Is this really a Game?!

"Just what the hell was that?" Tank asked Reign as he stared at the base around them. It was wrecked up, a lot of the fortifications they had set up heavily damaged, some even destroyed completely from the previous attack.

"Humans, consider this a warning, do not meddle in our affairs any longer."

Reign and the others all stared in shock as they glanced over at where the symbol was previously placed. The voice they just heard came from there, from the fading symbol.

The symbol was gone mere moments after the voice was heard, but the voice itself was filled with such intense power that it made Reign and the others feel nervous.

'The vampires, it seems they have the means of gathering their power and then expelling them, attacking bases from far away in this manner.' Aethion said before glancing at the symbol.

'That symbol was pretty much a mark they needed in order to hit the base, they probably placed this at the same time they summoned their head, that was when everybody was completely focused on what was happening in front of the base.'

'They might have sneakily sent someone in at that time as they realized that it would be too dangerous to fight against you guys like this.'

Aethion's words made them all frown, but also nod their heads as they realized that is most likely what happened.

Reign stood amidst the wreckage of the base, his mind racing with thoughts of the recent attack. The Shadow Serpents and their vampire allies were proving to be a formidable foe, one that required careful planning and unwavering resolve to defeat.

The base, now a mix of relief and tension, buzzed with activity as the faction leaders and their members worked to repair the damage and reinforce their defenses.

Amelia approached Reign, her expression serious but grateful. "Thank you for saving us," she said, her voice steady. "Without your help, we wouldn't have survived."

Reign nodded, his gaze still fixed on the spot where the symbol had been. "We can't afford to let our guard down."

"The vampires are clearly willing to go to great lengths to achieve their goals."

"Even so," Reign said, his voice hardening with resolve, "we can't let fear of their power deter us, we need to regroup and come up with a strategy to counter them."

Amelia, who had been listening intently, stepped forward. "Our base is severely damaged, but with your help, we can rebuild and fortify it even stronger than before."

"Not to mention that we have all agreed to join your faction, we know that we will be much safer there, especially now when knowing that the vampires have such means of attacking."

Reign nodded. "You are welcome to join and stay in our town, but we will not abandon this base, we will use it as the forward base for New York, which means we need to strengthen our defenses against any further attacks, especially from such long-range magical assaults."

The team quickly got to work. They coordinated with the faction leaders, dividing tasks to ensure that everyone knew their role. While some focused on repairing the physical defenses, others worked on creating new magical wards and barriers to protect against similar attacks in the future.

With the factions, all joining their faction, Reign was now able to utilize the system to make things a lot faster and quicker, but some needs needed them to personally do if they wished to gain the most out of things.

Shadow, Mia, and Laura took the lead in setting up new magical defenses. They worked tirelessly, inscribing protective runes around the base and creating new barriers that would hopefully deflect any future long-range attacks.

Reign, Wolf, Beast, and Jin led the efforts to rebuild the physical defenses. They reinforced the walls, repaired the barricades, and constructed new watchtowers to give them a better vantage point over the surrounding area.

As the days passed, the base gradually took shape. The new defenses were stronger and more resilient than before. Amelia's faction, as well as all the others, had been living in Doncaster for the last several days, getting accustomed to how things were there.

They were impressed by the level of organization and the resources available, realizing that joining Reign's faction was indeed the best choice for their survival and growth.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the newly fortified base, Reign called a meeting with his core team and the leaders of the newly joined factions. They gathered in a spacious tent erected in the center of the base, the air thick with anticipation and determination.

"Thank you all for your hard work," Reign began, his voice carrying the weight of recent events. "We've made significant progress in fortifying our defenses, but we need to plan our next move carefully."

Amelia nodded, her eyes reflecting a mix of concern and determination. "The serpent won't stay quiet for long."

"We need to take the fight to them and disrupt their plans before they can strike again."

Shadow, leaning against a wooden post, spoke up. "Not right now, first, we need more intel on their operations, we need to know where their main strongholds are and what their next moves might be."

"Don't forget that the vampires are behind the serpent, we are not strong enough to defeat them, not yet, so for now, we will mostly be defending against them and collecting info."

Reign agreed. "We've hurt them, and they're likely regrouping, we need to be proactive, but we can't afford to be reckless."

"Any ideas on how we can gather the information we need?"

Mia, her eyes sharp and focused, chimed in. "We could use our connections in the city, there are always people willing to sell information for the right price."

"We also have a few contacts from before who might still be loyal to us."

Beast nodded thoughtfully. "We could also send scouting parties. Small, stealthy groups that can move in and out without drawing too much attention. It's risky, but it could give us valuable information."

Reign looked around the room, gauging the reactions of the leaders. "We need to be strategic about this. Let's split into two teams. One will focus on gathering intel through our contacts in the city, and the other will conduct scouting missions."

Amelia and her faction leaders quickly agreed, understanding the necessity of the plan. "My people and I can handle the city contacts," she offered. "We know the area well, and we have some old allies who might still be willing to help."

"Then we shall employ some of our men to form scouting parties and explore the city, there have been several teams who have been asking us about New York and telling us how much they wished to explore it after all," Beast stated as Reign nodded his head with a sigh.

"We keep telling them that it is very dangerous, but with more and more of them reaching Tier VI, it's getting harder and harder to keep them at bay."

"They're not children after all, we need to let them do what they want to do at the end of the day," Wolf stated as he stared at Reign.

"We can't just shelter them, although I agree that it is dangerous and that some might die in the city, that doesn't mean we should simply keep them away, after all, they won't grow without being in dangerous situations."

Reign nodded, acknowledging Wolf's point. "You're right. We can't keep them sheltered forever. Let's organize the scouting parties, but make sure they understand the risks. We need them to be cautious and gather information without drawing unnecessary attention."

With the plan in motion, Reign and his team worked tirelessly to prepare for the next phase of their operation. The scouting parties were briefed on their objectives and given the necessary supplies to venture into the city discreetly.

Meanwhile, Amelia and her contacts began gathering information from their sources, using their knowledge of the area to their advantage.

During all this time, the serpent had done nothing. They didn't make a single move, they didn't attempt to attack them again, they just went quiet.

Nobody knew what was going on with them and what they were thinking, but Reign and the others were certain that this was the calm before the storm.

Because of that, Reign and the others were focusing on leveling up and reaching the very peak of the realm in order to finally get the challenge and evolve to Tier VII.

It would only be after the evolution that Reign and the others would be able to fight against the vampires without worry. The vampires had Tier VII beings amongst their ranks, and right now, fighting against them would be foolish. They had already had a taste of their power with the long-range attack on the base, and they didn't wish to learn what more the vampires had in store before evolving.