Is this really a Game?!

The sparring session went on and on, with neither side going all out or using a weapon, only their fists and legs.

The craziest part about it was the fact that Shadow and Reign were not the ones in advantage here, even though they should be thanks to their high stats. They were currently only at a draw against the mysterious figure that was fighting against them, and because of that, it didn’t take Wolf and the others long to figure out who they were fighting.

As for the people up on the wall, they were shocked for another reason entirely.

Their boss was fighting without using any weapons or using any skills or his ability, and so were the two young men, and they were equal to him.

They knew their boss well, and they knew that when it came to close-quarter combat, without using a weapon, he was above them all. Even if they were in the same realm as he was, none of them could dare say they would be able to fight against him for more than a minute before being beaten up.

And yet, these two were doing just that.

They had been at it for over 5 minutes, and neither side was gaining an advantage.

Soon, the people on top of the wall parted ways for a woman with long blonde hair to come to the edge and observe the battle.

“Ma’am, you should go back inside, these guys, they’re strong, we don’t know if the boss will be able to win, we need to get ready for a serious battle, we … we might lose the base today.” One of the men said with a heavy expression while the others nodded.

“Yes, we need to evacuate the base, and get them back in the old one so everybody is safe.”

“But … I’m just wondering … why are none of them using a weapon?” The man had shouted at Shadow previously with a dark expression on his face.

“I mean, those two aren’t using weapons either, but the boss is quite dangerous with his weapon, he should be able to take them by surprise if he takes them out, he might be able to seriously injure them, turning the tide of battle favorably to him.”

“To seriously injure them?” The woman, who stood at about 1.7 meters and had platinum blonde hair that cascaded down to her chest and back glanced at the young man who gulped upon being stared at her with her piercing blue eyes.

“What kind of father would wish to seriously injure his son and nephew?”

“Umm … well, I mean … wait, what?” The young man blinked a couple of times and glanced at the three men who were fighting before glancing back at the woman.

“Those boys, they were always mischievous.” The woman said as she shook her head and chuckled.

“Jin told them not to come without telling him so that he could welcome them and help them come to this place, and look at what happened, they didn’t notify either one of us and came like this.”

“It seems that living for months alone and being the leaders of their own faction made them a bit more wild, huh?” The woman asked with a smile, but underneath it, the people around her could see a flame of anger rising.

“That … that is the boss’s son, yo- your son?” The young man asked as the woman nodded.

“The blonde-haired young man is our son, the dark-haired one is our nephew.”

‘Shit!’ The young man shouted in his head as he remembered how he shouted at the men without giving them a chance to explain why they were there.

Sweat covered his forehead as he remembered it, and the others on top of the wall didn’t fare much better.

The realization dawned on them like a thunderclap, and the young man’s heart sank with guilt. He had shouted at his boss’s own son and nephew without knowing it, and now they were engaged in a fierce sparring match with the boss. The thought made him feel sick to his stomach, and he cursed himself for his rash actions.

Meanwhile, down in the clearing, Reign and Shadow continued their intense battle with Shadow’s father, Jin. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to gain the upper hand against him. Jin was a master of martial arts, once a world champion in MMA, and his skill was evident in every move he made.

His strikes were precise and powerful, and he seemed to anticipate their every move with uncanny accuracy.

As the minutes ticked by, Reign and Shadow began to grow frustrated. They had trained for years to become powerful warriors, but Jin was still able to hold his own against them with ease. It was a humbling experience, but also a frustrating one. They wanted to prove themselves to him, to show him that they were worthy of his respect and admiration.

But Jin was not making it easy for them. He fought with a calm confidence that bordered on arrogance, his movements fluid and graceful as he danced around their attacks. It was almost as if he was toying with them, testing their limits and pushing them to their breaking point.

Despite their frustration, Reign and Shadow refused to give up. They continued to press their attacks, determined to prove themselves to him. But no matter how hard they fought, Jin always seemed to have the upper hand.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Jin called a halt to the battle. He stood before the two of them, a proud smile on his face as he looked at them.

“You’ve both grown strong,” he said, his voice filled with pride. “I’m proud of the warriors you’ve become.”

Reign and Shadow exchanged a glance, their frustration melting away in the face of Jin’s praise. They may not have been able to defeat him in battle, but they had earned his respect, and that was all that mattered.

Jin hugged the two young men strongly.

“I and Kate missed you boys, come, she’ll shout at me if we take our sweet time here, she’s probably inside the base, worrying and-” Jin was about to finish his sentence when he saw his wife atop the wall, staring at them with a smile.

“On the other hand, how about we continue sparring, maybe till evening, or tomorrow, yes, till tomorrow, that’s the best course of action,” Jin said as he noticed the anger behind his wife’s smile, to which the two boys gulped as they noticed the same.

“Boys, are you not coming to say hi to me as well?” Kate, whose name was actually Katerina, but was called Kate by everybody, asked them with a big smile on her face.

Shadow and Reign glanced at one another before chuckling and quickly going to her, both of them using their abilities to appear atop the wall in mere seconds before hugging Kate.

“Hi, mom.”

“It’s been a while, Aunt Kate.”

“It truly has been a while, you two,” Kate said as she hugged the two boys her eyes trembled before she smiled warmly.

The reunion was a warm one, filled with laughter and tears as Kate embraced her son and nephew. She had missed them terribly during their time apart and was overjoyed to see them safe and sound.

After the initial excitement had died down, Jin and Kate led Reign, Shadow, and the others into the base, where they were greeted by the rest of the faction members. The base was a bustling hive of activity, with people going about their daily tasks and preparing for the upcoming battle.

“I … we … we are truly sorry fo-”

“Don’t be, you were looking out for the base, that’s all that matters.” Shadow quickly interrupted the young man who had shouted at him and the others when they arrived and smiled at him.

“It was also our fault, had we notified Dad and Mom that we were coming, that situation wouldn’t have happened, but we wanted to surprise them, and well, surprise them we did,” Shadow said with a smile as he shook the hand of the young man who smiled and nodded back at him.

Jin came closer and explained the situation to Reign and the others – the monsters in Newark had grown increasingly aggressive, and the factions were locked in a bitter struggle for control of the city. Jin and Kate’s faction, known as the Dawnbreakers, was one of the few remaining factions that had managed to hold out against the monsters and maintain a semblance of order.

In total, there were now only 4 factions in Newark that were able to hold out against the monsters, and of those 4, the Dawnbreakers were friendly with one, neutral to another, and had a bad relationship with the last one.

“Those bastards tried to raid us multiple times, and even when trying to talk to them, they didn’t listen nor care, they’re a faction made out of bastards, criminals that were lucky enough to escape prison when the game started,” Jin said with a scowl on his face.