Dismounting, Abraham felt a quiet dread tighten his nerves the instant his feet touched the uneven forest floor. The mouth of the cave ahead of him was a fractured gateway, the shadows with the presence gave the impression of breathing as though it were a vigilant guardian a dark void . The air felt heavy with the scents of rot and blood, and an ancient presence, far older than death. Even the wind seemed afraid to whisper.
The scene inside hinted at an existence of corruption.
Two cloaked figures were kneeling wearing exact same cloak as the other dark shadowy cloak resembling the Herculis cult they are facing by a flame made of bones, the way both of the kneeling and folding their hands looks like they are in deep pray with their lords. The fire lacked the color red; instead, it resembled an unpleasant fusion of black and deep crimson, throbbing as though it were alive and wounded giving birth of a lifeless. A blazing skull levitated like glaring over those cloaked figures from the flames. It was cracked but burning, and its empty eye holes leaked light. Even without eyes, it seemed to be watching. With each flicker, the fire cried out. The sound like a thousand trapped souls inside the flame dragging their soul chains across eternity.
All around lay ruin. Bodies without heads lay on the rough stones, still blood flowing from the nape. Sixteen out of the twenty-three people who are the seal mark had been killed as sacrifices. Their blood didn't just merely spill all over the side; it seemed to creep, making symbols on the ground that glowed with corruption of death.
He stayed hidden in the shadows, watching those two figure to circle the hellish fire in a weird way. Their voices rose and fell in a disturbing rhythm sounded like chanting some ancient Incantation. What was spoken sounded similar to rasping metal. The whispers of them weren't some simple echoes or chants this is far than any religious ritual more like a forbidden ritual, twisting through the cave stoned barrier, wrapping the core of the soul of all who heard the Incantation.
The chanting grew louder as they circling the flame in more speed, shaking the surface. The blood symbols twisted and changed, lines turning into awful shapes that didn't make sense. The smell of burnt bone and iron was strong, and each breath felt like he himself inhaling corrupted curse.
Abraham's tremble his heart beat in unusual rhythm. Hollow Cry stirred within him—a silent, primal warning. His vision quivered; the System interface flickered erratically across his sight.
[Warning: High-Level Corruption Detected]
[Unknown Entity Signature: ??? Detected]
Then the fire moved.
The surface shook, like a a colossal figure waking below from the depth of hell. The inferno transformed into snaking patterns exploded outwards, within a heartbeat, bone emerged violently from the river of flame in front of him.
Sharp, white spikes covered in dark fluid jutted out violently. They pierced through the chanting figures before screams could form. Flesh split. Ribs cracked. Those two cloaked figure commenced shaking violently at the same time that observable veins darkened and commenced protruding. Their figures ballooned in a bizarre and disfigured way, and the outer layer of their skin expanded greatly, it seemed as if an unseen force was expanding them from their soul core.
At that point, their body expended like balloon and exploded with tremendous force.
The cave shook with a deep, old roar. They were instantly turned into a spray of blood and charred bone. The air ignited. The torches vaporized. Rock walls cracked open like wounds as the flames spun into black vortices.
And at the center of it all—something looked back.
It wasn't a shape. It wasn't even a being. It was presence – an idea that felt eternal, a look that cut right through the string between existence and nothingness. Ancient. Corrupted. Hungry.
Abraham stepped backwards, grasping his chest. Hollow Cry responded instantly, shadows shifting surrounding him to shield . He panted with deep thought, the look in his eyes wide with disbelief and sheer fright. Whatever those figure had summoned, it was not to be viewed by mortals,, it's something forbidden had take rebirth.
The cavern throbbed, its walls covered in veins that seemed alive with corruption, all breathing with the unseen god. The air vibrated, time felt thick, and under the shaking stone, he could still hear their chant--twisted, never-ending, echoing from somewhere beyond reality.
As the dust finally settled, Abraham realized he was on the edge of a cliff, caused by the demonstration blast from those figure body. That underground cave carved by stone few moments ago now vanished like it never existed, substituted by an abyss filled with fiery magma and ash that spread around.
Wind tore through his coat.
Behind him, Oboros's shadow uncoiled, rising faintly from the darkness at his feet — not fully formed, just a flicker of molten gold within smoke, watching with primal stillness.
Across the scorched field, they stood.
The first — Humanoid — towered with a body built from sinew and sorrow, skin the color of drowned sapphire. The creature had four strong arms, holding a bone forged halberd, a grotesque extension of his body. In place of eyes, a single, blood-red slit pulsed like a raw gash, the eye bleeding like tears coming out.
Next to it, the Serpent moved restlessly. Its dark, iron-like scales shimmered, with gold fire seeming to flow under them. The serpent's head, the size of a carriage, featured jagged horns that dripped a burning substance. Each breath it took released a mist that seemed to eat away at the air.
The two creatures stood in silence, framed by the dying sunlight bleeding across the horizon — an image carved between apocalypse and divinity.
Abraham's coat fluttered in the ash wind. His gaze didn't waver.
"So… this is what sixteen seals look like."
The system pulsed faintly before his eyes, its voice colder than ever:
[Enemy Class Detected – Incarnations of Nefiham Dark Entity]
[Valkyris – Humanoid, 16th Seal Incarnation]
[Sergian – Serpent, 16th Seal Incarnation]
[Power Source: Sacrificial Curse Marks – 16/23 utilized]
[Threat Level: Omega — Combat Initiation Pending]
Oboro's shadow stretched forward guarding Abraham, his intense eyes gleaming with blazing eyeballs.
Abraham lifted his sword slightly posing a stance hinting he is preparing for war, the blade reflecting the fading light, even though he is in front of two Immortal entity which direct incarnation of beast god, he didn't feel a fear. Instead he was having fun this is the first time he is gonna face someone who is greater strength than him. The tense quiet hung heavily.