2261 - Meditation
Another week later — Planet Donara
“…..”
Enjoying the profound silence that settled into his very bones, Robin raised his head to face the sky, with closed eyes and clear features devoid of any expression.
Then, after an unknown amount of time, he lowered his head quietly, extended his hand holding a high-level epic pen that the Shadow Swords had recently brought him, and began drawing something on a board made of White Treant Bark.
His grip on the pen was flawless, and although his arm was still slightly thin just a month after waking up, his fingers clutched the pen so tightly that their tips turned white. Every line he produced seemed like an undeniable cosmic truth.
Very slowly, Robin continued drawing.
After long hours, some distant features began to emerge.
It wasn’t a very complex drawing—not like the Golden Truth Patterns that blind the viewer, nor like the difficult-to-understand Balance Patterns that change whenever you look at a different angle.
It was something that looked like overlapping circles…
Specifically, five irregular circles, one of which was larger than the other four.
Each circle contained a number of strange but visible engravings, and each circle intersected with the others in a different way. At every intersection, there was an extremely tiny, inconspicuous engraving that seemed to be part of both circles simultaneously.
*Buzzzz*
At that moment, an instantaneous spatial gate opened not far from Robin, and a familiar Shadow Sword emerged. It was Harper, the Shadow Sword who had dealt with Robin during his time at Stellar Dawn Academy.
With a faint sweep of his distant senses, Harper noticed Robin sitting at his usual table in front of his glass house, his right hand firmly placed on the board. He also noticed Pitso sitting some distance away, watching His Majesty with eyes wide open for some reason... There was nothing unusual.
Harper then advanced with steady steps until he came within Robin's line of sight, then knelt. "I greet His Majesty. His Highness Theo and the other numbered Swords are busy carrying out Your Majesty's orders, so I was given the task of delivering news as a familiar face. I beg Your Majesty to grant me this precious opportunity and listen."
"..."
The reply was long in coming.
"...?" Harper merely lifted his head slightly, raising his eye to see if His Majesty was looking at him with anger, contempt, a smile, or even ignoring him...
But he found him still staring at the table, his right hand holding the pen motionless on the board, his expression showing an extremely high level of concentration.
And his eyes… his eyes were radiating a very bright golden light, as if each one contained a planet full of treasures, as if he could see both the past and the future at once.
Those eyes…
*Poof*
“Mmm!!” Harper suddenly felt someone place a hand over his mouth and eyes, pulling him backward with a force he couldn’t escape.
Only after reaching the edge of the cliff did he feel the grip loosen, so he quickly turned around aggressively, “What the hell are you doing, Master Pitso?!”
Of course, Harper quickly understood what was happening. Pitso was in the Nexus State, and it was said he had recently broken through to the Mid-Nexus State after following His Majesty for a while—truly enviable, no doubt!
“Shh!!” Pitso put his hand over his mouth again, then pointed toward Robin and spoke in a very low voice, “In this state… no talking… just silently observe… and wait…”
“…?” Harper turned back to look at Robin, “Observe what?”
His Majesty’s eyes were enchanting, drawing the soul toward them, and his serious, handsome facial expression made even men’s hearts race with strength and confidence, but not to the point of observing and—”
"Hmm?" Harper finally noticed something. "His hand is moving?!"
"Yes... He's been drawing for hours." Pitso nodded. "He doesn't usually draw with his hand, and when he does, it never takes this long, nor is he this focused... Something is about to happen."
"What's going to happen?" Harper asked in surprise.
"Tsk!" Pitso pushed Harper away. "Get out of here and come back tomorrow if you're going to keep chattering."
"Alright, alright, I'll watch and be quiet!" Harper adjusted his clothes and sat cross-legged next to Pitso, watching as well.
He didn't exactly know what he was watching... nor did he exactly know what might be waiting.
But staying here on the mountaintop next to the Lord was certainly better than going outside where those things were!!
A full day passed—
"....." Harper began to yawn frequently.
His Majesty was still moving with the same slow pace on a drawing that seemed like it would never end.
Every time Harper looked beside him, he saw Pitso staring at the scene with wide eyes and bated breath, inhaling every two minutes and exhaling minutes later, afraid to disturb His Majesty. His eyes were red because he was afraid to blink and miss something.
The scene was so strange that Harper tried more than once to wave his hand in front of Pitso, thinking he was asleep and pretending to be in a daze, but each time he was slapped on the back of his neck as punishment for his action, so he stopped.
Feeling deadly bored, Harper turned his face and began to watch the Space Beasts' battle.
Around the mountain, the battlefield was still a horrific war zone, where a thousand Space Beasts fought nearly ten thousand Imperial Guards in a terrifying, bloody scene.
The sky above them still trembled and swirled in eddies, the ground had turned into a paste from the sheer volume of blood, and the sea had transformed into a substance resembling mirage.
The battlefield's stench was unbearable, its aura was intolerable, its danger was incalculable, and its presence was unforgivable.
It was a true hell, a hell where the universe's finest fighters were forged and also died; just yesterday, three new Guards were killed.
As for today, it seemed that—
*Oooooooommmmmm*
".....!!!"
Harper felt an aura explode from behind him, an aura that felt as if the sky had suddenly pressed down on his chest.
And although he was still looking toward the battlefield, he could see the golden light of that thing, a light that covered the mountain, even descending and illuminating the battlefield like the sun.
Slowly and fearfully, Harper began to turn around to see what was happening. As he did, he saw Pitso staring ahead in terror, his lips trembling and his eyes tearful with longing.
Then he continued turning his head with difficulty, like an infant struggling against an adult's hand gripping his neck, until finally, he saw it...
There was a massive Golden Scale.