Primordial Awakening: I Can Evolve My Skills Infinitely - Chapter 296

Chapter 296: Death Affinity and Death Cross, Exiting the Cave
[Soul and Determination, their powers intertwine in this realm.]

[But in the end, the only thing awaiting them all is “Death”]

Ding!

[Based on the path you are taking as the “True Primordial”, you have been granted one of the three ultimate affinities: “Death”]

Sam stood still as the notification faded into the air, and he let the message sink into him with a slow breath.

He had always known that the final three affinities granted to a primordial were the strongest ones.

He had expected something overwhelming.

But seeing the word itself appear before him made the moment far more real than he had anticipated.

‘Death.’

There was nothing more inevitable than it.

Sam’s eyes flared with a sharp light, and a grin stretched across his face without him even realizing it.

Without hesitating, he pulled up the details of the new affinity.

—

[Death Affinity][Description: You’ll die at the end, but so will they, nothing else matters.][Hell-Mode Analysis: No comment.]

—

Sam blinked in surprise at the short description, because it was easily the most concise one he had ever seen..

There were no extra lines, no extended messages, no philosophy, and not even a warning.

It was a simple statement, yet it carried an unsettling weight.

Even stranger was the silence from the [Hell-Mode Analysis] panel, which had never once restrained itself from adding its own commentary.

But now, there was nothing.

He understood immediately that this was the mightiest affinity he had obtained so far,.

As he absorbed that thought, something shifted in his hand.

His [Primordial Sword] appeared instinctively, summoned on its own.

The blade began to flare with a muted energy, a color he had never seen coursing through it before.

The aura of the death affinity seeped into the sword, coating the weapon with a gray tint that seemed to swallow the light around it .

Sam could feel the raw force settle into the blade, and he could sense immediately that its destructive power had risen sharply.

He had always been capable of cutting through nearly anything with his primordial sword, but now he felt as though even the mighty [Colossals] might fall to a direct strike if he hit them correctly.

It was not arrogance but instinct.

The death affinity had merged perfectly with the weapon, and the result felt overwhelming even to him.

The faint gray essence spread further, weaving into his own body and tinting his eyes the same shade as the sword.

But there was something else that caught his attention even more.

A symbol slowly etched itself into the sword, appearing directly near the hilt.

It was the unmistakable shape of a skull.

The appearance was eerie and fitting, and the empty eye sockets of the skull glowed with a deep crimson light that pulsed like a heartbeat.

“Huh.”

This was the first time his primordial sword had physically changed since he had first obtained it in the [Lower Realm].

It had never taken on new forms or markings, and yet now the blade carried the symbol of death itself.

He studied the skull intently, taking in the sharp lines and the strangely vivid glow pulsing within it.

After a quiet moment, he sighed.

‘I guess that’s fine.’

He accepted the new symbol without resistance, because it made sense.

A primordial who carried death should wield a blade marked by it.

Right then, a new sound echoed.

Ding!

[You have unlocked a new Class Skill thanks to your affinity: Death Cross]

Sam raised a brow as he read it, already guessing what it meant.

Every affinity he gained granted him a new class skill, and since the death affinity was one of the three strongest a primordial could ever obtain, he expected something powerful.

He opened the details without waiting.

—

[Death Cross]

[Description: When hitting an opponent with your sword, a permanent “Death Cross” will be placed on them.]

[An opponent may have a maximum of 50, and at any point, you can trigger a “punishment” that will vary depending on the threshold reached.]

[5 Crosses: ???]

[20 Crosses: ???]

[50 Crosses: ???]

—

Sam stared at the skill carefully as he absorbed its meaning.

“Huh.”

He found himself repeating the same sound again as he processed the implications of what he had just read.

This was another battle-centric class skill, just like [Stars of Hatred] and [Blood Verdict], which were some of the strongest tools he had gained so far in combat.

Class skills that inflicted damage were extremely rare, especially those with lasting effects that could be stacked onto enemies.

Sam’s grin widened as he realized how devastating such a skill could be.

‘Amazing.’

He could already see how it might work in battle, although he had no idea what the “punishments” would be or how severe they could become with all ten marks placed at once.

But if they were tied to the death affinity, they had to be brutal.

He knew without question that he would take complete advantage of this ability in battle, especially given how strong it was likely to be.

Still, one concern crossed his mind as he studied the description again.

‘Wait a minute,’ Sam thought as his eyes narrowed at the details, ‘This class skill might be hard to use.’

It reminded him of [Blood Verdict], which required his opponent to bleed to a certain level before activating.

Here, all he needed was to hit them with his sword, which sounded simple, but not when the sword itself had become so overwhelmingly destructive that almost nothing could survive multiple blows.

‘What kind of opponent could actually tank that many hits,’ he wondered as he imagined stacking ten marks on something that could withstand his current strength, ‘Hm, we’ll see.’

After confirming everything, he turned his gaze toward the exit of the cave where he had appeared when entering this new realm.

There was nothing left for him to adjust or explore within the cave.

Everything was settled. It was time to move on.

He inhaled deeply and let out a slow breath.

[Proceed.]

Even the [Hell-Mode Analysis] panel urged him forward, and Sam knew that meant there was no reason left to remain here.

He held his primordial sword firmly in one hand and began walking forward.

Each step felt heavier with anticipation as he approached the exit.

And then, finally, he stepped out.

Beyond the cave’s mouth stretched a world so vast and breathtaking that Sam had to pause as the full picture settled into his vision.

‘Holy shit.’

Ding!

[Welcome to the “Soul Realm”]

Before him lay a massive world that seemed too vibrant to be real.

The sky was a wide canvas filled with shifting colors that blended together like an endless aurora.

Plains stretched out before him, but far beyond them he could see countless different biomes merging together, each one distinct yet connected in the same vast land.

Towering structures of unknown origin pierced the horizon, each radiating with a powerful aura.

Sam felt genuinely impressed.

He had expected a barren wasteland swallowed by ruin and decay, because this was the realm most closely tied to the [King].

But the sight before him was nothing like what he imagined. It was beautiful.

So beautiful that he felt, just for a second, that living here would not be unpleasant at all.

Still, his mission remained anchored in the front of his mind.

He would not let the scenery fool him.

And as if the world wanted to remind him of the danger that lurked within it, the moment he took his next step forward—

ROOOOOOAR!

A deafening roar shook the air.

Sam snapped his gaze upward and saw a massive figure descending rapidly from the sky.

‘Already?’ Sam thought with widened eyes, ‘Well, expected.’

BOOM!

The creature crashed to the ground before him, sending waves of dust and force rolling through the area.

As the mist settled, the shape became clear. A giant wyvern.

It stared at Sam with a tilted head as if trying to understand what it was looking at, confused by the unfamiliar nature of his existence.

And then—

ROOOAR!

It opened its jaws and roared directly at him, preparing to devour him without hesitation.

‘Here we go,’ Sam grinned, ‘First battle in the [Soul Realm].’