Is this really a Game?!

"Seems like we're going to have a couple of restless days, huh?" Shadow asked as the leaders of the territories left, each one relieved that they had managed to gain the help of Reign and the others once again.

As soon as the new phase had started, they were all alarmed to find that the monster density in some areas close to them had indeed dropped, they had just not thought much about it and believed it was mostly because higher-leveled monsters had come and slaughtered many of the weaker ones.

Once they had started inspecting the areas and sending out scouts, they had alarmingly found out that the so-called 'monster territories' had already been established right under their noses.

Even the scouts that Reign and the others had sent out arrived back with the same information. They had no idea how those territories had actually been created as their players had been active in those areas and should have noticed such things.

Of course, it was highly possible that the monsters had no territories before the new phase and that they were created only after the phase had started.

Monster hordes had been a thing for a while now, so at least something that they were familiar with was present and they didn't need to worry that much, but they definitely had to make a trip to those territories.

"Yeah, we need to make sure the monster territories nearby are friendly, and for those that aren't, we'll make sure they are no longer present," Wolf said with a calm expression as the others nodded.

They didn't mind allying with monsters as they had done so multiple times before. Magokur was a prime example of that as their alliance with him had allowed them to easily defeat the orcs in the very end, and he had been a valuable ally ever since then as the orcs that the empire was sending here only grew in number, as well as power.

The orc empire from Magokur's world was huge and had many powerful entities in it. The leader was supposedly Transcendent, but contrary to what the queen had done, risking much to come here by herself and only being able to bring along new recruits of her kingdom that showed talent, the orc emperor simply decided to send some men to Earth.

If they managed to establish an outpost or base, then perfect, they managed to get a foothold in a new world that was not explored without risking a thing, if not, they were simply recruits, and their deaths would not be a great loss.

Under the great surprise of the higher-ups of the empire, Magokur had actually managed to not just get a foothold in the new world, but he had successfully established an alliance with a powerful human faction that was native to the world.

With him present and their empire having a chance to become allies with the faction and to send more men to the new world that had many opportunities and chances for increasing their strength, the empire had immediately decided to raise Magokur's rank several times, even giving him the title of 'Explorer' and 'Settler' that actually made him akin to a minor noble right now.

Magokur's family had also gotten rewards thanks to him, which only made him work harder for the territory in order to not only get more rewards but to become more powerful as well.

As for the Queen, thanks to the elves being a part of Doncaster now, they were also able to summon more people from their kingdom. They were limited in how many they could summon, even more than Magokur because the Queen was present, but it was still of great help to them.

If Reign and the others could gain the help of one or two more intelligent monster races, ones that were able to do the same as Magokur could and bring more of their people over to help, their territory would only become more and more powerful, and safer.

"Still, that will slow down our leveling, at least we got the rewards from the previous hunt, this little thing is neat," Shadow said as he took out what looked like a dagger.

It was weird.

It was a dagger, an SSS Rank to boot, but it was only about 2 inches long, had no handle, and was quite thin.

It was easy for people to overlook it, which was why it was the perfect weapon for Shadow, who used darkness and stealth to fight. The dagger was one you had to hold by pinching it with the index finger and thumb.

It was actually quite easy to lose a grip on it because of that, but the sharpness of the small dagger was unparalleled, even Reign's swords were not equal.

All of them had gotten rewards, each one a Rank SSS item, with the exception of Beast.

Of course, Beast was the exception not because he got a worse item, but because he got a better one, a Rank SSS+, an item that was only a sliver away from being a Rank Z item, a peak item for the leveling phase that even Transcendents could use.

Wolf's reward, the SSS-ranked weapon, was a sleek black longbow named "Shadowshade." It had a unique ability to cloak the user in shadows, making them nearly invisible to enemies. The bowstring was made from a special material that enhanced the velocity and power of each arrow. It was useless to Wolf, but Beast, always the expert marksman, felt a surge of excitement at the prospect of testing this new weapon in the field.

Reign's reward was a pair of dual blades known as "Luminous Eclipse." These blades were forged from a rare material that glowed with a soft, radiant light. In addition to dealing with formidable damage, the blades had an enchantment that could dispel darkness and weaken shadow-based creatures. Reign marveled at the craftsmanship, the blades, although not something he needed, could actually be perfect for him when he was in his Nephilim form.

They were slightly weaker than his two swords because they were dual blades and the system deemed them as one item, but they were still good. He might use them, or he might give them to somebody else as a reward later.

Laura received a staff named "Dark Cascade," a masterpiece of magical craftsmanship. The staff had an ethereal glow, and its core was embedded with a radiant black crystal that enhanced the power of darkness-based spells, which was perfect for the spells she used from the Tome. Laura, as the group's mage, felt a surge of magical energy just by holding it. She couldn't wait to unleash the full potential of this newfound source of power.

Tank's reward, a colossal battleaxe named "Titan's Roar," was a force to be reckoned with. Crafted from a rare metal found in the depths of the earth, the axe had the ability to amplify Tank's strength and resilience in battle. Its weight was deceptive, allowing Tank to wield it with surprising agility. The sheer power emanating from the weapon left Tank smiling, but unfortunately, he already had an axe, and he preferred using it to this one, even though it was only Rank SS.

For now, he could use this axe when the situation called for it, however, so it was not useless.

Mia's reward, a pair of gauntlets called "Stormforged Grasp," were designed for lightning-fast strikes. The gauntlets were adorned with intricate runes that enhanced agility and speed. Mia, already known for her swift and precise combat style, anticipated the advantage these gauntlets would provide in battle. She flexed her fingers, feeling the surge of energy coursing through the magical enchantments.

The gauntlets would without a doubt allow her swordsmanship to improve as she would be able to not only strike faster but also move faster.

Aelrinder's reward, a majestic longsword named "Aetherblade," resonated with the power of the wind. The blade seemed to slice through the air effortlessly, and its unique enchantment granted Aelrinder increased speed and agility in combat. The intricate hilt was adorned with feathers, symbolizing the grace of the wind. Aelrinder couldn't help but appreciate the elegance of his new weapon.

Greenie's reward, a set of enchanted throwing knives named "Verdant Shadows," was imbued with nature's essence. The blades had a unique ability to create illusions of foliage, allowing Greenie to camouflage himself in natural surroundings. Although he didn't use such weapons, they would be a good fit for Shadow.

Beast's reward, the exceptional SSS+-ranked weapon, was a colossal warhammer named "Apex Crusher." Crafted from a mystical metal found deep within the earth, the Warhammer could unleash devastating shockwaves upon impact. Its sheer size and weight made it a formidable weapon, and the enchantments within were on the verge of transcending traditional SSS-ranked items. Beast could actually use it during his fusion, but he gave the hammer to Greenie as he was the one who usually wielded a hammer.

In the end, only Wolf was left without anything, but he already had a powerful weapon that would not lose to any other weapon, so he didn't mind.