Is this really a Game?!

"We need to be more cautious," Reign said, his voice low but firm. "That creature was no ordinary monster, it was fast, agile, and capable of inflicting serious damage, we can\'t afford to let our guard down."

"Not to mention that it was probably a high-grade Tier VI being, perhaps even a peak one, after all, it takes quite a lot to pass by all our senses," Wolf added from the side, his expression one showing that he was serious.

The group nodded in agreement, their expressions grim as they scanned the area for any signs of movement. They knew that their journey through the jungle had just become even more dangerous, and they needed to stay vigilant if they hoped to survive.

After all, they had stayed vigilant even before, and yet, a monster that was capable of going past all of them and attacking one of their members had suddenly made an appearance.

The entire atmosphere of the group changed at that moment as they realized that the dangers of the jungle were actually even above what they had suspected.

If the danger came from the deepest parts of the jungle, or perhaps from a corrupted area they believed they would come across, then that would be expected, it wouldn\'t surprise them as much as this did.

This was one lone monster that roamed the jungle, and its one attack nearly cost Mia her life.

"Are you sure?" Laura asked Mia who took a deep breath and nodded at her before standing up and using the inventory to put on a shirt below the armor.

"I\'m fine now, there\'s no need for you to use more of your energy to heal me, the wound is gone, you\'ll have to spend nearly the same amount of energy to heal the scar, which will disappear by its own after a day or two, and any other smaller wound that is left," Mia said in a calm voice before looking around them.

"We should continue moving, the monster might still be present nearby so we should be on our guard, but we shouldn\'t stop just because of this, after all, who amongst us hasn\'t been in a life-threatening situation before, this isn\'t anything new, we will adapt and continue forward, no need to think much more of it."

Mia glanced at Reign after finishing her sentence as her words, although meant for all of them, were targeted at him mainly.

Mia didn\'t fail to notice the bloodlust that came from Reign after she was injured, nor the fact his entire demeanor had changed.

Had the monster stayed any longer, he might have even transformed just so he could kill it, to make sure it paid for attacking her.

She didn\'t want that, but she knew it was inevitable.

After what happened to the two of them, it was only natural for Reign to now care more for her, for him to get angry when she got injured, but that was bound to happen, and she didn\'t want his judgment to get clouded by it, for him to do something dumb just because she got injured or was in a dangerous situation.

Reign listened to Mia\'s words, his expression softening as he realized the truth in her words. She was right; they had faced countless dangers before, and each time they had emerged stronger and more resilient. This was just another challenge for them to overcome, another step on their journey.

"Mia\'s right," Reign said, his voice calm and reassuring. "We can\'t let this setback deter us, we\'ve faced worse before, and we\'ll face worse again."

"The bastard that attacked us is dangerous and powerful, but we\'ll adapt and overcome, just like we always do."

"It took us by surprise this time, but if that bastard dares show its face again, we\'ll be ready, and instead of being the ones taken by surprise and attacked from the shadows, we\'ll be the ones surprising it."

With renewed determination, the group continued their journey through the jungle, their senses heightened and their weapons at the ready. They moved with caution, wary of any further attacks from the mysterious creature that had ambushed them.

As they ventured deeper into the jungle, they encountered more creatures, each one a dangerous and powerful monster in its own right. They battled fierce beasts and cunning predators, killing many of them, but as powerful as those monsters were, none of them were as dangerous as the one that attacked them before, and that one had not made an appearance yet.

With each step they took, the tension in the group remained palpable, their senses on high alert as they scanned their surroundings for any signs of danger. They knew that the jungle held many secrets, and they were determined to uncover them while hunting the monsters down.

As they pressed deeper into the heart of the jungle, the terrain became more treacherous, the undergrowth thicker, and the creatures more aggressive. Yet, despite the challenges they faced, they remained resolute in continuing to travel through the jungle to hunt.

Hours passed as they continued their journey, their progress slow but steady. They encountered more creatures along the way, each one presenting its own unique set of challenges. Yet, with their combined strength and skills, they were able to overcome them all.

But as they ventured deeper into the jungle, they began to notice subtle changes in their surroundings. The air itself was different, it was … easier to breathe.

The trees became more vibrant, the sounds of small animals running about clear to them, and there seemed to be no monsters around them.

Still, they were all on the edge as they could all sense it, the aura of a powerful being, one that was above what they could handle right now, but one that was familiar to them.

They knew that aura, and they knew where it was from, what being had it, and yet, they were on the edge as they had no idea what would happen if they got close to it.

Should they continue walking and come face to face with it, or should they stop, turn around, and leave this place before it is too late?

Even though they knew it could potentially be very dangerous to them, they still continued walking. They could sense it, the call of the being waiting for them.

It was calling out for them for some reason, and they could sense it meant no harm to them.

It could have harmed them a long time ago if it wanted to, and none of them could sense even the slightest hostility emanating from it.

They walked forward, still holding up their guard, but determined to get to the one calling out for them.

And then, just as they walked forward, they seemingly came out of the jungle and were standing at a large clearing inside the jungle. In the very middle of the clearing was a tree, a small one, barely 2 meters tall, and yet, that small tree was enough to make Reign and the others freeze in place as the incredible aura coming from it made them gulp.

It was astonishing, akin to nothing they had seen or sensed before.

The small tree was constantly moving, its branches twisting and turning, the green hue over it moving around it, and right next to the small tree was the being that had called out to them.

It was sitting down, and yet its massive body was still taller than Reign and the others. The aura of primal power they had sensed in the past was still present in him, only calmer this time, seemingly a bit subdued.

Its scales, the breathtaking tapestry of emerald and jade, were perfectly clean, its eyes still possessed the same wisdom as before, and the crest on its head still proudly stood straight, as if going straight up to the heavens.

It was the Verdant Behemoth, the same being that had once appeared in front of Reign and the others, and the same one from which the special dungeon had seemingly come.

This was the being that was calling them here.

The tree next to the Behemoth, however, seemed to be even more mysterious and important than the Behemoth himself.

The large figure was sitting next to it and was supplying it with mana, carefully doing so in order to not harm the tree or do anything that would negatively affect it.

They had no idea why it was doing so, nor did they know what the tree was, but they could see it was special and important. It wasn\'t a tree that could help the golden tree back in Doncaster evolve, it was different from that, but it was in no way inferior to the golden tree.