The rain had let up, leaving the wet courtyards shiny in mud. Mist snaked around the academy like shadows. Abe walked real slow, each step feeling heavy in the quiet of Murrchel. His Hollow Cry was acting up and down, pulsing weak and high, like something inside was putting up a effort to come out.
His heart beat grow louder in his chest. The Progress bar usually a steady guide flickered like a candle about to blow off. Abe made fists, a strong pulse running through him. He felt uneasy, like his own soul wasn't completely his anymore.
Maria Forger trailed him, watching with her amber eyes. She didn't say a single word, just watching abraham from afar. She knew something, her gaze sharp. Abe could feel her checking out his Hollow Cry, like she could see the cracks in his control.
"Something's waking up," he mumbled. The air felt thick. Shadows gathered even though the courtyard was empty. A faint energy built around his feet, soft at first, then growing into a low, steady hum that seemed to shake the whole academy.
Jennifer approached silently, her presence grounding yet fragile. "Abraham… what is it?" Her voice shook, not from fear, but from recognition, like she saw a dead ma walking . Her pulsewave flickered in sync with his. He could feel it the tethering beginning.
Before he could speak, a rush of warmth and power went through him, like hot fire twisting up his back. His Hollow Cry burst out, with no control, touching the borders of what was real.
The air shimmered, mist twisting unnaturally, whispering a language only his soul-core could interpret.
And then he saw it.
There was this shape in the dark by the busted fountain in the yard. At first, it was hard to see, but it was big, like covered in dark scales, and had these faint shiny black lines on it. Eyes, like molten coal, flickered into existence, fixed on Abraham. The ground shook harder. Above, strange colors flashed in the sky, like a faded storm.
Maria's eyes widened slightly, a rare crack in her calm. Oboros, she breathed.
Abraham froze. The name struck something deep within him — an echo in the Hollow Cry, primal and demanding. He did not get it, but the vibe was ancient and old, stuck energy trying to reach him with with tremendous energy overflowing.
The ground shook like earthquake, and the courtyard stones started cracking like rumble sound. The mists swirled like crazy, morphing into pointy shapes that clawed at nothing.
His sword, Abraham's Hollow Cry, reacted without him thinking, glowing to match the beat of Oboros waking up. It felt like a pulse inside another, a rope trying to tie together two forces that were never meant to meet.
Then, the academy gates opened with a clang, cutting through the heavy tension.
A presence unlike any Abraham had felt before entered — calm, absolute, and commanding. The air shifted, as if reality itself recognized the arrival of someone legendary.
Lucias Hiemer stepped into the courtyard. He was taller than most of the guy, with straight shoulders, charming aura he moved with a quiet command that drew attention of the whole surrounding without a sound. His light hair caught the last of the sun through the clouds. Also, his pale eyes scanned the courtyard calmly, like that of someone with much experience.
Students nearby stopped and went silent. The shadows themselves seemed to pause around him, as if his presence affected the air. Abraham felt an unfamiliar pull in his soul-core — recognition without knowledge, like his Hollow Cry itself had registered a new, unparalleled resonance.
Lucias's gaze met Abraham's. A faint smile curved his lips, knowing yet unreadable. "Ah… so this is the young one they call Lincon, right" he said, voice low, smooth, yet carrying the weight of undeniable power. "I've heard much about your Hollow Cry. Fascinating… quite rare."
Abraham replied with even tone " Sir, Iam not lincon, I.." Then suddenly one of academy teacher came like flash and whispper something in Lucias ear "My bad, I thought you're lincon, we'll meet again" then he leave with the teacher, while leaving, teacher said " He's came here to give a special lecture today, He is special guest and you guys get your body into hall. The lecture will start soon "
Abraham's pulsewave flared involuntarily, a mixture of respect, fear, and curiosity. Maria squinted her eyes, catching the subtle cues of Lucias's presence. She suspected he was more than just a typical lecturer.
Jennifer whispered, almost to herself, "He… if I don't mistake, He is The Emperor of Beast God, Trakon Titan Looper, 'The Human God'"
Abraham swallowed, heart hammering. His hollow cry came again, faint shivers going through him, like Oboros was waking up to this new energy he couldn't understand, But he don't need clarification from Jennifer to understand that the guy he just met this alternative world his rival 'The Strongest'.
The ground under the academy shook again, harder this time, splashing water from the fountain. The mist moved, showing parts of a huge, coiled power under Oboros' shadow.
Abraham's pulsewave surged, the Progress bar on his system flickering and warping, recognizing a new threshold had been crossed.
Maria watched silently as the young prodigy and the newly arrived legend stood before her. Her eyes reflected understanding— the Hollow Cry was awakening, the first of the Four Beasts was stirring, and now… something else had joined their situation.
Abraham exhaled, as if burdened by the unfolding events. Above, the sky twisted, clouds churning. The courtyard trembled.
Something ancient had stirred. Something legendary had arrived.