With the abyss hatching pool activated, Wu Wei could officially begin recruiting soldiers. All abyssal units were eligible for direct recruitment, but he lacked the resources to summon many of the special abyssal units. Nevertheless, the fact that the icon of the unit in the abyss hatching pool lit up was proof enough of his capability.

Wu Wei didn’t hesitate; he exchanged all his remaining resource points for soul stones and flesh in the Tiandao system store. “Since the level 0, level 1, and level 2 units in the abyss hatching pool can be recruited solely with souls and flesh, I won’t need to trade for other materials in the early stages. Also, with no resources to collect nearby, I won’t waste energy on exploration.”

He gazed at the barren, desolate landscape surrounding him. Generally, after establishing their territories, most lords dedicate a significant portion of their energy to exploring the nearby land. This is primarily to ensure the safety of their domain and to drive away potential wild beasts, hostile forces, and other threats. Additionally, once these lords identify a suitable environment, they quickly establish a “sub-mine” or similar outpost to accelerate their development.

However, Wu Wei had no need to concern himself with such issues. The world known as the Endless Abyss had already withered and died; there were no enemies to threaten his territory. Therefore, Wu Wei’s domain within the Endless Abyss was entirely secure, leaving him only to contemplate how to attack.

“To continue my development, I must venture to the Trial Continent to plunder resources. But first, I need to summon a few basic units to assess their attributes.”

With that thought in mind, Wu Wei deposited a predetermined amount of soul stones into the hatching pool. As the pool began to squirm, ten cocoons of various colors, each about waist-high to an adult, emerged before him. Their shells were adorned with bizarre patterns—some resembling grimaces and others inscribed with strange symbols. The only commonality among them was the ominous aura they exuded, instinctively felt by any creature with sufficient perception.

The first-level abyss hatching pool could only produce ten cocoons at a time, and within each cocoon lay an imp yet to hatch. Wu Wei checked the timer on the Tiandao system, which indicated a hatching time of thirty seconds. Among the many level 0 units, this group was among the fastest to hatch.

“Squeak! Ah!”

As soon as the thirty seconds elapsed, the cocoons burst open. Ugly little imps with wings, each about the size of a child, appeared before Wu Wei.

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Imp

•Type: Level 0 Unit

•Affiliation: Chaotic Evil

•Abilities: Mining, transport, logging, etc.

•Description: Cannon fodder of the Endless Abyss, these creatures exhibit strong adaptability. Use them as you wish—whether as miners, slaves, test subjects, or even as food; all outcomes suit their vile souls.

Upon opening their eyes, the imps displayed an unmistakable greed and malice, scanning everything around them, including Wu Wei himself. Despite being diminutive, they were still devils. The chaos and evil inherent to their kind applied to them as well. However, upon sensing the lord’s aura emanating from Wu Wei and the invisible fluctuations from the throne beneath him, their malice and greed quickly vanished.

“Um?”

But as Wu Wei observed the newly hatched imps, he couldn’t help but frown. “What’s going on? Why don’t these imps share the same attributes?”

“Some have a strength of 5, while others are as weak as 2. Some possess intelligence as high as 6, while others are woefully lacking at 1—similar to foolish murlocs destined for failure.”

This was the first time Wu Wei had encountered such a phenomenon. Typically, units of the same type had fixed attributes. Yet, the imps he summoned displayed no consistency whatsoever!

Doubtful, he summoned another ten imps, along with ten original ghouls. As expected, the attributes of the newly summoned imps were just as chaotic. It wasn’t just the imps; even the attributes of the original ghouls were wildly inconsistent!

“Complete confusion in attributes?”

“No, it’s not just the attributes. It’s the entire Endless Abyss—it’s all chaotic.”

Observing the little imps, Wu Wei gradually understood a fundamental truth about the Endless Abyss. The chaos of this realm did not only manifest in its environment and rules; it extended to the creatures within it, affecting everything in the Endless Abyss with absolute disorder.

Having grasped this point, Wu Wei decided not to delve further into the abyss’s complexities. He was not a scholar, and he had no need to comprehend this chaotic realm. His focus was on making effective use of the resources the Endless Abyss offered.

However, just as Wu Wei was preparing to launch a large-scale assault with his newly summoned imps onto the Trial Continent, another unexpected incident occurred.

“Alright, let me organize these imps into the system. Without heroes or generals, I can only command all troops directly.”

Yet, when Wu Wei attempted to form his squad, he was alarmed to find that only eight of the initial batch of imps remained! Two imps had vanished entirely—he could no longer find them in the system.

Puzzled, Wu Wei shifted his perspective to the territory where the imps were located and was met with a shocking sight. The remaining eight imps were devouring the corpses of the two missing imps, reveling in their first meal since birth!

They felt fortunate, blessed to be among the survivors. They cared nothing for the fact that they were consuming their own kind. Their only concern was satisfying their hunger.

Once the remains of the two fallen imps were consumed, the others still felt unsatisfied. Though they were no longer hungry, their cravings remained insatiable. They soon turned their gaze toward their remaining comrades.

This time, the number of imps summoned from the first batch had dwindled to just seven…

Greedy, wicked, hungry, and insatiable—these were the traits of the creatures birthed by the Endless Abyss. For them, such behavior was completely natural!