Primordial Awakening: I Can Evolve My Skills Infinitely

Fwish! Ding!

[Jester Tower, Floor Three.]

Sam and the [Forsaken Clone] arrived, only to see Jevil already there again, floating lazily in the air, arms crossed, as if waiting for them.

"But I do wonder," Jevil said, voice playful yet calm, "are you doing this just to move forward? Or maybe… heh."

"Finish your sentence," Sam replied flatly, "I want to know."

"Don't wanna~" Jevil giggled, his aura starting to ripple.

The ten cards spinning around him suddenly merged together, forming into a giant silver scythe.

Then, without hesitation, Jevil lunged first.

Slash!

Sam clashed against the massive blade, bracing himself.

He couldn't afford to get hit.

Even one clean strike could eat away at his [Eternal Barrier].

The clone snapped to attention and shot forward, primordial sword already slashing in an arc.

"Too slow~" Jevil laughed, spinning his scythe and deflecting both of their attacks with ease. "Still, I'm surprised~"

"Why?" Sam asked as he repositioned.

"My scythe usually cuts through weapons. After all, it holds the strength of every card I possess." Jevil tilted his head. "But yours hasn't even chipped, even after all those clashes~"

Sam didn't reply. He didn't need to.

The [Primordial Sword] was a weapon beyond comprehension.

It was the strongest in the realm, and it literally couldn't break.

That fact alone was enough of an answer.

The clone dashed in again, blade aimed at Jevil's side.

But—

"Your friend is far too aggressive~" Jevil said, spinning the scythe around his body and knocking the blade aside before pointing the scythe directly at the clone.

A silver beam erupted from its edge.

The clone raised its sword to block, but the impact was too powerful.

It was sent flying, crashing hard against the wall.

"Oh well~" Jevil shrugged, disappearing in a puff of mist as a glowing portal formed in the center of the floor.

'Is he really just trying to show off...?' Sam thought, watching the portal closely, his expression turning cold.

'No, he's not stupid. He's planning something.'

Sam walked toward the portal, letting out a breath. At least the clone was helping.

It had been attacking nonstop, and in doing so, it had revealed more of Jevil's tricks.

That alone made it worth keeping around.

So far, Sam had witnessed three of Jevil's weapons: the [Jester Hammer], the [Jester Blades], and now, the [Jester Scythe].

Technically, Jevil could summon any weapon he could imagine, thanks to his [Card Powers].

But Sam was starting to suspect these weren't random attacks.

No, Jevil had trained with each of these weapons.

They were a part of his core style. He was showcasing them deliberately.

Why? That was the question.

Sam didn't know. Not yet.

But for now, he stepped into the glowing portal, and a moment later, his feet touched down on the next level.

Fwish! Ding!

[Jester Tower, Floor Four.]

"You don't understand what you're truly up against, do you?" Jevil's voice continued as soon as Sam entered, no longer teasing.

It was lower, firmer.

"That's why you keep going. Why you keep fighting."

Without a word, Sam snapped his fingers.

Fifteen [Abyssal Obliteration] portals opened behind him.

They merged together in a dark mass, then began to charge a [Bullet of Oblivion], his strongest long-range attack.

Jevil's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched.

But there was no fear in his expression.

"But..." Jevil whispered as a red glow spread from his mask, "you must realize it by now. Right?"

Sam tilted his head, confused.

He wasn't one to speak much in battle.

Usually, it was his enemies who kept the conversations going.

Still… something about Jevil's tone felt different.

"All the other Primordials," Jevil continued, "were stronger than you. Smarter than you. And yet they all fell. You truly think you stand a chance?"

The cards around him spun rapidly, forming a swirling silver vortex.

"That's because you have no idea what's waiting for you next~"

Fwish! Slash!

The [Forsaken Clone] lunged forward again.

Jevil's eyes flicked toward it, and three cards hovered in front of him, forming a solid barrier that blocked every single blow.

"You're still in the [Lower Realm]," Jevil said, voice echoing. "Yet you know so little~"

"Lower Realm?" Sam muttered.

That was the second time Jevil had mentioned it.

Wherever this place was, this tower, this world, Jevil clearly viewed it as only a part of something bigger.

A lower segment of a larger whole.

But even with that knowledge, Sam's resolve didn't waver.

He had no time to fear the unknown.

The only thing that mattered was defeating Jevil.

"I won't say anything more~" Jevil said suddenly.

The smiling half of his mask pulsed with light.

"You'll never learn what the [Lower Realm] truly is, because I'm ending this today~"

Then, with a familiar puff, he vanished, ascending to the top of the tower.

Sam stared at the new portal that appeared in the center of the floor.

And he sighed. Because something deep in his chest told him this was it.

This would be the real battle.

Everything up to now had been Jevil talking, teasing, and demonstrating his power, but never using all of it.

Sam closed his eyes for a moment.

'Lower Realm… whatever it is, it doesn't matter right now.'

The path forward was simple. Kill Jevil to escape this place. Or die trying, and let the realm rejoice at his failure.

He looked around. The cracks left by the [Jester Hammer] back on Floor One had spread.

The stone walls were weakening. The entire tower was starting to fall apart.

Time was running out. But the voices inside him rang louder than ever.

[We need to stay alive to annoy them all =)!]

[All of those in our way will meet the same end, for we are the last Primordial. We cannot back down!]

[Stay determined!]

Sam nodded. He stepped into the final portal.

There was a brief sensation of being warped through space.

Then, he landed. At the very top of the tower.

A wide, open platform made of crumbling stone stretched beneath his feet.

The sky above was deep purple, thunder cracking across it like a dying god's heartbeat.

At the edge of the platform was a flimsy wall, barely enough to stop anyone from falling.

This was the final floor. The arena.

Fwish! BOOM!

[Dodge.]

Sam instinctively leapt backward, just in time to avoid a massive shockwave that exploded where he had just stood.

It would have knocked him straight off the tower.

"I'm not falling for that again," Sam muttered, crimson aura flickering in his eyes. "This ends now."

"Heh~" Jevil hovered in the air, his presence overwhelming, his aura heavier than it had ever been on the previous floors. "Yes… now it truly begins~"

The ten swirling cards around him pulsed with light, spinning faster, forming unpredictable patterns in the air.

Jevil clenched his fist, his voice rising.

"Let's do this, True Primordial."

[Knowing that you are fighting an opponent far stronger than you fills you with determination.]

Sam lowered into his stance, and beside him, the [Forsaken Clone] did the same.

Its face twisted back into a crooked smile, finally ready to unleash its full strength.

And then Jevil lifted his hand.

Jester Hammer!

The massive, absurdly oversized hammer appeared in his grip.

Jevil held it like a weapon meant to end everything.

He was ready to bring the Primordial down. Even if it meant destroying the entire [Jester Tower], and himself, along with it.