Is this really a Game?!

As the days turned into weeks, Reign and his team focused on their preparations and gathering intelligence. The scouting parties moved cautiously through the city, collecting valuable information on the Shadow Serpents' movements and the locations of their strongholds. Amelia and her contacts managed to secure vital intel from various sources, piecing together the enemy's plans.

Despite the calm on the surface, the tension remained palpable. The lack of action from the Shadow Serpents only heightened their sense of unease. Everyone knew that this period of relative peace was temporary and that a storm was brewing on the horizon.

One evening, as Reign was reviewing the latest reports in the command tent, Shadow walked in with a serious expression. "We've got something," he said, placing a map on the table. "One of our scouting parties found a hidden entrance to what appears to be one of the Shadow Serpents' main bases."

"One of their main bases?" Reign asked as he approached the map and looked at it.

"Yeah, right here, Elijah's team was tracking a couple of people who seemed suspicious, and they saw them enter this place."

"After that, they continued monitoring this building, and they saw plenty of people come in and out, some of them they managed to recognize thanks to the recording of the battle that was shared to all."

"A couple of people who exited and entered were members of the serpent's army when they attacked Amelia's base."

Reign stared at the map, looking at the suspected base of the serpent.

"An abandoned mall though, isn't that a bit too cliché?"

"Yeah, but it is a good place to set up a base, large enough for sure, not to mention that one can place an array to hide what is inside and make it seem like it is still an empty abandoned mall," Laura stated as the others nodded their heads.

"Yeah, but it just seems a bit too easy, finding an important base like this, I mean, they should have some people present near it to monitor things, and yet, nobody managed to notice Elijah and the others?"

"Well, it isn't as if Elijah is weak or anything, his team is quite good as well, they might have been able to avoid all detection."

"Yes, it is a possibility, but it's also possible that the enemy is playing us, but for now, that doesn't matter, we won't be attacking them anyway, not before evolving, and we are quite close to that." Reign stated as he glanced at the others.

They were almost there, they all just needed one more level up, and they would finally be able to receive the evolution challenge and attempt to evolve, reaching the Power Realm.

Reign and his team prepared diligently for the coming evolution challenge. They knew that reaching the Power Realm would be a turning point in their battle against the Shadow Serpents and their vampire allies. With the information gathered by Elijah and his team, they had a potential target for their next move. However, they were acutely aware of the risks and the possibility that it could be a trap.

The decision to delay any direct confrontation until after their evolution was strategic. They needed to be at their strongest to face the unknown dangers that lay ahead.

The vampires were too powerful for the current ones, and only after the evolution would they have a chance to go up against them.

They had spent the last couple of weeks not only gathering info and scouting but also hunting.

Since they were all peak Tier VI combatants, it was not easy to find powerful monsters to kill and level up, not even in the underground area of the desert. Most times they went down, they would face low and mid-grade Tier VI monsters, which barely gave them any exp at their current level.

Still, that was the best way they had to level up, but it wasn't as if they didn't explore other areas either.

The jungle was unfortunately not enough, the number of high-grade and peak Tier VI monsters present was too low and they had to scrap plans to hunt there quite quickly, which only left them with New York.

The last week was spent exploring New York and trying to find peak Tier VI monsters to fight against.

The last week of exploration in New York had been intense for Reign and his team. New York City, now a blend of ancient ruins and modern decay, offered a unique and treacherous hunting ground. The urban landscape, overrun by nature and supernatural entities, provided a stark contrast to the underground desert they were accustomed to.

Their first few days in the city were spent navigating the labyrinthine streets and abandoned buildings. The once bustling metropolis was now a haunting reminder of a world gone by. Vegetation had reclaimed large parts of the city, intertwining with the skeletal remains of skyscrapers and vehicles.

The team had encountered various types of monsters during their expeditions. Low and mid-grade Tier VI creatures roamed the streets in packs, but the peak Tier VI monsters were more elusive, often hiding in the depths of buildings or underground tunnels.

These peak Tier VI monsters were their primary targets, as defeating them would yield the most experience points and resources needed for their evolution.

One of their most challenging encounters occurred in Central Park. The sprawling park, once a sanctuary of greenery in the heart of the city, had become the territory of a powerful beast. The monster, a massive chimera with the body of a lion, the wings of a dragon, and the tail of a serpent, had made its lair in the remnants of the park's zoo.

Reign and his team had approached cautiously, knowing that the chimera was a peak Tier VI monster. The battle was fierce and brutal, with the chimera using its diverse abilities to keep them at bay. Fire and poison spewed from its mouth and tail, while its powerful claws and wings created a whirlwind of destruction.

Wolf had taken the brunt of the chimera's initial assault, using his greatsword to deflect its attacks and create openings for the others. Beast and Mia provided ranged support, their arrows, and spells striking the chimera with precision. Shadow and Jin used their agility and stealth to deliver critical hits, exploiting the creature's blind spots.

Reign, wielding his sword with deadly efficiency, focused on coordinating the team's efforts and exploiting the chimera's weaknesses. After a grueling battle, they finally managed to bring the beast down. The experience gained from the fight had pushed them closer to their goal, but they knew they needed more.

Another notable encounter took place in the remains of Times Square. The iconic location, now a desolate and eerie space, was home to a gargantuan spider monster. The spider, a peak Tier VI creature, had woven its web across the ruins of the square, creating a deadly trap for any who ventured too close.

The battle against the spider was a test of their coordination and resolve. The creature's venomous bites and webbing posed a significant threat, forcing the team to constantly adapt their tactics. Mia and Wolf worked to destroy the webbing and create safe pathways, either by setting them on fire or freezing them, while Reign, Tank, Greenie, and Shadow engaged the spider directly.

The fight was made more difficult by the presence of smaller, but still dangerous, spiderlings that swarmed them. Beast and Laura took on the task of dealing with these lesser threats, ensuring that the others could focus on the primary target.

After a protracted and exhausting battle, they managed to defeat the giant spider, earning valuable experience and resources. The victory was hard-won, but it brought them another step closer to their evolution.

Their exploration also led them to the depths of the New York subway system. The underground tunnels, now infested with mutated and supernatural creatures, provided a labyrinthine hunting ground. Here, they encountered a trio of peak Tier VI monsters that had made the tunnels their domain.

The battles in the subway were claustrophobic and intense, with the narrow confines limiting their movement and forcing them to fight in close quarters. The monsters, using the darkness and tight spaces to their advantage, put the team's skills and teamwork to the ultimate test.

Despite the challenges, Reign and his team emerged victorious from the subway, their experience and determination growing with each encounter. They had faced death and danger at every turn, but they had also grown stronger, their bonds as a team solidified by the trials they had endured.

By the end of the week, Reign and his team had gathered almost enough experience to reach the cusp of their evolution. They returned to their forward base, weary but triumphant, ready to face another round of fighting in New York and then finally take on a challenge.

Gathered in the command tent, Reign addressed his team and the faction leaders. "We've made significant progress, and we're now almost there, we just need to fight a bit more, and we will finally be able to evolve."