Lord of the Truth

"...Five martial arts— each one forged to the third stage," Robin responded with calm confidence, his tone laced with pride. "After years of repairing countless techniques, I've come to recognize the underlying structure common to all. These five, however, are different. I didn't just repair them—I created them. I designed each one from the ground up using a refined blend of several essential paths. Honestly, each of these arts should be worth a fortune, especially when compared to the ones I used to restore in the past!"

<.....> The fairy hovered silently as she flipped through the five techniques, her gaze scanning each line with practiced precision. After several long moments, she nodded, a wide smile spreading across her delicate features. <Rest easy. I will ensure you receive an excellent return on them. We'll market them strategically—each will be sold under a binding soul contract, one that guarantees the buyer must use it personally and cannot resell or transfer it. At the base level, each technique will fetch around 5,000 pearls. However, for elite clans and major powers seeking legacy techniques to pass down through generations, we can offer unrestricted versions. Those, we'll sell for no less than 800,000 pearls apiece.>

"When it comes to the sales side of things, I'll stay out of your way," Robin said, folding his arms with satisfaction. "But… you are going to use your signature promotional methods, right? Those tactics always cause a stir—they're practically magic."

The fairy shook her head gently, her wings fluttering faintly behind her. <In truth, we haven't used those methods for your last few releases. And to be perfectly honest... I don't believe we'll need to use them this time either. All we plan to do is release the techniques across the entirety of the Mid-Belt region, as per usual.>

"You stopped using the promotional strategies? Why in the world would you do that?!" Robin's expression darkened, his voice edged with a sense of urgency. "If it's about the cost, deduct the full amount from my account! I don't care how much it takes—I need to gather as many pearls as I can while time is still on my side. Every single moment counts!"

<May I ask, Mr. Human... what is the reason for this growing hunger?> the fairy tilted her head, studying him with curiosity. <Is it because of the upcoming fourth-tier Planetary Displacement Tool auction? The one you've been fixated on? Because, from what I see, the wealth you currently possess should be more than enough to secure a winning bid.> A pause. <Or… is this about our agreement to arrange your audience with the Royal Soul Lord of the Dreamer Galaxy? You've already fulfilled your end of the deal, and more. I'm simply waiting for an available time slot to open up so I can finalize the meeting for you.>

"The Eternal Stillness Curse doesn't worry me nearly as much as that displacement gear does..." Robin muttered, his voice low and tight. "In fact, I was going to ask you to delay the meeting. I need to guarantee the gear is in my possession before anything else." He clenched his fists tightly. "Tell me—how can anyone be sure I'll win it? What if a powerful, ancient Royal Soul Master wants it and is willing to pay any price? What if one of the Behemoths makes a move to claim it?!"

Robin's eyes burned with determination. "Even if I can't win the item, I'll make damn sure the heart of my rival bleeds before I leave that auction floor." He looked up sharply, locking eyes with the fairy, his tone now commanding. "Withdraw whatever you need from my account. Launch the best promotion you've ever done. These five techniques deserve nothing less."

<...> The fairy nodded slowly, her expression turning thoughtful. <Even if you did pay for the full promotion package... it wouldn't change anything.> She offered a small, knowing smile. <The truth is—you no longer need promotion. Not anymore.> She shook her head, almost in disbelief. <The name 'Human' has become a legend. Just the release of anything created by your hands causes an uproar in the entire Spirit World.>

"...What are you even talking about?" Robin furrowed his brow, visibly taken aback.

The fairy's smile deepened, a glimmer of admiration in her eyes. <Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll head to the publishing team and begin the listing process. These five martial arts techniques will be uploaded to the store within the hour. Please turn the mirror toward the public lobby and wait for the announcement of their appearance.> With a slight bow, her figure shimmered briefly—then vanished.

"The public lobby? Why that one of all places?" Robin muttered with a raised eyebrow.

Still, he activated his control panel, summoning the public lobby interface into view. Instantly, 100 energy pearls were deducted from his account.

The Public Lobby—a magnificent, boundless chamber of souls—stood as the greatest convergence point in the entire Mid-Belt. It was a realm beyond distance and terrain, where soul projections gathered from all corners of the vast cosmic regions. Here, cultivators, merchants, scholars, spies, and vagabonds alike could spend a small portion of their wealth to witness individuals and entities from lands they might never reach with their physical bodies—not even in ten lifetimes.

It was more than a marketplace. More than a meeting hall. It was a neutral ground where relationships between distant factions were forged in whispers and contracts, where souls met across sectors to form alliances that would never be threatened by bloodshed due to their sheer geographical separation.

To befriend a force from a far-off sector—someone you'd never meet in war, never cross in politics, never fear on the battlefield—was to gain a silent advantage in a world ruled by power and secrecy. And so, behind the veils of their projections, many came here to offer or acquire rare techniques in secrecy, whispering forgotten legacies of ancient clans across interstellar borders. Once trust was seeded in this realm, deals were finalized in deeper halls like the Hall of Justice, where soulbound contracts and spiritual credits were exchanged under divine surveillance.

But more than anything, this place was the hunting ground of the unseen—the spies. Countless information networks maintained a constant presence in the Lobby. They paid heavily in energy and credits to scan, probe, and listen. Here, they monitored the rise and fall of talent, the whispers of forbidden knowledge, and the movements of individuals deemed too dangerous to ignore. All without ever sending a single operative into enemy space.

Then, after thirty minutes of quiet observation—

Hum Pulse Buzz

The atmosphere grew heavier. The lobby was now overflowing—brimming with billions of soul avatars. Robin's eyes swept the expanse, but could not see the end of the crowds. They were like waves on the shore of an eternal sea of light.

"…This is utterly pointless," Robin muttered under his breath, disappointment edging into his voice. He stood, arms folded, staring through the mirrored interface into the distant chaos. "Why did she insist I watch the release of the five martial arts techniques from here? What could possibly be the reason? I should just switch to the store directly…"

His hand hovered over the panel.

But then—just before he tapped the button—a cry shattered the air like thunder:

"Hey!! Check the news feed—now!! It's HUMAN!!"

"H-Human?!" The avatars nearest the speaker spun around instantly, all lifting their hands to summon their spiritual control panels. Some raced to open the headlines, while others jumped straight into the commerce interface, their fingers trembling.

The outcry spread like wildfire.

Throughout the boundless lobby, cries echoed. A tidal wave of activity surged across the space. Beings of countless races and shapes all raised their arms in sync, accessing their panels with urgency and desperation. Conversations screeched to a halt. The background murmurs vanished.

"Human just released a new masterpiece!!"

"This time it's a Marital Art! Gods above—it unleashes corrosive winds that can dissolve steel, melt bones, and strip terrain down to nothing!"

"No! That's not the one I saw! My interface says it channels the elemental powers of earth and flora—a fortress-building technique, perfect for fast military construction in hostile zones!"

"What?!" another shouted. "He published five martial arts techniques. At once! All of them different! All of them third-stage!"

Silence.

It was as if the breath of the entire lobby had been stolen. A crushing stillness gripped the place. No one dared speak. No one blinked.

Millions—billions—had turned to their marketplace panels, their eyes wide, their mouths slightly open, as they read through the descriptions. Each word consumed like holy scripture, each stat analyzed like a prophecy. For a moment, nothing else existed in the spiritual world but Human and his new creations.

Then—boom—the silence shattered.

"Hahahahaha! Human's done it again! Our race rises to glory once more, and none can stop us now!"

"Shut up! You don't even know what race he belongs to—no one does! His identity is shrouded in mystery!"

"What more proof do you want, you pompous fool? His name is our greatest badge of honor!"

"Brother Zahami! Partner with me to purchase the clan-tier edition of this technique—we need this in our legacy vault!"

"Summon the family head! Bring the patriarch here immediately!"

"Understood!"

Step

Without realizing it, Robin had taken several steps backward. His chest rose and fell with silent tension. His fingers trembled slightly, and his expression darkened—not with arrogance or pride, but with the cold weight of realization.

Fear.