Primordial Awakening: I Can Evolve My Skills Infinitely

Sam appeared back into his hotel room just after crushing the [Return Stone].

He didn't know why he had slept through most of the meeting, but it felt like everything important had already been discussed.

Apparently, while he was unconscious, the others had handled it all.

He didn't really care, though.

No matter what decisions were made, he still had to clear the [Sixth Layer] within six months.

After that... the [Universal Stage] would begin.

He had no idea what would come after that point, but honestly, it didn't bother him.

'I mean... if I'm the only one who clears the [Sixth Layer] before the timer runs out, then humanity's going to be at a major disadvantage.'

The other races had so many awakeners at the [Forsaken] rank. Dozens. Maybe even hundreds.

If Sam pushed too far ahead and triggered the [Universal Stage] early, then he'd be dragging all of humanity in before they were ready.

It would mean that aside from him, everyone else would still be stuck on the [Fifth Layer].

Basically, they'd all be far too weak.

But even as that thought crossed his mind...

[It doesn't matter =)]

[We'll crush them all!]

He barely reacted.

A part of him already knew. It probably wouldn't make a difference.

Whether the [Universal Stage] came sooner or later, humanity would still be weaker than the rest.

Demons, dragons, angels, elves, beastkin and the last ones, many of them were strong enough to fight through entire layers on their own.

Even Sam wasn't sure he could beat some of them.

They might be capable of defeating the sixth [Forsaken Lord] without any help.

But that didn't concern him right now. The only thing Sam needed to focus on... was himself.

And so—

'I guess it's back to training. Once I've pushed my limits in training, I'll clear [Rifts] and the [Fifth Layer] as many times as I can to level up...'

There wasn't anything else he could do for humanity anyway. He had his own battle to fight.

Sam exhaled deeply, then activated [Dimension of Time].

A glowing white portal appeared before him, humming with power.

Without hesitating, he stepped into it. His eyes burned with resolve.

[We need to be so much stronger, keep going =)]

...

Weeks went by like this.

Sam stayed inside the [Dimension of Time] for most of his days.

It was the only choice that made sense.

Every single day inside that space gave him a full week of training.

It didn't take long for those days to become months.

Inside that endless white void, Sam sharpened his control, refined his attacks, and rebuilt his style from the ground up.

Some people would've lost their minds staying there for so long.

The blank landscape never changed. There was no sound. No color. No life.

But none of that mattered to Sam.

Every time he even thought about leaving, the image of that shadowy [Forsaken Lord] would flash through his mind.

Right alongside it came a single line.

[Proceed.]

For some reason, those two things gave him the strength to keep going.

When he wasn't inside the [Dimension of Time], Sam took short breaks with the girls.

"We finally cleared the [Fourth Layer]," Lily said, her grin wide. "Took a full team, though."

Chloe, Alicia, and her were forming a solid team.

"Chloe was amazing," Alicia said brightly. "I think she's a natural leader!"

Chloe scratched the back of her head and gave a sheepish smile.

"No way... you two were doing most of the damage. I just helped keep everyone alive. Honestly, we're a good team."

Meanwhile, the [Fifth Expedition] was getting closer.

Sam continued training without pause as the weeks turned into months.

He went on to clear dozens of [Master] rank rifts, but not a single one gave him a level.

He was still stuck at Level 1 of the [Master] rank.

Eventually, he turned his focus back to the [Fifth Layer].

And so, without fearing the appearance of the [Forsaken Lord], he went back to the third [Outer Ring] and began clearing the layer once a day.

That was the most he could handle on top of everything else.

The [Fifth Layer] had five floors, and they were completely different from what he had experienced back when Jevil was controlling the tower.

Back then, he had fought the [Rune Dragon] on the very first floor.

But in reality, the [Rune Dragon] was the final boss of the entire [Rune Tower].

The first three floors were just wave after wave of monsters that increased in difficulty.

The fourth floor had a mini-boss. Every monster was at the peak of [Ascendant] rank, and every one of them was [Corrupted].

And yet... even then... it took Sam more than ten clears just to level up once.

Ding!

[Congratulations to Sam Walker for leveling up to Level 2 of the Master Rank!]

It became clear then.

If he wanted to grow stronger as a Primordial, he'd need to move on to the [Sixth Layer].

The amount of experience required was climbing fast.

Still, Sam wasn't wasting time. He had filled all three of his [Primordial Spirit] slots with [Rune Dragons].

---

[Which spirit do you wish to summon?]

[→ Rune Dragon (Level 60)]

[→ Rune Dragon (Level 60)]

[→ Rune Dragon (Level 60)]

---

He had three of them bound to him now.

They weren't much use at the moment, but in the [Sixth Layer], they might help him by drawing aggro or serving as distractions.

They were infused with his aura after all, making them much stronger.

The [Fifth Expedition], meanwhile, was a huge success. All of the top guilds participated in it.

They cleared the layer on their very first attempt.

It was thanks to the advice Sam gave them, telling them it would be a tower, and that endurance was key.

That one insight made the difference.

They breezed through it with barely any setbacks.

Information about the [Fourth Layer] and the layers below it also went public.

More and more awakeners grew stronger. More of them passed the [Fourth Layer] and challenged the fifth.

Humanity, slowly but surely, was beginning to rise.

But even as the world grew stronger... Even as teams passed the [Fifth Layer]... Even as top guilds prepared for a major assault on the [Sixth Layer]...

Sam couldn't shake the feeling. Something wasn't right.

[You can hear the bells of "Doom" ringing over and over.]

[You know what it means, right? It's us or them. Keep going forward =)]

That message appeared again and again. And Sam didn't know who "them" referred to.

Every time he saw it, the pit in his stomach grew heavier.

And as the timer in the sky ticked lower and lower... His dreams started to change.

Now, that shadow [Forsaken Lord] appeared in them. Each time, his voice echoed.

[I know you'll come.]

[You know you can't win.]

[You can feel it in your bones. That determination of yours won't save you forever.]

Every night, it was something different.

But no matter what the [Forsaken Lord] said, Sam always silenced him by cutting him in the dream.

Time moved forward. And finally...

[17 Days, 21 Hours, 43 Minutes, 57 Seconds]

Only a little over two weeks remained.

The timer hung above them all like a sword ready to fall.

Sam stared at it often, his eyes glowing brighter every time.

He knew the [Sixth Expedition] was going to happen. Soon.

He was still only at Level 2 of the [Master] rank.

But he wasn't bothered. He clenched his fists. He knew what had to be done.

"I guess I'll do it soon," he said under his breath. "I'm stronger now."

His aura was more condensed. His techniques had been sharpened down to their core.

He was ready for his solo expedition into the [Sixth Layer].

He didn't fear that shadowy creature. Not even a little.

All he wanted now... was to kill it. And then see what came next.

He took one last look around the room. Then a grin appeared on his face.

"Last [Fifth Layer] clearance, I guess," he muttered, stepping out of the hotel room, "Then tomorrow... I go there. To end this."