Adam's heart skipped a beat. His eyes widened in disbelief as he read the words on the screen. He had just been assigned a class, and not just any class, but one of Epic rarity. A shiver ran down his spine, his mind spinning in a whirl of shock and disbelief.

"Adam, what's going on?" Zara's voice cut through his daze, laced with an unusual urgency that snapped him back to reality.

Still trembling, Adam managed to forward the description of his new class to Zara. The moment she read it, she let out a soft gasp, her usual calm demeanor crumbling in the face of this unexpected revelation.

[Soul Sovereign](Tier 1)(Epic): As a Soul Sovereign, you are a charismatic leader, able to influence and inspire your followers with your profound understanding of the soul and its eternal journey. Your role as a Soul Sovereign is not just to lead, but to guide your followers on their path to spiritual immortality. Your power grows with their faith, and their sacrifices become your strength. You are the beacon that guides them through the darkness, the sovereign of their souls on the path to true immortality. Stats gained per level: + 6 Cha, +3 Con, +3 Wis, +1 End, +1 Int, +4 Unassigned.

As a Soul Sovereign, you gain a unique resource: Sacrificial Points(SCP). These points represent the collective sacrifices made by you and your followers.

"A Soul Sovereign?" she echoed, her eyes widening in shock. "Adam, this... this is beyond extraordinary. You've just received an Epic class at Tier 1. This is... this is unprecedented. You're... you're a true anomaly." Her voice held a note of awe, her gaze on him filled with a newfound respect and wonder.

Adam still couldn’t believe it, an Epic rarity class at tier 1? This was beyond anything he'd dared to imagine. His mind whirled with a flurry of thoughts. On one hand, the rarity of his class was thrilling, a sign of a promising future. On the other hand, the class was clearly focused on leadership and charisma, traits that he wasn't entirely comfortable with.

'Classes were supposed to follow a certain rarity hierarchy, right?' he pondered, recalling Zara's earlier explanations. 'Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary, Mythic... and I'm not even sure if there are higher rarities than that. Why did I get such a high rarity?'

Adam voiced his internal conflict, "I don't know how I feel about my class being chosen for me. I didn't even get a chance to pick. But the rarity... it's incredibly high."

As he voiced his thoughts, he couldn't help but wonder why his class had such high rarity. Zara seemed to be pondering the same thing. She mused aloud, "The process you went through was more akin to crafting a class, not just choosing one."

Adam was taken aback at this apt comparison. He hadn't expected to be assigned a class at all, let alone one of such high rarity. 'I thought I was just picking the type of cult I'd lead,' he thought, a touch of regret creeping in. 'If I'd known I was picking my class, I might've changed the sacrifice concept and chosen something more... combative, maybe? Although...'

He trailed off, his mind drifting back to the Authority path he'd chosen. 'Would it have made a difference if I chose differently?' he wondered. He shook his head, banishing the thought. It was too late for what-ifs.

'No point in dwelling on it now,' he mused, forcing himself to accept his fate. His talent and Zara were both steering him towards leadership. He let out a resigned sigh, acknowledging that charisma was now his main attribute, and likely the one that would scale the highest.

'I guess I'm a leader now,' he thought, the reality of his new class slowly sinking in. 'I just hope I’m not useless in a fight.'

"What's with the sigh, Adam?" Zara inquired, her eyes shimmering with curiosity.

"It's just... I'm gaining points in charisma, but nothing in strength or dexterity," he shared, frustration seeping into his voice.

Zara scoffed at his statement. "Adam, you're not a muscle-headed brute. Please, stop thinking like one."

"But—"

Adam's words were suddenly cut off as Zara's aura flared. An invisible force crashed into him, pushing him into the ground. It was like a weight he couldn't lift, keeping him pinned down. He tried to move, but his body wouldn't listen.

'Is this Zara's aura? It feels like a wall is pushing me down,' Adam thought, his mind spinning. 'She's doing this with just charisma? How?'

He shook off the shock, and a surge of determination welled up within him. 'I won't be beaten so easily,' he thought. He tried to move just one finger, straining against the force. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move. It felt like he was buried under a mountain, his body refusing to obey him. But he wouldn't give up, he would keep trying.

"Do you see what your vaunted strength and dexterity can do against my charisma?" Zara's voice cut through the silence. "I'm not even using all my power, and you're already stuck."

Adam felt a chill run down his spine. He was fighting a losing battle, but he wouldn't back down. He kept trying to move, driven by his stubborn will.

When Zara finally pulled back her aura, the pressure disappeared. Adam felt a wave of defeat wash over him.

Zara's chitin blades, extended from her back, lifted him up and helped him to his feet. She was still sitting on her throne, a satisfied smile playing on her lips.

Adam clenched his fists, struggling to maintain his composure. "Fine, I get your point," he admitted, his voice strained. He could feel the heat creeping up his neck, the flush of embarrassment hard to hide on his pale skin.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Zara's response was a predatory smile, her eyes gleaming with a mix of amusement and satisfaction. "Maybe I should have done this sooner," she pondered aloud, tapping a chitin blade against her chin in a mock-thoughtful gesture. "It would have spared me quite a few headaches. I haven't been a very instructive motherly figure, it seems. Are there any other misconceptions I need to correct, I wonder?"

Desperate to escape further embarrassment, Adam quickly diverted the conversation. "I... I should probably check on my skills. I can't tell if that part of the system is going to be as weird as the rest."

Zara's chuckle echoed in the quiet surroundings. "By all means, Adam. I'll be right here when you decide you need more of my wisdom," she teased, her tone laced with light-hearted mockery.

Adam pulled up the skill upgrade interface, his eyes scanning over the contents. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he saw the system running smoothly, no longer affected by the earlier glitch. With the road to level 15 ahead of him, he had the opportunity to upgrade each of his skills to their Tier 1 versions. However, his initial selection was crucial; the skills he chose earlier would largely dictate the pace of his leveling.

Adam stared at his skill list, deep in thought. The decision wasn't easy; each skill had its own strengths, but he needed to choose wisely.

Adam scanned his list of skills - [Stab], [Sprint], [Spear mastery], [Light armor proficiency], [Cleave], [Battle Cry], [Whirlwind], and [Charge]. He could see the potential in each, but he knew he needed to prioritize.

"Zara," he began, his tone thoughtful, "I've got three skills that I can upgrade. All of my skills could be potentially useful, but I need to focus on skills that will give me some combat power if I want to level up quickly and unlock new skills."

Zara regarded him with a nod, her eyes reflecting the same strategic thought. "Indeed. So, what are you considering?"

"Well," Adam confessed, "I don't know the first thing about wielding a knife in combat. I was hoping [Spear Mastery] might turn into something that could help me with that. As for [Stab] and [Cleave], they're the most likely to result in combat abilities that are also low cost, I think.”

Adam continued, “My other combat skills like [Whirlwind] will most likely result in skills with longer durations and greater costs and I don't even know what support skills like [Battle cry] will turn into, but right now I don't have any followers in the Dreamverse."

Zara nodded, seemingly satisfied with his reasoning. "Sounds like a plan. Go ahead."

Emboldened by her approval, Adam confirmed his choices. As he did, a system message popped up, inquiring if he was sure he wanted to upgrade these skills. Without hesitation, he clicked 'yes'.

The skills transformed before his eyes.

Skill upgrades:

[Stab](Common)(Tier 0) > [Soul-Piercing Strike I] (Common)(Tier 1)

[Cleave](Common)(Tier 0) > [Soul Severance I] (Common)(Tier 1)

[Spear Mastery](Common)(Tier 0) > [Ritual Mastery I] (Common)(Tier 1)Adam ignored the common rarity of each skill, after all the skill system has changed now that he is an awakened being. Each skill he gains will start at common and he will have to upgrade the rarity of each skill based on the missions he gets for each skill.

He brought up the descriptions for each skill.

[Soul-Piercing Strike I] (Common)(Tier 1): This skill allows your attacks to be imbued with the essence of your very soul. Your strikes can penetrate physical defenses, with the potential to deal spiritual damage, weakening your enemy's resolve and draining their vitality.

Skill Upgrade Mission: (0/10) Deal spiritual damage to 10 unique souls. Reward: Upgrade to [Soul-Piercing Strike II]

[Soul Severance I] (Common)(Tier 1): With this ability, you can sever the bond between an opponent and their soul, causing temporary incapacitation or vulnerability. This disruption to their spiritual energy hampers the enemy's combat effectiveness, leaving them open to further attacks.

Skill Upgrade Mission: (0/3) Incapacitate three enemies. Reward: Upgrade to [Soul Severance II]

[Ritual Mastery I] (Common)(Tier 1): You possess a keen proficiency in the planning and execution of potent rituals. This skill lets you channel the mystical forces of ancient ceremonies, allowing you to perform complex rites with precision, leading to remarkable results.

Skill Upgrade Mission: (0/1) Conduct a sacred ritual with your followers. Reward: Upgrade to [Ritual Mastery II]

Staring at the descriptions of his new skills, Adam's heart pounded with anticipation. Each skill was unique and offered him powerful new tools in his arsenal. He immediately grasped the combat potential of [Soul-Piercing Strike I] and [Soul Severance I], but [Ritual Mastery I] was a bit of a mystery.

"[Soul-Piercing Strike I]... [Soul Severance I]... These are amazing," he murmured, his eyes alight with enthusiasm, "And the missions to upgrade these don't look too tough. If the subsequent missions for the III, IV, and V tiers are similar, I'll be able to boost these skills to uncommon rarity in no time."

Zara's eyes widened in approval. "Those are powerful abilities, Adam. They'll certainly give you an edge in combat."

"But what's this?" Adam's brow furrowed as he gestured to the third skill. "[Ritual Mastery I]. It talks about performing potent rituals and achieving extraordinary effects. What does that mean?"

Zara reclined, pondering. "I’m not entirely sure about the specifics of these rituals. It’s likely something that comes with your cult. You should have a tab for your cult in your organization menu. Maybe you can find more details there?"

Adam sighed, giving a nod of understanding. He couldn't grasp the full scope of [Ritual Mastery I] yet, but he decided to explore the [cult] tab to see what resources were available to him. He was a leader now, and it was high time he began strategizing like one.

Zara's eyes suddenly closed, catching Adam's attention. He figured she must be receiving some important information. Moments later, her eyes reopened, a serious look on her face.

"There's a red-haired human girl at your binding stone. Do you know her?" she asked.

Adam blinked, puzzled. A girl with red hair? He didn't know anyone like that in the Dreamverse. But then, realization hit him, his face turning pale.

"Adam, is she someone you know?" Zara asked again, her voice firm.

"Oh no!" Adam gasped. "I need to go!"

He spun around and dashed towards the direction of the binding stone, panic rising in his chest. As he sprinted past the hive units, he yelled, "Move! Get out of the way!" The units quickly scattered, clearing a path for his frantic dash.

But out of nowhere, Adam came to a sudden halt, his body frozen. He looked back to see Zara with her hand raised, her power holding him still.

"Compose yourself Adam, one of my units will take you." she said calmly.

At her signal, her power lifted, and Adam was free to move again. He nodded, quickly hopping onto a hive unit that looked like a mix of a leopard and a bug.

The leopard-bug unit sprinted towards the binding stone, its speed making the journey a lot quicker. Adam held tight to its back, his heart pounding. As they raced ahead, one thought consumed him, ‘Stella, please be safe.’