1 Rebirth

Before time began, a singularity erupted in the depths of chaotic space and began to expand at a terrifying rate. In the midst of this expansion, the various energies began to split into two regions. One encompassed an incredibly vast space with an uncountable number of dimensions and the other, a single magnificent plane. These two spaces were became known as the mortal and heavenly realms of the cosmos...

Eons before the current era, a terrifying war spanning the entirety of the heavenly realm left nothing but death and destruction in its wake. At the height of this Great War, the commanding Gods of each army led a catastrophic offensive against one another, tearing into the chaotic space as a result. Shortly after, the heavenly realm shattered into nine pieces, each of the 8 sovereign Gods established their domain on each piece, leaving only the land known as Ruin.

Ruin was a place so devastated by the battle, that life birthed on its premises were infected with its insidious aura from the moment they were born. It was a land abandoned by the laws of the universe, a place where the fires of war burned within each and everyone of its denizens, and the surrounding world energies corrupted by the constant destruction. Death in that place was nothing more than a release from its nefarious grasp, in fact, those who perished were envied by those left behind. Ruin was place of hopelessness and it's ruler, the man who stands at its pinnacle, the Overlord, possessed an air even more terrifying. No one knows his identity, nor where he came from, nor what he looks like, for those who have known were killed by his own hand.

The Overlord of Ruin seemed to have existed since time immemorial, his origins unknown, his strength unknown and yet he is feared by all...

And now, he lies there, with a blade inserted into his chest, surrounded by thousands of soldiers led by a middle aged man with blood red hair.

His eyes full of disbelief, as he gazes through the slits in his mask.

"Why have you betrayed me Duke?" He says with a voice so icy, every soldier unconsciously begins to shiver with fear.

"Enough! He's heavily injured and out of energy, he's merely the shell of a man!" The army immediately found their bearings and began to look at his majesty with even more killing intent after hearing Dukes words.

"Why have I betrayed you? Are you, 'The Overlord of Ruin', so naive? Don't think I don't know about your secret! I met you long ago and yet you never once treated me as a true ally, even going as far as hiding that treasure from all those who fought beside you. Then again, to me, you were nothing more than my free ticket to the top."

Hearing this, his majesty grimaced through his mask.

"When did you find out?" He spat through gritted teeth.

"Well seeing as how your death is at hand, I don't mind enlightening you a bit, for old times sake. From the moment I first met you I sensed something off about you, though I just couldn't wrap my head around what exactly gave me this feeling. Then one day I saw it, the thing that made me feel so uneasy wasn't you! It was the ring on your finger!"

The Overlords body began to minutely tremble in rage.

Seeing this, Duke chuckled and continued, "I knew I had to find a way to acquire it, but your strength was far to great for the likes of me! I knew it must have been the ring, but for me to acquire it myself was a pipe dream. So I waited, and waited until the opportune moment, until the moment you let your guard down completely. It wasn't until you finally reached the peak, that I finally saw my chance! Who would have thought that the great Overlord would be so distressed at the notion of your long lost little brother being alive. Then again you were always too trusting for your own good, especially in a place as corrupt as this. Blame your own hubris, you believed you were infallible, that no person could penetrate that ungodly strength of yours! But look here! I've done it, and all it took was luring you to this place! I'm sure you know by now but your strength means nothing here! Long ago when the realm shattered, small currents of chaos energies began to leak and create pocket dimensions throughout every one of the 9 splintered lands, and this here is one of those so called dimensions! It was a place I accidentally discovered a few thousand years ago when I was still a slave tolling away for the great Overlord! The energies within these dimensions suppress the cultivation all those who have not reached that of at least the sovereign gods. As for the results, well, that sword in your chest is explanation enough"

After Duke finished speaking, surprisingly The Overlord of Ruin began to laugh, it was a laugh so eerie, the surrounding soldiers became bewitched into illusions of slaughter. He lifted his hand and gently took off the mask covering his face. What they saw was not human, his face painted with the aftermath of thousands of battles, the burns that eroded the entirety of the right side of his face, leaving only cold and deep black eyes untouched by the light, gazing at their surroundings.

He gently spoke, "Yes, that's right, it was my negligence that brought about my downfall. In this land filled with the ravages of slaughter, my greatest weakness was not my strength, no, but in my own martial heart where trust was permitted."

"My wish, my greatest desire, to reach the peak of power through any means, was destroyed by my own hands the very moment it began. I finally understand, I was wrong all along, I was born in the chaos of Ruin, I was birthed in its flames of evil, yet I did not follow its rules. Unfortunately, now is no time for regret."

It was at this moments that an utterly terrifying undulation spread out from the Overlord. Every soldier including Duke was petrified in fear. All they could sense, was an aura so desolate and terrifying that it felt as if the entirety of the world viewed them with malice. It was at this moment, from just his aura alone, the warriors in the surroundings slumped down lifeless. There were only two people left standing, The Overlord and Duke.

Duke grimaced in disbelief, "Impossible! You have yet to overcome the tribulation! This can't be! Unless..?"

He collapsed with rage and grief apparent on his face, leaving only the solitary Overlord alone on the battlefield. A scene that has replayed countless times throughout his life. He gazed up at the blood red moon and whispered, "Who would have thought that at this life and death juncture I would unexpectedly be struck by a sudden enlightenment causing my cultivation to break through into a new realm. Unfortunately, I do not have the strength to fight off the tribulation."

Suddenly, magnificent thunderclouds began to coalesce in the airspace above the dark red land. As he gazed up, The Overlord of Ruin, for the first time in his life felt fear, he felt that in the face of that heavenly power he was nothing but an ant, and yet he became angry, angry that his life would be cut short by the terrifying laws. It was then that a lightning bolt as thick and as grand as a mountain descended into the hellish landscape of Ruin. The Overlord understood clearly, he's dead, there was no question, the power he glimpsed at while he was engulfed by the lightning was so overwhelming that even his soul was being extinguished at an astonishing speed. As the tribulation permeated every square inch of his body, he had one final thought, "If there's a next life, I will destroy this power that disregards me so, I will ravage the heavens with my own hands. I will bring Ruin to all life and stand at the pinnacle of this fiery new world. I hereby swear, for I am The Overlord of Ruin, Evil's Incarnation."

As the last bit of the Overlords consciousness began to dissipate, unbeknownst to him the ring Duke tried so hard to acquire began to glow with a black sheen. In the next instant, the thunder that seemed to have engulfed the world vanished without a trace leaving nothing including the ring in its place.

On a minor plane in the mortal realm,

A boy covered in blood, lay spread on the floor in a secluded alley. A horrid stench covered him, his body malnourished and shriveled to the point where the difference between him and a decomposed corpse was almost nonexistent. He was wearing nothing but rags and on his chest beneath his filthy rags laid a plain white ring. Suddenly, his eyes shot open as quick as lightning, his pitch black eyes releasing the pressure of the God of Death himself. Above his body a black ring suddenly appeared and fused with the white one leaving an inconspicuous gray colored ring that exuded no aura whatsoever. The boys lips began to tremble and with enormous effort he spoke, "Rebirth huh? How interesting, the ring has shown me a miracle once more."

With huge effort the boy sat up and immediately an incomparably sinister smile escaped the boys lips, "I, The Overlord, will bring eternal Ruin to the heavens and plunge all life into its depths."