CHAPTER 184: THE FIVE ASTRALS ARE HERE, A SMALL TEST

The air around Sam began to shift, twisting and crackling as if it had a will of its own.

The purple orb above his head blazed brighter, flaring with power that shook the atmosphere.

And then—

Fwish! BOOM!

The sound tore through the zone as five consecutive explosions erupted around him.

Each blast rippled outward, throwing up waves of dust and scattering debris in all directions.

From the chaos, shadows began to form, shapes breaking into existence where the blasts had struck.

Sam’s eyes narrowed.

’This doesn’t make sense,’ he thought. ’Why is that... never mind.’

It didn’t matter. He was far from everyone else now.

So far, in fact, that the others had all withdrawn from this place long ago.

Almost every awakener in the [Third Zone] had already abandoned it.

They weren’t going to risk challenging the unknown, not after realizing just how cruel this realm truly was.

Sam understood their choice.

Here, every mistake meant death, hesitation got you killed.

The mist slowly began to settle, and as it cleared, Sam finally saw what had been summoned.

The truth hit him in that instant.

Since the moment he had come into this world, or more precisely the [Lower Realm], he had known he wasn’t wanted.

He hadn’t been brought here by his own will.

Someone had put him in this situation, someone unseen, and had forced him to endure every single hardship laid before him.

But he had survived anyway. Because he was a Primordial.

Because he refused to fall no matter how much weight was thrown onto his shoulders.

It was his determination that let him keep walking forward.

Yet the question lingered. Even if he managed to complete this realm... then what?

Would the next one be worse? Would the next trial grind him down even further until nothing was left?

The being who spoke to him through the panels never answered those questions.

It always sounded confident, almost playful. Toying with him.

Pushing him forward as if this was all some sort of game.

Encouraging him, only to remind him at the same time that in the end, it wouldn’t matter.

As if his choices didn’t mean anything. As if his determination was meaningless.

Sam clenched his fists and shook his head.

Thinking about what came next was pointless if he didn’t survive here and now.

The dust cleared fully. He sensed five distinct presences surrounding him.

His vision sharpened. He saw them.

"Haha." Sam let out a grin, "Of course."

The orb above him wasn’t just power. It was control.

The source of the [Astrals]. The very enemies they had been tasked with defeating for the third mission.

And now five of them stood before him, summoned at once, their eyes fixed on him and him alone.

Each of them was massive, towering beasts that dwarfed Sam in size.

And each stared down at him with glowing purple eyes that radiated the influence of the [Astral Orb].

---

[Astral Serpent]

[Level: 85]

[Description: A serpent summoned by the "Astral Orb" above, it seems to be looking for... you.]

[Skills: Astral Venom, Earth Emerge, Tail Swipe...]

---

[Astral Bird]

[Level: 85]

[Description: A bird summoned by the "Astral Orb," it can fly high in the sky.]

[Skills: Fly, Astral Dive, Wings of Steel]

---

[Astral Bear]

[Level: 85]

[Description: A bear summoned by the "Astral Orb," its sturdy body makes it very difficult to kill it.]

[Skills: Astral Swipe, Roaring Buff, Slam of the Bear...]

---

[Astral Mage]

[Level: 85]

[Description: A giant mage born from the power of the "Astral Orb." It seems capable of advanced "Astral" magic, whatever that means.]

[Skills: Astral Beam, Astral Fireball, Nuke...]

---

[Astral Undead][

Level: 85]

[Description: A giant skeleton summoned by the "Astral Orb." It can summon additional smaller undead to its side.]

[Skills: Sword Strike, Undead Immortality, Astral Undead Summoning...]

---

"Hm."

Sam stepped back slightly, taking in the sight.

Five of them.

Each glowing with the same purple radiance.

Each radiating murderous intent that pressed in from all directions.

’Level 85,’ Sam’s eyes narrowed. ’This is higher than expected.’

He knew what it meant.

It would take dozens of awakeners just to bring down one of these creatures.

That was why the [Third Zone] had scattered its enemies across the land.

So that groups of awakeners could hunt them one at a time.

But there was a catch.

Every [Astral] had to be defeated within twenty-four hours.

Fail to kill them all within that window, and they would respawn.

The progress would reset as if nothing had happened.

And now? Five of them were standing before him at once. Surrounding him. Ready to strike together.

’This breaks the rules of the mission,’ Sam thought darkly. ’But then again... the ones who make the rules can twist them however they want.’

[You have a bad feeling about this.]

Sam grit his teeth.

’Doesn’t matter. I have to kill them.’

He raised his hand.

The [Primordial Clone] appeared beside him, smiling with its strange expression.

Sam pointed at the enemies, one by one.

"This is going to be tough, but we don’t have time to waste. We need to finish this quick."

The clone nodded, stepping into its stance.

"=)"

Through his [Skills Viewer] ability, Sam was able to see three skills from each of the [Astrals].

They were powerful. Dangerous.

But even then...

Fwish!

The clone dashed forward, closing the distance with the [Astral Bear].

Its movement was sharp and precise. But the bear reacted instantly.

Its claw tore through the air in a counterattack that forced the clone back, breaking through one hit of the [Primordial Barrier] only.

Sam frowned.

It had only been one exchange, but he already understood. This wouldn’t be easy.

’The higher the level of the monsters, the more they’re able to match me blow for blow... What the hell is happening here?’

And worse—

He could feel their intent. Their determination.

Even these things, meant to be "fodder" in the grand scheme of things, had a kind of will burning within them.

Not as sharp as his own, but real nonetheless.

If this was true for level 85... Then what about level 90? And level 100?

The thought made his expression tighten.

But he refused to dwell on it.

This battle was already one of the hardest he had faced in this realm.

Perhaps even harder than Zareth. Because here, it wasn’t one enemy. It was five.

And all of them drew their strength directly from the [Astral Orb].

[What are you doing, Primordial?]

[Don’t disappoint me. It might be hard, but it’s nothing compared to what’s coming!]

[You won’t give up yet, right?]

The voice echoed inside his head.

And as if obeying its command, all five [Astrals] stepped forward together.

The pressure doubled.

It was the kind of oppressive aura that would crush any other awakeners outright, shattering their courage and making them faint before the battle even began.

But Sam didn’t move. He stood there, unwavering.

His eyes sharpened as he studied each foe.

The [Astral Serpent] slid across the ground, its purple-gray scales glistening in the light. Its fangs gleamed with venom, and a faint haze of purple aura seeped from its eyes.

The [Astral Bird] spread its massive wings, feathers sharp enough to slice through steel. Its white body contrasted with the streaks of purple glowing along its plumage.

The [Astral Bear] thundered forward with each step, claws large enough to crush boulders. Its muscles were corded with power, brown fur streaked with violet veins of energy.

The [Astral Mage] loomed behind them, its towering body cloaked in violet robes. A mask hid its face, and in its hand it held a staff tipped with a swirling orb of purple light.

The [Astral Undead] stood like a giant skeleton, its white bones glowing faintly as purple energy pulsed from within.

Its sockets burned with small purple pupils, and in its hands it wielded a massive sword.

Five monsters. Each one capable of leveling a city on its own.

And all of them were here for him.

Sam bared his teeth in a grin.

"Come at me. I need your experience anyway."

This wasn’t how he’d planned things.

His goal had been simple. Level up steadily. Reach level five. Claim his new milestone reward.

He was supposed to take things one step at a time.

Instead, he was being forced into this. To fight all five [Astrals] at once.

’If this is the third mission, and they’re already level 85, then the next stage is going to be worse. Much worse.’

He could feel it.

The colossal beings from before. The one who oversaw everything.

They were watching him now. Eager to see what he would do.

To them, this wasn’t even a real trial. Just a test. Something small.

Insignificant compared to what was waiting for him later.

[Then let us begin.]

[Show us what a Primordial is truly capable of.]

The five [Astrals] roared in unison. Their eyes flared brighter.

And then, without a moment’s hesitation, they all charged at once.

"!!!"

Sam braced himself, teeth clenched.

’Fine. I’ll kill you all, no matter what.’

[Proceed.]