Prologue One: Soul Returns to the Shattered Abyss

"The patient's heart rate is dropping rapidly!"

"Quick! Prepare the defibrillator!"

"Charging to 200 joules, preparing for the first shock..."

BOOM!

A powerful current was instantly released from the electrodes. Although it lasted only a split second, a low, muffled explosion echoed as the electricity surged through the patient's body.

"Increase the output!"

"250 joules, second shock..."

"Third shock..."

The current stimulated the patient's limp body again and again, causing his muscles to contract violently. Aside from these instinctive stress responses, there was still no sign of recovery.

Watching the flat, steady line on the ECG monitor, the attending physician closed his eyes and shook his head silently.

The group stood in silence. Amidst faint, continuous sighs, they filed out of the operating room one by one, preparing to deliver the tragic news to the world outside.

On the operating table, the young man's face looked pale and haggard, clearly having been tormented by illness for a long time before his death. Even so, one could still see the delicate features he once possessed.

Seeming to lament the passing of such a young life, a nurse sighed softly and gently covered the young man's body with a white sheet.

Watching the white sheet slowly bury his own face, Duan Ming opened his mouth, but he could not make a sound.

That's right, the person lying on the bed was none other than himself—or rather, his physical body.

Now, his consciousness, or soul, was floating in the air like a feather. Ever since he was brought to the operating table, he had become this strange, ghostly entity. Watching the fine threads connecting his soul to his body snap one by one, he had gone from panic and frenzy to his current state of indifference.

At least he didn't die looking too unsightly.

Unable to turn the tide, he could only offer a bitter, self-deprecating smile. Duan Ming cast one last, longing look out the window; the gloomy sky matched his mood perfectly—oppressive and helpless.

With a long sigh, he reached out and snapped the final thread connecting his spirit to his flesh. Suddenly, an inexplicable and irresistible force lifted him, sending him soaring upward at an ever-increasing speed.

Ignoring the obstruction of reinforced concrete, his spirit soon burst out from the rooftop of the hospital building like an accelerating rocket. Before long, everything below shrank into insignificance; the bustling crowds and endless flow of traffic continued to roll forward in a world that no longer included him.

Truly, I have no sense of presence at all...

Countless familiar scenes grew smaller and smaller in his eyes. The magnificent and beautiful landscape once again stirred up Duan Ming's sorrow.

Without family or friends, as an orphan, Duan Ming had suffered countless injustices since childhood. After entering the workforce, he finally landed a promising job, but before he could even dream of the future, a company physical exam revealed he had a terminal illness.

His job was gone, his life was over, and the despair caused him to lose faith in everything, including life itself. The only thing that could comfort him was the virtual world of the internet.

Duan Ming gently closed his eyes. Endless loss and grievance lingered in his mind. Feeling utterly disheartened, he emptied his thoughts and let his consciousness dissipate as he continued to accelerate into the void.

Deep in the distant universe, an immensely powerful force shattered the eternal, peaceful darkness. Unimaginable power erupted in an unknown region in an indescribable manner, and a rift, darker than the darkness itself, appeared abruptly in the silent space!

A flash of emerald green vanished in an instant, and a tiny meteor sped away at an incalculable speed from this space that was repeatedly collapsing and healing.

In the vast sea of stars, the light appeared both lonely and unified, fragile yet resilient. Duan Ming watched the Earth recede into the distance. His lingering sorrow turned to numbness, followed by a series of questions.

Where am I going?

Just as he was contemplating the endless darkness, a streak of emerald light raced toward him at an impossible speed. Before he could even react, it collided directly with his spirit.

There was no time to react, let alone scream. Upon impact, a powerful force capable of destroying everything erupted, instantly devouring him like a ravenous, primordial beast, leaving no trace behind.

Mardum, the banished plane, a dimensional space personally crafted by the Titans led by Sargeras, a prison specifically designed to contain demons.

However, ever since Sargeras shattered this prison, the vast majority of demons escaped this Shattered Abyss and, under his command, formed the Burning Legion, a force that struck fear into the hearts of all worlds!

Only a few low-level demons incapable of traversing the Twisting Nether remained, along with a group of powerful beings entrusted with special missions.

Her body, twice the size of a human's, looked highly intimidating. Her face was ugly and twisted, her joints were covered in barbs, and her giant bone wings were chilling... No, compared to wings, the things on her back looked more like the chelicerae of an arthropod, bound together by countless spiderwebs!

Pitch black and sharp.

The Spider Queen, also known as Aranasi, was a high-ranking arachnid demon. She was resourceful and possessed the ability to create new demons. However, since her own strength was not her greatest advantage, her status in the Burning Legion was primarily that of a strategist—the logistics commander of the demons.

Unlike others of her kind, Tyranna was a powerful leader who possessed both strength and wisdom.

At the very least, in the current Shattered Abyss, no one could defy her will!

"Your Majesty, the final fragment has been retrieved." A low, bell-like voice echoed through the dim space. Bringing a heavy shadow with his massive frame, a hideous Doomguard knelt half-way behind Tyranna. His hands, the size of millstones, held upward, and cold shadow energy swirled around a brilliant emerald crystal as it floated slowly toward the lord-level demon ahead.

"Well done, Belash." Her hoarse voice made one's hair stand on end, like Death whispering in one's ear. Tyranna turned around, her thin, gaunt hand gently gathering the crystal. A faint, clear chime seemed to emanate from it, and wisps of emerald energy rose rapidly.

This was Fel!

"Such fascinating power, so pure, so potent..." A look of satisfaction appeared on her gaunt, ugly face. To everyone's astonishment, as a demon lord of Mardum, Tyranna actually looked at the crystal in her hand with a gaze filled with longing and awe. "The Master's will is eternal and indestructible!"

There was only one person who could be called Master by the lord of the Shattered Abyss: the Dark Titan, Sargeras...

"Thousands of years have passed, and I can finally fulfill the Master's will."

"Soul Eater, the task of repairing the Sargerite Keystone is entrusted to you. Do not disappoint me." Although the power within the crystal made Tyranna crave more, she did not forget the mission Sargeras had given her. After all, having personally experienced the power of the Dark Titan, she had no intention of challenging his authority.

"As you command, Your Majesty." Beside her, an Eredar female wrapped in dull steel armor knelt on the ground. Her originally deep blue horns had become dull and black under the corruption of Fel, and her dry skin was a heart-stopping deep red, as if smeared with blood.

More importantly, those emerald eyes were fixed intently on the crystal in Tyranna's hand—or rather, the shards of the Sargerite Keystone!

As if she didn't sense the other's ulterior motives, the Spider Queen flicked the fragment toward her. Seeing the Eredar demon scramble to catch it, her eyes revealed a dangerous aura: "Do not harbor delusions of usurping the Master's power. As an ant, you must know your place..."

"Of course, Your Majesty." Soul Eater was naturally not foolish enough to oppose the Dark Titan, who could destroy the entire Legion single-handedly. The reason this fragment made her ecstatic was because of something else.

What an interesting soul...