Lord of the Truth

After another ninety long minutes—

Ten thousand units of pure soul essence left…

The enormous tornado compressed further and further until it shrank down to something no bigger than the size of a human palm. The entire space of the soul domain around it twisted unnaturally, bending under the crushing pressure, while the ground beneath caved in as though a giant hand had pressed it downward. That tiny cyclone, if released into the outside world, carried enough destructive power to erase half a planet from existence without the slightest doubt!

"…!!!"

Even with the tremendous assistance pouring into him from Arkalon and all of his soul creatures, the veins across Robin's forehead bulged and pulsed violently. His body trembled from the pressure, yet he refused to give in. In these few grueling hours, he finally understood why the number of Royal Soul Lords scattered across the universe was so incredibly small, and why even monarchs and guardians treated them with such profound reverence.

He himself could no longer deny it—he had begun to feel a deep, newfound respect for every single Royal Soul Lord he had ever crossed paths with.

Would he have been able to reach this stage without Arkalon's miraculous technique? Perhaps… but the price would have been brutal. Without a doubt, he would have required several years of rest, healing, and endless recovery before even attempting to stand again.

One thousand units of soul essence left…

"Prepare yourselves, all of you!!" Neri's voice rang out like a war cry as she shouted to the gathered soul creatures. She pulled Evergreen tightly into her embrace. The girls' eyes gleamed with a mixture of awe, dread, and burning anticipation for what was about to unfold.

And then—

Doooooooooooooooooom

The tornado collapsed and disappeared in an instant, and in its place appeared a single black dot, a void so dark and consuming that it drained every shred of color from the entire soul domain.

The very moment Robin laid eyes on that black dot, his body reacted instinctively. He lowered his hands at once and stumbled several steps backward, his heart pounding furiously against his ribs. Terror gripped him against his will; it was as if a genuine black hole had torn open within the center of his domain for the sole purpose of annihilating him completely. He felt as though his end was standing right in front of him, ready to swallow him whole.

Bam Bam

All twelve platforms collapsed and shattered to dust. The soul creatures fell one after another, their strength vanishing as if it had never existed. Panic seized them as they retreated in desperation, yet not a single one could sense the slightest trace of power within themselves. Even the other tornado spinning deep within the soul domain froze in place, as though all life had been drained away.

But that dot—that dreadful void—did not remain empty for long. From its center, something new began to seep outward. Something dense, heavy, and vibrant with an alien presence. Something purple…

The purple purple substance oozed out slowly at first, then in torrents, cascading like a river of fog. It descended gently upon the ground of the domain, spreading with purpose, until it rolled across the entire area like a thick, suffocating mist.

The mist touched the forests, climbing up the ancient trees and merging with their trunks, permeating their roots and branches. It reached the ponds, sinking into their waters, encircling the fish and aquatic beasts lurking below, until it infiltrated their very bodies.

And still, it spread further. The purple mist drifted into the land of storms and whirlwinds—the place where Robin had stored his immense reserves of excess soul force—and there it began to attack. Even the mighty cyclones themselves started to change, their dazzling silver hues darkening and shifting shade by shade into deep purple.

"Ahhh—!!"

The soul creatures tried desperately to escape, but it was hopeless. In the blink of an eye, the purple mist had saturated every corner of the domain, leaving not the faintest path for flight. It coiled around their legs, climbing higher with terrifying speed, before forcing its way into their mouths and filling their insides with its suffocating presence.

The only one who did not move was Arkalon. Unlike the others, he simply sat cross-legged in deep meditation, his body utterly still. His mouth opened willingly, and he allowed the purple fog to pour into him freely, embracing it without the slightest hint of resistance.

"This…?" Robin himself was stunned as he noticed the purple mist swirling around his own body in an almost mystical fashion. Everywhere it touched, the silver glow of his manifestation instantly shifted into purple. His soul embodiment, too, began to transform.

Where once it had looked like a child of no more than seven years, it now expanded rapidly, its shape growing taller, sharper, and more defined, until it took on the image of Robin in his twenties—though here, it was a figure entirely shrouded in purple light.

Only after every last thing had been consumed, only after every single silver cell of the gigantic Hovhenheim construct had been replaced with purple essence, did something even stranger—something beyond comprehension—begin to occur.

Dooooom

The black hole folded in on itself, shrinking to nothingness…

Then—

Booooooooooom

A colossal detonation tore through the space where it had been, releasing a shockwave so violent that everything was hurled backward like fragile leaves caught in a storm. Even Robin's purple soul manifestation—already tempered and fortified by countless trials—was forced to retreat several unsteady steps. The air of the domain quivered, every corner of it echoing with the lingering rumble of destruction.

When Robin lifted his gaze again, he saw it… the Royal Star.

How could words capture it? It wasn't a mere light or flame. It was a massive, living sphere of purple gas, swirling as if it contained its own stormy heavens. From its body trickled that mysterious purple mist—no longer the overwhelming flood that had burst from the black hole earlier, but still dense, heavy, and filled with unearthly majesty.

Slowly, deliberately, the star began to rise into the sky of his domain. Higher and higher it ascended, swelling in size with every breath, as though the heavens themselves were making room for it. At last, it reached its place among the stars, positioning itself beside Evergreen's radiant star and Nihari's luminous star. Together they shone like a trinity, weaving a spectacle so breathtaking it seemed to rewrite the very definition of beauty and power.

"This…" Robin whispered, his voice shaking. His purple eyes reflected the newly risen star, and he could feel waves of pure strength rolling over him simply by gazing at it.

"Congratulations, Owner." A familiar, warm voice flowed from behind him. The Galaxy Spirit, Neri, appeared with a bright smile in her tone. "You have crossed the threshold. You are now a Royal Soul Master. Every single soul unit in your domain has been transformed into purple purple essence."

She gestured toward the glowing sphere above. "That Royal Star will not vanish. Instead, it will forever produce purple matter, endlessly. Its duty is simple yet absolute: to transmute any new soul units you absorb into purple royal units. Moreover, it will alter the structure of any newly born soul creature so that it carries the purple essence. With this eternal current, you have secured the royal soul force for all time."

"Endlessly producing purple matter…?" Robin muttered in disbelief. His brow furrowed as he stared at the star. "But where does such matter come from? What was that black hole? I expected my domain to undergo a purely internal change… yet everything feels as if it is being reinforced from an outside source!" His expression hardened, eyes narrowing. "This almost feels like the million-unit compression was not an ending, but merely the price—the requirement—to trigger some kind of reward…"

"There is no record of where the purple matter originates," Neri admitted, though her voice carried no worry. Instead, it brimmed with excitement. "But there are extensive teachings on how to harness it and how it behaves. What matters most is this: the more Royal Stars you form, the faster ordinary soul units you absorb will be converted into royal ones infused with purple matter. Each star multiplies your growth."

She clapped her hands together with infectious joy, her words echoing in the quiet domain. "Do you realize what this means? You now hold a qualitative advantage that no one below the royal realm can overcome. Any who linger below your level cannot harm you. You could annihilate a failed Nexus State without effort, and even stand your ground against a low-level Nexus State in direct combat—so long as you fight at your peak. From this moment onward, you have become worthy of being recognized as a true planetary emperor in the Middle Belt!"

Her tone then grew serious, like a mentor reminding her pupil of hard truths. "But make no mistake—this alone is not enough. A low-level Nexus State who exceeds the average battle power could still wear you down, even defeat you. To truly stand tall in the great arena of power, you require more. More purple matter, more units, more stars. You already possess the unmatched quality… but now you must acquire overwhelming quantity. That is the path forward."

Her serious expression softened into a charming smile. "Owner, this is a great chance, you still have the choice... I believe it would be best for you to compress the second royal star right away, so you can firmly establish your foundations as a mighty Royal Soul Master."