CHAPTER 55: CHAOTIC CLONE, VOID AFFINITY

Sam stepped out of the second sub-layer, completely unaware of the chaos his actions had caused in the world outside.

After all, he had just slain the [Black Sun].

Not a regular monster. Not a field boss. But the actual mechanic of the entire second layer.

It was the being that sustained the corruption, empowered the enemies, and warped the [Ruined City].

Now it was gone.

And Sam didn’t even realize what that meant.

He reappeared quietly in the middle of the plains of the first [Outer Ring], the faint breeze brushing against his clothes as he looked around.

’Good... I’m back.’ He stretched slightly, rolling his shoulders with a long breath.

The strain from his battle was still lingering in his body. But it was over. For now.

’If I want to get to the third layer...’ He turned to glance far off in the distance, toward the vague outline of what he assumed was the second [Outer Ring]. ’I’ll have to go much further.’

But that wasn’t a priority right now.

He had something else to focus on first.

Something far more important.

Ding!

[You have completed your Apprentice Rank advancement task: Kill the Second Forsaken Lord, Black Sun.]

[Performance Rating: SSS.]

A grin spread across Sam’s face.

"Good."

After the brutal battle he had just endured, he knew he deserved something worthwhile.

And if an SSS rating didn’t count as excellent, then nothing did.

Now he could finally receive the power that had been promised when he reached level 5 and chose the second option.

A second chime echoed softly in his ears.

Ding!

[Congratulations to Sam Walker for advancing to Adept Rank!]

Just like that, his rank reset.

He dropped from Level 10 of the Apprentice Rank back to Level 1, but now at Adept Rank, which meant more stats, more growth, and harder trials ahead.

According to the [Awakener Association]’s latest intel, the [Battle Realm], an extremely difficult event that happened only once every twenty years, was scheduled to open in about one month.

That gave Sam a month to reach Level 10 of the Adept Rank... and complete his next advancement task.

To him, that meant one thing: clear the third layer, and conquer whatever sub-layer lay within it.

He had no doubt it would be harder than the last one.

He could feel it in his bones, like a whisper of pressure clawing at the back of his mind.

But right now, he needed to see what rewards he had received.

[You will be granted several rewards for your performance, Primordial.]

Ding! Ding! Ding!

One by one, more panels popped up before his eyes.

Sam focused on the first one that caught his attention.

Ding!

[Your Chaos Affinity reacts to your advancement.]

The moment he read those words, a sudden surge of chaotic energy burst around him.

The orange-and-beige aura of Chaos swirled violently, forming a vortex around his body before stabilizing.

[Take the card, Primordial.]

And then, floating just above his hand, a single glowing card materialized.

Unlike the previous time, where he had to choose one skill from three options, each embedded in dark violet cards, this time there was only one.

The card pulsed softly with a warm, chaotic glow.

Its hue was different. Beige with a tinge of orange, unmistakably linked to his Chaos Affinity.

Sam had now confirmed something critical: every affinity had its own system for granting skills.

[Shadow Affinity] had given him a choice of three.

But [Chaos Affinity] worked differently, it only gave one option per rank. Still, that one option... was powerful.

There was no mark or sigil on the back of the card. Without hesitation, Sam reached out and flipped it.

A panel formed from the light itself.

---

[Chaotic Clone]

[Rank: Epic]

[Description: Uses your "Chaos" affinity to summon a clone made of aura that can assist you in battle. The clone possesses half of the owner’s stats and can use skills. The clone follows the "Neutral" path. 1-hour cooldown.]

[Hell-Mode Analysis: Two Sam are better than one...?]

---

"Ohhh," Sam muttered, raising his eyebrows. "Now that’s more like it."

The idea of summoning a copy of himself, one that could use skills and join him in battle, was exactly the kind of power he wanted.

Sure, it only had half his stats. But that was still insanely useful. Especially if it could be used tactically.

The part that stuck out to him though was the line: "The clone follows the Neutral path."

That was clearly tied to his class skill, [Chaotic Fate], but even then, he couldn’t help but wonder.

He pulled up his current status.

Ding!

[You are on the "Neutral" path.]

Still the same as before. So maybe the clone just automatically aligned with the user’s current path?

That made sense. Either way, it was a powerful tool.

The skill panel shimmered into glowing particles, which flowed into his chest.

Ding!

[Congratulations to Sam Walker for learning the skill: Chaotic Clone (Epic).]

Sam nodded once, satisfied.

But he wasn’t done.

He immediately activated [Primordial Evolution], channeling his two affinities, Shadow and Chaos, into the skill he had just obtained.

Fwish! Fwish!

Dark and chaotic energy surged around him again. The winds picked up, and the particles from the skill glowed brightly.

Ding!

[Chaotic Clone (Epic) has evolved into Chaotic Clone (Legendary).]

He raised an eyebrow. "Huh. I guess not all skills change names with every rank."

[Primordial Evolution — Next Use: 23:59:59]

Still, the upgrade was clear. He reopened the updated panel.

---

[Chaotic Clone]

[Rank: Legendary]

[Description: Uses your "Chaos" affinity to summon a clone made of aura that can assist you in battle. It has all of the owner’s stats and can use skills. The clone follows the "Neutral" path. 1-hour cooldown.]

---

The "half stats" condition was now gone.

This clone... was now just as strong as Sam.

A perfect duplicate, skill-capable and fully powered. It wasn’t just helpful, it was game-changing.

Sam smiled faintly.

If this was the quality of skill his Chaos Affinity could unlock, then he definitely didn’t regret investing in that path.

But the next panel that appeared made him pause.

He didn’t get any bonus skills this time, not like before.

That was fine. He had something more valuable.

Ding!

[Based on the current path you are taking as a Primordial... you have been granted the "Void" affinity.]

"Nice!" Sam’s eyes lit up.

A surge of power exploded within him once again, but this time, the energy was different.

Not chaotic. Not shadowy.

Cold. Still. Endless.

A silver aura began to swirl around his body, joining the dark hues of Shadow and the fiery orange streaks of Chaos. This was Void.

Something deep and unnatural, like the space between stars.

---

[Primordial Sword]

[Current Affinities: Shadow, Chaos, Void...]

---

He could feel it not only strengthening his body, but also empowering his blade.

The [Primordial Sword] pulsed, absorbing the Void aura naturally, like it had been waiting for it.

But what excited Sam even more... was what came with the affinity.

Each affinity came with a "class skill."

To be honest, Sam didn’t know what [Shadow] gave him, but it was probably the [Spatial Inventory].

Chaos had given him [Chaotic Fate].

And now... with Void?

He didn’t know what it would be, but if the trend continued, it would be a passive or support ability, something with long-term utility.

Class skills weren’t built for battle. They were tools. Passive abilities. Useful in different ways.

Most Awakeners only got one or two at the very start, since they were linked to their [Class].

But Sam now had four.

And then—

Ding!

[You have unlocked a new Class Skill thanks to your affinity: Void Watcher]