Chapter 1423: The wrath of the predecessors
35 years later--
"..." Robin continued reading slowly... agonizingly, painstakingly slow. So slow, in fact, that he would linger on a single word for two, sometimes even three full seconds before daring to move on to the next.
It wasn’t because he needed extra time to understand or analyze—he wasn’t reflecting deeply on metaphors or unraveling complex arguments. No... it was simply because he couldn’t. He couldn’t read any faster, not with that damned, cursed tome burning through his brain like molten metal.
After what felt like centuries, he finally read the last word on the last line of the final page. Robin closed the heavy, ancient cover with the kind of reverence reserved for forbidden relics.
Then, he just sat there in complete stillness. A few long moments passed.
His face had gone pale, almost ashen, and exhaustion clung to him like a second skin. His entire expression seemed locked in a fierce inner battle, as if he were wrestling some invisible force threatening to tear him apart.
And then suddenly—
"UUUGHH!!" Robin dropped to the ground, collapsing like a broken tower, and began to vomit violently, uncontrollably. "Uuuaaagghh!!"
It didn’t stop. Not quickly.
Minutes passed as everything he had eaten—every bit of food, every drop of water, and even some blood—was wrenched from his body in wave after agonizing wave.
When it was finally over, Robin wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve, slumped against the book-lined wall, and sat there like a man broken in both body and soul. He began to mutter through gritted teeth:
"That... filthy... disgusting... bastard!!"