Primordial Awakening: I Can Evolve My Skills Infinitely

Boom!

The berserker raised its massive blade sideways, trying to block the incoming bullet.

The shot smashed into the jagged weapon, sparks flashing as the force of it pushed the monster back across the floor.

The turret above Sam's head hummed, the barrel glowing faintly as it began charging the next round.

Sam kept his stance steady.

The [Turret] mode of [Primordial Barrage] had no real cooldown, but each shot required about a second to aim, charge, and fire.

That second was the limit.

The strength of the bullets was nothing to laugh at.

They weren't as rapid as the weaker rounds from [Machine Gun] mode, but they also weren't as overwhelmingly destructive as the devastating [Aura Ray].

They were in-between. Balanced.

Machine gun for spraying enemies and overwhelming them.

Aura Ray for a single overwhelming strike meant to annihilate.

And turret mode for steady, endless suppression fire.

Boom!

The turret fired again. And again. And again.

Each second, a new bullet left the barrel, slamming against the berserker's blade and body.

The massive monster staggered, trying to hold its ground, but the pressure was relentless.

It roared, attempting to swing its weapon against the incoming bullets, but even when it connected, the impact only slowed the shots slightly.

The next wave came without pause.

The next explosion pushed it back further.

For half a minute, the exchange continued.

The berserker was forced step by step across the chamber, unable to close the distance.

But eventually, its raw endurance broke through the tide.

It dug its feet into the stone, lifted its jagged blade, and lunged.

Fwish!

The weapon slashed down with explosive strength.

Sam raised his primordial sword, meeting the blow head-on.

The collision shook the ground, but Sam pushed forward, muscles straining as he forced the berserker back.

The monster snarled and raised its weapon for another attack, but Sam was faster.

His blade slashed across, deflecting the strike wide open.

The boss was exposed.

Boom!

The turret fired at that exact moment.

The bullet tore through the air and smashed directly into the berserker's head.

The explosion shredded part of its mask and face, blood spraying across the chamber.

The monster stumbled, its massive body shaking.

Any other enemy would have been dead instantly.

But this was a level 90 boss.

Even mortally wounded, it staggered upright, lifting its weapon once more to kill.

Sam didn't flinch.

He simply waited.

Boom!

Another shot landed in its chest, blasting the berserker back.

Boom! Boom!

Two more shots hit, tearing chunks of flesh away.

The berserker gave one last roar, then collapsed onto its knees before finally crashing into the floor.

The jagged blade fell from its grip, clattering loudly against the ground.

Silence filled the chamber.

The turret above Sam's head glowed one final time before fading into nothing, its work done.

Sam lowered his sword, stepping toward the fallen boss.

He picked up the jagged weapon and tossed it into his [Spatial Inventory] without a second thought.

Then, as always—

Fwish! Ding!

He absorbed the core, feeling the surge of energy ripple through his body.

From the corpse, a crimson mist rose.

The berserker's spirit began to form, white eyes flaring as it hovered in front of him.

Sam narrowed his eyes.

This was the first time he would try using [True Primordial Spirits] on a boss.

He wasn't sure if there would be resistance.

He wasn't sure if its will would try to reject him.

But there was only one way to find out.

He extended his arm slowly, pressing his hand into the crimson spirit.

The moment he touched it—

Ding!

[You have recruited the "Maze Berserker (Boss)"]

Sam's grin spread wide.

Even as a boss, it didn't resist.

It simply submitted, bowing to his will and determination instantly.

'Good.'

The grin stayed on his face as he lowered his arm.

The gate behind him unlocked with a loud click, opening the path forward.

Sam stepped out of the chamber, his stride calm.

The [Maze Berserker] appeared beside him in its spirit form, its crimson body glowing brighter than before.

Its strength felt greater now than when it had been alive.

Even though his other spirits were gone, it didn't matter.

A boss spirit was worth far more than dozens of weaklings.

Sam wasn't a summoner, but with this... he couldn't deny it made him stronger.

The next structure he entered was different.

He stepped onto a massive platform, and immediately, he felt the shift.

The air was thicker, the aura darker.

The void beneath him pulsed faintly, as though alive, whispering for him to step off the ledge and fall into its endless maw.

All around, monsters prowled the bridges, the stairs, and the walls.

Far more than before.

And in the center, a giant platform swarmed with dozens of them.

[The "Maze of the Damned" is big, but only by conquering its trial will we reach its end.]

The words echoed in his mind.

Sam exhaled softly.

"At least there are signs that I'm advancing," he muttered.

His eyes narrowed on the platform.

"Alright," Sam grinned, "to make this easier... might as well build my army."

The [Maze Berserker] stood at his side.

Its crimson eyes flared as it raised its massive blade.

Purification!

A golden pulse erupted from the weapon, washing across the platform.

The shockwave was even stronger than before, sweeping through dozens of monsters at once.

The weaker ones were killed instantly.

Others were left mangled and writhing, too damaged to fight back.

The survivors tried to retaliate, but the berserker's blade cut them down without effort.

Sam extended his hand, claiming the spirits of every fallen creature.

Those that didn't fall into the void became his soldiers.

He also absorbed their cores, feeling his strength climb steadily. And so the cycle continued.

Step into a structure. Unleash his army. Kill everything in sight.

Sam advanced deeper into the [Maze of the Damned] without pause.

Monsters fell like waves against him.

Any that tried to resist were slaughtered by the berserker's blade, or by the growing army that marched at Sam's back.

When he reached the second chamber, the challenge was a [Monster Tide].

A flood of enemies poured from every wall and crevice, howling in rage.

Sam didn't even blink.

His army of spirits surged forward, tearing through the tide.

The berserker waded into the thickest of them, every swing of its golden blade killing several at once.

Minutes later, the chamber was cleared.

And when Sam stepped out again—

Ding!

[True Primordial Spirits: 74/100]

Seventy-four spirits floated around him, crimson forms glowing with veins of his affinities.

They marched like a small army, with the [Maze Berserker] leading them at the front.

Sam's grin widened.

He was no summoner, but right now, he looked like the commander of an army of death.

Of course, they still had the weakness of dying in a single strike. But it didn't matter.

They were simply too strong to stop. Hours passed like this.

Chamber after chamber. Structure after structure.

Each trial only added to his army, his power growing at an absurd rate.

By the time he reached the third chamber, the challenge was different.

A boss. The [Damned Reaper].

A figure cloaked in endless black smoke, wielding a massive scythe dripping with void energy.

The fight was rather simple, and Sam killed it swiftly.

And when its spirit rose, he claimed it just like the others.

His army grew even stronger.

But he also reached the third phase of the [Maze of the Damned].

The structures were more corrupted than before, the walls pulsing as if alive.

The void had crept closer to the edges of the platforms, one wrong step enough to consume anyone instantly.

The monsters had changed too. More horrifying than before.

The awakeners he saw could be counted on one hand, each of them among the strongest races.

And yet even they struggled.

Sam pressed on.

Until finally—

Ding!

[Congratulations to Sam Walker for leveling up to Level 10 of the Ascendant Rank!]