Is this really a Game?!

"Get the hell out of here you bastards!"

"Do you think I have nothing to do all day but make stuff for you?!

A hammer was sent flying out of a shop as Reign and the others quickly got out under the angry curses from Adrian.

They brought him the items, and to be honest, he was interested in the drops of the two bosses, as well as some things they got from the mini-bosses and elites, but when they mentioned the carcasses they had, and how they would love for him to make them some items from the things they brought him and the carcasses, the old blacksmith immediately went red in the face and started yelling.

"What do you think I am, your personal crafting slave?! I have orders from other teams and repairs to do, and you come here expecting me to drop everything and cater to you?!"

Adrian's face was flushed with anger, and the veins on his forehead were visibly pulsating. The party members exchanged nervous glances, realizing the old blacksmith was getting angrier than usual.

"Adrian, I mean … we know you're busy, we just wanted your opinion on those and to see when you can make them," Shadow said as Adrian stared at him before grabbing another hammer.

"Wait, wait, wait!" 

"Don't throw the hammer, for god's sake, don't throw anything else"!

"We'll pay extra."

Adrian suddenly stopped moving before smiling at Mia and Laura who were standing about 2 meters away from him.

"Mister Adrian, how much extra would it be for you to just start making some items for us?" Mia asked with a nervous expression as she fiddled with her fingers in front of her whilst slightly blushing.

Adrian stared at the two of them with a serious expression, which caused both girls to get even more nervous before he suddenly smiled widely.

"Ohhh it's no problem at all sweethearts, I'll make yours for the same price as always, I'll just have those morons there pay the extra fee."

"Was, was the old guy always like this?"

"We, we came here with Laura before too, right?"

"Did Laura ever speak to him directly when it was all of us together?"

"Hey, wait, how much did she even pay for her items anyway?"

The rest of the group started whispering as they continued staring at Adrian who was smiling widely with a slight blush on his face.

To be honest, the old man just looked even weirder when acting in this manner.

They were used to seeing the angry, annoyed Adrian who didn't care about anything, but did care about money.

For him to actually tell Mia and Laura that they didn't need to pay an extra fee was truly incredible.

"It will take some time, I can't simply make yours first, plenty of people are waiting for their own stuff, and even though those dumbasses I accepted as helpers are making plenty of items and helping out now, it's not enough yet."

"Hey, you little bastards, I'll send you the bill!"

"You don't mind paying their bonus fees yourself I gather?"

"He … he isn't giving it to them for no fee, the bastard is actually just having us pay it?" Shadow asked in shock as the others nodded.

Adrian chuckled, his usual grumpy demeanor returning. "Of course not, you're paying the bonus fee. What, you think I've turned into a charity overnight? But I'm weak to cure girls asking me to make them things, politely, not like you guys. Now, get out of here, and I'll let you know when your items are ready."

"But don't expect even a single item before at least 3 days have passed!"

The door of the blacksmith shop closed with a bang, and the party was left a bit bewildered by the unexpected turn of events. Reign let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that went better than expected. Well, I guess we are all free to do as we wish until tonight."

As the monsters of the desert were not active and simply slept during the day, there was nothing for them to do except rest now.

They had used up quite some stamina and mana during their battles, which had gone on until dawn, so they did need to rest up a bit before doing anything. Thanks to their enhanced physique, they didn't need that much rest before they would get back to their peak states, so it wasn't impossible for them to go to the jungle to hunt some more.

They didn't plan on doing so, however, as hunting there was usually quite a bit slower than in the desert, not to mention that right now, they needed to battle monsters that were at the peak of Tier V, and by doing so in the jungle, there was always some chance of drawing in some Tier VI monsters.

They didn't fear fighting one or two Tier VI monsters, but it would really be problematic if more showed up, which meant that the jungle was actually a bit more dangerous than the desert.

Sure, it didn't have the same concentration of monsters that were trying to kill each other each second they were on the surface, but the desert only had Tier V monsters, while the jungle had Tier VI monsters present too.

The difference was quite big and for now, they would not go to the jungle.

Only after reaching Tier VI would they return there and go to the depths to see what was going on and how the corruption had started.

As the day unfolded, the party decided to take a temporary break from the desert battles and rest before spending some time around Doncaster and Wilkashere. Both cities were bustling with activity, and news of them going to the desert, which had previously been marked by them as a forbidden zone for anyone that was not a peak Tier V combatant or had a team of high-grade Tier V combatants, had spread around.

People had noticed when they made their way over there, some were even close by when Reign and the others went to the desert to fight the monsters and spectate their battle. The battle was narrated to many people and the news quickly spread around.

Of course, as it always happens, the story became wilder and wilder, more and more exaggerated, and soon people were talking about giants the size of skyscrapers being the party's opponents that were destroyed in an instant.

For those who fought against monsters and knew more about what kind of power a Tier V would possess, the story was exaggerated and definitely not true, but for normal people who still barely hunted any monsters, Reign and the rest of the party were above mere mortals in their eyes and they truly believed it.

Reign and his party split up temporarily to attend to their individual tasks. Some went to the market to purchase supplies, while others visited the training grounds to practice their skills further. The loot they obtained from the desert monsters had already been handed over to Adrian for crafting, and now they needed to wait patiently for the items to be ready.

The day passed quickly, and as the sun dipped below the horizon, the party regrouped near the portal before making their way to the base on the first mountain and then to the desert. They could see the desert stretching out before them, illuminated by the pale light of the moon and stars.

"We should make our way down. The monsters will be active soon, and we can continue our grind," suggested Reign, his eyes focused on the vast expanse that stood in front of them.

The party agreed, and as they stepped on the sand and into the desert night, they felt the familiar energy of the monsters awakening. The sounds of distant roars and clashes filled the air, signaling the chaotic battles that awaited them.

The moonlit desert offered a surreal beauty as the party traversed the sandy terrain. They encountered various monsters along the way, engaging them in battles that showcased their growing strength and coordination. Some monsters, sensing the formidable aura of the party, hesitated to approach, allowing Reign and his companions to pick their battles strategically.

Still, most monsters would just appear near them and attack right away, but those were often weaklings that they could easily defeat.

As they progressed deeper into the desert, they stumbled upon a peculiar structure rising from the sand—a colossal pyramid surrounded by an aura of ancient magic. Its surface was adorned with intricate carvings and symbols, hinting at a history long forgotten.

Shadow's curiosity piqued. "This wasn't here before, I mean, we never saw such a thing in the desert, and this isn't even that far away from the mountain range, we, or somebody near the desert would have definitely seen it, right?"

"Yeah, this might be the true challenge of the desert, the system just loves making these types of things." Reign said with a sigh as he stared at the pyramid.

"I did believe that there was nothing of the sort here, after all, the desert is already weird with how many monsters are present and the fact they all come out at the same time."

"But hey, why not explore it, we could get some more rewards."