Is this really a Game?!

The team's relentless assault began to show results. The shadowy creature's form flickered and distorted under the barrage of attacks, its malevolent red eyes dimming. The concentrated beams of light from the crystalline beasts seemed to be unraveling the very fabric of its existence, forcing it to reveal its vulnerabilities.

Reign poured every ounce of his energy into maintaining the barrier and directing the crystal's power. He could feel the strain on his body and mind, but he pushed through the pain, knowing that they were on the verge of victory.

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Wolf's blade found purchase in the creature's chest, piercing through its ethereal form and striking something solid. The creature let out a deafening roar, its entire body convulsing as if in agony. Shadow, seizing the opportunity, plunged his daggers into the same spot, twisting them to inflict maximum damage.

"It's weakening!" Wolf shouted, his voice filled with determination. "Keep up the pressure!"

Tank and Beast redoubled their efforts, their powerful strikes breaking through the creature's defenses. Jin and Aelrinder's combined attacks created bursts of energy that further destabilized the monster, causing it to lose more of the shadows that covered its body. Greenie struck with his hammer, causing a powerful shockwave to pass through the monster's body.

Mia and Laura continued their magical assault, their spells weaving together to create a web of frost and demonic energy that enveloped the creature. The combined forces tore at its form, wiping away the darkness and revealing more of the vulnerable core within.

With a final, desperate roar, the creature lunged at Reign, its claws extended in a last-ditch effort to break free. But the rays of light held firm, holding the monster at bay, repelling the attack and pushing the creature back into the center of the chamber.

"Now!" Reign shouted, feeling the crystal's energy peak. "Finish it off!"

The team unleashed their most powerful attacks, each strike landing with devastating force. Wolf's greatsword cleaved through the creature's chest, while Shadow's daggers pierced its core. Tank's axe and Beast's arrows found their marks, shattering the creature's defenses.

Greenie's hammer struck the monster's back, ripples passing through it, Jin's explosion and Aelrinder's star-infused strike converged on the creature's head, causing a blinding flash of light. Mia and Laura's combined magic surged forward, enveloping the creature in a maelstrom of frost and demonic fury.

The creature's form disintegrated under the onslaught, its red eyes fading to black as it let out one final, haunting wail. The chamber shook as the creature dissolved into nothingness, leaving behind only a faint wisp of darkness that dissipated into the air.

The team stood in silence, their breaths heavy and their bodies exhausted. The crystalline beasts, their task complete, returned to their original positions, their light fading to a soft glow.

Reign lowered the crystal, feeling the energy within it stabilize. He looked around at his team, a sense of pride and relief washing over him.

"We did it," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's over."

The others nodded, their expressions a mix of exhaustion and triumph. They had faced an unimaginable threat and emerged victorious, even though they were all well aware that they wouldn't have been able to do so without the crystal and the crystalline monsters around the hall.

As the chamber settled into a calm silence, Reign felt a subtle shift in the air. The amulet around his neck pulsed softly, guiding his gaze to the pedestal where he had previously been walking to. He approached it cautiously, sensing that their journey was not yet complete.

The pedestal had transformed, the chest that was previously there was on top of the pedestal, but there was nothing inside of it. Instead, what was present was a small opening in the bottom of the chest, which allowed Reign to put his hand inside and press something.

As he pressed whatever was down there, a small and hidden compartment showed itself right beneath the chest.

Reign reached out and opened the compartment, revealing a small, intricately carved box. He picked it up, feeling the weight of its significance.

"This must be the true treasure," he said, holding the box up for the others to see.

"Open it," Mia urged, her eyes wide with curiosity.

Reign carefully opened the box, revealing its contents. Inside was a small, shimmering orb, its surface swirling with vibrant colors. Alongside the orb was a scroll, its parchment old but well-preserved.

He unfurled the scroll, reading the ancient text aloud:

"To those who seek the power of the ancients, this orb contains the essence of the Guardian. With it, you shall possess the strength to protect and defend against the forces of darkness. Use it wisely, for its power is both a gift and a burden."

"Essence of the Guardian, what even is that?" Shadow asked as Beast tapped him on the shoulder before pointing at another mural inside the great hall, one depicting a giant crystalline monster that was thrice as big as the others.

The mural depicted the giant monster destroying many shadowy creatures like the one they had fought against right now, only for it to be overwhelmed in the end and destroyed by the shadowy creatures.

Ding!

[ Treasure has been found, the side quest has been completed ]

[ The Essence of the Guardian ]

Description: The orb is the essence of the powerful monster that was hailed as the 'Guardian' by the people that it protected in the past. The Guardian, upon its demise, poured all of its power into its core before launching it back to the main temple where people had worshipped it.

The orb is all the power that the guardian possessed at that moment solidified into an object. It can be used for a plethora of things, such as powering up arrays and formations, being used as a power source for a construct, or it can even being used as a main ingredient when creating a powerful weapon or suit of armor.

The orb is special because, unlike a mana core, it can replenish itself constantly and will never run out of energy, which means that the one using it doesn't need to constantly pour in mana to make it work, it will actually help the one using it by supplying its own mana.

Reign's eyes widened as he read the description provided by the system. The Essence of the Guardian was far more valuable than they had initially thought. This orb held immense potential, not just as a power source but as a cornerstone for creating powerful artifacts.

"This is incredible," Reign said, turning the orb over in his hands. "This can be used for so many things."

The team gathered around, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten as they marveled at their find. The orb's vibrant colors shifted and swirled, captivating their attention.

"What should we do with it?" Mia asked, her eyes still fixed on the orb.

"We need to protect it, first and foremost," Reign replied. "It's too valuable to risk losing or damaging."

"We should take it back to Doncaster and keep it secure until we decide how best to use it."

"A weapon made from such a powerful thing will definitely be incredible, at least a Rank SSS item, maybe even a Rank Z."

"Yeah, not to mention that it will be special even amongst those of the same rank thanks to the orb which can replenish its energy and even add more mana to the user, that function alone would make a weapon tempting to anybody," Wolf added as the others nodded.

"Alright, I think we have done enough for the day, this battle alone has made us go all out in order to destroy that creature, and we didn't even get any exp from it, mostly because we defeated it thanks to the crystal and the monsters."

Reign paused, looking around at his team. They were all exhausted, their bodies and minds pushed to their limits by the battle they had just fought. Despite the lack of experience points, they had achieved something that they didn't expect, something that would be very helpful in the future.

"I agree," Reign said, his voice tired but determined. "Let's head back to Doncaster."

"We need to rest and regroup, and figure out the best course of action for the orb, we should probably go straight to Adrian and ask him about it, ask what the best course of action is, what would be best to create with this thing."

The team nodded in agreement, their faces showing a mix of relief and satisfaction. They gathered their gear and made their way back through the ruins, the Essence of the Guardian safely tucked away in Reign's pocket as it was another item that could not be placed in the inventory, something which did bother them a bit.

As they emerged from the ruins, they quickly made their way back to the elevator, said bye to the specter, and left the pyramid. As they exited, the sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the landscape. They made their way back to the mountain range and headed straight to the base on top of the first mountain.