Primordial Awakening: I Can Evolve My Skills Infinitely

A level 60 monster. That alone was enough to make Sam pause for a second.

This meant that this monster was the equivalent of a peak [Ascendant] rank.

In other words, it was the strongest monster humanity had ever seen up to this point.

And right now, Sam was the first, and only, human to lay eyes on it.

He'd been the first to step into the [Fifth Layer]. That alone came with risks, but also... responsibility.

The system adjusted everything for him, ramping up the monsters to their highest potential.

He didn't expect the others to face anything like this.

Their monsters would likely be around levels 53 to 55, dangerous, but manageable.

This was different. This was monstrous.

ROOOOARRRR!

A deafening roar shattered the silence of the ruined realm, followed by a pulse of overwhelming aura that rippled across the scorched ground.

The dragon's power surged outward, shaking the very air.

Sam narrowed his eyes. Instead of backing down, he used that moment to carefully observe the creature before him.

It wasn't like the other dragons he'd faced, the [Roaring Dragons] from the third layer.

This one was larger, more regal in its movement, but far more terrifying in its presence.

Its skin was a gleaming white, almost ethereal. On both of its massive wings were mask symbols Sam instantly recognized.

They were the same strange, eerie symbols constantly floating around Jevil's panels.

The creature before him was known as a [Rune Dragon]. And it was drenched in power.

Violet runes lit up across its scales like they were alive, pulsing with a dark energy. It stood with confidence, knowing it was at the top of the food chain.

But Sam didn't waver. His feet stayed firmly planted. His gaze didn't shift.

He had come too far to back away now.

ROOOOARRRR!

Another roar thundered out as the dragon flapped its wings, stepping forward with purpose.

The runes on its body flared brighter with every move, the beast eager to unleash its strength.

It wanted to erase the intruder in front of it.

A monster like this… even the most elite awakeners, the top guilds, the leaders of the [Awakener Association], they wouldn't dream of facing it solo.

They'd need a full squad just to hold their ground.

But Sam wasn't like them anymore.

[Void Watcher: It seems to be controlled by Jevil, who fueled it with his "Card Powers."]

'Card powers, huh…' Sam thought.

He recalled the floating cards that had surrounded the strange white panels whenever Jevil spoke.

The same cards orbiting around the portal when it first appeared. It all made sense now.

[Show me a good time, child~]

Jevil's voice echoed, still watching, still amused, like a child watching his favorite show.

Sam didn't care.

He still respected monsters at this level. After all, they were powerful in their own right.

A peak [Ascendant] wasn't something to laugh at. It could probably even push him to his limits.

But as he stood before the Rune Dragon… There wasn't a single drop of fear in him.

Fwish! BOOM!

The dragon flapped its wings once more and howled into the sky.

Violet magic surged around it as [Runic Blades] formed in midair. The sharp symbols flew forward in waves.

Sam's eyes focused, and he moved.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

His primordial sword moved with intent, deflecting every single blade without faltering.

The dragon wasn't pleased.

It summoned a whirlwind, an enormous tornado wrapped in glowing violet runes. It swallowed Sam whole.

Ding!

[You have been inflicted with "Confusion"...]

[Hell-Mode Analysis: This effect is supposed to make you dizzy and massively reduce your accuracy, meaning most of your attacks will fail, with a possibility of hurting yourself.]

Sam squinted through the storm. He'd never been hit by a skill that deals "Confusion" before. But it didn't matter.

He wasn't normal, either.

[...But nothing happened, you are immune to "Confusion".]

He grinned, "Of course."

He was done with this.

Jevil wanted a show, sure, but Sam wasn't a performer.

And this dragon? It didn't feel as threatening as it should have.

Maybe that was a result of how far Sam had come, or maybe... It was something else entirely.

The dragon's runes blazed like fire again. Its body tensed. It was preparing another attack, one that would likely level the entire battlefield.

[Avoid this, then~] Jevil chimed in playfully.

But Sam didn't wait. He gripped his sword tighter. His aura surged.

He started charging his [Charged Crescent Slash], gathering every drop of power from his affinities into the strike.

But charging took time. A hit during this moment would cancel the entire attack.

That's why Sam made the first move.

Gaze of the Primordial!

His crimson eyes changed.

They turned into bottomless, spiraling abysses, pulling in light, emotion, and fear all at once.

The instant the [Rune Dragon] locked eyes with him, it froze.

Its runes dimmed. Its wings drooped. Its entire body was paralyzed. Even the wind fell silent.

[Huh~?] Jevil mused. [Did it break~?]

Ding!

[You have inflicted "Doom" on the "Rune Dragon".]

'Bingo,' Sam smirked.

It was simple. If the enemy didn't have resistance to [Doom], and they looked into his eyes during the one-second activation of [Gaze of the Primordial], it was over.

Now all that was left... He unleashed the slash.

A massive, glowing crescent of power shot forward, huge enough to match the dragon in size.

But the creature couldn't move. Couldn't scream. Couldn't dodge.

In that moment of darkness, it saw nothing but Sam's spiraling crimson eyes, cold and endless.

It knew then, it was already dead.

SLASH!

The crescent wave cut clean through it. A single strike, splitting the dragon in half, ending its existence before it could even react.

Sam stood motionless as the body collapsed in two halves, steam and light rising from the remains.

He hadn't used [Forsaken Clone]. He hadn't even needed half his arsenal.

And yet… he had just slain the strongest monster known to man.nIn mere seconds.

Even Jevil was surprised.

[Huh… I expected more of a tough battle but... sure, I guess~]

[You can keep going, I'm going to love seeing what you can do next~]

A quiet poof followed as Jevil's presence faded.

The floating panels dissolved into light particles and vanished into the air.

Sam exhaled slowly.

'Keep going, you bastard,' he thought, his eyes narrowing. 'Eventually, I'll get you.'

He could feel it now, clearly, deeply. He was growing stronger at a pace even he didn't anticipate.

This wasn't just the usual increase in strength. This was something else entirely.

Even he hadn't been sure if he could take on a peak [Ascendant] rank solo.

But he had. And it felt… easy.

His [Primordial] nature was awakening more and more.

But more than that, his determination, his affinities, his will, they were fueling him. And it was only accelerating.

He lifted his sword once more.

From it, a black tendril slithered forward like a living shadow, latching onto the dragon's corpse.

It pierced through, pulled something from within, and returned.

In its grip was the dragon's core, radiating with violent energy.

The tendril shoved it into the sword's mouth, and with a sickening crunch, the core was devoured.

Ding!

A wave of raw power surged into Sam's body. He felt it immediately.

And then the system confirmed it.

[Congratulations to Sam Walker for leveling up to Level 9 of the Expert Rank!]

'Only one more level...'