Is this really a Game?!

The team's training over the next two days was intense and unrelenting as they pushed themselves to their limits, their determination burning fiercer than ever. They had survived the encounter with the wolf by a hair's breadth, and they knew that their limits were far from enough, they had to improve considerably, both in terms of sheer skill, as well as the understanding and usage of their abilities.

In the training room, they worked on refining their abilities, focusing on tactics and teamwork. Shadow honed his dark energy into concentrated, piercing attacks, while Mia practiced forming massive ice constructs that could both defend and entrap their enemies, using them to battle, but also practicing her swordsmanship. Laura focused on the control of her demonic energy, learning how to heal even faster and more efficiently while also learning to cast her spells better. Meanwhile, Beast and Tank developed new ways to combine their brute force with precision, ensuring that they could protect the others without overextending.

Reign spent those two days mastering the finer nuances of his light and darkness dual swords. He knew that brute force alone wouldn't be enough against creatures like the wolf. He had to think faster, react quicker, and strike harder than ever before. His dual-wielding had also improved thanks to the fact his swordsmanship was Rank SS- now, and he was able to utilize them better and better together.

By the end of their training, they were exhausted but also exhilarated. They could feel the tangible progress, the newfound power coursing through their veins. They rested the following day, knowing they would need all their strength for the next trial.

The following day, they found themselves standing in their room once again, fully rested and prepared. The system's prompt hung in the air, cold and indifferent:

[Next Hell Trial Available: Confirm to Proceed]

Reign gave a nod to his teammates, and they all confirmed their readiness. The moment he pressed the confirmation, the world around them dissolved in a burst of light. The disorienting sensation of being transported washed over them, and for a moment, they were caught in a whirlwind of a spatial storm.

When the chaos settled, they found themselves standing in an unfamiliar environment. The harsh heat of a blazing sun beat down on them, the air thick with humidity. The ground beneath their feet was a mixture of dense mud and patches of thick, thorny vegetation. They had been thrown into a sweltering jungle, the sounds of unknown creatures echoing around them.

Reign glanced around, taking in their new surroundings. The air was filled with the scent of damp earth and decaying foliage. Massive, gnarled trees loomed overhead, their twisted branches forming a near-impenetrable canopy that blocked out most of the sunlight. The ground was covered in a thick mist that seemed to coil and writhe like living shadows.

"Well, this is definitely different," Shadow muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "It's like a jungle straight out of a nightmare."
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"Stay sharp," Reign commanded, his eyes scanning the dense foliage for any signs of movement. "We have no idea what kind of enemies we'll be facing here. The system never gives us a straightforward challenge."

Just as he spoke, a rustling sound came from the dense underbrush. The team instantly went on high alert, weapons drawn. The rustling grew louder, and then, with a sudden burst, something erupted from the jungle—a swarm of insectoid creatures with chitinous bodies and razor-sharp mandibles. They were the size of wolves, their bodies covered in a slick, black exoskeleton that seemed to shimmer in the dim light.

"Get ready!" Reign shouted as the creatures charged at them, their mandibles clicking with a hunger that sent chills down their spines.

Tank stepped forward, swinging his axe and shield in a wide arc. The first wave of creatures was smashed to pieces, their bodies splattering into the mud. But more kept coming, their numbers seemingly endless. Mia unleashed a barrage of icy spikes, freezing some of the creatures in their tracks, while Shadow's dark tendrils whipped through the swarm, tearing them apart.

"Keep them at a distance!" Laura shouted, her demonic flames erupting in a circle around them, creating a temporary barrier. "They're trying to swarm us!"

The team quickly went to work, creating a formation right away and fighting the creatures off. It was not easy as they had just arrived in this place, so they were still a bit groggy from the teleportation, but thankfully, the creatures were not too powerful, thus they were able to take care of them without getting injured.

Just as they had taken care of the swarm that had attacked them, Reign and the others widened their eyes and jumped away from their current position, not caring for the formation any longer.

The ground cracked and then burst as a giant figure came out of the soil, sending chunks of soil and rock flying all over the place. Reign and the others stared at the monstrosity that had arrived, a gigantic, centipede-like creature with rows of gleaming eyes and a segmented body that was covered in pulsing, writhing tentacles.

Its mouth was filled with jagged teeth, many of them moving, acting as saws while some sort of acidic saliva was constantly dripping down, sizzling as it hit the ground.

The monstrous centipede towered over the team, its grotesque form glistening in the oppressive heat of the jungle. The air reeked of decay and acid, making it hard to breathe. Its eyes, dozens of gleaming red orbs scattered along its elongated body, fixed hungrily on Reign and his team.

"Stay together!" Reign shouted, his eyes never leaving the creature. "Look out for the acid, we don't want to get poisoned, and be careful, its big, but its speed is nothing to scoff at."

Tank was the first to charge forward, his massive axe swinging down with enough force to crush boulders. He aimed for the creature's closest segment, hoping to slow its advance. The axe struck forward, sending a shockwave through the air, aiming straight at the centipede. But instead of getting hit and splitting open, the body of the centipede moved with astonishing speed, dodging the blow and appearing right in front of Tank.

"Damn thing's much faster than it looks!" Tank growled, his eyes widening as the centipede retaliated. One of its massive, serrated mandibles lashed out, aiming for his head. At the last second, Greenie arrived, his massive warhammer intercepting the strike, deflecting it with a burst of energy.

"Tank, please listen next time, Reign already said it is much faster than it looks," Greenie said as he placed his hammer to the front, blocking the mandibles and digging into the ground as the centipede started pushing forward.

Tank quickly moved forward, placing his shield to the front and bashing the centipede while pushing forward with full strength. With the two of them joining hands, stopping the massive monster proved to be a bit easier than they expected.

Wolf, Shadow, and Reign then moved, each one attacking the massive creature with their abilities.

Wolf's sword, coated in flames, struck the body, and to his great surprise, he easily managed to cut deeply before his flames started burning the section of the centipede, causing it to scream in pain and move back from Greenie and Tank.

Shadow and Reign struck it in that moment, and the same thing happened, they were able to easily damage the centipede and deliver serious injuries to its body.

"It's strong, and fast, but its defense is incredibly bad."

"Yeah, this thing's all bark and no bite if we hit the right spots," Shadow said with a grin, his dark tendrils lashing out to wrap around one of the centipede's writhing tentacles. "Let's tear it apart!"

As the monstrous centipede recoiled, its segments writhing and oozing dark ichor, Reign took a moment to assess the situation. It was fast, agile, and its acidic saliva was a real threat, but its segmented body was full of weak points that could be exploited. Its armor was thin between the segments— and even the armor itself was quite weak, not enough to block any of their attacks.

"Mia,! Focus your attacks on the joints between its segments!" Reign shouted, dodging a swipe of a razor-sharp tentacle. "That's where its armor is weakest, freeze it so it slows down!"

Mia nodded, her ice magic surging as she channeled a freezing wind through her blade. "Got it!" With a swift motion, she unleashed a hailstorm of icy shards aimed at the exposed segments. The shards struck true, freezing parts of the creature's writhing body, causing it to shudder violently as frost spread along its length.

Summoning her demonic energy, Laura sent a barrage of fire-infused dark orbs that exploded on impact. The fiery blasts tore through the centipede's joints, sending chunks of its chitinous exoskeleton flying. The creature screeched, a sound so high-pitched it made the air vibrate, but the team pressed their advantage.

"Keep going! Don't let it recover!" Reign yelled, lunging forward with his dual swords. He swung in quick succession, the blades gleaming with alternating light and darkness. The strikes cut through the softened armor like a hot knife through butter, leaving deep gouges in the centipede's flesh. Ichor sprayed out, burning the ground where it landed.

Soon enough, the centipede crashed, dead.