"Fair!" Asir replied instantly, his voice rising with barely concealed excitement, "More than fair!"

In truth, Asir had once gathered his courage and approached Robin with a proposal of his own, suggesting that he personally enter the corridor to collect the scattered crystals and remains that lay beyond. But Robin had rejected the idea without hesitation, explaining that sending a single Guardian into an environment filled with unknown dangers was an unacceptable risk. Even if that Guardian wielded the path of time, no one truly understood the laws governing the other side... no one could predict what might happen once they stepped through.

And because Asir knew those words were not an exaggeration but a simple fact, he had never asked again, nor had he dared to enter on his own without proper coordination.

But now... the situation had changed.

With three others accompanying him, each of them powerful in their own right, entering would no longer be a reckless gamble.

It would be an opportunity.

Lord Robin wouldn’t give them space beast parts? That didn’t matter.

If someone like him described the rewards as "significant," then it could only mean one thing... that in a matter of hours, perhaps even less, the gains they would obtain could surpass the wealth of a millennial empire.

"Very well." Althera allowed a faint, controlled smile to form, her tone calm yet resolute, "Additional financial resources will greatly assist in expanding the network of cosmic academies."

"....." Morgana’s smile widened slightly as she glanced toward Robin, her thoughts drifting in a far less practical direction... wondering whether those points could be exchanged for something far more personal... Like a dinner date?

"We’ll proceed as you say, then." Blukan nodded, a short laugh escaping him, "You should have led with that from the beginning, haha."

"Heh~" Robin’s response was far more subdued, his expression barely shifting, "There are a few matters I need to clarify before you enter."

He paused briefly, ensuring their attention was fully on him.

"First... do not waste your time attempting to conceal any crystals or body parts from space beasts in any manner whatsoever. Not in your hands, not in your storage, not even inside your rings."

His gaze sharpened slightly.

"I have arrays in place that can detect all of it. Anyone who tries... will only humiliate themselves."

Then he continued in the same calm tone, as if discussing something trivial.

"If you encounter mature space beasts, ignore them or draw them away. You are not required to engage them directly. That is not your objective."

His voice lowered slightly, gaining a sharper edge.

"As for the young ones... pull them away from the vicinity of the gate and eliminate them all at a distance."

He let that sink in before adding,

"Both tasks can be accomplished simultaneously. The moment you step through, create as much disturbance as possible. The nascent beasts will panic and scatter, while the rest will instinctively follow you."

Robin’s brows drew together just slightly.

"This nest has already suffered significant losses for various reasons. It has become an obstacle to our operations. We should aim to clear it entirely today. Even if only mature beasts remain afterward, they will likely withdraw and attempt to rebuild elsewhere. They will not be able to maintain control over the gate on their own."

"Understood." Althera nodded, drawing her short sword in one smooth motion, her posture shifting instantly into one of readiness, "Is there anything else we should know before entering?"

Robin smiled faintly.

"Be careful of ancestor class beasts."

"...?!" Blukan, Althera, and Asir all reacted in the same way, their expressions tightening. There was nothing humorous about that warning.

"Hehe," Morgana, however, laughed lightly, clearly unbothered, "Then we should hurry... before one actually appears."

Without waiting for anyone else, she stepped forward with unwavering confidence toward the corridor.

Whoosh she passed through without the slightest hesitation.

Hummm

Bang Bang Boom

The moment she crossed to the other side, the scene visible through the gate shifted dramatically. Enhanced soul creatures manifested around her almost instantly, surrounding her like a living extension of her will, and without pause, they began attacking everything within range.

"..." Asir raised an eyebrow slightly, watching the unfolding chaos, "Fighting alongside a royal soul master is always reassuring... at least until they exhaust their reserves."

Then, without further hesitation, he stepped forward and followed her through, with Althera taking a deep breath behind him before leaping through as well, her earlier hesitation replaced by focused determination.

Blukan remained behind for a few seconds longer, his gaze fixed on the battle beyond.

The intensity escalated rapidly.

If even one of those creatures appeared near a civilized world, entire fleets would mobilize, elders would intervene, and a whole star field could be thrown into turmoil.

And yet now...

They stood there in numbers beyond counting, clashing violently right before his eyes.

Then he turned his head, looking back toward the army stationed behind him, a silent question forming in his mind.

After a moment, he spoke, directing his words toward Robin, "Aren’t your forces going to intervene?"

But Robin showed no intention of explaining anything.

Instead, he simply offered a faint, casual smile.

"Your colleagues will earn far more rewards if you kept standing there."

"...." Blukan felt the response strike him like a direct slap, the meaning behind it unmistakable, yet he forced his expression to remain composed. A faint, artificial smile formed on his lips, one meant to preserve dignity rather than reflect any genuine feeling, "Oh... we shouldn’t allow that to happen, should we?"

His tone was light, but the tension beneath it was clear.

Without another word, he stepped forward toward the gate, his posture straightening, his expression hardening into something far more serious... and unmistakably irritated.

When was the last time he had been spoken to in such a manner?

He was not just anyone.

He was a Monarch who wielded a major fundamental law, someone who had already reached a mid-level understanding of the Dominator domain... a level that very few could claim to stand upon.

And yet—

Lord Robin.

A name that carried immense weight across the entire Mid sector.

A researcher and innovator without equal in this era. A man whose techniques alone could bend the rules others took for granted. A person whose oath had, for a brief moment, placed pressure even on him... someone rumored to stand among the wealthiest beings alive.

But his personal combat strength?

Who had truly witnessed it?

Who could confirm it?

Then why...

Why did he speak with such overwhelming confidence?

Why did he carry himself with such undeniable arrogance in front of someone like him?

Woof

Lord Blukan stepped through the gate, his presence cutting cleanly across the threshold, his irritation no longer hidden, but worn openly.

"Oh dear!!" Holak rushed forward immediately after the four entered, practically throwing himself toward the corridor, pushing his face into the shimmering boundary as he tried to observe what was happening on the other side.

For a moment...

His expression froze.

Then it shifted—rapidly—into pure astonishment.

Slowly, almost instinctively, he began pulling his head back, inch by inch, until he was completely out of the gate again.

Lord Blukan was taking this far more seriously than expected.

The moment he entered...

He attacked.

Not cautiously. Not with restraint.

Directly.

Three young space beasts were struck head-on, their massive forms reacting violently under the impact, while at the same time dozens of nascent space beasts were caught in the sweeping edges of his attacks, crushed, scattered, or driven back without even being his primary targets.

His range...

His output... 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

His dominance...

It exceeded that of the other three combined.

"..." Holak’s brows tightened deeply, frustration rising as he turned toward Robin, "That guy is scaring away all the nascent space beasts to death! At this rate, there won’t be anything left for us to do!"

"Heh~" Robin let out a quiet chuckle, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched the scene unfold.

Blukan’s actions were not random.

They carried intent.

A message.

But what message exactly?

< I am stronger than everyone here. I can act as I please. Do not place me in the same standing as the rest. >

Or perhaps...

< I could deal with you just as easily as I’m dealing with these beasts... but I am choosing not to. >

Robin’s gaze lingered for a brief moment.

Then he dismissed it.

It didn’t matter.

Blukan was strong.

Extremely strong.

A figure who, under the right circumstances, could sit among the Council of Thrones without discomfort, especially if he had stood as a disciple under Qarun himself...

But strength alone did not define position.

And he...

Still needed to understand who stood at the top here.

Robin reached for his playing cards once more, his movements calm, unhurried, as if the chaos unfolding beyond the gate had no bearing on him whatsoever. He began dealing them again across the surface, one after another, each card placed with precise, effortless control.

His voice followed shortly after, directed clearly toward Holak.

"Just sit down... and prepare yourselves."

There was no urgency in his tone.

No doubt.

"Lord Blukan and the others will, sooner or later... clear the field for you."

A faint smile returned to his face.

That same strange smile.

The kind that never quite revealed its full meaning.

"...that is," he added softly, almost as an afterthought, "if they wish to claim their reward."