Is this really a Game?!

"Hold steady," Reign said through the communication crystal, his eyes fixed on the chaotic battlefield. "We need to weaken their forces further before we strike, more time needs to pass in order for Amelia's forces and the forces of the other factions to truly start fighting together against the enemy."

The moments stretched out as the battle raged on. Amelia's forces were holding their ground, but the sheer numbers and enhanced abilities of the Shadow Serpents' army were starting to take their toll. Reign could see the strain on the defenders' faces, the desperate resolve in their eyes.

"Get ready," Reign ordered, his voice steady and calm. "If the situation takes a turn for the worse, we will have to move in and help them."

Inside the base, Amelia and the faction leaders continued to direct their forces, making the most of their fortified position. But they knew they couldn't hold out indefinitely. The Shadow Serpents were relentless, their determination fueled by the magical formation.

"We need to break their formation," Amelia said to one of the faction leaders. "If we can disrupt their coordination, we might stand a chance."

"I'll lead a team to the front lines," one of the faction leaders volunteered. "We'll focus our attacks on the formation, see if we can disrupt it."

Amelia nodded. "Be careful."

"Their leaders will be watching for any attempts to break their formation, one of them will definitely move to stop you."

"I know, but we are outnumbered, and even though I understand why the other faction is still not joining the battle, we can't merely stand aside and look as our men die, I have to do something as well, even if it will threaten my life." The leader said, his sharp eyes showing his determination.

Amelia looked at him, admiration and worry mixing in her eyes. She understood his resolve and the weight of leadership that compelled him to act. "Go then, and may you strike true."

The leader rallied a small group of elite fighters, and with a nod to Amelia, he led them toward the front lines. The battle was fierce, the clash of steel and the roar of spells filling the air. The elite group moved with precision, cutting through the enemy ranks as they aimed for the formation's heart.

As they approached the center of the enemy formation, the Shadow Serpents' leaders noticed their intent. One of the enemy leaders, a tall man with a cruel smile, stepped forward to intercept them. His eyes gleamed with malice as he recognized the threat.

"You're brave but foolish," he taunted, drawing a wickedly curved blade. "You won't get past me."

The faction leader stood his ground, his eyes fixed on the enemy. "We'll see about that."

The two leaders clashed, their weapons ringing out with a metallic clang. The elite fighters joined the fray, their determination unwavering. Despite the enemy leader's prowess, they fought with everything they had, trying to disrupt the battle formation.

The leader knew that if he could get close to the bat, he could unleash his power and disrupt it, not destroying the formation entirely, but weakening it, causing the boost that the enemy gained to be lesser than it was right now.

Meanwhile, Reign and his team watched the unfolding battle, waiting for the right moment to strike. They could see the valiant effort of the elite fighters and the fierce battle between the two leaders.

"They're trying to disrupt the formation," Wolf observed, his eyes narrowing.

"It's a futile attempt, even if he manages to defeat that man, which is highly unlikely, the other leaders of the serpent won't simply stand aside and let him do as he wishes."

"What faction does he lead?" Reign asked as Beast stared at the man.

"The Ironbloods, a faction where most of the combatants are close-range combatants that wear metal suits of armor, as you can see from that squad he is leading."

"They are quite a good faction, the leader is a Tier VI, their vice-leader is a peak Tier V, and the people under them are quite satisfied and happy with how things work in the faction."

Reign nodded his head, observing the battle with great interest.

"Shadow, if he is in danger of dying, save him."

"No worries, I have already gotten ready to teleport over to him if something happens," Shadow said with a serious expression.

As the battle raged on, the faction leader of the Ironbloods fought fiercely against the enemy leader. His elite fighters were fully engaged, their metal suits clanging against the Shadow Serpents' weapons. Despite their valiant efforts, the overwhelming numbers and enhanced abilities of the enemy began to take a toll.

Reign watched closely, his eyes never leaving the battlefield. He could see the strain on the Ironbloods' leader, his movements becoming slower and more labored. The enemy leader was relentless, his cruel smile never fading as he pressed his advantage.

Shadow, keeping a close eye on the situation, prepared to intervene if necessary. He knew that the Ironbloods' leader was crucial to their overall strategy, and losing him would be a significant blow to their morale and defenses.

The Ironbloods' leader, sensing his imminent defeat, gritted his teeth and fought with renewed vigor. He managed to land a powerful blow on the enemy leader, staggering him momentarily. Seizing the opportunity, the faction leader sighed before glancing at his men and ordering them to retreat.

He knew that they wouldn't be able to disrupt the formation, not like this, and he wasn't going to allow his men to die for nothing.

The enemy leaders, realizing what he was about to do, moved to intercept him. Reign saw the danger and knew it was time to act.

"Shadow, now!" Reign commanded.

In an instant, Shadow teleported to the Ironbloods' leader's side, his daggers flashing as he intercepted the enemy leaders. He glanced around and smirked as he released his aura to its fullest, causing even the enemy leaders to stare at him in shock before darkness was released from his body, shrouding a large part of the battlefield and causing the members of the serpent to be under confusion.

The faction leader, Faramis, was confused at first, but quickly recognized Shadow and nodded at him, grateful for the help.

He and his men were able to see through the darkness as Shadow allowed it. The darkness was his ability, and he could choose to let others see through it, which he was doing right now.

It was actually an incredibly useful skill when fighting solo or in a group, but there were of course skills that could counter it.

A bright red light shone from one of the enemy leaders, forcing the darkness around him to be pushed back.

"Go, before they are able to see you and your men," Shadow said as Faramis nodded before making his way back to the base, glancing back at Shadow with slight worry on his face as Shadow remained standing in place, not leaving.

He couldn't leave, at least not right now.

The darkness he spread out would dissipate much faster if he wasn't there to continue strengthening it, so he had to remain for a bit and allow Faramis and his men to get away.

"To appear here alone, you certainly have some guts."

The darkness around Shadow started being pushed back as the enemy leader with the red light arrived near him with one other leader.

"Well thank you, it is always nice to hear compliments," Shadow said with a smile plastered on his face, which caused the two enemy leaders to frown and stare at him with vigilance and slight anger.

They were both high-grade Tier VI combatants, so they were able to sense that Shadow was above them in terms of levels, they just didn't know how high of a level he was. One thing was certain, however, and that was that he was a peak Tier VI combatant as the aura coming from him was similar to the one the head of their faction had.

"It makes sense now, how you were able to take down the outposts without anyone managing to sound the alarm or send any info a couple of days ago."

"This ability of yours is quite handy for such things."

Shadow smirked, the darkness swirling around him like a living entity. "It's not just handy for infiltrations."

"It has other... useful applications as well."

The enemy leaders, wary of his confidence, exchanged glances before the one with the red light stepped forward. "You're powerful, I'll give you that."

"But even you can't take on both of us alone."

"Who said I'm going to do that?" Shadow replied, his voice low and dangerous.

"Sorry, but you two are boring, I'm leaving now, have fun though."

The two leaders were unable to respond before Shadow suddenly disappeared in the darkness around him. The darkness that he had spread around the battlefield quickly scattered, causing the leaders to stare in anger.

During his retreat, Faramis and his squad made sure to kill as many people as they could without slowing down, and thanks to the darkness, they left a trail of corpses on their way, killing many of the serpent's men.