Is this really a Game?!

Reign's frustration echoed through the forest, which was now completely quiet. The wolves had retreated, and yet, their victory seemed to be quite an empty one.

Not only had they been taken by surprise, outmaneuvered, and placed into a defensive stance, but they had also been forced to show a bit of their power to the wolves, being forced to summon the Flood Dragon, Blackie, as well as Tank's four generals.

It was pretty much an embarrassment for them, to actually be forced this much by a pack of wolves.

"Don't beat yourselves up about it, we were taken by surprise by a pack that specializes in ambushes," Jin said as he glanced at Shadow and Reign, fully aware of how the two were feeling right now. Reign had incredible mana perception and was usually able to sense the faintest fluctuations of mana, as well as other forms of energies, even from a mile away, and yet, he failed to notice the wolves.

Shadow was feeling even worse as his ability was darkness manipulation, which had evolved from the shadow manipulation ability. He was very perceptive when one was using such abilities to try and sneak near them, and yet, he failed to notice the wolves and the small changes that should have been present in the shadows and darkness around them.

Reign also had the darkness manipulation, but compared to Shadow's ability, his was more destructive and offered less benefits for stealth, as well as for sensing when somebody was using similar powers. Not to mention the fact that Shadow had his ability for much longer than Reign had his.

"Yeah, but we can't let that happen again," Reign replied, his eyes narrowing as he stared into the depths of the forest. "Those wolves are smart—too smart. They knew exactly how to corner us, how to test our defenses before pulling back. And the worst part? Their Alpha wasn't even here. It was directing them from the shadows."

Wolf, his chaotic flames flickering out as he sheathed his sword, nodded grimly. "It's not over. The Alpha's still out there, watching us, waiting for the right moment to strike again. This was just the beginning."

Beast approached, his eyes scanning the treeline for any sign of movement. Blackie and the Flood Dragon had returned to his side, their intimidating auras now dimmed but still present, as if they were constantly on guard. "We got lucky this time. The moment Blackie and the Flood Dragon joined the fight, the wolves hesitated. But next time, they'll be prepared for that."

Mia sighed, her icy breath visible in the cool air as she leaned against a nearby tree. "I hate to say it, but they're probably setting up another ambush as we speak. The forest is their territory. Every inch of this place is a potential trap."

Jin, still crackling with residual energy from his earlier attacks, clenched his fists. "Then what do we do? We can't just keep walking deeper into this death trap, waiting for the next attack. We need to come up with a strategy."

Reign nodded, his mind racing as he tried to assess the situation. The wolves had the upper hand here—they knew the terrain, they had the element of surprise, and they were clearly intelligent enough to coordinate their attacks. Going deeper into the forest without a plan would be suicide.

"We need to disrupt their tactics," Reign finally said, his voice steady as he began outlining his thoughts. "They're using the forest against us, staying hidden until they're ready to strike. If we're going to survive this, we need to make it harder for them to control the battlefield."

"And how do we do that?" Shadow asked, wiping blood from his daggers as he reappeared from the shadows. "They've got the advantage in stealth and speed. We can't just burn down the whole forest."

"I mean, I could." Wolf said, scratching the back of his head as Reign and the others glanced at him before Reign shook his head.

"No, the system wouldn't make it that easy."

"It knows that we have you, as well as the Wyvern whose flames are also powerful, there has to be something off with the forest, something that would allow it to survive being burned, and honestly, I don't wish to find out what exactly that is."

"You think it will be even more difficult for us if we try to do that?" Wolf asked as Reign nodded his head.

"Yes, I think it might be a trap that the system had placed, the moment we try burning down the forest, we might have to face an even more powerful enemy than the wolves."

"A forest spirit?"

"Perhaps, or maybe a powerful treant, maybe even multiple of them, or golems, or who knows what."

The forest loomed darker and more ominous as Reign spoke, his words sending a shiver through the group. The idea that the system had laid another trap, a potentially more dangerous one, if they tried to burn the forest, made sense. The system rarely allowed an easy way out of any trial, and Reign had faced enough of its challenges to know better than to underestimate it.

"A treant or forest spirit would be a nightmare in this terrain," Beast added, glancing at the dense foliage. "Especially if they're as powerful as the Alpha."

Mia sighed, rubbing her temples. "So we can't burn it down, and we can't stay still waiting for the wolves to pick us off one by one. What other options do we have?"

Reign remained silent for a moment, thinking carefully. The wolves were intelligent, and they had already demonstrated their ability to strategize and ambush. But they still had weaknesses—every creature did. They relied on stealth and coordination, which meant if the group could disrupt their flow, the wolves' advantage would be nullified.

"We need to change how we fight them," Reign said finally. "They're using the terrain to their advantage, but we can use it too. If we move unpredictably, split them up, and force them into open areas, we can break their coordination. They're strong, but individually, they're not unbeatable."

Jin raised an eyebrow. "And how do we force them into the open? They're wolves, they won't just walk into a trap."

Reign smirked. "That's where we need to think like hunters. Instead of waiting for them to attack us, we'll lure them into a situation where their stealth won't help them. We create controlled chaos."

Wolf cracked his knuckles, clearly eager for the next step. "I like it. What's the plan?"

Reign paced briefly, outlining the idea. "First, we need to split up, but not too far from each other. We'll create a series of smaller skirmishes, forcing the wolves to chase multiple targets at once. This will force their packs to split as well, disrupting their ability to coordinate. Once we've isolated smaller groups of them, we pick them off one by one."

"And what if the Alpha gets involved?" Shadow asked. "It's clearly directing them from a distance. If it steps in, things could get messy."

"We'll deal with the Alpha separately," Reign said, his voice hardening. "It won't come out until it feels its control is slipping. That's when we'll strike."

Beast chimed in. "I can set traps around the area. If we force them to come at us from specific directions, they'll be funneled right into them."

Reign nodded. "Exactly. Mia, you and Wolf will work together to create barriers and choke points with your ice and fire. Make it so they can't retreat once they engage. Greenie, you're our heavy hitter—you and Tank will hold the front and keep the packs focused. Shadow and I will move through the forest, picking off the wolves trying to flank us."

"After all, they don't know that I can communicate with you telepathically using my soul power, that will give us an edge over them as we will constantly communicate, well aware of everything that is going on.

Everyone agreed to the plan, understanding that they needed to adapt their strategy if they wanted to survive the forest and the cunning wolves within it.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Reign's strategy was a good one, it would allow them to do much against the wolves, and could potentially lead to their Alpha stepping in, which would give them a chance to end its life and remove the threat that the pack had.

Alas, no matter how good of a plan was, one could never plan for the unknown, and thus, mere minutes after the initial ambush, and after Reign and the others had initiated the plan to take down the shadow wolves, the situation completely changed as a new party joined the fray.

They didn't even notice the new party until it was too late, and they were all suddenly forced into an even more dangerous situation, one that made them feel even more pressure and danger than the ambush the wolves had previously created.

The worst part was that the enemy they were facing were not mere beasts, but humans.