For awakeners and even monsters, their equipnt was the most important thing they could ever have in a world like this.
Every piece mattered.
From what they wore, to the weapons they held, to the accessories they kept on their bodies, all of it played a role in shaping how long they could stay alive against creatures that should not even exist.
Equipnt was often the reason soone lived another day, or died without warning.
It was the difference between survival and annihilation.
But Sam did not care about any of that.
He never had a real use for any piece of equipnt before, and even now, not much had changed.
He understood how vital gear was for others, but he simply did not fit into that sa category.
For weapons, he already had the [Primordial Sword], and there was nothing more to say.
It was the strongest weapon available to him, and it outclassed anything that could be found in this realm or the one before it.
There was no reason to change sothing that had already proven itself countless tis.
There was no point in replacing perfection.
As for what he wore, Sam never bothered with armor, robes, or reinforced clothing.
He always chose casual clothes because he had no need for anything else, not when [Primordial Barrier] existed.
His barrier could absorb anything, whether it was a casual strike, a mythical blow, or even a world-ending attack ant to kill millions.
His clothes did not matter when he had a skill that could protect him from the most extre powers in existence.
And when it ca to accessories, rings, talismans, necklaces and all the rest, he never cared about those either.
He had too much to focus on during a fight.
He had to control his movent, manage his attacks, watch his opponents, maintain his skills, and adapt to every unpredictable situation that appeared.
He did not want to waste energy checking what so accessory was doing or if it activated properly.
Unless sothing was purely passive and required absolutely nothing from him, it was pointless.
And to be honest, his [Class Skills] already gave him more than enough passive boosts.
Those abilities were built into him, and they worked without any effort.
He did not need more.
But still, when he looked at the [Soul Wyvern Robe] that the monster had dropped, a robe made entirely out of the wyvern’s shimring scales, he could not help but admit that it looked pretty cool.
The scales reflected the light in a way that pulsed with a faint blue glow, and even if the robe was not special, it had a certain presence to it.
Sam checked the panel anyway.
It did not offer anything extraordinary.
It was simply durable, sturdy, and capable of tanking physical blows and magical attacks better than normal armor.
For most awakeners, that would be extrely valuable.
For Sam, it was almost aningless.
His barrier still surpassed anything the robe could do.
But even so, he still wore it. It was not for protection.
He simply liked how it looked.
Sam then turned around and saw a massive spirit appear about the [Soul Wyvern].
He stepped toward it and absorbed it without hesitation, adding it to his "army".
’That thing is definitely going to be incredibly strong.’
And with that small decision made, Sam took a deep breath and looked ahead at the vast horizon stretching endlessly across the [Soul Realm].
"Damn, it’s still beautiful."
The words slipped out naturally.
Even after such a brutal battle, even after his entire body had been tensed and locked in combat against a level 130 boss monster, he still could appreciate the sight before him.
There was sothing haunting and unique about the [Soul Realm].
The colors were faint but sharp at the sa ti, like the world was painted with a mixture of fog and crystal.
Strange lights flickered in the distance, and the air always carried a faint echo, almost like whispers coming from places he could not see.
The [Soul Wyvern] had interrupted his earlier attempt to analyze the land, but now that the fight was over, there was nothing stopping him.
And just at that mont...
Ding!
[Your "Realm Map" has evolved into "Soul Realm Map"]
"Oh, right."
He had almost forgotten.
He rembered that one of the [Mystery Boxes] he opened before entering this realm had said sothing about his map evolving.
And now it had finally happened.
Sam summoned the [Realm Map].
At first, it still showed the map of the [Upper Realm], with the different zones he had already visited and the points of interest he had marked.
But then a powerful glow ran across the map like a wave of energy, wiping away the familiar structures and reorganizing the entire thing.
Slowly, the map transford into sothing far larger and completely unknown.
A new horizon spread across the parchnt-like surface as if an entirely different world had been layered over the old one.
And eventually...
Ding!
[The "Soul Realm Map" is complete.]
The new map hovered in front of him, large and detailed, with symbols and shapes he did not recognize.
He noticed two small squares attached to the side of the map, labeled [Upper Realm] and [Lower Realm].
Curious, he tapped the [Upper Realm] square.
Instantly, the map shifted back to the one he already knew, showing all the familiar areas.
’I guess I can switch maps whenever I want,’ Sam thought with a small grin.
’And it even added the [Lower Realm] map too, even though I never unlocked it.’
He switched back to the [Soul Realm] map since he knew he would not need the others for a long ti.
Maybe one day he would return, but for now this was his focus.
[I doubt that.]
"Are you on my side or not?" Sam rolled his eyes as he answered the cold voice.
[I am realistic.]
Sam ignored the panel and focused on the map again.
The [Soul Realm] map was enormous.
He could see many structures scattered across it.
So looked like towers, others like temples, and so were shapes he could not even define.
They all had nas, but every single na was shown as [???].
’I’m guessing those places hold the cosmic horrors [Hell-Mode Analysis] was talking about,’ Sam thought.
That alone made him grip his sword a little tighter.
He would have to explore them eventually.
He only had to be careful.
If a level 130 boss monster like the [Soul Wyvern] existed this close to the starting area, then the deeper regions could only be far worse.
He could handle level 130 opponents if he fought smart.
But if he ever encountered sothing at level 150 or higher, there was no way he could win.
Not yet.
[Except if you trained and learn to use your skills in a way that adapts to this realm’s foes.]
’That’s what I was thinking of doing.’
Sam zood out on the map, scrolling across the surface until sothing unusual caught his eye.
He froze.
"Huh?"
It was a massive zone. An enormous structure.
Multiple buildings. Streets. Walls.
A boundary marked by a colossal gate.
’No way,’ Sam thought as his eyes widened. ’There’s another kingdom here?’
He had expected the [Soul Realm] to be filled only with monsters, cosmic horrors, and creatures that existed purely to devour or destroy.
He had expected that the only intelligent beings would be the [Colossals] and the [King].
But seeing a whole kingdom here, and one that looked even larger than the [Forsaken Kingdom], made him pause.
’Does the [Soul Realm] actually have native inhabitants?’
It made no sense. But the map did not lie.
Since he had the map, he knew he could reach that place if he took the ti and effort.
He would eventually find out the truth.
The map itself was much bigger than the [Upper Realm], though not as large as Earth.
It had boundaries too, even though the world seed endless.
’I wonder how the border looks,’ Sam thought. ’I guess I’ll go there eventually.’
He was already ntally forming a list of things he needed to check in this realm.
There was so much he needed to see. So much he had to adapt to.
And even though the realm felt heavy, even though its air carried an aura of danger and power in every direction, he still felt a spark of excitent.
’Alright,’ Sam thought with a grin. ’I’ll explore a bit, then return to the cave and enter the [Dinsion of Ti].’
There seed to be nothing else here aside from the [Soul Wyvern].
So Sam took a step forward.
But the very instant his foot touched the ground...
[Welco to hell.]
A crimson panel materialized before him.
A wave of overwhelming pressure burst outward at the sa ti, slamming into Sam like a tidal wave.
’?!’
He imdiately took his stance, ready for an attack.
But nothing charged at him.
Instead...
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions erupted in the distance.
Not near him or beside him. But everywhere.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The entire [Soul Realm] reacted at once.
The tremors spread across the land, shaking the ground, splitting the sky and resonating through every structure.
Sam looked around with wide eyes as the world changed before him.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Then finally...
BOOM!
A final explosion surged, and the mont it did, Sam saw everything.
All across the [Soul Realm], ten massive beams of light erupted, rising toward the sky like colossal pillars.
They were not attacks.
But each beam glowed in a different color and carried a different symbol.
[The ten monarchs.]
’Yeah,’ Sam thought as his expression hardened. ’Thought so too.’
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