Leah rolled her eyes. “Just be grateful you didn’t get a Common class. You know the chances of a person getting Uncommon is 1 in 10,000?”

  Daniel turned his head away in annoyance. “Tch, I would have been happier if Noah wasn’t there standing as an Epic-ranked bastard.”

  Noah chuckled. “Anyways, what class did you get? Don’t keep us in suspense.”

  “…Blade Manipulator,” Daniel said slowly.

  Noah nodded his head. “Quite a fitting class, I would say. What about the rest of you?”

  Leah was the next one to look at the screen that materialized in front of her.

  [Name: Leah]

  [Grade: E]

  [Class: Arcane Archer (Uncommon Grade)]

  [Soul Energy: 11 / 1,000]

  [Species: Human]

  [Strength: 10]

  [Agility: 25]

  [Endurance: 5]

  [Energy: 15]

  [Intelligence: 20]

  [Skills:]

  [Active Skill: Arcane Shot]

  Fires an arrow infused with elemental energy (fire, ice, or lightning), dealing bonus elemental damage and applying effects like burning or slowing.

  [Passive Skill: Precision Focus]

  Grants increased accuracy and a higher chance of critical hits on distant enemies.

  [Ultimate Skill: Rain of Arcana]

  Fires a barrage of magical arrows in a large area, dealing massive AoE damage with random elemental effects.

  Leah’s lips curled into a slight smile as she opened her eyes and softly said, “Uncommon Grade—Arcane Archer. Elemental arrows and precision? This is exactly what I needed.” She glanced at Daniel with a playful smile. “Looks like we’re both on the same playing field.”

  Daniel’s lips twitched. “Welcome to the club, your majesty.”

  Victor, who had been quiet, sat heavily on a nearby rock, his expression filled with hope. “Let’s get this over with.” He focused within himself.

  [Name: Victor]

  [Grade: E]

  [Class: Iron Guard (Common Grade)]

  [Soul Energy: 11 / 1,000]

  [Species: Human]

  [Strength: 10]

  [Agility: 5]

  [Endurance: 25]

  [Energy: 5]

  [Intelligence: 5]

  [Skills:]

  [Active Skill: Shield Slam]

  Slams the shield into an enemy, dealing moderate damage and briefly stunning them.

  [Passive Skill: Iron Will]

  Increases resistance to physical damage and provides minor health regeneration when the user is injured.

  [Ultimate Skill: Unyielding Bastion]

  Creates a massive defensive zone, reducing damage taken by all allies within the area for a short duration.

  Victor’s face turned grim as he read his class. “Common Grade… Iron Guard.” His fist clenched tightly, his expression growing more frustrated by the second.

  Noah walked towards him and placed his hand on his shoulder, his voice calm and comforting. “Didn’t I say this before? We are a team, and your class is the backbone of this team. Without a tank, we would all be vulnerable to attacks. If it were not for you, all of us would have died on the first day.”

  Daniel nodded, for once serious. “He’s right, man. What good are our flashy classes if we don’t have someone to keep us alive?”

  Victor exhaled slowly, some of the tension leaving his body. “Thanks, guys. I’ll make it work.”

  Emma, who had been quiet, finally spoke, her voice filled with encouragement. “Y-yes, don’t worry about it, Victor. We are a team. No one will leave you behind.”

  Everyone’s gaze turned to her as they looked at her silently.

  “M-my turn, I guess.” She focused within herself, looking for her class.

  [Name: Emma]

  [Grade: E]

  [Class: Vitalis Archon (Rare Grade)]

  [Soul Energy: 11 / 1,000]

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  [Species: Human]

  [Strength: 5]

  [Agility: 5]

  [Endurance: 10]

  [Energy: 35]

  [Intelligence: 45]

  [Skills:]

  [Active Skill: Ethereal Bloom]

  Heals an ally and enhances their attack and speed for a short duration.

  [Passive Skill: Harmony of Souls]

  Grants a minor stat boost to all allies within range and increases the effectiveness of all healing abilities.

  [Ultimate Skill: Sanctuary of Light]

  Creates a large aura that continuously heals allies and boosts their defenses while weakening enemies within the area.

  Emma gasped softly, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Vitalis Archon… Rare grade.” She glanced around at her teammates, her cheeks flushing. “I-I can heal you all… and make us stronger.”

  Daniel and the others widened their eyes in envy and admiration.

  Leah was the first to move forward as she came in front of Emma and gave her a tight hug. “Haha, at least someone has a class somewhat comparable to Noah.”

  Daniel nodded his head and said with a genuine smile, “Good, we needed someone to keep that bastard Noah’s epic class on the ground.”

  Noah felt his eye twitching. “When did I become the big bad guy?” He soon shook his head, a wry smile on his face as the group continued to laugh.

  He raised a hand, silencing them gently. “Alright, enough messing around. We’ve all got our classes now, and we know our roles. Let’s see what each of you can do with your skills before we move forward.”

  Daniel smirked, twirling a blade between his fingers. “Oh, you want to see what I can do? Watch and learn.”

  He focused for a moment, activating his Energy Blade skill. Taking out a knife, he infused it with his energy as it glowed before he threw it with all his strength.

  The blade shot forward like an arrow, embedding itself into a nearby tree with deadly power.

  Leah raised an eyebrow. “Impressive. But let’s see how you compare to this.” She nocked an arrow, activating her Arcane Shot.

  The arrow shimmered with elemental energy before she released it, striking the same tree Daniel had targeted. Flames erupted around the impact point, causing Daniel to step back in surprise.

  “Whoa, whoa!” Daniel waved his hands as the flames crackled. “Alright, you win this round, but I’ll catch up soon.”

  Victor hefted his shield, his face still carrying a trace of uncertainty. “Let’s see what this Shield Slam can do.”

  He charged at another tree, slamming his shield into it with immense force. The tree groaned as the bark splintered, and the ground trembled slightly from the impact. A faint glow surrounded Victor, his Iron Will passive subtly enhancing his stamina.

  Leah clapped her hands. “Now that’s a tank!”

  Victor managed a small smile, at least somewhat satisfied with his strength. “It’s not flashy, but it’ll get the job done.”

  Emma stepped forward hesitantly, her cheeks still flushed. “I-I’ll try mine now.” She focused her energy, activating Ethereal Bloom.

  A soft, glowing flower of light appeared in her hand before floating toward Victor. The flower dissolved into a warm, radiant glow as Victor’s stance straightened, his breathing easier.

  Victor blinked in surprise. “I feel… stronger. And the soreness in my arms is gone.”

  Emma smiled shyly. “It enhances your strength and speed while healing your body.”

  Noah nodded approvingly. “Good job, everyone. You’re already getting a feel for your skills. But remember, these are just the basics. You’ll need to master them in real combat situations.”

  Daniel stretched his arms, his face forming . “Alright, we’ve got our shiny new toys. Let’s find something to test them on for real.”

  Leah smirked, slinging her bow over her shoulder. “You just want an excuse to show off again.”

  “No excuses needed,” Daniel shot back with a grin. “I’m naturally awesome.”

  Noah rolled his eyes. “Let’s move out. There’s no guarantee we’ll stay safe here, even with our new classes.”

  The group nodded their heads before gathering all their stuff and leaving to find a real target to test their skills on.

  …

  Soon, the air grew denser, the towering trees casting long, pillar-like shadows all over the forest.

  Leah paused, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the path ahead. “Hold up. Something’s moving.”

  The group fell silent, their hands instinctively moving to their weapons.

  From the underbrush emerged a pack of Razor Fang Wolves, their glowing eyes fixed on the group.

  These wolves were larger than the ones they had fought before, their snarls revealing rows of sharp teeth dripping with saliva.

  Victor stepped forward, raising his shield. “Fuck, why are they here? Shouldn’t their lair be away from here?”

  Noah’s calm voice sounded from the front. “Stick to the plan. These are all E Rank beasts, and there are five of them. We can’t be careless. This is our first group battle. Victor, hold up the line and try to keep as many as you can off us. Leah and Daniel, give him backup and help him finish the wolves. Emma and I will take care of the remaining ones.”

  The rest of the team nodded before splitting into two groups. Victor, Daniel, and Leah went toward the left while Noah and Emma went to the right.

  …

  Victor slammed his shield into the ground, his Iron Will skill activating on its own. A faint glow surrounded him, enhancing his defense as he banged his sword against his shield. “Come on, you goddamn mutts! Let’s see what you’ve got!” His taunt worked, drawing the attention of three wolves.

  The first wolf lunged toward Victor’s exposed side, its claws aimed for his torso. With a quick movement, Victor raised his shield, deflecting the wolf’s attack with a loud clang.

  At the same time, he countered with his sword, slashing at the wolf’s back. But the wolf managed to evade in time, sustaining only a minor wound on its shoulder.

  The second wolf attempted to flank him, charging from the left. Victor turned just in time to intercept with a heavy Shield Slam, knocking the wolf back into a tree with a pained yelp.

  “Leah, now!” Victor shouted.

  Leah, positioned a few meters behind Victor, nocked an arrow and activated Arcane Shot. Her arrow glowed with icy blue energy as she released it.

  The frost-tipped arrow struck the first wolf, freezing its front leg and slowing its movements.

  “Got it!” Leah exclaimed, already preparing her next shot.

  The third wolf saw an opening and leaped at Victor’s exposed back. Before it could land its attack, Daniel appeared from the side, his knives glinting as he activated Energy Blade. He held a knife in his hand, infused with his Soul Energy, gleaming with a sharp light.

  He hurled it toward the wolf’s ribs, causing it to snarl and turn toward Daniel.

  “Don’t take your eyes off me, pal,” Daniel taunted, flipping another knife in his hand. He darted forward, slashing the wolf across its flank before backflipping out of reach.

  Victor braced himself as the first wolf, still slowed by Leah’s frost arrow, charged at him.

  He blocked the attack with his shield, the force pushing him back a step. With a roar, he brought his sword down in a precise strike, wounding the wolf deeply.

  Leah followed up with another Arcane Shot, this time imbued with lightning. The arrow struck the second wolf as it recovered from the Shield Slam, the electricity coursing through its body and leaving it paralyzed.

  Daniel took the opportunity to finish off the third wolf. Using Blade Bond, his thrown knives returned to his hands. He leaped onto the creature’s back, stabbing both knives into its neck with a savage grunt. The wolf collapsed beneath him.

  “One down!” Daniel yelled, wiping blood off his knives.

  Victor and Leah coordinated to take out the remaining two wolves. With Victor holding them back and Leah firing precise arrows, they brought the beasts down one by one.

  On the other side, Noah faced two wolves alone. Their glowing eyes locked onto him as they prowled, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

  “Emma, stay back and keep me healed,” Noah instructed, gripping his longsword tightly.

  The first wolf lunged at him, its claws slashing through the air. Noah sidestepped quickly, his movements fluid thanks to the many battles where he had adapted due to Sovereign’s Adaptation. Yet he couldn’t entirely avoid the attack, and the wolf drew blood from his hand.

  He retaliated with a quick slash to the wolf’s side, drawing first blood.

  The second wolf circled behind him, snapping its jaws at his legs. Noah jumped back, barely avoiding the bite, and activated Essence Strike.

  His sword glowed with concentrated energy as he swung it upward, slicing across the wolf’s chest. The amplified damage sent it reeling with a howl of pain.

  “Careful, Noah!” Emma called out, her hands glowing with healing light.