Is this really a Game?!

Reign and the others stood in awe of the scene before them. The Verdant Behemoth, a being of immense power and wisdom, sat peacefully next to the mysterious tree, its presence calming yet awe-inspiring. They could sense that this encounter was significant, that there was more to this meeting than met the eye.

Slowly, they approached the Behemoth, their movements cautious yet determined. The creature regarded them with a calm gaze, its eyes filled with a wisdom that seemed to transcend its mere being.

"You … you called us here, didn't you?" Reign asked the Behemoth that was still calmly sitting and staring at them.

The Behemoth regarded him for a moment before nodding, a deep rumble emanating from its chest. It seemed to understand Reign, to understand speech but was not capable of talking.

As they drew closer, they could feel the aura of the Behemoth enveloping them, a sense of peace and tranquility washing over them. It was a stark contrast to the dangers and challenges they had faced in the jungle, a reminder of the delicate balance that existed between nature and those who inhabited it.

"What is this place?" Laura asked, her voice filled with wonder as she looked around the clearing.

"This is a sacred place, a sanctuary of sorts,"

"I see, so this … wait, who – who said that?" Shadow asked as he looked around them, as did the others before staring at the Behemoth.

"So, you can talk?" Reign asked as the Behemoth continued staring at them before shaking its head.

"He can't talk, his body isn't capable of speech, I'm trying to teach him though, his mental capabilities are quite good, talking telepathically shouldn't be a problem, at least I hope it won't be."

Reign and the others froze as they heard the same voice again.

It was a young voice, a soothing one that reverberated through the surroundings, one that could make even the saddest person flash a smile, one that could make the angriest being suddenly calm down.

A sound that was so ethereal that they didn't even hear it well the first time.

"It's … you?" Reign asked as he stared at the small tree in front of him.

"Hello, my name is Gabriel, I am the spirit of this jungle, the one placed in charge of keeping it safe."

Suddenly, above the small tree, a phantom of a boy appeared, similar to how it had happened with the golden tree when they took over Wilkashere.

Gabriel's appearance was ethereal, his form translucent yet radiant with an otherworldly light. His eyes sparkled with wisdom beyond his apparent age, and a serene smile graced his features as he gazed upon Reign and the others.

"I've been watching over this jungle for as long as I have known about myself, ever since it was but a sapling," Gabriel explained, his voice gentle yet resonant. "The Verdant Behemoth and I share a symbiotic relationship, it protects me and nourishes me with mana, allowing me to thrive and maintain the balance of this sacred place."

"In return, I make sure the jungle is not easily tainted by any external factors, I also give the Behemoth certain powers it can use while in it."

Reign and the others listened intently, captivated by Gabriel's words. They had encountered many fantastical beings and phenomena in their adventures, but meeting the spirit of a jungle was a truly unique experience.

"We've come seeking answers," Reign spoke, his voice calm and respectful. "The corruption that plagues this jungle, is it spreading from within or is it an external force?"

Gabriel's expression turned somber, his gaze momentarily clouded with sadness. "The corruption you speak of is indeed an external force, a malevolent presence that seeks to taint the purity of this jungle."

"It is a darkness that seeps in from the outside, spreading its tendrils deep into the heart of this land."

Reign and the others exchanged concerned glances. If the corruption was external, then it meant that something or someone was actively trying to harm the jungle. What they still didn't know was whether it was the system doing it or something, or somebody else.

"What can we do to stop it, where does it come from?" Laura asked, her voice filled with determination.

"I am still not aware of the answer for that, the corruption comes from outside, it is not something that the system itself has made, I would have been aware of that, but neither I nor the Behemoth can be out of the jungle, not even now, with the barriers gone."

"I have still not been able to correctly determine where the corruption is coming from exactly, even though I have tried to do so plenty of times till now."

"The 'dungeon' that you have visited in the past was left by the Behemoth on my orders, to be more accurate, I was the one that created it, it is one of the benefits I have from the system."

"I wanted you to see what would happen in the future to the jungle, well, one of the potential futures."

"And that is also the reason I have called you here because I wish for your help."

The child smiled, making the entire area brighten up.

"I know that as 'players', your main goal here is to become more powerful, to fight strong monsters and reach a higher level, and you can certainly do that here, the jungle is vast, and the many creatures inhabiting it kill each other every day, what you are doing is no different."

"But I do not wish to see this place that I am in charge of suffer from corruption, I do not want to see it fall victim to it, and that is why I called you to ask for your help, for your cooperation in this endeavor."

"Will you help us solve this problem the jungle has?"

Reign and the others stared at the child before glancing at one another.

Ding!

The system didn't wait long before it appeared as well.

[ The spirit of the Verdant Jungle, Gabriel, has asked for your cooperation in solving the mysterious corruption that is plaguing the jungle. ]

[ The system will not be giving the players any more information before they decide whether they will help the spirit or not, after they decide, they will be given more information about the corruption. ]

Reign and the others glanced at one another before nodding their heads.

"We agree."

They could probably choose to somehow join whoever was responsible for the corruption and help them spread it through the entire jungle, but they didn't really wish to do so.

The corruption was just not something they wished to have a part in. They could sense how evil it was, that it was not something that should exist in their world, and they didn't want to see any more of it.

Helping Gabriel and cleansing the jungle of corruption by finding its source was without a shred of doubt the right move in their mind, not to mention the possible benefits they would gain.

After all, they would be friends with the Verdant Behemoth, which they could sense was still a being of immense danger to them from the powerful aura it was released, and then there was Gabriel, a being they couldn't truly even categorize when it came to power.

Ding!

[ The players have chosen to help the spirit of the jungle with his quest to cleanse the jungle of corruption. ]

[ Further information: The corruption that is plaguing the jungle comes from outside of the jungle, it is malevolent, evil, and wishes to do nothing else but to completely corrupt and destroy what it touches. ]

[ In order to completely destroy the corruption, the players have to find out the source of the corruption, but before even doing that, they have to find out who the other party that is using players to spread the corruption is. ]

'Players?' Reign's eyes widened as he read the final part of the sentence, something that happened to them all.

There were players that were corrupting the jungle.

But who was it?

"Ishmail?" Shadow asked as the faces of everyone else darkened.

"The Enclave, they could be the ones behind it, but why would they do such a thing, after all, they have set up their base in the jungle, it would make it easier to spread the corruption that way, but even then, why do such a thing?"

"Perhaps they were given a mission from the system as well?" Tank asked as Wolf nodded.

"It's possible, there are many ways to gain missions from the system, maybe one of them got a mission to spread the corruption and the others decided it was worth doing so."

"Apologies, are you perhaps speaking about the people who have made their home under the jungle?" Gabriel asked Reign and the others who nodded their heads.

"It is not them, I would have sensed it, none of them have the aura that a person dealing with the corruption would have."

"So, a third faction?"

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