On his way back to [Ashbourne City], Sam couldn’t stop thinking about those panels.
Those strange white ones surrounded by floating cards, each one radiating power.
It all started to make sense now.
Asmodeus had told him he could step into the real world, and this new figure, the one Sam assumed was the fifth [Forsaken Lord], had already shown the ability to freely materialize panels to say anything he wanted.
"They’re bleeding into reality..." Sam muttered, running a hand through his hair. "This is getting out of hand."
The thought alone made his head hurt.
He had enough to worry about already, and now these Forsaken Lords were getting bolder by the day.
Still, the panel wasn’t wrong. Sam couldn’t avoid the Fifth forever. That fight was going to happen. Whether he liked it or not.
Until then, he needed to grow. He had to.
Back home, Sam collapsed onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling.
Everything had changed so fast.
He had barely survived the Fourth Layer. He’d killed Asmodeus, something most people would call impossible.
And yet, he was still unsure. Still walking in the dark.
A notification popped up on his phone. It was from the group chat he shared with the girls.
Despite everything, they had quickly become close friends.
The three of them were training hard, working together, and even planning expeditions to the Fourth Layer.
They weren’t rushing into it, though.
Sam knew that even as heroines, it would be suicide if they weren’t prepared.
He wondered how they did it in [Forsakened], but the protagonist probably carried them to victory using his overpowered abilities.
"Guess I could do that too... but nah."
Letting them grow at their own pace was smarter. They needed to build strength themselves, not rely on him like a crutch.
Still... there was something nagging at him.
The protagonist of [Forsakened] wasn’t a Primordial. Sam was sure of that. So what was he?
Even after everything Sam had gone through, he still had no answers.
The truth about his role, about the Primordials, and what these Forsaken Lords truly were, all of it was hidden.
[Chloe Vinelord:] I’ve been leveling up fast! Just looking for a good fire skill now. My control’s way better.
[Lily Gremoir:] Try the "Awakener Association"! They’ve got some crazy stuff stocked.
[Chloe Vinelord:] I did, but none of the skills clicked with me. I’ll keep looking.
[Alicia Union:] Good luck, I’m still training to get used to all of the skills that came with the [Blessed Sword of Orphelia]!
[Lily Gremoir:] You’re lucky. I don’t have much to train with besides archery. My new bow is nice, though!
Sam read the messages silently.
From the outside, he probably looked like the odd one out.
He barely spoke in the group chat, but they all still considered him the most important part of it.
[Chloe Vinelord:] Everyone in my guild, including my parents, are already going crazy about the fact Sam somehow "conquered" another layer!
[Lily Gremoir:] Same here! They think he’s not human, haha. "How does he do that over and over?!"
Sam smiled, then locked the screen and set the phone down beside him.
’I need to level up more... or increase the [Hatred Bar]. Either way, I’m still not ready.’
With that thought, he let himself drift off to sleep.
Usually, Sam didn’t dream.
The only time he had before was when he saw the vision of the [Roaring Titan]’s form.
But tonight was different.
He was standing in a pitch-black void. Empty. Silent. No sound. No movement.
Only one thing appeared before him:
A single crimson panel.
That was all it said. Then Sam woke up.
He sat up in bed, heart pounding.
’What does that mean? The fifth [Forsaken Lord]... coming here?’
No. He didn’t think so.
He realized that these beings probably had rules of their own.
If they didn’t, Asmodeus wouldn’t have given him a three-day warning. He would’ve just come and ended things immediately.
Same with the others. If the Fifth or Sixth Forsaken Lord wanted him dead, they probably could wipe out the entire world to do it.
Rules. There were boundaries in place, even for them.
And though Sam didn’t know the details, he was starting to understand that the playing field wasn’t as random as it looked.
Even if it still wanted him dead.
Two weeks passed after that, and since Sam realized that nothing "normal" would help him level up, he instead decided to go through the [Fourth Layer] once per day.
[Congratulations to Sam Walker for leveling up to Level 6 of the Expert Rank!]
[Congratulations to Sam Walker for leveling up to Level 7 of the Expert Rank!]
[Congratulations to Sam Walker for leveling up to Level 8 of the Expert Rank!]
At that point though, even the hundreds of demons and monsters from the [Fourth Layer] weren’t enough to allow him a single level.
Sam sighed. He knew what that meant.
The only path forward... was the [Fifth Layer].
Still, during those two weeks, he met up with the girls several times.
They always seemed happy to see him.
"You don’t even text us," Lily said, smiling. "But at least you’re alive."
"He’s just busy," Chloe said, nudging Lily. "Don’t get all possessive."
"P-Possessive?!" Lily’s face turned bright red.
"Why are you laughing?!" Lily shouted, even more embarrassed.
Moments like these helped. They grounded him. Gave him something to fight for.
Even so, that restless feeling never went away.
His body was calm, but his soul wasn’t.
Something deep inside him was waiting, itching, for what came next.
It was screaming one thing: [Fight and kill them.]
One day, while walking through the city, Sam suddenly remembered the two skill books in his [Spatial Inventory].
"Oh, let me show you something."
He pulled them out: [Draconic Flames] and [Underworld Flames].
Chloe’s eyes lit up the second she saw them.
"Oh my god... I can feel a connection."
Her intuition was always strong. Whether it was weapons, armor, or skills, she always knew what was right for her.
These books were no exception.
"I’ll give you one," Sam said, holding them out. "But it’ll cost you."
"I don’t mind," Chloe said flatly. "You can ask for anything."
Sam rubbed his chin, pretending to think.
"Well, I might ask for something in the future. Just be ready."
Then he tossed her the [Underworld Flames] book.
He still wanted power, still wanted leverage, but if the heroines got stronger, that helped him too, plus he wouldn’t use [Underworld Flames] anyway.
"Thank you!" Chloe leapt forward and hugged him.
Sam stood still, blank expression on his face. Even in moments , his mind was elsewhere.
"She’s enthusiastic~" Alicia teased.
"Too close," Lily mumbled, looking away.
Despite everything, Sam appreciated these moments.
But the clock was ticking for the girls. Their expedition to the Fourth Layer was coming up. And they needed to be ready.
As for Sam, luckily, the [Hatred Bar] didn’t decay until he hit Level 10. So he theoretically had an indefinite amount of time.
Or at least... he thought he did.
Because every few nights now... The dream came back.
Always the same black void. Always a new crimson panel. And each one was saying something different.