For the third time now, the panel appeared.
[You have a bad feeling about this.]
Sam let out a quiet breath as he read the message.
At this point, he didn't even need to ask why. Something was bound to happen, it always did when this panel showed up.
He slowly turned his head and looked behind him.
The remaining awakeners from the [Inferno Guild] were still following.
Five of them now. Their movements were steady, and their eyes were locked forward. Even after losing half of their group, they hadn't backed down.
If anything, their determination burned brighter than before.
Sam could already guess their goal.
They wanted to be part of something big. If they could be the first to clear this strange, corrupted rift, one that might become a global incident once news of it spread, they could ride that fame all the way to the top.
Instant recognition. Power. Maybe even funding to build their own guild someday.
They weren't wrong, either. The stakes were real.
But Sam turned back toward the silver mist that marked the cathedral entrance, his mind working quietly.
The "bad feeling" panel… it could've been about a lot of things.
Maybe the boss waiting on the other side was incredibly powerful. Or maybe the true danger was closer than he thought, like the awakeners behind him trying to kill him for all the glory.
He didn't trust them. He didn't hate them either. He just preferred to handle things his own way.
And if they really wanted to throw themselves into danger? Fine by him.
Sam turned to face them, voice calm. "Stay here."
The sudden shift in his tone made them freeze. For a brief moment, none of them said anything, their eyes locking with his, and that's when they saw it.
The faint crimson aura flaring from his pupils. Unnatural. Intense.
One of them scoffed. "What do you mean, stay here?"
"We were just caught off guard last time. Don't get ahead of yourself, kid!"
Sam didn't respond. He'd already turned away.
Entering the boss room alone was the smartest option. If the boss really was dangerous, he wouldn't have to worry about friendly fire or distractions.
If the "bad feeling" was about betrayal, then distancing himself would avoid any backstabbing.
He didn't say anything more. He simply stepped into the silver mist and vanished.
"Here we go, boys!" one of them yelled, excitement pulsing in his voice. "It's actually time to prove ourselves!"
"This'll be the legacy of our squad! Once we hit Apprentice rank, we'll build our OWN guild!"
"Hell yeah!"
Fueled by hype and ambition, they all charged after him, straight into the mist.
…
On the other side, Sam emerged into the cathedral.
It was a grand hall of shadows and silence.
Towering walls of stone stretched far above, with rows of ruined pews scattered around the cracked marble floor.
Massive stained glass windows filtered dull gray light through the fog, giving the entire place a haunted glow.
But before he could take in much more—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
All the windows shattered at once, shards of glass raining down like hail.
A dark figure materialized above them, floating silently.
Cloaked in shadows, it raised a staff in one hand and slowly descended, landing gently on the ground with glowing purple eyes fixed on the group.
Sam narrowed his eyes and gripped the hilt of his [Primordial Sword].
---
[Undead Archmage (Corrupted)]
[Level: 10]
[Description: An archmage wielding powerful dark magic and extremely proficient in necromancy.]
[Hell-Mode Analysis: It has an unavoidable attack. Though I guess you don't need to worry about it too much.]
---
Sam stared at the panel without flinching.
Behind him, the group of awakeners stepped out of the mist one by one, faces lighting up with both shock and excitement.
"Alright boys!" the leader shouted, raising his sword high. "The beginning of our journey is NOW!"
And with that, they all charged ahead, weapons ready, no hesitation.
'Are they stupid?'
Fwish! Fwish! BOOM!
The archmage raised its staff and, without so much as a warning, unleashed a massive wave of dark magic. A pulse of raw death energy swept across the entire cathedral.
BOOM!
Sam's [Eternal Barrier] lit up briefly as it absorbed the hit. He didn't move. He didn't even flinch.
But the others… They didn't stand a chance.
Their weapons clattered to the ground, their bodies gone in an instant. Disintegrated. Reduced to ash and shadow.
"...I did tell you to stay behind," Sam muttered, brushing dust off his shoulder. Then he smiled faintly. "My turn."
The archmage's eyes narrowed. It hovered back into the air, dark aura flaring wildly. The runes on its staff glowed with a purple-black light before it thrust the weapon forward.
Fwish! BOOM!
Another beam of concentrated darkness shot toward Sam.
This time, he didn't rely on the barrier.
He raised his [Primordial Sword], angled it just right, and—
CLANG!
The beam struck the blade and split, diverted instantly. The power spread across the surface of the sword before vanishing harmlessly.
The weapon didn't even budge. Of course it didn't.
The [Primordial Sword] wasn't just any weapon, it was a masterpiece forged for something far above this world. As long as Sam held it, nothing could break it.
His eyes sharpened.
"Abyssal Obliteration."
He raised his free hand, and a shadow portal opened above him.
Dozens upon dozens of shadow bullets shot out like a storm.
The first wave hit the archmage directly, causing it to stagger in the air as several impacts tore into its rotted robe and ancient bones.
It quickly began to dodge the next wave, weaving through the storm with surprising speed for something undead.
Sam eventually lowered his hand as his mana reserves dipped.
'I'll be able to summon more portals once I get more Soul... but for now, that's all I can do.'
The fight shifted into close range.
Clash! Slash! Bang!
Sam lunged and swung.
The archmage floated higher or blinked back to avoid the strikes, always keeping its distance.
In return, it launched spell after spell: dark beams, exploding skulls, cursed chains, all meant to overwhelm him.
But Sam wasn't fazed.
Most would've been dead by now. But he had no intention of dying. Not here. Not now. Not when the game was only getting started.
Then the thought hit him.
He had one more skill. One the archmage hadn't seen yet.
"Here goes nothing."
He lowered into position, blade sideways.
"Shadow Tendrils."
Immediately, five dark tendrils burst out from his sword, writhing violently in the air. They shot forward at the archmage.
The boss reacted fast, launching another beam of darkness at them.
Two tendrils disintegrated mid-air.
'So they can be destroyed,' Sam noted calmly.
But the remaining three slammed into the archmage and coiled around its body, wrapping tightly around its arms, legs, and chest. The undead flailed, but the tendrils didn't budge.
It was caught.
Sam didn't hesitate.
He walked forward slowly, sword in hand, and let the tendrils drag the archmage down toward him like a chained offering.
When it was close enough—
Fwish! Slash!
Sam cut it in half, clean and efficient.
The body fell to the floor, already unraveling.
He stepped forward and watched the last traces of magic fade from its shattered staff.
"If this is just the beginning," he murmured, "Then humanity is really screwed."
As the tendrils vanished, Sam reached down and picked up the archmage's core.
Without needing to be told, the [Primordial Sword] absorbed it, humming quietly with power.
Ding!
[Congratulations to Sam Walker for leveling up to Level 8 of the Novice Rank!]
"Nice," he smiled.
Only two more levels remained before he could take on his [Advancement Task].
After that, he'd be free to form his guild. And soon after… he'd dive into the [Second Layer].
But before leaving, something else caught his attention.
Just where the archmage had fallen… two faint lights were shimmering in the shadows. Two loots had dropped.