Primordial Awakening: I Can Evolve My Skills Infinitely
Chapter 94: Preparation Before the Fourth Layer

Chapter 94: Preparation Before the Fourth Layer

A few days had passed since Sam returned to the real world.

After all the killing and chaos inside the [Battle Realm], the silence felt strange at first. But slowly, he eased into it.

He rested, and started preparing for what was next: the fourth layer of the [Forsaken Realm].

He could feel it deep inside, this one was going to be hard.

There was something about it. Something that made his instincts scream.

Like the entire realm was rejecting him now, pushing him away the deeper he went.

’What the hell is it gonna throw at me next?’ Sam muttered in his head, letting out a sigh.

Still, it wasn’t all tension and bad premonitions.

He had finally met up again with Alicia, Lily, and Chloe.

Each of them was excited about the fact that humanity had conquered the fourth layer at last.

Of course, Sam didn’t waste time telling them about the [Battle Realm], and especially about the elves, even though none of them remembered a thing.

"I knew something was missing in my head!" Lily said, holding up her new bow. "I only remembered fighting people and getting this thing."

She waved the [Moonpiercer] with a grin.

Alicia let out a small sigh. "So... other worlds exist, huh? And they’re ahead of us."

"Doesn’t matter," Chloe replied, "We’ll catch up. We just need to keep getting stronger."

A moment later, she opened her palm, and a massive green flame erupted from it, swirling with wild energy.

"See that?" she said proudly. "Been trying to blend these flames into my techniques. Learned everything I could about normal fire already. The book I got was insane."

"I’m still getting used to this bow," Lily added. "But honestly, it’s been amazing. It’s light, and it actually listens to me."

"I’m the only one who got two things," Alicia chimed in, showing off her sword and shield combo. "Not bad, right?"

The [Blessed Sword of Orphelia] glowed faintly, while the [Shield of Eternity] gave off a solid, calming aura.

All three of them were clearly fired up about their growth, and even Sam couldn’t help but smile.

They’d made progress. And so had he.

The [Battle Realm] had turned out to be more than worth it.

Sure, the girls came from rich families, but nothing in the real world could give them weapons like these. Not yet, anyway.

Only something as intense and weird as the [Battle Realm] could’ve done that.

That said, they each had their own guilds to focus on. This little meeting was nice, but short-lived.

After they left, Sam found himself alone again, though they spoke via message.

He decided to swing by the [Awakener Association] to sell off the monster materials he’d collected back in the third layer.

But just as he stepped inside—

Fwish! Boom!

A sudden flash of light struck the floor before him, and a tall man appeared from thin air.

Evans. One of the leaders of the [Awakener Association].

He stood at the peak of [Ascendant] rank, a step away from becoming [Forsaken].

And probably one of the few humans strong enough to even glance at what lay ahead.

Evans didn’t even blink as everyone turned to stare.

"So," he said, folding his arms. "You met the elves, didn’t you?"

Sam didn’t flinch. "Yeah. Pretty aggressive."

"You remember it... which means you cleared it." Evans scratched his chin, then looked closer.

He narrowed his eyes at Sam’s glowing crimson gaze.

Something about him had changed. The colors in his aura... the pressure he gave off...

’This kid’s different,’ Evans thought. ’He got even stronger.’

"What about the other worlds?" Sam asked. "There were seven of us chosen by the [Forsaken Realm], right?"

Evans nodded slowly. "We don’t know much. And honestly, it’s probably better if humanity doesn’t know we’re behind the others."

He looked around at the other awakeners, then lowered his voice.

"The initial layers... they may just be the beginning."

Sam could tell Evans wasn’t just saying that.

There was real concern in his tone. But he didn’t ask more.

Instead, Sam simply turned and walked off, heading toward the item room.

...

A few minutes later, he stood in front of a panel displaying his sales.

[+$983,281]

"God damn," Sam muttered.

The dragon wings, scales, and the [Titan’s Claws] had sold for a ridiculous amount.

With this, his bank account officially crossed the $1 million mark.

He could buy a building if he wanted. Maybe even a house.

But deep down, he knew he wasn’t going to do any of that. Not yet.

His guild, Primordial, still had only one member. Him.

’Will guilds be a thing in the [Universal Stage] too?’

In the game, the main character had all the heroines in his guild. So maybe that was how things were supposed to go.

Even the elves had their own guilds back in their world. Guilds probably existed everywhere.

Still, the idea of inviting the girls to his own didn’t feel right.

They had their own goals. Their own paths.

Seeing them chase those down made Sam feel like that was how it should be.

Sam didn’t think he needed anyone by his side. Not really.

But just as that thought brushed past his mind, just as the idea of having someone to rely on began to surface, something came to shut it down.

[The True Primordial will always be alone, no matter how hard he tries...]

His steps slowed. Sam’s gaze narrowed.

This was the first time something like that had shown up. Still, he shrugged it off.

"I’ll decide what I do," Sam said out loud, brushing the panel away with a wave of his hand.

He didn’t care what some mysterious message said.

But still... It lingered in his mind.

’It also called me the [True Primordial] too,’ he thought to himself.

He wondered if it was linked to the prophecy he heard so much about, but maybe he should have asked Seraphine, or even Evans, for answers.

But at the end of the day, it wouldn’t change his path.

[Your very presence distorts the fabric of this realm.]

"Sure," Sam rolled his eyes as he advanced forward.

Still, he had no intention of waiting around.

"I guess I should face the [Fourth Layer] soon."

He made his way toward the station that led to the [Outer Ring], the area just before the next layer.

There was nothing else to do here. He didn’t want to rest. Didn’t want to waste time.

Unless it was to wait for [Primordial Evolution] to evolve his skills, there was no reason to slow down.

Though, remembering the fun outings he had with the girls, he couldn’t deny he didn’t enjoy them.

Still, those memories faded as the station came into view.

"Alright," Sam muttered, stepping onto the platform. "Let’s see how strong you are, fourth Forsaken Lord."

The train doors slid open, and he stepped inside. It was quiet. Too quiet.

But Sam didn’t let that stop him.

The train began to move, the world outside rushing past the windows in a blur.

And yet, that same feeling returned.

That deep, uncomfortable weight pressing down on his chest.

Like something was waiting for him. Watching. Hunting.

He didn’t know what it was. Only that it would be worse than anything he had faced so far.

[Forsaken by this realm, yet he keeps pushing forward.]

"...Determination," Sam muttered.