Still hidden within the layers of reality, Anark moved carefully as he approached one of the countless worlds orbiting the Tenth Empyrean World.

From what he had gathered, the Tenth Empyrean World had been seizing Seed Worlds from the World Forge—and these appeared to be their fate.

As he drew close enough to observe, Anark’s eyes hardened.

The surface of the world below was completely overrun.

Hordes of Depravitas covered it in such overwhelming numbers that they nearly blanketed the landmasses. Every inch of terrain was soaked in violence. They existed in a constant state of bloodshed and massacre—killing, devouring, and tearing each other apart without rest, all driven by an instinctive hunger to grow stronger.

The sight stirred something deep within Anark.

As a Primordial—an existence born from the very essence of the universe itself, tasked with preserving its balance—this scene was profoundly disturbing. Seed Worlds were meant to nurture life, to cultivate growth and harmony. Yet here, they had been reduced to festering breeding grounds for twisted, mutated Depravitas.

A faint pain flickered in his heart.

If it were up to him, he would destroy these corrupted worlds entirely—granting them a proper end, allowing their energy to return to the universe so they might one day be reborn, pure and untainted.

At first glance, the purpose of these worlds seemed obvious.

They were training grounds—places designed to generate vast legions for the Tenth Empyrean World.

But as Anark observed more closely, he realized the truth was far more complex.

For one, the worlds were completely barren. There were no natural cultivation resources, no ecosystems, and no alternative life forms. Opportunities for growth were incredibly limited, forcing the Depravitas into endless cycles of cannibalistic evolution.

Then something even stranger occurred.

Anark watched as a particularly powerful mutated Depravita surpassed the Divine Ascension Rank. Its aura surged violently as it stood on the brink of a higher transformation.

But just as it was about to evolve—

The net surrounding the world activated.

From the heavens, arcs of devastating lightning descended, striking the creature with overwhelming force. In an instant, it was annihilated. Its essence shattered and scattered across the world... only to give birth to countless new mutated Depravitas.

Anark frowned.

The process made little sense.

Even if these worlds produced trillions of Divine Ascension–level Depravitas, they would pose no real threat to the Nine Empyrean Suns Universe. Their strength was not enough to harm even the weakest Third Realm lifeform. A single ArchDeity could wipe them out effortlessly with nothing more than the pressure of their soul.

So why maintain such a system?

Anark’s instincts told him that this mystery was important—perhaps even crucial to understanding the true nature and goals of the Tenth Empyrean World.

And so, he continued to observe.

Days passed.

Yet nothing changed.

Only endless carnage... and the ever-present tribulations that prevented any of the mutated Depravitas from advancing.

Just as Anark was about to abandon this line of inquiry, something caught his attention.

His eyes narrowed as he turned toward the distance.

A strange aura had appeared.

It was subtle, yet fundamentally different from everything else in the world.

Carefully, Anark moved closer.

What he found... surprised him.

Amid the sea of grotesque, frenzied Depravitas, a single, unique lifeform had been born.

It was still a Depravita—but unlike the others, it did not radiate chaos or malice. Instead, a faint aura of peace surrounded it.

"A True Depravita..."

Anark’s voice was barely a whisper, yet it carried unmistakable astonishment.

This being was not merely pure—it had transcended its nature from the very moment of its birth. Its mind and will were already in harmony, uncorrupted by the madness that plagued its kind.

The creature resembled a small dragon, with dark scales and wide, bat-like wings. Its eyes, however, were filled with confusion.

It had just been born—from the remnants of a mutated Depravita destroyed by tribulation—and had no understanding of the world around it.

Its innocence stood in stark contrast to the chaos surrounding it.

The moment the other Depravitas noticed it, their reactions were immediate.

Their eyes burned with greed.

They lunged toward the newborn, driven by an instinctive desire to devour it.

Yet before they could reach it—

A pillar of radiant light descended.

It surrounded the dragon-like being, forming a protective barrier that repelled all others. The same formation that annihilated the mutated Depravitas now acted as its shield.

Anark’s eyes lit up with realization.

Enlightenment dawned.

So that was it.

These worlds were indeed incubators—but not for the purpose he had initially assumed.

They were not designed to simply multiply mutated Depravitas.

Their true purpose was far more refined... and far more terrifying.

They existed to produce True Depravitas.

Beings born directly from psychic and spiritual forces—entities that emerged pure, without needing to be transformed like those created by the Demon King in the Crimson World.

Anark’s gaze returned to the small dragon.

A flicker of awe passed through his eyes.

"An existence like that..." he murmured internally, "could only be born once in a billion attempts. No... even one in a trillion might not be enough."

The probability was astronomically low.

Yet when thousands upon thousands of worlds were dedicated to that single purpose, even such impossibilities could become a frequent reality.

While this revelation answered some of his questions, it also raised new ones.

True Depravitas were incomparably more valuable than their mutated counterparts. Not only did they possess far greater potential, but they were also far more stable. Unlike the chaotic hordes, they could be trusted. At the very least, they would not betray their allies at the first opportunity.

And yet...

Anark could not shake the feeling that he was only seeing part of the truth.

Fortunately, it seemed he would not have to wait long for the rest.

The protective light surrounding the young True Depravita intensified. In an instant, the creature vanished—transported out from the world and into the void.

Moments later, another presence appeared.

Anark’s eyes narrowed.

A man stood in the void—a Curse Eater.

From his appearance, it was clear that he had once been human.

The newborn True Depravita immediately recoiled, instinctively retreating. Its eyes filled with caution and uncertainty. Having just come into existence, it had no understanding of what was happening—but it could sense the overwhelming power of the being before it.

Fear was only natural.

The Curse Eater, however, simply smiled.

It was a wide, calm smile—one that seemed almost... reassuring.

"There is no need to fear," he said gently.

"You are safe now."

He extended a hand toward the small dragon.

"Come with me."

A faint glimmer of something deeper flickered in his eyes. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Your future awaits."