Chapter 2243

2243 - The Mysterious Man

“…I am His vision and His word.”

“…” Blokan remained silent and serious as he watched Robin laugh at these words, which, to say the least, had crossed all boundaries.

The word and vision of the Cosmic Elder?

Before the Executioner Incident, if Robin had heard these words, he would have replied that he should respect himself and watch what he says. He was speaking with arrogance and pride that was unbecoming, even if the Cosmic Elder himself had called him a friend!

But now, Lord Robin seemed to be belittling himself by describing himself as merely a representative or a word for someone else.

What Lord Robin had done made him no less significant than the Cosmic Elder in terms of their contributions to the universe… The Cosmic Elder corrected Athena’s mistake, while Lord Robin prevented the mistake from happening in the first place.

“If you have no issue with being in the shadow of the Cosmic Elder, then I will respect your wish.” Blokan nodded, “With this money, and with some methods I possess, I will ensure that a Lord is appointed to each new academy and at least one deputy for each one—you have my word.”

“But…” Blokan stared into Robin’s eyes, “The Lord of Thrones will not be pleased with this.”

“…” The eyes of everyone on the cliff trembled or turned toward Robin.

The Lord of Thrones Qarun…

He is one of the most enigmatic figures in the universe. His rise to his current status was a marvel, and his survival there an even greater one.

No one knows his true strength, for he has never had to fight seriously, yet no one doubts his intelligence or his unerring strikes.

The simplest and most immediate example...

The Cosmic Elder came out into the open to threaten Qarun and establish the Cosmic Academies, yet in the end, 90% of the Stellar Academies remained under Qarun's sway.

That is the extent of his cunning, his status, and his understanding of human nature.

If he managed to maintain his position and composure in the face of the Cosmic Elder's threat, and even emerge victorious, who could possibly threaten him?

But this time, things are entirely different...

"All the Academy Masters who have joined us speak of their hatred for that man. They never want to see him or deal with him again, as they always come out as the losing party in any transaction between them." Morgana stared at Robin's face from the side, "These steps will undoubtedly anger him."

"This will go beyond the stage of anger," Blokan completed her sentence. "Within a few decades, the Cosmic Academies will possess immense power, whether through construction and summoning new Heads and Deputies, or by luring the Stellar Academies to join us. The sphere of influence he used to amass his vast wealth will come to an end."

Then he furrowed his brows slightly. "For the first time, we will see the Lord of Thrones angry... He may tolerate everything except his source of money."

"..." Robin let out a sigh. "We are talking about how to stop the Executioners' Brigade when it arrives, and we are talking about the Court, the Pantheon, and whatever those things are, and we are talking about a universe that may collapse within a few thousand years... And both of you are talking about someone's source of money?"

Then he shook his head. "If we cannot thwart the schemes of a local figure like Qarun, by what right will we speak of anything else?"

Afterward, he waved his hand firmly. "Do it. Prepare the army that will defend Universe B-14, and pay no attention to anyone else."

"Yes." Blokan and Morgana bowed fully.

"And don't worry about Qarun. We can consider him just another guild and simply be cautious of him." Then he snapped his finger. "I'll send you the money through Spirit Society Transfers. Don't withdraw all that money at once—I don't want unnecessary trouble with them, not now. Use the money to buy materials from them, and if you need to pay someone, transfer the payment to them through the Society as well."

"..." Blokan glanced at Morgana, then looked back at Robin. "Isn't that a bit contradictory, Lord Robin? You downplay the Council of Thrones, yet you're this considerate toward another local power that isn't as widespread as them and isn't as strong as the Council?"

"We have a direct feud with the Council, so beating around the bush won't help—it'll only tie us down. We have to do what we have to do. As for the Spirit Society, our relationship with them is good, better than good. I consider myself an unofficial partner of theirs because of the amount of money flowing into their coffers thanks to me."

Robin continued looking gently into Blokan's eyes. "No matter how tolerant the Spirit Society is, you'll find plenty of furrowed brows and scowling faces if you ask to withdraw ten trillion Pearls in cash. But if you use the money for trading and purchasing through them, that will strengthen our relationship with them even more."

Then he smiled, "And don't forget, the Dreamer Galaxy is rumored to be the only one that has discovered the secret of the Eleventh Star." After a few seconds, he continued seriously, "This rumor alone is terrifying. It doesn't just make them as powerful as the Tyrant Galaxy and the Council of Thrones—it makes them greater!"

"It's just a rumor, after all." Blokan furrowed his brows slightly. "If they truly had that secret and that power, they wouldn't have settled for being an economic force. The shape of the universe would have changed."

"And why would they need to change anything? The Spirit Society already controls the entire universe's economy and influences the decisions of all powers. Military control isn't everything. I follow it because it's the most secure and fastest, but there are other means—more widespread and easier ones—like those Morpheus employs."

Then he looked at the horizon for a moment. "...Blokan, have you ever seen Morpheus? The Shadow Swords couldn't find any old images of him from any meeting or announcement... There's only news of his appearance at certain times, like the rumor of him mediating to stop Helmur Destra's rampage, but even that is a dubious rumor... All the news about his appearances places him as an assistant, a mediator, or a secondary figure in a historical event, and all of it can be dismissed as false."

“…” Blokan furrowed his brows deeply. “No, in my twelve-million-year lifespan, I have never seen him… nor have I ever considered the matter of his emergence in this way before. This is truly strange.”

“…” Robin nodded several times, then revealed a peculiar smile. “Alright, for now, we’ll treat him as an ally. There’s no need to overthink it. You may leave and begin.”

“Understood, I will start immediately.” Blokan nodded, then looked toward Morgana. “Please remain here by The Gate until I find replacements for us.”

Then—

*Swish*

He vanished.