Lord of the Truth

Robin slowly opened his eyes in shock, his mind racing with the implications. A faint sense of fear crept into his heart involuntarily as he thought about that possibility.

Until now, he had assumed that the inhabitants of the Middle Belt had some random method of finding and selling planets—perhaps through sheer luck, ancient star maps, or some advanced scanning techniques. But the terrifying possibility that a Centenary Planetary Empire from within the very same sector had been the one to discover Greenland and Orphan's Blood sent shivers down his spine.

Didn't that mean they already knew about the location of his planets? What if they had detailed records? What if, one day, they decided to expand their empire further and return?

Wasn't he, in essence, standing on land that had already been seen, evaluated, and discarded by a much larger force?

A force that could return at any moment?

"...My future owner, what is troubling you?" Neri's soft yet sharp voice cut through his turbulent thoughts, pulling him back to the present. She had noticed the slight tension in his expression, the way his fingers had unconsciously curled into a fist.

"Nothing…" Robin exhaled, steadying his thoughts. "Or perhaps it's something that will never come to pass. But… What would happen if one of the Centenary Empires was the one that originally found my four planets: Greenland, Orphan's Blood, Godah, and Poison Rock decided to return and seize them?" His voice dropped to a near whisper. "And another thing… I refuse to believe that just one Centenary Empire found all four of them. That would be too much of a coincidence… So how many of these Centenary Planetary Empires even exist in Young Sector 99?!"

"You're mistaken about two things, my future owner." Neri's eyes gleamed with knowing amusement. She raised two fingers, then lowered one as she spoke. "First, as I have told you before, a Centenary Empire is not reckless. Their actions are calculated, and their moves are deliberate. If they sold the coordinates of a planet, they would almost certainly never return to it. Why? Because they know that whoever purchased the coordinates is likely a potential Overlord. And no Centenary Empire, no matter how powerful, wishes to invite unnecessary trouble for themselves—or for their own Overlord—over a mere planet."

"This is simply how they operate. The more planets they control, the more their armies must spread across vast distances, making large-scale conflicts undesirable. If they seek to expand their territory, they do so by targeting isolated planets—those without existing ownership. They have little interest in engaging in drawn-out wars, even against a developing planetary empire. And as for a multi-planet empire like yours?" Neri chuckled lightly. "Starting a war with you would be even less appealing. Such a conflict would only drain their resources while yielding little in return."

"Little in return?" Robin frowned, unable to accept the logic so easily. "But Greenland has an extremely strong affinity for the Law of Life, and it is home to Treant creatures. Poison Rock holds an affinity for the Minor Law of Corrosion, the path of destruction!! And Durger The Devourer, was there! How could those planets possibly be considered insignificant? I don't understand why anyone would sell them at all." He muttered under his breath, frustration evident in his voice.

Neri, however, simply shook her head with amusement. "You're overthinking things, my future owner. Even if Greenland possesses a strong affinity for the Law of Life, does the Centenary Empire that found it have practitioners of Life or Plant Paths capable of benefiting from it? And even if another Centenary Empire discovered Poison Rock, do they wield the Minor Law of Corrosion, making Durgr's blood a valuable resource to them? No? Then those planets are nothing more than ordinary celestial bodies to them.

Do you have any idea how many planets in the universe have special affinities? They exist in abundance!

The only thing that matters is whether you have the means to exploit those affinities or not!"

"That... makes sense." Robin nodded slowly as her words sank in.

Even if Pythor had drained Durger's blood completely, all it would have done was grant him an affinity for Corrosion. But without the technique for the Corrosion Minor Law, which he later obtained from the Impatient Woman, he wouldn't have been able to harness that affinity properly.

If someone else had acquired Poison Rock instead, they might have been utterly unable to tap into its potential!

This reinforced a vital truth—having the right Law techniques was the most important factor in these situations. Without them, even the most valuable planets could be nothing more than wasted land.

"...My future owner," Neri continued, her tone laced with a knowing confidence, "Centenary Planetary Empires are calculated in their actions and patient in their decisions. Their way of thinking differs greatly from what you expect, and their strategies are meticulously planned. Moreover, they command both respect and fear across their sector. Even though they rarely initiate large-scale wars, no one dares to start a war against them either."

She then gave him a small, meaningful smile. "And this is precisely why reaching the status of a Centenary Planetary Empire should be your ultimate goal. It is, after all, the goal of every planetary empire."

Then she continued, "Each sector contains multiple Centenary Empires, and every single one of them respects the others. It is incredibly rare to hear of Centenary Planetary Empires engaging in open conflict, and even rarer to hear of one being wiped out. An event like that might occur once every hundreds of thousands of years, and when it does, the news shakes the entire universe! The balance between these empires is carefully maintained because none of them wish to risk the massive losses that would come from a direct confrontation. Their longevity depends on their ability to maintain stability and avoid reckless wars."

Robin remained silent for a few moments, absorbing the weight of her words.

"So my goal should be… to establish a Centenary Planetary Empire?" He muttered under his breath, his gaze drifting into the distance as if trying to see a future where that possibility became reality. Slowly, he nodded. "That also makes sense…"

Achieving that title would mean ascending to the level of true planetary rulers, no longer just a growing power but a recognized force that could stand among the giants. Even if surrounded by similarly formidable entities, he would be able to hold his ground without constantly fearing annihilation. It was a level of power where he could dictate his own fate rather than constantly reacting to the whims of stronger entities.

Then, with a thoughtful look, Neri lowered the second finger she had raised earlier. "The second mistake you made— and something incredibly important that I've been meaning to discuss with you—is about those planets named Gudah and Poison Rock… or rather, the planets belonging to the Great Serpent Empire as a whole."

"What about them?" Robin raised an eyebrow, sensing the gravity in her voice.

"They are not located in Young Sector 99." Neri replied firmly.

Robin's heart skipped a beat. "What did you just say?!" The weight of her words struck him like a sledgehammer, sending his thoughts into chaos. "The Great Serpent Empire is in a different planetary sector?! That… that doesn't make any sense!! Didn't you say that there are massive boundaries separating each sector, filled with natural disasters, space-time distortions, and vast cosmic distances? How could I have been fighting across one this entire time without realizing it?! This… this is impossible!!!"

A storm raged within his mind. The information contradicted everything he understood about the structure of the universe.

"It's that suspicious wormhole that appeared directly above me." Neri said, shrugging her small shoulders as if the explanation was simple. "If I'm not mistaken, the direction of the wormhole suggests that it connects Sector 99 to the neighboring Sector 100. Somehow, for some unknown reason, this wormhole has bypassed all the formidable barriers that normally separate two sectors and created a stable passage between them— right above me!"

Robin stared at her, his pulse pounding in his ears.

"That…" His voice came out hoarse. "How… how is that even possible?! We've been traveling back and forth as if nothing was unusual! I've sent entire fleets through! I've conducted full-scale invasions! And yet… I never once noticed anything strange?! How could a passage between two sectors remain secret like this?!"

Neri remained calm, her golden eyes steady as she explained; "Unfortunately, we can say that the boundary between the two sectors no longer exists—at least, not functionally. If you possess a coordinate from Sector 100 and use any means of space travel that relies on the Laws of Space— be it a space portal, a warp drive, or a void-ripping vessel— your navigation system will automatically search for the closest viable route. And in this case, the closest and most efficient route is the wormhole.

This means that every time you traveled to or from the planets of the Great Serpent Empire, you were passing through the wormhole first without realizing it.

When the Great Serpent Empire launched its invasion against your territory, I personally saw their fleets emerging from the wormhole before spreading out to attack. But I don't know if they themselves even realized that they were fighting in a completely different sector the entire time!"

Robin's vision blurred for a moment as the weight of her words crushed down on him.

He wasn't just expanding his empire in a single sector—he had unknowingly spread his reach into two entirely different sectors!

The implications were dizzying.

"What… What do I do now?" His voice came out low, almost trembling. "Should I abandon those planets in Sector 100?" He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

The mere thought of giving up the planets he had fought so hard for made his stomach churn. Those nine planets weren't just resources—they were the greatest spoils of war he had ever claimed. Each of them carried value that he had yet to touch.

And even worse… if the major players in Sector 99 were already a looming threat in his mind, then what about the ones in Sector 100?

Would they tolerate his presence if they discovered his existence? Would they see him as a small fry to be crushed, or as a potential ally?

Neri sighed softly, sensing his turmoil. "That is entirely up to you," she said, her tone almost gentle. "I have never heard of a wormhole of this magnitude before. One vast enough to allow entire fleets to pass through. One stable enough to maintain its integrity even during the chaos of war. One that directly links the hearts of two different sectors. In my opinion, this is nothing short of a cosmic miracle."

She paused for a moment before listing his options.

"From what I can see, you have three choices…

The first is to consult your Overlord and find a way to close or seal the wormhole— abandoning the planets of the Great Serpent Empire in the process."

Robin felt a surge of frustration rise in his chest. "..." Abandon those planets? Just like that?

How could he let go of something he had bled for?

And second… the All-Seeing God? Helping him with something that even a Spirit of a Planet had called a "miracle"? That damn All-Seeing God wouldn't even answer him most of the time! Expecting help from him was almost laughable.

Neri smirked, a glint of ambition flashing in her eyes. "The second option… is to fully exploit the wormhole— because right now, no one else knows about it except for you!"

Robin felt his breath hitch.

"Don't you understand what this means?" Neri's voice grew more intense. "You now have the ability to expand your influence in two different sectors at the same time, without any additional cost!

There are countless powerful figures who dream of attempting something like this, but they always face a fundamental issue—how to transport their armies across the vast barriers between sectors.

At best, they can only support an empire in another sector by sending resources periodically, forming slow trade networks, and indirectly influencing the region.

But you?

You can move your entire army freely between two different sectors. You can build two Centenary Empires at the same time—one in each sector! No one else has this advantage!"

Robin's heart pounded. The possibilities that Neri was laying out before him were almost too massive to comprehend.

A true multi-sector empire…