Lord of the Truth - Chapter 1138

Chapter 1138: Encyclopedia
(An index?) Evergreen tilted her head to the side, puzzled. (What do you mean?)

Robin smiled knowingly. “An index is a page found at the beginning or end of a book. It lists all the main topics covered in the book, along with the page numbers where each subject can be found, and sometimes even a brief description of each topic… The index serves as a guide to the book, but it is not the book itself.” Carefully, he closed the books in his hands and began placing them back on the shelves. “The same principle applies to the major law of any path— it contains the keys to all the Minor laws within that path, but it does not hold all their intricate details.”

With a relaxed pace, he strolled toward the next section of the library, his gaze scanning the countless books and scrolls surrounding him. The sheer volume of knowledge contained within these walls was staggering. The dim golden glow of the lanterns flickered softly against the towering shelves, casting shifting shadows as Robin moved forward.

“A wielder of the major law has the ability to use all the Minor laws of their chosen path, either separately or by combining multiple aspects to create powerful techniques. However, they lack in-depth knowledge of those Minor laws’ inner workings—they merely use the titles of the chapters without fully reading the book.” Reaching the first shelf, he carefully ran his fingers along the spines of the ancient texts before selecting one from the top row. The leather cover was cracked with age, the symbols etched onto its surface barely visible under the dust of millenniums.

(Wait… Why do I feel like you’re saying that wielders of Minor laws are stronger than those who use major laws?!) Evergreen’s eyes widened in surprise.

As a spirit, she had always viewed laws as mere patterns. She had never truly considered the way mortals perceived and wielded them. But Robin was speaking about something else entirely—the nuances of cultivation.

“Yes and no.” Robin rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he flipped through the book’s delicate pages, careful not to damage the fragile parchment. “…Hmm. This is an earth-based law that enhances crop growth by utilizing beneficial minerals— looks like this section contains Minor earth laws that support other paths.”

He snapped the book shut and pulled out another, its binding slightly heavier in his grip. “To answer you properly, Evergreen, let me give you an analogy to make it clearer… Suppose I’m just an ordinary citizen trying to stock up on food for the entire month. I have two choices: a massive five-story supermarket or a small, old-fashioned shop that specializes in selling only cheese. Which one is the logical choice?”

(The huge supermarket, obviously! You can find everything you need there—it’d be ridiculous to eat nothing but cheese all month long.) She responded instinctively, though she wasn’t sure what he was getting at.

“Exactly…” Robin closed the second book and leaned against the nearby shelf. “Now, what if I were a wealthy individual with a refined palate, looking to taste the absolute best varieties of cheese available? Which would I choose then?”

(You’d go to the small, old-fashioned shop, of course. They’d have mastered their craft and know all the secrets of making the finest cheese…) Evergreen tilted her head to the other side, suddenly sensing the deeper meaning behind his words. (Wait… are you saying…?)

“There you go~” Robin chuckled as he resumed walking, his boots making a soft sound against the stone floor. “A supermarket has cheese too, but it can’t compare to a small shop that has perfected the art of cheese-making and devoted itself solely to that craft. Now, let’s return to our example of the water path—take Victoria, for instance. She can extract moisture from the air and convert it into liquid water. That’s one of the Minor laws of water, and by extension, it’s also one of the abilities granted by the major law of water. But if she were to compete against a specialist—someone who has trained exclusively in that specific Minor law—she’d lose miserably.”

Evergreen narrowed her eyes in realization. (So you’re saying… that wielders of Minor laws are actually stronger than those who use major laws?!)

Robin smiled knowingly, crossing his arms. “Not necessarily stronger—it’s a matter of expertise versus versatility. A major law wielder has the advantage of flexibility, able to utilize a wide range of abilities without needing to dedicate themselves to a single one. But a Minor law wielder? They refine their mastery to an extreme degree. They know every shortcut, every hidden technique, every layer of complexity that makes their chosen law stronger than what a major wielder can achieve through casual application. In a general battle, a wielder of a major law might prevail through sheer adaptability. But in a contest of pure skill within a specific domain? The specialist almost always has the edge.”

Evergreen tried to process his words. “(So… the major law techniques is broad but shallow, while Minor laws are more focused and deeper?)”

Robin snapped his fingers. “Exactly! But only in the use of that specific Minor law. If I were stranded in a desert and needed people to extract water from underground, I wouldn’t waste my time hiring someone with a major water law. That would be sheer foolishness! Instead, I’d seek out a specialist in the Minor law that governs underground water extraction—someone who has dedicated their entire life to mastering that single concept.”

“But this doesn’t mean major laws are any less valuable,” he continued. “Let’s go back to the example with Victoria and her opponent. If you gave both of them the choice between specializing in a single Minor law or obtaining the major law itself, they wouldn’t hesitate to choose the major one! Why? Because with the major law, they wouldn’t be locked into just one aspect—they’d have the freedom to specialize in any Minor law within that domain at will.”

“…Even among major law users, you’ll notice a pattern,” Robin said as he stopped in front of a new bookshelf, letting his fingers trace along the spines of the books. “They all tend to focus on specific aspects of their law —areas they master— while leaving the rest untouched. For example, Victoria and the entire Frost family decided to devote themselves to Minor laws related to freezing water. So, even though they wield the major water law—one with countless applications—the majority of their combat techniques boil down to ice walls, ice spikes, and frost-based attacks.” He pulled out a thick tome, flipping through its pages before snapping it shut. “Another example? Most primary fire law users gravitate toward flames because they’re easy to produce and spread. But fire encompasses far more than just simple flames—there are Minor fire laws that create destruction on an unimaginable scale!”

Robin smirked. “And why go far for examples? Let’s talk about myself. The Eye of Truth grants a vast range of abilities, but I chose to specialize in the Revealing Eye, which lets me perceive the hidden truths of whatever I focus on. Meanwhile, Jabba specialized in the Zooming Eye, allowing him to analyze things at a microscopic level— enabling him to see changes within the cell level. And as for that Second Chosen…” Robin exhaled slowly, his expression darkening. “It seems he specialized in the comprehensive eye, which grants the ability to see all laws in his vicinity simultaneously. That man doesn’t perceive the world as we do—he doesn’t see people, objects, or even landscapes. He sees an infinite web of intersecting patterns stretching across existence itself. Otherwise, how else could he have gathered and documented such an insane number of laws?”

His words trailed off as his gaze fell upon another row of books. His fingers brushed over their titles with newfound intrigue. “…Look here,” he muttered. “This section contains books about the Minor earth laws—laws that govern everything beneath the planet’s crust, all the way down to the core itself.”

A deep breath. A slow exhale. He placed the books back carefully and turned his attention to the four towering bookshelves behind him. Each one held tens of thousands of tomes. “He actually created an encyclopedia of every single Minor law within the Earth Path…” Robin murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “Each of these books is a treasure trove of knowledge, waiting for the right person to use them properly. But for someone in a hurry to build an empire? These would just be stacks of useless paper. What was he thinking?”

He took a slow, deliberate look around the vast library, feeling a weight settle in his chest. The sheer scale of this place sent a shiver down his spine.

“…The comprehensive eye,” he muttered. “A fascinating choice. And an illogical one for a man rumored to have abandoned his duty of uncovering the truth, all in favor of uniting Nehari. But from what I see… he was racing against time. Either he would uncover as much as possible before death reached him, or death would claim him before he finished his work.”

Robin clenched his fist slightly. He understood that feeling all too well.

From the moment he set foot on this path, his priority had always been protection. He sought to uncover the secrets of the major laws not out of idle curiosity, but to forge an army— one strong enough to shield him and enforce his will.

But this?

This wasn’t the work of someone seeking power or even control. This was the work of a man who had discarded all personal ambition— someone who only wanted to leave behind knowledge.

Someone who knew his time was limited and wanted to give the world as much as possible before he was gone.

It reminded him, strangely enough… of himself.

Back in that cave.

(WAAAAAAAAAAAIT A MINUTE!)

Robin’s quiet reflection was abruptly shattered by Evergreen’s voice, shrill with shock.

(Are you telling me that Master Laws have minor laws too?!)