Primordial Awakening: I Can Evolve My Skills Infinitely-Chapter 81: Opening of the Battle Realm

Sam checked the time on his interface after spending the last few hours relaxing with Lily, Alicia, and Chloe.

[11:55 PM]

At exactly midnight, the [Battle Realm] would open, for everyone who had reached the [Expert] rank and was willing to enter.

There was no obligation. No one would be forced into it. But that didn’t mean it was easy to ignore.

Reaching [Expert] rank alone was rare.

The risk, the effort, the battles it took to climb through the lower ranks made most people stop far earlier.

Most awakened were content with staying at [Adept] or [Apprentice] rank their entire lives.

But not everyone.

Some kept pushing forward anyway.

Among those people, the three girls with Sam were part of that rare group.

As for Sam himself... his reason for advancing was a bit more complicated.

Part of it was survival, every entity that hated him seemed to grow stronger and more hateful.

The other part was the fact that this world followed the rules of the [Forsakened] game, and the game didn’t give him the luxury of staying still.

Even so...

[11:57 PM]

"So, what do you think is going to happen?" Chloe asked as she looked over the cliff’s edge.

The four of them were standing at a high point overlooking the city, watching the lights flicker in the night below.

"My parents don’t know anything," she continued, "Which really surprised me. I always assumed they had all the answers."

Lily sighed, adjusting her scarf, "My dad just told me to be careful. I don’t think he knows what’s coming either."

Technically, [Ascendant] rank awakeners were also allowed to enter the [Battle Realm]. But they rarely did.

[Hell-Mode Analysis: It mainly benefits those at Expert and Master rank, though a few Ascendant ranks may enter. Be cautious.]

Sam didn’t know if he could take on someone at [Ascendant] rank yet, even with all his advantages.

But he’d find out soon enough.

[11:59 PM]

Only one minute left.

The wind was cold at this height, brushing past them as they stood atop the cliff.

The city stretched out in the distance like a sea of lights, and for a second, everything was quiet.

’Forsakened is definitely the kind of game where the world falls apart eventually,’ Sam thought.

A faint smile crept on his lips.

’No avoiding that. The only thing I can do is get stronger.’

He didn’t know what the "plot" of the game actually was.

That kind of knowledge was long gone the moment he arrived here.

There was no guide. No objectives.

Just vague system messages, hidden truths, and constant battles.

So he did the next best thing, he followed what felt right.

And standing here, waiting for the next big stage to begin, was what felt right to him.

[Remember, no mercy.]

Sam looked at the panel, and a strange yet familiar chill passed through him.

He gave a small nod.

’Anyone in our way... I already got the message.’

And right then—

[12:00 AM]

Ding!

[The "Battle Realm" will now open in front of every awakener who meets the conditions of entry.]

[Do note that only awakeners between "Expert" and "Ascendant" ranks are allowed in.]

[You will have exactly 5 minutes to enter. All those who do not will be locked out permanently. This is your one and only chance.]

Sam raised an eyebrow.

That part confused him.

Technically, the [Battle Realm] was supposed to reopen every 20 years.

It wasn’t a one-time thing, so why was this their one and only chance?

Before he could think more on that—

[After all, who knows what might happen in the future.]

[The rules of the Battle Realm will be revealed after you make your connection with it.]

Sam didn’t waste time trying to guess what it all meant.

A bronze-colored portal appeared in front of him—spinning, pulsing with power.

And not just in front of him. Lily, Alicia, and Chloe each had one open before them too.

All of them looked surprised.

Sam, however, remained still.

[The sense of DOOM you had has intensified.]

He exhaled slowly. This was it.

Emily’s warning echoed in his mind, "other worlds".

The [Forsaken] realm, as the game’s plot had hinted, didn’t just attach itself to Earth.

It had spread, infected, and warped multiple worlds, worlds with their own layers to conquer, their own awakeners, their own nightmares.

And all of them, now, were being drawn into something larger.

’Battle Realm... Other worlds... Forsaken Realm... Universal Stage...’ Sam thought as he stepped forward.

And then—

Fwish!

He dove into the portal.

Seeing him go, the other three girls exchanged a quick glance, nodded to each other, and jumped as well.

Whatever was waiting for them, they’d face it together.

Sam felt the rush of travel between dimensions. The world spun around him in a chaotic blur, but then, just as suddenly, it stopped.

Thump!

His feet hit solid ground.

He looked down. Stone.

He looked up. Buildings. Streets. People.

But none of it was modern. Instead, it felt medieval.

Tall stone structures, narrow alleys, towers in the distance, and strange lanterns glowing with mana-infused flames.

[You have entered the "Battle Kingdom".]

[This is a place specifically created for the "Battle Realm".]

"Huh."

All around him, other human awakeners were dropping from portals, their expressions ranging from curiosity to confusion.

Some were young. Some were older. Across all regions on Earth.

But all of them shared one thing in common, they were [Expert] rank or higher.

This was new. The only realm they’d ever entered until now was the [Forsaken Realm].

But this? This was something entirely different.

"Hey!" a familiar voice called out.

Sam turned and saw Lily waving at him, Chloe just behind her.

"Phew," Lily exhaled, "I was scared we wouldn’t land in the same place. There’s... a lot of people here."

"Be careful," Sam said quietly, "I’ve got a bad feeling about this."

The two girls nodded without question.

If Sam had a bad feeling, it wasn’t something to take lightly.

A few minutes later, Alicia appeared too, making her way through the growing crowd.

"So I guess this whole kingdom is the [Battle Realm], huh?" she asked, "I didn’t notice anything too weird... just awakeners everywhere, talking, grouping up."

"That means the rules haven’t been announced yet," Sam said.

They all nodded and stood together.

And they waited for a few minutes.

Just as the countdown ended, every portal snapped shut with a sharp hum, vanishing completely.

No more entries. Anyone who hadn’t made it in time was now locked out.

Sam exhaled.

’Guess it’s starting soon.’

[The sense of DOOM you had is suddenly overshadowed by excitement.]

A small grin tugged at Sam’s lips.

’Heh. Guess I’m more excited than afraid. Well... not like a Primordial can be afraid anyway, right?’

And then—

Ding!

A massive golden panel lit up in the sky, visible to every single awakener.

It stretched above the entire kingdom like a divine message from the heavens.

[All participants from the two worlds have entered the Battle Realm.]

Sam’s eyes sharpened.

’Two worlds...?’

[This realm has been connected with another of the seven worlds that are linked to the Forsaken Realm.]

"Huh?"

"Wait, we’re actually connecting with another world right now?" someone muttered nearby.

"That’s insane..."

"We’re part of history..."

Sam listened to the voices around him.

Clearly, the other awakeners were aware of the existence of the other worlds.

Maybe the Awakener Association or the major guilds had told them something.

But none of it changed the fact that this was huge.

And Sam had barely known a thing about it.

He looked back at the panel, his mind already analyzing what this meant.

’I guess that including Earth, there are 7 other worlds connected to the [Forsaken] realm, each one forced to go through the same thing,’ Sam made a note in his mind to remember that, ’I wonder... what will happen.’

And then—

Ding!

[The rules of the Battle Realm will now be revealed. This is a unique opportunity for all participants to grow stronger—no matter which world they come from.]

Sam’s crimson eyes lit up.

He was ready. So were the others.

Whatever this next stage was... it was about to begin.

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by (f)reew𝒆b(n)ov𝒆l.com