Super God Academy: Kabuto

On the same day that Lin Yu saw Qi Lin off, watching her embark on her journey to the Super God Academy, on the other side of the world, in Egypt, along the Nile River.

Yellow sand swirled, and the heat distorted the view. The ancient pyramids, like the weathered skeletons of giants, stood silently under the near-incandescent sun, witnessing the passage of thousands of years. Time seemed to stand still here, until three figures clad in dark gray cloaks, incongruous with their surroundings, appeared silently like phantoms emerging from the dry air before a relatively low stone temple ruin covered with ancient runes.

The leader was Snow, an emissary under the command of Death God Karl. His gaze, hidden beneath his hood, calmly swept over the crumbling stone walls and broken statues, as if reading an open history book. Behind him, a Taotie vanguard, noticeably taller and more heavily armored than ordinary Taotie warriors, stepped forward, his synthesized voice carrying an instinctive awe of a higher being:

"Lord Snow, according to my god Karl's guidance... this is the ancient forbidden land where the Crocodile God Soton is sealed?"

"It is a place of creation, and also a place of sealing." Snow's voice was calm and even, like the cold wind blowing through the desert night. "Long ago, after managing the Styx River, my god Karl personally came to this star and, with his supreme wisdom, created the third generation of super soldiers—the Crocodile God Soton. It was once a very promising work under my god's command."

He paused slightly, as if recalling a secret forgotten by most civilizations: "Unfortunately, it was too blatant, attracting the attention of the angels. In the end, it was 'pursued' and subdued by the high-ranking guardian angels. After that conflict, my god Karl and the angelic civilization reached some kind of... temporary reconciliation. And Soton became a 'sacrifice' temporarily shelved in the reconciliation agreement."

Snow slowly raised his hand, which was gloved with metal, and gently brushed his fingertips across the ancient engravings on the stone wall that were already blurred but still retained traces of energy. The cold and rough texture came through the glove.

"However, death is not the end, especially not for my god." His tone was flat, yet it revealed absolute faith. "My god Karl, with his void-like power that transcends mortal understanding, has already backed up and sealed the complete genetic blueprint and combat data of Thorton within the core energy matrix of this temple."

He turned around, the shadow under his hood seeming to deepen, staring directly at the Gluttonous Vanguard behind him:

"Today, in accordance with the will of my God and your needs, it will regain its form here. While it is newly born, its genes and consciousness are not yet fully synchronized and stable, and its energy is at its lowest point—this is the best time to subdue and control it. However,"

Snow's tone, unusually, carried a clear warning, like the sounding of an alarm bell:

"It once clashed head-on with angels, and its consciousness, during the battle and sealing, was very likely implanted with certain... fragments of the rigid and troublesome 'justice' concepts belonging to angels. Therefore, it is still unknown whether the reforged Thorton's thoughts are still completely loyal to the death and void order of my god Karl. You need to... treat it with caution."

The moment the words fell, a fleeting blue light flashed in Snow's eyes, as if a switch that had been dormant for millennia had been activated.

hum-

A deep, resonant sound, seemingly acting directly on the soul, rang out.

On the open ground before the temple ruins, the sand moved erratically without wind. A colossal, intricately patterned golden disc, resembling the Eight Trigrams or some kind of supreme mathematical model, appeared out of thin air! It slowly rotated, and with each rotation, more golden patterns lit up, ancient and obscure energy flowing within it.

In the center of the disc, a crack opened silently.

boom--!!!

A dazzling golden beam of light, so bright it was impossible to look directly at, shot violently from the center of the disc, like a bridge connecting heaven and earth, piercing straight into the sky! Within the beam, countless data-like light particles converged, collided, and recombine wildly.

In the dim light, the outline of a massive, monstrous figure, covered in scales and bone spurs, materialized in the deepest part of the light. It raised its head and let out a deafening roar, the sound waves a mixture of ancient savagery and nascent frenzy, sweeping across the surroundings and causing the rubble of the temple ruins to fall in a clatter!

The next second, the pillar of light and the illusory disc suddenly contracted and disappeared. The enormous figure that had solidified into a solid form transformed into a slightly ethereal yet incredibly fast stream of light, shooting towards the northeast—the Asian continent—and vanishing into the azure horizon in an instant.

---

In the afternoon, on a once bustling and vibrant commercial street in Juxia City.

The sun was shining brightly, and the crowds were bustling. The cries of vendors, the laughter of children, and the honking of vehicles blended into a peaceful cacophony.

Suddenly—

"BOOM!!!"

Like a bolt from the blue, or a meteor falling to earth! A dark shadow tore through the sky at an incredible speed, accompanied by a sonic boom and a scorching shockwave, and slammed into the center of the intersection like divine punishment!

The hard cement road surface instantly cracked and collapsed in a radial pattern, forming a shallow pit several meters in diameter. Smoke and dust mixed with gravel shot into the sky, and the huge shock wave tore and knocked down the surrounding pedestrians like straw! The ear-piercing screams, cries, and crashes instantly replaced all the usual sounds, and extreme panic spread like a plague.

As the smoke and dust cleared, a massive figure, its head swaying slightly in a daze, slowly rose from the center of the pit. It stood over three meters tall, its entire body covered in thick, yellowish-brown scales. Its thick tail thrashed unconsciously, striking the ground with a dull thud. With its webbed, claw-covered hands, it touched its typical crocodile head in bewilderment, the scales rubbing together with a rustling sound. It muttered to itself in a deep, raspy voice, like a broken gong:

"Huh? He's alive?"

Its large, amber eyes darted around listlessly, scanning the surrounding crowd—those paralyzed with terror, or too terrified to even scramble for their lives. The pervasive human presence in the air seemed to awaken some deepest instinct within it. Its ferocious maw split into a wide, almost predatory, arc of predator-like delight.

"Hey! You brought so much food as soon as I woke up? You're being quite polite?"

However, the extreme weakness of its newborn body immediately overwhelmed it. It had barely taken a step when its limbs felt weak and its head spun. "Ouch..." it muttered, its massive body losing its balance and plopping back down on the edge of the pit, causing the ground to tremble slightly and kicking up more dust. "I need to rest, rest... Ugh, I'm so tired, I feel terrible all over."

It sat there brazenly amidst the ruins and terrified crowd, swishing its tail and looking around, seemingly oblivious to the chaos and fear it had caused, more like a large, bewildered wild beast that had just woken up.

The people around who were lucky enough to escape were still in shock, staring at the monster that had suddenly fallen from the sky, could speak human language, and had a terrifying appearance but also a strange "simple and honest" look. They were caught in a dilemma, not knowing whether they should run for their lives or whether the monster had no ill intentions.

In this eerie and tense silence (except for the persistent sirens and cries in the distance), a cold, inhuman, synthesized electronic voice, devoid of emotion, came from high above, clearly resounding throughout the block through some kind of loudspeaker:

[Target confirmed. Crocodile God Soton, coordinates locked. Weak energy response, consistent with early-stage rebirth characteristics.]

"Who? Who called me?" Thorton raised his big head in confusion, his amber eyes looking up at the sky, but he only saw the blinding sunlight and a few drifting clouds.

[Immediately execute the capture order. Prioritize the use of non-lethal suppression weapons.]

"Which fairy is speaking?" Soton muttered, still looking around. "Wait, wait a minute... let me catch my breath, just a little while longer and I'll..."

Before the words were even finished!

Sizzle—!!!

A blazing red laser beam, radiating intense heat, shot precisely from a sniper position atop a distant skyscraper, striking Thorton squarely on the head where he was completely unprepared!

"boom!!"

With a deafening roar, Soton's newly formed, yet-to-be-fully-charged scales were blasted into a shower of sparks. His massive body collapsed with a thud, crashing heavily into the crater once more, raising even higher plumes of dust before falling silent.

However, the attacks did not stop.

Whoosh—!

Several menacing, blue-and-white, streamlined Taotie man-portable aircraft, like vultures smelling blood, swooped down from behind the clouds, their cold metal shells reflecting the harsh sunlight. They didn't even glance at the unconscious Soton; their cannons turned, aimed at the terrified civilians fleeing for cover in the streets below, and without hesitation, pulled the triggers!

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!

Deadly laser beams, like the lash of death, mercilessly lashed at streets, vehicles, shops, and flesh and blood! Explosions erupted one after another, and the sounds of shattering glass, collapsing buildings, and the screams and cries of dying people instantly drowned out everything! The once vibrant and bustling streets were transformed into a living hell in the blink of an eye, with thick smoke billowing and flames raging.

---

On the other side of the city, Lin Yu, who had just seen Qi Lin off and was walking home alone, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He abruptly turned his head, his sharp gaze seemingly piercing through countless towering buildings and spanning half the city, heading straight for the direction from which the riots, screams, and energy explosions were coming.

The subtle vibrations in the air, imperceptible to ordinary people, and the lingering, cold energy—a mixture of chaos, fear, death, and alien technology—stirred up violent ripples in his highly acute senses, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake.

The gentleness and contemplation on his face vanished instantly, his eyes suddenly turned as cold as polar iron, and his aura silently solidified and sharpened.

"Are they here...?"

His low murmur dissipated in the suddenly oppressive street wind. The next second, his figure had vanished from the spot, leaving only a barely perceptible afterimage ripple in the air, a result of rapid movement.