Adam slowly stirred. 

"Ugh..."

The recruits surrounding Adam all stiffened, their chatter dying down. 

"...moving," one of them whispered.

"...waking…call…" another voice chimed in, filled with concern.

Adam groaned, his efforts to regain consciousness becoming more pronounced. The recruits' voices became clearer, and he strained to listen to their words.

"B-boss...?" a familiar voice asked, tinged with both relief and worry. It was Marcus, his trusted comrade.

"Water..." Adam's voice was coarse, hardly a whisper, and his words came out muddled.

"What?" Marcus asked, leaning closer.

"Water..." Adam repeated, a bit clearer this time.

"Get him water!" Marcus ordered, standing abruptly. Alice reached into her [Inventory] and pulled out a waterskin, moving to Adam's side.

Meanwhile, Adam was becoming more aware of his surroundings. 

The crackling of a nearby campfire filled his ears, and the sensation of grass beneath him told him he was no longer in the cave. 

He forced his eyes open, squinting against the brightness. The world was a blur, but he could make out the concerned faces of his recruits.

With steady hands, Alice brought the waterskin to his lips, allowing him to drink. He took a few greedy gulps, the cool water bringing some relief to his parched throat.

As Marcus approached Adam, he spoke softly, his voice filled with a mixture of concern and sadness. "Boss, you had us worried there. Take it easy. We're here for you."

The other recruits watched anxiously, their worry etched on their faces. As Adam drank, his eyelids fluttered open, his gaze hazy as he attempted to focus on the concerned faces surrounding him.

Marcus's voice was filled with both relief and heaviness as he spoke. "Boss, it's good to see you awake. I wish it was under better circumstances."

Adam's voice was weak, barely above a whisper, as he replied, "What... happened?"

Once he was done drinking, Marcus knelt down beside him. 

His voice was serious as he began to speak. "We moved you and the injured recruit out of the cave. We were afraid the last Shadeclaw might come back."

Adam's heart clenched at his words. 

"How many...?" he managed to croak out.

Marcus's gaze was heavy. "Four are dead, boss. One more is injured."

"Health potions?" Adam asked, turning towards Alice. He knew she was in charge of their supplies.

Alice shook her head, her face pale. "We're out, boss. We've used up everything."

Adam's heart sank. The gravity of the situation began to set in. They had won the battle, but at a heavy price.

The taste of victory was bitter, tainted by the losses they had suffered.

"I... failed them," he whispered, his voice filled with regret.

Marcus placed a hand on Adam's arm, his voice steady. "Boss, it wasn't your fault. You fought them all off. You saved the rest of us."

Slowly, Adam took in Marcus's words, his mind processing the loss. 

He knew that the recruits would come back to life the next time they entered the Dreamverse, yet their temporary loss still stung.

A wave of regret washed over him as he remembered their lifeless bodies. He'd let his guard down, underestimated the threat. He should've been more vigilant. 

'How did they even appear that close to us?' He thought, 'Do they have some type of invisibility?'

Still, self-blame wasn't going to help anyone. He needed to learn from this, grow stronger. He wouldn't let this setback bring him down. 

His resolve hardened. 'This is a lesson, and I'm going to treat it like one.'

Attempting to rise from his prone position, pain shot through his body. It was an all-encompassing agony that caught his breath.

"Stop," Alice's voice cut through the pain, "Don't move. You still haven't been healed fully."

Gritting his teeth, Adam abandoned his attempt, laying back onto the grass. He hadn't anticipated the backlash from [Sacrificial Surge I (U)] to be so severe. 

His skin felt like it had been flayed. Every nerve screamed in protest.

'How many health potions did it take?' Adam wondered. 

He remembered being on the brink of death, the pain and crimson light, and shuddered. He was lucky to be alive.

Exhaustion settled in, a deep tiredness that seemed to seep into his bones. The stress of the battle, the loss of his recruits, the painful backlash of his power, all of it was too much. 

He needed rest.

"Marcus," he said, closing his eyes against the dying light, "Wake me in an hour." 

His voice, a mere whisper against the evening breeze.

---

Adam was transported back to the Hive's staging ground a few hours later. 

He and the injured recruit were both attended to by the hive healers at the forward camp. 

Flanked by his five recruits, they returned safely after only minor fights with a handful of tier 0 creatures during their journey back to the forward camp. 

Yet there was something that gnawed at him, a realization that he could no longer ignore. It was the reason why he was back at the main hive. 

Briefly, he instructed his recruits to wait, then strode towards Zara’s makeshift throne. 

As he approached, Zara looked at him with a curious gaze. "Adam, why are you back this early?"

"I've come to do something, something I should have done earlier." Adam's tone was firm.

Intrigued, Zara asked, "Oh, and what would that be?"

Adam took a moment before revealing his newfound resolution. ""I’m the leader of a cult first and foremost. I've been losing sight of that. I've been so focused on leveling and fighting that I've been neglecting those under my care."

"And what led you to this realization?" Zara questioned further.

Adam recounted his encounter with the Shadeclaws. "I recently engaged in combat with a large pack of Tier 1 beasts. They led us into a trap, and we were spared by nothing more than luck. If my recruits had been at Tier 1…Things would have been different."

Zara's lips curled into a warm smile. "I'm glad you've come to this conclusion. Your attributes, skills, and levels are but one facet of your strength. The people you lead, your cultists, are a far greater strength. It's time you recognized that."

Adam queried, "Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

Zara shook her head gently. "Some lessons need to be lived, not told. Would you have taken it to heart, felt it as deeply, if I'd simply told you?”

Adam fell silent, considering her words.

"In your rush to level up, to be part of the war, you neglected your cultists. That’s a major part of your strength you left untapped. Your absence has led to fragmentation within your ranks, and your grandmother is seizing that opportunity to increase her influence."

Adam's fists clenched, the knuckles whitening. "I’ll do better." 

He looked at Zara, resolve burning in his eyes. "I promise."

Zara's smile widened. “I’m looking forward to it, Adam."

---

A few minutes later, Adam stood by his obsidian binding stone, his five recruits arrayed before him. They stopped their conversation as they noticed figures approaching close to them.

Adam surveyed the group, noting the two dozen figures led by several Hive units. 

They were garbed in basic armor and armed with various weapons, a marked change from their earlier appearance. 

These were the fighters of his cult, those who were hunting in the nearby forest, absent were all the children and their caretakers. 

His eyes narrowed. Yes, they'd been productive during the day, but there was something amiss.

His gaze identified a distinct division among them. 

On one side, his mother led a larger group composed of his father, Stella, Annabelle, and the Amin family. Along with them were several members of his original security team and staff he had invited into his cult. 

Their eyes shot venomous glares at the smaller faction standing opposite.

Matriarch Emmanuel led the smaller group, consisting of a handful of staff and the gaming team he'd brought into the fold. 

The tension between the two factions was palpable, the silent animosity tingeing the air.

Adam's heart clenched in frustration and anger. This division was the last thing he needed. 

As he was about to address his grandmother, a subtle movement caught his attention. It was Annabelle, gesturing urgently.

Her lips formed the silent words, 'leave it.'

Adam's brow furrowed, but he recognized that there was something he wasn't aware of yet. Deciding to heed her advice, he kept his displeasure to himself. 

He would need to speak with his family before confronting this issue.

Adam turned his attention to the group at large. Ignoring the visible lines that had formed within his followers, he began to speak.

"I've come to a decision, and there will be changes," he began, his tone determined. 

"We're not taking full advantage of the potential of my cult, and that needs to change. From now on, I'll be here to lead everyone."

A flicker of disappointment crossed his grandmother's face, gone as quickly as it appeared. Adam caught it and hid a grim smile. 

Her designs on his cult hadn't escaped his notice, and he was pleased to have returned in time to stop her growing influence.

Next, he introduced his recruits. "These are individuals I've recruited. They are Earthlings. They were trapped and conscripted into an army as cannon fodder, but I've managed to free them."

His expression turned grave as he addressed the group. "Even now, Earthlings are being deceived, dragged into a war that isn't theirs. It's our responsibility to free these people, to provide them the same immortality you all enjoy." 

He paused, letting his words sink in. "As it stands, everyone here is too weak to offer any substantial help. That's why we need to change things up."

Adam didn't care about the struggles of random people he had never met, but he knew the Earthlings would be very easy to recruit if Adam’s cult saved them. It could also motivate his people. 

If they fought for a worthy cause, they would be more likely to overlook the cults and the hives' more questionable activities.

Adam had a plan, and he needed them to believe they were working towards something worthwhile.

Melissa was the first to speak. "What do we need to do, Adam?"

Adam nodded at his mother before saying, "I'm going to create temporary assignments for everyone. I know a method to level up rapidly."

His gaze swept across the gathered faces. "I'm going to need each one of you to conduct a sacrificial ritual."

Confused murmurs spread across the group. 

His recruits looked at him weirdly, and his family regarded him with a sense of concern. Adam had intentionally kept this aspect of his cult concealed, knowing people wouldn’t react well to it.

Adam raised his voice, "Silence."

Immediately, the crowd fell silent, all eyes fixed on him. His charisma worked its magic, drawing their undivided attention.

"I'll answer your questions in a moment. But first, you need to listen."

He scanned the group, ensuring he had everyone's attention before continuing. 

"You’ve all managed to kill some beasts. But hunting them down and eliminating them is an inefficient process. I'm sure you’ve encountered beasts that are either too high a level to risk fighting or too low a level to bother wasting time on."

As he saw heads nodding in agreement, he continued, "What if there was a better way? What if you could gain double the experience, double the loot, and double the dream coins? What if I told you there was a way to double all of that again?"

Interest flickered in the eyes of his followers.

"The sacrificial ritual is that solution. I've used it to reach level 15 rapidly. My advancement was possible, thanks in part to these sacrifices, and now I'm offering you the same opportunity."

Hesitation was evident in the crowd. The term 'sacrificial ritual' was clearly unpalatable to some. 

Yet, Adam knew they had to understand - this was a cult, not a corporate organization, and they needed to start acting like one.

"There's another perk," Adam continued. 

"You won't have to find the beasts we'll sacrifice. They will be provided to you. This is an alternate path to power for those of you who are not suited to battling beasts in the forest. For those aspiring to be crafters, builders, healers, this is your opportunity to level up safely and easily."

A hand went up in the crowd, and Adam gestured for them to speak.

"I'm a city girl. I've tried, but I'm just not cut out for the forest," the woman spoke up. "So, how do I sign up for these rituals?"

Adam grinned.