"....." Robin kept his eyes closed, tilting his head slightly upward.
It had been a long, stretched-out period since he assigned Jabba and Shaddad the task of completing the remaining components of the ink-so long that he could no longer tell how much ti exactly had passed. The mont he handed the mission over to them, he simply lay back in comfort, holding several soul eralds in his hand. Each ti one vanished into dust, another imdiately materialized in its place.
The Eternal Quill, Seraphim... it was an artifact wrapped in layers of
unfathomable mystery, not only in how it was ant to be used, but in how it consud energy as well.
The quill behaved as if it possessed a consciousness of its own, a peculiar awareness that guided its reactions.
Robin had tried using it for direct attacks, experinted with it while drawing arrays, and tested all kinds of simple inks to determine which ones worked best. Yet none of those attempts had drained him of this magnitude of soul units and internal energy the way it did today.
The amount of soul eralds he needs to consu to bring himself back to his combat-ready form is astonishing, there few taps with the quill did cost too much money!
Was it simply because the request was extrely complex?
Maybe it was the need to perfectly align Robin's understanding of the array with his understanding of each ink individually-then choosing inks that were compatible yet inexpensive at the sa ti, all while avoiding any conflicting properties. All those layers of considerations piled up into a single task riddled with complications.
But even that felt too simple in comparison to what Seraphim was capable of. In the end, Robin wasn't inventing anything new-he rely followed steps that the quill executed with absurd ease...
...Could it be that the quill realized it had just saved centuries —maybe entire era- of experintation, so it randomly drew out this massive amount of energy and soul force as paynt for the ti it spared ?
The more he thought about it, the more Robin's lips curved into a faint smile. If that was true, then the quill was both terrifying and irresistibly fascinating. "...Hey, boss. I hate to interrupt your little daydreaming session, but I've got a request." At that mont, Holak's voice rose from the side.
"Hmm?" Robin opened his eyes only for a heartbeat, noticing Holak blocking the sunlight above him, then closed them again. "What do you want, Holak?"
"I joked around with your two disciples as usual and asked them to make stronger, but that furball over there said I had to ask you first." Holak pointed toward Shaddad, who was running all over the place like a frantic bee. "So- there is a way, right?!"
"There is a way," Robin nodded calmly. "Didn't you get the ssage I sent with Theo? It's only a matter of ti."
"... Honestly, I thought you were just giving a goal." Holak folded his arms with a huff. "I know you can make it happen, but I didn't think the actual thod existed already!" He leaned forward slightly, excitent pushing him closer. "Can I use it today?!"
"You can place your foot on the very first step," Robin replied with a small smile, still drawing soul force at a reckless pace from the eralds. "You still have a long road ahead before you beco a World Cataclysm. And to be honest, I wouldn't allow you to reach that stage before the right ti."
"What do you an by that?" Holak imdiately questioned.
"The thod that will help you break through is weaponisation, not tattoos. And even though you've reached this overwhelming level of power, your body is still unweaponised. You must start from the First Bath just like everyone else." He paused for a mont, then opened one eye slightly. "...Thinking about it, taking weaponisation baths will strengthen your cells and allow you to store far more power and use it with greater flexibility. You'll definitely beco stronger -much stronger-even if you don't reach World Cataclysm level."
"Oh? I can live with that." Holak flashed a wide grin, leaning his chin against his hand. "But why not let break through to World Cataclysm right away?"
"For two reasons," Robin began, his voice carrying a quiet weight. "First, you're still under restriction as a creature native to the Young Belt. You must have felt that invisible pressure tightening around you the mont you arrived here..." Robin continued, closing both his eyes as if recalling the sensation himself. "These restrictions twist everything, make every step painfully harder. It took nearly eighteen years-on and off, with countless pauses and recalibrations -to climb back to level 48 this ti. If I had done the very sa process in the Young Sector, it wouldn't have taken even quarter that ti. At worst? A third." "... But all of that, all the struggle and hardship, is on one side of the scale. Breaking through to World Cataclysm is sothing else entirely-like placing an entire mountain on the other side. Attempting to form an Energy Core instead of a simple Energy Gathering Center multiplies the pressure by hundreds... no, by thousands. An Energy Core, from what I've seen, studied, and even indirectly experienced, acts almost like a miniature planet of its own: it draws torrents of energy as if inhaling a storm, and stores impossible amounts inside it. How can anyone, especially soone bound by restrictions, hope to survive that?"
Robin shook his head slowly, the gesture filled with certainty. "Once you begin destroying the Gathering Center through the standard thod, the body faces an explosive backlash-a violent shock that rips through your organs and nerves. You lose consciousness imdiately. If you push yourself even a hair further, you're gambling with death. And breaking through by force? That's suicide. No one even survives long enough to use the stabilizer properly." "That's fine and everything," Holak said, raising an eyebrow in irritation, "but what does any of that have to do with ? I'm breaking through with physical strength. I'm not using the integrated Quake Law or anything related to energy manipulation. I don't need stabilizers. I don't even have a core to begin with. Later, I'll try the internal-energy breakthrough wherever you tell to."
The rged Earthquake Law-born from Earth and the Resonance Waves-was one of the Empire's most devastating laws. Holak knew it well, but his love and obsession were tied to raw physical might. Even if it ant staying at level 50 forever, he wouldn't complain.
"Is that thick jungle you call hair clogging your brain?" Robin frowned deeper. "Breaking through with physical strength ans Shaddad will add a stabilizer into your bath, and your body will absorb it from the inside out. Your body itself becos the core!"
"...?!" Holak's muscles tightened as he furrowed his brows.
"Did you imagine this was easy?" Robin continued. "This is why a World Cataclysm weaponisation bath costs a fortune-far more than the cost of compressing an Energy Core or even forcing a First Star into existence. Shaddad will lt a stabilizer of astonishing potency, the kind with an extrely sensitive origin and volatile structure, directly into your bloodstream and bones. Each stabilizer can range from hundreds of millions to billions of
Pearls."
Robin flicked his free hand lazily, but his voice held seriousness. "Forget the cost-I'll get you everything you need, even if it ans acquiring true dragon milk itself. But don't forget that absorbing the stabilizer into your flesh multiplies the resistance. The agony will be several tis worse, and the risk of death far greater, than for those who try to break through using the Gathering
Center alone."
"I'm ready." Holak raised his head proudly, though the warmth in his chest betrayed how much Robin's dedication ant to him.
"....." Robin finally opened both eyes, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I know you are." Then he sighed and continued, "Take all the weaponisation baths until you firmly stand at the peak of Martial Emperor. Then wait for the correct mont-when Nihari's ascension draws near. Only then will I let you attempt it. What's left... four hundred and forty years or so?"
"Four hundred and forty years?!" Holak jolted as if struck. "That's ridiculously
long!!"
"Sorry, my friend. There was one historical incident where soone broke through using the energy system and elevated his entire planet with him. But not once-not in any recorded era-has soone broken through to World Cataclysm using pure physical power alone. I can't gamble on that. I can't let you break through today only to wake up tomorrow and find the Nihari Galaxy lighting up the entire Middle Belt. You understand, right?"
"....." Holak finally exhaled, shoulders dropping. Then he nodded. "Fine. As you
wish."
At that mont, a shout broke through the tension: "Master, we're ready for the experint!"
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