Primordial Awakening: I Can Evolve My Skills Infinitely

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

"Doesn't change much from usual," Sam muttered with a shrug. "Oh well."

He was standing before the next mission panel, and he didn't look the least bit shaken.

This was his fourth mission, after all.

That meant once he cleared it, only three would remain in the [Upper Realm].

Sam had already expected things to become worse the closer he pushed toward the end.

If anything, the ominous warning simply confirmed what he had known since the very beginning.

The probability of the beings above, whoever truly ruled this place, killing him the moment he completed the seventh mission was so high that even Sam couldn't deny it.

There was a real chance he was racing toward his own execution.

But even then…

[Proceed.]

"Hm."

Sam tilted his head, staring at the glowing command.

As long as he didn't try, he would never know how far he could go.

That was enough reason to step forward.

And once he confirmed, the panel faded away.

With nothing else left to do, Sam decided to simply wait.

…

It actually took three full days for the other awakeners to complete their third mission.

The reason was obvious to anyone who understood the mechanics of it.

Defeating the five Astrals had to be done within twenty-four hours.

Fail to kill them all in that window, and they would respawn, undoing the progress entirely.

Each Astral was level eighty-five.

That alone placed them far above what most awakeners could handle.

Against an ordinary awakener, any one of them could have wiped the floor with ease.

That was why the mission had been designed for groups.

Not even the strongest individuals could break through alone.

Teams had to grind endlessly to bring themselves up to the right level, pushing their limits hour after hour just to survive.

Fortunately, the [Upper Realm] contained enough monsters for them to slaughter, feeding them the experience they needed.

As a result, many had managed to rise into the lower levels of the [Immortal] rank, some reaching level five or even ten.

That meant some had already been given their next [Advancement Task].

The stronger groups had proven capable.

The [Eternal] group, along with other elite factions from each race, managed to bring down the [Astral Bird], [Astral Serpent], and [Astral Bear].

But when they faced the [Astral Undead] and the [Astral Mage], the difficulty soared to another level.

The undead had a hidden core.

Unless that core was destroyed, it could not be killed permanently.

It had taken them hours of trial and error just to discover the location of the core.

And even once they knew, the challenge didn't end there.

They still had to destroy it at the same time the other Astrals were slain, all while fighting through the mage's barrier.

That barrier was monstrous in strength, enough to hold off dozens of attackers.

It was no wonder the mission had dragged on for days.

As for Sam defeating them alone?

That had simply been the difference between him and everyone else.

There was no other explanation.

His power set him apart so drastically that the others couldn't even compare.

There was also something else Sam had noticed.

He hadn't heard anything about the [Nuke] skill being used.

That left only two possibilities.

The first was that it had been a one-time skill, which made little sense considering it had been the Astral Mage's third most used ability.

The second, and far more likely, was that it had been removed entirely the moment Sam cleared the mission.

Reserved specifically to ensure his death.

"Hm."

Sam's eyes narrowed, but he didn't dwell too much on it.

What mattered was that by the third day, the noise outside told him clearly enough—the others had finally cleared the third mission.

They were now ready to move to the fourth.

'Heh,' Sam grinned to himself. 'It'll take them a while. I can manage.'

The [Fourth Zone] was most likely filled with monsters in the level eighty-five to ninety range.

Perfect training grounds to prepare awakeners for what was coming.

Plenty had fallen during the Astral battles, but the majority still pressed forward.

Only those satisfied with their Forsaken Coins or lacking the courage to go further stayed behind.

During those three days, Sam hadn't been idle either.

He had managed to evolve one of his core abilities.

[Cataclysmic Barrage (Forsaken+) → Destructive Barrage (Forsaken=+) → Three-Mode Barrage (Determination) → Primordial Barrage (Primordial)]

His [Cataclysmic Barrage] had reached the [Primordial] rank.

He hadn't even checked the description yet.

He wanted to evolve all his other skills first and then review them together, preparing to train inside the [Dimension of Time].

For now, he stepped outside once more.

There was little reason to stay cooped up in his apartment.

He even debated teleporting straight into the [Fourth Zone] to grind monsters.

At his current standing, Sam was level five in the [Ascendant] rank.

That meant he needed five more levels before he could reach his [Advancement Task] to step into the [Forsaken] rank.

But the requirements for him were far harsher than anyone else.

His experience gain was dozens of times slower than that of the other awakeners.

Even the [Celestials].

It was going to take a long time, no matter what.

And the [Maze of the Damned]?

Sam was confident that once entered, it wouldn't allow him to leave.

Just like the [Seventh Layer].

Just like the [Tower of Fate].

That alone made him ignore it entirely for now.

He wasn't the only one to realize it either.

No one had dared step inside.

"Any news about the fourth mission yet?"

"No, nobody's entered. Everyone's still training. This one's going to take some time."

"Expected. The further we go, the heavier the pressure gets. It's going to slow down the pace more and more."

Sam silently agreed with that logic.

By the time they reached the sixth or seventh mission, people would probably grind for months.

They would push their levels, their ranks, their skills—anything to increase survival odds.

That would drag out the time considerably.

Even the fourth mission might stretch on.

But Sam knew one thing for certain.

He would be the first to complete it, no matter what.

He let out a sigh.

'No point wasting time like this,' he thought. 'I'll head to the [Fourth Zone] and grind monsters.'

Even if it took thousands of kills to reach level ten, he would do it.

Faster growth meant greater strength, and greater strength meant survival.

He could teleport instantly with the [Realm Map].

But Sam chose against it.

He preferred to save the teleportation for his return trip.

It was safer that way, especially since the walking distance was identical either way.

Besides, he wanted to test his [Hatred Wings].

To see just how long it would take him to reach the zone with them fully unleashed.

When Sam reached the square where the gate stood, the place was alive with noise.

Crowds of awakeners moved back and forth, their voices blending into constant commotion.

Sam's expression didn't change.

He didn't speak to anyone, simply observing.

He noticed something surprising.

Members of different races were talking to each other.

When they had first entered this realm, no race had spoken with the others.

Competition had ruled everything.

Yet now, only a month later, cooperation was emerging.

Teams were forming across racial boundaries.

Fighting monsters together had changed their attitudes.

Strength dictated everything here.

As long as someone was strong, they could be accepted.

The third mission had only reinforced this, forcing people to rely on each other in desperate battles.

[You have the feeling that this is a trap.]

Sam smirked faintly.

'Of course it is. Get them friendly, build bonds… and then crush them later.'

[=)]

Sam's eyes narrowed.

On the other hand, he had no friends.

And he didn't need any.

His focus remained firmly on the future—on evolving every skill to its peak and mastering them completely.

'I think I'm starting to understand what it meant when it said the Primordial will always be alone.'

He stepped closer to the edge of the square.

Just a few more steps, and he would leave the [Forsaken Kingdom] behind, heading into the [Fourth Zone].

But just as he was about to step out—

[Primordial!]

A panel of glowing vines flared before his eyes.

Sam immediately recognized the source.

He turned his head, and there she was.

Seraphine stood nearby, gazing at him.

'That [Telepathy] of hers is useful,' Sam thought. 'But she should know better than to call me out here. Too much attention.'

For once, she wasn't surrounded by her usual escort of elves.

The "Saintess" stood alone.

She smiled warmly at him, and Sam simply stared back.

With a sigh, he changed direction and walked toward her.

She could have sent everything through the panel.

But if she hadn't, that meant she wanted to talk face-to-face.

Of everyone here, Seraphine was probably the closest thing Sam had to a friend.

Though in truth, they hardly ever spoke.

"Hey," she greeted softly, smiling. "I wanted to ask if—"

She never finished her sentence.

A sharp voice cut across the air.

"Hello!"

It came from the side, loud and directed right at them.

Sam turned his head.

[Who is it now…?]

And then he saw her.

"Oh, come on."

Belle Draconian stood there, glaring at Seraphine with an almost aggressive expression.