CHAPTER 142: ABYSS MONSTERS SLAUGHTER, LEVEL 10 OF MASTER RANK

After killing Varkhaz, Sam stared at the global announcement panel that floated in front of him.

He kept his eyes on it for a few seconds, letting the reality of what had just happened settle in.

Then, with a small breath, he dismissed it.

’I guess Earth should be safe now.’

That thought lingered in his mind for a moment, but it came with another, heavier realization.

’Though that does mean... I have to be ready for whatever comes next.’

His gaze slowly shifted down to the broken, defeated body of the Forsaken Lord.

The corpse lay twisted and still, yet Sam kept his eyes on it, his expression calm but unreadable.

’He had a lot of information... but in the end, he didn’t say anything.’

Sam lifted the primordial sword in his hand, his grip tightening slightly.

’And that last thing he said before dying...’

Fwish!

Without hesitation, a dark tendril burst out of the blade, piercing into the corpse.

It wrapped around something, and with a hard pull, yanked out the creature’s core.

It was shaped like a heart, but darker, twisted and pulsing with corrupted energy.

The moment the sword absorbed it, Sam felt a sudden force stir within his own body. It was heavy, dense, and familiar.

Ding!

[Congratulations to Sam Walker for leveling up to Level 5 of the Master Rank!]

Ding!

[Congratulations to Sam Walker for leveling up to Level 6 of the Master Rank!]

Sam blinked.

’Damn.’

The clone. It had continued fighting the other monsters during the battle with Varkhaz.

And now, the experience had finally caught up with him.

Sam had gained another level in the background, but with everything going on, he hadn’t paid attention until now.

His hand hovered near the panels that had just begun to appear around him.

There was a faint glint in his eyes, a mix of curiosity and anticipation.

’Let’s see which milestone reward I got from the [Time] affinity, to see if I can choose it.’

But just before he could tap to open them—

Fwish!

Sam’s body tensed. His senses screamed.

Something massive lunged toward him, cutting through the darkness like a shadow born of rage.

His head snapped up.

"What the—?"

---

[Abyssal Wolf]

[Level: 70]

[Description: A wolf made out of the darkness of the abyss, they follow the Forsaken Lord’s commands.]

[Hell-Mode Analysis: They can’t spawn anymore since Varkhaz is dead, but the ones alive are going in a frenzy.]

---

Sam’s eyes widened as he turned.

Dozens, no, hundreds, of glowing eyes stared at him from the surrounding abyss.

They flickered in the distance, barely visible in the shadows, yet every gaze carried hunger and madness.

These were all the monsters that his clone had been holding back.

The very same monsters that Varkhaz had summoned.

Sam looked toward where the clone had fallen.

But then—

A dark flash. The clone stirred. Its aura surged to life once more.

[Your "Forsaken Clone" has used "I Always Come Back".]

It stood tall again, undeterred, its body crackling with the same relentless energy that Sam felt burning in his veins.

Without needing to speak, it took its stance again. It was ready.

"We need to get rid of the rest," Sam said, his voice calm but firm.

The clone nodded once, silent as always.

They were surrounded from every direction.

Each creature radiated strength. A single one of them could wipe out a city on its own.

There wasn’t a single ordinary being on Earth who could take on even one of them in a fight.

And yet, Sam didn’t hesitate.

Because if he wanted to move forward, he had no choice. He had to kill them all.

His lips curved into a wide smile. His aura ignited.

Crimson energy burst from his eyes, burning with raw determination.

Then he moved. Without hesitation, he charged forward.

His sword tore through the first row of enemies.

There was no hesitation in his swing, no doubt in his heart.

Sam no longer had access to his [Eternal Barrier] or [I Always Come Back]. That meant he could actually die now.

But the possibility of death didn’t slow him down. In fact, it made him fight harder.

Every strike he made was precise, every movement filled with confidence.

His [Determination] surged within him, boosting every step, every breath, every blow.

The [Forsaken Clone] followed in sync, a mirror of Sam’s will.

Together, they carved a path through the monsters.

Ding!

[Congratulations to Sam Walker for leveling up to Level 7 of the Master Rank!]

The sword became sharper with every swing.

It drank in the aura of the monsters it killed, growing more deadly with each life it ended.

The stronger creatures in the crowd tried to resist, but they fell just as easily.

None of them could withstand the weight of Sam’s will.

Ding!

[Congratulations to Sam Walker for leveling up to Level 8 of the Master Rank!]

Some of the monsters managed to corner him. Several attacks landed.

Sam was pushed back more than once. But he never fell.

Because each time he landed a kill, each time his sword absorbed a core, the energy healed him.

That’s when the realization hit him.

This made Sam realize that in an actual war scenario, wouldn’t he be able to go on forever?

Even if he faced an army of 10,000 enemies, all at his level, it wouldn’t matter.

As long as he kept killing, as long as he kept absorbing and healing, then he would never fall.

And with [Determination] continuously fueling him, he would only grow stronger.

’I think I’m starting to understand why they feared the [Primordials] if they could all do this.’

Ding!

[Congratulations to Sam Walker for leveling up to Level 9 of the Master Rank!]

More enemies fell. Sam and the clone unleashed wave after wave of attacks. Each one powered by their affinities.

Abyssal Obliteration! Sovereign Inferno! Tendrils of Oblivion!

Sam even summoned the [Primordial Spirits].

Three [Rune Dragons] appeared with a mighty roar.

They didn’t last long. The monsters overwhelmed them, killing the dragons after they had taken down a few.

Still, their sacrifice bought Sam a few precious moments.

Even the frenzied beasts began to hesitate. Fear crept in.

But they couldn’t escape. There was nowhere for them to run. And so, they kept charging.

Until—

Slash!

Sam’s sword cut through the final monster.

Its body hit the ground, and a moment later, its core was pulled into the primordial sword and absorbed.

Ding!

[Congratulations to Sam Walker for leveling up to Level 10 of the Master Rank!]

’Bingo,’ Sam muttered, grinning.

Energy danced around him. His aura roared to life.

He hadn’t expected this outcome, but he had done it.

His very first venture into the [Sixth Layer] had brought him all the way to the peak of [Master] rank.

And all of it had happened because Varkhaz tried to kill him, and failed.

Now, the ground was littered with corpses. The [Forsaken Abyss] was still and silent once more.

Sam didn’t spare the dead a second glance. With a snap of his fingers, he dismissed the clone.

It gave a dramatic bow before disappearing into dust.

Now, he stood alone again.

’Time to check everything I’ve earned.’

He had passed Level 5 and even reached Level 10.

That meant two major things. A new affinity milestone reward... and his next [Advancement Task].

Sam had no idea what kind of task he’d receive this time.

He had already cleared all six layers. He had already defeated all six Forsaken Lords.

Whatever came next... it had to be something new.

But before that, he looked at the floating panels around him.

Ding!

[Your Shadow, Chaos, Void, Hatred and Time affinities clash with each other.]

[You have a choice once more:]

’Here we go.’

---

[1. Receive a normal skill right now, and then another after your advancement task, like usual (Shadow Affinity)]

[2. Receive a powerful ability at level 10 right after your advancement task (Chaos Affinity)]

[3. Receive no skill, but instead gain 10 permanent attributes points on your Strength, Agility, and Constitution, and 20 points for Soul (Void Affinity)]

[4. You gain no skill now. Instead, you must fill the "Hatred Bar" before reaching Level 10 to unlock a powerful skill unlike any other (Hatred Affinity) — LOCKED]

---

The options were familiar. The same ones he had seen before.

Though now, the [Hatred Affinity] option was grayed out and locked, which made sense.

He had already reached Level 10, so that condition couldn’t be met anymore.

But then, Sam’s eyes shifted down. There was one more option available now. The new one.

---

[5. You will be given a choice between three abilities (not skills) that you will receive after your advancement task (Time Affinity)]