Lord of the Truth

Neri raised her hand and pointed at a particular sector on the grand cosmic projection. The moment she did, the entire sector lit up in a different hue, making it stand out from the rest.

"This is Sector 99 —the random sector where I was born," she said in a calm, measured tone. "It is also where your three other planets—Jura, Greenland, and Orphan's Blood—are located."

She crossed her arms in front of her petite chest, tilting her head slightly as if contemplating something before she continued,

"There is no widely available data on the exact number of life-bearing planets within Young Sector 99, but let's assume the number is twenty million…"

A knowing smile played on her lips as she glanced at Robin.

"Shall we analyze that number together?"

A moment of silence passed before she began breaking it down.

"…Most of those life-bearing planets are under protection, which means they have never discovered cultivation paths. In fact, many of them don't even contain intelligent life— just primitive life forms at best, no intelligent life form appeared there yet. Which, in both cases, means that the spirits of those planets have yet to begin attracting primal chaos and transforming it into natural energy—a crucial step in their development.

As a result, they remain completely invisible to the outside world.

You cannot see them. You cannot attack them.

And, more importantly…

They hold no significance whatsoever in the grand scheme of things.

Thus, we can safely eliminate nineteen million planets from the equation, leaving us with a remaining one million planets that are at least active."

She let her words hang in the air for a brief moment before pressing on.

"Among those remaining planets, you will find:

Dwarf planets, so small that their entire landmass wouldn't even exceed the size of a single city on my surface. Barren planets, don't have any kind of rare material, stripped of any true value. Planets plagued by irreversible diseases, incapable of surviving long enough to make it to the Middle Aged Belt. Planets that have been devoured by their own inhabitants, drained of all their resources, and left to wither away.

And the list goes on for quiet a few more reasons~"

She waved her hand lightly in an almost playful manner before leaning forward slightly, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret.

"The inhabitants of these planets rarely, if ever, surpass the Knighthood Realm, and they are so abundant that we can confidently state that 90% of all life-bearing planets within the Young Belt fall into these categories.

They are what we call damaged planets— entirely irrelevant in the bigger picture of cosmic affairs."

She allowed a brief pause to let the weight of her words settle before delivering her final statement.

"So, what remains, then, in this sector? Roughly 100,000 planets— that is the real number of targets that are actually worth conquering."

She turned her gaze back toward Robin, her golden eyes gleaming with expectation.

"And among those 100,000 planets in Young Sector 99, a select number of them house planetary empires—civilizations that have established some form of relationship with an Overlord from the Middle Aged Belt.

However…" she trailed off, her expression unreadable.

"These planetary empires are scattered across enormous distances.

The chances of encountering one are incredibly low, and even if you did, their numbers remain small compared to the vastness of the sector.

Perhaps only twenty to fifty planetary empires exist in Sector 99, and each of them is relentlessly striving to expand within their respective territories."

As she spoke, the illuminated sector on the projection changed once more. Various circles of different sizes appeared, scattered randomly throughout the sector. Some were minuscule, barely visible against the backdrop, while others were large, occupying noticeably significant portions of the displayed region.

Robin's sharp gaze swept over the projection, and he immediately understood what he was looking at.

Each of these circles represented a planetary empire within Sector 99.

"100,000 planets ripe for conquest… Twenty to Fifty planetary empires, all ceaselessly expanding…"

Robin's eyes burned with intensity, his thoughts racing.

"Pythor took 10,000 years just to discover seven of these 100,000 planets…" he murmured, unable to suppress the disbelief in his voice.

A soft giggle escaped from Neri's lips before she shook her head, her expression laced with amusement.

"I would not recommend using Pythor and his so-called Great Serpent Empire as a reference in this matter," she remarked lightly, the corners of her mouth curving up slightly.

"I've seen their spaceships, and if those were what they were relying on for planetary exploration, then, quite frankly… it is a miracle that they even managed to find seven planets at all."

Robin raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued, "What do you mean by that?"

Neri met his gaze, her tone turning slightly more serious as she explained,

"The type of spaceships they use are among the most widespread and cheapest models available in the Middle Aged Belt. And the reason is quite simple—they were never designed for planetary exploration in the first place. They are nothing more than basic transport vessels, meant only to travel between fixed locations— nothing more, nothing less.

Now tell me, Owner…

How do you expect to find undiscovered planets across vast, uncharted cosmic distances… when all you're doing is flying in a straight line at near-light speeds?"

She let the rhetorical question linger for a moment before nonchalantly waving her hand.

"There exist specialized vessels built exclusively for planetary exploration.

However, these ships are extremely expensive—sometimes, the cost of a single one is equal to that of an entire damaged planet.

And as for the blueprints required to manufacture these vessels?"

She smirked.

"Those are worth even more, much more."

She then pointed toward the scattered circles representing the planetary empires in Sector 99.

"Most individuals who hold the title of Overlord are, in truth, relatively poor and in dire need of a steady stream of resources.

This is precisely why they bother supporting Young Belt Empires in the first place. Because of this, it is exceptionally rare for any Young Planetary Empire to acquire a planetary exploration ship, let alone the blueprints to construct an entire fleet of them!"

She exhaled lightly before glancing at Robin once more, awaiting his reaction.

Then she continued, "But every rule has its exceptions. Some Overlords might decide to invest in an exploration ship for their subordinates, enabling them to expand their sphere of influence with greater ease.

Among the many planetary empires in Sector 99, you may find one or two that possess such a specialized vessel, allowing them to rapidly and efficiently locate nearby planets.

And those empires… they don't just own a dozen or even a few dozen planets… they may control hundreds!"

Robin's eyes widened, his mind racing.

An empire within this very sector that ruled over hundreds of planets?

For a brief moment, he couldn't even comprehend the scale of such an entity.

He couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "What a terrifying force..."

"Not that terrifying~" Neri shook her head with a small smirk.

"Entities like these —massive planetary empires— rarely engage in direct confrontations with other similar factions. The reason? Their strength is just spread too thin! Think about it. Managing hundreds of planets isn't just a matter of numbers; it requires an immense yet dispersed military presence.

They need forces to maintain order, to control rebellious planets, to guard resources. If war were to break out, it wouldn't be a simple battle. It would be devastating. A full-scale war could lead to the loss of dozens—perhaps even hundreds—of planets for the short term, crippling their entire empire.

That's why, when a planetary empire reaches the prestigious Centennial title, it starts acting with extreme caution.

Rather than launching massive wars, they prefer a slow, steady expansion—absorbing isolated planets one by one rather than engaging in costly conflicts.

So, while you may find several Centennial Empires within the same sector, you'll rarely, if ever, see them waging war against one another.

You could describe them as sleeping giants, watching, waiting, carefully calculating their next moves, not provoking anyone, and no one dares to provoke them!"

Robin nodded several times, absorbing her words.

He currently ruled over thirteen planets, and even with that relatively small number, each of them presented unique challenges and complications.

At the last meeting between Caesar and the rest of his followers, they had spent hours discussing planetary management issues.

Every planet had its own ecosystem, its own people, its own politics, and above all, its own problems.

If he were to withdraw his forces from even a single planet, rebellions could break out within days.

If that was the case for thirteen planets, then what about hundreds?

How did these Centennial Empires maintain control?

Neri continued, "These sleeping giants sometimes completely halt their planetary expansion for centuries, focusing solely on internal stability.

Instead of seeking new conquests, they prioritize fortifying their armies, securing their borders, and strengthening their economy—not just for themselves but also for their Overlords, who ultimately benefit from their prosperity.

And the new planets they discover using their exploration ships?

They don't always claim them. Instead, they survey them, gather precise coordinates, and compile detailed reports… Then, they offer this information as a tribute to their Overlords.

And what do they do with it?"

She smirked, her voice carrying a hint of amusement.

"They sell those planetary coordinates in the Middle Aged Belt."

Robin furrowed his brows.

"They sell them in the Middle Aged Belt?! Why would they do that if the planets are located in the Young Belt? Or maybe— ohhh…"

His voice trailed off as a sudden realization struck him.

A chilling thought took root in his mind, and his expression shifted as pieces of a puzzle snapped into place.

That impatient woman had purchased the coordinates of the Dwarf World Planet for Pythor so he could begin his conquests.

And maybe —just maybe— she had also bought the coordinates of Poison Rock.

Otherwise, how would she have known about the planet's affinity for the Path of Destruction?

How would she have known about the Beast King, Durger, whose blood she later exploited?

And then there was Planet Gudah.

The woman with the White Soul Shard had descended upon the world fully aware that a Fox-type Beast King resided there.

That wasn't a coincidence.

Perhaps… she had bought those coordinates through the same method.

And then…

The All-Seeing God.

He had given Robin the coordinates for Greenland and Orphan's Blood…

And at that time, he had explicitly mentioned that they had cost him a fortune!

Could it be…

That one of the Centennial Empires in Sector 99 had discovered Greenland and Orphan's Blood before him…

And they were the ones who sold the coordinates?

If that were true…

Then he had already crossed paths with one of these sleeping giants.