[LOCATION: Abyss, First Layer — Sector : Chaia_#118]
The world beneath the world was alive.
The first layer of the Abyss sprawled out like a myth brought to life—a grand domain of endless emerald.
Towering trees rose like titans, their leaves shimmering with subtle pulses of life energy.
Some, however, stood out—colossal in scale, ancient trees thousands of times larger than the rest, piercing the heavens of this hidden realm.
The land rolled in lush, uneven patterns—verdant cliffs, dense canopies, winding rivers of glimmering green light.
And above… another world entirely.
The ceiling of this colossal realm wasn't sky, but a vast mirror of the world below.
Inverted forests clung upside-down, their roots like jagged thorns stabbing into the heavens.
Mountains floated in impossible suspension, their peaks hanging downward, shrouded in mist. The distance between the floor and the ceiling was vast.
So immense it could fit the span between the Earth and its moon, yet gravity bent in defiance of reason.
It wasn't dark.
Though there was no sun, light bathed the Abyss from all angles.
The air itself carried luminescent particles—tiny fragments of brilliance, as if the essence of the surface sun had soaked into the very atmosphere.
Like a world breathing light, the entire expanse shimmered with a soft, natural glow.
At the heart of the ceiling, an enormous circular rupture split through the inverted forest.
A hole—the entrance from the surface.
It bled radiance into the layer, casting a spotlight downwards that stretched endlessly, barely touching the floor of this bottomless dream.
From that wound in the sky, a figure suddenly pierced through the veil of light.
He was falling. Faster than wind.
Faster than gravity should allow.
His form tumbled, cloak trailing like a dying comet.
The air howled past him, but down here, it sounded distant—muffled by the density of spirit energy.
His descent accelerated, the pressure building, the world below expanding like an opening mouth, waiting to swallow him whole.
He passed through floating leaves the size of buildings. Bypassed inverted rivers suspended midair. Until—
CRAAAAAACK—!!!
He was now faster than the speed of sound. (Note : S.O.S is 1000x more than Normal S.O.S)
Then.
CRAAAAAACK—!!!
He hit the forest floor.
The earth trembled. Trees bent with the shockwave. Flocks of ethereal birds scattered in all directions.
Leaves glowed brightly for a brief second before dimming again.
A massive crater tore through the undergrowth, roots shattered, stones cracked. In its center, dust swirling, smoke rising—
A figure lay in the midst of the wreckage.
Unmoving.
[After a while]
Silence lingered.
Then, a breath—a ragged inhale filled with pain and dirt and damp forest air.
Jin Wei stirred.
His body ached like it had been threaded through gravity's claws and hurled into stone.
The crater around him steamed faintly, the ground shattered in a wide circle, roots split and dirt upturned in jagged chaos.
His robes were torn at the edges, but his body remained intact—no broken bones, no blood, just soreness that wrapped around his nerves like a warning.
He groaned, eyes fluttering open.
Sky? No. Inverted forest.
Jin Wei blinked as he took in the surreal ceiling above—massive trees growing downward, vines hanging like stalactites, their leaves glowing faintly in the ambient luminance.
It looked as if the heavens had been mirrored and bent upside-down by a god's mischief.
"...Ugh…"
A soft chuckle echoed nearby—calm, familiar, laced with playful judgment.
Gu Cheng: "You up, kid?"
Jin Wei sat up slowly, dust falling from his shoulders as he turned his head toward the voice.
Floating just above the edge of the crater, Gu Cheng's translucent form hovered like a ghost caught in mid-conversation.
Arms folded behind his back, white beard flowing lazily in the luminescent breeze.
Gu Cheng: "While you were falling, I had to wrap you in three layers of spatial essence. If I hadn't… well, your bones would be part of the landscape now."
Jin Wei coughed lightly, finally standing on shaky legs.
The impact had rattled him, but his center was stable. He bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment.
Jin Wei: "Then… I have to thank you, Master."
Gu Cheng waved a dismissive hand, as if saving his disciple's life was a minor inconvenience.
Gu Cheng: "Tch. Don't mention it. You're lucky, though—most people don't descend into the Abyss without a spaceship."
"Especially not low-level cultivators like you. That drop would've killed nearly anyone else."
He smirked.
Gu Cheng: "But I suppose… it's fine. Since you have me."
Jin Wei let out a quiet breath—part grateful, part sheepish.
He looked around now, taking his first full view of First Layer not from the sky… but from within it.
And it was breathtaking.
The forest around him was vast beyond reason.
Trees towered hundreds of meters tall, their trunks glowing faintly with spirit lines, their canopies blending into one another like a sea of jade.
Strange creatures flitted between branches—some winged, some floating, others like living shadows.
Above, the inverted forest stretched across the entire ceiling like an alien reflection, suspended in defiance of gravity.
The soft glow of luminance energy drifting through the air gave everything a dreamlike sheen.
This was the Abyss.
And he had landed inside it.
Jin Wei (quietly): "So this is… First Layer."
Then--
A faint chime echoed in the air.
A transparent interface blinked into existence before his eyes, luminous yet intangible, hovering just a few inches away.
[ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ] – [ ABYSS ENTRY DETECTED ]
[ Citizen Registered Successfully ]
Jin Wei blinked, squinting slightly as the characters etched themselves into the air with clinical precision.
He instinctively reached out, but his fingers passed through the panel like mist.
[ Name: Xhao Jin Wei | (Change Name) ]
[ (Click to edit anytime. One change per soul-bound cycle) ]
He raised an eyebrow. Change name? Soul-bound cycle?
[ UID (Permanent) : ]
[ 14-00000045678912-000019445678-004-01042-00112453687901 ]
A massive string of numbers spanned across the panel. Jin Wei stared at it, half-dazed.
[ Abyss Code | (Permanent) : ]
[ 7AC91-2D58F-9801D-58432-C9911-45AD0-EEF18-768AC-0011 ]
[ (unique signature, used for Abyss services, gear bonding, and realm access) ]
His brows furrowed slightly. "Gear bonding… realm access? Services?"
[ World Number | (Permanent) : ]
[ +14-45678912-19445678-004-01042-112453687901 ]
[ (Universal number, location ID, and identity marker for all interdimensional communications) ]
Jin Wei muttered under his breath.
Jin Wei: "...Universal ID? World Number? is a communication code?"
He glanced over his shoulder at Gu Cheng, who hovered nearby with arms crossed and a mild smirk on his face.
Gu Cheng: "The moment you entered, the Abyss registered you. These codes? They're your identity now. In here, out there, everywhere."
Jin Wei slowly exhaled, eyes returning to the panel.
Jin Wei (thinking): "So I've become… a citizen of the Abyss."
His name. His data. His coordinates—locked in place like a brand on the fabric of the world. No longer just a cultivator from Chaia.
He was now part of Abyss.
BEEP-BEEP!
A harsh, jarring chime shattered the moment.
The system panel flashed violently—red overlays spiraling across his interface like a triggered alarm.
[ WARNING!!! ]
[ WARNING!!! ]
[ WARNING!!! ]
[ CONSTITUTION TOO LOW ! ]
[ Unable to Support All Energy Types Simultaneously ! ]
[ Excess Energies Detected : Mana | Divine ]
Jin Wei froze.
Jin Wei: "What…?!"
A new string of data scrolled out with cold indifference:
[ System Protocol – First Layer ]
[ Mana and Divine Energies : Sealed ]
[ (Due to low physical constitution, host body cannot support tri-energy flow in Abyss field.) ]
The notification pulsed ominously, like a verdict from the Abyss itself.
Before he could react, another panel opened instantly:
[ CLASS UPDATE !! ]
[ Mage – Class Sealed ! ]
[ Support – Class Sealed ! ]
[ Archer – Class Sealed ! ]
[ Class Available : WARRIOR ]
Jin Wei staggered back a step, disbelief etched into his face.
Jin Wei: "What's the meaning of this?!"
He clenched his fists, instinctively reaching inward for a thread of Mana. Nothing.
He tried to pulse Divine Energy through his core—and was met with silence.
Jin Wei: "How can this be?!"
His internal channels for those energies felt dim, frozen, as if locked behind invisible chains.
Only the familiar warmth of Qi continued to flow, uninterrupted but alone.
Gu Cheng's voice drifted calmly from behind, ever composed.
Gu Cheng: "Abyss is filled with reactive components, if you are not strong enough and posess multi-energy core-These things can pose a threat to your life."
Jin Wei turned sharply.
Gu Cheng: "It's why spaceships and body reforgers exist—because raw talent means nothing if your body can't survive the rules here."
"Three energies was rare enough. But without a reforged vessel or divine body, it's simply not sustainable. The system's sealing them to keep you alive."
Jin Wei grit his teeth. His jaw tightened, eyes locked on the crimson notifications still hovering in front of him like a sentence passed by a judge he couldn't see.
Jin Wei (thinking): "So it's keeping me alive?!"
For a cultivator who once flirted with potential, this felt like a regression—an insult even.
He inhaled slowly, letting the pain settle into clarity.
Jin Wei (quietly): "Then, I'll have master Qi in the meantime."
The red warnings flickered—and then slowly vanished.
The panel glowed steady in front of him.
As the previous messages faded, another notification appeared.
[ | Live MAP. Abyss | ]
Jin Wei (thinking): "Oh, there's a map."
He opened it.
It displayed a range of 1000 A.Q - 1000 A.Q across the grid.
[A.Q = Astral Qimo | 1 A.Q = 3.5 km]
In the bottom-left corner, a subtle tag blinked:
[LIVE]
The map was divided into three major regions:
Forest
A large lake, connected by a winding river
Plains
In the plains, a few scattered structures could be seen-
—some resembling houses, and at the center, a marked circle, likely representing a Town Hall.
As Jin Wei was scrolling throught the MAP another Notification arrived
[ SYNCHRONIZATION PANEL RESONATING ! ]
Jin Wei saw it and thought. "It's the first time it reacted."
[ SYNCHRONIZATION : 0.0001% ]
[ Insignia of PXXXXXX (IP): 0.0004%-0.0008% (UNSTABLE) ]
As Jin Wei fell to his knees, he went numb and lost consciousness.
Gu Cheng : "Kid. What Happened! Wake up. Hey. Hey." as translucent Gu Cheng shakes Jin Wei while holding him from shoulders.
But, there was no response.
[MEANWHILE]
Jin Wei slowly opened his eyes. The world was dim and unfamiliar, yet something in his gut told him otherwise.
He stood in the center of a lavish bedroom, the moonlight casting silver hues across ancient stone walls and velvet curtains.
Jin Wei (blinking): "Where... am I?"
He turned, scanning the room. Ornate furniture. A burning hearth. Gold embroidery on deep blue tapestries.
A strange sense of déjà vu tugged at his chest.
"This feels... familiar."
Drawn by instinct, he walked toward the balcony.
Two figures stood there — a man and a woman wrapped in each other's embrace, whispering softly beneath the starlit sky.
Jin Wei hesitated, then stepped closer.
Jin Wei: "Hello... Umm, can you tell me where I am?"
No response.
Jin Wei (frowning): "Can they not hear me?"
He approached further, waving a hand in front of them. Still nothing.
It was as if he didn't exist in their world. A cold realization settled in his chest.
Jin Wei (softly): "Can they not see me...?"
But then — something strange.
The man. He looked... familiar. Regal. Stoic. Mature. Like an older, nobler version of himself.
The woman, too — her aura stirred something in him. A warmth, a memory, a tether.
Jin Wei (thinking):
"Why do they feel... familiar?"
Still invisible, still silent, Jin Wei turned away and sat on the edge of the bed.
His soul eyes never left the couple, who stood bathed in soft moonlight.
Jin Wei (sighing): "Do I really have to watch this?"
Then, without warning—
Silver flashed.
The woman's hand slid from behind the man's back, holding a dagger now buried deep in his spine.
Time seemed to fracture.
Jin Wei gasped. The world twisted violently around him, the walls stretching, spiraling like a dream collapsing.
Jin Wei: "What—?!"
Suddenly, he was the one standing there, in the man's place — feeling the dagger pierce his body.
Pain. Betrayal. Collapse.
TO BE CONTINUED.----------