The siege was over.Or at least, that was what everyone believed.Cheers echoed across the Academy grounds as students and professors watched the crimson fracture continue shrinking. The corrupted creatures that had survived began retreating in every direction. Without the Observer's projection supporting them, their coordination collapsed almost immediately.For the first time in days, hope returned.The Academy still stood.Damaged.Burning.Scarred.But standing.Yet Kael remained silent.The Fourth Ring continued rotating steadily inside the Void Core. Unlike before, it no longer felt unstable. The awakening was complete.And because it was complete—He could see things nobody else could.The countless futures surrounding the Academy had changed.Many disastrous outcomes had disappeared.Many deaths had been avoided.But the darkest futu

The communication crystal went silent.Yet the words continued echoing through everyone's minds."As large as mountains."The courtyard remained frozen.Even the veteran professors looked disturbed.Blackstone Fortress wasn't some ordinary city. It was one of the oldest defensive strongholds in the northern territories, built to withstand monster tides, kingdom wars, and magical catastrophes.For centuries, it had never fallen.Now nobody could contact it.Orion's expression darkened."Gather the Council immediately."Several professors nodded and hurried away.The Headmaster turned toward Kael."You saw something."It wasn't a question.Kael nodded."The fortress is under attack."Leon crossed his arms."Can it survive?"The Fourth Ring pulsed.A vision appeared.Burning walls.Broken gates.

The battlefield fell silent.Snow continued drifting across the ruins of Blackstone Fortress while flames consumed shattered towers. Thousands of Abyss creatures filled the breached northern wall, yet none advanced.Their attention had shifted.Toward the silver-haired woman standing atop the central tower.Ancient symbols floated around her like stars.The glowing blade in her hand radiated pure silver light.Not mana.Not holy power.Something older.Something deeper.The colossal Abyss creature stared at her with its crimson eyes.For several long seconds, neither moved.Then—The monster growled.The sound rolled across the battlefield like thunder.BOOOOOOM!Windows shattered.Loose stones tumbled from walls.Several injured soldiers collapsed from the pressure alone.Yet the silver-haired woman remained unmov

The Academy moved quickly.There was no time for ceremonies.No time for recovery.No time to celebrate surviving the siege.Blackstone Fortress was dying.Every minute mattered.Inside the main courtyard, professors, healers, and surviving combat students gathered supplies while magical engineers repaired transportation arrays damaged during the battle.The atmosphere was tense.Everyone understood the gravity of the situation.This wasn't another Academy crisis.This was war.A continental war.---Kael stood near the departure platform while staring toward the north.The Fourth Ring rotated quietly within his Void Core.Since awakening completely, its visions had become clearer.Sharper.More dangerous.Because now he could distinguish between possible futures and probable futures.And almost every probable