Wizard: Starting With the Knights Breathing Method Chapter 2783: 569: The Nine Great Epochs, Origins of the Abyss!

Levi speculated that the mirage recently triggered by the Land of Darkness functioned as a tribulation. It was likely designed to cast him back to his former universe, as his very presence seemed to disturb the equilibrium the Creator of the Multidimensional Plane sought to preserve.

Regrettably for that entity, he was determined to stay put!

Consequently, he realized he must exercise extreme caution moving forward to avoid falling into another mirage, as a return journey might not be guaranteed next time.

All jests aside, after wielding transcendent power for two millennia, who would ever wish to return to a mundane modern life as a corporate slave? In this realm, he was the master. Without his supernatural abilities back there, he would be nothing more than cannon fodder, destined for a brief life devoid of true freedom.

The man easily detected the fluctuations in Levi’s mental state.

Maintaining a calm expression, the man let out a faint smirk.

"It appears you have also encountered a mirage."

"Indeed," Levi replied.

Without dwelling on the matter, the man continued his explanation:

"Regardless, the foundations of our current knowledge and the universe's basic structure only solidified during the [Dark Era]. Prior to that period, whether the state was one of chaos or primordial void, no genuine life forms existed.

Thus, the grandest deception of the Astral World's gods collapses under its own weight; even the mightiest among them lacks the standing to have created the world. What then of the others? They are merely a collection of cosmic parasites. Truly, where are the 'Gods' in this world?

If we view the Land of Darkness as the ultimate Primordial Spirit, several entities were quietly gestating and evolving within it during the subsequent Dark Era. One such entity is recognized as the [Abyss Worm], the [Chaos Worm], or the [Devourer]. Driven by a chaotic yet self-aware consciousness, it relentlessly consumes the matter within the Land of Darkness to fuel its growth.

This entity is the Abyss. Unlike Nora, the Abyss was not a creation of the Land of Darkness; it is a non-conventional life form in its own right.

Should you view the Abyss from a distance, you would notice it bears a striking resemblance to a bloated worm. I was uncertain of this theory until I spent a thousand years imprisoned there; now, I am increasingly convinced of my accuracy.

Within the body of this massive worm, countless [Abyss Worms] are bred. They participate in an eternal cycle of theft and slaughter, eventually giving rise to demons."

Levi nodded in agreement, as this matched the information from his early Abyss general education studies. Certain demon-lands, saturated with demonic aura over long periods, eventually produce Abyss Worms that differentiate into various demon species. The demons found within the Dragon Ruins Mysterious Realm had originated in exactly this fashion.

The man went on:

"In a sense, demons are the most ancient beings in the Multidimensional Plane, predating even the gods. Throughout the eons, the Abyss has swallowed worlds and life, fostering the so-called abyss layers and a complex demonic ecosystem. Sauron likely reached the 666th layer before being halted by the Chaotic Servant. What lies beyond that depth is perhaps known only to the Abyss itself."

Upon hearing this, Levi suddenly inquired:

"What is the connection between the Abyss Will and the Abyss itself?"

"I cannot say for certain. My humble view is that these [Primordial Spirits] emerged too early. While they possess unparalleled strength, they lack the characteristics of standard life forms, existing in a state between the living and the dead—much like the collective consciousness that forms after the birth of various worlds in the Multidimensional Plane.

The Abyss Will is likely a personality or a conscious manifestation evolved by the Abyss. Regardless, such existences typically cannot act directly; they can only exert influence on the world through indirect channels."

"That makes sense," Levi remarked.

"The vast era of abyssal growth and conquest is known as the [Abyss Ancient Era], dominated entirely by themes of consumption and carnage.

During the early stages of the Multidimensional Plane, death was omnipresent. To the Land of Darkness, it was as if a parasite was devouring its internal organs, yet it could not simply cut itself open to remove the threat.

However, it would not simply wait for its own end. I once explored the Underworld and found evidence suggesting that to counter this, the Land of Darkness nurtured another [Primordial Spirit] within itself—the [River of Death], also known as the [River of Order] or the [Reincarnator].

This is what we now call the [Underworld Source River]. In essence, the Underworld is a river that branches throughout every corner of the Multidimensional Plane.

Existing in dimensions hidden from the average eye, it fosters life forms that oversee the cycle of life, death, and reincarnation. It serves a dual purpose: acting as a check against the Abyss while simultaneously recycling death into new life in a perpetual loop.

Under this system—excluding those primordial spirits like the Land of Darkness and their kin—the standard life forms of the Multidimensional Plane, from barbarian tribes to Wizards, are trapped in an eternal struggle between these two points of existence and demise.

This is the Path of Balance, the Path of Order!

Following the [Ming Ancient Era], the world began to resemble its current state, though two major players had yet to appear: the [Nightmare] and the [Astral World]. Their development mirrored that of the [Abyss] and the [Underworld]. Ultimately, it is all a series of overt and covert power struggles between those original [Primordial Spirits] following the end of chaos.

In my search for specific answers, I traveled to the Nightmare World. After extensive research, I named its core the [Red and Black Mother] or the [Mother of Horror], likely the [Truth Seer].

This Primordial Spirit grows by feeding on fear and negative emotions. It forces countless beings to witness the [Real Face] of the world through dreams—a face of darkness, gore, slaughter, and heartless death. This expanded the negative emotions of all life, allowing it to grow rapidly during the Ancient Era.

Have you not noticed?

The Flesh and Blood Mother Trees and the Flesh and Blood Mountains found throughout the Nightmare World resemble the biological structures of certain organisms. We are often too small to see the truth, blinded by a single leaf. Unlike the Abyss, the Nightmare World exists purely in the spiritual realm. Because of this, no one can view that world from a divine perspective. If one could rise above it all and see the whole, perhaps my theories would be proven correct.

For the Land of Darkness, the Nightmare World and its spread of fear was another volatile element within its body. Thus, it repeated its previous strategy and bolstered another primordial spirit—one that represents the opposite extreme of the Nightmare World. This entity also surged in power during the Ancient Era, becoming the other pole of the universe."

Levi whispered, "The Astral World!"