Is this really a Game?!

The uneasy tension lingered as the Tier V team moved cautiously through the fog-covered territory. The periodic thins created by Beast's manipulation of the wind and Reign's radiant light allowed them brief glimpses of their surroundings. Yet, the Shadow Wraiths remained elusive, their absence unsettling the seasoned warriors.

Reign's senses were on high alert. His eyes scanned the shifting shadows, and his soul power reached out, trying to detect any sign of the wraiths. However, the fog resisted his attempts, masking the presence of the monsters. It was an unnerving experience for the Tier V team, who were accustomed to being in control of their surroundings.

Elijah, fueled by grief and a thirst for vengeance, clenched his weapons tighter. The loss of a team member weighed heavily on him, and the absence of immediate retribution grated on his nerves. The desire to confront the Shadow Wraiths and unleash his newfound powers burned within him.

As they ventured deeper into the territory, the whispers around them intensified. Eerie echoes reverberated through the fog, creating a surreal atmosphere. The team moved in a tight formation, their weapons at the ready, anticipating an ambush at any moment. Yet, the wraiths remained elusive, playing a cat-and-mouse game with the Tier V team.

Suddenly, the fog thickened, enveloping them in an almost impenetrable shroud. The visibility dropped to near zero, and even Beast's wind manipulation struggled against the oppressive density of the mist.

"This isn't normal. They're toying with us," Reign muttered, his frustration palpable. The team pressed on, relying on their instincts and the thinning effects of Beast's wind manipulation to navigate the fog. The whispers around them grew louder, forming an unsettling cacophony that grated on their nerves.

Without warning, the fog dispersed, revealing a vast open area. The sudden change caught the team off guard. In front of them stood a massive structure, a dark fortress that seemed to materialize from the mist itself. It was a sight that sent chills down their spines.

The fortress, unlike anything they had encountered before, exuded an ominous aura. Its architecture was otherworldly, a blend of twisted spires and shadowy structures that seemed to defy the laws of physics. The air around it hummed with malevolent energy, and the whispers in the fog seemed to emanate from the fortress itself.

Ding!

[ Sudden quest initiated ]

[ Explore the fortress and reach the central chamber ]

The reward for successfully finishing the quest: An opportunity to witness a battle ******* 

Reign and the others glanced at each other as they all suddenly got the quest.

It was evident from how a sudden quest was given to them that there was a lot more to this territory than they thought and that it might be more dangerous compared to their initial belief. Still, the rewards were… weird.

'System, I didn't hear what the reward was, there was some kind of … disruption.' Reign said as he also glanced at the quest in the system, but was unable to read what was written after 'battle'.

[ The players do not have enough authority to know right now, but I assure you, the reward will not be bad. ]

'Well … thanks for nothing I guess.' Reign said as he sighed before glancing at the others who all got the same answer as he did. Upon realizing that they would get no further information from the system, Reign and the others set their sights on the fortress.

Reign's eyes narrowed as he studied the fortress. It was evident that this was the heart of the wraith territory, the source of the oppressive fog and the hiding place of the elusive Shadow Wraiths. The Tier V team shared a silent understanding—the true battle awaited them within those dark walls.

The team approached the fortress cautiously, their senses heightened as they entered its ominous shadow. The architecture was alien, and the very structure seemed to pulse with dark energy. The whispers in the fog reached a crescendo, forming an almost hypnotic chant that reverberated through the air.

Reign, leading the way with his radiant swords, focused on the fortress's entrance. The gates, adorned with eerie symbols, loomed ahead. As they crossed the threshold, the atmosphere inside the fortress shifted. The fog receded, replaced by a dim, otherworldly glow that emanated from the walls themselves.

The interior of the fortress was a labyrinthine maze of twisted corridors and ominous chambers. The air was thick with an otherworldly presence, and each step resonated with a sense of foreboding. The Tier V team moved cautiously, aware that the true challenge lay ahead.

As they delved deeper, they encountered sporadic groups of Shadow Wraiths. The creatures, more numerous than before, emerged from the shadows to engage the intruders. The team fought with precision, their weapons, and abilities synchronized to counter the ethereal foes.

As they fought, however, they soon realized that more and more Wraiths were coming, until there was a large crowd of them.

The Wraiths inside the castle were numerous, attacking the team from all sides and forming a huge crowd, but without the fog there to hide their figures and presence, they were nothing special. The fog had not only hidden them, it had also disrupted mana itself, making the attacks of Reign and the others less effective.

Without that present, the wraiths were nothing more than nuisances.

Elijah, still fueled by grief and determination, unleashed his poison in controlled bursts. The yellow mist enveloped the wraiths, corroding their shadowy forms. The fortress echoed with the sounds of battle, each clash resonating through its dark corridors.

Minutes passed and the battle continued.

Half an hour passed and nothing had changed, hundreds of wraiths were slaughtered by the team, but they still kept coming, forming an endless tide that was doing its very best to drown Reign and the others.

"Hey Beast, can you get me up?!" Greenie suddenly asked Beast who glanced at him in confusion before nodding his head. Greenie suddenly crouched as his leg muscles swelled up, the floor beneath him cracking from his strength before he jumped with full force.

The fortress was weird, even though they were not taking it easy and were fighting with almost their full strength, they had barely managed to inflict any damage on the walls or floor, as for the ceiling, it was about 40 meters above them, their attacks didn't even reach it.

Greenie's jump, which would usually be enough to propel him well over 40 meters, only allowed him to get about 17 meters thanks to the weird mana presence and power at work inside the fortress.

Beast immediately went to work, summoning a powerful gale that brought Greenie higher up, only stopping once he was 30 meters above them.

"Send me forward a bit!" Greenie yelled as Beast did what he asked of him before Greenie started falling down, his hammer lifted above his head, shining brightly with a splendid yellow as a formless and colorless energy wrapped around the hammerhead.

As he finally arrived down, Greenie struck the floor with full strength. The hammer's power, coupled with the [ Gravity Strike ] skill exploded with full force as the great hall they were in shook slightly.

A shockwave quickly formed and blasted the wraiths some 40 meters around Greenie, those that were up to 20 meters away from him dying as they were also forced to stand thanks to the gravity coming from his hammer.

Reign and the others didn't waste time and quickly charged forward, they could sense a presence deeper inside the fortress, a presence that made their skin crawl. Still, this was a quest given to them by the system, and from what they knew, the system never gave people a quest they couldn't finish.

If it did, it would specifically be told to them, just how it was back when they were given the quest to go to Doncaster. The system had locked it, giving them a prerequisite for being able to activate the quest, which was to reach level 16 before being able to take it.

Still, as they made their way to the central chamber, they started hearing something.

Whispers.

Many whispers were heard by them, none of them forming coherent sentences or words, it was as if people were mumbling all around them. Reign and the others tried to focus and learn what the whispers were saying, but it proved futile.

No matter how much they strained and tried to listen, they couldn't understand a single thing.

The whispers grew louder as they approached a massive chamber at the heart of the fortress. The air seemed charged with anticipation, and the team braced themselves for whatever awaited them. Reign, his swords glowing brightly, took the lead as they entered the central chamber.

The sight that greeted them was surreal and unsettling. A colossal, shadowy figure stood at the center of the chamber, its form shifting and undulating like a living shadow. It exuded an aura of malevolence that surpassed anything they had encountered before.