Lord of the Truth

Robin furrowed his brows in confusion. "…Are you joking right now?"

His fingers flipped through the thick volume with urgency, eyes scanning the dense lines of text and intricate sketches of tattoo formations. He rapidly turned page after page, absorbing as much information as possible. After roughly 500 pages, he reached the end and let out a deep sigh, tapping the last page with his fingers as he leaned back.

"…Just like before. Incomplete. But a 500-page research document written by a Truth Chosen is no trivial matter— he made significant progress."

A full volume dedicated to protecting users from the harmful effects of offensive tattoos. If Robin could complete this research and develop solutions without reducing the tattoos' power, it would be a groundbreaking breakthrough!

For years, warriors had suffered from severe backlash when using offensive tattoos, their bodies unable to handle the immense energy fluctuations. Some lost their limbs, others had their internal organs ruptured, and some even crumbled to dust under the sheer intensity of their own power. If there was a way to maintain strength while eliminating these risks…

Robin's mind was already racing with possibilities.

He neatly arranged the pages of Volume Two and set them aside separately. Then, his gaze returned to the towering pile of papers, where another title was waiting for him.

Then the fourth. Then the fifth. Then the sixth!

Each volume was an elaborate attempt to answer the very questions Robinv—and every other practitioner of this path—had pondered about its flaws and limitations.

But unfortunately…

None of them contained complete answers.

--- Two Days Later ---

Flip. Flip.

The look of astonishment on Robin's face gradually faded, replaced by an expression of sheer boredom.

"Dozens of volumes. Thousands of pages of painstaking research. And yet not a single conclusive solution, NOT ONE. Sigh, I should've expected this from the comprehensive eye of truth!"

With an exasperated sigh, he gathered the pages in his hands.

"If I were in his position, I would've focused on a single issue, entered seclusion, and worked on it relentlessly until I found a proper resolution. My mind and my vision are like an arrow—once I aim at a target, I pursue the truth of that matter no matter how long it takes or how much effort it requires."

"This is why I have been a Truth Chosen for nearly a century now, and yet the number of things I discovered isn't much, My writings can't fill one of those bookshelves. But at least everything I started is finished!"

"But the Second Truth Chosen… his mind didn't work like that."

Robin's eyes flickered as he analyzed the difference.

"His eyes and mind were more like a giant beehive— each bee, or in this case, each idea, had its designated place in his mind, working separately from the rest. That's why he explored and researched a million things at the same time. And this… is the result."

He tossed the thick stack of papers onto the desk with a loud thud!

"These volumes outline in great detail the specific parts of tattoos that need modification, presenting countless theories and potential solutions. But each of these ideas would take years to properly test, and most of them are probably dead ends."

"Honestly, most of these volumes are just a waste of time. Anyone who pursues this research would have the right to call it their own—it has little to do with the Second Truth Chosen at this point!"

(But it made your path easier, didn't it?) Evergreen's voice rang in his mind, soft yet piercing.

Robin's fingers, which had been restlessly tapping against the desk, stopped.

His golden eyes flickered.

She wasn't wrong.

Even if the research was fragmented and incomplete… it had saved him years of effort. It had given him insights he wouldn't have discovered on his own, at least not in such a short amount of time. The Second Truth Chosen's chaotic way of thinking might have been inefficient for HIM.

If he focused on some of these ideas maybe his dream of unifying the planet wouldn't have been just a dream!

But... His work wasn't without value for someone in Robin's situation, someone who already established himself and had time and resources to test these theories.

Robin took a deep breath, his frustration fading, "Tch. You're annoying when you're right."

With that, he picked up Volume One again and began reading with a new perspective.

"Of course, I didn't have to search for the root of the problem—it was fully explained in those volumes. But the struggle of actually finding a solution still remains," Robin muttered, his brows furrowed in thought.

He shook his head, a trace of frustration in his voice. "Honestly, I don't know if I should be wasting all this time trying to fix these issues. The biggest flaw in the Body Strengthening Tattoo system is that natural energy doesn't return to the planet after the user dies. This alone makes it an inherently flawed system. We've gone through all the volumes, yet we haven't found anything addressing this critical flaw. Not a single mention of it."

He let out a slow breath before continuing, his voice now laced with deeper concern. "Then there's another massive issue— the level beyond Martial Emperor."

Robin's expression darkened slightly. "The Second Truth Chosen never even attempted to tackle this problem, despite knowing for a fact that the Martial Emperor Realm is the absolute limit of the human body. Beyond that, one must rely on external energy. But does that mean this entire system simply ends at the Emperor level? No next step? No path forward? If that's the case, then no matter how many of these smaller problems we solve, the system as a whole is still incomplete, still fundamentally flawed!"

He exhaled sharply, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his temples.

"But I don't blame the Second Truth Chosen —or even the First— for hitting this dead end. Didn't you hear Pythor talk about the four cultivation paths? Soul, mutation, Alchemy, and The Pure Energy Foundations. He didn't mention anything about a Body Cultivation Path!"

Robin sighed again before finally speaking in a calmer tone. "Maybe this was never meant to be a primary path in the first place. Maybe it was only ever supposed to be a supplementary system. A side branch rather than a true cultivation path of its own…"

His fingers tapped idly against the armrest of his chair before he sat up straight, shifting his focus.

"Anyway, we can send all these volumes to Sky Oppening City so Zara and the R&D team can work on them. It'll be good training for them, and besides, all the other books here will provide a solid foundation for future projects. Honestly, I have to give credit where it's due—the Second Truth Chosen might not have found all the answers, but this library he left behind has saved me and my entire research team hundreds or even thousands of years of effort!"

(You're not done yet. Maybe you'll find something in the last book,) Evergreen interjected, her voice carrying a hint of encouragement.

"Hmm?"

Robin glanced behind him toward the second stack of papers—the last remaining piece of the cave's knowledge he hadn't yet touched. He let out a slow breath before tilting his head back, closing his eyes in mild exhaustion.

"...I don't know about that~ What can that stack of papers possibly have? I will just ship it to Zara as well. I'd rather rest for a bit and then visit Nehari's Planet Spirit. I have a few questions for her."

(That bitch isn't going anywhere!) Evergreen snapped, stomping her foot against the domain's ground. (Are you really going to waste a chance like this? This is the last thing the Second Truth Chosen ever wrote. He specifically said you shouldn't read it until you become a Truth Chose yourself. Aren't you even a little curious?)

Robin remained silent for a moment, his gaze drifting back to the stack of papers. After a brief hesitation, "Tsk, fine. Why the hell not~" he clicked his tongue in annoyance before smacking his thigh and sluggishly rising to his feet.

With a flick of his wrist, he carelessly tossed aside the paper that had instructed him to read everything else first. Then, still standing, he reached for the first page of the massive book and read the title aloud:

The Master Law of Balance.