Published at 29th of May 2026 6:41 am

Chapter 2179 Third row leaders

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"...Where do you even find all this time?" Theo asked sincerely, his voice carrying a weight of genuine confusion rather than simple curiosity.

He, as someone who managed a vast underground organization, one that possessed information capable of turning entire sector powers against one another and flipping the heavens onto the earth, often felt as though time itself was his greatest enemy. Most days, it felt like he didn't have enough hours to even complete the essentials. It was as if he needed a hundred versions of himself, all thinking and acting in perfect coordination, just to keep up with the endless flow of events, reports, conflicts, and decisions that demanded his attention.

And yet his father…

Perhaps he wasn't leading a sprawling organization or dealing directly with countless allies and enemies at once, but what he was doing was far more unsettling. He was dismantling concepts that had been embedded in the minds of the universe for ages, truths that no one had ever dared to question, let alone break.

Every innovation his father produced was enough to immortalize his name for eternity, enough to place him among the absolute geniuses of the universe without dispute…

And yet…

He produced those innovations one after another, as if they were nothing more than casual thoughts, like poems written idly after a meal.

"Oh, my dear, even I ask myself that sometimes." Robin Burton chuckled lightly, then tilted his head toward the glass house with a subtle motion.

Theo followed his gaze. "…"

And the moment he did, silence swallowed him completely.

On the first floor, he saw Seraphim drawing something in midair… incomprehensible patterns that resembled symbols deliberately designed to defy understanding, as if their very purpose was to resist interpretation. The pen would compress whatever was written, condensing it into a compact form, then place it aside, suspended in the air, before continuing with a new segment as if the previous one no longer existed.

Nearby, another figure sat on the ground in a meditative posture. His eyes were open, calm yet focused, while his hand held a feather pen. He leaned forward slightly to write something onto a carefully positioned board fixed upon a wooden table, then straightened his back once more, pausing as if contemplating the next stroke, the next idea, the next calculation.

Theo recognized him instantly.

It was Arkalon, the renowned soul scholar whose death had remained a mystery for millions of years… now reduced, or perhaps elevated, into a soul creature serving under his father.

That same individual whose influence could be traced through nearly every invention Robin had released that bore any relation to the soul. Even the personal Soul Inheritance Array used to compress emeralds… Arkalon's imprint on it was undeniable.

But that still wasn't everything happening inside.

Theo's gaze shifted slightly, and he noticed another soul creature dressed in the white and gold robes of the Soul Society. It stood before a massive wooden board occupying an entire corner of the glass house, holding a mid sector epic pen in its hand. Its posture was steady, its attention completely absorbed in a colossal diagram it had drawn, its mind clearly working through countless possibilities, searching for the next precise step.

That soul creature bore a striking resemblance to Robin…

No, not just resemblance. It was him.

Theo's gaze lifted higher.

On the second floor, there were three more versions of Robin, each one fully immersed in its own task. One was writing a book relentlessly, line after line flowing without pause. Another stood at the center of a massive construct formed entirely from soul energy, adjusting its structure with careful precision. The third… was repeatedly slamming his head against one of the glass walls, as if trying to force an idea into existence through sheer persistence.

And beyond all those Robins…

There was an open gate, silently yet continuously pulling vast quantities of emeralds from beneath the structure of the house itself. The flow was constant, relentless, feeding everything within.

The cost of sustaining such a system, of maintaining all those soul constructs for extended periods of time… was something that defied calculation entirely.

"...Your use of surplus consciousness has advanced tremendously…" Theo murmured quietly, his voice almost lost in the magnitude of what he was witnessing, before turning his gaze back toward his father.

This time, he couldn't look at him the same way as before.

All those processes taking place within the glass house were exhausting, that much was obvious… but they weren't everything. They were only part of the picture.

Because beyond all of that…

It was easy to sense that his father was still drawing in energy from the Pearls tied around his waist, absorbing them steadily, using that power to rebuild his foundations again and again… perhaps for the hundredth time, or even beyond that.

As if exhaustion itself…

Had long since ceased to apply to him.

"I think I've become somewhat good at handling them~" Robin Burton shrugged lightly as he watched his copies working inside, his tone relaxed despite the sheer complexity of what was happening. "A small idea came to me… something I picked up from Huffy, and Arkalon helped me refine it a little."

"Huffy?" Theo asked, his curiosity immediately sparked.

"He's the father tree, Hovinheim," Robin said with a faint, knowing smile. "Huffy copied the soul of a human named Amai Soy and used it to replicate sprouts. You remember all that, right?" Robin chuckled as fragments of the past surfaced in his mind. "I took that replication method from him when I devoured his soul, but back then I didn't see many practical uses for it… until recently. I started thinking about creating copies of soul creatures, then planting fragments of my consciousness inside them so I could… extend myself outward. Did I explain that properly?"

"I get what you mean." Theo nodded several times, his expression thoughtful before a small smile formed. "But where are the rest?"

Based on what he knew about the number of royal stars his father possessed, there should have been far more manifestations than what he was currently seeing.

"They each have their own tasks. Bringing them out right now wouldn't add anything meaningful, so don't worry about it." Robin waved his hand dismissively, then his gaze sharpened as he looked directly into Theo's eyes. "By the way, I have a small remark… actually, two remarks. Something you said earlier caught my attention, and I need to correct it."

"Go ahead." Theo replied calmly, his tone steady.

In most situations, his mind was under constant tension, racing through countless responsibilities at once, burdened by decisions that could shape entire sectors. But whenever he sat like this with his father, that pressure seemed to fade away. For a brief moment, he felt like he had returned to a simpler time… like a teenager again, sheltered under someone who carried the weight of the world for him.

"It's about what you said regarding you and your brothers using nascent space beast crystals. I won't allow that." Robin spoke without hesitation, his tone leaving no room for argument. Then, noticing the surprise spreading across Theo's face, he continued, "Nascent space beast crystals will be reserved for third-tier leaders… the valiant generals and high-ranking special forces officers who have already proven themselves in countless battles."

"..What?" Theo's confusion deepened, his brows tightening further. "...Could you explain that more clearly?"

"With pleasure," Robin chuckled, clearly enjoying the reaction. "Second-tier leaders… planetary generals, admirals, and marshal aides… those, I'll provide with young space beast crystals. They're far more appropriate for their level of authority and responsibility."

"....?!" Theo leaned forward slightly, his brows nearly merging from shock. "What are you even saying?" His voice dropped, more serious now. "young crystals? The same ones used by the Savage Zavaros… the ones no one else has ever successfully utilized? You're planning to give those to marshal aides and generals in charge of planetary campaigns?"

"Mhm." Robin nodded firmly, completely unfazed. "I'm currently working on modifying the array." He casually gestured toward one of his copies—the one still repeatedly slamming its head against the glass wall. "...He's being a bit dramatic, but within ten years at most, the design will be finalized."

Then he leaned back, resting his arms behind him as if discussing something trivial. "And honestly, I don't see anything wrong with that. Over those ten years, the empire will have already prepared several arrays for nascent beast crystals and accumulated enough experience to handle the next level without unnecessary risks."

Gulp.

Theo swallowed subconsciously, his gaze locked onto his father's eyes, trying to fully grasp the scale of what was being proposed.

If what he was saying was true… then the entire structure of power within the empire was about to shift in ways no one could predict.

"Then… what about the first-tier leaders?" Theo finally asked, his voice lower now, carrying a mixture of anticipation and unease.

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