CHAPTER 181: MORE SKILL TIER ADVANCEMENT SCROLLS, THE THIRD MISSION

Ding!

[As a reward for completing the second mission, you have received x2 "Skill Tier Advancement Scrolls"]

Sam froze the instant the panel appeared in front of him.

His eyes widened, and his heart kicked in his chest at the sight of the reward.

"...Oh shit."

Two [Skill Tier Advancement Scrolls].

The implications of receiving those sent his thoughts racing at once.

If he was given these scrolls for completing the second mission, then it only made sense that every other awakener who managed to clear it had received them too.

That meant all of them now had the ability to push their skills up to the next tier.

"This means their skills will be at tier two too," Sam muttered under his breath, his expression growing darker.

It wasn’t just a way forward into the next zone.

It wasn’t just about collecting forsaken coins.

The missions were the only path to evolve one’s skills.

That realization carried weight, because it meant those who lagged behind would never have the chance to keep up.

But Sam was certain about one thing.

The first ones to complete these missions, those names announced to the entire world through those global system messages, there was no way they only received the same scrolls.

There had to be something more.

It wouldn’t make sense for the system to broadcast their names if the only difference was the timing.

’Do they receive more scrolls than the rest of us?’ Sam wondered, ’Or maybe completely new skills and items... or even pieces of information about what this entire realm really is?’

The thought twisted his curiosity like a knife.

But he couldn’t know. Not now.

Still, a fire burned in his chest at the thought.

His eyes hardened with resolve.

There was no reason to hold back anymore.

’From this point forward, I’ll push without hesitation. I’ll dominate every mission, climb through every trial, and drag myself to the end. I’ll see the truth of this entire thing with my own eyes.’

The quicker he completed the seven missions, the faster he would reach the final realm, and the closer he would come to tearing away the veil behind all of this.

But beyond that final step...

Sam didn’t let the thought linger.

There was no point in chasing shadows when the next obstacle was already approaching.

The system did not leave him waiting long.

Still caught in the swirling depths of the vortex, his vision flickered as the next mission appeared before him.

Ding!

---

[Mission #3: Defeat the five "Astrals"]

[This is a group mission, meaning that these "Astrals" are spread across the third zone, and you will have to defeat them.]

[Upon defeating them all, everyone who has contributed only a little bit to the mission will have completed it.]

[They will respawn every 24 hours, and the cycle continues from there.]

---

"Oh?"

Sam raised a brow, but he didn’t even have the chance to think much more about it.

In the next heartbeat, the vortex spat him out.

His feet struck solid ground, and the familiar scenery of the [Second Zone] stretched before his eyes.

All around the base of the [Tower of Fate], awakeners were scattered in groups, voices echoing as they scrambled to form teams.

Sam turned his head.

Belle stood there beside him, her face split into a wide smile, eyes glittering with anticipation.

She didn’t talk or even look at him, though.

’Seems like she won’t say anything,’ Sam’s eyes narrowed.

[Let’s move on.]

Sam gave a firm nod in response.

But before heading toward the third zone, there was something he had to do.

He wanted to return to the [Forsaken Kingdom] and make use of the two scrolls he had just received.

Evolving his skills was necessary.

The three he had already pushed to tier two had proven themselves invaluable in combat, and being able to extend that same strength to more of his arsenal was something Sam couldn’t pass up.

If he had any intention of completing all seven missions and standing in the final realm, he would need every shred of power he could claim.

’The experience I gained in the [Tower of Fate] was ridiculous,’ Sam thought, his expression darkening as he recalled it.

’Killing those awakeners gave me far more than hunting hundreds of monsters at the same level could have.’

The sheer amount was suspicious.

Enough to make even Stark question how it was possible.

These [Immortal]-rank awakeners shouldn’t have been above level seventy-one or seventy-two when compared to monsters, and yet the experience Sam absorbed from just five of them was enough to push him up three entire levels.

Something was wrong.

He could feel it in his bones.

And then came the panel.

[=)]

A crimson smile stared back at him, and the unease inside him twisted even tighter.

’I suppose this means I can... kill other awakeners if I want to level faster.’

[It is highly advised. The other Primordials gained most of their levels this way.]

Sam’s eyes sharpened.

For the very first time, he had received an actual fragment of information about the Primordials themselves.

The others. The ones who had come before him.

The path they took to power was laid bare in a single sentence.

The [Second Barrier] of white flames still burned in the distance, but now Sam knew he could pass through it.

Beyond it, however, were the so-called [Astrals] he would need to face.

’The others who completed this mission must still be training and leveling,’ Sam thought.

The consensus among many awakeners was that these Astrals would sit somewhere between level eighty and eighty-five.

That meant they needed to at least reach the peak of [Immortal] rank to stand a chance against them.

Grinding through the [Seventh Layer], or fighting the monsters of the [Third Zone]—whose average level was eighty—would be the only real ways to get there.

If they put in enough effort, most awakeners could indeed climb to that peak and trigger their advancement task.

But Sam didn’t need such things.

He could already fight level eighty monsters with ease.

[One hit is all it takes.]

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Sam rolled his eyes at the intrusive panel.

With that thought, he made his way back toward the [Forsaken Kingdom].

As his feet crossed the threshold of the massive gates, a new panel flashed before him.

Ding!

[You have received 500,000 forsaken coins for completing the second mission!]

Sam grinned at the sight.

"Haha... even richer now. Though it’s still basically useless."

Half a million coins added to his name.

At this pace, by the time they completed the third or fourth mission, the reward would likely be enough to buy one of the luxurious mansions within the kingdom.

And Sam knew, without a doubt, that many would stop there.

With wealth, food, and a mansion secured in this advanced realm, the temptation of a peaceful life would be too much for some to resist.

But...

[Idiots. They will realize that their ’peace’ is nothing but a facade.]

Sam frowned.

"You’ve been awfully talkative lately," he muttered as he walked the familiar path back toward the cheap apartment he had rented, "It feels... ominous."

[There is nothing to fear. We are one, and we will tear through all.]

"Sure."

The word slipped from his lips without conviction.

He pushed open the door of his room and didn’t waste any time.

The two scrolls landed on the bed with a soft thud.

Sam sat down, placing his hand on the first one, and let his mana pour into the parchment.

At once, panels shimmered into existence before him.

[Which skill do you wish to evolve to Tier 2?]

Nine skills in total. Three already advanced.

That left six to choose from, and only two scrolls in his possession.

But the choice wasn’t difficult.

"Is it even worth debating?" Sam tilted his head, already knowing his answer.

"There’s only two that make sense right now."

He tapped the selection without hesitation.

Ding! Ding!

[You have evolved "Abyssal Obliteration" to Tier 2!]

And—

[You have evolved "I Always Come Back" to Tier 2!]

Abyssal Obliteration was one of his most relied upon skills, rivaling the first three he had already advanced.

Upgrading it was the obvious choice.

As for [I Always Come Back]...

That skill had saved him too many times to count.

More than that, he wanted to see what would happen once it was pushed to its absolute peak.

Now that both had advanced, he could use [Primordial Evolution] on one of them.

Though not tonight.

He had already used it hours ago, and would have to wait until tomorrow to do so again.

Sam leaned back, eyes glinting with anticipation.

"In the meantime," he murmured with a grin, "I should at least get stronger like the others. Push for my advancement task."

He was at the [Ascendant] rank now.

One step away. One final push before he finally stood as [Forsaken].