Is this really a Game?!

The team nodded, fully understanding the gravity of Reign's words. Each one of them was keenly aware of the challenges that lay ahead, but the new spear infused them with hope, hope that they would be able to create more such weapons and items if they continued exploring the underground.

They knew that their next steps would be critical in their quest to reach Tier VII and ultimately bring down Nicholas if they managed to catch his trail.

Even if they don't, Reign could wait, he knew that if he managed to become Transcendent, then he would be able to gain the help of the system to locate Nicholas, and thanks to the fact the planet was his home world would no longer be a part of the 'game', he would be able to kill him without suffering a penalty.

He just hoped the bastard didn't die before he got to him, that was the only worry that Reign currently had.

Aelrinder swung his new spear a few more times, feeling the balance and power in each movement. "This will make a significant difference for me, compared to the old spear, well, they can't even be compared," he said, his voice filled with confidence. "I'll make sure to use it well."

Reign agreed. "We'll take the rest of the day off to rest and recover, then head back to the underground, we need to keep pushing our limits."

The next day, the team prepared for another expedition into the underground desert. This time, their spirits were bolstered by the presence of Aelrinder's new weapon. They knew it would give them an edge in the battles to come.

Aelrinder was quite efficient previously as well, but his weapon did not truly hold him back. His attacks were powerful and swift, but still a bit below Reign and the others without using the power of the stars.

That was simply how it was, a good weapon was very important, and without having one, Aelridner was simply not able to keep up properly.

They did just as they said they would do, they rested, but not for the whole day.

They were all a bit restless as they weren't injured or very tired and wished to continue fighting and hunting down monsters, especially Aelrinder who couldn't wait to use his new spear in battle.

And thus, after resting for about 3 hours, they all came together and decided to go back to the desert.

As they descended into the depths once more, they were met with the familiar bioluminescent glow and eerie silence. The underground landscape was as treacherous as ever, but the team moved with a sense of determination and focus.

They navigated through the winding tunnels and caverns, their senses alert for any sign of danger. Aelrinder took point, his new spear gleaming in the dim light. He felt a surge of confidence, ready to test the weapon's capabilities against the formidable foes that lurked in the underground desert.

The first sign of trouble came in the form of a low, rumbling growl echoing through the cavern. The team halted their weapons at the ready. From the shadows emerged a pack of reptilian creatures, their scales shimmering like obsidian and eyes glowing with a predatory light. Your next journey awaits at mvl

"Looks like we've got company," Shadow muttered, his daggers glinting as he prepared for the fight.

Reign nodded. "Remember, focus on working as a team, Aelrinder, let's see what that spear can do."

With a battle cry, Aelrinder charged forward, his spear a blur of motion. He struck the first creature with a powerful thrust, the blade piercing its tough hide with ease. The creature howled in pain, its body convulsing as the spear's energy surged through it.

A second monster was quickly pierced as well, one that was standing right behind the first monster. With both monsters skewered on the spear, Aelrinder lifted it up before swiping to the side, knocking a couple of monsters away before runes activated on the spear and a fierce wind was suddenly expelled from the spear, cutting apart the two monsters who were skewered on it.

Aelrinder then continued, stabbing the monsters and killing them, before he finally stabbed through the largest and toughest monster and then used another set of runes, the ones that were the majority on the spear.

The runes glowed a dim yellow light before the constellations on the spear glowed as well.

The power of the stars appeared, but not in the same fashion as it did when Aelrinder usually used it. It was much tamer and weaker, but it was still enough to blast the monster and disintegrate its body.

"The spear allows me to use a small portion of the power of stars, it's actually quite amazing, I can now utilize it much more often, even with weaker monsters, and do not need to constantly worry about it."

"This … is something I should be able to do on my own as well, but because I only recently managed to make it into my innate ability, I am still struggling with controlling it fully, thus I am only able to use an entire portion and go all out," Aelrinder said, a bit ashamed of the fact that he was unable to fully control his own ability.

"Gaining a new innate ability is very rare, it's only natural that you would struggle with it for a bit, after all, I remember how it was for me when I gained the new abilities, without the old guy guiding me, I would have needed quite some time to control the abilities well, not to mention that your ability is a tricky one." Reign said as he patted Aelrinder's shoulder.

"Its power is amazing and fully mastering it will definitely bring you great strength, but that is how it usually is with such abilities, they are difficult to control, not to mention that you are an elf and are more attuned to abilities than are connected to nature and the world, not the stars."

"You said it yourself, you managed to gain the ability by sheer luck in the past, had you not been here on Earth, constantly fighting alongside us, it might have never turned into an innate ability, so don't be so tough on yourself."

Aelrinder nodded, taking Reign's words to heart. "You're right, Reign, I need to be patient with myself and continue to hone my skills."

"This spear is a step in the right direction."

With the reptilian creatures defeated, the team pressed on, deeper into the underground desert. The further they went, the more treacherous the terrain became. The tunnels twisted and turned, and the air grew colder, a stark contrast to the desert above.

They encountered more groups of monsters, each battle testing their coordination and resilience. Aelrinder's spear proved to be a formidable weapon, its power and precision cutting through even the toughest foes. The team worked together seamlessly, and their training and experience were evident in every movement.

As they ventured deeper, they came across another cavern, this one much larger than the others. The walls were covered in ancient carvings and glowing crystals, casting an eerie light over the scene. In the center of the cavern stood a massive stone door, its surface etched with intricate runes.

Reign approached the door, his eyes scanning the carvings. "This looks like some kind of entrance," he said, his voice echoing in the cavern. "We should proceed with caution."

Laura moved to the door, her keen eyes examining the runes. "These runes are a type of ancient language, similar to the ones we saw in the ruins where we found the Essence of the Guardian," she said, tracing the patterns with her fingers. "It looks like a warning or perhaps instructions."

"Can you decipher it?" Mia asked, her eyes focused on the door.

"I'll try," Laura said as she started working on doing just that.

She started taking notes, looking at the runes, doing her best to decipher them.

It took her quite a while, over half an hour, but she managed to decipher a part.

"Lair of the wicked, prison of the damned, seal for the cursed."

"Do not open, do not attempt, for death is all that waits ahead."

"In the darkest of hours, the door was made, in the brightest of days, the door shall fade."

"Be warned and do not proceed, for death and darkness is all that you shall find."

"Quite cryptic I would say," Shadow said with a chuckle as he stared at the door before placing his hand on it, tracing the runes and the lines.

"So, do we dare try to open this thing, or do we listen to what is written there?"

"That was only a portion, the rest of the runes are much more complex, some of them are what strengthens the door and keeps it closed, but I can tell one thing from the runes, however, and that is that they were made a long time ago and that their strength has faded over time."

"Whoever created this was more powerful than us, however, so I can only imagine what we might find inside."

Reign nodded and put his hand on the door, only for his eyes to widen.

Ding!