"..Hmm?" Robin's attention was imdiately drawn to the stacks of paper.
The first reason was that, technically, all the books in the library were also just stacks of paper. However, unlike these disorganized piles, the books were neatly arranged, bound together with wire along the side to make them easier to flip through. These, on the other hand, were nothing short of chaotic—completely unorganized, containing pages of various sizes. If not for the heavy slabs of tal pressing down on each pile, the papers would have long since scattered across the cave floor.
And then, there was their sheer size.
The largest book in the library contained around a thousand pages at most. But these two stacks? Each held no fewer than seventy thousand pages!
Even just by looking at them, Robin could tell that the contents must be extraordinary. The sheer effort it would take to compile such massive volus was imnse.
"Interesting..." Changing his course, Robin approached the two stacks and carefully removed the tal weight from one of them.
"Oh?" Right on top, a set of pages stood out, noticeably smaller than the rest. His eyes imdiately caught the words written across them, as if they were ant to be the very first thing seen by anyone who lifted the weight. The ssage was short, written in large, bold handwriting:
"[Greetings, my child. Do not read this book until you have explored everything else in this cave. Everything you see around you is the culmination of my work alongside your great-grandfather. We paved the path so that you may open your eyes to the truth of this world. Perhaps, one day, you will see it for yourself. Read… but as for this book, it would be best if you did not open it until you inherit the torch and beco the next Heaven Chosen. Otherwise, you will gain nothing from it but a headache.]"
Robin read the words carefully, his mind racing with questions. "Oh? So this is the legacy of the next Heaven Chosen?"
He raised an eyebrow in surprise. He had heard before that the First Heaven Chosen had left behind many books for his descendants, passing them down in secret until they eventually reached the Second Heaven Chosen. Were those books filled with law patterns? Or were they sothing else entirely?
He took a deep breath, his gaze shifting to the towering stacks before him. The sheer volu of information contained here could be staggering.
"I can't believe it… Everything around , all of this, is the will of the First and Second Heaven Chosen—an attempt to pass down their knowledge exclusively to their own bloodline? They would rather wait tens or even hundreds of thousands of years for another Heaven Chosen to be born from their lineage than share this imnse knowledge with the world?"
Robin let out a scornful laugh, shaking his head.
"But what a sha… The Second Heaven Chosen was ultimately killed by his own family, and no one knew where this library was hidden before his death. In the end, it fell into Hulak's hands… and now into mine."
His grip tightened slightly on the page he held. This was knowledge that had been locked away for countless generations, ant only for those who bore the blood of the Heaven Chosens. But now, by pure chance, it had co to him.
(And have you shared your discoveries with the world, you hypocrite? …I an, my dear owner?) Evergreen quickly corrected herself, her voice carrying a teasing lilt.
Robin waved off the accusation with a chuckle, "Did I not hand everything over to the Research and Developnt Division? They weren't chosen based on bloodline or heritage but on their abilities! And now, that division has grown into a city of its own, open to anyone from my thirteen planets who wishes to join. They are the ones capable of understanding my harvest and translating it into sothing truly useful. What would be the point of spreading this knowledge to farrs and rchants? If soone wants it, they should strive for it."
Spreading his arms wide, he gestured to the surrounding bookshelves, his expression growing more intense. "But look at this—thousands, no, hundreds of thousands of minor laws that could have changed Nihari forever if they had been properly utilized. And yet, here they lie, buried in dust and forgotten, serving no purpose at all. Compare this to the revolution I've brought to Jura and every other place I've set foot in! The knowledge I uncovered wasn't hoarded—it was used to push civilization forward!"
(Yes, yes, you're absolutely amazing, my dear owner~) Evergreen teased with playful sarcasm.
Robin clicked his tongue. "Tsk~ Annoying girl."
As he turned, Robin activated the Eye of Truth.
A wave of energy rippled through his vision, illuminating the surroundings in intricate detail. The lines of power flowing through the ancient bookshelves, the residual traces of law patterns left behind by their creators—it was as if the entire cave had beco an open book before his eyes.
"He said not to read the book until I had explored everything in the library. What else is left?"
His gaze swept across the cavern once more, searching for anything he might have overlooked.
"..Gravity path minor laws, plant path minor laws, explanations of energy properties, theories on soul force… hmm, that entire library over there is dedicated to energy weapons, ideas on their developnt… that one holds incomplete tattoos… and over there… array seeds?! It seems that considering arrays is a natural progression of events..."
Robin's golden eyes scanned the fourth wall as he slowly turned his gaze, his expression shifting between curiosity and deep thought. His mind was racing, trying to piece together the significance of all the knowledge before him.
Suddenly, his eyes widened in surprise.
He strode toward the fourth wall, the one containing the entrance he had originally co through. Even this wall was filled with books, their sheer number making it clear that the Second Heaven Chosen had been ticulous in his research and docuntation.
"...Oh? That library contains volus on internal energy system techniques! There are dozens of them... He discovered it?!"
(Of course, he knew about the internal energy system. How do you think he reached the Third Stage of Truth? Using tattoos?) Evergreen chuckled, her voice dripping with amusent.
"...I never thought about it, but you're right. Even though I use the Master Law of Spaceti through a tattoo, the Law of Truth is different. We cannot see its patterns, nor can we inscribe them. The only way to use it is by the patterns engraving themselves directly into the energy foundations." Robin stroked his chin thoughtfully, his mind delving deeper into the implications. "And yet… sothing feels off. He had all these refined techniques for the internal energy path, but he never promoted them or encouraged their use."
(Maybe he didn't see the need? He inherited the divine tattoo system from his ancestors and simply built upon it. Perhaps he believed that was the ideal cultivation path for the giants!) Evergreen shrugged within his soul domain.
"But didn't he see the flaws of body-strengthening divine tattoo?" Robin's voice took on a sharper edge, frustration seeping into his tone. "Unlike internal energy system practitioners, who store energy in their bodies as solid energy foundations, those tattoos directly convert natural energy into pure physical strength. That's why, after death, their energy doesn't return to the planet—it gets devoured by worms and predators, turning into protein! This cultivation thod is incredibly harmful to the planet because it only takes and never gives back."
(You're worrying too much about that girl just because she sided with you, hmmph.) Evergreen crossed her arms, pouting slightly. (Nihari is still drawing in more energy from the surrounding primal chaos day and night at a stable rate. The energy levels won't drop anyti soon!)
Robin let out a frustrated sigh before shaking his head. "But it will drop eventually, won't it?" He turned to Evergreen, his golden eyes glinting with certainty. "The planet continuously absorbs primal chaos and converts it into natural energy at a rapid pace, compensating for the energy lost due to tattoos. But the rapid absorption and conversion don't increase the planet's overall energy levels; they rely keep them stable at best. This puts a massive strain on the entire planet, disrupting the balance of the ecosystem, and pushing it toward inevitable collapse. You don't even need to tell this— I can see it happening every day with my own eyes on Nihari!"
He pointed toward a specific section of the cave, as if emphasizing his words with a physical gesture. "I have no issue with the offensive tattoos. Even though they have flaws, they can still be utilized. But body-strengthening divine tattoo are defective and destructive. I refuse to spread them across my planets. How could the Second Heaven Chosen not see this?!"
(Maybe he didn't have golden eyes.) Evergreen giggled mischievously, clearly enjoying teasing him.
Robin snorted, rolling his eyes. "Stop joking. The only difference I've noticed between my eyes and the Second Heaven's Chosen is the color."
Then, as if rembering sothing, his expression shifted slightly.
"...The All-Seeing God spoke of a unique talent possessed by certain users of Truth. He even ntioned that 'The Truthful On' might be one such talent, but I don't recall anything else that was different."
(Hmm… What about the Golden cloak?) Evergreen mused aloud, her voice taking on a more serious tone.
Her words made Robin burst into laughter. "Hehe, I don't know about that one." He turned his attention back to the two piles of paper, specifically the second pile, which was still weighed down by the tal slab. His curiosity burned stronger than before. "Alright… you're the only thing left that I haven't explored yet. Let's see what you're hiding."
Robin removed the weight. The first thing that t his eyes was a single sheet of paper with a ssage written on it:
"[This is . My na is… well, no one cared about my na when I was alive, and you, the one inheriting my legacy, won't care either. You may rember as the Second Heaven's Chosen. Perhaps it is only fitting that my na fades into the dirt alongside ...]"
User Comments
0 comments from readers