Primordial Awakening: I Can Evolve My Skills Infinitely

[Step forward, child~]

Sam stared at the swirling portal in front of him, the white light pulsing gently as cards floated around it in slow, lazy orbits.

Each card shimmered with arcane symbols and that same strange mask he kept seeing.

He took a deep breath and exhaled.

This was it.

Just like every time before, entering a new layer meant facing something stronger, stranger, and deadlier than before.

A new test. A new battlefield. And more than likely… a new [Forsaken Lord].

The one ruling this layer had already spoken to Sam back in the real world.

That fact alone was enough to make him cautious. The others didn't reach across space to speak to him like this.

Still… Sam's eyes narrowed. His determination didn't falter.

[Only two left.]

He nodded once, then stepped forward.

The portal flared the moment his foot passed through, the light wrapping around him and pulling him in.

The [Fifth Layer].

No human had entered it before.

Not even the biggest guilds or highest-ranked awakeners.

After clearing the [Fourth Layer], they'd all paused, wanting to plan, gather strength, and prepare before advancing.

The first exploration of a layer was always the most dangerous. The unknown was never kind.

But now that the doomsday countdown ticked in the skies above every world, Sam figured they wouldn't be waiting much longer.

Still… he would be the first.

He grinned slightly at the thought. The danger didn't matter.

He vanished into the portal. And as it snapped shut behind him—

[Uh oh. Bad decision.]

Sam felt himself being pulled through the vortex, like falling through a twisting void.

'We'll see about that,' he thought, eyes focused.

But no matter how hard he tried to focus, his mind couldn't let go of the image of the ten beings who had appeared earlier.

The power they radiated. The way their eyes had locked on him, how they knew what he was.

He had felt helpless in that moment.

Sam clenched his fists tighter. That could never happen again.

He didn't want to feel like that. Not anymore.

He wanted to grow stronger, not just to survive, but to face them.

To defend himself against anything. To avenge the fallen Primordials who had been hunted down and erased from history.

And even though those beings hinted that the six layers of the [Forsaken] realm were only the beginning… he didn't care.

The fifth and sixth [Forsaken Lords] stood between him and the strength he needed.

'But that does mean that all these decades where the worlds had to go through the [Forsaken] realm show that this was a way to get awakeners to become much stronger,' Sam thought, 'Will there be a way to get even stronger? I wonder...'

There were too many questions, and no answers yet.

Suddenly—

Fwish! BOOM!

Sam's feet hit solid ground.

Ding!

[You have entered the "Fifth Layer" of the "Forsaken" Realm: The Rune Tower.]

He looked around.

A vast open field stretched endlessly in all directions, but directly ahead of him stood a massive tower.

It pierced the clouds and rose beyond sight, glowing faintly with pulsing runes carved deep into its stone.

This was the [Rune Tower]. The fifth layer.

At its base, two enormous gates slowly creaked open as if they had been expecting him.

Energy radiated from the tower, runes glowing on every surface, humming with power.

And there it was again, etched right above the gate: the mask symbol. The one that was half-smiling, half-sad.

The mark of the [Forsaken Lord] of this layer.

A barrier flickered behind Sam, sealing him in. There was only one path forward now.

[Enter my domain, child~]

Sam didn't flinch.

He stared at the tower's gates and muttered, "What's it gonna be? Are you going to teleport me straight into a trap, or wait until I'm weak and finish me off yourself?"

There was no response, at first.

Then, a familiar white panel flickered to life.

[Who knows~ I just want to see how far you'll climb my tower~]

[Go on :)]

Sam noticed something. The smiling side of the mask… it flickered. Just for a second, it shimmered brighter than the sad side.

'That's not good.'

He walked forward, step by step.

'The [Roaring Titan] and [Asmodeus] reacted the moment I entered their domains,' Sam thought. 'This one won't be any different.'

These Forsaken Lords weren't stupid. Far from it.

But that was fine. He had a plan.

And the plan was to force his way through all of it using his determination.

[If we fall here, how will we survive the later stages?]

Sam nodded to himself.

[Hatred Bar: 96%]

A smile tugged at his lips.

He was close, so close, to unlocking that skill from his [Hatred] affinity. All he needed was one final push.

And so, without hesitation, he walked toward the open gates.

[Jevil wishes you a happy stay~]

[May we meet later, Primordial, though I doubt you'd enjoy it as much as I will~]

'Whatever.'

Laughter echoed, high, jester-like, full of glee and madness, as he stepped through.

Ding!

[You have entered the "First Floor" of the "Rune Tower."]

[You have a bad feeling about this.]

Sam now stood inside a circular room made of glowing stone. No windows. No doors. Just smooth walls and a ceiling that disappeared into shadow above.

[First Floor Objective: Defeat the Boss.]

"Oh. Great," Sam sighed. "It's one of those."

From his [Spatial Inventory], he pulled out his Primordial sword.

The black blade shimmered with a crimson edge, its energy surging to life as he brought it down in front of him.

He stood still, breathing steadily, eyes scanning the space.

Even now, in the heart of enemy territory, Sam couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh.

He imagined what Lily, Alicia, or Chloe would say if they saw him right now, challenging the fifth layer, alone.

But he didn't need to worry. They were still progressing through the fourth layer. He didn't want them to know.

Even if they did, it wouldn't change anything.

[Anyone in our way =).]

And then—

Fwish! BOOM!

The air in front of him shifted. A massive figure began to take shape, rising from the ground.

The aura it gave off was suffocating.

Even Sam felt his legs tense involuntarily. This thing… it wasn't normal.

As the smoke cleared, Sam saw it.

---

[Rune Dragon (Corrupted)]

[Level: 60]

[Description: A dragon that serves Jevil, Lord of the Rune Tower. Extremely powerful. Capable of wiping out entire elite teams in seconds.]

[Hell-Mode Analysis: Despite being a dragon, it is not of the same origin as the Dragon race from the Seven Worlds. Still, its danger is extreme.]

---

From above, Jevil's voice echoed once more:

[Hehe~ Entertain me, child~ Or else you might just become dinner…]

Sam didn't flinch.

His eyes locked onto the dragon's glowing runes, its corrupted scales, the flames simmering in its throat.

He didn't care about Jevil watching. Let him enjoy the show.

Because Sam wasn't here to perform. He was here to win.

[That Forsaken Lord will regret not killing us when he had the chance.]

'He probably can't,' Sam thought, sword glowing brighter. 'Even the Forsaken Lords must have rules they have to follow.'

The dragon roared, fire crackling between its teeth.

Sam took his stance. He was ready.