CHAPTER 54: DEATH OF THE SECOND FORSAKEN LORD

Slash! Slash! BOOM!

From that point on, no matter what Zorath or the [Black Sun] threw at him, Sam cut through everything.

He dodged the strikes, deflected the attacks, and moved with precision that even the corrupted energy struggled to keep up with.

Zorath hurled [Corrupted Spears], summoned [Corrupted Chains], even fired wide bursts of [Dark Shockwaves] at him.

And every time, Sam responded the same way, swift, cold, controlled.

Each slash of his blade was clean. Every dodge was perfect. He never faltered.

And it wasn’t just reflexes.

The "Crescent Slash" he’d used earlier wasn’t a traditional skill.

It wasn’t tied to a button or a cooldown. It was a refined motion, an ability forged through his [Primordial Sword Technique], something he had learned as part of its mastery.

That was why the [Hell-Mode Analysis] had told him the following:

[For some reason, you have the feeling that this isn’t all of it.]

It hadn’t been lying.

Even though his sword technique had reached Forsaken rank, it still had more to offer.

More depth. More forms. With every fight, he understood it better.

If he combined that with his affinities, he could push even further, merge abilities, amplify strikes, adapt to any situation.

Zorath kept sending more [Black Sun Vessels] into the battle, and each time they arrived, Sam dismantled them like nothing.

He cut through them as easily as he had the weak enemies.

He was getting faster. Sharper.

Zorath’s massive eye trembled, the pupil shaking.

"I’m getting tired of this," he growled, frustration leaking from every word. His corrupted aura began to swell. "Black Sun... end it all."

At that command, the [Black Sun] began charging again, but this time, it felt different.

Sam immediately noticed.

The corruption in the air began to shift. It wasn’t just forming around the black sun, it was being drawn into it.

Every ounce of tainted energy in the sub-layer started funneling toward the massive sphere above.

Even the ground began to darken.

The sheer weight of the energy gathering was almost overwhelming.

Zorath stood tall, his tone cold and final.

"Survive this, Primordial," he said. "You cannot reach us. Your end is here."

This wasn’t just another beam.

Sam could feel it, this was the [Black Sun]’s ultimate attack.

A final, absolute blast designed to erase him. And if it fired, he would die.

But... Sam stood firm.

’I learned a new ability from my sword technique when I was forced to adapt,’ he thought. ’Then that means my other skills must have hidden depths too. Abilities I haven’t tapped into yet.’

That thought alone gave him the push he needed.

He slowly raised both of his arms into the air.

Zorath saw that and immediately burst into laughter.

"Finally giving up?!" he howled with madness. "TOO BAD!"

But Sam wasn’t surrendering. He wasn’t raising his hands in defeat, he was calling forth something greater.

ABYSSAL OBLITERATION!

Three portals opened above him, swirling shadows forming within them just like before.

Zorath, instantly recognizing the attack, focused a massive chunk of the [Black Sun]’s energy to create a towering [Corrupted Barrier] in front of the sphere.

A wall of darkness so thick, even the strongest attack shouldn’t be able to pass.

Sam wouldn’t be able to fly up there to stop the attack. And if the beam launched, it was over.

Zorath was sure of it.

But Sam had other plans.

He brought his hands together, merging the energy that was forming in the three portals.

The three circles spun faster and faster, until they fused into one massive portal, a dark, swirling gateway of destruction.

And then...

He closed his eyes and focused on his [Shadow Affinity].

These bullets, every one of them, were built from that energy.

’Not yet... more,’ Sam thought, pulling even deeper into his power.

He added [Chaos Affinity] into the mix, twisting the shadows further, warping the energy inside the portal.

The sphere above continued charging, brighter than ever. Zorath stood atop it like a god preparing to judge the world.

But Sam remained still.

Ten seconds passed. And then, he opened his eyes.

"Goodbye, Forsaken Lord," he whispered.

Snap!

With a flick of his fingers, the darkened portal unleashed its power.

Fwish!

The first bullet fired.

Zorath watched with narrowed eyes, but his barrier held. He smirked... until—

BOOM!

The first shot shattered the barrier in a single blast.

And the second?

CRACK!

It hit the [Black Sun]’s central eye, directly.

The entire layer quaked.

A deafening roar erupted from the massive sphere above as the ultimate attack destabilized, and then disappeared entirely.

Sam didn’t stop. More bullets fired. Each one crashing into the [Black Sun] with enough force to make it flicker and tremble.

’Bingo,’ Sam thought.

Zorath’s balance slipped. The entire structure beneath him was crumbling.

Furious, the Forsaken Lord roared and leapt from the dying sun, hurling himself at Sam like a comet of pure rage and corruption.

His aura spiraled behind him, flaring like a meteor.

"YOU WILL NOT END ME LIKE THIS!" he bellowed. "I CAN STILL—"

He didn’t get to finish.

Sam pointed his sword forward, and dozens of dark tendrils shot out—[Tendrils of Oblivion].

They tore through the air and collided with Zorath mid-flight.

He managed to destroy a few, punching through them with brute force, but there were too many.

They wrapped around him, constraining him in place. And as Zorath struggled in the air, looking down, he saw Sam charging his final strike.

"...Oh," Zorath exhaled, a grim realization spreading through his eye. "I lost—"

SLASH!

Sam moved like a blur, unleashing a single, spinning [Crescent Slash].

The blade’s arc tore through the air—and through Zorath’s neck.

His head was severed in a clean, brutal motion. It fell silently to the ground, and Zorath’s body crumpled beside it.

Above, the [Black Sun] began to spiral out of control. It lost form, lost cohesion, and then—

BOOM!

It crashed into the ground in a final death spiral.

Then, nothing. Silence.

Ding!

A second global announcement echoed across the world.

[Congratulations to "Sam Walker" for being the first human in history to complete the "Second Layer" and killing the Layer Boss: Black Sun.]

Sam could only imagine what people were thinking on the outside.

But right now, he didn’t care. He had done it. He had killed the second [Forsaken Lord].

With a breath of relief, he looked down at the broken battlefield, and then walked toward where the drops had landed.

The [Black Sun Vessels] had left behind standard materials. But three items stood out among the rubble, faintly glowing.

Sam walked toward them.

---

[Corrupted Spear]

[Rank: Legendary]

[Description: A powerful spear made of corrupted energy. Grants the skill "Corrupted Spears" while equipped.]

[Hell-Mode Analysis: If only the Primordial Sword could do that in the future... wink.]

---

A weapon-based skill item. Not uncommon, but this one was powerful.

The second item shimmered faintly.

---

[Black Sun Armor]

[Rank: Legendary]

[Description: Armor that nullifies all corruption and negative effects while worn.]

[Hell-Mode Analysis: You’re already immune.]

---

It was a strong item, but Sam didn’t need it. Then came the third.

He already knew what it would be.

---

[Eye of Corruption]

[Rank: Forsaken]

[Description: An item that proves someone has beaten the "Black Sun". Keep it as an artifact. It’s the second of the six.]

---

Just like the [Abyssal Crown].

Sam now had the second artifact.

He wasn’t sure what collecting all six would do—but that wasn’t important now.

He had won.

Looking across the battlefield one last time, Sam spotted a shimmering portal at the edge of the massive ruined plaza.

He walked toward it without hesitation.

Before stepping through, he looked back, then upward at the sky. And smiled.

"I wonder what I’ll get for my advancement task," Sam said.