Prologue Two: Soul Returns to the Shattered Abyss

The fragments of the Sargerite Keystone drifted endlessly through the Void, and the soul voluntarily carried within them, bolstered by pure Fel, did not dissipate into nothingness as one might expect.

In the endless river of time, Duan Ming witnessed the birth and destruction of stars over and over again. Beyond the initial awe of the star-strewn Void, the repetitive scenes over countless years left him weary and numb.

Gradually, he fell into a deep slumber, ceasing his resistance to the infusion of Fel energy. As time passed, his soul became nearly one with the fragments.

Yet, he was ultimately not of the same nature as this power. Others might not have detected his presence, but Vihana, a Soul Eater who specialized in soul-based power, discovered him immediately.

"Awaken, outsider!" Strands of ghastly white soul energy lifted the fragments into the air, the cold, sinister aura constantly battering the sleeper hidden deep within.

Under the pull of a kindred essence, the spirit instinctively began to pursue this power. Feeling himself moving against his will, Duan Ming's consciousness gradually stirred. As his soul became clearly manifest, he performed his first action in eons.

He opened his eyes...

"Who... are you?" With his strange attire and a consciousness not yet fully clear, Duan Ming's mind was flooded with countless questions the moment he saw Vihana.

Hearing the soul speak a language she had never encountered, Vihana's face betrayed confusion. She then shifted her intent, communicating directly with him using soul power.

"I am the Soul Eater, Vihana, servant of Lord Sargeras. And you, my guest?" Unexpectedly, the Eredar did not employ the cruel methods she usually reserved for other souls; her tone carried both reverence and suspicion.

The Sargerite Keystone was created by the Dark Titan himself as a key to open the gates to all worlds, containing the Dark Titan's purest Fel energy. Even if it were just a fragment, what kind of origin did this outsider soul have to be able to exist within such power?

"Me?" Hearing the voice resonate within his mind—a mode of communication entirely contrary to his memories—Duan Ming's consciousness sharpened.

Where am I?

Memories flashed through his mind like a slideshow, scenes of the past surfacing one by one. Duan Ming gradually understood his situation. Looking at the familiar yet alien creature before him, his eyes widened in profound astonishment.

An Eredar? The Burning Legion!

While the other party was caught off guard and lost in recollection, Vihana boldly and stealthily infiltrated his soul with her power. Following his memories, she quickly learned the origin of this soul.

A new world? The Master will be immensely pleased!

A cold, sinister smile curled the corners of her mouth. Vihana's emerald eyes stared straight at the soul before her: "Outsider, you carry precious intelligence. The Legion will surely reward your contribution."

"But before that, accept my gift!" As soon as she finished speaking, Vihana reached out and grasped at the air. The ghastly white light that had been circling them found its vent, blasting toward Duan Ming's position.

"Aaaah--!"

Endless soul energy instantly engulfed him. It was like falling into a school of piranhas; a tearing, agonizing pain racked his entire body, and Duan Ming let out a harrowing, heaven-piercing shriek!

"The Keystone bears the Master's mark, so I cannot draw from it directly. But now, with your existence, I shall obtain this power with ease!"

"Let that bitch Tyranna die!"

"I shall become the master of Mardum! I shall become Lord Sargeras's most capable subordinate!"

"Ha ha!"

The manic laughter was drowned out by Duan Ming's heart-rending screams. The dim space was quickly shrouded in a ghastly white glow, making it impossible to see what was happening within.

Pain—indescribable pain—submerged Duan Ming in an instant. It was horrific, a fate worse than death!

Vihana's power felt like steel needles, embedding themselves deep into his flesh, piercing his very marrow!

It was as if blood leeches were clinging to him, constantly devouring his soul. With the growing sense of weakness, the footsteps of oblivion drew ever closer...

"Do not attempt to resist my power, mortal!"

"Death is release! The Legion will destroy your world! Join me in witnessing this feat; it shall be the most glorious achievement of your brief life!"

Legion? My world?

In his state of unbearable agony, Duan Ming's perception and thoughts grew increasingly chaotic. The opponent's arrogant, wild, and ferocious laughter churned and roared in his mind like a maggot in the bone. Suddenly, a thick sense of panic surged from his heart.

Burning Legion, destruction, release...

He was so familiar with these terms, yet so estranged from his current plight. Destroy me? Destroy my world? A dense, overwhelming fear erupted amidst the pain of his soul being torn apart. He seemed to see that villainous organization, so often discussed by players, marching across the worlds, leaving behind nothing but fire and ruin. He seemed to hear countless living beings screaming and wailing in a sea of towering flames. In this moment, he finally understood: this pain, this cruel tyranny that could never be reconciled with reason, was why countless seemingly weak mortals fought and struggled against it to the death.

No, absolutely not!

Conscience, fear, pain, pleasure—countless terrors of unknown origin erupted from the depths of his heart, plunging Duan Ming into despair and madness in an instant. He thrashed his arms and kicked his legs like a madman, trying to shake off the cold, sinister power that kept tearing at his soul. Yet, it was all in vain. A Soul Eater who had mastered such arts for thousands of years—how could a mere mortal with no power to bind a chicken resist her?

Watching the other party struggle without threat, Vihana's heart, which had been hanging in the balance, finally settled. Amidst the screams of this frail soul, her unbridled laughter grew even more rampant: "Ha ha, resist! Wail! Your futile struggle shall be the performance that pleases me!"

ROAR--!

The ghastly white soul energy transformed into a storm, the sound of ghostly wailing gradually drowning out Duan Ming's desperate cries.

As Vihana waved her fingers nonchalantly, an even greater tearing sensation made Duan Ming feel as if he were being ripped into countless pieces. He looked up and unleashed a terrifying scream that he himself could not believe.

Heaven never closes all doors. Just as Duan Ming endured this unspeakable torture, he happened to see the fragment hanging above his head. Even within this ghastly white soul storm, the Keystone fragment continued to emit a brilliant emerald light—steady, calm, as if independent of the world, like a lighthouse standing alone by the sea, like a beam of light, a ray of hope tearing through the darkness...

As if a drowning man had grasped a straw in a turbulent river, Duan Ming reached out toward the fragment without a second thought.

In that instant, the heart-rending wails vanished. The emerald light rose in the center of the white storm, growing purer and brighter. Seeing this, Vihana's brow furrowed, followed by an expression of utter disbelief.

This power, no!

BOOM--!

A thunderous explosion instantly expanded through the dim space, rampaging unchecked within the enclosed environment. The sound nearly shattered Vihana's eardrums. The next moment, a storm of emerald flames surged forth, unstoppable.

SWISH!

The chaotic Fel storm was torn apart by an even more dazzling green flash. A thin figure soared from the center of the explosion and arrived before the Soul Eater in the blink of an eye.

With lightning speed, the figure reached out and clamped his hand tightly around Vihana's throat. Before she could even react, he lifted her directly into the air.

Watching the perpetrator who had just tortured him struggle in his grip, mouth agape and whimpering, the look of desperate pleading on her face filled him with endless pleasure.

"You really want this power?" The twisted smile on his face appeared exceptionally manic in the reflection of the flames, his hoarse voice sounding like a synthesis of countless humans and beasts; at this moment, even his own mother probably wouldn't recognize Duan Ming, who was wrapped in green flames. Spitting out mocking words, he slowly raised his right hand, where emerald light swirled continuously, gradually converging into a green crystal, as if he were holding up a lightbulb.

At the same time, green light spread across his entire body, and even his originally pitch-black eyes were shrouded in a layer of jade-like radiance.

Fel, an incredibly chaotic yet extraordinarily powerful force!

He had actually fused the Keystone fragment into his soul? How was that possible?!

"Want it?" Without caring in the slightest about her eyes, which were bulging as if they were about to pop out, nor her frantic, head-shaking denial, Duan Ming, wrapped in Fel, slowly pulled his right hand—clutching the Keystone—back to wind up.

"I'll give it to you!"

With a roar, Duan Ming's right hand, holding the fragment, left a green afterimage as it slammed fiercely into Vihana's abdomen.

Squelch!

A sound like tearing fabric, magnified a thousand times, suddenly rang out in this space, making one's scalp tingle.

Green blood, reeking of demonic aura, gushed out like a pillar, quickly pooling into a small stream at their feet. With a single punch, he had actually pierced through Vihana's armor and body!

With her neck tightly gripped, the Eredar could only emit unintelligible, raspy growls, clawing desperately at Duan Ming's wrist in an attempt to resist the irresistible force. Her hoof-like legs kicked continuously in mid-air, shamelessly releasing her despair in the face of death and destruction.

However, just like Duan Ming a moment ago, it was all in vain.

Watching her movements grow weaker and weaker, the smile on Duan Ming's face widened. As an inexplicable, primal craving surged from the depths of his mind, he tightened his grip on the fragment, the searing flesh tearing beneath his fingertips.

The moment that thought took hold in his mind, the emerald light between his fingers became even more dazzling; like ink dropped into clear water, it quickly spread across his arm and onto her body.

Then, the moment the Fel touched the demon's blood, it seemed to be injected with stimulants, cheering and leaping as it crawled over Vihana's abdomen.

Watching the fine green veins appear and rapidly extend across her body—creepy, like earthworms or small snakes—Duan Ming's emerald eyes filled with an increasingly intense sense of intoxication and satisfaction.

Fel is a chaotic force; it gains nourishment through consumption and sacrifice. Its flames can burn entire worlds to a crisp, let alone flesh, let alone souls...

"Ah--!"

The green veins soon covered Vihana's entire body. The pain striking the depths of her soul allowed the fear and agony in her throat to finally break through the shackles of her captor, erupting into a shrill, heart-wrenching scream.

Yet this only made Duan Ming more delighted!

As the wailing began, endless emerald flames completely engulfed Vihana, like soaring dragons off their leashes, cheering and leaping as they returned to Duan Ming's body.

This brought him no pain; on the contrary, it was like a starving, dying man finally getting a full meal. He could clearly feel his own power becoming fuller, his soul more solid, and his primal cravings and desires thus satisfied and joyful.

Feeling a consciousness that had lost all ability to resist flood into his mind, Duan Ming showed no mercy, swallowing it whole in one gulp. The shattered soul of the Soul Eater was devoured raw, its memories and knowledge gradually absorbed and integrated by him.

From the torture just moments ago to the surge in strength now, the sudden ups and downs of life left him bewildered, though he quickly snapped back to reality.

This was no time to be dazed; he was not out of danger yet.