In the heart of the abyss, a boy lay unconscious, suspended in midair like a broken marionette.

His chest bore a gaping hole, two curved horns pierced through his skull, and a faint twisting hole burned on his abdomen.

The cave trembled slightly under the pressure of the mana and force that permeated the space.

Arthur's head rested gently on a pair of soft, warm mounds, not that he could feel them.

Syr'Nathira Val Archaian cradled Arthur in her arms.

Her golden hair shimmered like molten gold, and her crimson eyes flowed like a pool of blood.

"You always seem to surprise me, dear disciple, even when you played this world like a console game," she muttered, brushing her fingers against his chest.

The blood that flowed through the ancient seal.

That was the name of the mana source Arthur had absorbed.

Since it was already refined energy, it was able to enter his body.

But the backlash of absorbing a primordial energy, combined with the fact that he awakened an SSS-rank talent and performed his tether ceremony on the altar, made his energy go wild.

"What a troublesome disciple," Nathira whispered. "You came to save your master, and now you need her help."

She leaned closer, absorbing the mana from his body. "But don't worry, because no one loves you like I do... So even if I absorb the mana, it will go back to you," she added. "So let's do it slowly, okay?"

In an instant, Arthur's body glowed with a stunning, brilliant white light.

The light shot out of his body and broke through the cave, tearing the sky above the Hollow Mountain open.

Arthur's consciousness had not totally faded, but the only thing he could feel was someone's warmth and the sound of system notifications.

---

Some distance away from the Hollow Mountain, Alica shot up from her throne, a hand clutching her heart.

"My baby..."

The silver-haired queen stormed out of her office. "Selena, call the guards."

Selena, who had also sensed the pressure of the energy, ran out of the training chamber and exited the castle soon after with over fifty guards.

"Is that the youngest?" Thyra, already at the gate, asked.

Alica didn't answer, as her body began transforming.

Crystalline scales covered her body, stopping right above her jawline.

Black wings sprouted from her back, and without wasting any energy, she flew into the air.

Selena and Thyra both mimicked this transformation and followed their mother.

The guards who could control their half-transformed forms followed behind them.

As they reached closer to the mountain range, they saw where the blinding light was coming from.

"The abyss..."

As the voice of the guard dropped, Alica dived into the abyss without hesitation.

---

In the central capital of the empire, where the academy, magic tower, and knight squads had their base...

The archmages, high-ranking knights, divine beasts, and dormant powerhouses stirred.

They all felt it.

The birth of a monster.

---

In the merchant land of the East.

"Oi, Grandpa, aren't we going to train? I've got to get stronger before I go to the academy."

An old man turned to the voice, a young girl with a katana. "Shut up! Can't you..."

The old man turned his head to the north, a smile playing on his lips. "Looks like another monster has been born."

He turned to his granddaughter. "Come, we have a lot to cover."

---

In the distant land of the Elves.

"You can feel it too, right?"

Helric raised his head. "Yes, anyone connected to the World Tree can't miss this oppressive energy... A Future Transcendent has been born."

The caretaker of the World Tree nodded. "Not even two hours ago, a world-bending energy filled the world... But this... this is far worse than that energy."

He shook his head, as if unable to bear the weight of his words. "A natural Supreme has been born."

---

In the Holy Empire of the Second Continent.

"Saintess, what happened?"

A beautiful young woman turned to the window of the church. "Nothing. I just sensed something."

The guard stared at her. "It seems both you and the Chosen One are on edge."

"The Chosen One?" the beautiful lady asked.

"Yes, he just arrived from the empire, and it seems he sensed something... Because of that, he isn't in a very good mood."

The saintess nodded. "I will go meet him." She glanced outside again. 'It seems this generation has two Transcendents.'

---

Back in the abyss, Nathira's skin bled through her reinforced dragon scales.

She took a deep breath. Every energy she took in seemed to pierce not just her scales but her soul too.

"You idiot, at the rate you're going, we're both going to die."

She pressed her hand over his heart. "I can regulate your energy and absorb some, but if I keep it in my body for too long, even I might die."

As the energy began to dwindle, a silhouette appeared, flying into the cave.

As the figure's eyes met Nathira's, she gritted her teeth. "What do you think you're doing with my son..." Alica spoke out. "Syr'Nathira Val Archaian."

Nathira smiled. "You're all grown up, little Alica."

Alica took a deep breath.

If she fought here, it would only endanger Arthur more.

And from Nathira's posture, she knew that she didn't want to harm Arthur.

"May I help too?"

Nathira nodded to the question without wasting a second. "It might hurt, but I want you to regulate my mana."

Sweat was all over Nathira's body, and her black garment had long been stripped, leaving material that could barely be called clothing.

Alica nodded, then flew behind Nathira, using her own mana to regulate the rampant energy.

A brilliant beam of light exploded from Arthur's chest, shattering the abyss and letting natural light seep into the dark cave.

"Damn it!"

The surge of energy was too much for Nathira, a monarch to control.

Perhaps it was because she had been sealed for so long, but it seemed like her strength and energy control had weakened.

"The energy is trying to escape," Alica warned. "If my baby dies, I will kill you, Nathira."

Nathira forced a smile. "You don't need to worry. Looks like my brat finally got control."

The blinding light that had erupted from the abyss began to vanish, leaving behind a beautiful rainbow.

The energy began settling into Arthur, as his eyes fluttered open, the wounds on his chest, skull, and abdomen healing.

"Is it over?" a guard asked, his weapon trembling in his grip.

A tremendous roar echoed as a colossal figure burst out—a white dragon, radiant and divine, with crimson red eyes and jagged horns.

Her voice was deep and layered with emotion as she looked towards her daughters.

"Take care of us, you two."

Selena and Thyra knew this was their mother's demonic dragon form. They nodded as she shrank back to her original size, the two bodies on her back falling to the ground.

Selena moved forward, commanding the guards to pick up the bodies and carry them piggyback style.

Meanwhile, Thyra gave the guards a command to place a restriction order on the mountain.

At least the remaining awakened had completed their ceremonies before any of the mess happened.

Although, she wasn't sure if the entire world hadn't felt it.

She sighed. "Youngest really is crazy."

Thyra looked into the abyss, which was nothing more than the base of a normal cliff now.

"Pick up the pace and take all the mana stones around the cave. We have to hand them back to their owner after all."

Thyra grinned. 'Three years... what will he become before the academy starts?'

She couldn't hold in her excitement.

Seeing a prodigy grow from nothing was indeed a fascinating and fulfilling thing.

And she too was planning on being a part of this legacy.

─── ✦ End of Chapter ✦ ───