"...." From a state of absolute stillness, Robin slowly opened his eyes, and in the very next heartbeat he burst into an uncontrollable, thunderous laughter that rolled across the mountains like waves, "Haaahahahaha!!"

"...?!" The soul creatures that had been scattered and stationed across the vast mountain ranges froze in bewilderment at their master's sudden laughter, unable to comprehend what had stirred him so deeply.

Even the conscious beasts, those whose instincts were sharper than blades, recoiled and shuddered in terror, their bodies quaking beneath the echo of that dreadful, domineering laugh.

"Heheh... this is simply magnificent—beyond all expectations! A blessing dropped straight from the heaven itself!" Robin tilted his head upward, eyes gleaming as he stared joyfully at the newly emerged planet, his chest heaving with exhilaration.

By now, that planet had fully aligned itself into orbit. It had drifted so close that with the fifth stage of mastery over the path of Space, Robin could instantly transfer there, as though that world itself had become no more than a natural extension of Nihari's body!

This changed everything. Now the Empire could finally localize the production of space buses—lesser imitations of true warships, yet efficient enough for interplanetary travel. These vessels would allow anyone to journey from one planet to another, in mere minutes rather than days or months.

The cost of such journeys would no longer drain entire treasuries—just droplets of pure energy essence from each traveler. With such innovation, the use of Pearls for transport would vanish completely, discarded into history!

The implications reached far beyond mere civilians. Resources could be transported on a massive scale, funneled directly between planets with minimal cost. Students eager for knowledge could be ferried swiftly to main worlds like Nihari, Greenland, and the Poison Rock. And, of course, the military would benefit the most—war equipment and armaments could be stationed at the outermost planets, forming layers of protective bastions.

From this day forward, Nihari would no longer sit vulnerable at the center of the galaxy. It would be encircled and fortified by entire rings of planets moving at staggering speeds in their orbits. Merely reaching Nihari would no longer be a simple feat; invaders would require precise astronomical maps—charts that only the Sky Opening City could provide!

At this very moment, the Empire already possessed 877 Class-S planets—perhaps even more, for Robin remembered hearing that number nearly ten years ago, and expansion had not stopped since. Without a doubt, this tally would only continue to grow in the years still left before the great ascension.

Sevron and the three witches relentlessly commanded the Third Army, pushing it outward to consume territory with sheer force. Meanwhile, the young heroes of the Burton family led the First Army. On another front, waves upon waves of demons hurled themselves recklessly at every obstacle.

No wonder Kristan, Emily, and Zara had labored an entire decade to complete a migration chart. They had been forced to weigh endless choices—selecting only the best planets from among the countless candidates. Which world had the richest veins of resources? That one must be placed closest to Nihari. Which world boasted unbreakable defenses? That one must be positioned farther out, forming the strongest wall between Nihari's Galaxy and the external threats. Every choice had to be perfect, for one miscalculation could collapse the entire strategy.

"Hmm... what exactly did they find on this particular planet to decide it should be moved first?" Robin muttered curiously. Yet despite his words, the enormous grin stretching across his face and the starlight burning in his eyes revealed the truth—he did not truly care. "Hehehe... Niri is still transforming, still unaware of the extent of her freshly awakened might. I wonder... will something extraordinary be born for me out of this storm of chaos?"

"Heh\~ well, there goes my chance to work calmly on medicine and new techniques. It's simply impossible to concentrate on any new creation now," Robin sighed, then drew a deep, steady breath, inhaling and exhaling several times in succession as if to cage his surging excitement. At last, he began summoning Nihari's abundant energy, pulling the dense streams inward like rivers flowing into his being. "This time... I'll return to level forty-one."

"...Wonderful!" Robin whispered with his eyes tightly shut, his voice trembling with awe. "Even Nihari's dense energy has grown more agile, more responsive... it gathers so much faster than before. The difference may be small, but it's unmistakable." He clenched his fists, trying to suppress his bubbling elation and keep his eyes closed so that he could remain focused. Yet the smile that curved across his lips was unstoppable, glowing with pure exhilaration.

-------

Inside the heart of the energy gathering center—

Robin's consciousness plunged into a colossal void, a space so vast it seemed to dwarf imagination. The walls were impossibly distant, the ceiling soared beyond sight, and the entire center was illuminated only by the faint shimmer of ghostly runes carved into its walls, both on the towering walls and the endless roof.

"Compress!" Robin's consciousness commanded with firm resolve, and then he simply stood there, watching intently, waiting for the grand transformation to begin.

Whoooosh

The natural energy of Nihari, dense to the point of suffocating, surged through every pore of Robin's skin. It did not seep in gently—it poured in torrents. As it entered his body, the energy shifted states with unnatural ease, changing from a free-flowing gas into a liquid as heavy and real as blood.

It coursed downward like a thousand subterranean streams, winding their way through his veins and muscles, filling every crevice of his body with a foreign yet exhilarating warmth. The sensation was intoxicating, almost like a blissful poison, a rush of euphoria that spread from the tips of his fingers to the core of his being.

Soon, those streams of energy converged on the inner walls of his energy convergence core. And there, with violent intensity, they surged forward, crashing through the walls like raging waterfalls pouring from the heavens.

After a vast quantity had poured in, the walls suddenly hardened, sealing shut with unyielding force, refusing to allow a single drop more. Then, the transformation began. The energy that had entered did not settle calmly—it floated, lifted slightly upward, swirling together as though under an unseen will. Slowly, it began molding itself into form, as if water itself were freezing into a rigid sculpture. Bit by bit, it crystallized, until at last it became a solid foundation, unbreakable and complete.

From the beginning to the end, the process of establishing the very first level had taken Robin no more than a single hour.

"...." At that exact moment, Robin's brows knit together, his gaze turning razor-sharp, his concentration reaching its peak.

He did not immediately draw in more energy to prepare for the next level. That was what an ordinary cultivator might do. In truth, those who wished to lay down their energy foundations did not even need to project their consciousness into the convergence chamber at all.

Yet Robin had sent his awareness inside—not for the sake of merely shaping foundations, but for something far more important…

Ooooom

A low, resonating hum filled the energy gathering center.

"Yes… yes… this is it…!" Robin's voice quivered with excitement as his entire being tightened like a bowstring.

At that instant, the long-awaited phenomenon began. An enormous golden rune shimmered into existence above him, blazing across the sky of the energy convergence chamber. It was vast, overwhelming, filling every corner of the void. Its shape was indistinct, its details impossible to grasp, as though it existed outside the boundaries of mortal comprehension.

And yet, even without clear form, its majesty was undeniable. Slowly, it began to descend, inch by inch, until it pressed itself down onto the freshly formed foundation. With a flare of blinding light, it burned itself deep into the solid energy and vanished within, leaving only silence behind.

--------------------

Outside—

Robin's eyes snapped open. The elation, the smile that had stretched from ear to ear only moments ago, had completely vanished. In its place was a grim expression—furrowed brows, a heavy look of burden and thought etched into his face.

Without hesitation, he drew out several slabs of ancient Treant bark, each one cut smooth, along with a stylus tipped with a needle-sharp point, crafted solely for the dangerous art of rune inscription.

He spread the slabs before him and began examining them one by one. Each slab bore markings—lines that overlapped and curved upon themselves. They seemed similar in essence, almost identical in principle, and yet each remained incomplete: broken lines, fractured shapes, obscure fragments that hinted at mysteries but gave no clear answers.

Seconds passed as Robin turned them over with deliberate care, studying each fragment of script. Finally, his hand froze over a single slab. His eyes lingered on it, tracing the broken lines with silent intensity.

After several moments, he whispered, "This is the one." He pulled it forward, tucking the rest away into his spatial ring.

Holding the stylus with delicate precision, Robin lowered its tip and began to carve.

Crrrriiick

The first stroke was nothing more than a simple curve—a line so basic that even a child of three could draw it without hesitation. Yet the moment Robin pressed the stylus to the surface, it trembled violently as though resisting, as though fighting desperately for survival.

Bam! The stylus shattered in his hand, bursting apart.

Robin did not so much as flinch. His hand remained steady, frozen mid-curve. With a flicker of soul force, he reached into his ring, pulled out another stylus, and continued the line as if nothing had happened.

Booooom Whoooosh Crrrraack Hissss

The next three styluses fell one after another in bizarre ways.

The first dissolved into nothingness, vanishing from existence.

The second was wrenched free from his grip, hurled violently across the air.

The third split apart into countless fragments, disintegrating into dust.

And the fourth—most unnervingly of all—warped and twisted into the body of a snake, which hissed and slithered away into the shadows.

Still, Robin's expression did not shift, not even an ounce of surprise. He had expected this. He had endured it before. And so, he simply pulled forth more, one after another, his body drenched in sweat, his face pale and worn from the strain.

"Tsk~" he muttered under his breath, his voice hoarse, his lips curling in both exhaustion and bitter amusement. "Looks like I'll have to establish an entire factory… just to keep producing these cursed pens…"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.