Chapter Summaries

The Bone Demon Lord arrived at the Bone Demon camp and rewarded Ian, also known as Overseer Zul, with the right to act independently for his battlefield achievements. Ian accepted the White Jade Bone Token and prepared to continue the war while keeping a low profile.

• Thornbone reported the army’s casualties and advance toward the King of Flames’ main camp to the Bone Demon Lord.
• Thornbone singled out Overseer Zul for his pursuit of fleeing Flame Demons, and the Bone Demon Lord granted Ian a White Jade Bone Token and independent authority.
• The Bone Demon Lord ordered the army to reach the King of Flames’ main camp within three days, then flew away.
• Druk and Mog celebrated Ian’s promotion, but Ian told them to focus on their duties.
• Ian examined the token and resolved to use his freedom while staying inconspicuous because the war was ongoing and his Evolution Progress was not full.

Ian exploited the battle between the Bone Demon Lord and the King of Flames to ambush Flame Demon warlords, then learned he had been ordered to steal the Abyssal Fireseed from the King of Flames' fortress. He accepted the dangerous mission and considered how to seize the Fireseed for himself.

• The Bone Demon army reached the lava heartland, where the Bone Demon Lord and the King of Flames fought to a standstill.
• Ian slipped behind the Flame Demon left flank and killed its High-Level Flame Demon Warlords, allowing the Whitebone Demon vanguard to overwhelm the disorganized defenders.
• After both armies withdrew to camp for the night, Bone Spike delivered the Bone Demon Lord's secret order for Ian and four other warlords to raid the fortress and retrieve the Abyssal Fireseed.
• Ian recognized that the Fireseed was an opportunity to weaken the King of Flames and increase his own power, then began considering how to claim it.

Ian infiltrated the King of Flames' fortress, killed its guards, and devoured the Abyssal Fireseed, transforming his Chaos Flame and filling his Evolution Progress. He returned to the Bone Demon camp with fragments as proof, was named first warlord, and prepared to advance in secret amid the escalating battle.

• Ian joined Gray Scale, Shadow Spider, Wraith, and Steel Wall on a mission to steal the Abyssal Fireseed from the King of Flames' fortress.
• Ian warned the group about the Flame Demon statues, but Gray Scale ignored him, and the four Darkgold Flame Demon Guards overwhelmed the warlords.
• Ian killed all four guards, then killed the badly injured Gray Scale and devoured the Abyssal Fireseed's golden core.
• Ian's Flame Affinity rose to Supreme, he unlocked Flame Domain and increased damage against Abyssal creatures, and his Evolution Progress reached its limit.
• Ian burned part of the fortress to lure the King of Flames away, returned to Bonepierce with fragments, and claimed the guards had destroyed the Fireseed.
• The Bone Demon named Ian its first warlord, while Ian planned to advance in secret as the armies plunged into battle.

Ian secretly advanced into a Level-Five Demon, becoming a complete-form Balor with a powerful Chaos Flame Domain. He returned to camp unnoticed, leaving the Black Erosion Realm with a fourth Demon Commander.

• Ian left the Bone Demon camp under Shadow Stealth and traveled to a deserted lava wasteland to advance.
• Ian consumed his stored Abyssal Energy and transformed, growing to fifty meters as his scales, bones, and Chaos Flame evolved.
• Ian gained a Chaos Flame Domain that spanned one hundred miles and suppressed weaker demons.
• Ian tested his new strength by turning a distant hill into a lake of lava and concluded he could kill the Bone Demon within three punches.
• Ian shrank to normal size, concealed his power, and returned to camp without anyone noticing his absence.

The Shadow Demon King ambushed the Bone Demon and King of Flames, revealing that it had manipulated their century-long war for its own benefit. Ian then appeared in a vastly transformed Balor form, identified himself as Zul, and left the Bone Demon suspecting that he was not native to the Black Erosion Realm.

• The Bone Demon launched a full assault and overwhelmed the weakened King of Flames and its fortress.
• The Shadow Demon King encircled both armies with hundreds of thousands of Shadow Demons and grievously wounded the Bone Demon and King of Flames.
• The Shadow Demon King declared that the two lords’ century-long war had benefited it, then moved to kill the Bone Demon.
• Ian rose above the battlefield in a golden-red Balor form, whose aura broke the Bone Demon’s Frost Domain and evaporated the Shadow Demon's shadows.
• Ian told the Shadow Demon his name was Zul, and the Bone Demon recognized the mine overseer’s spiral horns despite his transformed appearance.
• The Bone Demon wondered whether Ian, like the Shadow Demon, had come from beyond the Black Erosion Realm.

Ian killed the Shadow Demon, the Bone Demon, and the King of Flames, then claimed the Black Erosion Realm as its sole ruler. As the Abyssal Will descended for his final trial to become an Abyss Lord, Ian faced it without retreating.

• Ian used his Flame Domain to trap the Shadow Demon and killed it with Chaos Flame.
• Ian defeated the Bone Demon and the King of Flames, gaining their Abyssal Energy and extracted talents.
• Ian withdrew his Flame Domain, and the demons pledged loyalty to him as Supreme Commander of the Black Erosion Realm.
• The Abyssal Will split open the sky and descended, beginning Ian's final trial to become an Abyss Lord.

Ian passed the Abyssal Will’s trial by disguising the Chaos Flame and was granted the Abyssal Lord’s Mark, becoming master of the Black Erosion Realm. He commanded the demons to rise and walked toward the King of Flames’ fortress as the war ended.

• The Abyssal Will examined Ian’s soul while he concealed the Chaos Flame with Chaos Conversion and the Mimicry Rune.
• The Abyssal Will accepted Ian and bestowed the Abyssal Lord’s Mark, granting him authority over the Black Erosion Realm.
• Ian gained perception of the entire realm and saw its armies, landmarks, and Abyssal Rifts.
• The demons recognized that the Abyssal Will had chosen Zul, and Ian ordered them to rise.
• Ian withdrew to a smaller form and walked toward the King of Flames’ fortress as the battlefield fell silent.

Ian consolidated his rule over the Black Erosion Realm by forcing its High-Level Demons to submit and assigning Thornbone and Nilos administrative roles. After surveying the realm with Lord's Authority, he focused on its three half-sealed passages to the second layer of the Abyss as his next hunting ground.

• Ian established his residence in the former King of Flames' fortress and summoned every High-Level Demon in the Black Erosion Realm to swear allegiance.
• Thornbone knelt first, and most of the assembled demons followed; Ian killed the few who refused to submit.
• Ian appointed Thornbone Grand Commander to oversee the army's daily management and training, while reserving real military authority for his royal guards.
• Ian appointed Nilos chief steward of the residence and named Nix as her deputy.
• Ian observed promising demons including Gray Scale, Meltheart, and Darkfang, then surveyed the Black Erosion Realm with Lord's Authority.
• Ian found three half-sealed rifts leading to the second layer of the Abyss and identified it as his next hunting ground.

Ian consolidated the Black Erosion Realm, gathered its resources, and created a force of three hundred Chaos Guards by transforming elite High-Level Demons with Chaos Flame. With his new army ready, he turned his attention to exploring the Second Abyssal Layer.

• Ian divided the Black Erosion Realm into five regions, appointed High Warlords, and began mining its abundant resources.
• Nilos told Ian that she had rescued Livna and brought her to Split-Hoof Mine, and Ian let Nilos decide how to manage her.
• Ian selected three hundred elite High-Level Demons and used Chaos Flame to transform them into Chaos Guards with stronger silver-gray flames, enhanced strength, and absolute loyalty to him.
• Bone Spike saw the Chaos Guard, realized Ian had never valued it, and left the underground training space in silence.
• Ian kept Bone Spike to help train the army and prepared to explore the Second Abyssal Layer.

Ian sent Lucius and nine Chaos Guards through the nearest Abyssal Rift, where they discovered that the Second Abyssal Layer was ruled by a Level-Six Dark Demon Dragon. Back in the Black Erosion Realm, Ian halted his secret killings when they began draining the realm’s vitality and sent intelligence about the rift and his forces to his true body.

• Ian ordered Lucius to investigate the northeastern Abyssal Rift with nine guards and retreat if they encountered a commander-rank opponent.
• Lucius led the squad into the Second Abyssal Layer, captured a Bat Demon, and learned that Bat Demons controlled the surrounding territory under a Bat Demon King.
• Ian learned that the Second Abyssal Layer’s ruler was a Level-Six Dark Demon Dragon and ordered Lucius to keep exploring without engaging the Bat Demons’ main force.
• Ian secretly hunted wild and disobedient demons for more than ten days, causing hundreds of disappearances and spreading fear through the five districts.
• Nilos reported the disappearances, and Ian ordered increased patrols and an investigation before deciding to stop hunting because the Black Erosion Realm’s energy was declining.
• Ian used his Lord’s Authority and the Myriad Worlds Projection Descent Technique to send information about the Second Abyssal Layer, the Demon Dragon, and his forces to his true body.

Ian guided his Stellar Core through a dangerous collapse, evolving it from the White Dwarf State into the Neutron Star State and greatly increasing his power. After Ald withdrew the monitoring imprint and left, Ian completed the breakthrough, while his suspicions about the ancient Wizard Emperor remained.

• Ian discovered that his Stellar Core had reached the Chandrasekhar limit and prepared to guide its collapse into the Neutron Star State.
• Ian began the collapse, but Ald appeared in the Meditation Room and warned that Ian had to forge his own path of chaos.
• Ald withdrew the mental imprint he had placed on Ian and left, allowing Ian to resume his breakthrough.
• Ian stabilized the collapsing Stellar Core with Order Rules and Chaos Rules, completing its transition into the Neutron Star State.
• Ian's status updated to Mid-Level Six Bright Sun, and he gained the ability to unleash Level Seven power briefly.
• Ian emerged from the Eternal Tower as his gravitational presence disturbed the sky above the Silvermoon Highlands, and he judged himself still far from a true Level Seven.

Ian presented his plan to establish a Wizard Alliance foothold in the Abyss, and the Supreme Council approved it with the backing of three True Spirit Wizards. Ian was appointed commander-in-chief of the Abyssal Vanguard Team, which prepared to depart in three days.

• Oleander announced that Ian's projection had become an Abyss Lord and unified the Black Erosion Realm.
• Ian proposed using the Black Erosion Realm as an outpost to infiltrate the deeper Abyss and establish a permanent Wizarding Civilization stronghold.
• Victor and other Radiant Sun Thrones raised concerns, but Ian explained how Abyss Lord authority and second-generation Mimicry Runes could conceal the Alliance's forces.
• Azshara, the Elven King, Blon, and other leaders supported the plan, which passed with 176 votes in favor, 18 abstentions, and none against.
• Three True Spirit Wizards endorsed the plan and offered communication, research, and emergency evacuation support.
• Oleander proposed Ian as commander-in-chief, and Ian and Azshara reviewed preparations for a team of one hundred wizards and three mobile war fortresses before Ian set departure for three days later.

Ian prepared a research-focused advance team and teleportation passage for an expedition into the Abyssal World. After telling Gaga to stay behind and guard the Silvermoon Highlands, he led one hundred Wizards through the gate to the Black Erosion Realm.

• Ian and Azshara reviewed the advance team, teleportation formation, fortresses, and supplies, then set the departure for the following day.
• Ian refused to take Gaga into the Abyss and asked it to guard their home while he was away.
• Ian briefed the one hundred advance team members that they must research the Abyss, obey orders, and use emergency scrolls when necessary.
• Oleander gave Ian the calibrated Second-Generation Mimicry Rune core, and Ian accepted the need for Oleander's remote support.
• Ian shrank the Eternal Tower and carried it with him as he led the team through the teleportation gate to the Black Erosion Realm.

Ian led the advance team into the Black Erosion Realm, where they established a research camp and activated three mobile war fortresses. With the realm’s information gathered and the camp running, Ian prepared to travel alone to the Abyssal Second Layer.

• Ian brought the one hundred wizards through the portal and helped settle the Abyssal Energy after his arrival disturbed the Black Erosion Realm.
• Greg and the other wizards took Abyss-Adaptation Potions, then worked with the team to assemble and activate three defensive war fortresses.
• Ian used his connection with Zul to share perception and review the Black Erosion Realm’s terrain and resources.
• Lucius reported that the northeastern Rift led to Bat Demon territory and the northwestern Rift to a dangerous swamp; Ian ordered him to explore the first Rift thoroughly before pursuing the swamp lizard.
• The advance team completed its camp and began researching the Abyss while Greg’s combat specialists patrolled its perimeter.
• After collecting the available data, Ian decided to travel to the Abyssal Second Layer because Zul’s projection could not safely enter it.

Ian entered the Abyssal Second Layer alone in disguise, gathered intelligence from the Bat Demon King, and returned to the First Layer with news that the Demon Dragon was weakened by an ongoing conflict. He left with a clearer picture of the Second Layer and the need to plan his next move carefully.

• Ian told Zul to remain in the Black Erosion Realm and protect the advance team while he entered the Second Layer alone.
• Ian disguised himself as an Abyssal demon king and opened the Rift in the canyon.
• Ian reached the Bat Demon territory, killed a guard, and overpowered the Bat Demon King to search its memories.
• Ian learned that the Demon Dragon ruled the Dragon Domain but had been fighting an unknown opponent and appeared weakened.
• Ian drew the demons from the cavern into the Eternal Tower and returned through the Rift to the First Layer.

Ian swept through the Abyssal Second Layer’s outskirts, capturing hundreds of thousands of demons to feed Zul and strengthen it for a bid to replace the Demon Dragon. After Ian left, the Demon Dragon noticed the destruction but stayed behind to watch a widening rift from the Third Layer.

• Ian captured a patrol and emptied the Shatterbone Tribe, storing the demons in the Eternal Tower and taking the tribe’s Soul Crystals.
• Over two days, Ian raided settlements as he learned about the Second Layer’s factions and the sealed Darktide Abyss leading toward the Third Layer.
• Ian overwhelmed Demon King Molten Maw and absorbed the Molten Maw Tribe’s vast territory and population into the Eternal Tower.
• Ian returned to the Black Erosion Realm, intending for Zul to claim the Second and Third Layers’ Lord’s Authority so Ian could devour their World Origins and advance toward Level-Seven True Spirit.
• The survivors named Ian the Destroyer, while the Demon Dragon observed the vanished settlements and remained near a rift that the Third Layer’s lord was trying to cross.

The Demon Dragon discussed the unknown Demon Lord invading the Dragon Domain and decided to send an envoy to recruit it while it remained occupied sealing the Rift that threatened to let the Frost King return. It began repairing the weakening World Origin, while the Rift continued to spread.

• The Demon Dragon learned from Kovos that an unknown Demon Lord had been rapidly abducting demons across the Dragon Domain.
• The Demon Dragon explained that weakening World Origin had opened Rifts between worlds and revealed that it was locked in a standoff with the Frost King through a Rift behind its throne.
• The Demon Dragon decided to contact the newcomer and try to recruit it to help defeat the Frost King before confronting it itself.
• The Demon Dragon ordered Kovos to send a humble but dignified envoy the next time the newcomer entered the Second Layer and to report if it refused.
• The Demon Dragon sensed that the newcomer's aura was unusually clean, then turned to repairing the Rifts as the Rift behind its throne continued to spread.

Ian gave Zul the Molten Maw tribe, including Demon King Molten Maw, to devour on the Insectoid Plains. After absorbing the demons and then Molten Maw, Zul underwent a dramatic transformation into a hundred-meter-tall Mutated Balor with golden wings.

• Ian told Zul he had captured over a hundred settlements, at least a hundred thousand demons, and the Level-Six Demon King Molten Maw, then sent Zul to the Insectoid Plains to advance.
• Zul devoured the Low-Level Demons and Mid-Level Demons over three days, gaining abyssal energy and improving several talents.
• Zul consumed the High-Level Demons and commander-class demons, evolving his Chaos Flame and merging their abilities into powerful talents.
• Zul began using Chaos Conversion to absorb Molten Maw’s body, soul, rules fragments, and talents with exceptional efficiency.
• Zul grew to a hundred meters tall, developed bright-gold scales, and unfurled enormous golden wings as he became a Mutated Balor.

Zul refined the abyssal energy he had gathered and advanced into a powerful Level-Six Demon King, then discussed his new abilities and the coming fight over the Dragon Domain with Ian. Ian planned to exploit the conflict between the Demon Dragon and the Frost King while preparing to enter the Abyss again.

• Zul refined the remaining abyssal energy with the Chaos Flame and completed his advancement, causing dangerous heat across the Insectoid Plains.
• Ian ordered the Eternal Tower to protect the law barrier, then met Zul and learned that his projection had become stronger than an ordinary Level-Six Demon King.
• Zul described his fused talents, and Ian warned him to master them because a major battle could be approaching.
• Ian and Zul discussed drawing the Demon Dragon into a fight with the Frost King, then intervening after both had been weakened.
• Ian expected the Demon Dragon to try to recruit him and considered contacting the Frost King before either rival became nourishment for his plans.
• Ian left to enter the Abyss for the third time, while Zul asked him to bring back more Level-Six Demon Kings.

Ian entered the Demon Dragon’s territory under the guise of a Flame Demon King and met with the Demon Dragon, which noticed his unusually pure soul. After proposing that Ian help fight the Frost King in exchange for territory, the Demon Dragon sent Linas to take Ian to the front line so he could assess the threat himself.

• Ian used the Mimicry Rune to disguise his Abyssal Aura and entered the Second Layer alone.
• Linas welcomed Ian into the Dragon Domain as the Demon Dragon’s emissary and led him to the palace.
• The Demon Dragon questioned Ian about his clean aura, but Ian dismissed its concern and asked about the Frost King.
• The Demon Dragon explained that the Frost King came through a Rift from a stronger Abyssal World and could draw on endless reinforcements.
• Ian asked to see the Frost King’s strength firsthand, and the Demon Dragon ordered Linas to take him to the front line.