Is this really a Game?!

Reign exchanged a brief, knowing glance with his team. The head of the Shadow Serpents was a formidable opponent, but they had faced worse odds before. They were ready.

"I have to be honest, I didn't expect you people to actually do something like this." Reign stated with a smirk.

"To teleport all of you here, it seems like you were expecting us to appear during this battle, weren't you?"

"Of course, I was, after all, why would the enemy who has done so much damage to us sit aside and allow us to take down all the factions here?" The head answered with a smile of his own.

"Now, instead of fighting, what would you say we try to clear this mess up in a more … diplomatic way?" The head asked Reign who narrowed his eyes at him.

"I won't work together with people who have discarded their humanity."

"And who says we have done that?" The head asked Reign with a calm expression.

Reign stared at the head of the Shadow Serpents, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "You turned your backs on your own race and sided with vampires."

"That's the very definition of discarding your humanity."

The head of the Shadow Serpents smiled, his expression one of cunning. "You misunderstand."

"We have allied ourselves with the vampires not out of weakness, but out of strength."

"We are still very much human, but we've gained power and influence that would be impossible on our own."

Reign's team tensed, ready for the inevitable clash. Wolf's grip tightened on his greatsword, and Beast nocked an arrow, ready to strike. The air was thick with tension as both sides prepared for battle.

"You can dress it up however you want," Reign said, his voice low and dangerous. "But betraying your own kind for power is still betrayal, and we don't negotiate with traitors."

"Big words coming from a person that isn't quite human either." The head said as he stared at Reign, his eyes red and black as Aethion suddenly used soul power to shroud Reign in it and block off the leader's 'sight'.

"Those eyes of yours sure are interesting, I wonder if they would still work after being taken away from you?" Reign asked as he smiled at the leader while being slightly apprehensive inside.

'What did he do?'

"Those eyes of his allow him to glimpse deeper into a person, to see more of what they are and how strong they are."

"Don't worry, I blocked him off before he was able to see much, I reckon he was only able to find out that you weren't fully human, nothing else."

Reign's tension eased slightly with Aethion's reassurance. He kept his focus on the head of the Shadow Serpents, knowing that the real battle was about to begin.

"Enough talk," Reign said, his voice filled with resolve. "Let's end this."

The air crackled with energy as both sides prepared for the inevitable clash. The Shadow Serpents' head, along with his high-ranking leaders, exuded an aura of menace. The rest of the Shadow Serpents' forces, buoyed by the arrival of their leaders, readied themselves for the fight.

Reign, Wolf, Beast, Jin, and the others stood their ground, their determination unwavering. They knew that this was a pivotal moment, and they were prepared to give it their all.

"You know what, let's not." The head said with a sigh.

"No matter who wins, the losses will be immense, and I would rather avoid such a thing."

"For now, I shall leave you all in peace, but the next time we see each other, 'Heaven's Hooligans', we shall not be on good terms at all."

Suddenly, a huge mana circle appeared below the entire enemy army.

Reign merely stared at the leader who smiled at him and slightly bowed.

"Until next time."

The head of the Shadow Serpents and his forces disappeared in a flash of light, leaving behind a stunned silence on the battlefield. Reign and his team remained vigilant, not fully trusting the enemy's retreat.

Amelia and the faction leaders emerged from their base, cautiously approaching Reign and his team. "Thank you," Amelia said, her voice filled with gratitude. "You saved us from certain defeat."

Reign nodded, his gaze still scanning the area for any signs of danger. "We couldn't let them destroy everything you've worked so hard to build."

The other faction leaders expressed their gratitude as well, acknowledging the pivotal role Reign and his team played in turning the tide of the battle. Together, they began the task of assessing the damage and tending to the wounded.

As the dust settled, Reign gathered his team to discuss their next steps. "We need to remain vigilant," he said, his voice serious. "The Shadow Serpents may have retreated for now, but they will not give up so easily."

Wolf nodded in agreement. "We should strengthen our defenses and be prepared for any future attacks."

"This base will serve as our forward base later on, we won't let it go to waste."

Beast suggested scouting the surrounding area for any signs of the enemy's whereabouts. "We need to know if they are regrouping or planning another assault."

Reign agreed with both suggestions. "Let's divide into smaller groups and cover more ground. Report back here if you find anything suspicious."

The team split up, each group heading in a different direction to search for signs of the enemy. Reign, Wolf, and Beast moved together, their senses sharp and alert for any danger.

As they searched, they came across several abandoned outposts that had once belonged to the Shadow Serpents. The outposts were empty, their occupants having fled or been defeated in the battle.

"They're definitely regrouping," Wolf said, examining the abandoned outposts. "We need to be ready for their next move."

Beast nodded, his eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of movement. "We should report back to the others and fortify our defenses."

Reign agreed, knowing that the lull in the fighting was only temporary. The Shadow Serpents would undoubtedly return, and they needed to be prepared.

As they made their way back to the base, they noticed a strange energy in the air. It was dark and foreboding, unlike anything they had encountered before.

"This doesn't feel right," Reign said, his voice tense. "We need to hurry back."

When they arrived at the base, they found it under attack by a powerful dark energy that seemed to be tearing through the defenses. The faction leaders were struggling to hold it back, but it was clear they were losing ground.

Reign, Wolf, and Beast sprang into action, joining the fight against the dark energy. They used their powers to counteract its effects, pushing it back and protecting the base.

But the dark energy was relentless, and it seemed to be growing stronger with each passing moment. Reign knew that they were facing a powerful enemy, one unlike any they had encountered before.

"Is it the vampires, have they made a move?" Reign asked Wolf and the others who were asking the same thing.

The energy was coming from the sky above the base, it was incredibly dense and powerful, and even when Reign and the others joined, it was difficult to keep it at bay and make sure the base wasn't destroyed.

The faction leaders looked at each other in confusion and fear, unsure of what to do next. The dark energy seemed to be targeting the base specifically, bypassing the defenses and attacking directly.

"We need to find the source of this energy and stop it," Reign said, his voice firm. "It's too dangerous to let it continue."

'It should be somewhere in the base, try to find a symbol or a pentagram, the enemy could have placed it in there without you knowing about it during the battle.' Aethion told Reign and the others in a heavy tone.

Wolf and Beast nodded, their expressions grim. They knew that time was of the essence, and they needed to act quickly to save the base and everyone inside.

The group split up, scouring the area for any signs of the source of the dark energy. They searched every corner of the base but found nothing. It was as if the energy was coming from nowhere, an unseen force attacking them.

As they searched, the dark energy grew stronger, threatening to overwhelm them. The faction leaders were growing desperate, their defenses failing against the relentless assault.

Just when all seemed lost, Reign noticed a strange symbol etched into the ground near the center of the base. It was glowing with the same dark energy that was attacking them.

"This must be it," Reign said, pointing to the symbol. "We need to destroy it."

Wolf and Beast nodded, understanding immediately. They focused their powers on the symbol, channeling their energy to counteract its effects.

Slowly, the dark energy began to dissipate, the symbol fading away as the energy was neutralized. The base was safe once more, and the threat was eliminated.

As the faction leaders breathed a sigh of relief, Reign knew that their battle was far from over. The Shadow Serpents had shown their true power, and they would not rest until they had been defeated.

"We need to be ready for whatever they throw at us next," Reign said, his voice resolute. "We cannot afford to underestimate them."