Primordial Awakening: I Can Evolve My Skills Infinitely

The moment the clone revived, its crimson eyes widened, and its twisted smile stretched even more than before.

An overwhelming wave of killing intent burst out from its body.

It was so sharp, so suffocating, that even the jesters, who had been entirely focused on Sam, suddenly froze.

Their eyes widened as they turned around, instincts screaming at them.

But by then... it was already too late.

Fwish! Slash!

The [Forsaken Clone] surged forward like a streak of crimson light.

Its primordial sword charged with power, it slashed once at Vinn, the jester with the whipping mask, cleanly slicing his body in half in a single blow.

"WHY WON'T YOU STAY DEAD?!" Grint roared, panic finally flooding his voice as he watched his companion fall.

Mirla, too, was shocked.

Her smiling mask flared with energy as she began to channel magic, in a desperate attempt to prepare a defense or perhaps retaliate.

But Sam didn't give her the chance.

He raised a single finger and pointed forward.

BOOM!

From the portal above him, the [Bullet of Oblivion] tore through space and screamed straight toward Mirla.

She instantly stopped her incantation, abandoning her spell.

She knew she couldn't defend and cast at the same time.

Her only option was to protect herself, and maybe her last standing ally.

Meanwhile, the [Forsaken Clone] retreated, sliding into position between Sam and Grint, ready to strike again.

Mirla gritted her teeth and swung her staff.

With all her power, she focused it into a single chant.

CARD BARRIER!

A massive card, glowing and pulsing with layered enchantments, appeared in front of her.

It was her strongest defense spell, a technique she had been refining for months.

"I TRAINED FOR THIS!" she shouted, her voice trembling but firm. "JUST TO STAND AGAINST MONSTERS LIKE YOU!"

This was her pride. The ultimate barrier.

A shield that could protect not just herself, but her allies too.

It was meant to hold against anything.

And yet...

Fwish! BOOM!

The [Bullet of Oblivion] collided with the [Card Barrier] and immediately began to crack it apart.

Mirla's eyes widened in disbelief.

"I WON'T BACK DOWN!" she screamed, pouring every last bit of energy she had into the barrier. "FOR MASTER JEVIL! TO KILL YOU, I WILL—"

She couldn't finish her sentence.

The bullet, empowered by Sam's aura, his affinities, and his sheer will, shattered the [Card Barrier] within seconds.

The glowing card split in half, the pieces disintegrating into dust as the bullet reached her.

It hovered for a breath in front of her face.

'How...?' she thought, her mouth parting in silent confusion. 'That barrier… it was supposed to resist most attacks... I trained so hard... but only a single bullet was enough...?'

In her final moment, she locked eyes with Sam.

All she saw in his expression was a shadowed face, cloaked in hatred, wrapped in a deep crimson aura that burned like a second skin.

And in that instant, she understood.

And she realized at that moment that it wasn't her [Card Barrier] that failed, but simply that the Primordial was too strong.

"We never stood a chance, did we—"

BOOM!

The bullet exploded on impact, obliterating her head in a single strike.

Her body dropped, lifeless and still.

Grint froze.

Sam couldn't see his expression behind that blank white mask, but he didn't need to.

He could feel the shift.

[Void Watcher: He realizes that he shouldn't have been so cocky, but... deep within, he's proud that Jevil will know what to expect from you.]

That tiny hesitation as Grint glanced at the corpses of his two allies, that single moment, was all it took.

Slash!

The [Forsaken Clone] darted forward and stabbed its sword directly into Grint's heart.

The crimson blade pierced deep, and the clone's smile grew wider, its bloodlust practically dancing in the air.

But Grint… didn't fall.

Even as pain surged through him, he clenched his teeth and stood firm.

He couldn't die yet. He refused.

Not before showing Master Jevil that he was worth something.

[He's showing signs of Determination =)]

[It won't be enough.]

Fwish! Slash!

He swung the translucent blades extending from his arms.

The clone narrowly dodged.

"Heh…" Grint groaned, staggering slightly. "Truly fascinating... but…"

He then bolted. Faster than before, moving like a blur, he rushed toward the fallen bodies of Mirla and Vinn.

From each corpse, glowing cards floated upward, the same ones they had used to summon their weapons.

Grint grabbed all four without hesitation.

"Jevil told us we couldn't handle this much," Grint muttered.

His breathing was heavy, his voice laced with pain.

"But if it means killing you... then so be it."

He now had seven cards floating around him.

Four from the dead, three of his own.

He dismissed the blades growing from his arms. The cards began to spin, orbiting him like moons.

As the seventh card began glowing, his mask pulsed with light.

Then, one by one, the cards phased into his body, and his whole form shuddered.

"Let me show you a glimpse of Master Jevil's power!" Grint shouted. "I'LL KILL YOU EVEN IF IT DESTROYS ME!"

BOOM!

A massive explosion shook the entire floor. Silver mist swallowed everything.

When it cleared, Sam's eyes narrowed.

"…Holy," he muttered, gripping his sword tighter.

"=)" the clone seemed to approve, its grin widening.

Grint had completely transformed.

He now wore a full suit of shimmering armor, forged from the power of the cards.

It crackled with strange energy.

His dual arm blades were back, sleeker, sharper, and ten times more dangerous.

"LET'S FINISH THIS!" Grint roared, charging forward.

Sam could feel the strength radiating from him.

Seven cards of power fused into a single body...

If this was what Jevil's disciples could do, then what could the [Forsaken Lord] himself accomplish?

'If Jevil has access to more than this... and full control over them...' Sam's thoughts darkened, 'Then I'm going to need everything I have.'

Still, he couldn't falter now.

Fwish!

The clone lunged again, while Sam sprinted around from the other side.

They were trying to flank Grint.

[Void Watcher: He can't hold all this power for long. His body's already breaking down. Keep going.]

The clone struck first.

Clang!

Its sword bounced harmlessly off Grint's armor.

"Tch… annoying," Grint grunted.

He swung at the clone with tremendous speed, but it dodged again.

Even with his new power, it was clear he wasn't used to it.

Grint fought hard, pushing back the clone and fending off Sam, but only for a few seconds.

Then… his body started to slow.

The power was too much. His muscles trembled. His breathing staggered.

His feet wouldn't move anymore. He was frozen in place.

"Too bad," Sam muttered, stepping closer.

His crimson aura surged.

"You weren't strong enough. And your master... will fall next."

SLASH!

With a clean, merciless strike, Sam cut through Grint's neck.

His head fell. The armor shattered.

The cards scattered into glowing shards before fading into nothing.

This small display of power might not have seemed like much to many, only a desperate attempt, but Sam saw it as information.

Because these "cards" they used were their power source, meaning that the more they had, the stronger they were.

And Jevil likely had far more.

Sam raised his sword.

The tendrils at its base twisted outward, reaching toward the three dead jesters.

They latched onto their cores and yanked them free, absorbing them into the blade.

Ding!

At that moment, a portal appeared at the center of the [Fourth Floor].

Unlike the ones before, this one was pure white, but streaked with veins of writhing darkness.

Its presence alone made the air grow heavy.

Sam could feel it.

Beyond that portal… was the final floor. The final battle.

The [Forsaken Clone] looked toward it eagerly, its smile brimming with anticipation.

But Sam didn't walk through just yet.

Because from the corpses of the jesters, three glowing figures began to rise: spirits, drifting in the air, unshackled from their bodies.

Sam smiled.

'So even you three can be used as [Primordial Spirits]... Good.'

He clenched his fist, gaze locked on the portal ahead.

He would use everything, Jevil's own disciples, their powers, their souls.

He would turn their strength against their master.