Is this really a Game?!

Fear overtook the group, a fear so primal that their very souls trembled. They could not defeat the monster in front of them, even if they were at their peak, they couldn’t do it, the difference in power was simply too much.

"Has it reached Tier VII?" Jin asked as he stared at the monster whose aura was, in their opinion, more than powerful enough to be called a Tier VII monster, a being of great power that could decimate them all if it wished to do so.

"No … it didn’t evolve, that much is for sure, it simply gained a huge boost in power, perhaps it has elevated its bloodline somehow as well, after all, it looks so much different than before." Reign stated as he took a deep breath and stared at the wolf.

"But … it is not attacking us, it is merely staring at us, why?"

The monstrous wolf stood still, its hellish red eyes locked onto the exhausted group. Its breath came out in slow, controlled puffs, the air around it rippling with raw power. The ground beneath its feet blackened as shadows seeped into the soil, corrupting the very earth. But despite its newfound strength, it didn’t move to attack.

Reign’s mind raced as he tried to understand the creature’s intentions. Why isn’t it finishing us off? They were at their weakest—drained, battered, and without the power of their marks. Shadow had already collapsed to his knees, unable to muster any more dark energy. Mia’s frost aura had all but disappeared, leaving her gasping for breath. Tank and Aelrinder were barely able to stand, their weapons held loosely in their trembling hands.

The wolf tilted its head, almost as if it were amused by their futile efforts. But then, it did something unexpected—it spoke. A deep, guttural voice filled the clearing, vibrating through the air like the toll of a dark bell.

"You... humans... dared to attack my territory, to kill my cub and sever my power. Yet here you stand, broken and defeated. Why do you not flee?" The voice was a twisted amalgamation of growls and snarls, but the words were clear, dripping with malice and contempt.

The group exchanged shocked glances. The wolf, it was no longer just a mindless beast. It was something far more dangerous, an entity with intelligence and perhaps even motives beyond simple hunger or rage. It could now speak, and such monsters were incredibly rare, in fact, they had barely ever come across such monsters.

The last time they had come across one was actually back in the trial when Reign and Laura were put together to defeat the demons and help out the humans on the nearly defeated planet. That was when they had come across Elyndor, who was capable of speech, and was very eloquent as well.

But this … was different.

The wolf had no capability for speech previously, they were all certain of that, it was only after it had devoured the corpse of its cub and the source of power from the tree that it was able to speak, which meant that Reign’s previous assessment was probably correct, the wolf had managed to somehow elevate itself without evolving to a higher rank.

Reign clenched his swords tighter, though his hands were shaking from exhaustion. "We don’t run," he said, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at his insides. "We fight to the end."

The wolf let out a rumbling laugh, the sound like boulders grinding together. "Such bravado from a mortal on the brink of death. But tell me... what will you fight with, when your strength has run dry?" It raised a claw, shadows swirling around it, ready to strike. The mere motion sent a wave of oppressive energy washing over them, making it hard to breathe.

"One attack and you will die."

"But I shall give you an opportunity, a way to live." The wolf said as a sly smile appeared on its face.

"Bow down, swear fealty to me, the ruler of the forest, and serve me well, after all, you have killed so many of my underlings, it is only fair you pay the price for it."

The forest fell deathly silent as the wolf’s words hung in the air, its offer both a taunt and a deadly promise. The monstrous beast, now a being far beyond its previous incarnation, seemed to delight in the desperation it saw before it. Its crimson eyes glowed with a dark satisfaction, almost daring them to refuse.

Reign’s knuckles turned white as he tightened his grip on his swords, his mind racing. The others were battered, spent, and hanging on by the thinnest of threads. Shadow was barely conscious, his dark energy completely depleted. Mia’s ice aura flickered weakly, and Aelrinder could barely hold his spear steady. Even Laura, who had been the team’s lifeline with her healing powers, was panting heavily, her once-bright demonic flames now reduced to a faint flicker.

Yet despite their exhaustion, none of them moved to bow. None of them showed any signs of yielding to the creature’s demands. Reign glanced at his comrades. They were broken, bruised, and bleeding, but in their eyes, there was a fierce resolve. They had come too far, and survived too much to give up now.

Reign straightened, forcing himself to stand tall despite the trembling in his legs. "We’d rather die fighting than submit to a monster," he spat, his voice defiant. "Your power may have grown, but it doesn’t change who we are."

The wolf’s eyes narrowed, its amusement fading into something colder, more dangerous. "Foolish humans," it growled, its voice like distant thunder. "You choose death then? So be it."

With a flick of its massive claw, shadows surged forward like a tidal wave, a dark mass of energy rushing toward the group with lethal intent. Reign had no more mana left for a powerful counterattack. They were out of options. But they wouldn’t just stand there and be cut down.

"Everyone, brace yourselves!" Reign shouted, stepping forward, using his own body as a shield for those who could no longer defend themselves. His swords, though dim, still glowed faintly with the remnants of light and darkness.

The wave of shadows crashed into them, and for a moment, it felt as though the world had been swallowed by darkness. Reign felt the force slam into him, his knees buckling under the pressure. His vision blurred as pain shot through his body, but he refused to fall. He gritted his teeth, digging his swords into the ground to anchor himself.

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Suddenly, a burst of purple light erupted from behind him, cutting through the shadows. It was Laura, who had used the last of her demonic energy to conjure a protective barrier around them. Her face was pale, sweat dripping from her brow, but her eyes burned with determination.

"Not… yet," she muttered, her voice strained. "I’m not letting you die that easily."

The shadows recoiled, hissing as they were repelled by Laura’s barrier. But the wolf was merely playing with them, it merely chuckled with amusement upon seeing their struggle before it sent another wave of darkness, even more potent than before. This time, it was aimed directly at Laura, trying to shatter her barrier and crush them once and for all.

The darkness struck the barrier and broke it with what seemed to be great ease before being blocked by the combined attacks of the others, who used everything they could to barely defend Laura and themselves.

"Truly foolish, you only have this much power left, and you dare stand proud in front of me and spout such nonsense?" The wolf asked before darkness rose around it, forming a huge wave that was about to come down and crush them.

Ding!

[ An unforeseen development has occurred, an elevation in existence, a sentient monster. ]

[ Calculating … …. … the current situation is much more dangerous than the initial trial, the difficulty of passing: Impossible. ]

[ Calculating the actions of the team so far … … … sufficient enough. ]

[ The trial is deemed as complete, the team has passed, and the trial shall end shortly. ]

Time itself had seemingly frozen, the wolf was unable to move, the wave of darkness it had formed was motionless, mere meters away from Reign and the others who stared at it in shock as they glanced at one another.

The system had spoken, and the trial was complete, just like that.

The wolf was not their enemy, even the system had deemed the battle an impossible one, which showed just how dangerous the monster had become.

And yet, Reign and the others stared at the wolf, whose crimson eyes were still locked on them, even when it was frozen in time, the oppressive strength it had still coming down on them, trying to crush them with its weight.

"I know this is most likely just a simulation of sorts, and that you don’t exist, so I don’t know how I will do it, but I promise you that we will see each other again, and I will kill you." Reign stated as they turned into particles of light before disappearing from sight.

As for the wolf and the wave of darkness, the instant Reign and the others had disappeared, and with them the ranch and all the animals inside it, the darkness fell, swallowing everything, but the wolf stared at the location in shock.

"How did they escape?"