[You have entered the "Abyssal King's Lair"]
The moment Sam saw the message, his expression shifted. His eyes narrowed as a quiet seriousness took over his face.
There was something about that title, Abyssal King, that immediately told him this wasn't like anything they had faced before.
He turned around slightly, and even without saying a word, he could tell Lily and Alicia felt it too.
That presence. That weight in the air. It was heavy, far heavier than before.
The pressure alone was so strong that most novice-rank awakeners would have passed out just from stepping inside.
But Sam wasn't like them.
He wasn't here to hesitate or back down. His only goal was to grow stronger, and nothing, not even a presence like this, would keep him from moving forward.
They descended a long set of stairs, one that spiraled down to the deepest part of the ruins.
Eventually, they reached the bottom, entering a massive hall.
The light dimmed even further as they went, until the torches lit up in purple flames on the walls.
Black statues lined each side of the hallway; each one shaped exactly like the Abyssal Guardians they had defeated earlier.
Lily's eyes sharpened immediately. She raised her bow, preparing a shot, and Alicia tightened her grip on her sword.
"These might be traps," Alicia said under her breath.
But Sam didn't even slow his pace.
[Hell-Mode Analysis: They're actual statues. Just keep going. The king is close.]
He walked right past them, eyes fixed ahead.
At the very end of the long hallway stood a door, different from the others. It wasn't just another passage deeper in. No, this was the final door. The last step.
Behind that door... was the one they had been heading toward this entire time.
The source of the dark aura Sam had felt since they first stepped into the sub-layer. The one that now felt strong enough to crush a mountain.
He stopped just in front of it and looked back at the two girls behind him.
"Are you ready?" he asked plainly, voice steady.
Neither of them answered at first. The pressure was suffocating now, and even breathing felt heavy. But then, they looked at each other—and nodded.
They didn't need to say it out loud. They had followed him this far. They weren't turning back.
Sam placed his hand on the door and gave it a strong push. The door creaked open slowly, and a silver mist spilled out from within.
He smiled.
"That's the boss area," he muttered, gripping his [Primordial Sword] tighter. "Let's go."
Without hesitation, he stepped through the mist.
[Eternal Barrier: 42/50]
He still had most of his defense left, which meant that even if something tried to ambush him, he was ready for it.
The mist was thick. He walked for what felt like a full minute, the fog swirling around his feet and arms with every step. And then—
[You have arrived, Primordial.]
The words appeared right before the mist cleared.
Sam walked out into a massive room.
Four massive pillars of darkness surrounded him, and the walls were glowing faintly with that same eerie blue light. It felt cold. Silent.
And at the far end of the room was a throne.
Sitting on it was a figure, tall and draped in robes made of shifting black mist. Its eyes glowed with a sharp purple light, narrow and piercing. It didn't move, but Sam could feel the weight of its gaze.
He didn't stop. He just kept walking.
"Interesting," the voice echoed from the throne.
Sam's steps didn't falter.
"The first human to ever reach this place..." the figure spoke again, voice low and hollow. "And you are... one of them, I see."
"You will die," Sam answered calmly, spinning his sword once in his hand.
His own crimson aura began to rise, clashing quietly with the thick darkness in the room.
Lily and Alicia emerged from the mist behind him and instantly stopped in place. Their instincts screamed at them not to move.
It wasn't fear. It was something deeper—like their bodies knew they weren't allowed to interfere.
"You brought others," the king said, rising from the throne at last.
His form came into full view now. The [Abyssal King] was a tall being wrapped in an elegant jagged armor made of shadow. His hair was silver and long, and on his head was a sharp black crown.
In his hands, he held the [Abyssal Sword Spear], a terrifying weapon that could cut from a distance and pierce at close range.
"But I think it is better to fight me fairly, isn't it, Primordial?"
Sam narrowed his eyes.
The king had called him by his class.
It wasn't just a coincidence. This thing knew what he was.
[It doesn't matter. Kill him.]
Sam nodded, taking in the information calmly.
---
[Abyssal King (Layer Boss)]
[Level: 10]
[Skills: ???]
[Description: The boss that controls the first layer, governor of the darkness of these ruins.]
[Hell-Mode Analysis: The first of the six, kill him without a shred of mercy. Only true strength will beat that thing.]
---
Sam's gaze sharpened. So this was it.
Unlike the [Guardian Swordmaster] who had been labeled a [Boss], this enemy had a different tag—[Layer Boss].
This was the true ruler of the first layer.
That meant something very important: the real challenge of each layer was not above, but hidden underneath in these sub-layers.
And that made Sam smile.
'While the others above are fighting monsters just to survive...'
He looked up at the ceiling of the massive lair.
'The real test was always down here.'
That also meant the true form of each layer was this—these hidden zones, these death chambers where only the strongest would ever walk.
But he didn't have time to dwell on that.
The Abyssal King slowly lifted his weapon.
"Let us begin," the king said.
With a snap of his fingers, a massive wall of purple flames rose from the ground, circling the area like a dome.
Lily and Alicia ended up on the other side of the wall, completely separated from Sam.
"The fact that you are here means the prophecy is beginning," the king said, his voice darker now. "I cannot allow it. You must die."
Fwish! BAM!
The Abyssal King moved instantly. His speed was unreal. In the blink of an eye, he slashed at Sam ten times—so fast that even Sam could barely see it.
Sam gritted his teeth and raised his sword to block.
[Eternal Barrier: 32/50]
His barrier held, but the power behind the attacks was more intense than anything he had ever faced head-on.
His eyes flared brighter.
'So this is the strength of a true layer boss,' he thought.
He couldn't imagine what a second-layer boss would be like. Or third. And if this one knew he was a Primordial, it was likely others would too.
Still, it didn't matter. He wasn't going to lose.
The Abyssal King floated back and raised his weapon again. "I have waited so long to see one of your kind," he said.
Fwish! BOOM!
He dashed forward once more, but this time, Sam reacted fast. He activated his [Primordial Sword Technique] and began deflecting the king's strikes one by one.
Their weapons clashed, sparks flew, and Sam saw an opening.
He struck. A clean hit across the king's side, then a sharp kick to push him back.
The blow didn't kill him—far from it. But it did leave a mark on the king's armor. A small crack.
The king looked at it and smiled grimly.
His purple aura surged again, and the entire room trembled under the pressure.
"So be it," the Abyssal King said coldly. "Your kind never gives up after all... That determination of yours will be your end."
[Kill him.]
Sam didn't hesitate. He lifted his arm and summoned two portals above him.
"I'll use everything I have too."