Still in shock, the recruits quickly scrambled behind Adam.

Alice was already on her feet, her gaze locked onto the menacing beasts.

The recruit was unmoving, sprawled against the cave wall from the violent toss. Marcus had rushed over to him, his brow furrowed with worry.

Adam stepped forward, positioning himself as a shield between the menacing Shadeclaws and his team. His Immortal Dream Blade gleamed in the gloom, a steel serpent poised to strike.

"Listen carefully," he called over his shoulder.

"Stay in formation. Don't panic. We're moving to a narrower part of the cave. The reduced space will limit their attack and give us an advantage."

As one, they began their retreat. Adam covered their rear, facing off against the prowling Shadeclaws.

His gaze danced across the cave, calculating the best possible course of action.

Without warning, a Shadeclaw lunged forward.

In a heartbeat, Adam parried the attack, forcing the creature back with a powerful thrust.

It hissed, its lethal claws carving through the air towards him.

He sidestepped the deadly swipe, his blade arcing in a wide sweep.

It phased through the fur of the beast, striking its soul. The Shadeclaw yowled, its cry a jarring mix of pain and anger.

At the sight, the other Shadeclaws hesitated, casting wary glances at the one who had harmed their kin. Yet they didn't retreat, circling around Adam, seeking an opening to strike.

"Marcus, grab him!" Adam commanded.

With a grunt, Marcus hefted the unconscious man onto his shoulder. Fear and uncertainty flickered in his eyes as he looked at Adam.

"Stick together. Don't break the formation. Watch each other's backs," Adam reiterated.

Taking the lead was Alice, her steady presence guiding the others towards the narrower part of the cave. She provided a beacon of comfort for the frightened recruits.

The Shadeclaws were not just mindless beasts. They were cunning, strategic. At the edge of the dim light, they prowled, claws glinting menacingly.

Their feline eyes gleamed in the gloom, calculating, always searching for a weakness to exploit.

The group stumbled towards the narrower part of the cave.

They were biding their time, he could tell. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

His fingers tightened around the hilt of his blade. He turned to the group, speaking in a calm, controlled tone, despite the gravity of their situation. "As soon as we reach the narrower section, we will need to stand our ground. It's our best chance to fend them off. Focus on defense rather than offense."

Marcus grunted in acknowledgment, his breath heavy as he struggled to carry the weight of the unconscious recruit.

The others nodded their understanding, fear etched into their faces.

They rounded a corner; the cave constricting into a narrow tunnel. Here, their formation could act as a natural barricade, using the cave walls to protect their flanks.

Adam positioned himself at the forefront, facing the lurking Shadeclaws.

"Set him down, Marcus," he ordered, pointing to a corner protected by the formation.

Marcus complied, laying the unconscious recruit gently on the ground. His face was ashen, but his chest rose and fell with steady breaths.

Adam turned his attention back to the darkness ahead. The Shadeclaws were closing in, their growls growing louder. He could see their eyes gleaming in the shadows, reflecting a predatory hunger.

The pack of Shadeclaws paused at the entrance of the narrow passage, a wall of snarling menace.

They began making strange, guttural noises that echoed off the cave walls.

Adam furrowed his brow, struggling to make sense of the unusual behavior.

"Doesn't it sound like they're... laughing?" one recruit muttered, a note of terrified disbelief in his voice.

At that moment, Adam's eyes widened, realization hitting him with the force of a sledgehammer.

Swiftly, he activated his skill - [Aura of Alacrity I].

A surge of energy pulsed from him, washing over the recruits. Their muscles grew taut, their senses became razor sharp, and their reflexes quickened.

"Behind us!" Adam warned.

Despite their earlier terror, they spun around with amazing agility.

But it wasn't enough.

A Shadeclaw materialized amongst them, its claws shimmering with an ominous black glow. With a savage roar, it smashed its claws into the ground.

The cave shook violently under the force of the impact. The recruits were thrown off balance, sprawling onto the cave floor.

Adam, on the edge of the quake, managed to maintain his footing.

Before he could react, the Shadeclaw lunged at a nearby recruit. Its claws sliced through the air, ending the young man's life in an instant.

The sounds of the pack's laughter echoed louder. They were closing in, ready to take full advantage of the chaos.

Adam felt a chilling realization pierce him. The Shadeclaws had led them into a perfect trap.

Adam's teeth ground together, his grip on his blade white-knuckled. Rage burned inside him, his rage a wild, untamed thing.

He wouldn't let them have their way, not while he still drew breath.

He and his recruits were considered mere prey. The notion sparked a blazing inferno in his eyes, transforming them into furious red orbs.

As a female recruit fell victim to the Shadeclaw's merciless strike, the sight of her decapitated head tumbling onto the cave floor drew forth buried memories.

Lancer's face haunted him, the similarity of his first subordinate's execution turning his mind white-hot with rage.

"You forced me." He gritted his teeth.

His limits were breached, the cruel death of his recruit igniting a deadly resolve. Adam no longer cared about the consequences of his actions.

Adam spent three of his Sacrificial Points.

*You have invested three sacrificial points (3/3). [Sacrificial Surge I] has evolved into [Sacrificial Surge II]*

His body tingled, a rush of power surging through his veins. The recruits nearby blinked in surprise, feeling the shift in his aura.

The Shadeclaws halted their advance.

He then spent six more points.

*... [Sacrificial Surge I] has evolved into [Sacrificial Surge II]*

His muscles tightened, invigorated by the surge of power. This time, the recruits took a step back, their eyes widening as his aura amplified, becoming an intimidating force.

The Shadeclaws hissed, their laughter dying down to cautious growls.

He spent nine more points.

*... [Sacrificial Surge III] has evolved to [Sacrificial Surge IV]*

His senses heightened, his sight and hearing becoming razor sharp as [Aura of Alacrity I] was boosted. A collective gasp escaped the recruits as his aura expanded, becoming a visible shimmer of power.

The Shadeclaws took a step back, wariness replacing their predatory confidence.

He spent eighteen more points.

*... [Sacrificial Surge IV] has evolved to [Sacrificial Surge V]*

His heart thundered, his entire body humming with energy. The recruits looked at him with a mix of fear and awe, his aura was now a palpable force, crackling around him like a tempest.

He spent 36 more points.

*...[Sacrificial Surge V] has evolved its rarity to Uncommon becoming [Sacrificial Surge I (U)].*

*Adding uncommon functionality...Resetting Skill...Skill reset to [Sacrificial Surge I (U)].*

Seeing the new functionality, Adam thought it was overkill.

But he needed overkill right now, so he spent 200 more points.

Boost: 236%

Strength: 30 > 70

Dexterity: 30 > 70

Constitution: 47 > 110

Endurance: 33 > 77

Intelligence: 25 > 59

Wisdom: 40 > 94

Charisma: 62 >146

His strength multiplied, becoming a physical entity that caused the ground beneath him to tremble.

His skin cracked, veins of crimson light seeping from the fissures, illuminating the cave with a bloody glow.

His aura was monstrous, the surrounding air practically alive with raw, unadulterated power.

The recruits stumbled back, their faces pale as they witnessed the transformation. The Shadeclaws recoiled, their confident grins wiped clean, replaced by an unfamiliar fear.

Every creature in the cave felt it—Adam was a force to be reckoned with.

Facing the Shadeclaws, his voice thundered through the cave, "You. Are. All. Dead!"

As the remnants of his restraint shattered, Adam stood, ready to unleash his pent-up fury.

Adam's hand wrapped around the hilt of the Immortal Dream Blade.

The sacrificial knife pulsed in sync with his rapid heartbeat, a radiant crimson light painting its surface.

It was as if the blade was alive, keenly aware of the impending battle, hungering for the souls of the Shadeclaws that dared to threaten its wielder.

There were eleven in total.

But one stood out, the one that had so mercilessly ended the lives of his recruits, the one that now stood in their midst, growling a warning in Adam's direction.

Time seemed to slow as Adam shifted his focus, his eyes locking onto the offending Shadeclaw.

Then he moved.

Fueled by his [Aura of Alacrity I] and the surge of Dexterity from [Sacrificial Surge I (U)], he became a blur of motion, crossing the distance faster than anyone could comprehend.

His skin flaked off, revealing an underlayer of crimson light that pulsed with raw power.

He stood before the beast, his gaze meeting its terrified eyes.

There was no room for mercy, not anymore.

Raising his blade, he used [Soul-piercing Strike III]. His blade moved in an arc, the motion so swift it was nearly invisible.

The blade phased through the beast's fur without causing any physical damage. But it wasn't the physical form that Adam was aiming for.

The Shadeclaw's soul endured the attack.

There was a moment of tense silence, then the creature's soul shattered. There was no cry of pain, no last defiant stand.

The beast simply collapsed, its life force extinguished in an instant.

Adam straightened up, his gaze sweeping over the remaining ten Shadeclaws.

His voice echoed through the cave, a grim tally for the fallen enemy, "Ten left."

His words were a chilling promise of what was to come.

Adam zeroed in on a Shadeclaw. His fingers twitched, activating [Soul Severance III]. The beast froze in place, its body trembling as its connection to its soul severed temporarily.

Swiftly, he appeared before the stunned creature. His Immortal Dream blade hummed, craving souls.

In an upward arc, he swung.

The blade phased through its fur, leaving no physical mark. But the Shadeclaw collapsed, its soul shattered into countless fragments.

"Nine left."

Another lunged at him, claws radiating an ominous black glow.

Adam’s triggered [Faithforged Armor I]. A suit of luminous armor shrouded him, the incoming attack dissipating upon contact.

He retaliated.

His blade, infused with [Soul-Piercing Strike III], slashed through the attacker. Its soul split apart, and the Shadeclaw dropped lifelessly.

"Eight left."

The beasts realized the imminent doom. He felt their fear ripple through the air, feeding his resolve. His aura pulsed, activating [Enthralling Presence II].

A wave of terror swept over the Shadeclaws. They cowered, their fight-or-flight instincts overwhelming them.

One of them lost all resolve, trembling uncontrollably. A damp smell of urine mixed with the metallic scent of blood in the cave.

Adam was unforgiving. His blade fell, dispatching the terrified creature.

"Seven left."

He continued his onslaught. The echo of his countdown chilling the air.

His blade sung with each fallen beast. His voice, announcing their end.

"Four left."

The Shadeclaws finally broke. Panic-stricken, they attempted to flee.

Adam gave chase, his speed incomparable. He dispatched two more before they could escape.

"Two left."

Then, the backlash hit. His muscles screamed in protest, searing pain erupted from his core. His armor flickered, threatening to dissipate.

His speed was sapped as if he had hit a wall. His heart hammered against his rib cage, each beat a reminder of the cost of his power.

Yet, his determination didn't wane.

The countdown wasn't over. He would see it to the end.

Even as pain coursed through him, Adam pushed his body one more time. He spotted the second last Shadeclaw and targeted it with [Soul Severance III].

In a blur, he was next to it, his blade singing its deadly tune once more.

"One left."

As the creature collapsed, the backlash roared in full force.

The crimson light pulsing through the cracks in his skin dimmed. The ethereal armor surrounding him blinked out. [Sacrificial Surge I (U)] had run its course.

Adam swayed, his knees buckling beneath him. Blood seeped from the cracks in his skin, staining the ground beneath him.

His body was past its limit, the toll of his overwhelming power demanding payment.

As he fell onto the corpse of the Shadeclaw, his consciousness began to fade.

The cave spun around him, the sounds of the surviving Shadeclaw's footsteps echoing in his ears as it made its escape.

“Boss!”

His final thought before succumbing to unconsciousness was a regretful, 'I left one...'

As his vision blacked out, the cold, hard ground of the cave was the last thing he felt.