Is this really a Game?!



As Reign and Liara entered the tunnel, leaving the enigmatic Tier VII creature behind, they couldn't shake off the lingering unease it had left them with. The encounter had been a stark reminder of the unpredictability and danger lurking in the depths of the dungeon. They were now descending into even more dangerous territory, facing monsters that defied their understanding.

The next layer of the dungeon was even darker, and the air grew colder as they ventured deeper. The group's nerves were on edge, their footsteps echoing in the oppressive silence. Every twist and turn of the tunnel seemed to hold the promise of another terrifying encounter.

As they emerged into the next cavern, they were greeted by a sight that filled them with both awe and dread. In the center of the cave, an enormous tree stood, its branches reaching towards the cavern's ceiling. It was a tree unlike any they had ever seen, with bark that seemed to shimmer with a faint silver glow.

The tree's roots extended deep into the ground, and the very earth beneath it seemed to pulse with life. Strange, glowing fruits hung from its branches, emitting a soft, ethereal light that illuminated the cave.

"It's... beautiful," Liara whispered, her voice filled with wonder.

Reign nodded in agreement, but the beauty of the tree didn't entirely alleviate their apprehension. They had learned that appearances could be deceiving in this dungeon, and this tree, while enchanting, might hide its own secrets.

"What is a tree doing here, is it another monster, a Treant in disguise perhaps?" Reign asked with vigilance as he stared at the tree. He and Liara were using their souls, allowing them to shine and show their power to the outside world as they carefully moved forward.

"It doesn't seem like it, it … it truly is a tree, one whose very presence and pulse brings familiarity to me." Basred suddenly said, his eyes wide in shock.

"You feel it too, Basred?" Siggurd asked, to which Basred nodded.

"It's the presence of world energy, I can sense the lingering presence of the world's will, it's very faint, almost nonexistent, but it seems that this has something to do with the Will," Basred said with a gulp as he stared at the giant tree.

"It's dangerous." Liara suddenly said in a low voice as she stared at the tree, one of her eyes becoming gray.

"The souls?" Reign asked, which prompted Liara to nod her head in agreement.

"Then I think it's fine, after all, the Will of the world wouldn't do anything to harm you guys or us as we are trying to help it.?" Reign said before he looked at Basred and Siggurd.

"It has probably been quite anxious about the demons who are doing their best to weaken and consume it, I think it is trying its best to help us out in the final moments of our mission, it knows that we are doing what we can to help it."

Basred and Siggurd's eyes opened wide as they stared at Reign, as did Liara and Alistair.

The others looked at him weirdly, with confused gazes that showed they had no idea what he was talking about.

"Before we do anything else and venture deeper, shouldn't you guys at least tell us the truth, the Will of the world, it's dying, isn't it?"

Reign's words echoed through the cavern, causing the very atmosphere to change as the people present all stared at him, the ones that were most shocked were Siggurd, Basred, Liara, and Alistair.

As the leaders of their respective regions, as well as the second-in-command, these four were the only ones who knew what was truly happening in the world.

"How do you know, you're just a Tier IV, you shouldn't have made contact with the will of your world yet, you shouldn't be able to know such things," Basred asked Reign with an incredulous expression.

"Reign?" Laura glanced at Reign with confusion as the latter merely glanced at her before motioning that everything was fine.

"Well, I have in fact met the will before, so I know some things, and I know that after the demonic star appears above the sky, that means that the demons have already started taking the world energy from the planet, weakening it, as well as the Will."

"You know, when I first came here, I was confused by those giant walls, as well as the fact only the ten of you are Tier V, and that even after many talented people appeared, none managed to become Tier V beings, only you stayed unchanged."

Siggurd and Basred stared at him in apprehension, but soon, they both glanced at each other and exhaled.

"Yes, the reason why only the ten of us are Tier V beings, and the reason the walls exist is the Will."

"It is because of the Will that humanity managed to survive in the past, and it is because of the Will that we are akin to a bird in a cage, never allowed to break free," Basred said before he sighed deeply.

"The walls weren't built by us, the Will made them, they simply sprung up from the ground one day, protecting us."

"The reason why nobody except the leaders of the regions has ever become a Tier V existence is simply that our world is no longer capable of producing Tier V beings, the Will has become weakened by such a large margin that it can no longer help us in any way, instead, it is what shackles us, making our progress stop, never to be increased."

Basred's words echoed through the area, causing the people present to all stare in shock and horror.

"No matter how powerful one was, they will never be able to become a Tier V while on this planet, of course, you two are different, you are not from here, so you can evolve, but for us, the only way is to go away and evolve on another planet, we have tried doing that in the past, using scarce resources and powers to send people away, hoping they would grow stronger and return one day, but none managed to do so."

"Soon enough, the last vestiges of power left from the world were gone, and we were no longer able to send people away, nor could we summon mercenaries to help us."

"We are alone, destined to fight a battle we know we cannot win, but we can't just give up either, until you two arrived, I truly did not think we would ever manage to do a single thing to the demons."

"If we manage to take over some regions, even one of them, the Will can take back some power, create more walls to protect the region, and grow strong enough to allow for one more Tier V to exist."

"The more we take back, the more powerful the world becomes, as do we."

"And this is the last gift the Will has prepared I guess, the one thing those souls seem afraid of, something that can help us." Reign said with a wide grin as he walked to the tree, with the others following him.

"W- wait, what about-" One of the Tier IVs spoke, only to be met with Reign's calm gaze.

"Listen, I know that what you heard now is shocking, but this is no time for us to stop and start talking, we are still in the dungeon, and we have no idea how long we have until something happens, so come here, take a fruit each, I mean just look, there's one fruit for each of us, that alone should help you realize that this was placed here for us all to see and use."

Reign's words made them stop and stare at the tree, and they all soon confirmed Reign's words, the number of fruits on the tree was the same as the number of people present.

Basred reached out and plucked one of the glowing fruits from a branch. The fruit emitted a pleasant, otherworldly fragrance as he held it, and he cautiously took a bite.

His eyes widened in surprise. "It's... delicious!" he exclaimed.

Encouraged by Basred's reaction, the others began sampling the strange fruits. They found that not only were they delicious, but they seemed to invigorate them, restoring their energy and vitality. The cave was filled with the sounds of satisfied murmurs as they indulged in this unexpected bounty.

They all soon realized that they had their full powers back, and they were no longer tired at all, even their mana was full once again. There was also a mysterious energy lingering inside of them, one that seemed to help nourish their bodies further.

As they left the cavern and entered the next tunnel, the group couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. The dungeon had thrown increasingly powerful challenges at them, and they had no idea what awaited them on the next layer.

Reign and Liara kept their souls shining brightly, ready to calm any potential threats, but the weight of responsibility rested heavily on their shoulders. They were leading their comrades into a perilous journey, one that would test their limits and their ability to adapt to the unknown.

With each step they took, the darkness closed in around them, and the air grew colder. The tunnel seemed endless, and their anticipation mounted. The artifact was their only hope of saving this world, but to reach it, they would have to confront whatever challenges lay ahead, no matter how daunting they might be.

Little did they know that the deepest layers of the dungeon held even greater mysteries and perils, and their journey was far from over. The artifact was still shrouded in uncertainty, and the true nature of the dungeon's power was yet to be revealed.

But as they continued their descent into the abyss, Reign and Liara held fast to their determination, their souls shining like beacons in the darkness. They were prepared to face whatever lay ahead, for the fate of their world depended on their success.