"No need to hesitate," Sam mumbled as he immediately made his choice, "I pick void affinity, it’s the most consistent one of them all."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the two other panels for [Shadow] and [Hatred] vanished without a trace.
[Somehow, you manage to stare deeply at the void, and fuel it with your determination, keep going.]
He noticed something strange. Every time he picked an affinity, the message was never the same.
The panel always spoke to him in different words.
He couldn’t remember exactly what the messages for the other two times he picked void had been, but he was sure they weren’t identical.
It was like the system itself adjusted based on how deep he was.
Before he could think deeper about it, a silver aura wrapped around his body.
It glowed faintly, surrounding him like mist before slowly seeping into his skin.
Sam’s eyes widened as he felt it enter his body.
A massive surge of power rushed through his veins, making every muscle, every bone, and even his soul tremble from the force.
[You have gained +10 to Strength, Agility and Constitution, and +20 to Soul.]
Sam let out a quiet breath, gripping his hands into fists.
The raw increase in power wasn’t something that could be measured with just numbers.
His body felt sharper, faster, and more stable than before.
The [Hatred] affinity’s reward was a big no, he could foresee himself feel hatred against the upcoming opponents, but he didn’t want to risk it.
As for the [Shadow] affinity, getting a new skill would be useful, but Sam wanted to focus on the ones he currently had.
Especially since he still had the [Time] affinity to lean on, which would give him a new ability.
Plus, he would be able to evolve three of his skills into Tier 2 soon.
For now, building up his core abilities was far more important.
Besides, these attribute boosts weren’t just numbers.
They were lifesaving advantages, the kind that could decide victory or death.
The Forsaken Lord had been level 80, a being with terrifying attack and defense that should have been impossible to handle.
But in the end, Sam’s determination, paired with the attribute boosts he had gained along the way, had given him the strength to overpower Zareth.
After making his choice, Sam braced himself for the next panel.
This was the one he had been waiting for.
[It is time to choose the ability you want, Primordial.]
The glowing words shifted, and three new panels appeared before him.
[Ability #1: Skill Evolution]
[Evolve one of your "Forsaken" rank skills into its next upgrade right now.]
[Ability #2: Cooldown Breaker]
[Gain the "Cooldown Breaker" passive, allowing you to skip the cooldown of one of your skills once every hour.]
[Ability #3: Eye of the Future]
[Gain the "Eye of the Future" passive, allowing you to see what might happen related to you in the close future once per day. It might be about skills, information, enemies, or more.]
"Hah..." Sam sighed as he stared at the glowing options, "I guess I need to make my choice now."
Normally, evolving even one Forsaken skill into Tier 2 instantly would be considered a ridiculous blessing.
The fact that he already had three chances to do exactly that set him apart from anyone else.
Which meant the first ability was automatically out. He didn’t need it.
That left him with two possible options. Cooldown Breaker, or Eye of the Future.
Sam ran the possibilities through his head carefully.
’The second one would give me raw battle flexibility.’
He thought about his current list of skills. Out of all of them, only four actually had cooldowns.
The rest were free to use as long as his stamina and soul could handle them.
The four in question were [Eternal Barrier], [Forsaken Clone], [Gaze of the Primordial], and [I Always Come Back].
Resetting the cooldown on [Eternal Barrier] would be absurd.
The shield could already block fifty strikes.
Using it twice in quick succession would make him nearly untouchable.
[The Forsaken Clone] coming back the moment it died was equally terrifying.
[Gaze of the Primordial] wasn’t quite as useful yet. He still needed time and training to hit directly into an opponent’s soul.
But in the future, it might become devastating.
And [I Always Come Back]... Sam narrowed his eyes.
Resetting that skill’s cooldown would mean he could revive twice.
Overall, the second ability was extraordinary.
It didn’t matter how he looked at it, the value was undeniable.
But then there was the third option. Eye of the Future.
The ability to see fragments of what might happen once a day.
Sam’s heart beat faster as he imagined the possibilities.
If he could glimpse himself being killed, he could prepare.
If he saw his identity as the Primordial being exposed, he could plan ahead.
If he foresaw the appearance of a terrifying monster, he could avoid being caught unprepared.
Even one warning, one small glimpse, could completely shift the outcome of events.
It was almost too good to ignore. The choice weighed on him.
His mind flickered back and forth between the two, comparing raw combat power with the potential of foresight.
Both were invaluable.
But eventually, Sam clenched his fist and made his choice.
"I choose [Cooldown Breaker]."
He believed it was the most versatile tool in his current situation.
Battles were only getting harsher, and having a flexible option that worked in almost any fight would give him more room to survive.
The future was important, yes, but he could not rely on visions to solve everything.
For now, he needed to trust his instincts and fight head-on.
The moment he made his decision, the other two panels vanished.
The choice solidified, leaving only the glowing panel for [Cooldown Breaker].
It pulsed once before dissolving into shining particles that flowed into Sam’s body.
[You have learned "Cooldown Breaker."]
[If a skill is currently on cooldown, you can choose to activate this ability to remove the cooldown. It will only work once per hour.]
Sam grinned as he read the description.
Once he evolved his Forsaken skills to Tier 2, they would undoubtedly become far stronger than before.
But that power might also come with heavier cooldowns.
And that was where [Cooldown Breaker] would shine the most.
The ability to reset a cooldown instantly on a fully evolved skill... that was the kind of power he wanted.
He was satisfied with his choice.
But before he could settle further into that thought—
A new panel appeared.
This one was deep purple, streaked with threads of shadow and darkness that seemed to move on their own.
[They keep throwing everything they have at us, yet we keep coming out on top. Let’s show them what "Oblivion" truly is.]
[Based on the current path you are taking as a Primordial... you have been granted the "Oblivion" affinity.]
A fierce grin spread across his face.
He quickly checked the details.
[Description: All things slip away into nothingness. Oblivion swallows name, form, and soul alike, leaving only emptiness where life once was.]
[Hell-Mode Analysis: ...?]
The panel dissolved into shimmering energy that sank into Sam’s body.
His [Primordial Sword] glowed brightly as his body flared with purple light.
Now, six colors swirled around him: black, orange, silver, dark crimson, white, and purple.
Each one burned with its own meaning, but together, they filled him with a sense of overwhelming power.
He felt the Oblivion affinity weaving itself into his stats, strengthening him further and sharpening his resolve.
’I guess I’ll be able to gain ten affinities in total, since more ranks keep appearing.’
Sam wondered if the other Primordials had also unlocked this many.
But the thought only lasted a moment before the system struck again.
[You have unlocked a new Class Skill thanks to your affinity: Skills Viewer]