2349 - The Mission
"Sir!" Drais quickly stepped forward to help Hedrick stand, for even at this moment he was still kneeling on one knee, staring at Lord Robin in bewilderment.
*Whoosh* Hedrick raised his hand calmly to signal Drais to stand, and a strong wave of air immediately struck Drais, causing both him and Hedrick to glance at his hand for a moment.
"..?" Even Glacion turned to Hedrick in surprise, but not because of the power he had displayed—quite the opposite.
When Renara had done the same in the cave, she had dropped it right on top of their heads… Compared to her, Hedrick had indeed begun to control his power far better!
"...What exactly did you do?" Hedrick turned back to look at Robin, frowning.
"...." Robin let out a long sigh. "Those threads were not granting you support from the Heavenly Laws and recognition, as everyone believed. They were removing a portion of the restrictions imposed upon you."
Robin paused for a moment, still covering his eyes. "Your exceptional talent and immense power compared to others at your level were due to a technique that lowered those limits from the very beginning of your memories. Then that technique, or the modification made to you, was cutting off part of the threads and retaining them to remove a larger area of the limits... If someone with your strength had removed 30% of the limits of their main law, that modification would have given you a 47% area."
Then, finally, he moved his hand slightly away from his eye and looked weakly at Hedrick. "As for me, I removed them from you by 100%, and not just the limits of the secondary law of Shattering, but all the laws of The Universe."
"...Why can you do something like this when no one else has ever thought of it?" Hedrick did not argue that it was impossible; he had felt what happened, felt his power.
"Heh~" Robin let out a small laugh. "Bring me someone who has five Master Laws other than me, and we'll ask him."
"You..." Hedrick stood up. "You have five Master Laws?!"
"Six, in truth." Robin went back to covering his tired eye. "But I used five on you."
He then continued directly, "From what I've seen, the five Master Laws grant you a mark that threatens the Heavenly Laws in Universe B-14 and informs them that you are not one of those under their authority. It places you outside *The Game*, so to speak." Then he chuckled, "You always wanted to stop being a pawn—congratulations, you've become a knight."
"……" Hedrick stared down at Robin's head for a few seconds. "There's a lot you need to explain to me, especially regarding this B-14 matter."
"All in due time. For now, I have a question…" Robin lifted his head slightly and looked at Hedrick's chest as he spoke, "Did I give you power equal to Marlik the Butcher or not?"
"….." Hedrick paused for a moment, then raised his hand. Very slowly, he began to clench it into a fist. *Boom* A crushing wave struck the very air around him.
Then he lifted his head confidently. "I've never fought Marlik before, but it's hard to imagine he possesses greater power than this." Then he nodded. "You were right."
*Crack*
"…." Robin smiled.
The Key, the part of The Oath that gave Hedrick the possibility of escaping the agreement, had shattered and collapsed after those words left his mouth.
Officially… Hedrick had become his sword.
"...Hmm." Robin nodded a few times and leaned his head back again. "Marlik has a way to circumvent the boundaries of the Laws, just like you before. But, like you, it's only a variable, relative circumvention. Some Laws he can deduct 20% more from, while others he can't deduct anything at all. You might have noticed during your Breakthrough that some Threads activated while others were Severed more than the rest... But you, you're like someone who has reached 100% in removing all boundaries. In this regard, you surpass him."
"...." Hedrick took a long breath.
"Hah?!" As for Drais, he looked as if he had been struck on the head at that moment... His master had become as strong as Marlik? Just like that?!
"But I don't want you to get conceited." Robin spoke. "Marlik has the Crystal of an Adult Space Beast, and the blood of that beast flows through his veins. He also has two swords crafted with a technique not from our world. These advantages might give him an edge over you in a real fight."
"Hoooh~" Hedrick let out a breath. "An hour ago, I wouldn't have accepted being compared to Marlik. But now you're saying I'm above him in some ways, and he might surpass me in others... That satisfies me." Then his eyes gleamed. "If the odds are close, I fear no one."
"Hmm, good." Robin nodded. "I'll find a solution for you to overcome these disadvantages against Marlik anyway, and very soon." Then he smiled. "Just try not to get into a life-or-death fight with him until I'm done." Then he spoke seriously, "The same goes for your father. I can't see through that man's mysteries. He appears to be a follower of the Syndicate, yet at the same time, he acts as if he's merely a distant ally of theirs. I can't assess his strength. I fear your fight with him was nothing but a show."
"A show?!" Hedrick furrowed his brows tightly.
"Yes, your father caught the attention of The All-seeing God, and it's clear he was trying to prove he's a normal person, so he started those adventures against you and your siblings. Perhaps he allowed you to injure him so the story would spread and he'd avoid any future suspicion... That's my analysis anyway, and if there's another explanation, we'll know it someday."
"..." Hedrick nodded.
As for Robin, he stared into his eyes with a wide smile. "In front of those two, fight as you wish, but always be ready to flee. As for anyone else... kill as you wish. Kill until the sky grows angry. Kill until the earth is soaked with blood."
"For what purpose?" Hedrick asked seriously.
"To give me the Universe, of course." Robin revealed a wide smile. "B-14 has lived in chaos and fallen into the wrong hands for long enough. It's time to bring it back to the right path. It's time for it to fall into the hands of the Heir—my hands!"
"….!" Glacion and Drais trembled.
As for Hedrick, he nodded. "Where do I begin?" His hands clenched, eager to test his power impatiently.
Robin revealed a wide smile. "I'll give you 13 days to get used to your power. After that, your first mission will be to destroy the Galaxy of the Cursed Behemoth Darvion and take his galaxy for yourself."