Is this really a Game?!

Just as the group was starting to get into the rhythm of the battle, getting relaxed as they battled the wolf with their full strength, a change occurred. They had somewhat expected something to occur, after all, this was the final opponent they were going to face in the trial, and for them to defeat it so easily was definitely not something they expected to happen.

In fact, the wolf was much weaker than they expected it to be. It was shifty, fast, and quite sly, but when faced with the overwhelming firepower of Reign and the entire group, it was unable to use any of that to gain an advantage, the only thing it could do was prolong the battle and its suffering.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The change that occurred came suddenly. The wolf's upper body suddenly trembled as a malicious gleam entered its crimson eyes before its energy spiked with a deep, guttural growl while shadows around it coalesced, wrapping tightly around its body, forming what seemed to be an armor made of shadows.

The wolf's massive form twisted as the shadows solidified even more, forming what looked like an obsidian armor that radiated immense power. Its claws elongated, sharper and more menacing, while tendrils of shadow trailed from each claw, coiling in anticipation.

The air thickened, pulsing with the overwhelming presence of the wolf's newly unlocked strength. The wolf glanced at them, a mocking light present in its eyes as it disappeared before appearing right behind Shadow, stepping from his shadow, without Shadow being able to even sense it on time.

The wolf's powerful claw struck, aiming at the back of Shadow's neck while the shadows around its body unfurled, each one forming a sharp blade that were aimed at Shadow's neck.

The claw was slowed down by the darkness around Shadow while some of the blades were even broken, but even then, the danger was still present as the claw was about to arrive, striking his neck.

"As if!" A cold shout echoed as a sword stopped the claw before light erupted to the front, hitting the wolf, destroying the shadows that were aiming at Shadow's back. Even then, however, the obsidian armor formed of shadows was barely damaged by Reign's powerful light, the wolf quickly jumping back, turning intangible as it sped toward Laura who was behind them.

Arrows quickly rained down on its form, the powerful wind imbued into them cutting apart the wolf's form, but it was unable to do anything to it.

"Aiming at the weak link, huh?" Laura asked as she stared at the wolf that was quickly approaching. The Dark Tome appeared in her hand, and she quickly whispered something as a black fireball appeared on her hand. She quickly threw the fireball, and the wolf actually dodged to the side, slight surprise present in its eyes as it returned to its usual form.

"Seems like my demonic energy is effective against you in that form, huh?" Laura asked as she smiled at the wolf while more fireballs appeared around her, slowly growing and charging.

She placed her arms to the front of her as she channeled more and more power into the spell, attempting to do something she had not done before, simultaneously casting and launching the same spell.

"Around 6 is my limit, and none can reach their full power." Laura stated with a sigh before smiling and launching the fireballs at the wolf that quickly moved, only for a spear to fall down from the sky, almost impaling it and causing it to be pushed slightly to the side thanks to the shockwave.

Flames then erupted from the front, attacking it, blades of light came from behind, darkness itself sprung up from below it, grabbing its legs, and a powerful explosion struck it from above. All of those attacks were launched at it with only one goal in mind, to stop it from moving.

The wolf growled furiously, its shadows writhing and flaring as they absorbed some of the force from each attack. Even so, the onslaught from all directions left it visibly rattled, its obsidian armor beginning to strain a bit, movement impossible.

Stay connected through empire

And then, the fireballs arrived, each one striking nearly at the same time.

A powerful explosion of black fire took place, causing trees to be upturned and ripped out of the ground, the soil to be sent flying all around while even some of the powers that were launched at the wolf to dissipate under the powerful force of the dark fire.

The wolf howled in pain as the demonic energy assaulted its body, even the obsidian armor cracking underneath the power.

Laura's dark fire left cracks spreading across the obsidian armor encasing the wolf, revealing patches of flesh beneath as tendrils of smoke curled upward from the injuries. The wolf's snarls grew louder, more guttural, its crimson eyes flaring with a rage that seemed to border on desperation. It twisted and rolled, using every ounce of its shadowy abilities to try to shake off the assault, but the coordinated attacks had immobilized it, and the dark fire had seared through the most durable parts of its armor.

Reign saw the beast struggling and signaled to the others, "It's weakened! Hit it again, full force! We're almost there!"

The others didn't hesitate. Tank charged forward, shield raised high, and used the last of his mana reserves to solidify his shield with a gleaming coat of abyss energy, knowing it would amplify the impact. With a deafening shout, he bashed it into the wolf's side, the obsidian armor shattering further as the creature was forced back.

The beast let out another roar and immediately retaliated, dark tendrils whipping out from its body to strike Tank. But Shadow intercepted, using his own darkness-infused daggers to slice through the tendrils. The shadows twisted as they clashed, each struggling to overpower the other. Shadow grinned, his voice steady despite the toll on his energy.

"Not so easy, is it?" he taunted, darting in and out of the wolf's reach, each swift slice weakening its shadows even further.

Wolf took advantage of the beast's distraction, his body a blazing furnace of draconic flames as he moved in close, igniting the cracks in the armor with fire that burned with a ferocity that left scorched trails on the creature's skin. The wolf's snarl turned into a pained whine as Wolf's claws made out of fire raked along its side, flames seeping into the cracks Laura's fire had left.

His sword also soon arrived, cutting deep inside the body of the shadow wolf before Reign appeared from above, stabbing his two swords through the back of the wolf, pinning it down on the ground.

"This will be about it, huh?" Reign asked with a serious expression before pouring in mana into his swords, causing light to be expelled from them, going inside the wolf.

The light surged from Reign's swords, flooding into the wounded wolf's body. The beast's form twisted and convulsed, its snarls dissolving into agonized howls as the light seared through its shadowed core, purging it from within. The obsidian armor cracked and shattered further, dissolving into fading wisps of darkness. For a moment, silence hung over the forest as the beast's crimson eyes dimmed, its final growl subsiding as its immense body collapsed.

Reign and the others let out breaths of relief, exhaustion heavy on each of them. Their bodies bore the scars and bruises from the intense battle, and their mana reserves were dangerously low, yet they had managed to overcome the immense threat that had awaited them in the heart of the forest.

Tank lowered his shield, wincing as he rubbed his shoulder, the impact of his attacks catching up with him. "It's finally over… I think."

Wolf chuckled, leaning against his sword, his draconic scales receding as he let his flames dim to embers. "I'm ready for a week's worth of sleep after that."

Aelrinder, though battered, managed a faint smile. "The forest should be back to normal now. Whatever curse was fueling this thing is broken."

Just as they began to relax, a sudden, chilling silence fell over the clearing. The air turned dense, and an even darker shadow loomed over them. Beast was the first to notice, his keen senses picking up the faintest tremor in the ground. His eyes widened as he looked back, catching sight of something massive emerging from the shadows of the forest, even larger and more menacing than the creature they had just defeated.

Before any of them could react, Wolf moved, grabbing his sword and placing it to the side in order to defend himself, sensing immense danger as the beast that appeared moved. The beast's movement was swift—faster than anything they'd encountered before. In an instant, its claw struck Wolf from behind, sending him hurtling across the clearing, his body slamming into a nearby tree with a sickening crack.

"Wolf!" Reign shouted, horrified, as he turned to face the true threat that loomed before them. Laura quickly moved toward Wolf, ready to see how injured he was, her demonic energy quickly moving to him as well, healing his body before she was able to even see him.