Lord of the Truth

Theo narrowed his obsidian-black eyes, just slightly.

He wasn't sure if he should've expected this sight or not…

The man before him was simply sitting on the floor, legs stretched out like someone who had just dropped down after a long, soul-draining journey.

There were no shackles restraining him. No collars, no energy chains, no visible signs of captivity.

He wasn't being forced into this position.

Instead, he looked like someone who had pushed himself to the edge—then collapsed, content to rest wherever his body gave out.

He leaned against the wall casually, his head resting back, eyes peacefully shut.

And yet, his clothing…

It screamed nobility. Refinement. Status.

It was tailor-made, crafted from materials that only planetary elites could afford.

Pristine. Not a speck of dirt, not a single tear or fray.

It was as though even his fatigue refused to compromise his appearance.

His facial features were almost completely hidden beneath a cascade of hair as white as freshly fallen snow.

It poured down like a silken waterfall, touching the polished floor beneath him.

Even his beard—long, elegant, regal—reached all the way to his navel.

It was the kind of look that made identifying his race—or even his age—nearly impossible.

But one thing stood out:

The pale skin around his closed eyelids.

That single detail, and the faint glow beneath his skin, revealed the truth:

He wasn't old.

His life force still pulsed with energy.

He was young—and dangerously alive.

"So? What do you think? Ever seen a Nexus Being this full of vitality while in chains?"

The man in the yellow cloak gave Theo another hearty pat on the back, grinning.

"We healed him the moment we captured him. Then we forced him to sever his bond with the planet he had refined.

After that, we restructured his soul, made him refine to one of our planets, one tied directly to the syndicate.

This way, he wouldn't wither from the loss, and his value as a slave would remain intact.

Consider it part of the package deal: the slave—and the refined planet he's connected to—free of charge. A gift."

Theo said nothing. He stood quietly, his eyes fixed on the figure sitting before him.

Seconds passed.

Then finally, he turned toward the yellow-cloaked man and asked:

"What's wrong with him? Why is he sitting like this?

Does he have brain damage or something?

Are you telling me he hasn't even noticed we're here?"

The man chuckled and shook his head.

"No, no. His soul awareness is completely intact.

He's fully conscious. Listening to us right now.

He's just… indifferent.

He doesn't care about what we say. What we think. What we want.

That's precisely why we're putting him up for sale."

Theo frowned, his brows tightening slightly, "I still don't get it."

The man in the yellow cloak turned toward the seated figure and sighed.

"He's been like this ever since we defeated him and brought him in.

We placed every known curse, every ancient binding spell—anything with the slightest link to domination or slavery—onto him.

But the most they can do is suppress him. Keep him from attacking us.

At best, we can tell him to sit somewhere… or walk to a specific location…

Prevent him from ending his own life, perhaps.

But if we try to order him to fight—to take action that goes against his will…

He pushes back. Hard."

Theo's eyes narrowed again.

"That's… even possible?

I've seen Nexus Beings under control before. I rented one from you!

Are you telling me this man is immune?"

"He's not your average Nexus Being," the yellow-cloaked man said flatly.

"He's a high-tier one. One of the few capable of breaking through to the Absolute Peak of the Nexus Realm at any moment.

But he's given up on cultivation. He simply… doesn't care anymore."

He nodded toward the seated man.

"His soul is powerful—so powerful that even ancient curses only dampen his will, not break it.

And the Law he commands… it's celestial, and overwhelmingly potent.

If we didn't have access to extinct rituals and forbidden spellwork, we wouldn't have been able to neutralize him even this much."

"A high-tier Nexus Being…?"

Theo turned again, his gaze sharper now, focused.

He studied the figure once more, this time with a deeper awareness.

This wasn't just any fighter.

This was something else entirely.

Someone whose power had once shaken planets—perhaps empires.

Someone whose capture shouldn't even have been possible.

"Who in the world managed to take this man down… and bring him back alive…?"

But then, Theo sighed.

He shook his head.

"None of this matters if he won't fight for me.

What use is strength if it just lies there gathering dust?"

"Patience, my friend, patience!"

The yellow-cloaked man laughed heartily, then placed his palm on Theo's shoulder.

With a soft hum, he surrounded him in a thin protective layer of energy.

"Watch carefully… and feel this."

He turned to the prisoner and pointed.

"Hey. Unleash your aura."

DOOOOOOOOOM—

"…..!!!"

The air collapsed.

Even with the protection of someone far beyond the standard Nexus Realm, Theo felt it—

A crushing pressure, like a meteor slamming into his chest.

His guts twisted violently.

His vision blurred.

His ears rang from the sheer force of it.

His knees nearly buckled.

His body—his entire existence—was being pressed down by something ancient… overwhelming… and completely unbothered by his presence.

Only after a moment did the yellow-cloaked man reinforce the energy field around him, stabilizing the shield.

Theo instantly understood—

The first layer was intentional. A test.

He was meant to taste it. To understand exactly what kind of storm he was buying into.

Theo clenched his jaw and turned his gaze to the prisoner once more—still seated, still leaning on the wall as if nothing had happened.

He whispered under his breath:

"Alright… he's strong.

Stronger than anything I've ever bought.

But I still don't know how I'm supposed to use him.

Am I just going to tell him to release his aura and scare people away?"

"Look around you," the yellow-cloaked man said with a smirk.

"Hmm?"

Theo turned…

And froze.

His jaw dropped.

His eyes widened.

Speechless.

The grand facility—the marble floors, the servants, the gardens?

Gone.

The surrounding streets?

The beautiful estates, the prestigious academies of the noble district?

Reduced to ashes.

In the span of a heartbeat, everything had turned to rubble.

"…"

Theo glanced once more toward the prisoner.

Nothing remained.

The entire estate had been reduced to ash, except for one thing—

The wall the man was leaning against.

That meant…

He had controlled his power with such precision that he spared the wall intentionally.

He knew what he was doing.

He was fully aware of himself, his strength, and his surroundings—despite all appearances suggesting otherwise.

Theo slowly turned his gaze to the man in the yellow cloak.

If that first layer of protective energy hadn't been there...

If that shield hadn't softened the initial wave of aura…

He, Theo, would have been reduced to dust.

The yellow-cloaked man wasn't trying to intimidate him.

He hadn't even meant to show off.

He had just… slightly misjudged the prisoner's raw power.

Theo's voice came out low.

"…Who is he, really?"

The man in yellow turned serious. His eyes lost their warmth.

"That's not part of the deal.

You're buying a slave, not a biography.

His past, the details of his capture, his history—none of it concerns you.

What matters is that he's in perfect health, still young, and that I'll provide you with full access to the control methods used to keep him in line."

His tone dropped another note—now firm.

"Do you want him… or not?"

Theo clenched his jaw.

"…Couldn't you offer a discount?

If he were fully obedient, I'd pay gladly.

But at this price—for someone I'll be using just to release pressure waves from time to time—

Even a low-tier Nexus Being would serve me better."

His words came through gritted teeth.

The man in yellow barked a laugh.

"Do I look like I'm forcing you?

Am I holding a knife to your throat?

You're free to walk away—

Go find another one on sale."

Theo said nothing.

His brow furrowed deeper.

They both knew the truth—

There were no others.

No high-tier Linked Beings were on the market.

Even if one appeared someday, this "kind and charming gentleman" beside him could easily block the sale—especially after today's incident.

Then the yellow-cloaked man shook his head and exhaled with mild amusement.

"Second of all—what is 6.25 billion, really, in return for this?

Do you truly believe I would let him go at this price if he were cooperative?"

He patted Theo lightly on the shoulder, the gesture oddly sincere.

"Listen… What if I offered you a deal?"

Theo kept his face composed, trying to hide the tension, "I'm listening."

The man in yellow lowered his voice just a little. It wasn't a whisper, but it carried the weight of a secret.

Like a man uttering the key to a hidden vault.

"I'm the one in charge of making use of that man.

If I sell him at a decent price, I get a very generous reward from upstairs.

And in return… I'll compensate you with something extra.

A service."