Primordial Awakening: I Can Evolve My Skills Infinitely-Chapter 78: Hatred Affinity, Stars of Hatred

"Well, I guess having a new skill would be useful," Sam muttered, hands behind his back. "Especially since I didn’t get a single one at [Adept] rank."

He made his choice without hesitation: the [Shadow] affinity.

As soon as he did, the panels for the other affinities—most notably [Chaos]—faded away, swallowed by the dark, violet glow of the shadow one.

That eerie energy then seeped directly into Sam’s body, swirling around him in slow, graceful spirals before vanishing beneath his skin.

And then, as expected—

Ding!

[Pick a card, Primordial.]

Three violet-colored cards floated into view, each hovering quietly before him.

The backs were the same as usual: smooth obsidian outlines, faintly glowing with soft violet light.

He couldn’t see the faces, only the symbols carved into their reverse sides.

’Nice.’

The first two cards bore familiar markings—ones he had seen in previous card draws but never selected.

The first was marked by a grim-looking skull, its mouth open.

The second had a swirling black vortex.

But it was the third that drew his attention.

An eye. Not just any eye, but one with a burning crimson pupil that almost seemed to glare back at him.

There was something about that symbol, something raw and instinctual, that made Sam pause.

’I was gonna go with the skull,’ he thought, eyes narrowing slightly, ’but that eye... it’s too tempting to pass on.’

He still wasn’t sure how many total [Shadow Affinity] skills there were to collect.

Even if he ignored the other affinity rewards entirely and focused only on [Shadow], he’d only be able to pick perhaps eight more skills at best before hitting the highest rank.

Assuming nothing changed that is.

Still, for now, he pointed to the card with the crimson eye.

[You have selected your card.]

The other two combusted immediately, disintegrating into ash-like black flames before disappearing altogether.

The chosen card hovered alone, slowly spinning until it revealed its front.

---

[Crimson Glare]

[Rank: Rare]

[Description: Glare at an enemy, and your eyes will flare with crimson aura. If anyone stares into them in that moment, they will be inflicted with the "Fear" status effect for 5 seconds.]

[Hell-Mode Analysis: Not that good, but you feel like the "Forsaken" upgrade will be powerful.]

Sam’s eyes lit up.

"Holy..."

A real smile spread across his face.

’It’s the first skill I’ve gotten that causes a status effect. Finally.’

Status effects weren’t common.

In fact, they were rare in the current game-like world structure.

Even now, most awakeners didn’t have access to them, and very few monsters utilized them either, at least not often.

But Sam had a gut feeling that status effects were going to become very important as things progressed.

And more importantly, [Primordial Evolution] would let him evolve this Rare-rank skill up to three times.

A ripple of dark light passed over his body as the card dissolved and merged into him.

Ding!

[Congratulations to Sam Walker for learning the skill: Crimson Glare (Rare)]

Sam nodded to himself, still pleased with the result.

But there was something even more significant waiting for him, something more impactful than any skill.

Because now that he had advanced in rank, that meant one thing. A new affinity.

It was the most exciting part of each rank-up, but also the most nerve-wracking.

Sam had long theorized that he’d only be able to obtain seven affinities in total, one for each rank: [Novice], [Apprentice], [Adept], [Expert], [Master], [Ascendant], and [Forsaken].

At [Novice], he gained [Shadow].

At [Apprentice], he obtained [Chaos].

And at [Adept], he was granted [Void].

That meant four more affinities awaited him, assuming the pattern stayed the same. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

[You have the feeling that this might not be all of it.]

Sam nodded.

He had felt it too.

Some part of him doubted that things would remain that simple.

After all, nothing in this world was ever so straightforward.

Still, for now, he turned his focus to the glowing crimson panel that shimmered into view.

Ding!

[Their "Hatred" for you is commendable, but it is not enough for you to fall. Return the favor a hundredfold.]

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

Sam’s eyes widened as his crimson aura flared on instinct.

A sharp grin cut across his face.

’I guess affinities really can be anything...’ he thought, brow raised. ’Shadow is an element, but Chaos and Void are concepts. And now... Hatred?’

He had no idea. But he liked it already.

The crimson panel ignited and then flowed into him like molten fire, merging with the others that already lived inside him.

His [Primordial Sword] trembled slightly as it accepted the new power, reacting to the new affinity just like it had with the others.

He could feel it, an angry, burning flicker of crimson energy joining the black of [Shadow], the orange of [Chaos], and the silver of [Void].

And naturally, just like before...

Ding!

[You have unlocked a new Class Skill thanks to your affinity: Stars of Hatred]

Sam tilted his head slightly and smirked.

"Bingo."

---

[Stars of Hatred]

[Description: Your hatred for all who stand in your way empowers you, granting you additional strength.]

[In battle, the more you are hit or pushed into a corner, the more hatred builds toward that enemy. Each time this happens, you will summon a "Star of Hatred" around you (up to five).]

[Each star has a special use.]

[Hell-Mode Analysis: Don’t get it twisted, those stars are actually kind of hard to earn. But you’ll see. Eventually.]

---

Sam reread the skill panel twice before closing it and nodding with approval.

"This might be the first real combat-focused Class Skill," he muttered, "The others were all passives, but this one... this one can actually be used in battle."

That alone made it incredibly valuable.

All [Class Skills] were technically passive, but almost none had direct combat applications. This one did.

He closed his fist and took a long breath, satisfied with the new power coursing through him.

[Are you happy with yourself? You’re now halfway through the initial stage of the "Forsaken" Realm.]

Sam looked at the panel in silence for a few seconds.

’I... yeah,’ he thought after a moment. ’Yeah, I’m happy. I get to kill more.’

[Deserving of being called the True Primordial.]

"I really don’t get what all this ’Primordial’ and ’True Primordial’ stuff even means," Sam muttered, already turning away and preparing to run back toward the first Outer Ring. "But if it means being strong? I’m fine with that."

And so, without hesitation, Sam took off at full speed.

Every affinity he possessed added to his presence, even if it didn’t visibly reflect in his stats.

He felt stronger. Faster. Sharper.

And without question, the [Hatred] affinity was the strongest of the four so far—but also the most enigmatic.

’Oh wait...’ Sam suddenly remembered as he sprinted through the empty plains. ’Don’t all my affinities have status panels? Like... descriptions or traits?’

He recalled seeing the full status panel of [Shadow] way back, but for [Chaos], [Void], and now [Hatred], he had never bothered to look.

Maybe it was time.

He focused inward, letting his mind tap into the hidden space where all his affinities resided.

And then, they appeared.

Four floating panels.

Each glowing with its own distinct color: black for [Shadow], orange for [Chaos], silver for [Void], and deep crimson for [Hatred].

’Bingo,’ Sam smirked. ’Let’s check them out then.’

Also, he was pretty bored while traveling, so it would pass the time.

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