Primordial Awakening: I Can Evolve My Skills Infinitely

All of the awakeners near the gates, and even those standing outside the walls, turned their heads in confusion as the massive horde surged toward the [Forsaken Kingdom].

"HE'S ALREADY INSIDE!"

"Huh?"

"What? How is that even possible?"

"We had so many people stationed here. No one crossed the gate..."

Murmurs and disbelief rippled through the crowd.

The claim made no sense to most of them.

Some even began whispering that it might be some kind of trick, a ploy designed to stir panic.

After all, how could anyone possibly know for sure?

In answer to their confusion, Lucien himself stepped forward.

The leader of the [Eternal] group came to a stop directly before the gate, his presence enough to silence much of the noise.

Then, with deliberate motion, he reached into his system panel.

A strange glow emerged as he pulled something out.

Lucien rose into the air, hovering above the crowd so every single awakener could see.

"This," he declared in a clear, commanding voice, "is an item I received from a [Mystery Box]."

He raised the item so that all eyes fell upon it.

"It is called the [Primordial Compass]. Once every six hours, it allows me to see the precise location of the Primordial."

The declaration caused an immediate uproar.

"What?!"

"Something like that exists?"

"What the hell is a [Mystery Box]?"

Lucien's eyes swept across the countless faces, searching for any sign of recognition.

He wanted to see if anyone else knew about the existence of these boxes.

But no one reacted in a way that gave him an answer.

On a nearby rooftop, Stark crouched silently with several other awakeners.

From his position, he could hear the ongoing chatter as clear as day.

"Hah, that idiot must've been tricked somehow. Now he's trying to throw the blame on us."

"Yeah, the Primordial's probably long gone by now. He's most likely in the [Fourth Zone] already."

"Or maybe…" another voice suggested cautiously, "he actually has some way to teleport back into the kingdom."

Speculation spread quickly, but no one could truly know the answer.

No one… except Stark.

His eyes widened slightly at Lucien's words.

The phrase [Primordial Compass] stuck in his mind, and a sharp realization sparked within him.

'I think I understand now,' Stark thought, his lips curving just slightly though his outward expression remained neutral.

'These [Mystery Boxes]… they might give you exactly the item you want most at that moment.'

It made sense.

The [Eternal] group had secured two of these mysterious boxes, and from them, they had drawn an item as absurdly overpowered as a compass that could track the Primordial's position.

That couldn't have been pure coincidence.

And surely they hadn't revealed everything it could do.

The [Eternal] group wasn't foolish enough to show all their cards.

So why reveal any of it at all?

Was it simple frustration that the Primordial had slipped through their hands again?

Or was it a carefully crafted move to make a statement?

A statement not only to the awakeners gathered here but also to the Primordial himself.

A message that said: no matter where you hide, we will always know.

'Still… if it only shows his location, not the distance, that would limit its usefulness,' Stark mused.

'Unless, of course, it has some hidden feature we don't know about.'

His thoughts drifted back to his own experience.

The second reason he believed the [Mystery Boxes] granted the item most desired was because he had lived it himself.

He had wanted a way to escape, a way to see his surroundings clearly.

And what had he received?

The [Realm Map].

It had fulfilled both of those desires perfectly.

It couldn't be mere chance.

It had to be something tied to the user's innermost wish.

Perhaps it required a desire deep within the soul itself for the box to respond.

That left one important question.

'What was the second item the [Eternal] group received?'

They had claimed two boxes.

And if they hated the Primordial as much as Stark believed, then the second reward had likely been crafted with him in mind as well.

'Oh well.'

He smirked faintly but forced himself back to neutrality.

The square in front of the gate was devolving into chaos, but Sam—hidden in plain sight—merely shrugged it all off.

He was about to leave when another panel suddenly bloomed before him.

[I knew you would be here.]

The words glowed across a verdant panel adorned with curling vines.

Sam's expression sharpened instantly.

'Seraphine's telepathy,' he realized.

Turning his head, he spotted her standing near the gate, gazing upward at him.

Her presence was unmistakable.

Beside her was Belle, though she seemed unaware of him for now.

Sam had no interest in lingering, however.

He didn't plan to be seen by either of them.

Without hesitation, he slipped away.

Luckily, many others were leaving the area at the same time, flowing out of the crowd, so his exit drew no suspicion.

"Forget this, man. The Primordial can level entire zones like a nuke, and they expect us to fight it?"

"Doesn't matter. That thing needs to be erased. His kind should've been gone long ago."

"I agree, but we can't just throw our lives away recklessly. We need to be careful."

Snatches of heated arguments followed him as he walked, but Sam ignored them.

Before long, he was back in his apartment.

And right then, another panel flickered into view.

Ding!

[You have received 1,000,000 Forsaken Coins for completing the third mission!]

Sam blinked.

He'd had the notification earlier but hadn't bothered to check it, distracted by the situation at the gates.

Now he saw the number clearly.

His earnings had increased again.

At this rate, wealth wasn't a problem for him.

One or two more missions and some people would be able to buy mansions for themselves and their families, living out their days in comfort and excess.

This kingdom was advanced, thriving with technology, and large enough to offer nearly anything.

Food was plentiful and cheap.

Entertainment was abundant.

For many, this was already paradise.

Sam smiled faintly but pushed the thought aside.

He went to his bed, sat down, and leaned back with a grin spreading across his lips.

'I guess there's no point in rushing right now,' he thought.

'I'll need just over three weeks to evolve all my [Tier 2] skills to [Primordial].'

The idea of waiting that long wasn't pleasant, but it was necessary.

Of course, he could always head directly to the [Fourth Zone] and gamble his fate against the [Maze of the Damned].

The [Realm Map] made that possibility real, since he could instantly travel to any place he had already visited.

He had stepped foot into the [Fourth Zone], which meant the condition was already satisfied.

He could teleport there straight from his apartment.

But there was one critical restriction.

The [Fast Travel] perk only worked once per day.

If he went there, he would have no choice but to return on foot.

That, in Sam's opinion, was simply foolish.

By traveling there the normal way, he could at least teleport back instantly if something went wrong.

For now, caution seemed wiser.

Or perhaps he could simply stay outside the kingdom for an entire day, buying himself another chance to teleport.

But that carried its own problems.

He couldn't use his [Dimension of Time] outside.

One of the rules of that dimension was that he had to be completely alone in a place where others were unlikely to intrude.

And out in the open world, that condition was impossible.

Regardless, Sam's plan remained clear.

He would evolve all his skills.

Then he would spend as much time as needed training and mastering them, just as he had with the first three.

The process would be long, but in his calculations, about a month should be enough.

Sam scratched his chin.

'This is far too much time. I'll probably need to attempt the fourth mission before that.'

He knew he couldn't allow anyone else to reach the [Mystery Boxes].

Not only because they might receive items powerful enough to threaten him, but also because the rewards themselves were far too valuable for him to ignore.

Still, he felt he had some breathing room.

The others would struggle for a while against the [Astrals].

And the [Maze of the Damned]… it seemed like the most dangerous challenge yet.

His suspicion was confirmed when another chilling panel appeared.

[You have an insanely bad feeling about this, as if the entire realm will collapse on you.]