rarer still will you witness two planet owners clashing against each other. Most of you prefer to keep your Gifts as last-resort trump cards. After all, if a major faction were to capture you, they would torture you until they uncovered the location of your planet and then kill you just to claim it. The risks of using Gifts are immense... but as you can see, the rewards are equally fascinating.) Evergreen's voice carried a knowing tone before she suddenly added, (By the way, aren't you going to use yours?)

"What an infuriatingly troublesome Planet Gift!" Robin grumbled, his gaze locked onto Pythor's rapidly regenerating form as Holak's relentless punches barely managed to keep him from reforming too quickly. "How do you even kill something that? He became untouchable? Heart, head, crystal core—these are the essential targets when defeating a beast. But now, all of them have turned into a toxic, fluid state. Is every planet's Gift this frustrating to deal with?"

Crack.

(Of course not. Each planet possesses a unique ability suited to its natural properties. My nature leans towards the Paths of Life and Plants, whereas Poison Rock Planet follows the Path of Destruction and Poisons— and it's far larger than I am. Both the Paths of Life and the Path of Destruction are fundamental forces, so our Gifts are comparable in strength. However, there are many planets with far weaker Gifts. Some are so feeble they can't even grant one! I imagine that pathetic excuse of a home planet you come from might be among them.) Evergreen's words held no mercy. @@novelbin@@

Crack. Crack.

Robin remained silent, his glowing golden eyes fixed on the battlefield. He was listening— not just to Evergreen, but also to the faint sounds of fractures forming within his own body.

At this moment, he was taking full use of his unlimited supply of life energy, slowly burning it to repair his shattered bones and replenish the energy reserves within the energy gathering center located just beneath his navel. His goal was clear: to maximize efficiency.

Evergreen was replenishing his Life Energy at a steady but slow rate, so Robin needed to burn just enough to heal effectively while ensuring his reserves never dropped below 10%.

(Excuse me, but what kind of Master Law Practitioner are you? All it took was a single hit, and your entire skeleton shattered! Shouldn't you have worn one of those armored suits you craft before heading into battle?) The sounds coming from Robin's body were grating on Evergreen's nerves, clearly irritating her.

"Hey, I won't let you talk to me like that! I nearly shattered his core, alright? That attack should have killed him. I was supposed to fall as a valiant warrior, wounded in an honorable fight! How was I supposed to know he'd activate that damned Gift?" Robin smacked his forehead as if the impact might somehow reach Evergreen through sheer frustration. "And secondly, do you seriously expect me to walk around in full armor all the time? I am an Emperor, not a mere foot soldier! That would be utterly embarrassing for my stature. Even Pythy wasn't wearing armor, so why on earth would I sit before him like some clunky, metal-clad fool?"

(...Pythy? Did you just give your opponent another one of your adorable nicknames? Hey! Stop dodging the real issue! Use your Gift and get back into the fight!) Evergreen practically yelled at him.

"I don't want to," Robin sighed, before motioning toward the main battlefield where the grand armies were clashing. "If I use your Gift, it will prolong the battle, and that's something we absolutely cannot afford right now."

(...) Evergreen fell silent for a moment. Through Robin's eyes, she could see exactly what was happening.

In that direction, the demon army and the local resistance were being annihilated at an alarming rate. A large portion of the Great Serpent Empire's army had now been freed from their initial skirmishes and was already sweeping through the city. If not for the combined efforts of Sakaar, Richard, and Amon, holding their ground, they would have reached Robin's location by now.

(If you truly believe that the Gift I granted you will only drag out the battle, then tell me... what do you have besides it that could possibly end it?)

A confident smile spread across Robin's face. "I still have my Second Stage Master Spacetime Law."

(...And that will help you? What exactly do you plan to do with it? I've already seen what you pulled off back in Greenland against General Lunta. Do you seriously think that stopping time and fiddling around is going to harm Pythor in any way?) Evergreen's tone was skeptical, almost uneasy.

Not just a few seconds—even if Robin were to sit there for an entire hour, striking Pythor over and over again in his current state, it wouldn't make a difference!

"I had the same thought at first," Robin admitted. "Even if I froze time, I wouldn't have any means to deal significant damage to that insanely durable body of his. And now, after his transformation, my chances of harming him have become even more impossible."

He exhaled sharply, his golden eyes flashing.

"Even though my Eyes of Truth allows me to pinpoint the exact locations of his heart, his soul domain, and his crystal core, it doesn't change the fact that I can't do anything to them while they're in that fluid, toxic state..."

Robin shook his head, but then— that smile returned.

"But the beauty of Spacetime Master Law is that it doesn't just have the Time Lock Technique..." His smirk deepened. "Otherwise, how could it be considered a Master Law?"

(...For some reason, I don't feel reassured by that statement.)

Robin raised a single finger. "One attack." His voice was steady. "Once my body is healed enough, I will need just one attack to end everything."

Crack. Crack.