2210 - The Corner
"Ahh..." Robin's pupils suddenly dilated, his mouth hanging open.
The Soul Shard of the Cosmic Elder is not responding!!
It is still there, but like a stone that neither hears nor thinks, left in its place for millions of years, refusing to make any reaction. The spirit units that make up the shard itself seem to have petrified!
Thanks to this shard, Robin had been handling the situation with ease. Thanks to the sense of security he felt in its presence, he had been experimenting with new combat techniques and activated the Furnace of the Day of Judgment Array in the presence of twenty adult space beasts.
Because of this shard's existence, Robin dared to open his mouth in the presence of the Ancestor Space Beast... because he knew that the Cosmic Elder would save him no matter the situation.
The Cosmic Elder is not like The All-seeing God; when it comes to anti-life beings, he will not procrastinate or set conditions—he will attack them immediately!
...Or so Robin had thought.
"..." Robin shot an embarrassed sideways glance at the Ancestor Space Beast. He looked like a child still learning to use the bathroom, too embarrassed to tell his mother that he had wet himself.
Just moments ago, he had confidently shouted at the Ancestor Space Beast that
he should not blame him!
And indeed, the space beast was looking at him patiently, waiting.
"...You're lucky." Robin placed his hands behind his back and tried to feign confidence, the veins on his forehead twitching violently. "The Cosmic Elder is currently killing another Ancestor space beast and is a bit busy. He said he'll come to finish you off as soon as he's done." Then he coughed, "Ahem, ahem, if I were you, I'd leave now. You won't be able to withstand being in his presence."
Robin was almost crying inside.
Of course, he had begun to wonder what had happened to the shard, what had happened to the Cosmic Elder himself... but he had to stay alive to wonder and find answers!
"......" The beast's red eyes tilted slightly to the side.
Blokan began looking at Asr and Althera with a choked expression, "......!!" His eyes bulged as if he wanted to scream at them that the scoundrel Robin was playing with their lives... but he couldn't, he didn't dare.
Disturbance.
Another wave of suppressing energy struck Robin. It wasn't strong enough to kill him or threaten his life, but it was undoubtedly humiliating and painful.
Like someone flicking an ant away with the tip of their finger.
"You're playing with your lifespan!!" Robin raised his voice, his hand beginning to tremble violently. "Even if the Cosmic Elder is a bit busy, we still have Sivar and Athena. Any one of the three can knead you like dough. Don't overestimate yourself!!"
Robin felt insulted as he uttered those words… He was literally using his enemy to bolster himself.
Disturbance.
The Ancestor Space Beast sent another wave of pressure, pushing Robin back dismissively once more, as if telling him to do whatever he could.
"You… you filthy beast don't know who stands before you!!" Morgana let her tears fall down her cheek and rushed toward Robin.
She knew well how much pride Robin had, how much self-respect he possessed, and what was happening now… he was surely dying inside!!
Her feeling of him made her completely forget her fear.
"…Sir?" But her speed slowed again until she stopped.
At that moment, Robin was smiling at her, signaling her to stop.
Then he turned to the Ancestor Space Beast with the same calm smile, "It's safe to say you understand me by now," the veins that had been visible on his forehead disappeared, and the slight tremor in his hand was gone, "So let me introduce myself to you formally."
Disturbance.
A wave of energy pushed Robin back again mockingly, but he barely maintained his smile and continued, "I am Robin Burton, a small researcher aspiring to glory through my research."
Disturbance.
"...Even before taking my first step on my path, I endured much oppression—attempts at exploitation, attempts at murder... attempts at mockery. To the point that I built my own empire, and I became stronger, far stronger."
*Trembling*
Morgana covered her mouth with her hands, weeping bitterly... Every time the master was struck like this, it was like a knife in her heart.
"Do you know why I walked the path of power, you beast?" Robin raised his head slightly. "Because I told myself... what glory would I gain while being humiliated? What would I benefit if it were said that Robin invented this or that, but so-and-so was trampling on my head, so-and-so was mocking me?"
Then he shook his head.
"That kind of glory I do not want. To remain silent and vanish into the folds of history is better for me... more honorable."
*Trem—*
The Ancestor Space Beast narrowed its small red eyes. The last energy wave had vanished.
Then it opened them slightly... Something had appeared.
A Golden Scale.
*Ring*
The right pan of the scale fell, and the energy wave disappeared.
"Hear me, you!"
Robin's voice exploded loudly.
*Boom*
Beside the scale, a golden light appeared and began to transform until it took the shape of a broken-toothed gear.
"I am the one who knows best that I am not yet at the level of those three, but..."
The golden light in Robin's eyes began to intensify until his pupils disappeared, then golden engravings started seeping and spreading across his entire body, compressing and reappearing with terrifying speed.
Hmm.
Beside the Scale and the Broken Gear, a Serpent Eating Its Tail appeared.
"...If you want to kill me today, rest assured that I won't leave without taking half your life with me."
It repeated.
Beside the Scale, the Broken Gear, and the Serpent Eating Its Tail, a cube with non-parallel lines appeared.
"...If you want to kill me today, I'll drag your entire nest into hell with me."
"Ah... Ahhh..."
Blokan, Althera, and Asr all broke free from the Ancestor's terror and retreated slightly, their eyes fixed on the Four Symbols, their minds struggling to comprehend what they were seeing... something never mentioned in any history books.
The space beasts also began to retreat, letting out small, pained cries as if the light emanating from the symbols was burning them.
Vroom.
A massive amount of Spirit Units poured into the contract, then began to transform into a shattering aura around Robin's body.
Then another symbol appeared... a Closed Eye.
A golden eye emerged from Robin's forehead and began to rise upward.
A Closed Eye burning with golden light, as if intent on illuminating the void, and though it remained closed, the space beasts retreated even further the moment it appeared.
The higher it rose, the larger and more pressurized it became, and soon it ascended above the Four Symbols as if enthroned upon its natural seat.
Then, with his glowing, bloodshot eyes, Robin opened his mouth and gritted his fangs, “…If you wish to kill me today… I’ll take half your life with me!”
Then he raised a hand and muttered in indignation:
<Incarnation of the Decree: Master Law of Truth \ Fifth Level.>
Ooom
The eye opened.