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The Netherworld.
A Realm originally created by the Ancient Gods of Arcadia for the souls of the dead to find rest before reincarnation. It is not a place where everyone goes, but the vast majority do—very few people in the world die without regrets.
The Netherworld was meant to be a place where these souls could wander, reflect, and interact with one another for as long as necessary, resolving the grievances that prevented them from reincarnating and moving on to a new life.
However, due to an "Ancient Apocalyptic Event" that shook the World of the Living, the Netherworld was forever changed—alongside Arcadia.
The Ancient Netherworld Emperor, the Nether Titan Hecatoncheires, son of Goddess Gaia and Goddess Nyx, sacrificed his life to protect the Netherworld from the destruction caused by this cataclysm.
As he died, his body fell into the Netherworld and fused with it. His bones became mountains, his blood became rivers, his flesh became people—the noble races—and his organs transformed into countless beasts.
From the majority of his body, the third-largest region of the Netherworld was born: the Abyssal Cavern Labyrinth, an endless maze of dark caverns faintly illuminated by glowing soul crystals and ghostly mushrooms.
This Labyrinth became a prison where most newly departed souls arrived, becoming the Undead. It grew dangerous even for souls, as Nether Beasts, Bone Beasts, and Ghost Beasts—spawned from the Nether Titan’s death—roamed the land.
It is said that even now, the Nether Titan’s heart still beats, harboring the core of his true soul, waiting for the chosen one to find him and claim ownership of the Labyrinth.
But Hecatoncheires was not the only god created by the Ancient Gods to protect the Netherworld.
It is said that the Realm was also safeguarded by a giant purple and azure serpent with one hundred heads—Hydra, the Dragon God of the Soul Sea, son of Poseidon and Nyx.
According to ancient myths, he died defending the Netherworld from an invasion by Purgatory and Hell, battling a formidable "Demon King of the End" and sealing the Demon Gate that had opened for a million years.
Upon his death, his tears became the Azure Nether Ghost Sea.
His soul, tainted by demonic darkness, became the Black Nether Ghost Sea.
His blood turned into the Crimson Blood Ghost Sea.
The Abyssal Demon Continent rose as the largest landmass floating amidst the seas formed from his death. Surrounded by immense concentrations of Demonic Energy and the flesh and blood of the demons Hydra had slain, the survivors prospered there, naming the land after its origins and awaiting the day the Demon Gate would reopen a path to Hell.
It is said that even now, Hydra’s corpse lies beneath the deepest depths of the three oceans.
From the place where all three seas converge, the Nether Dragon Race was born.
There were many other gods once assigned to protect the Netherworld. They lived in peace, but to defend the Realm, many gave their lives. Their divine bodies merged with the Netherworld, expanding it and enriching it with divine energy.
Regions such as the Poisonous Nether Wetlands, the Hollowed White Bone Desert, the Eternal Shadow Forest, and the Soul Ash Mountains were said to have been born from such sacrifices.
Beyond these regions, surrounding the once-stable Netherworld after its constant expansion, lies the Chaos Realm—a mass of chaotic, disruptive energy. It is the "waste" pushed outward from the Realm’s center, where all the major regions are located.
This is also where the strongest kingdoms, empires, and sects exist—where ancient "old monsters" cultivate Nether and Chaos itself, seeking to attain power rivaling that of the Ancient Gods who created the world.
And beyond even that, the Netherworld stretches further into the Universe, breaching the boundaries of Planes and Dimensions. It expands beyond the dimensional walls created by the Ancient Gods, reaching a place known as the "Colorless Void Realm."
A completely colorless space of boundless void, where existence and life are negated.
And yet, even there, life prospers.
Resources born from the crystallization of emptiness, void, nothingness, and cosmic entropy exist.
Said to be the "highest seat" within the Netherworld, only the most ancient beings who have survived until now visit it—or make it their home.
No one knows what lies beyond.
No one knows how the Chaos Realm and the Colorless Void Realm truly function.
Are they worlds of their own?
Do they have regions, endemic lifeforms, races, and cultures?
Though they seem part of the Netherworld, they also feel like entirely separate worlds.
This is why they are called "realms."
But there is an even greater question:
What lies beyond the Colorless Void?
Some say it is an Endless Cosmos.
Others say it is a Sea of Stars.
Many admit they have no idea—and that they may never find out.
"Wow, that’s amazing..."
"I want to visit that place."
"Idiot, you’re a weak skeleton. You’ll never do something so incredible."
"Well, aren’t you a skeleton too?"
"Um, Granny Yaga, what are stars?"
Granny Yaga sighed, puffing from her pipe after finishing her long explanation of the Netherworld to the clueless undead and young noble race members.
Among the many undead, there were a few noble race members—mostly from enslaved races.
All nine of them were blue, ghostly goblins... except for the tenth.
A young member of the White Ghost Race.
A girlish boy with long, fluffy white hair, gray eyes, pale ghostly skin, and a white dress.
"Granny! Granny! Tell me more!"
He was the strangest of the group.
He looked like a noble child from a prestigious family—
So much so that Elayne had mistaken him for a doll.
The White Ghost Race, despite their name, weren’t truly ghosts.
They were a Noble Race of technically living beings, though their classification sat somewhere between life and death.
They reproduced like any other race and had children, though like elves, they were long-lived and slow to bear offspring.
Their appearance was mostly humanoid, but their hair was made of ghostly white or blue flames.
They could float and become intangible, like spirits.
Their skin was always pale, like candlewax.
Some tribes near the Ash Mountains had dark gray skin and were often called "Wraiths" by the more noble houses who refused to associate with them.
"Lisette, classes are over for today," Granny Yaga sighed. "You know this old lady needs her rest. I don’t want to croak before we even leave this forsaken labyrinth. I want to see the Netherworld’s sky again before I die."
"Awww... but I wanted to learn more..." Lisette said. "Where I lived, they never taught me anything like this. Big sis always said I was stupid and should just act like a cute doll..."
"Hm... your big sis?" Granny Yaga raised an eyebrow. "Lisette, we haven’t asked much out of politeness. But I’m too curious now. Just who are you, boy?"
"Ummm, I’m Lisette! Why?" the boy asked, tilting his head cutely.
"Haaa... I’m asking where you came from, dear," Yaga said. "It’s been nearly a month since we left, and you’re still a mystery to us all."
"Yeah, especially since you dress like a fancy boy!"
"Fancy boy Lisette!"
"Isn’t your name a girl’s name?"
"He looks girly too..."
"I-I’m not a girl!" Lisette pouted, blushing red. "Big sis just liked dressing me this way when I ran away. It was all I had to wear..."
"Lisette is still a girl’s name."
"No it’s not!"
"Okay, enough. Don’t fight, children," Granny Yaga sighed. "Lisette is a kind and pure soul. He joined us willingly, and Elayne’s Domain didn’t affect him. That means you must accept him as one of your equals."
"But can we?"
"He’s part of the White Ghost Noble Race!"
"They’re the worst!"
"So filthy rich and live forever!"
"Well, I’ve lived plenty long myself," Granny Yaga sighed. "It’s not about race. It’s about cultivating Nether and Ghost Energy. Especially Nether. If you can harbor it in your body, you can reverse aging, stop it, or slow it down considerably."
"Then why don’t you become a young beauty, Granny Yaga?"
"Do you like looking like an old lady?"
"Ahem! My appearance is none of your business, children. Stop it!" Yaga snapped. "Regardless of race, you must respect and care for one another! That’s how we survive in this world. These are the teachings of the Demon Tree Religious Order!"
"Yes, Granny..."
"Okay, ma’am..."
"I’m a skeleton. Is it okay to be friends with noble races?"
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