Chapter 11 The Will of the Abyss
As human civilization flourishes on the continent of Faerûn, their collective consciousness is having a profound impact on the structure of the universe.
Positive thoughts, noble actions, and bright aspirations converge into a powerful positive energy that rises upwards, ultimately accelerating the formation of Paradise Mountain.
This sacred mountain has seven peaks, each purer and brighter than the one below. From the bronze gate at the bottom to the pearl gate at the top, Paradise Mountain has become a symbol of order and goodness.
However, according to the laws of balance in the universe, where there is light, there is shadow.
The negative emotions, despicable behaviors, and dark desires of intelligent beings also coalesce into a powerful flow of negative energy, sinking downwards and eventually forming a bottomless abyss.
The Abyss is the opposite of Paradise Mountain; it extends infinitely downwards, with each level more terrifying and chaotic than the one above.
From the highest, pale abyss to the deepest, unknown depths, the abyss became the embodiment of chaos and evil.
Ling Hao watched as these two extreme planes formed, understanding that this was the most famous "faction plane" in the game. But to his surprise, the abyss of this real world was far more terrifying than he had imagined.
The Abyss was initially just a passive energy receiver, absorbing negative energy from the universe. But as it absorbed more and more energy, it gradually developed self-awareness.
The day has finally arrived. In the deepest abyss, a terrifying will has awakened.
It has no concrete form, but is the collective consciousness of the entire abyss. This consciousness is chaotic and hungry, filled with hatred for all existence.
"The abyss is chaos, destruction, and the end of all things."
The first thing the Abyss Will did upon awakening was to begin creating its own inhabitants. It molded the first demons from negative energy—twisted creatures filled with malice, who reveled in destruction and pain.
The first demons to be born were relatively weak, but their numbers were enormous, multiplying like locusts in every layer of the abyss. The will of the abyss observed these creations and was not satisfied.
"We need more powerful servants," the Abyss Will pondered, "We need rulers who can represent the power of the Abyss."
Thus, the will of the abyss began to select particularly powerful or cunning demons, bestowing upon them the power of the abyss and appointing them as lords of their respective levels.
The first to be chosen was an ice demon named Koschitch. This demon dwells in a perpetually frozen abyss level, and its power is enough to freeze souls.
The will of the abyss granted Koschitch even greater power, appointing it as the lord of the Frost Layer.
Within this dimension, Koschitch can mobilize the power of the entire plane, making him virtually invincible.
The second chosen was a succubus named Mechanshute. Cunning and beautiful, she was skilled in seduction and deception. The will of the abyss appointed her as the lord of the Layer of Temptation, granting her the power to bewitch all beings.
And so, layer upon layer, the will of the abyss chose suitable demons as its lords.
Each lord gains absolute power at their own level, and they can mobilize the power of different planes, similar to the divine kingdoms that appeared after the gods.
Ling Hao noticed that some particularly powerful demons occupied multiple levels.
Those most favored by the will of the abyss are called demon princes, whose power far surpasses that of ordinary lords.
The first to receive this title was the demon Demogorgon. This terrifying two-headed demon occupied multiple layers of the abyss and was deeply favored by the will of the abyss.
Demogorgon's two heads laughed simultaneously: "Destruction! Conquest! Let all things tremble in the abyss!"
The will of the abyss observed its creation with satisfaction. But it knew that the abyss was not yet powerful enough to confront the gods head-on.
"We need more layers, more power," the Abyss Will planned. "We need to devour those weaker planes."
It began to move stealthily, choosing small planes that were far from the attention of the gods.
These planes are usually created by weaker gods or are fragments separated from the material plane.
The first target is a small plane called "Green Fields". It is inhabited by some nature spirits and a small number of elven immigrants, and is guarded by a weak nature god.
The will of the abyss quietly extended its tentacles, enveloping the Green Wilderness.
The creatures within the plane felt a strange fear. The nature demigods here tried to resist, but their power was far inferior to the will of the entire abyss.
"Embrace the abyss," the will of the abyss tempted.
The Green Realm began to be eroded by the Abyss. Verdant meadows turned into rotting swamps, clear streams into acidic rivers, and beautiful trees into twisted, terrifying plants.
The creatures within the plane were tragically transformed. Nature's spirits became imps, elves became wicked succubi, and even the nature demigod was corrupted, becoming a demon lord.
"From this moment forward, you are Zul'Gurub, lord of the fungi and decaying layers," the Abyss Will declared.
Zul'Gurub—formerly a nature god—has become part of the Abyss, ruling this newly formed dimension. It is chaotic, remembering its past identity yet utterly loyal to the Abyss.
Ling Hao witnessed this process and felt a chill run down his spine. The abyss in the game was terrifying, but witnessing firsthand the process of a plane being devoured and corrupted was even more horrifying.
The will of the abyss continued its expansion plan. It silently devoured one small plane after another, each swallowed plane becoming a new dimension of the abyss, and the creatures within were transformed into demons.
These new demons are all unique, reflecting the characteristics of their original planes.
The power of the Abyss is quietly growing, and the number of its layers is constantly increasing. But the will of the Abyss is cautious enough to avoid attracting the attention of the gods.
Its main targets are planes that are not protected by powerful gods, or planes that have been forgotten and have only recently formed.
Sometimes, it even tempts weaker gods to fall, swallowing them and their domains.
The gods seemed oblivious to the expansion of the Abyss. They were too busy dealing with the affairs of the Material Plane and too focused on vying for human believers.
Only Shar noticed the anomaly. The Goddess of Darkness could sense the expanding shadows in the universe, but she chose to remain silent.
"Let the abyss grow," Shar smiled in the darkness. "The increase in chaos will make darkness more advantageous."
At this point, he noticed an interesting phenomenon: although the will of the abyss was evil and chaotic, it had a certain internal structure.
The demon lords constantly fight each other, with the strong devouring the weak, but this only makes the abyss stronger as a whole.
"It's like raising poisonous insects," Ling Hao thought, "letting the demons kill each other, and in the end, only the strongest will remain."
The will of the abyss encourages this internal struggle. It often grants more power to demons with potential, allowing them to challenge existing lords.
An ancient demon named Orcus devoured his rivals and eventually seized control of the twentieth level of the abyss, becoming one of the most powerful demon princes.
"Okas has revealed the true nature of the abyss," the will of the abyss declared, "the law of the jungle prevails, and only the strongest can rule."
Ling Hao realized that this internal competition mechanism caused the abyssal demons to continuously evolve, becoming increasingly adapted to combat and destruction.
Meanwhile, Heavenly Mountain is also developing, but at a much slower pace than the Abyss. The Good Dimension is typically not adept at expansion, but rather focused on protecting its existing territory.
The Paradise Mountain gave rise to various celestial beings, such as the famous angels, primarily of a defensive nature.
They protect good souls and assist in the cause of justice, but rarely actively expand their influence.
This asymmetrical development worried Ling Hao. In his knowledge of the game, the Abyss was always more active and aggressive than Paradise Mountain.
Sure enough, as the abyss levels increased, the number of demons surged, and they began to attempt to invade other planes.
The first large-scale invasion occurred in the Astral Plane. A group of demons discovered a weak point connecting to the Astral Plane and launched a massive invasion of the Silver Void.
Astral travelers were horrified to discover that the once relatively safe Silver Void was now teeming with demonic threats. Many souls were captured, tortured, or even transformed into lower-level demons.
This invasion finally drew the attention of the gods.
Corellon first issued a warning: "Some evil force is spreading throughout the multiverse. My people have encountered terrifying creatures unlike anything they have ever seen before in the astral plane."
Moradin confirmed the news: "Dwarven miners, while digging deep veins, discovered a passage connecting to the evil plane. Some miners were dragged into the abyss and turned into monsters."
The gods began to investigate and eventually discovered the existence of the abyss and its astonishing expansion.
"A spontaneously generated evil dimension," Misriel analyzed. "It has existed since creation, accelerated by negative energy, and now possesses its own will. Perhaps it is the abyss that opposes Heavenly Mountain."
Amanata advocated for immediate action: "The expansion of this abyss must be stopped."
However, the gods disagreed on how to respond. Corellon advocated for active intervention, Moradin suggested strengthening defenses first, and Gruush even considered invading the Abyss "for some fun."
"Forcibly severing the connection between the Abyss and the Prime Material Plane could cause a chain reaction that damages the structure of the universe," said Chantia with concern.
While the gods were still debating, the abyss launched its second, and even larger, invasion.
The target this time is the prime material plane itself.
The demons found several weak points connecting the continent of Faerûn. They poured out from underground caverns, ancient ruins, and magical rifts, and began attacking human villages and settlements of other races.
The first major battle took place in a human town on the shores of Moonlight Lake. Hundreds of demons surged from the lakebed and attacked the residents who were holding a celebration.
The local guards and militia were no match for the demons. The demons were cruel and bloodthirsty, taking pleasure in torturing their victims, and the entire town quickly became a living hell.
Fortunately, a patrol of elves noticed the anomaly in time. They sent out a distress signal and simultaneously engaged the demon in battle.
"For the Lord God! For Faerûn!" the elven captain shouted, leading his men into battle against the demons.
Elven magic and archery were highly effective against demons, but the demons were too numerous, and the elves gradually became overwhelmed.
Just then, a group of dwarf miners emerged from the underground tunnel. Hearing the sounds of battle, they immediately joined the fray.
"The dwarves are coming!" cried Moradin's priest, his warhammer gleaming with divine light.
For the first time, humans, elves, dwarves, and even dragons and titans joined forces against a common enemy. This interspecies cooperation was unprecedented in the history of Faerûn.
In the end, they successfully repelled the demon, but suffered heavy losses.
The news quickly reached the ears of the gods. This incident made all the gods realize the seriousness of the problem.
"We must join forces," Chantia declared, "otherwise, Faerûn will face endless war."
Suren nodded: "The light must unite