Is this really a Game?!

"The corruption could very well just be a test of sorts from the system, it does like placing some weird anomalies of sorts in the areas after all."

"Yeah, we have come across several things that were out of place in some areas, as well as some things that were obviously far above the level of the beings in that area, this could very well be one of those," Wolf added from the side as Ishmail sighed and nodded his head.

For now, the corruption present in the jungle was not something they could investigate as in order to do so, they would need to go deep inside the jungle, where the monsters were far too dangerous and powerful for them.

The two groups walked back to the tunnel leading to the enclave before shaking each other's hands and bidding goodbye.

Both of them had managed to gain some good items and materials from today's hunt, and even though they had to split those in half, it was still not a low reward for taking down the field boss.

The Rank SSS item was a very good reward as the rarity of such items made them very scarce and highly valued in the world. The one they gained, however, was a bit special, as was the one that Ishmail and his team had received.

"It's quite rebellious, even without putting it on, I can sense just how much the spirit is unwilling and doesn't want to submit, it's been a while since something like this has happened, and most of the items we get are quite tame and are willing to work with us from the start," Shadow said as he held a pair of gloves that were seemingly normal.

They were made out of leather, and if not for the dark aura that was seeping out of it, one would never think that they were a Rank SSS item.

"Well, it's a rank SSS item, even this sword of mine that is very compatible with me, took a bit of persuasion to obey me." Reign said as he pointed at his sword that had taken him about half an hour of struggling to finally force to submission, and that was mostly thanks to the fact he and the sword were highly compatible, otherwise, it would have taken longer.

"The item that Ishmail and the others had taken is probably the same, the monster we defeated was corrupted, so the items seem to be tainted with that corruption as well, that might be the reason it is acting like that," Wolf added from the side as he glanced at the gloves before shaking his head.

The alliance disbanded for the day, each group heading back to their respective territories to regroup and assess their gains. The corrupted jungle, though momentarily subdued, remained a looming challenge, one that they would have to slowly take on.

As Reign's group returned to Doncaster, the atmosphere was one of both accomplishment and contemplation. The Rank SSS item they had acquired was powerful, but its rebellious nature hinted at possible danger. Laura suggested a thorough analysis of the item to understand its properties and potential uses, as well as the danger that might be present.

The craftsmen set to work, examining the gloves and the other items obtained from the corrupted giant. Their findings revealed that the corruption had indeed seeped into the very essence of the items, imbuing them with an unpredictable and rebellious spirit. It was as if the corruption itself resisted being harnessed.

As for anything more, the craftsmen could unfortunately not be certain, after all, without equipping and wearing the gloves, it was very difficult for one to be certain of what danger lay within them.

Reign, intrigued by the challenge, decided to personally confront the rebellious Rank SSS item. He was the one with the highest resistance to negative effects that such items could have, his soul was powerful, and being tainted by the corruption wouldn't really do a lot to him thanks to his powers as a Nephilim.

He equipped the gloves and felt an immediate resistance as if the item had a will of its own. However, Reign was no stranger to such challenges. With a determined focus, he began to communicate with the rebellious spirit within the gloves.

Hours passed as Reign delved into a mental struggle with the Rank SSS gloves. The item resisted, its dark aura pulsating with an innate defiance. It took all of Reign's mental strength and willpower to gradually gain the gloves' submission. Finally, after a relentless effort, the rebellious spirit succumbed, and the gloves became a powerful extension of Reign's abilities.

"Hmmm, they're not really that good of a match for me to be honest, the abilities they have would be more suited for Wolf, Greenie, or Tank." Reign said as he looked at the gloves.

"One of you three can try them, but do be cautious, the spirit is quite annoying and powerful, it will take you quite a lot to subdue it." Reign said as he took the gloves off with some difficulty as the spirit seemingly knew what was going on and was unwilling to be used by others.

"It even has some intellect, look, it's as if the gloves are crying out for you," Shadow said as he pointed at the gloves that Reign had placed on the table which was slightly moving, trying to crawl over to Reign.

"Well, this really is a first, an item that can actually move itself." Reign stated before shaking his head.

"I would take them if they were a good match for me, but they're simply not, the main powers of the gloves are to imbue the power of corruption in your attacks, even though they will improve the speed of your attacks, the coordination you have with your hands, as well as some strength, I can live without it."

"The hidden skills and powers are all connected to the corruption that is in them, unfortunately, all of my powers are incompatible with it, my lightning would smite the corruption if it tried to imbue itself with it, my light would purify it, my darkness would simply swallow it, and as for my soul manipulation, well, there is no way to imbue corruption with soul power, so that won't work."

"Your flames can be imbued, but only without the mark, I doubt the purple ones will allow for that to happen, as for you two, your powers are mostly just physical, so adding corruption to your attacks will definitely work well."

Wolf and Tank exchanged glances, both intrigued and cautious about the rebellious gloves. Greenie, always up for a challenge, expressed his willingness to give it a try. The gloves seemed to sense his decision, and their movement became more pronounced as they reached out toward Greenie.

As Greenie donned the gloves, the room was filled with an eerie energy. The corruption within the gloves responded differently to him, almost as if it recognized a kindred spirit. Greenie's eyes glowed with a dim, purple light as he tested the gloves' abilities.

The alliance members observed, curious and somewhat wary, as Greenie executed a series of controlled strikes. The corrupted energy infused his attacks, creating a menacing aura around him. The rebellious spirit within the gloves seemed to have found a compatible host in Greenie.

"Well, I'll be damned," Wolf muttered, watching Greenie with a mix of surprise and amusement. "Seems like those gloves found their rightful owner."

Greenie grinned, feeling the surge of power coursing through him. "These gloves might be rebellious, but they know how to dance to my tune."

Reign nodded, satisfied with the outcome. "Looks like we've found the perfect match. Greenie, use them wisely, and if the spirit gets too unruly, let us know."

"Of course, we should investigate a bit why the gloves were so willing to have you use them, that didn't happen before at all, of course, it could be because of your race, after all, compared to me, who needs to transform, you are already in a somewhat transformed state and your aura is always the aura of a Vajra ogre, so that could be the reason."

"The other reason could be because of you, Master, after all, you have tamed them, and I had been your subordinate for a long time, the gloves might have noticed that."

"I told you not to call me like that anymore Greenie." Reign said with a sigh before shaking his head, "No matter, you can do as you wish, your theory also makes sense, it is highly possible that the gloves felt our connection and submitted because of that."

With the situation with the gloves dealt with, Reign and the others rested a bit. They had used up quite a lot of energy during their battle against the corrupted giant, and even though the day had only started, they needed to rest up a bit before heading back to the jungle again in order to hunt some more monsters. 

Luckily, with Mia's territory being so close to the jungle, and a portal being present in the territory, it was quite easy for them to go to the jungle and come back from it.