Is this really a Game?!

Reign, Shadow, Wolf, Laura, and the others made their way back to the base Mia’s faction had used in the past, eager to consult with Drayce and the queen about the mysterious runes and symbols. As they walked, they discussed their findings and speculated about the nature of the corruption they had encountered.

“It’s strange,” Laura remarked. “I’ve never seen runes like these before, not even in the tome or any other books I have read.”

“They are different, very different from any I have seen before.”

“I agree,” Shadow added. “It’s possible that whoever is behind this has knowledge of magic and runes that are far beyond our own.”

Reign nodded, his mind racing with possibilities. “That’s certain, the enemy is more proficient in such things than us, we just need to find out who the enemy actually is and why they are doing this, is it because spreading the corruption is a way to make themselves stronger, are they working for someone, could it be because of the system, we don’t know any of these things.”

“If we can decipher the meaning of these runes, we might be able to uncover the identity of our enemy and put an end to their schemes.”

Laura and the others nodded at Reign before looking at the base they had reached. They quickly went inside and went through the portal before heading to the queen and Drayce.

Laura went to see Drayce while Reign went to see the queen, both of them eager about what they found hear from them. Both were Transcendents that had lived and gone through much more than they have and with their experiences, with the Queen being the queen of elves in her home world for so long and Drayce being a member of the temple, they should at least know something.

As Laura and Reign approached Drayce and the queen, they could sense the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on them. They knew that the runes and symbols they had discovered were unlike anything they had encountered before, and they hoped that Drayce and the queen would be able to shed some light on their meaning.

Drayce, with his scholarly demeanor, greeted Laura warmly as she approached him in his study. His eyes lit up with curiosity as she explained the situation and showed him the notebook filled with runes and symbols.

“These are indeed intriguing,” Drayce mused, his fingers tracing the intricate patterns on the pages. “I have never seen these exact runes before, but that is a given, runes are similar to language, and there are many different kinds in the universe, so many in fact, that one can’t hope to learn even half of them, even if they were immortal.”

“Runes are usually derived from other runes, from older, much more ancient ways of creating runes and symbols, let me take a good look before I start going over the books.”

He took a moment to examine the runes more closely, muttering to himself as he poured over their meanings. Laura watched with bated breath, hoping that Drayce would be able to uncover some clue as to their origin and purpose.

Meanwhile, Reign approached the queen with a similar sense of anticipation. He knew that she had a wealth of knowledge and experience, and he hoped that she would be able to provide some insight into the runes and symbols they had discovered.

The queen greeted Reign warmly, her regal presence filling the room. As Reign explained the situation and showed her the notebook, her eyes narrowed in concentration.

“Old, but not too old, these kinds of runes are not ancient ones at all, they’re quite the contrary to that, in fact.”

“New kinds of runic systems appear at all times, but most of them are made for specific purposes, and these, well I’m not 100% certain, but I do believe that these are those kinds of runes as well.”

“Let me see, these lines, the way they have been written …”

The queen started looking over the runes while Reign and the others patiently waited for her.

“Hmmm … I think I might get some clues in this book,” Drayce said as he moved away from the runes and went to his cabinet before browsing at the books that were on it, all the while Laura and the others watched without daring to even breathe loudly, so that they wouldn’t unintentionally break his concentration.

“Hmmm … from these lines, could it be a derivation of those runes?” The queen softly muttered as she asked herself before moving her hand and making some furniture in her chambers move by itself before a book started levitating toward her.

“Angular, with sharp edges and complex, overlapping patterns,” Drayce said as he stared in his book.

“Inscribed on surfaces using a special ink, some of them carved into the more solid parts.” The queen said as she continued reading her book.

“Similar in shape, the structure is a bit different, but not too much, and the way they function, quite similar indeed,” Drayce said as he nodded his head without letting the book leave his sight.

“Make what seems to be a portal, but one that only transports things from one end, the other end is closed, sometimes one can see or hear things from the other side, however.” The queen said as a smile appeared on her face.

Both Drayce and the Queen lifted their heads at almost the same time and stared into Reign and Laura’s eyes.

“Abyssal runes, derived from the 6th generation of those runes.”

Reign and Laura simply stared at the two people as neither one had any idea what Abyssal runes were or what they did.

“The sixth generation of abyssal runes are the official generation of sorts, they are not derived from the older generation, but made different, improved in many ways, but in some not.” Drayce said before he took another glance at the runes Laura had brought him.

“Yes, they are definitely derived from those runes, I still can’t completely decipher them and tell you what they mean, but it shouldn’t take me long before I can do so.”

“Give me 4, maybe 5 hours, and I will have a basic understanding of what these runes mean, I’ll call for you then, just … go and rest, relax, and we will talk soon.” The queen said as she looked up from the runes at Reign, who nodded his head in agreement with her.

“Yes ma’am.” Reign said before leaving with the others.

“See you in a couple of hours,” Drayce said before Laura and the others suddenly found themselves at the entrance of the temple.

The two teams soon meet before talking to one another and what they were told by Drayce and the queen.

“So, they both came to the same conclusion, huh?” Wolf asked as they walked toward their building.

“Still, I don’t like this, the fact that they are derived from Abyssal runes.” Reign said with a heavy face while the others stared at him.

“You know what they are?” Mia asked with a serious expression as Reign shook his head.

“I have no idea what those runes are, but I know about the Abyss, as well as the creatures that inhabit it, I met one during my challenge, the one where I was finally able to find out I was a Nephilim.”

“Creatures of the Abyss, they’re dangerous, and weird, more than any other creatures we have come across.”

Reign’s words hung heavy in the air as they made their way back to their building. The mention of the Abyss and its creatures sent a shiver down their spines, reminding them of the dangers that lurked beyond their world.

They had faced demons before, but demons were just one of the many threats that existed in the universe.

As they entered their building, the mood was somber, each member lost in their own thoughts. The prospect of facing creatures from the Abyss was daunting, especially considering their mysterious and dangerous nature, if they were like Reign said they were, then this might be much more dangerous than they anticipated.

“We need to be prepared,” Shadow said, breaking the silence. “If these runes are connected to the Abyss, then we need to be ready for whatever may come our way.”

“Calm down, both the Queen and Drayce said that they are derived from Abyssal runes, but that doesn’t mean that they are directly connected to the Abyss,” Beast said as he took a seat and stared at the others.

“You faced a creature of the Abyss before, does the corruption that is spreading through the forest remind you of that?”

“No, it’s different, the aura that those from the Abyss give off is not the same at all.”

“There we go, so the corruption is not from the Abyss, we at least know that much now,” Beast said with a nod of his head while the others nodded as well.

“We shouldn’t speculate until Drayce and the Queen are finished with their work, only then will we know for certain what those runes do exactly, and where the corruption is from.”