Julius found himself smiling like a loon. He had some doubts about what was happening and whether he was actually undergoing a soul evolution. He was just very relieved that it was and not something else.

Unfortunately, he didn't have much time, and within five minutes, he needed to make a decision. He groaned grumpily as he staggered to his feet like a drunkard. His mind was still very fuzzy, and he wasn't all the way coherent.

Why couldn't the Words of the World make things easier, let him have more time to think about it? He was tempted to waste some of his precious time cursing out the Words of the World, but he showed immense restraint. Instead, he immediately looked toward Freya. Time was of the essence.

He recalled some of the information they had previously shared with him. They had explained that people were offered various rewards depending on their situation. However, there were still the standard options.

Much like his evolution the first time around, he was offered a choice to evolve one of his epic skills to legendary. And just like last time, he immediately rejected that choice. It was tempting, but he had already been warned by both Cain and Freya that he should never choose this option.

They said that it was only an option people chose if they were naive or plain stupid. It was a cheap boost of strength at the cost of sacrificing one's future progression.

The next reward was also similar to the one he had been offered during his first soul evolution. However, the name was slightly different. He recalled that he had been provided a Lesser Soul Nourishment of some sort. This time, it had changed to something called a Soul Enforcement Pill.

From what it sounded like, it was a soul treasure that would help strengthen, or rather, enforce one's soul. He also wasn't that attracted to this reward. His soul was already powerful enough, and he was having enough issues because of that. He had a feeling that this painful soul evolution was a byproduct of his unique soul.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't curious about what could happen if he consumed that item. Sure, he already had a powerful enough soul, but it was interesting to think about what might happen if he strengthened even further.

He shook his head and looked at his next option.

The Enlightenment Potion was somewhat tempting as well. Mainly because it no longer had "Assistance" in the name. It also didn't say that the enlightenment was only for Concepts. It was entirely possible that the enlightenment could be anything he might require.

For example, he would need to experience some sort of enlightenment to transform his Emblem into an Authority. It might be the perfect item and might be able to help him with the process of gaining an Authority, something that was becoming more and more nervous of doing the closer he got.

He also thought it was possible that he could save it. From what he could tell, the reward said it was a potion, which also meant that it should come in some sort of vial or bottle. That also meant he might be able to save it for later consumption.

He might be required to select one of the rewards within five minutes, but he didn't know if he would be required to consume the rewards within that same five minutes. That didn't sound right, and he was slowly convincing himself that it might be possible.

Then he got to the next reward, and he was already leaning toward selecting it. The Additional Skill Slot was agreed by both Cain and Freya to be the most valuable reward for him, especially in the long run. There were no other known ways to increase one's skill slots outside of their soul evolution; this wasn't the same for the rest of the rewards. This automatically made the skill slot choice the most valuable out of all of them.

Still, he reviewed his other options. The options that changed depending on the person's soul. While he had already made up his mind, he was still interested to see what he might have been offered.

There were two options present. The first one drew his attention right away. It was a Skill Combination Crystal. Julius didn't need to ask Freya what it might do. He already had a pretty clear idea.

His mind immediately went to all the weeks he spent desperately trying to combine some of his skills and thought of how much easier it would have been if he had used this crystal. He sighed with regret and couldn't help but feel drawn to this choice.

The last reward was something equally interesting. It was a soul-bound item of unique nature. Julius had been offered something similar when he had completed the Challenge Rift, but hadn't taken it.

He knew that Reinera did, and she loved the magical focus she gained from it. He didn't want to admit to her that he was a bit jealous, but he was. The staff she got was really cool, and even if he didn't have to use one to control his mana, he wanted one.

He had been so focused on thinking about his rewards that he almost didn't notice it when Freya's nose pressed into his own as she tried to get his attention.

"Are you still here?" She asked him with a little shake.

He nodded out of his reverie. "Yeah."

"Did you manage to evolve your soul?" She asked just to make sure.

He nodded again. "Yep. Should I just grab the extra skill slot right now?" He asked her, knowing full well that she had recommended that he grab the extra skill slot even over the non-standard rewards.

"What did you get offered?" She asked calmly, showing no concern that his timer was running out.

He quickly told her all of his choices. He made sure she knew the exact names as well, just to be safe. He saw her eyes widen with surprise when he mentioned the last two rewards.

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"You are sure that it says Unique Item, right?" She asked him with pursed lips.

He nodded firmly.

She sighed. "Such a shame. That's quite a nice reward to get. It would have been nice if you managed to get it," she said sadly.

"Why? Is it good or something?" He asked curiously.

She smiled. "Oh yeah, I actually got a similar reward from a rift in the past. You know that puzzle rod?"

He grimaced. "Perhaps."

She grinned wider. "Well, that rod is actually the unique item I got from the rift."

He flinched backward and quickly removed the rod from his storage ring. The familiar feeling weight of the rod felt oddly comforting and irritating. "You mean this thing? The thing you said to keep in my storage ring?"

"Hmmhmm."

"It's that valuable? I thought it was just a puzzle?" He muttered.

"It's not just a puzzle. It's a training tool that adapts to my needs. I used this thing to help me with my mana manipulation," she explained with a nostalgic smile at the rod in his hands.

He looked at her with confusion. "Why?"

She tilted her head. "Why what?"

"Why give it to me if it is so valuable?" He questioned.

She shrugged. "I don't really use it as much anymore. There is a certain limit to what it can help with."

He had no idea that the item could do that. Furthermore, he was touched that she would let him use and trust him enough to keep it in his storage ring.

"Okay, just to double check, I should still choose the extra skill slot?" He wanted to make sure that he wasn't supposed to change his choice.

"Yeah, the skill slot is still more valuable, but it is just a shame that you won't be able to get the item. It might not be as valuable, but it might have been helpful," she commented.

He nodded sadly and focused back on the notification, already locking in his choice. There wasn't much time left and he wanted to make sure it didn't run out before he could choose.

You have selected the Additional Skill Slot as your reward. Are you sure you want to choose this option?

He mentally selected yes and waited for the confirmation.

Congratulations. You have been rewarded with an Additional Skill Slot.

Current Skill Slots: 11 -> 12

He let out a cheer of excitement as he gained yet another skill slot. Now he would be able to acquire one more skill. It may not sound like much, but he knew just how much of a difference a single skill could make. He was only concerned that he might get a little too eager and grab the next shiny one he sees.

As he was appreciating his new reward, he frowned when another sudden notification popped into his head.

Notice: You have one minute to decide on your choice before one is randomly chosen for you.

What the hell? He had no idea what was going on. He had chosen his reward already. He even checked his status to make sure.

Name: Julius Von Hyperius

Tier: 3

Skills:

[Armaments of the Arcane lvl 20] (Epic)

[Sage of Savagery lvl 20] (Epic)

[Phoenix Renewal lvl 17] (Epic)

[Pyrokinetic Embodiment of Ruin lvl 16] (Epic+)

[Inexorable Aura of Ruin lvl 16] (Epic)

[Absolute Spatial Perception lvl 9] (Epic)

[Void Step lvl 11] (Epic+)

[Void Strike lvl 8] (Epic+)

[Spirit Fortification lvl 1] (Epic)

[Kinetic Energy Refinement lvl 11] (Rare+)

Current Skill Slots: 10/12

Concepts:

[Concept of Sharpness]

[Pure Severance]

[Concept of Will]

[Inexorable Resolve]

[Concept of Phoenix]

[Ashen Rebirth]

[Concept of Force]

[Resonating Burst]

[Concept of Space]

[Chaotic Space]

Yep, even his status had updated, so now it showed he had twelve slots. He had no idea what was going on.

He had no other idea what to do except reread the notification he had received from his soul evolution.

Notice: Soul threshold has been met.

Soul Evolution commencing…

You are qualified to select from the following rewards…

Free Upgrade of Any Epic Skills to Legendary

Soul Enforcement Pill

Enlightenment Potion

One Additional Skill Slot

Skill Combination Crystal

Unique Soul Bound Item

Notice: You have five minutes to decide on your reward. If no reward is selected after time has elapsed, one will be randomly decided for you.

He facepalmed as he realized what was going on. Apparently, the notification never mentioned that only one skill could be selected. Hell, he didn't even know if that was a thing.

Freya must have seen his confusion, and she walked up beside him. "What's wrong?"

He explained the situation, and she looked equally perplexed. "I wasn't able to choose two. I have never heard of such a thing," she murmured.

"What should I choose?" He asked, a little panicked at the sudden choice he had in front of him.

Freya didn't respond right away as she was deep in thought.

Notice: You have thirty seconds to decide on your choice before one is randomly chosen for you.

"Thirty seconds," he relayed.

"I would go with either the Skill Combination Crystal or the Unique Soul Bound Item," she said quickly.

He had the same idea, but what should he choose between the two? He clenched his hair as he stressed out over what to choose. He wished he had read more carefully.

"You might like the item more," she said while he was internally freaking out.

"You think so?"

"Yeah, but just be warned, it might not necessarily be 'useful'. These types of rewards are always a little random," she explained.

Notice: You have ten seconds to decide on your choice before one is randomly chosen for you.

He didn't have any more time to think about it. He went with his gut and chose his reward.

You have selected the Unique Soul Bound Item as your reward. Are you sure you want to choose this option?

Congratulations. You have been rewarded a Unique Soul Bound Item.

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