The Guardian Swordmaster took another heavy step forward, the weight of its armored body making the ground tremble slightly beneath it.
But after that step, it suddenly stopped. For a brief moment, it just stood there, motionless, before slowly lifting its head.
Its crimson eyes gleamed through the cage-like slit in its helmet, locking onto the three awakeners standing across from it.
And then, an eerie red light pulsed through its eyes.
Eye Curse!
The effect was immediate. A wave of pressure slammed into Sam, Lily, and Alicia. It wasn't physical, but it hit like a truck. Their minds were targeted. Their instincts screamed. Their thoughts wavered.
"Agh—!"
"What the hell...?"
Sam turned, quickly realizing what had happened. Lily and Alicia stood behind him, their eyes wide in fear, hands trembling as their weapons shook in their grips. The aura of fear had taken hold of them. They couldn't move properly.
But him? Nothing.
A soft, calm message floated before his vision.
[A "Primordial" cannot feel fear. Keep going.]
"...Oh."
So that was it. The Eye Curse was designed to paralyze the opponent with overwhelming fear, disrupting their movement, ruining their aim. But to someone like Sam, someone marked as "Primordial," it didn't even register.
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Alright," he muttered under his breath. "Let's do this."
Without waiting, Sam dashed forward. His form blurred as he closed the distance between himself and the towering Guardian in an instant.
The average awakener wouldn't dare approach something like this head-on, especially a boss several levels above them. But Sam had no time for hesitation.
Lily and Alicia were still stunned, the curse clinging to them. If he didn't act fast, they'd be easy targets. That wasn't an option. He needed them alive. Having allies, witnesses to what he could do, was important. Building trust, influence, reputation... it all mattered.
FWISH! BOOM!
The Guardian Swordmaster moved with surprising speed, swinging its enormous sword toward him just as he reached it.
But Sam didn't slow down—he swung his [Primordial Sword] straight into the attack.
CLANG!
A shockwave burst out from the impact, shaking the open field around them. The air rippled from the force, and even the trees at the edge of the forest swayed.
The next moment, their blades clashed again. Then again. Over and over.
Each strike was heavier than the last. Each impact louder. Sparks flew with every swing. Sam's arms vibrated from the force of the blows, his grip on the sword tested every time, but he didn't flinch. He didn't retreat. He kept going.
His mind focused, teeth clenched.
'The [Primordial Sword] won't break,' he reminded himself. 'But just matching it isn't enough. I need to find an opening. I need to win.'
And it was clear now—the Guardian Swordmaster's technique, while powerful, was just about on par with Sam's [Intermediate Sword Technique]. Had Sam evolved it one more time, he would have had the clear advantage. But for now, they were equals.
Which meant he only needed one opportunity. One mistake. One perfect strike.
The Guardian raised its blade for another overhead swing, and in that moment, Sam acted. He rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the strike, then slashed at the Guardian's side in a single smooth motion.
SLASH!
The sound of his sword cutting through metal echoed in his ears.
Even though the boss wore thick armor, Sam's attack left a noticeable gash across its side. It wasn't much, but it was proof that he could damage it. It could bleed.
The Guardian let out a furious roar that vibrated through its helmet.
Sam grinned wider.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
He pressed forward, landing a few more hits. But the moment he started to build momentum, the Guardian changed tactics.
Its aura surged.
It raised one leg—then slammed a kick straight into Sam's chest.
BAM!
Sam was sent flying, but at the last moment, a faint slime-like substance appeared around him.
[Slime Barrier activated.]
The protective layer absorbed most of the damage, letting him land with only a grunt of pain. He pushed himself up quickly, ready to reengage—but then he saw something that made his eyes narrow.
The Guardian stood tall, its blade held sideways in both hands.
It wasn't just standing there. It was charging something.
Sam's body tensed, and a chill ran down his spine.
He remembered this moment. He had seen it before. This move. That stance.
He had died to it. Multiple times.
[Sword Crescent]
That was the name of the boss's ultimate technique—its deadliest attack.
A ranged wave of concentrated energy, released in a wide arc. It wasn't something that could be blocked easily, and dodging had failed him every time before.
FWISH! FWISH!
Energy built up around the blade. Sam's heart pounded. He looked back—Lily and Alicia were still standing behind him, barely recovering from the [Fear] status.
If that attack hit them, they'd die. And if he let it through, so would he.
There was only one thing he could do now. He took a deep breath. Tightened his grip. And then—he ran forward. Straight toward the attack.
The Guardian released its energy. A massive white crescent of power sliced through the air toward him.
Sam focused his aura into his sword, his dark energy wrapping tightly around the blade.
He braced his feet. And swung.
BOOM!
The sound was deafening. The clash of white and black energies created a massive explosion of force, knocking back dust and wind across the field. Sam grunted, feet skidding across the ground as he pushed back against the wave.
His arms shook. His legs burned. He was losing ground.
'C'mon…!' he growled in his mind.
And just then, a panel appeared.
[Hell-Mode Analysis: If a single bullet doesn't work… then how about combining them?]
His eyes widened. That's it.
He raised his hand, calling forth his [Shadow Bullets]. One by one, they formed around him, ten in total, swirling with his dark energy.
Then he focused. And merged them.
The bullets combined into a single, denser mass of pure shadow, a bullet far more potent than any he had fired before.
"GO!" he shouted, hurling the shadow bullet straight at the Guardian.
It flew past the still-clashing energies—and struck the yellow orb embedded in the Guardian's chest.
CRACK—BOOM!
This time, the orb didn't absorb the hit. It shattered.
The Guardian staggered, its entire body trembling. Its aura flickered. And in that moment, the crescent weakened, losing momentum.
Sam's eyes sharpened.
With renewed strength, he pushed back, and broke through the energy slash entirely.
He charged forward, closing the distance in a blur.
The Guardian, stunned, couldn't react in time.
SLASH!
With one clean swing, Sam sliced through the Guardian's neck.
Its head flew from its body, and the massive armored figure fell to its knees, then crumbled.
The wind blew gently across the battlefield. Sam landed on his feet and exhaled.
"...That was insane," he whispered.
He wasted no time. He raised his sword once again, and the familiar dark tendrils emerged from the blade. They wrapped around the boss's remains, absorbing its core into his body.
Ding!
[Congratulations to Sam Walker for leveling up to Level 4 of the Novice Rank!]
And then, a second message.
Ding!
[Your "Shadow Bullets" (Common) skill has evolved into "Shadow Barrage" (Uncommon)]
Even without using [Primordial Evolution], the skill had naturally evolved through pressure and creativity.
Sam's grin widened. From behind, Lily's voice broke the silence.
"Incredible... he's... amazing."
Alicia nodded beside her, eyes still wide, "We couldn't even move... and he just... destroyed it."
And then, just as they processed everything...
Ding!
[Sam Walker has defeated the boss of the "First Layer". The gate to the "Second Layer" is now open!]