Is this really a Game?!

They all nodded, their chests heaving as they caught their breaths. Reign glanced at them, all of them showing relief in their eyes after managing to defeat the wolf so easily, without utilizing too much mana or energy.

"Well, I'm just glad it worked, that thing looked strong, who would have thought that blunt damage would be that effective against it, I mean, it collapsed so easily," Wolf said as he crouched down in front of the massive maw of the wolf before sighing and suddenly positioning his sword in front of him.

The jaw of the wolf opened, and it suddenly tried to bite down on Wolf, only for the massive sword to stab into the roof of the mouth and flames to explode inside the mouth, causing the wolf to roar in anguish one last time before collapsing.

"That bastard, how didn't I feel that it was still alive?" Reign asked as he stared at the wolf before grabbing the upper portion of the mouth with his arms and placing his feet on the lower portion, holding the mouth open for Wolf to get out.

Greenie and Tank quickly arrived, doing the same thing.

"How did you know?" Reign asked Wolf who had gotten out of the mouth.

"No real reason, I just had a feeling that it was playing dead, waiting for the chance to use the remaining life it had to at least injure one of us."

The group shared a collective sigh of relief before glancing at the draconic wolf whose body was motionless, now truly dead.

"Tch, it managed to hide from detection, neither I nor Beast had sensed that it was alive, had it managed to land one good hit in its final moments, one of us would have been seriously injured, that much is for sure."

"Yeah, next time, let's just decimate the body to make sure the enemy truly is dead, the wolves are sometimes quite crafty." Shadow remarked as his usual smirk returned, his gaze, however, was sharp, indicating just how aware he was of the narrow escape.

Tank let out a deep breath, wiping sweat from his brow. "Lesson learned. That thing really didn't want to go down. Maybe it was because we caught it off guard with all that blunt force."

Greenie nodded, his massive hammer still at the ready, but his face softened with relief. "Feels like even monsters this big can have a trick or two left up their sleeves."

Laura stepped forward, her expression solemn as she glanced over each of her teammates, checking for injuries. She had felt the strain from keeping her healing spells at the ready but had not yet needed to use them extensively. She touched Wolf's arm, who winced at the bruises left on his skin where he had used his explosive punch. The bones had been healed, Laura had made sure of that right away, but the injury had not fully healed yet.

"Let me get that," she said softly, her hands glowing with a soft, healing light that spread over Wolf's arm, soothing the burns and restoring his skin.

"Thanks, Laura," Wolf murmured, his expression easing as the pain subsided. "That punch took more out of me than I expected, but it got the job done."

Reign surveyed the surroundings, the eerie silence of the forest settling around them once again. The monstrous wolf-dragon had been formidable, but their victory felt like a hollow triumph. The oppressive energy in the air had lessened, but it hadn't vanished entirely. It was as if the forest was waiting, watching, deciding their fate.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Do you think there are more such things in the forest?" Tank asked Reign who sighed and nodded his head.

"Probably, after all, even though we have all used up quite a bit of energy before, it isn't enough to be called the end of the trial, we'll probably come across multiple enemies or groups who are at the level that the tribe was."

"I just hope we will be able to get through them without expending too much energy, whatever lies at the end is definitely immensely powerful, I mean, you can sense it as well, right?" Reign suddenly asked, causing Jin and Wolf to nod their heads.

"Feel what exactly?" Mia asked with slight confusion as Reign sighed.

"The aura, the oppressive feeling that we are all sensing, it is coming from one source, and from what I can sense, it is from a monster, probably the leader."

"You mean its aura extends all over the forest?" Shadow asked with confusion before closing his eyes and sensing.

"How powerful must it be for its aura to be so vast?" Aelrinder asked with slight fear in his eyes as Reign shook his head.

"I think it's the forest, somehow, it is amplifying the aura of the monster, making it seem as if it encompasses everything, that it is everywhere."

"I doubt the monster is that powerful, after all, that would make it too powerful for us to fight against, which means the trial would be impossible."

Enjoy exclusive content from empire

The group processed Reign's words in silence, the oppressive weight of the monster's aura filling their thoughts. Even with his reassurance that the trial couldn't possibly be impossible, each of them felt a creeping unease.

"Then the forest itself is aiding it," Beast said, his eyes scanning their surroundings. "If the forest amplifies its power, it could make everything more unpredictable. We'll have to rely on every skill, every ounce of stamina, and every reserve of mana we have left."

"Now that I think about it, wasn't it weird that none of us managed to sense the wolves previously, I mean, no matter how good their skills are, shouldn't at least Shadow or Reign notice them as they have a stronger form of the same ability?" Tank asked as they all nodded their heads.

"The same goes for the rider and the hunters, before we knew it, we were surrounded, had we not been on high alert, and had the rider not cared whether we sensed them or not, they could have gotten even closer to us and even ambushed us before we were able to sense a single thing," Shadow said, his expression showing the apprehension he had.

Reign gave a determined nod, his jaw set. "If we're up against a monster that uses the forest as its ally, we'll need to be sharper and more coordinated than ever. No more missteps, no underestimating anything."

Aelrinder gripped his spear tighter, his gaze steely. "Understood. We'll keep our guard up and move as a single unit. If this creature is as powerful as its aura suggests, we'll need to be ready to adjust at any moment."

With renewed resolve, the group began moving forward again, every sense on high alert. The deeper they traveled, the more the forest seemed to throb with a heartbeat of its own, pulsing in time with their steps. Vines hung low, tendrils of mist wrapped around tree trunks, and occasionally, faint whispers rustled through the leaves, making them question if they were truly alone.

Over an hour passed, and they had gone through 2 more battles, each battle against a group of wolves.

Another hour passed, 3 battles more they had gone through, one against a group of 4 giant wolves that had draconic blood, which had truly pushed them far, one against a group of humans, which were a bit weaker than the hunters they faced previously, and a group of wolves.

And then, nothing, no opponent came at them even after 15 minutes passed.

After a tense hour of navigating the dense forest, they found themselves at the edge of an open clearing. In its center lay a massive, ancient tree, twisted and dark, its branches stretching outward like skeletal hands. Beneath its roots lay a nest of shadows, coiling and shifting with a life of their own. And from within, two eyes glowed—a deep, unnatural crimson that burned with intelligence and malice.

The oppressive aura they'd sensed throughout the forest was now overwhelming, pressing down on them like a physical weight. The creature that had been watching them, influencing the forest around them, was here. And it was waiting.

As the group readied themselves, a deep, guttural growl filled the clearing, sending a chill through each of them. From the base of the twisted tree, a figure began to emerge—part beast, part shadow, part … who knew what. Its form was difficult to fully discern as shadows curled around it like a cloak, shifting with each movement. Its body was massive, with elongated limbs that ended in claws sharp enough to slice through steel, and its face bore a twisted, snarling visage with rows of serrated teeth that seemed to glint even in the darkness.

"It's…more terrifying than I imagined," Mia whispered, her voice barely audible.

Reign kept his eyes fixed on the creature, his face set in determination. "Everyone, this is what we came here for. Whatever it is, whatever power it draws from this forest, it ends here."