Lord of the Truth

After several seconds—and the passing of that peculiar sensation that had gripped his entire being, a feeling like freefalling from a towering, unseen height—Robin slowly opened his eyes once more.

"Hmm?" he muttered with a hint of caution.

What he saw in front of him wasn't drastically different from what he had expected. The same glowing white chamber encased him from all sides, unchanged and otherworldly. Its walls shimmered faintly, void of any shadows or edges.

He glanced down at himself, half-expecting some bizarre transformation.

But what he saw was... normal.

His body appeared just as it always had: the same clothes, the same texture of skin, the familiar contours of his limbs. It was all far too realistic—eerily so.

But despite how convincing it all looked, he knew without a shred of doubt:

He was no longer in the real world.

<Welcome, new user.>

"Huh?" Robin turned sharply, instinctively scanning for the source of the voice.

It didn't take long to find it.

Floating gracefully into his view was a strange being—delicate, radiant, and undeniably ethereal.

It looked like a tiny fairy, perhaps a fairy, with four translucent wings and a semi-humanoid figure. Despite the almost human proportions, its diminutive size—no more than a few centimeters tall—made it feel surreal, like something out of a child's dream or an ancient tale.

"…Constructed from pure soul energy?" Robin whispered in awe, stepping closer.

He began to circle the creature slowly, studying it from every angle. Every motion it made, every faint shimmer along its outline, screamed of high-level energy manipulation.

Extraordinary.

<New user, you are now standing on the threshold of the Soul Society.>

The tiny entity continued, her voice smooth and oddly mechanical, as if she were reciting a long-memorized script.

<There are a few simple facts that you must know—and remember—before you proceed further.>

<First, know this: The Soul Society, created and maintained by the enigmatic dreamer known only as Morpheus, stretches across most of the inhabited planets of the Middle Planetary Belt. Its influence spans countless sectors. As of this moment, the total number of registered users has reached 88,546,258,753,147,852. That number… is your unique identification code within the network.>

"…"

Robin froze. His expression faltered.

He had assumed it was a standard ID number. Something generic and randomly assigned.

But no.

That was his actual number—his literal placement among all users in the Society.

88 quadrillion… and some loose digits at the end.

A quadrillion… was a million billion.

The scale of that number was astronomical—almost absurd.

Yet, when he thought more deeply, it wasn't so unbelievable.

The Soul Society extended across the entire Middle Planetary Belt—a zone that spanned countless star systems, all teeming with advanced civilizations.

Even so… that number was terrifying.

In fact, it was possibly even small—if you considered how strict the entry requirements were. Not just anyone could join. It likely represented the total population of the upper-middle to elite classes scattered across the Belt.

Then, a darker thought crept into his mind.

If those 88 million billion users paid 70 liters of essence each day—for just basic access—how much wealth had Morpheus amassed over the millennia?

And that's without counting the fees from these trades, cross-planetary commerce, soul-forging licenses, and other services…

Gulp.

<With your initial registration, you are now granted access to all Soul chambers located on participating planets. To enter, simply sit in any array chair, and the system will recognize your imprint automatically.>

<Your ID number, however, will still be essential—for retrieving packages, restoring lost data, or validating your identity if your soul imprint becomes corrupted or erased. Keep it safe.>

"…Understood."

Robin nodded, taking a silent breath. This largely mirrored what the receptionist outside had told him—only this version was more detailed, more official.

<But, of course, should you prefer not to visit public access centers—for reasons such as high social standing, security concerns, or simple personal preference—you may instead opt for a private access link.>

The fairy fluttered her wings and paused, giving him a moment to consider.

<The Soul Society offers the implantation of a personalized soul node—a seed of connection embedded deep within your soul domain. With this, you may access the Society from any location, at any time, with no need for external devices.>

<The cost for such a seed is 3,000 soul units—or 3,000 Energy Pearls. The subscription renews every 300 hours of active use.>

"Three thousand pearls?!" Robin's eyes nearly popped out of his head from sheer shock.

He had already been thinking, deep down, that commuting to this place every single day was utterly impractical—especially for people of high status like emperors, council members, or those burdened with endless responsibilities. And just when he had begun to wonder how such individuals might use the Soul Society regularly, this offer was suddenly laid out before him.

This—this was the answer.

A private access implant.

A system designed specifically for the elite. With it, those who stood at the summit of society, the true powerhouses of the Middle Planetary Belt, could log in anytime, anywhere, without being physically present near a terminal. They could access the network from within their own soul domain, continuing trade, exploration, and research uninterrupted.

It was brilliant—a masterstroke of both convenience and profit.

With this system in place, commerce within the Soul Society would soar, powered by the spending of the richest and most influential. And meanwhile, the Society itself would quietly drain energy wealth from them, day by day, hour by hour.

And then another thought hit him—

"Wait a second… Did you just say three thousand Soul Units or three thousand Energy Pearls?" Robin asked again, eyes narrowing slightly. His tone was incredulous, but tinged with curiosity.

The little fairy nodded politely, her wings fluttering gently in place as she responded in her cheerful, melodic voice.

<That is correct. Soul Units are the primary, official currency used within the Soul Society. However, for those who do not possess a sufficient quantity of Soul Units, they are welcome to use Energy Pearls instead—by depositing them in advance at any of our affiliated centers. You may use either currency type to pay for session access or for optional features, such as the Seed Implant service.>

Robin stood still for a moment, his brows furrowing into a deep, thoughtful crease.

The idea of using Soul Units as a form of currency didn't sit well with him—not entirely. Soul itself was a vital essence. A foundation of life, cultivation, consciousness...

To spend it so casually? That felt dangerous. Risky. Maybe even sacrilegious.

But just as those thoughts formed, they were abruptly interrupted—

<I don't believe you need to worry about methods of payment, new user,> the fairy added with a slight smile.

<As one chosen by Truth, you are in possession of a rather… exceptional stream of income.>

"Pardon?!" Robin blinked in disbelief, caught completely off guard.

The fairy's tone remained serene and unshaken.

<Truth Chosens receive special privileges within the Soul Society,> she said, as if reciting a law written into the fabric of the system itself.

<The Dreamer Morpheus holds Truth Chosens in exceptionally high regard. He considers you to be a guiding light, a beacon of hope that leads the universe ever forward into its next stage of evolution. Because of that, he has decided to support you, in his own way. With your permission, you will now be granted direct access to a specialized area designated exclusively for Truth Chosens: the Chamber of Truth.>

"…The Chamber of Truth?" Robin repeated, his voice low with caution. "And what exactly is that supposed to be?"

Something in him resisted the idea. He hadn't exactly imagined Morpheus as a kind, noble benefactor.

But then again… how long had Morpheus existed? How many Chosens had come before him—over the centuries, the millennia, the eons?

If he'd ever intended harm toward people like Robin, he'd had more than enough time to act on it.

<Once you're fully inside,> the fairy continued gently,

<These might be questions about cultivation bottlenecks, unstable energy techniques, untested elixirs, ancient martial arts manuals, lost languages, cursed relics—truly any challenge the mind can imagine. Problems are publicly posted on enormous walls spread throughout designated areas of the Soul Society, so all users can view them. Anyone who chooses to resolve a problem receives a reward offered by the original poster.>

<In return, the Society itself takes a 25% commission from the total reward value.>

"…"

Robin stood in silence, face tightening.

Twenty-five percent?!

That's an enormous cut for simply hosting a list. What did they actually do to justify it? They already charged an outrageous entry fee, and now they took a quarter of every transaction, too?

That was practically extortion.

"…And what does any of this have to do with that 'Chamber of Truth'?" he asked pointedly.

<Ah. That's where it gets interesting,> the fairy said, her tone gaining the faintest trace of pride.

<For some individuals—those desperate to find answers or simply pressed for time—there is another option. They may choose to escalate their issue by paying a premium, usually one hundred times the original reward value. This extra payment ensures that their challenge is not just posted publicly—but sent directly to a registered Truth Chosen like yourself.>

<When that happens, the challenge is routed to the Chamber of Truth. Inside, you and the other registered Seekers will be able to browse these premium cases and select which ones you want to take on.>

Then, the fairy's eyes seemed to shimmer strangely as she added:

<And the best part? For any case completed through the Chamber of Truth, our commission drops to just 10%. This drastically reduces the financial burden on you, while still allowing us to maintain system integrity.>