Published at 7th of May 2026 7:06 am

Chapter 2136 The awaited request

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"...." Robin fell silent for a brief moment, as if weighing his words carefully, then he stepped into his role with calm precision, "They're all dead, huh?"

"Again, you don't seem very surprised." The Cosmic Elder revealed a faint, knowing smile, as though he had already anticipated such a reaction.

"Each one of them carried a great story within them, the kind that could echo across ages. If they were still alive, they would have continued writing epics without end." Robin let out a quiet sigh, then slowly shifted his attention toward the Cosmic Elder, "What exactly happened to them?...Was it all merely

coincidence, or something far more deliberate?"

"I don't know." The Cosmic Elder lifted his shoulder slightly in a casual shrug.

"...?" Robin's confusion deepened, his tone sharpening, "I thought we had already moved beyond the phase of pretending and concealing the truth by now."

"It has nothing to do with hiding the truth. The Cosmic Elder shook his head calmly, "They all disappeared, that much is beyond doubt." Then he continued, his voice lowering slightly, "And I paid very close attention to the matter when Azramid disappeared as well, yet despite everything, I couldn't find even the faintest trace of him."

"Then why speak with such certainty that they are dead?" Robin asked, his brows tightening with suspicion.

"Where else would they be?!" The Cosmic Elder shook his head again, his tone carrying a trace of frustration, "When Azramid vanished, I searched relentlessly. I left no stone unturned among the great powers. I even came close to launching an attack on the headquarters of the Hidden Hand Syndicate itself, had it not been for the fact that they brought me an oath from Sivar himself, swearing that he had nothing to do with what happened to Azramid, nor did his Syndicate have any involvement. Only then did I withdraw, and since that day, the matter has remained an unsolved mystery."

"Something like that actually happened between you and Sivar?" Robin asked, clearly surprised by the scale of it.

"Everything can be negotiated when interests and levels of power are carefully weighed and balanced, except when it comes to those closest to you, my young friend... at that point, the world simplifies into only two outcomes: you are either the one who kills, or the one who is killed. There is no third option, no middle ground." The Cosmic Elder turned his gaze toward the distant horizon, "Azramid was a good man, a rare one. It is unfortunate that I could not avenge him... even to this very moment, I do not know how."

"....." Robin fixed his gaze on the side of the Cosmic Elder's face, studying him closely, "Is that the reason you tried to stop me from continuing my path as a Truth Chosen? So that I wouldn't end up sharing their same unknown fate?"

The Cosmic Elder remained silent for several seconds, as if allowing the weight. of the question to settle, then suddenly burst into laughter, "Hehe, don't let arrogance cloud your judgment. I truly believed that a Truth user was responsible for what happened 97.8 million years ago, and to this day, I still hold that belief."

Then he snapped his fingers lightly, a wide grin forming across his face, "Perhaps someone else reached the same conclusion... and decided to hunt the five?"

"You're not as amusing as you think, old man..." Robin's heart began to beat faster, an uneasy tension creeping into his chest.

Could there really be another ancient figure wandering somewhere out there, hunting down Truth Chosen before they could ever reach the sixth level?!

"No need to worry," the Cosmic Elder immediately understood the meaning behind Robin's expression, "First of all, if it were an ordinary individual, I would have already known of them and dealt with them. I used my own methods, methods beyond what most could even imagine, and yet I still couldn't trace even a single strand of Azramid's path. He didn't simply disappear, he vanished completely, utterly. Even his ashes are nowhere to be found."

"Second... a fragment of my soul is currently with you." The Cosmic Elder spoke with sudden seriousness, his tone firm and unwavering, "I would very much like to see who dares to take another friend from me."

""

Silence struck Robin without warning.

The Cosmic Elder was clearly trying to mask his lingering sorrow with laughter and casual words, but the truth was impossible to ignore. Azramid's disappearance still weighed heavily on him, far more than he allowed himself to

show.

And that was good.

A strange glint flickered within Robin's gaze, something sharp and calculating, and an even stranger smile slowly formed across his face, "There is still so much we do not understand about this universe, isn't there? I feel that if I were granted enough time, enough years to continue walking forward, this universe would eventually open itself before me like a book, every page laid bare."

Paf The Cosmic Elder tossed a card onto the table with a soft, deliberate motion, "Play, play, and stop trying to plant ideas in my head," he said, waving his hand dismissively, "And continue your work without letting this matter take root in your mind. As long as it is not something you bring upon yourself, I will ensure that nothing touches you."

"Miser." Robin played his part with a faint, teasing tone, then slowly turned his gaze toward the gate, letting his eyes linger there far longer than necessary. He was clearly thinking about something, weighing it carefully.

"What are you cooking this time?" The Cosmic Elder began examining his cards with a broad, amused smile, yet his spiritual sense remained subtly locked onto Robin, never truly leaving him for even a moment.

The tension around Robin was unmistakable.

After a brief stretch of hesitation, as if deciding whether to speak or remain silent, Robin finally said, "...There's something I want to tell you. I'll tell you myself so you don't hear it from others."

"Oh?" The Cosmic Elder's brows drew together slightly, curiosity flickering in his expression, "And what might that be?"

Robin turned back toward him, his gaze steady, and slowly opened his mouth, "The Crimson Plague."

"..." Zolan lifted his gaze from the cards, his expression turning serious in an instant, "What about it?"

"...." Robin observed the calm, rigid mask on the Cosmic Elder's face, yet beneath that still surface, he could clearly sense the tightening of the

atmosphere.

It was obvious that the Cosmic Elder still carried immense resentment toward the plague that had once nearly brought the universe to ruin, and that even now, he continued to pursue its destruction without rest, day after day.... The Black Plague hollowed worlds from within, gnawing through the very foundation of planets until nothing remained, while the Blue Plague devoured stars themselves, erasing entire solar systems as if they had never existed... yet. despite all that scale and devastation, the Crimson Plague remained the most detested, the most dreadful.

Because it killed up close, personally, without distanceor mercy... anyone who had ever encountered the Crimson Plague and endured their foul, suffocating stench carried with them a memory so grotesque, so deeply carved into their being, that it could never truly fade.

It was like asking someone on the street: would you rather have your entire town reduced to ashes in a single bombardment, dying together without even a moment to resist, or be hunted down by packs of savage beasts that tear into your flesh piece by piece, leaving you with a chance to fight, however slim... Most people would choose the bombardment without hesitation.

"...I believe the threat of the plague has lasted far too long." Robin lifted his head slightly, his voice gaining a subtle firmness, "And the time has come for us to finally find a solution."

"Oh," the Cosmic Elder raised an eyebrow faintly, studying him more closely now, "And how exactly do you intend to accomplish that?"

"I am a researcher," Robin smiled lightly, a calm confidence settling into his tone, "What do I have besides research?" Then he continued, "I've decided to begin studying them more deeply, perhaps I can discover a method to stop them... or even a way to communicate with them?"

"You've decided?" the Cosmic Elder repeated, his tone carrying a hint of

scrutiny.

"Yes, I've decided, and that's the end of it." Robin nodded without hesitation,

"Unless, of course, you have a reason that would make me reconsider such a major step, one that could potentially serve the greater good of the entire

universe!"

"....." The Cosmic Elder fell into silence for a long moment, the kind of silence that weighed heavier than words, before he finally returned his attention to the cards in his hand, "Do as you wish, but I warn you, you will only be wasting

your time."

"Hehe, don't worry," Robin laughed softly, a trace of excitement hidden beneath his calm exterior, "As long as I have your approval, I'll begin running a few experiments. I'm confident that I'll manage to communicate with them, and perhaps even change them, so we can rid the world of this evil once and for

all!"

Inside, Robin was nearly bursting with excitement. He had held back for so long, carefully building his relationship with the Cosmic Elder step by step, moment by moment, patiently waiting for the right opportunity until he finally dared to speak those words aloud.

At last, could he bring the demons into the light in a legitimate way?! "Communicate with them and change them?" The Cosmic Elder let out a low laugh, shaking his head slightly, "Hehe, you wouldn't be the first to try"

"....?!"

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