Lord of the Truth

"Hmmmm..."

Before Robin's eyes, the surface of the mirror began to quiver gently, like liquid glass disturbed by an unseen ripple. It melted and shimmered for a few moments, then gradually stabilized to reveal the image of a radiant fairy. Behind her stretched a background of pure, blinding white—so bright it felt like a space beyond reality.

<Mr. Human, congratulations on your very first activation of the Soul Society Seedling. How may I serve you?>

"This is in response to request number 775," Robin said with calm composure, his voice steady. "It's an active task within the Hall of Truth, related to the repair of the city's core array."

With a smooth, practiced motion, he conjured a glowing orb of condensed spirit energy in his palm—dense, bright, pulsing with intricate runes—and gently pushed it through the mirror's surface.

"Kindly review the work and ensure my compensation is added accordingly."

The fairy's eyes widened, shimmering with golden light.

<You completed request number 775... in just nine days?> she echoed in astonishment, accepting the spirit orb with reverence. Her expression was one of disbelief—genuine and deep.

That particular request had been languishing in the archives for nearly three millennia. Generation after generation of Truth Chosens had glanced at it, only to quickly turn away, intimidated by its complexity. None had dared attempt it.

With a graceful wave of her hand, the tiny orb transformed in midair, expanding into a massive arcane tablet. It bore a design so simple at first glance—yet upon closer inspection, every stroke revealed a labyrinth of subtle patterns, precise engravings, and profound logic.

<Extraordinary. Simply astonishing.>

The fairy looked back at Robin with new eyes—eyes filled with respect, <The dues have been added, please continue with the same level of giving.>

"We will see about that," Robin replied with stoic brevity, offering no promises.

But as he glanced at his account balance and saw it finally surpass the one-million pearl mark, his lips curved into a faint but satisfied smile.

"Excellent. I'll return when I got a new one."

<Wait! Mr.Human, please—just a moment!>

The fairy quickly dismissed the giant tablet with a flick, leaning forward with eagerness.

<Wouldn't you like to take a short tour through the rest of the Soul Society? We offer countless services, artifacts, and hidden wonders that may pique your interest. The treasures here are endless!>

"I'm aware," Robin said, his tone carrying both amusement and restraint. "Which is precisely why I don't want to waste too much time right now..."

He let out a thoughtful sigh.

The Soul Society was no small domain—it was a vast metaphysical realm. The Auction Hall alone contained a near-infinite number of sub-chambers, each one tailored for specific items and purposes. If one lost themselves within it, they could spend lifetimes browsing and still not see everything.

And that was merely one division—what about the others?

<Mr. Human, the Soul Society offers a wide and unparalleled range of services, tools, and mysteries.>

The fairy spoke quickly, almost pleadingly.

<It would be a tremendous loss not to explore at least a fraction of what's available. How about this—today you explore just one division, then next time you visit us, you explore another. Step by step, without overwhelming your schedule?>

Robin lowered his gaze, thoughtful. Silence stretched for a few seconds. Then, with a single nod, he gave his reply.

"…Alright. How do I begin from here?"

<You have two options, Mr. Human,> the fairy said, beaming.

<You may take just two steps forward and walk through the mirror—you'll be transported directly into the Soul Society's inner realm. Or, if you prefer, you may use the mirror here as an interactive control panel, allowing you to browse and preview divisions at your leisure. The choice is yours.>

She gestured lightly, her fingers trailing faint golden sparkles through the air.

"Hm. Let's try browsing from here first."

Robin raised his hand and activated the control interface. A transparent panel materialized before him, filled with glowing glyphs and shifting icons. He selected "Divisions," and began swiping from right to left.

With every division he passed, the mirror's surface transformed to display a real-time preview of the main hall of that section. Towering halls, endless shelves, floating platforms, exotic creatures—all vividly rendered in motion.

If Robin so wished, all he needed was to extend a single foot, and he would be pulled directly into the hall.

This was one of the unique privileges granted by the Seedling he had purchased for 3,000 pearls—a small fortune by most standards, but a worthy investment.

"Let's see… Elixir Emporium… Energy Weapon Market… Legendary Armament Vault… Dimensional Storage Storehouse…" Robin read aloud as he browsed.

His eyes narrowed slightly in curiosity.

"All these items… are they delivered directly to my door?"

He raised a single eyebrow in mild surprise.

<It can be delivered straight to your current coordinates, but that would incur additional shipping costs. Normally, the items are dispatched to the nearest affiliated facility or trade hub,> the fairy explained promptly, her voice as crisp and efficient as ever.

<When it comes to regular shops, the process is far more straightforward compared to auctions. Everything here is cataloged with fixed prices and available in large quantities. You can simply pick whatever piece you desire—and order as many units as you'd like. If you wished to outfit an entire army, that's entirely feasible.>

Robin's eyebrows arched at this revelation. Intrigued, and sensing an opportunity, he stepped into the Epic Armament Emporium, a majestic hall lined with relics of unimaginable craftsmanship. With practiced ease, he began navigating through the listings, searching for a full armor set.

Then he saw it—a specific entry that caught his eye:

Name: Sunset Armor Set

Classification: Low-Tier Epic Grade

Effect: When the full set is worn, a blazing ring of fire activates around the user, granting both offensive and defensive capabilities through elemental combustion.

Price: 6,700 pearls per set

Available stock: 17 full sets

Pre-order capacity: 50 additional sets

Robin's lips curved slightly.

"Fifty sets?" he murmured. "To equip an army? That feels… underwhelming."

The fairy responded with a knowing nod.

<Epic-grade armor is not meant for the common soldier. These are reserved for the elite—the true paragons of warfare. They are known as Rune Knights. These runes envelop their bodies completely—from the crowns of their heads down to the very tips of their fingers. Even a small detachment of such warriors is enough to shift the tides of battle. In that light, fifty sets constitute a powerful and respectable force. Moreover, the high price ensures that mass production remains a rarity, those fifty sets amount to 335K energy pearls!>

Robin gave a slow, reflective nod.

"Hm. Yes… I'm well acquainted with their might," he said with a faint smile. "I already have a few of them under my command."

Only now did he fully grasp how exceptional these armor sets truly were—how carefully they were treated, priced, and distributed. But it all made sense.

His own legendary Black-Golden Armor Set had a unique ability: the generation of a pure energy barrier, which surrounded the wearer like a second skin, shielding them from attacks both physical and elemental.

This was made possible thanks to Uracelium, one of the rarest and most potent alloys in known space—its affinity with energy manipulation made its wielder almost untouchable.

Because of that set's resilience and shielding ability, Caesar had been able to hold off the Dorger Beast Onslaught nearly single-handedly, despite having only a handful of warriors with him!

Likewise, the Blood Sets, designed specifically for the Demons, granted their users the ability to gather kinetic momentum, drastically enhancing their attack power for brief periods.

This ability allowed the Demon Emperors to resist and repel Pythor's Giant Army during the final siege—even though they were vastly outmatched in both level and numbers!

And now, standing in this store, Robin recalled the latest reports.

Every True Genesis Emperor under his banner had at least one such set. According to current estimates, their numbers had grown to tens of thousands.

That meant—Robin now commanded a veritable legion of Rune Knights.

It was a staggering thought.

And yet, entirely achievable.

Thanks to the immense mineral wealth of Nihari, the Stellar scout vessel, the deep-space mining fleets, and the expanding headquarters, the supply of rare resources had become not just manageable—but abundant.

Robin's own metallurgical breakthroughs—techniques for melting and refining ultra-dense alloys—had made the crafting of these legendary artifacts practical for the first time in modern history.

The Empire's relentless investment into training Rune Masters, and collecting their knowledge from across systems, had made mass enchantment viable.

And perhaps most crucially, the relative peace in the Young Belt meant no major enemies had risen to disrupt this golden age of development.

All of it, every single factor—had made this moment possible.

The fairy added in a gentler, more advisory tone:

<We don't typically recommend epic armor sets for full-scale army formations. If you're looking to build a larger force, I suggest placing pre-orders for energy-based weapons and armor. There's no limit to the quantity, though delivery times may vary depending on the size of your order.>

Robin let out a quiet laugh, his voice tinged with pride.

"That won't be necessary," he said as he turned away from the weapons section.

"If there's one thing the True Beginning Empire doesn't lack—it's power."

Just as he began flipping through the categories once more, his eyes narrowed. His hand froze mid-motion. His brows knitted tightly together.

"...Soul Creatures Trading Hall?"