Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1108: Ashification

"....." Barely able to keep his bloodshot eyes open, Robin fixed his gaze on the pristine sky of Nihari, a sky so tranquil it felt almost surreal.

He floated atop a sea of molten lava and burned corpses, his battered body trembling involuntarily, his neck twisting every few moments, reacting to the deep wounds inflicted upon his very soul. And yet, despite the pain that wracked his being, a satisfied smile remained unwavering on his lips.

Because, in this moment, he was hearing the most beautiful sound in existence— the one sound he had longed for ever since Richard gave the signal to start this devastating war… the sound of silence.

Blup Blup

Of course, he could still hear the lava surrounding him, bubbling and occasionally bursting as trapped pockets of air escaped to the surface.

But the sound was soft, almost soothing—nothing like the deafening roars of colossal weapons that had dominated the battlefield.

He could hear the rocks dissolving into the molten abyss, Tsssshhhhh, their very forms crumbling away, but to him, it was like a delicate tune compared to the ear-splitting blasts of cannons obliterating everything in their path.

He could smell the pungent stench of sulfur and thick, suffocating smoke, but it was nothing —absolutely nothing— compared to the unbearable, gut-wrenching stench of Amon's rotting, colossal body.

His golden cloak, which had enveloped him at all times, shielding him from excess heat and harmful cosmic laws, still provided some measure of protection. And yet… the comfort he felt at this moment was something beyond mere physical relief— it was an overwhelming, unshakable sense of peace. "Hmmm..."

Flash!

The golden aura of his cloak flickered, dimming slightly.

"Oh… that's not good," he muttered with a half-smirk. "I don't have enough energy left to sustain the Golden Cloak. If I lose it now, I'll be roasted alive."

Despite the grim realization, a chuckle escaped his lips— dark, amused, yet tinged with exhaustion.

Then, for a brief moment, a soft green glow shimmered at his chest before fading. The golden hue of his cloak returned to its full brilliance. "Oh, much better… I've bought myself another thirty minutes," he mused.

(HEY!!) Evergreen's voice erupted in his mind, sharp and scolding. (Stop burning your life force to generate energy or heal yourself! I've barely managed to restore you to 20%! If you keep this up, your body will enter premature aging. Is that what you want? To wither away like an old man before your time?!)

Robin exhaled slowly, his eyes never leaving the vast sky. "Just a little longer… just a little more~ I only gave Richard and the others the order to retreat twenty minutes ago. They must all still be tending to their wounds, and tirified by the chaos that unraveled during my battle against the Shadow."

He lazily lifted a hand and gave a small, casual wave. "It's only a matter of time before someone comes looking for me."

(Why not just reach out to them? There's no way they're all that busy! Someone can come and retrieve you right now!)

Robin's smile widened slightly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"And waste this opportunity?"

Of course, he wasn't referring to an opportunity for survival. No, what he truly meant… was the chance to savor this rare, unparalleled stillness.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity… true silence and peace enveloped him.

Finally… finally, the planetary war that had raged on for two long years had come to an end.

Finally… he had won the battle he had spent more than fifty years preparing for.

And for the first time in decades… he would be able to sleep deeply, without overanalyzing his next move.

But even then… that wasn't the only thing on his mind.

Hummm... Hummm...

All across the vast molten sea, countless silver gates flickered into existence, opening at seemingly random locations. From each gate, a semi-transparent silver net would emerge, stretching far and wide across the seething inferno. The nets would sweep through the air, harvesting something unseen before retracting back through the gates, which would then snap shut— only to reappear elsewhere and repeat the process.

Yet, amidst this cycle, some of the gates began to falter. Their silver forms darkened, corroded, and then crumbled into ash before vanishing entirely.

"...The Minor Law of Ashification, a branch of the Destruction Path," Robin murmured, tilting his head slightly to observe the slow decay of one of the gates as it turned to ashes. "That woman… the impatient one, she wielded it. What a nightmare it was to deal with. Even my Golden Cloak couldn't completely unravel it."

(She was using a Fifth-Stage Law. What did you expect?) Evergreen's voice rang in his mind with an amused lilt. (Fifth-Stage Laws don't naturally exist in the Young Belt, but she had already infused the cataclysm sealing cubes with stored energy containing the Minor Law of Ashification of that stage. The Path of Destruction is terrifying— an enemy to everything physical, Sven soul power becomes physical when compressed to a certain degree. Just as Death is the enemy of all living things, Destruction is the enemy of all that exists.)

A chuckle followed, light yet laced with something deeper. A part of Evergreen didn't want to leave this place either. Through her spiritual perception, she could see what Robin was gaining just by staying here.

(Why not derive the Major Law of the Destruction Path and spread it among your followers? That would undeniably strengthen your empire.)

"Hmm… I already possess the Minor Law of Corrosion, and after battling against the Law of Ashification for so long, I could probably develop a technique to utilize it. So, obtaining the Major Heavenly Law of Destruction shouldn't be too difficult as long as I have these two minor laws as a foundation," Robin mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But even if I do... Who could use it? Who could possibly wield such power?"

He shook his head. Using the Minor Law of Corrosion already required Pythor to undergo monstrous transformations— forcing himself and his subordinates into becoming half-beasts.

And to wield the Law of Ashification? Well... he hadn't seen that woman's true form, but judging from her abilities, she was likely a monster as well.

At that moment, Robin scanned his surroundings again. "...More importantly, why is it still lingering in the air? It keeps destroying my gates and random sections of the lava sea."

(What are you waiting for? When that woman realized the energy within the Cataclysm Sealing Cube was nearly depleted, she detonated it. And all the energy stored inside had already been refined using the fifth stage of the Minor Law of Ashification.) Evergreen explained in a matter-of-fact tone. (I fear the Law of Ashification from the Destruction Path will linger in this area for an exceptionally long time. If left unchecked, it might even turn this entire region into a Forbidden Zone aligned with the path of Destruction.)

"...Terrifying," Robin muttered, golden eyes narrowing as he observed his crumbling gates. "It can even affect Soul Gates to this extent, What would happen to anyone who enters this place?"

(Hmm, not much. They'd just turn to ash, that's all.) Evergreen chuckled playfully. (Alright, I'm joking~ That would only happen to those below the level of a Saint— and even then, it would be random, not absolute. Look at your Soul Gates. You activated forty at once, and only three were attacked. Anyone at the Saint-level could traverse this area with extreme caution and survive. Higher-level individuals would merely experience some discomfort. The density of the Law of Ashification here isn't that overwhelming.)

Robin frowned, crossing his arms. "Still, this is dangerous. I need to figure out a way to cleanse it."

The lava sea stretched endlessly before him, a churning inferno that had long since swallowed what was once known as the Desert of Death.

Leaving a hazardous zone like this unattended would be disastrous for the local population.

(Are you insane?!) Evergreen's voice burst out in disbelief. (Can't you see the treasure lying in your hands?!)