Is this really a Game?!

Reign and the others stared at the scene, at the barren land that was present in front of them, and the enormous fortress that loomed in the distance.

"Where are the monsters, I can't see a single thing around us," Shadow said with a calm and yet confused expression as Wolf and the others suddenly stared at him with slight anger.

"You just have to say such things, don't you?!"

Suddenly, things changed.

The ground rumbled, and the sky darkened, turning into a deeper shade of red as the gates of the fortress opened, and an army marched out.

To say marched out was not quite right, the monsters present inside the fortress ran out of it, charging straight at Reign and the others without a single care in the world.

Some fell, only to be squished by those behind them who did not stop, and there was one thing they all had in common, they were all grotesque.

Every single one of the monsters was mutilated, had parts of their bodies missing, or were abominations that didn't resemble any living thing that they had seen in the past.

And they all exuded an aura of bloodthirst and rage as they ran toward them.

"So … we just need to stand our ground and kill them, or do we need to make our way toward that fortress … I mean, it's not here just to look pretty, right?" Tank asked as Mia scoffed.

"It's doing a horrible job at that if it is."

Reign and the others all got ready to 'welcome' the creatures that were hurrying toward them, their mana being channeled through their bodies, their weapons clenched in their hands, and their powers ready to wreak havoc on their enemies.

As the grotesque army surged forward, Reign and his team prepared for the inevitable clash. The creatures rushing at them were twisted abominations, their mutilated forms an amalgamation of flesh, bone, and metal. Their eyes, or what was left of them, glowed with a sickly red light, and their mouths hung open in silent screams of rage and agony.

The oppressive atmosphere weighed heavily on the group, but they were resolute—this was their first trial, their first step toward redemption, and they would not fail.

Reign's mana flared open, a mixture of white and black mana crackling with lightning as he channeled his dual energies. His swords hummed with power, ready to unleash devastation on the horde. "Stay together!" he commanded, his voice cutting through the din. "We hold this line until we figure out what we need to do!"

The first wave of creatures slammed into their defenses with a force that rattled the ground beneath them. Wolf was the first to meet the charge, his flames roaring to life as he swung his massive sword in a wide arc. The purple flames seared through the air, incinerating the abominations that dared to get too close.

Their bodies crumbled to ash upon contact, but more kept coming, seemingly endless in number.

Mia stood beside him, her icy aura contrasting with the heat of Wolf's flames. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a wall of ice that shot forward, impaling several of the charging creatures. The wall extended, forming a barrier that slowed the horde's advance. "There's too many of them!" she shouted, her brow furrowed in concentration as she reinforced the ice with more mana.

Shadow, always the opportunist, darted between the gaps in the enemy's ranks, his daggers gleaming with dark energy. He moved like a shadow himself, striking down the monsters with precision. Each time he delivered a killing blow, he melted back into the darkness, leaving the creatures disoriented and confused.

"We can't keep this up forever!" he called out, his voice barely above a whisper, yet somehow heard by all. "We need a plan!"

Tank was in his element, using his shield and axe to smash through the enemies with brute force. He was a wall of muscle and steel, standing firm against the tide of abominations. Every swing of his axe cleaved through the creatures, sending their twisted bodies flying.

"We can't let them surround us!" he roared, bashing his shield against the ground to create a shockwave that knocked back several of the monsters. "We need to move!"

Greenie was at his side, his hammer smashing down with the force of a falling meteor. Each strike sent shockwaves rippling through the ground, shattering the creatures beneath it. Despite the sheer power of his attacks, Greenie was focused, his eyes scanning the battlefield for any sign of a weakness in the horde's formation.

Experience new stories on empire

"If we're going to move, we need to do it now!" he urged, his voice deep and steady.

Laura and Jin were a deadly duo, their attacks complementing each other perfectly. Laura's demonic energy surged in dark waves, cutting through the enemies like a scythe through wheat. Her eyes glowed with a fiery red as she unleashed her power, her whip of dark energy lashing out and tearing through the abominations. Jin, on the other hand, was a force of pure destruction.

His fists crackled with explosive energy as he punched through the creatures with devastating force, each blow causing an eruption of crimson that obliterated anything in its path.

But despite their combined might, the horde showed no signs of stopping. For every creature they cut down, another two seemed to take its place. The ground was slick with blood and ichor, and the air was thick with the stench of death and decay.

The worst part, however, was the fact that although their enemies were not weak, they were not that strong either, and yet, it took quite some energy to face them in battle.

That was because as the system had told them, they would face waves of enemies who embodied their fears and regrets. Each time they looked at the monsters, they would seemingly recognize them, and a brief memory or scene would play in their heads, making it much more difficult to battle.

"We can't stay here!" Reign finally decided. "We have to push forward—toward the fortress! That's where we'll find the key to ending this trial!"

With a collective nod, the team began to advance, cutting through the waves of abominations as they made their way toward the towering structure in the distance. The fortress loomed like a monolith, its darkened iron walls pulsing with an ominous energy. The closer they got, the more the air around them seemed to thrum with power, as if the fortress itself was alive and aware of their approach.

The creatures grew more frenzied as they drew nearer to the fortress, their attacks becoming more desperate and erratic. It was as if they were being driven by some unseen force, compelled to stop the intruders at any cost.

"Stay focused!" Reign urged, his swords flashing as he cut down another group of abominations. "Don't let them overwhelm you!"

The team fought with renewed vigor, their goal now clear. The closer they got to the fortress, the stronger their resolve became. They were no longer just fighting to survive—they were fighting to conquer the trial, to prove that they were worthy of the chance they had been given.

As they reached the base of the fortress, the ground beneath them trembled violently. The gates of the fortress, which had been slowly closing as they approached, suddenly slammed shut with a resounding boom. The remaining creatures let out a collective wail, their bodies convulsing as they were forcibly drawn back into the fortress, leaving the battlefield eerily silent.

For a moment, the team stood in stunned silence, catching their breath and surveying their surroundings. The air was thick with tension, and the fortress loomed above them like a silent sentinel, its dark walls exuding an air of malevolence.

"What now?" Shadow asked, his voice breaking the silence. "The gates are closed. How do we get in?"

As if in response to his question, the ground beneath them began to glow with a faint, crimson light. Runes etched into the earth began to pulse, and the air hummed with energy. Slowly, the light intensified, until the runes flared with blinding brilliance.

Reign's instincts screamed at him to move, but before he could react, the light enveloped them all, and the world around them shifted once more.

When the light faded, they found themselves standing inside the fortress, in a massive, dimly lit chamber. The walls were adorned with chains and spikes, and the floor was slick with a substance that glistened in the faint light. The air was thick with the stench of blood and rot.

In the center of the chamber stood a massive figure, shrouded in shadow. Its eyes glowed with a malevolent red light, and its body was a grotesque amalgamation of metal and flesh, much like the creatures they had faced outside. It towered over them, radiating an aura of pure malice.

[ You have entered the heart of the Fortress of Despair. Here, you will face the guardian of this realm—a creature born from the fears and regrets of countless souls. Defeat it to proceed to the next stage of the trial. ]n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The guardian let out a low, rumbling growl, its eyes narrowing as it fixed its gaze on the intruders. The chains hanging from its body clinked ominously as it began to move, slowly advancing toward the team.