Lord of the Truth-Chapter 1122 - 12%

"Your Excellency!"

The atmosphere inside the massive war tent shifted in an instant, as if an unseen force had swept through the space, demanding absolute attention and discipline. Every single individual present snapped to their feet without hesitation, their movements synchronized to perfection as they executed a crisp and practiced military salute.

The sheer weight of authority and respect in the air was almost suffocating, a force so tangible that it could be felt pressing against the skin like an unseen pressure. It wasn't just about protocol—there was genuine reverence in the way they stood, their backs straight, their gazes unwavering.

A brief silence followed, heavy and expectant.

Then—

"Oh? You're all here?"

Robin's sharp, discerning gaze swept across the tent, his golden irises flickering with a subtle glint of curiosity as he scanned the faces of the gathered warriors.

Finally, his eyes landed on a figure standing calmly amidst the ranks—a white-haired youth, his posture relaxed yet exuding an aura of quiet power. Robin's gaze narrowed slightly, "I was told you were in the Sea of Lava."

Richard, standing with an air of ease that contrasted starkly with the formality around him, let a small, knowing grin stretch across his lips.

"I was," he admitted, his tone light, almost amused. "But I only stayed there for about half a day."

"I absorbed energy until my entire body reached its absolute limit, then used that power to push myself forward to level 47. At the same time, I managed to fully heal both Amon and Sakaar."

He stretched slightly as if recalling the sensation.

"After that?" He smirked, eyes glinting mischievously. "I replenished my reserves once again until I was completely full, then I left."

His grin widened, and with it came an unshakable confidence, an aura so potent that it almost crackled in the air.

"This is the first time I've ever felt myself reach the very limit of my storage capacity. Honestly, it's an interesting feeling."

Flash!

For the briefest moment, Robin's golden irises flashed with power as he scanned his son.

And what he saw was—

Breathtaking.

A brilliantly glowing green flame burned fiercely within Richard, its radiance so pure, so condensed, that it seemed almost otherworldly. The sheer density of Life Energy coursing through his son's form was staggering.

It wasn't just an impressive display of power.

It was something beyond natural limits.

The kind of energy that could, in theory, breathe life into millions of things.

Robin exhaled, his lips curling into an amused smirk.

"It seems like you're the one benefiting the most from this war, huh?"

Richard, unfazed, merely lifted his shoulders in a lazy shrug,

"I wouldn't say that for sure," he mused, his tone light. "Sakaar and Amon are in high spirits over there. They're acting as if they've stumbled upon a divine treasure trove."

He leaned back slightly, eyes gleaming with something akin to amusement.

"The amount of corpses, severed limbs, and shattered bodies floating within and around the Sea of Lava is staggering. It's more than enough to allow them to rebuild a demon army even stronger than the one they lost."

A heavy silence followed.

The warriors inside the tent exchanged looks, some shifting uncomfortably at the grim reality his words painted. They had all been witnesses to the sheer devastation that had unfolded over the past two years. The scale of carnage was unlike anything Nehari had ever seen.

And yet—

"And it doesn't stop there," Richard continued, breaking the silence. "They've already started organizing patrols using the remaining forces they have left."

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There was an edge to his voice now.

"Their mission?"

His gaze flickered around the tent, taking in the expressions of those listening.

"To scour the eastern, central, western, northern, and even southern regions in search of every fallen soldier or mortal they can find."

A pause.

"Even the ones that have long rotted away. Even those who perished in battles fought years ago— no corpse will be overlooked."

A low whistle broke the silence.

Robin's brows lifted slightly. "The demons will have their hands full for quite a while, then."

It was an undeniable truth.

Over the course of the two-year war, the world of Nehari had witnessed the deaths of billions.

And now, if Sakaar executed his plan efficiently, even retrieving just a quarter of those corpses would provide his people with a near-endless source of sustenance— for centuries to come.

That was the Red Plague.

A catastrophe that had wiped out entire armies.

A disaster so immense that one of the three biggest Demon Kings had fallen.

And yet—

Now, in the aftermath of that apocalypse, the survivors were celebrating.

Because, given enough time and resources…

The Demon army would inevitably undergo a catastrophic resurgence.

"Father, where have you been?"

Caesar's face finally lit up, the tension that had weighed on him for the past several days easing just a little. His voice carried a mix of relief and lingering concern. "We were starting to worry about you."

Robin, standing tall as ever, took a step forward, his piercing golden eyes narrowing as he reached out, grasping Caesar's face with both hands. He examined him closely, his gaze sharp and calculating.

"Worry about me?" His voice carried a note of disbelief. "You were half-dead just a week ago."

Caesar chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, I know. It's just the usual side effects of pushing my limits with high concentrations of the Death Law." He waved a hand dismissively, as if it were nothing more than a minor inconvenience. "Every time I push my boundaries, something like this happens. It wasn't anything serious."

His eyes flickered slightly as he recalled something, then he added, "Richard told me about what you two did to my Life Vein and Soul Domain. That shortened my recovery time by several weeks."

Robin remained silent for a moment, his golden eyes scrutinizing Caesar for any lingering damage.

Once he was sure his son was truly fine, he exhaled, shaking his head before making his way to the largest seat in the war tent—a seat Caesar had occupied just moments ago.

Lowering himself into it, Robin crossed one leg over the other and sighed in exasperation. "Stop pushing your limits, and things like this won't happen again," he said, his tone carrying the unmistakable weight of authority. "It's obvious you reached the 7% threshold, and that's extremely dangerous. You won't be lucky every time."

A flicker of confusion passed over Caesar's face. "What do you mean by the 7% threshold?" He asked, a curious smile forming on his lips.

Robin gestured for everyone in the room to sit down before turning his gaze back to his son. "Listen carefully, my son." His voice took on a more serious tone. "I designed your technique so that you would naturally use only 1% of the Death Law at all times, and in critical situations or powerful techniques, you could push it to 3%. Even that is enough to put immense mental and physical strain on you."

He leaned forward slightly, his faint golden eyes unwavering.

"At that level, the worst you'll experience is a dark aura surrounding you, and maybe a deep depressive state after intense battles. It's an unfortunate side effect, but with your level of willpower, it's not something that would drive you to… say, suicide, for example."

Robin's voice grew heavier.

"But beyond 3%, every additional 1% pushes you dangerously close to the brink. The symptoms become more severe, and your body struggles to cope with the sheer proximity and intensity of Death— the very force it is meant to fear."

Then, with a grave tone, he added:

"According to my research, 7% is the absolute limit for the human body. If you reach it, your body will experience what happened to you in that cave—your functions will spiral into chaos, your system will collapse, and you might die… or survive, if someone intervenes in time."

His voice dropped to a near whisper.

"But if you go beyond 7%… you will sink into a bottomless abyss. Your body will wither and die instantly, just like your enemies do when exposed to your Death Flames."

A heavy silence settled over the room.

Caesar raised a single eyebrow.

Raiden, who had been listening attentively, tilted his head and asked with childlike curiosity, "Even if he built his foundations using the Death Flame Law, Your Excellency? Shouldn't building one's foundations with a certain Law make them immune to its effects?"

Robin shook his head, "That's relative." His tone was calm, but firm. "Take you, for example. You have an exceptional affinity of 95% with the Lightning Law. Even before establishing any foundations, you were already nearly immune to it."

He crossed his arms.

"But what if you chose to build your foundations with the Fire Law instead? Your affinity and resistance would increase, yes, but only up to around 70% at most. If you overused it past a certain point, you'd start burning yourself. For most fighters, that's a minor issue—something they can endure or mitigate."

A brief pause.

Then Robin's gaze darkened.

"But Death doesn't offer second chances. If you push it too far… there is no coming back."

The warriors in the tent nodded solemnly. Accidents on the battlefield were commonplace. They had all seen comrades fall due to overextending themselves.

Robin turned his sharp gaze back to Caesar, his tone even more serious now. "Son, to be completely honest, I have no idea how to increase a living body's affinity for Death. But I will think of a way to let you carry the Life Flame within you as a counterbalance—to protect your Life Vein if you ever act recklessly and try to reach 7% again."

His expression softened slightly.

"If you don't want to take that risk, we can always modify your foundations again and introduce another Law—perhaps Wind this time. It would strengthen you without causing any dangerous side effects in the future."

A moment of silence passed.

Then—

Caesar scratched his head awkwardly, "Father…"

Robin's gaze narrowed slightly. "What?"

There was a brief hesitation before Caesar finally spoke.

"I was using a 7% concentration of the Death Law throughout the entire battle."

Silence.

His next words hit like a lightning bolt.

"I even used 10% twice—once in my final attack against Marshal Sirbal to kill him, and another when Sakaar ordered the annihilation of the dome…"

Robin's fingers clenched around the armrest of his chair. His golden eyes locked onto his son, his expression unreadable.

The entire tent seemed to hold its breath.

And then—

Caesar continued, his tone disturbingly casual.

"Honestly, if I hadn't already been exhausted and injured, I think I could have pushed it to 12% for my last attack."

".....?!"