Lord of the Truth

"Like this?" Robin raised two fingers, pressing them together and holding them in front of his chest, mimicking the gesture the fairy had shown him.

Pop!

"Hmm?" He furrowed his brows in mild confusion as a shimmering window suddenly materialized in the air before him. It hovered silently, glowing faintly. The interface looked like a translucent pane of glass, rectangular in shape with a soft blue hue in the background. Elegant white text floated at its center:

<Auction Hall – Planetary Gear Division – Moonlight Radiance Boots – Estimated Time Until Auction Closes: 9 Days>

"Nine days?!" Robin blinked, astonished. His head tilted slightly as he glanced around the grand auction hall again, trying to reconcile what he saw with what he had just learned.

<This is standard practice in the major auction arenas,> the fairy explained gently, her wings fluttering with a faint, crystalline sound. <Events of this scale are never rushed. Whenever planetary-grade gear—or any item of rare and exceptional value—enters our registry, we send pre-auction alerts to all interested parties well in advance. That gives them ample time to liquidate assets, gather resources, and mentally prepare for the competition. Once the auction opens, it runs for several days to ensure maximum exposure and to attract even more high-tier bidders.>

Whistle~ Robin let out a low sound of appreciation, eyebrows raised as he nodded slowly. "So the old trick of swooping in early and snatching the prize before stronger bidders arrive doesn't work here, huh? That's clever. Ruthless... but clever."

<If you were the seller, Mr.Human, wouldn't you want your item to receive the attention—and value—it truly deserves?> the fairy replied, smiling with a calm professionalism. <Would you prefer a chaotic free-for-all where someone snatches it at a fraction of its worth, or a properly managed auction that ensures the highest possible return? We protect the seller's interests above all else. If you ever decide to sell something of value through our platform, you can rest assured it will be handled with the same care.>

Robin smirked, crossing his arms loosely. "Hmm... I wonder if it's really about the seller's well-being, or just your share of the 25% commission you're so eager to collect." He chuckled softly, but it wasn't malicious—more impressed than critical. He scanned the crowded seats around him. "...Still, with this kind of traffic, this kind of visibility, I'd say you do earn your cut."

The grand amphitheater surrounding him was packed with avatars and bidders—at least sixteen hundred, if not more—all silently participating in the auction. Their expressions were blank, focused, many resembling mannequins more than people. The bidding gestures were automated, synchronized, almost mechanical. Still, with this level of engagement, Robin wouldn't be surprised if the Moonlight Radiance Boots surpassed a million Essence Crystals long before the nine days ran out.

<This is nothing,> the fairy said with a small shake of her head, her tone modest but clear. <The seller only paid for a galactic-level auction. That means only those within the same galaxy as Planet Zaron are able to view and bid on this item. In addition, a few individuals who had previously submitted targeted requests for such gear were granted invites.>

Then she gave him a knowing smile. <Had the seller opted for a sector-level auction instead, you'd be looking at exponentially larger crowds. And if they had chosen a Middle Belt-level auction... well, let's just say the sheer volume of participants might've made it difficult for even your avatar to get a seat.>

"Why didn't they go for that then? ...Oh, wait—let me guess. The commission cut?" Robin arched a brow, amused.

<That's one reason, Mr.Human. Hosting an auction at the Middle Belt scale requires significantly more resources, and in return, we claim 75% of the final sale price. It's not something we do for just any item either—we carefully vet each submission for value, uniqueness, and market demand. This particular pair of boots, while rare, would never qualify for such a prestigious level. However, had the seller chosen a sector-level auction, we would've taken only 50% instead.>

"Only, she says…" Robin sighed heavily and laughed, clearly exasperated but also impressed. He shook his head, trying to smother his rising frustration.

The Spirit Network really was a finely tuned machine designed for wealth extraction. With dream-forgers like Morpheus at the helm of such a monstrous enterprise, it was no wonder no one else in the universe could rival his economic reach. Not even someone as fearsome and tyrannical as Interas could challenge him when it came to financial influence.

"Heh~ so, how do I check what the next planetary gear item on the auction block is?" Robin exhaled, rubbing his temples. Just thinking about all those percentages, numbers, and rules was starting to wear him out.

<Over there, Mr.Human.> The fairy pointed gracefully toward a luminous corner of the wide blue control panel that floated beside him like a magical artifact from the ancient ages. <That section contains access to all our sub-auction halls—each one dedicated to a specific type of treasure. You'll find Halls of Pills and Elixirs, where centuries-old concoctions and soul-refining brews are sold. Halls of Armors and Epic Weapons, forged from the bones of stars and flames of dying worlds. Halls of Techniques and Forbidden Arts, some of which are older than time itself. Then there are the Halls of Exotic Relics and Bizarre Treasures, items that defy understanding and reason. And more~> Her tone held a melodic rhythm, like someone reciting a sacred chant.

<Once you enter any of those halls, a curated list of our available treasures will appear. Each listing includes a starting price, detailed description, and a precise timeline of when the item will be revealed and made available for bidding. That way, all participants have equal opportunity to prepare.>

She rested her hands neatly in front of her again and continued with an elegant smile, <If one of the items captures your interest, you may assign a programmed avatar to appear in your stead on the day of the auction. You may give it clear instructions and set a bidding cap—maximum limits it cannot exceed.> Then she leaned forward ever so slightly, <But these caps must fall within a confirmed range, based on our official soul scan. For example, your spiritual domain currently holds 473,000 refined soul Units. That means your avatar's maximum cap must be within that range.>

"Hmm, this tab here?" Robin muttered as he tapped on the 'Planetary Gear' category. A new interface unfolded like an ancient scroll, revealing lines of glowing items. He began scrolling slowly through the list, eyes narrowing with growing concern. "Everything here is outrageously priced... So if I choose to pay with soul Units, how exactly do you take them from me?"

The small fairy didn't flinch. She brought her hands together in a respectful gesture, her wings fluttering softly behind her. <We have perfected techniques, developed over millions of years, to extract spiritual units safely and precisely. For smaller quantities, the process is almost imperceptible. We advise staying below 200,000 units for first-time contributors—that's the industry standard. But if you truly wish to use your full amount, all 473,000 units... you can. The Dreamer Morpheus himself developed an advanced, pain-free method of soul excision. You won't feel anything. And more importantly, your cultivation potential will remain unaffected.>

"Wait, excision?!" Robin's voice rose a pitch, his eyes widening. "You mean you people actually cut pieces of the soul domain itself? You don't just extract energy—you remove part of the soul?!"

<That's correct,> the fairy replied without hesitation, as if it were no more significant than drawing a breath. <It is the only known method to preserve the refinement and integrity of soul units. A Soul Unit, detached from its domain, loses its structure—like a pomegranate without the skin. It becomes useless, just stray ambient energy. But when it's encased in a shell of its original domain, it becomes valuable, tradable, and potent.>

Her calm explanation only deepened Robin's horror. "No, thank you," he said firmly, crossing his arms. "I'll stick with energy pearls, thank you very much!"

To extract chunks of one's soul domain just to make a purchase—even if painless—was revolting. No wonder the Spirit Society was so feared across galaxies. Their power wasn't just in their wealth—it was in their ability to redefine the rules of reality.

<Of course, you may use energy pearls as currency.> The fairy bowed her head slightly. <Simply bring the pearls to one of the Soul Society's official towers. Once processed, the equivalent value will be transferred to your internal balance. After that, you may use it to buy anything offered in the auction network.>

Tap. Tap. Robin continued scrolling upward through the interface, his expression hardening. More gear and weapons emerged with each flick—each item etched with detailed auction timelines. Some were scheduled to appear in a month, others a year, others not until entire decades had passed. The longer he stared at them, the more something unsettling began to twist in his chest.

It wasn't just the prices. It was the scale of everything.

The fact that the Lord of the Soul Society could casually extract fragments of soul domains like they were coins in a fountain—that was terrifying. Robin suddenly felt small, like an ant looking up at a god who could crush him without noticing.

"Alright," he muttered under his breath. "No point lingering in here anymore. Let's see what other parts of this cursed Soul Society I can take advantage of before—"

He was just about to close the auction panel when something glimmered in the corner of his vision. His eyes locked on it instinctively.

"…Fourth-Grade Planetary-Displacement Gear?!" Robin froze, his breath catching in his throat.