Super God Academy: Kabuto

The ruins of the Divine River, eternal ruins. The dust of time seems to have solidified here, with only the slow rotation of the sealed vortex at its core and the faint pulsation of the nebula above proving that this place is not a completely dead zone.

A figure, incongruous with the surrounding desolation, silently appeared at the edge of the sealing platform. He wore a simple scholar's robe, his hood obscuring most of his face, with only a few strands of blue hair peeking out. His aura was almost completely concealed; it was Karl.

He didn't call out like Lin Yu and Tsukasa Kadoya; he simply stood there quietly, raising his head to gaze at the nebula above, manifested by the will of Kieran. His gaze was calm, as if examining an ancient and precise instrument, or perhaps admiring a monument destined to be surpassed.

After a long while, a long sigh came from the depths of the nebula, more desolate and weary than ever before.

"You've come, Karl." Kieran's voice rang directly in Karl's mind, without surprise, only a calm acceptance of fate. "With your 'ultimate fear' theory, you've stepped onto the edge of practice."

Carl nodded slightly, his movements elegant and respectful, as if facing a long-lost mentor, even though their paths had long since diverged: "Professor Kieran. It's been a long time. It's admirable that you are still here."

"Protect?" Kieran's thoughts rippled with a complex self-mockery. "Perhaps, it's just being trapped. Like a prisoner nailed to the cross of time, witnessing the countdown to disaster, yet powerless to change it."

"Tragedy will not change its inevitability because of avoidance or fear." Karl's voice remained calm, without excitement, only a cold, truthful certainty. "The destruction of the Divine River has proven that the existence and threat of 'the other side' are objective. Passive seals will eventually collapse. The only way out is to actively understand, analyze, and ultimately... take control."

He took a step forward, his gaze piercing through the nebula, as if looking directly into Kieran's core will: "I have studied everything recorded by the Great Clock, analyzed the Void Particles, and even touched upon a higher form of the 'Phantom Body.' I have discovered that the 'Void' is not pure destruction; it is a... higher, uncomprehended 'form of existence.' Fear stems from the unknown, and I will unveil this veil."

"So, you decided to open it." Kieran's statement left no room for doubt.

"Yes," Karl readily admitted, "I will proactively open stable channels to welcome the arrival of the 'Age of the Void.' This is not destruction, but... evolution. The physical rules of the known universe, life forms, and even the modes of consciousness will be sublimated into a more perfect form through collision and fusion with the void. The age of the old gods will end, and a new, eternal age of truth will begin."

His words echoed through the deathly silent ruins, possessing a strange charm born from a mixture of martyr-like fervor and the coldness of absolute rationality. Had any other living being been there, they would likely have been rendered speechless by this subversive declaration.

The nebula remained silent, its starlight flickering within, as if Kieran were experiencing intense inner turmoil. He had witnessed firsthand the horrors of the Void, the devouring of his beloved Dingo, and the annihilation of an entire civilization. To him, Karl's words were nothing more than the most insane ravings and the most dangerous playing with fire.

However, Kieran ultimately did not utter a word of rebuke, nor did he attempt to use the power of the seal to expel Karl. He simply responded with an almost compassionate, weary tone, as if he had seen through the long passage of time:

"I used to think that Dinghei was the smartest madman in the Divine River. Now it seems, Karl, you are even worse than him. He regarded science as a tool for exploring the truth, while you... have taken 'truth' itself as a sacrificial offering, and yourself as the spark to ignite the altar."

"The path to truth is fraught with thorns and sacrifices." Karl remained unmoved. "Teacher, are you going to stop me? With this remaining seal, or... other means you've hidden?" His gaze seemed to sweep across certain corners of the ruins, where there remained unusually obscure energy imprints that even the Great Clock could not fully decipher.

Kieran's nebula slowly rotated, its light dimmer than before: "Stop? No. After tens of thousands of years of vigil, I know better than anyone the limits of this seal. It cannot stop the tides, only delay them. Your arrival merely allows the predetermined ending to unfold in the way you have chosen."

He paused, his voice becoming extremely low, as if each word carried the weight of a thousand pounds: "But Karl, as your former teacher, I give you one last piece of advice: what you perceive as 'control' may simply be 'acquiescence' on a deeper level. What you've opened may not be a door to truth, but rather a floodgate to destruction. Take care of yourself."

Having said that, the nebula's light completely subsided, and Kieran's will seemed to sink into a deeper slumber, no longer paying attention to Karl. He did not reveal more terrifying information about the owner of the "hand" beyond the rift. Perhaps in his view, it was meaningless to Karl, who had already made his decision, and might even spur him to take more radical actions.

Carl stood there for a long time, gazing at the nebula that had returned to calm, his face beneath the hood expressionless. He had gotten the result he expected—Kieran's tacit approval (or rather, his inability to stop it). That was enough for him.

He said nothing more, but bowed slightly in the direction of the nebula, performing an ancient farewell gesture from the Divine River Civilization students to their teachers. Then, his figure seemed to melt into the air, quietly disappearing.

The ruins returned to deathly silence, with only Kieran's sigh, which no one could hear and which was lighter than cosmic dust, lingering in the shattered spacetime.