Primordial Awakening: I Can Evolve My Skills Infinitely

After Jevil's body hit the ground, Sam slowly got up.

He let out a deep breath, eyes narrowing slightly as he stared down at his trembling hands.

They were still shaking, not from fear or exhaustion, but from the lingering aftereffects of what he had just done.

The power he had felt when using [Hatred Boost] was... strange.

His mind had gone completely blank the moment it activated, like his thoughts were drowned out in a sea of static.

Everything around him had disappeared in an instant, except Jevil.

He could see the jester perfectly, as if lit up by the crimson glow that had poured out of Sam's soul like wildfire.

And even now, after it had all ended, Sam could still remember the feeling he had deep within him while using it.

If he had to be honest... He didn't hate it. In fact, he kind of liked it.

That overwhelming surge of power. That sharp focus. That unshakable intent to destroy.

But even if he liked it, Sam knew he couldn't allow himself to get used to it.

The way it had taken over his mind, the way it had shut out everything except violence, it was too dangerous.

He'd have to use it sparingly.

And... There had been voices too. He was sure of it.

He had heard voices while surrounded by [Hatred], whispering to him from some place far beyond, though he couldn't remember what any of them had said.

It was like a dream he couldn't hold onto.

He sighed, clearing his thoughts, and immediately moved to collect the two items that had dropped from Jevil's body.

With a quick glance up at the shattered sky above, Sam didn't waste any more time.

Jevil for some reason didn't have a [Primordial Spirit] appear above his corpse.

This meant that either: Jevil's will and hatred were so strong his spirit didn't appear, or Sam simply wasn't allowed to take a [Forsaken Lord] as a spirit.

Regardless, leapt straight out of the [Jester Tower].

Jevil had nearly destroyed the structure by slamming his hammer into the first floor with full force, and the battle on the top floor had only worsened things.

Sam could feel it in the air, the tower didn't have much time left.

And just as he jumped...

Crash!

He heard a loud sound behind him.

He turned his head back in mid-air, eyes widening as he saw the fifth floor collapsing.

Large pieces of stone began crumbling away.

Sam descended fast, plummeting through the clouds as wind roared past his ears.

From where he was, he saw the full outline of the [Jester Tower].

It was cracked and broken, massive fault lines running down its length.

And then, before his eyes... It shattered.

The entire tower fell apart.

Chunks of stone and debris broke away and plummeted toward the ground like meteors.

Ding!

[The "Jester Tower" has been destroyed!]

[Good work, Primordial =)]

'I didn't really do anything... but I'll take the compliment.'

Sam was no longer scared of falling from great heights.

Because right before reaching the ground...

Tendrils of Oblivion!

The tendrils surged out from his sword.

They wrapped around his body, slowing his descent, and just before he touched down, they pulled back.

Sam flipped and landed with ease.

BOOM!

Behind him, the sound of the tower's remains crashing into the earth echoed like thunder.

Dust filled the air, and the impact shook the ground.

But Sam didn't look back.

Instead, he turned toward the portal that had appeared at the start of the sub-layer.

It was open. He could leave.

But Sam didn't walk through it. Not yet.

He first pulled out the items he had collected from Jevil.

They were still resting in his hands, and he wanted to take a proper look at them.

He crouched down and placed both on the ground.

Better to check what they did now, especially since he wasn't planning to sell either of them.

---

[Jevil's Cards (5)]

[Rank: Forsaken]

[Description: Allows you to use the "Card Powers" of Jevil. In itself, this can be its own combat style and is extremely difficult to master.]

[Hell-Mode Analysis: He wasn't strong enough.]

---

Sam's eyes widened slightly.

There were five cards, not just one.

Each of them shimmered faintly with a strange, chaotic aura.

Anyone who possessed these would be able to use Jevil's [Card Powers], provided they trained hard enough.

That kind of item was more than rare. It was completely unique.

Sam was almost certain it couldn't be traded, even if he tried.

He stored it into his [Spatial Inventory] for now.

He might use it later, or not. Time would tell.

Usually, [Forsaken Lords] dropped three items, but this time there were only two.

Still, Sam didn't feel cheated. The cards alone were incredible.

In fact, they were the first [Forsaken] rank items he had received that weren't artifacts.

And speaking of artifacts... There was one more.

---

[Jevil's Mask]

[Rank: Forsaken]

[Description: An item that proves someone has beaten "Jevil, The Card Jester." Keep it as an artifact. It's the fifth of the six.]

[Only one more =)]

---

Sam didn't need a reminder.

He already knew.

Out of the six [Forsaken Lords] that had once ruled the layers with unchecked power...

He had defeated five.

He had suffered for it, and nearly died multiple times.

But in the end, he made it through. Only one remained.

And even though he should feel relieved... He didn't.

Somewhere in his soul, something began to stir.

[An overwhelming feeling of "Doom" overtakes you.]

Sam clenched his fists tightly.

He gritted his teeth, forcing the unease away.

Then he shook his head.

'I have to keep going. Just one more. One more and I can finally reach the [Universal Stage]...'

That had been the goal all along.

He knew full well that what waited for him in that next part would be far worse.

Jevil had mentioned something about a [Lower Realm]... but Sam didn't care.

He wasn't turning back now.

He placed both Jevil's mask and the cards into his [Spatial Inventory].

Then...

Ding!

A notification popped up in front of him.

[You have completed your Expert Rank advancement task: Kill "Jevil, The Card Jester."]

[Performance Rating: SSS.]

'Heh. Looks like I get SSS on all of them.'

The reason for that was likely because the challenges themselves were nearly impossible.

Even surviving them should've been a miracle.

Ding!

[Congratulations to Sam Walker for advancing to Master Rank!]

'Nice.'

It had taken a long time.

So much longer than he expected.

But finally, Sam had reached the [Master] Rank.

Of course, he already feared how long it would take to reach [Ascendant].

He suspected he wouldn't be able to level up quickly in the future even while going through the [Fifth Layer] several times, unless he entered the [Sixth Layer] that is.

And Sam wanted to avoid that at all costs. He knew going in would be suicide.

Ding!

[You will be granted several rewards for your performance, Primordial.]

[Make your choice.]

'Of course,' Sam smirked. 'New reward time.'

---

[Choose between 3 skills (Shadow Affinity)]

[Gain +10 stats to your Strength, Agility and Constitution, and +20 to your Soul (Void Affinity)]

[Gain no skill now, but instead you must fill the "Hatred Bar" before reaching Level 5 to gain an extremely powerful skill (Hatred Bar)]

---

"Huh... so I guess [Hatred] affinity can be activated at any milestone..."

It made sense.

But he quickly realized that taking the [Hatred] path right now was a terrible idea.

Not only was he not feeling hatred at the moment, but he also had fewer levels to work with.

He was currently Level 1 in [Master] Rank.

That meant he only had four levels to fill the [Hatred Bar].

When he had done it before at Level 5, he had five. A small difference, but one that mattered.

Sam didn't waste time.

He glanced at the second reward. The stat boost.

This time, it felt like the right move.

Skills were useful, but his body needed to keep up with the enemies he would face next.

No matter how powerful his affinities became, he needed a strong foundation to survive.

"Void Affinity."

The moment he said it, the other two panels vanished.

A wave of silver energy washed over him.

[The Void's gaze is still omnipresent on you, yet you still manage to gaze back at it, your determination fueling you.]

The aura flowed into Sam's body, surrounding him before seeping deep into his core.

He felt it instantly. More power. More strength. More speed.

His limbs felt lighter, his aura denser, and his soul deeper than ever before.

Ding!

[You have gained +10 to Strength, Agility and Constitution, and +20 to Soul.]

'Nice.'

And after that... Sam knew exactly what came next. Another affinity.