Is this really a Game?!

Chapter 857 Slaughter in the Desert

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the desert landscape. The air was still, and the sand dunes seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. Reign and his party, now fully equipped with their enhanced abilities and skills, prepared to descend into the heart of the desert where the monsters lurked.

As they moved, the temperature dropped rapidly, and the once scorching sand cooled under the darkening sky. They reached the edge of the desert, a vast expanse of golden sand, and descended into the dunes.

The moon hung high in the night sky, casting an eerie glow over the desert. The party moved cautiously, aware that the monsters lurking beneath the sand were most active during the night.

"Remember, the monsters here are no pushovers. Even with our newfound strength, we should stay vigilant," Reign reminded the group.

The desert was known for its brutal competition among the monsters. At night, they would emerge from below the sand, engaging in fierce battles to absorb the power of fallen creatures and evolve. The party planned to take advantage of this chaotic environment to power level quickly.

Suddenly, the sand beneath their feet began to shift, and monstrous shapes emerged. A pack of sand wolves, their fur ablaze with fiery energy, bounded towards the group. Wolf, wielding a greatsword, stepped forward with confidence.

[Flame Slash!]

Wolf swung his greatsword, unleashing a wave of flames that engulfed the approaching sand wolves. The creatures howled as the flames licked their fur, but their fiery forms only seemed to invigorate them. Undeterred, Wolf pressed on, his greatsword cutting through the flames and wolves alike.

The wolves were not the only monsters that had appeared.

Tens of monsters started rising from below the sand, their massive forms creating small hills in the desert.

Shadow, the agile rogue of the group, moved gracefully through the shadows. With a set of enchanted daggers, he struck with deadly precision. The darkness around him seemed to bend to his will as he unleashed [Shadow Dance], a skill that allowed him to move effortlessly between shadows and attack without a care in the world.

Beast, his bow in hand, stood back, assessing the situation. He notched an arrow and let it fly, hitting the largest sand wolf square in the eye. The creature howled in pain but continued its charge. Beast called upon the wind, using it to enhance the speed and trajectory of his arrows before shooting an arrow at another monster that had risen nearby.

A massive scorpion rose from the sand above 10 meters away from Greenie who was charging with his hammer. An arrow that was enveloped in the wind was launched from Beast, the fierce gale from the wind element forcing the sand around him to be blown away, forming a small tornado around him.

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The arrow zoomed through the desert, parting the sand below it as it struck the scorpion, piercing through its thick chitin and penetrating deep inside, forcing the monster to cry in pain as it stopped moving for an instant.

Laura, with a smile on her face, conjured dark energy around her hands. With a wicked grin, she unleashed [Abyssal Blast], sending bolts of demonic energy toward the approaching monsters. It was a new skill she had gained, one that she managed to get thanks to the dungeon.

Inside, she had gained a skill that allowed her to launch bolts of lightning to her enemies, and by using her demonic energy to activate it, the skill had slightly changed. She had also taken inspiration from how Reign would boost his lightning with light or darkness, and thus she was awarded with this skill after completing the dungeon. Her dark magic tore through the sand wolves that were about to attack Wolf from behind, leaving a trail of darkened sand in its wake.

Mia, the ice-wielding swordswoman, engaged the monsters head-on. Her sword gleamed with frost as she swung, freezing the sand beneath her. With a swift motion, she unleashed [Glacial Slash], sending a wave of ice through a huge beetle that had appeared next to her, encasing it in frozen armor.

Tank, wielding a massive axe and shield, took on the role of the group's frontline. He appeared in front of the beetle that Mia had frozen, and with a new shield in his hand, he struck the ice that was encasing the beetle with it.

The ice cracked as a shock passed through it and the beetle. The monster was in pain and was struggling greatly, breaking off the ice quickly, but not before Tank struck down with his axe.

[ Emperor's Fury ]

The axe cut deep inside the beetle that cried out in pain before Tank smiled and let go of his shield before jumping at the beetle.

[ Emperor's Brilliance: Fallen Star ]

His body was suddenly enveloped in a majestic golden energy that had streaks of red coursing through it. With a powerful downward swing, Tank plummeted at the beetle before penetrating through its entire body with his axe.

Greenie, wielding his hammer, brought his weapon down with incredible force. The shockwave created by her [Earthshaker] ability rippled through the sand before hitting the wounded scorpion and causing it to fall to the ground. Greenie grinned, ready for more as he charged at it.

He suddenly swung his hammer multiple times before letting go of it as it flew to the scorpion, an invisible ball of energy around it before clenching his fists.

[ Vajra's Fury ]

Red lightning suddenly flickered around his fists before it exploded around Greenie, coiling around his body. It was a skill gained from the dungeon that he was successful at obtaining thanks to his connection with Reign and seeing him use his lightning plenty of times in the past.

With his Vajra bloodline, he was able to inherit a new skill from the bloodline, one that allowed him to borrow the chaotic lightning that Vajra himself had managed to tame long ago.

With his lightning coiling around his body, Greenie's speed increased severalfold as he appeared in front of the scorpion right away and started pummeling it while his hammer fell down on it.

The immense gravitational pull from his [ Gravity Strike ] skill that was used on the hammer immediately started twisting the chitin and flesh of the scorpion as it made its way deeper inside its body.

Red lightning coursed around the body of the scorpion, causing it immense pain and shocking it immediately as Greenie reveled in the battle.

Aelrinder, his spear in hand, spun his weapon, creating a vortex of wind around him. The small beetles that had suddenly appeared in great numbers and dared to approach were swept away by the cyclone. Aelrinder's spear danced through the air, a deadly extension of his control over the wind.

The desert night echoed with the clash of weapons, roars of monsters, and the crackling of elemental powers. Each member of Reign's party displayed their newfound abilities with precision and finesse, working together seamlessly to face the onslaught of creatures emerging from the sand.

Reign, with his Thunderstorm Embodiment active, moved like a blur across the battlefield. Lightning crackled around him as he directed bolts of energy at the monsters, leaving trails of scorched sand in his wake. 

As the battle raged on, the synergy within Reign's party became more apparent. Their abilities complemented each other, creating a symphony of destruction.

The party's collaborative efforts reached a crescendo as they faced a colossal sand serpent that emerged from beneath the dunes. Its scales shimmered with an otherworldly glow, and its jaws opened wide, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.

Reign, with his Thunderstorm Embodiment at its peak, faced the serpent head-on. He summoned the Lightning Palm, imbuing it with the enhanced power granted by the dungeon rewards. The massive palm crackled with energy, and with a swift motion, Reign directed it toward the serpent's open maw.

The collision between the Lightning Palm and the sand serpent created a dazzling display of light and energy. The serpent writhed in agony as the lightning coursed through its body, illuminating the entire desert. The party, witnessing Reign's mastery over the lightning, grinned as they joined him to battle the boss monster that had suddenly appeared.

The battle against the colossal sand serpent was intense and relentless. Each member of Reign's party unleashed their most potent abilities, combining their powers to create a barrage of attacks against the monstrous creature.

Reign, enveloped in his Thunderstorm Embodiment, took to the skies. Bolts of lightning crackled around him as he summoned the Lightning Palm once again. With a focused gaze, he directed the palm toward the serpent's head, aiming to deliver the finishing blow.

The Lightning Palm collided with the serpent's head, sending shockwaves of energy throughout its massive form. The serpent roared in agony, its entire body convulsing from the electrical onslaught. With a final burst of lightning, the colossal sand serpent succumbed to its injuries and collapsed onto the desert floor.

The party, breathing heavily, stood victorious over the defeated boss monster. The desert night was once again calm, the echoes of battle fading away. The sand dunes, now scarred and scorched, bore witness to the power of Reign and his party.

[ Boss Monster Defeated ]

[ Level Up! ]

[ Rewards Acquired: Sand Serpent's Scale, Essence of Sand, Sandstorm Core ]