Brand New Life Online: Rise Of The Goddess Of Harvest

Chapter 1750: The Netherworld’s History

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“Hmm, that’s no easy question. There are many ways I could answer, but I’ll try to keep it simple,” Yaga said, taking another puff from her pipe. “In this world, many Realms were born from the power of Ancient Beings. The Netherworld is one of them—created millions of years ago by the Ancient Gods of Arcadia to harbor the souls of the dead. However, it wasn’t just a resting place. Many Gods once governed this realm, and they exuded immense divine power. When they died long ago, their bodies merged with the Netherworld, transforming it further into a vast Realm that continues to expand even now.”

“W-What?” Elayne was stunned by the lore. “That’s incredible… so it was originally designed as the Netherworld we imagine, but it expanded when its deities died?”

“Yes, yes—or so I’ve heard,” Yaga sighed. “Missus, that was hundreds of millions of years ago, so… that’s about it. The Netherworld is perhaps the largest Realm connected to Arcadia. It’s safe to say it might be larger than the planet itself. Far to the west from where we are, there’s a place called the Chaos Realm, which connects to the Colorless Void Realm. In a way, the Netherworld is like a fallen giant that exploded, and its flesh and blood continue expanding across time and space.”

“You know so much… Chaos Realm, Colorless Void Realm… so they’re connected to the Netherworld?” Elayne asked.

“Yes and no,” Yaga replied. “They’re both independent expressions of what lies ’outside,’ but they’ve also merged with the Netherworld and become part of its expansion. Only the strongest beings here ever step into such dangerous Realms, seeking powerful cosmic resources to evolve further. Every powerful entity in the Netherworld aims either to conquer this immense world or escape to the world of the living and beyond.”

“So it’s still… all about fighting and strength, huh?” Elayne sighed.

“Not entirely. Only those truly obsessed with power think that way. I’ve lived a long life—do you see me trying to become monstrously powerful?” Yaga laughed. “But those who walk the path of Nether and Soul Cultivation are still the majority. It’s just common sense: to get anywhere in this world, you need strength. Even without considering its people, the Netherworld is dangerous. Nether Beasts, Blood Beasts, Bone Beasts, Spectral Entities, Void Gods, and other monstrous beings roam freely. Without strength, you can’t protect your territory or your people. That’s why the race for power never ends.”

“I see…” Elayne nodded. “I guess I understand a bit more now. Arcadia wasn’t quite like this—people were just living their lives. But there were still those who sought strength. And ultimately, strength is necessary if you want to get things done. I won’t deny that.”

“Hm, good,” Yaga said. “Now tell me, what else do you want to know?”

“About the regions,” Elayne said. “I’m guessing you don’t know much more about the origins, so I’ll leave that aside.”

“Yeah, I’ve lived a long life, but it’s not like there’s a documented book detailing exactly what happened in the past. We’ve simply heard that the living world was once teeming with gods—and then it wasn’t,” Yaga said. “Some say a great evil destroyed everything. We don’t know.”

“…Is that so,” Elayne nodded.

She quickly realized that unlike Arcadia, which had reset after its destruction and the death of its gods, the Netherworld had never been “reset.” It had remained unchanged since ancient times.

This might explain why it was so massive and incredibly old compared to Arcadia, which felt like a strange blend of ancient and new.

Elayne already knew of other Realms connected to Arcadia, such as the Verdant Continent’s Spirit Nature Realm—born from the continent’s Nature Soul and Goddess, Lady Verdant—which was twice the size of the continent itself.

And there was even the Realm she had created: the Prehistory Realm, born from a Fragment of the Past she made real. It was as large as all of Arcadia, and the last time Elayne visited it, she noticed it was expanding over time.

“So, you want to know about the Regions?” Yaga asked. “Well, currently we’re in the Abyssal Cavern Labyrinth. This Region isn’t merely a place, you know? It’s a living, shifting wound in the fabric of the Netherworld. According to the oldest spectral scriptures, it was born from the death throes of a primordial Nether Titan, whose body collapsed inward upon its own soul. That collapse created a recursive space—a labyrinth of caverns spiraling infinitely downward. Each layer is older, darker, and more saturated with Nether Essence than the last.”

“W-Wait, really? So these caverns, which I assumed were just part of the Netherworld, were born from the death of a… Nether Titan?” Elayne asked. “What is a Nether Titan, though? Do you know, Mark?”

“I have no idea,” Mark replied.

“It’s said he was the oldest son of Gaia, Goddess of Life, Nature, and Souls, and Nyx, Goddess of the Night, Shadows, Darkness, and even associated with Death in the Netherworld,” the old lady explained. “He was known as Hecatoncheires and ruled as the Emperor of the Netherworld under the guidance of his two mothers. He’s one of the Gods I mentioned earlier.”

“I see…” Elayne nodded, amazed by the Netherworld’s history. “So there are Gods we don’t even know about… the ones we learned about are likely just the highest seats, but there must have been so many others in between—like Hephaestus.”

“Yeah…” Mark nodded. “It’s incredible.”

“It’s said the Ancient Emperor died protecting the Netherworld with his entire body. He perished in the process but managed to shield the Realm from destruction at the hands of a Great Evil that threatened the world of the living,” Yaga explained, puffing her pipe again. “The Titan’s bones became the white spires and bridges. His blood pooled into the rivers of black ichor that flow through the deeper levels. His soul, fragmented and maddened, still whispers through the tunnels, warping space and time. You may think these caverns are just endless caves, but if you don’t know where you’re going, it’s easy to get lost—sometimes forever.”

“The bones… wait, so the White Bone City is…?” Elayne asked.

“Indeed. The White Bone City was built from one of the ribs of the Nether Titan,” Yaga said. “The flat land beneath the ceiling is known as the Surface Layer of the Labyrinth, where most people have built villages and settlements. This area has mostly been taken over by the Army of the Demon King of Death. We’ll encounter countless camps like the one we saw earlier—places where they kidnap and enslave the poor Undead who fall into the Labyrinth.”

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