Is this really a Game?!

The entrance to Avargan's true hideout loomed before them, a massive doorway carved into the side of the mountain. The air within the cave was heavy with malevolent energy, a testament to the dark magic that had sustained Avargan's illusions.

As they stepped into the cavern, the mysterious figure's voice echoed once more, guiding them through the intricate passages. The cave seemed to be alive with whispers, shadows dancing across the walls as if trying to lure them deeper into the abyss.

"Beware, he is powerful, do not trust what you see easily."

Reign was slightly perplexed at what the voice was telling them.

He had battled against Avargan before, and he had fought him almost evenly. He wasn't able to do much to Avargan, but Avargan was unable to do much to him either when he was in his Nephilim form.

The person speaking to them knew that, he was there when the battle took place, so why was he telling them to be so careful now?

With that person present, they now had 2 Tier VI combatants, as well as Reign, who can briefly become as powerful as a Tier VI with his transformation.

Not to mention that they had Iscandar, the most powerful person in the entire region, even if Avargan is strong, he couldn't be stronger than Iscandar, right?

Well, perhaps with the help of arrays and formation, he can become as powerful as the latter, perhaps even slightly more, but that still didn't explain why they should be careful.

They arrived here with the help of the mysterious person, the person even swore an oath by the system, which was a binding oath that even Gods didn't dare break thanks to the immense backlash that the system would have them suffer if they did so.

That alone showed that the mysterious person was friendly and that he truly wished to help them.

So, what exactly was waiting for them inside to make the person tell them to be wary?

The cavern twisted and turned, leading them through a labyrinth of shadows. As they delved deeper, the malevolent energy grew denser, creating an oppressive atmosphere that seemed to seep into their very beings. The whispers echoed louder, murmuring half-truths and illusions.

Reign, at the forefront, couldn't shake the feeling of unease. The voice that had guided them thus far had proven invaluable, but the cautionary words now added a layer of uncertainty. As they approached the heart of Avargan's hideout, the very fabric of reality seemed to fray, distorting their perceptions.

The cavern opened into a vast chamber, the walls adorned with arcane symbols and twisted glyphs. At the center stood Avargan, his silhouette a shifting amalgamation of shadow and substance. The air crackled with dark energy, and his eyes glowed with an unnatural intensity.

"Welcome, dear guests," Avargan's voice echoed through the cavern, each syllable laden with a malicious undercurrent. "I knew you would find your way here eventually, but I will honestly say that I never expected you to find this place so quickly."

"Still, only showing up with so many men, do you truly believe that this is enough to defeat me?" Avargan asked as he stood straight and asked them with a calm expression.

"Calm, and yet not calm, he shows a façade, do not fall for it." The voice echoed in their heads again as they stared at Avargan, as well as his children who quickly appeared around him.

"Elyndor," Aragos said with clenched teeth as he stared at the figure of Elyndor who appeared right next to Avargan and calmly stared at them.

"Brother." Elyndor nodded at Aragos and glanced at the others with no emotion present in his gaze.

He merely stood still while Avargan smiled dangerously.

"Well, since you are already here, there is no need to continue the rouse, we shall end this right here, right now, and afterwards, I will finally have the chance to get what is rightfully mine."

Avargan's words hung in the air, creating an ominous tension within the cavern. The presence of Elyndor added a layer of complexity to the unfolding confrontation as his spells were incredibly potent and his knowledge of arrays and formations was second to none.

The mysterious figure's voice resonated once more, "This is the final test. Trust in your unity, but be cautious of the shadows that intertwine reality and deception."

Reign, Aragos, Nayle, Adrian, and Iscandar formed a defensive formation, prepared for the impending clash. Avargan's children, shrouded in shadows, assumed battle-ready stances around their father. Elyndor, standing beside Avargan, remained an enigmatic figure, his true intentions unclear.

Avargan, with a sinister smile, extended his hand, and from the shadows emerged spectral illusions, mirroring the forms of formidable adversaries they had faced before. The illusions charged forward, testing the mettle of the search party. The mysterious figure's voice guided them, "Do not be swayed by the echoes of the past. Face them with conviction, and the illusions will crumble."

"This is the full power that Avargan can unleash for now, he is preparing for a ritual, stopping him is imperative."

"Dispel the illusions, break through the enemy ranks, and end Avargan."

"If the ritual succeeds, we will all die here, the angels … they will come."

As soon as the voice finished his sentence, without even a moment of wait, the illusions surged at them.

The illusions were not the same as before, these didn't change their surroundings or anything, what they did was create more and more enemies for them and made it almost impossible for them to distinguish enemy from foe.

It even made copies of themselves, and the copies didn't all attack them, some were fighting against the illusions of the enemies as well, making it incredibly difficult to distinguish who was who and what was what.

The cavern echoed with the clash of blades and the resonating hum of magical energies. Avargan's illusions proved to be a formidable challenge, each adversary striking with the precision and power that was real, and if Reign and the others were not careful, the illusions, although much less powerful than they were, could harm them. The search party fought valiantly, but the confusion sowed by the illusions threatened to overwhelm them.

This was the power of the grand formation placed inside the hideout, one that was not even completely finished.

There were a couple of minor formations missing, as well as a couple of arrays. Had Reign and the others arrived here in a couple of days, the illusions would be as powerful as low-grade Tier V combatants and one would need over a hundred of them to stand a chance against the formation.

The formation did have a drawback, and that was the immense power consumption.

In order to activate and keep the formation active, Avargan was drying out his wealth, as well as an old vein of mana that coursed beneath the area.

Reign, wielding his dual blades, focused on disrupting the illusions with precise strikes. Aragos, with his elemental powers, unleashed torrents of fire and ice, attempting to discern the true from the false. Nayle utilized her analytical mind to identify patterns in the illusions, while Adrian's strategic brilliance allowed him to navigate the chaotic battlefield.

Iscandar, a beacon of strength, plowed through the illusions with a relentless assault. His golden aura radiated, dispelling the shadowy clones as he moved with unrivaled prowess.

He simply walked forward.

There were no tricks, no plans, no tactic at all in what he was doing, he simply took step after step, his immense combat aura alone was capable of destroying the illusions and forcing Avargan's children to move aside.

Nobody could stop him.

The arrays placed shook from his aura that was still growing, the formation even flickering at times as it utilized even more mana to properly function in his presence.

That was how powerful he was.

The entire mountain shook with each step he took, and even Avargan was staring at him with slight fear.

"Is this all you have?" Iscandar asked as he walked forward, his eyes seemingly piercing deep into Avargan's very soul.

"Please, do show me more, this is boring."

"I don't want to win so easily, I want to see you try harder, I want you to see just how useless it will be."

"So please, show me more, show me just what made you so arrogant to speak the words you just spoke."

"We only brought this many men?" Iscandar asked as he continued walking, his face calm and devoid of any emotion, his steps as light as a feather, and yet, as heavy as a mountain.

"It won't be enough to defeat you?" Iscandar continued asking his questions as he went closer to Avargan.

"Just what made you so arrogant to speak such words in my presence, Avargan?"

"Dammit, you bastard!" Avargan shouted in anger as he stared at Iscandar.

"You damned abomination, you fateless bastard!"

"The very reason you are so powerful will be the reason you will die today, I promise you that much, Iscandar."