CHAPTER 41: THE LUXURY DISTRICT, CITY MAYOR

Sam had a good sense for people by now, and despite everything that had happened, he could tell Chloe Vinelord was genuinely a good person.

Maybe a little shaken, maybe a bit unsure of herself after all she’d been through, but deep down, she had a strong heart.

And her strength? Honestly impressive.

Sam had seen many Awakeners in the short time he’d been involved with this world, but Chloe’s ability was one of the strongest ones yet.

It was refined. Tactical. Probably even stronger than what Lily or Alicia had shown so far.

Still... even as he acknowledged that strength, Sam couldn’t bring himself to care too much about the tragedy that had befallen her team.

He understood now what had happened, when he provoked the [Black Sun], it had reacted violently.

Everyone else in the layer had been consumed by that wave of corruption... everyone except him and Chloe.

But even with that realization, he didn’t flinch.

[It’s not our fault.]

That was enough for him.

He looked up at the sky for what felt like the hundredth time. The [Black Sun] was still staring down, the giant eye at its center locked on him like a predator watching prey that wouldn’t die.

Too bad for it, he wasn’t prey.

They were now deep inside the [Luxury District], the third and final section of the second layer.

Unlike the last two areas, this one wasn’t dragging on. Sam was cutting through it like a hot knife through butter.

"How are you so strong?" Chloe asked breathlessly.

She had just seen him take down a dozen monsters in under ten seconds without even drawing serious attention to it.

Sam didn’t answer right away. Instead, he gave a small shrug and kept walking forward, tearing apart the next corrupted monster that lunged at them without slowing down.

It was ridiculous.

Within just twenty minutes of entering this final zone, they were already approaching the area where the final boss would be.

Chloe had never seen someone move like this, so smooth, so effortlessly destructive.

It was like watching a natural disaster walk on two feet.

She’d been praised her entire life, called a prodigy, a future leader of humanity.

People said she’d be one of the ones to help bring Earth through the forsaken realm and rise above the others.

But if she was a prodigy... Then what was Sam? A God?

"By the way," Chloe spoke again as they passed through a long alleyway. The air here felt heavier. Charged. Like something was waiting for them just ahead. "What’s your name?"

She hadn’t asked until now, not because she hadn’t wanted to, but because she’d been overwhelmed by the pace of everything.

Strangely, she also hadn’t tried to analyze his status window even once.

Most Awakeners did it automatically, even if it was considered rude. But something about Sam had stopped her from doing so.

"Sam Walker," he said, glancing at her with a blank expression. Then he smiled.

Chloe froze.

"Wait, you’re that Sam Walker? The one who conquered the sub-layer?!"

Sam gave a slow nod and started walking again, clearly not bothered by the attention.

"That makes sense now," Chloe muttered with a quiet breath. "That’s why you’re so powerful. We need people like you... humanity needs to push forward. If we don’t... we’re screwed."

They reached the end of the alley, which opened up into a wide, circular plaza filled with abandoned buildings and broken statues. In the center of it, they saw the final boss.

---

[City Mayor (Corrupted)]

[Level: 20]

[Description: Ruler of the Ruined City.]

[Hell-Mode Analysis: For some reason, you have the feeling something might actually cause you trouble in this encounter.]

---

Sam narrowed his eyes.

’That’s the first time it’s said something like that,’ he thought.

None of the previous bosses had warranted this kind of warning. That alone made him raise his guard.

The mayor stood tall. Thick frame, elegant suit, and a long coat that flowed behind him despite the still air.

A crooked top hat sat on his head, and he held a black cane, its tip cracking with faint, flickering shadows.

As Sam stepped forward, the boss reacted. The mayor struck the ground with his cane.

BOOM!

A pulse of dark energy radiated outward in a circle.

Sam and Chloe immediately raised their defenses. But strangely, nothing touched them directly. The wave wasn’t meant to harm.

It was a summon.

Fwish! Fwish! Fwish!

Dozens upon dozens of corrupted monsters began pouring into the plaza from every direction.

From alleys, windows, rooftops, crumbling buildings. All types from this layer: [Weeping Shadows], [Hollow Hounds], [Demonic Rats] and much more, they were all here.

"Final boss, huh," Sam muttered, smiling faintly. "Guess it wants to go out in style."

Chloe’s eyes widened as the monsters surrounded them.

She immediately summoned her vines again and stood beside him.

"B-Be careful! There’s too many of them! I don’t think I’ll be able to hold them for long!"

Sam looked at her sideways.

"...Why would you do that?" he asked, confused.

"What?" Chloe blinked. "I mean... the mayor’s too strong. It usually takes an entire squad to kill him. I thought I could hold off the minions while you focus on—"

She trailed off when she saw Sam’s expression.

That logic made perfect sense for normal people. For people who fought on an even playing field.

Chloe was smart. Tactical. But this situation didn’t apply to people like Sam.

And for Sam... the gap was just too overwhelming.

Instead, he raised his right hand, and his eyes gleamed.

"Sovereign Inferno," he said.

The ground beneath them erupted in a wave of black hellfire, crashing over the entire battlefield like a storm of destruction.

The entire boss arena, everything, was swallowed in the blaze.

Monsters shrieked. The mayor lifted his cane but didn’t even have time to react. Within seconds, every creature caught in the blast had been vaporized. Even the boss.

Sam made sure to stay in front of Chloe, shielding her with precise control over the flames. Not a single ember touched her.

[You’re getting better at this surprisingly fast...]

When the flames died down, nothing remained but ashes except for dozens of glowing cores and loot.

"Oh my god..." Chloe whispered, her eyes wide, "T-This was insane..."

She could barely process what she had just witnessed.

Her companions, her fears, her doubt, it all blurred in the face of what Sam had just done.

For the first time since entering this rift, maybe even longer, she felt... calm.

Sam Walker had obliterated the strongest boss of the second layer, along with its summoned army, in a single attack.

The mayor didn’t even get a second move. But Sam didn’t relax. Not even a little.

[Hell-Mode Analysis: For some reason, you have the feeling something might actually cause you trouble in this encounter.]

He had killed the boss instantly. So why did that warning appear to begin with?

He gripped his [Primordial Sword] tighter. The tendrils wrapped around the cores, absorbing every last one into his body.

Ding!

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

Another level. A good milestone.

He felt stronger. Faster. More focused.

But the tension in the air hadn’t lifted.

[The bad feeling you had intensified.]

Sam’s eyes flicked toward the sky.

And sure enough, the [Black Sun] was still staring down at him. Its massive eye hadn’t blinked, but it was twitching more and more.

"So..." Chloe whispered beside him. "We win? Just like that?"

They both looked ahead.

At the far edge of the plaza, beyond where the mayor had once stood, a massive stone gate shimmered with golden light. It pulsed once. Then opened.

Ding!

[Sam Walker has defeated the boss of the "Second Layer". The gate to the "Third Layer" is now open!]

"You did it..." Chloe smiled.

But Sam didn’t.

He was still staring at the sky. Still feeling that heavy pressure settle over him like a weight he couldn’t shake.

[The bad feeling you had intensified.]

He didn’t know why... But something told him... It wasn’t over.