Primordial Awakening: I Can Evolve My Skills Infinitely

Chloe was currently locked in battle with a Level 10 Expert-rank elf.

It was her sixth day inside the [Battle Realm], and this was by far her toughest opponent yet.

Sam stood in the audience seats above the arena, arms crossed, silently watching her every move.

He was curious, no, invested, in whether or not she could pull through.

After all, ten levels of difference was no joke.

---

[Name: Chloe Vinelord]

[Class: Plant Master (SS-Rank)]

[Rank: Expert]

[Level: 1]

---

To most, this would look like a losing fight from the start.

Ten levels wasn't something you could just "outplay" your way around.

But this wasn't just about numbers.

Sam knew better than most that in this world, class and skill mattered just as much, if not more.

Chloe had an SS-Rank class, something incredibly rare even among the other worlds.

Combine that with her precise control and tactical awareness, and she wasn't just a low-level underdog.

She was someone who could turn the tides.

And right now, she was proving it.

The elf charged with her sword blazing, swinging with brutal intent, but Chloe met her aggression with fluidity.

Every slash was met with a barrier of thorny vines, summoned just in time to block or deflect the incoming blow.

More than that, she had activated one of her core skills, [Verdant Spread], a passive-like ability that caused vines to continuously grow across the battlefield the longer the fight lasted.

Only three minutes had passed since the match started, and already most of the arena was coated in green.

From above, it looked like she was fighting in her own territory now.

The elf tried to keep her balance, hacking at vines as they wrapped around her boots and legs, but there were just too many.

The terrain no longer belonged to her—it belonged to Chloe.

Sam watched intently. Her control was brilliant.

Every movement she made had purpose.

"She's seriously overwhelming a ten-level gap…" Sam muttered to himself, almost impressed.

On the field, the elf growled in frustration.

"Shit!" she cursed, vines crawling up her arm as she struggled. "Why am I losing to some human ten levels below me?!"

She slashed, spun, and activated three different skills, trying to carve her way out. But it wasn't enough.

Suddenly, the ground beneath her glowed faintly, and then exploded upward.

Plant Binding!

A trap. Thick vines surged upward, twisting around her legs and torso, pulling her arms outward like ropes.

She was restrained in seconds, immobilized and held tightly.

Two massive flower buds appeared next, snapping shut around her limbs and holding her in place like a predator ready to devour prey.

The elf's eyes widened in fear.

Chloe raised her arm, and in it formed a long spike, crafted from sharpened, reinforced vines, glowing with a faint green aura.

The tip hovered just inches from the elf's throat.

"Give up," Chloe said, her voice calm but firm. "Or I'll kill you."

Sam tilted his head from his seat.

Personally, he would've ended it immediately.

Leaving room for hesitation was dangerous.

But Chloe was confident. She knew she had full control.

"I… I give up…" the elf muttered.

She gritted her teeth, furious and ashamed, but even she knew there was no way out.

Ding!

[Battle Complete.]

---

[Chloe Vinelord]

[Battles Fought: 6]

[Wins: 6]

[Battle Tokens: 200]

---

Chloe blinked, and a huge smile spread across her face.

"I did it…" she whispered to herself, glowing with pride. "I can actually get that thing now!"

She looked up toward the audience and spotted Sam.

He gave her a simple thumbs-up from above. She beamed.

A few seconds later, both of them were teleported out of the arena.

Chloe landed just outside the [Battle Kingdom's] streets.

She waited a few moments, and then Sam appeared nearby.

"There you are!" she grinned as she ran over to him. "I can finally go get the item I wanted from the [Battle Castle]!"

Her voice was filled with excitement. There wasn't a trace of doubt in her tone.

Sam didn't know what item she meant, but he trusted her judgment.

Chloe had always been smart, and he was sure she would end up with something important.

The two of them made their way back to the [Battle Castle], now far quieter than it had been before.

Most awakeners, whether human or elf, were already gone.

The sixth day had whittled down the number of participants again. Only the strongest remained now.

Most were Masters or Ascendants.

Sam and Chloe were likely the only two still at the [Expert] rank, and Chloe… well, she wouldn't be here for much longer.

They walked deep into the castle, through display after display of powerful artifacts and weapons.

Eventually, they reached the section that held the most expensive items, those costing between 200 and 250 [Battle Tokens].

And that's where Chloe stopped.

In front of her was a simple pedestal, and resting atop it was a book.

---

[Fire Affinity for Beginners]

[Rank: Legendary]

[Description: Allows anyone, regardless of class, to learn the "Fire" affinity.]

[Cost: 200 Battle Tokens]

---

Sam blinked.

"Fire Affinity?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "But… you're a [Plant Master]. You're gonna use fire?"

Chloe nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! I think it'll be a perfect contrast. Plus, it'll be useful. Imagine being able to attack from two different angles, plants to bind, fire to burn."

Sam couldn't argue with that. She was thinking ahead.

Without hesitation, she purchased the item.

The book vanished from the display and reappeared in her hands, thick, with a glowing orange-red cover.

Chloe hugged it tightly. She'd gotten what she came for.

Immediately afterward, she thought about leaving.

Ding!

[Do you wish to leave the "Battle Realm"?][Yes] [No]

She selected [Yes], and with a final wave toward Sam, disappeared.

Sam scratched his chin as he watched her vanish.

'She'll forget about this place. Forget the elves. The whole thing. That's how it works…' he sighed. 'But I guess it's fine.'

That meant only one thing.

He was now the last one remaining from their group.

And as his gaze shifted across the room, he saw it again, the [Forsaken Skill Scroll], still resting on its obsidian pedestal at the far end of the castle.

Its presence alone seemed to demand his attention. His eyes flared.

'Just one more fight… and then I'll have to find a way to claim it,' Sam thought, turning away.

Outside, the atmosphere had shifted.

Most of the elves still present watched him carefully. Quietly.

"I wonder if they're going to keep wasting our time..."

"Seriously, how can they not clear the Fourth Layer, it's supposed to be easy..."

"Wait a damn minute, you're Master Rank, did you even clear it yourself?"

"Huh... I won't answer this question."

Sam didn't care for their chatter. Their words didn't matter.

Not unless they got in his way. But it did get him thinking.

What exactly was waiting for him in the Fourth Layer? What would the fourth [Forsaken Lord] do?

They always knew when he killed one of them. They were aware of his presence. Aware of who he was.

And each time, they adapted. The next one would be even stronger.

Sam had confidence in himself, but even so, he wasn't delusional.

Facing the fourth, fifth, and sixth [Forsaken Lords] wasn't something he could take lightly.

That scroll… it wasn't just for power. It might be necessary.

And what came after the six Lords? Was there more?

Would the [Forsaken Realm] open further? Would the other worlds become involved?

Too many questions. Too many unknowns.

But Sam had already decided.

There was only one answer to all of it:

[Get stronger, no matter what.]

That was his answer. That was the path.

He spent the rest of the day walking through the empty kingdom, eventually finding a quiet room near the edge of the city.

He laid down on a simple bed and drifted to sleep.

...

And when he woke the next morning—

Ding!

[The final battle of the "Battle Realm" will begin in one hour. Be ready.]

This was it. One last fight. One final obstacle before he could try to reach for that scroll.

He could already sense it, this wouldn't be a normal battle.

Even here, this realm would try to stop him.

[The feeling of DOOM you had intensified.]

Sam exhaled slowly.

'Just as I thought…'

He looked toward the window, watching the silent world outside.

'Even then… I'll keep moving forward.'

And so, with an hour remaining, he waited, wondering who his final opponent would be.