Chapter 59: Forsaken Clone After speaking with Evans, one of the leaders of the [Awakener Association], Sam returned to his hotel room.
. He didnât have any teammates or allies to talk to, so he mostly stayed alone.
---
[Alicia Union:] We need to complete more rifts. Weâre only a few levels away from our advancement tasks!
[Lily Gremoir:] Yeah, letâs try to do a few tomorrow, or maybe head back to the second layer to grindâitâs way safer now.
[Alicia Union:] Letâs go! We canât let Sam get all the glory, heâs already Adept rank!
[Lily Gremoir:] Agreed. Plus, both the "Adept" and "Expert" branches of the [Arcane Society] are joining the third expedition. I need to be there too!
[Alicia Union:] Yeah, my dadâs also forming a strong awakener team for it, and he wants me in.
---
Sam didnât reply to any of the messages, but just seeing them so energetic and motivated gave him some comfort.
The world was constantly changing as he got stronger, and without a defined protagonist in it all, who could say what might come next?
Would conquering the [Forsaken Realm] really be the end? Or... was the [Universal Stage] just the beginning?
Sam had more questions than answers, and not even [Hell-Mode Analysis] or his subconscious could help him now.
And speaking of his subconscious, that ominous panel about "death" that had flashed earlier while heading back to the hotel... that was a first.
Did it mean the [Third Expedition] would go horribly wrong? Or worseâdid it mean he would die?
Sam shook his head as he dropped onto the bed.
âDoesnât matter. I need to keep going. Thatâs what it always tells me, after all,â he muttered.
[Keep going.]
âYeah, I know,â Sam grinned as he saw the panel flicker into view.
Still, he didnât stay lying down for long. After allâ
[Primordial Evolution â Next Use: 00:00:02]
[Primordial Evolution â Next Use: 00:00:01]
Ding!
[You can now use "Primordial Evolution" again.]
He had a full week before the massive expedition into the third layer with all the top guilds and elite awakeners.
But that didnât mean he could afford to "relax."
If anything, now was the time to keep pushing forward.
After that fight with Zorathâthe [Black Sun]âSam knew he still had room to grow.
He had seen how much stronger his skills could get just by mastering them, like the [Crescent Slash] from his [Primordial Sword Technique] or the upgraded bullet merge from [Abyssal Obliteration].
But for now...
Ding!
[Chaotic Clone (Legendary) has evolved into Forsaken Clone (Forsaken)]
"Oh, so it does get a name change this time," Sam muttered, raising an eyebrow. "And the new nameâs... unique, I guess."
He instantly pulled up the skill window to see what had changed.
---
[Forsaken Clone]
[Rank: Forsaken]
[Description: Uses your "Chaos" affinity to summon a clone made of aura that can assist you in battle. It has all of the ownerâs stats and can use skills. The clone follows the âForsakenâ path. 1-hour cooldown.]
[Hell-Mode Analysis: I wonder if youâll end up like it.]
---
Sam squinted at the description, trying to understand the difference. Everything looked the sameâexcept for one detail.
The clone used to follow the "Neutral" path. Now... it followed the "Forsaken" one.
And what exactly did that mean?
âI wonder if youâll end up like it,â the analysis whispered again. That line stuck with him.
To make sure he wasnât missing something, Sam pulled up the [Chaotic Fate] class skill description again:
---
[Savior Path: You are a beacon of hope for humanity. You fight to protect and save everyone, no matter the cost.]
[Neutral Path: You follow your own rules, sparing the worthy and striking down the corrupt. Balanced, calculated, and optimal.]
[Forsaken Path: The worse path of them all. You care only about power and killing, abandoning all morality. This path grants terrifying strength.]
---
Sam was still listed as walking the "Neutral" path, while the clone now walked the "Forsaken" one.
Why did that change? What exactly did the Forsaken path do for the clone?
The fact that this was the only thing the evolution altered had to mean it came with power. After all, evolutions always made skills stronger.
âI guess Iâll have to test it out myself,â Sam thought with a grin.
But he wasnât ready to enter the [Third Layer] just yet.
Instead... a rift would do.
Rifts were still the best place for him to refine his skills, especially this new [Forsaken Clone].
...
The next day came quickly.
Sam headed back to the [Awakener Association], ready to push forward.
"I want the hardest [Adept]-rank rift youâve got," he told the receptionist plainly.
The woman behind the counter simply smiled.
"Very well, Mr. Sam Walker."
She already knew who he was, but she didnât show any visible reaction. Probably something the higher-upsâlike Evansâhad ordered. No fuss, no attention.
Moments later, she handed him a black-rimmed rift card with glowing text etched across it.
"This riftâs been available for weeks now," she explained. "But no one has dared complete it. Its difficulty is high, and everyone who entered... didnât come back."
Sam stayed quiet.
"Weâre worried it might break through and cause real-world damage," she added seriously. "Clearing it is a high priority."
Sam nodded and tapped the card.
[Name: The Fear Dungeon][Rank: Adept][Recommended Level: 10][Location: Second Outer Ring]
He studied the details.
That final line meant it wouldnât be easy to reach. Heâd need to take a bullet train to the [First Outer Ring], then travel by foot to the [Second Outer Ring].
Thatâs where the serious riftsâ[Adept], [Expert], and [Master]-levelâwere typically located. It was also where one could access the [Third] and [Fourth] layers.
Feeling satisfied, Sam thanked the receptionist.
But just as he was about to leave, she spoke again.
"No problem, Mr. Sam Walker," she said warmly. "I also want to let you knowâour leaders are very eager to see what youâll accomplish next."
[Void Watcher: She is a nice person... but those at the top, not so much.]
Sam peered into her soul using the [Void Watcher] skill.
Her intentions were pure. Genuine.
So he simply gave a nod and moved on.
Still, the fact that all the big names in the [Awakener Association] were now watching him closely didnât sit well with him.
Regardless, it didnât change anything.
He had gotten what he came for, a dangerous rift to train in. A chance to test the [Forsaken Clone] and polish his technique even further.
And so, without another word, Sam left the [Awakener Association]âstepping out into the city, ready for whatever came next.