Is this really a Game?!

Laura had unleashed an immense spell that left her drained, her breath shallow and skin turning a bit pale as she struggled to stand, her body shaking from the exertion of the Dark Binding and Judgement.

It was a powerful spell that destroyed the huge snake with seemingly great ease, but they all knew that it was nothing but easy. Laura had spent a ton of energy in order to do so.

She used up most of the demonic energy she had to cast and complete the spell, completely annihilating the beast, but the long casting time, as well as the inability for Laura to do anything but focus on the spell during the casting, made it incredibly difficult to be used in hard battles as most opponents would quickly target her in order to stop her from doing so.

Still, this was a spell that could potentially have great use in a sneak attack thanks to the fact that there was barely any mana fluctuation around Laura when casting it. That was because all of Laura's demonic energy was being taken by the spell, which was being cast in a different dimension, a different layer of the world.

That was where the chains that bound the serpent came from, and why portals had suddenly arrived. The rippling of space was the side effect of portals or the element of space being used, and the serpent had noticed it, hence why it was trying to escape.

Unfortunately for the snake, the spell had already been locked on it, and there was no place it could run to in order to escape.

Reign and the others gathered around her, their expressions a mixture of awe and concern. The sheer magnitude of the spell had been unlike anything they had seen before. Even with all their battles, this spell felt… different. It wasn't just power; it was as though Laura had tapped into something deeper, darker, and more dangerous.

"Laura," Reign said softly, his tone filled with both admiration and worry, "You okay? That was... insane."

Laura gave a weak smile, her body still leaning on Tank for support. "I'm... fine. It was just... a lot."

"A lot?" Wolf scoffed, though his expression was more one of concern than his usual bravado. "You basically ripped that thing apart. I've never seen anything like that, that spell … it's dangerous, try not to use it in the future."

"I didn't want to use this spell unless absolutely necessary," Laura replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "It takes everything out of me. But I couldn't let that serpent get away. Not after all the damage it could've caused."

"If it escaped, who knows what would have happened, maybe it would have come back later to trouble us again, to try and destroy the ranch."

"We can't risk that."

"Yes, but we can't risk you hurting yourself either, don't forget, these trials are not like the previous ones, the damage we suffer will be healed back, but …"

Laura nodded, understanding the warning but knowing it had been necessary. "I know, and don't worry, I'll be fine," she assured them again. "Just... give me a moment."

The calm that followed the battle felt almost surreal. The once-chaotic waters of the lake were now still, the faint remnants of the serpent's energy dissipating into the air. The ranch, which had been at risk of being destroyed, was untouched.

Even the Lava Bison, which had caused its own chaos earlier, lay resting peacefully near the barn, seemingly oblivious to the deadly battle that had just taken place.

Ding!

[ The Serpent of the Abyss has been defeated. No damage to the ranch or animals. ]

"Let's go back, the day is still not finished, who knows whether the system will throw anything else our way, not to mention that we still have the whole day tomorrow to go through, I wonder just what the system will throw at us then." Reign said as the others nodded and walked back to the ranch with him.

"Now, what are we going to do with the bison?" Tank asked as the others glanced over at the Lava Bison.

Reign glanced at the Lava Bison, still resting peacefully under the watchful eye of Beast's dragon. The creature had caused trouble earlier but now seemed docile, drained of its energy after the intense battle. Without its flames or molten power, it was no longer the raging beast it had been when it first appeared.

"We need to keep it contained somehow," Reign said, eyeing the creature carefully. "Even if it's weak now, the moment it regains its strength, it could cause another incident."

"Agreed," Jin replied, still crackling with the residual energy from the fight. "We can't afford to let our guard down. Tomorrow's going to be tough enough without this thing going wild again."

Tank walked over to the bison, studying it closely. "It's not much of a threat right now, but we should build an enclosure to keep it safe and away from the other animals."

"I'll help you do that." Greenie said as the two made their way toward the bison after grabbing some materials. They worked together to make a secure enclosure for the Lava Bison, the two hammering heavy wooden beams into the ground and making sure that the bison wouldn't do anything while they were doing that.

To their surprise, the bison had truly turned incredibly docile. Even when the two were close to it, it did nothing but rest and glance at them with a lazy look.

By the time they finished, the sun was starting to set, casting an orange glow over the ranch as the animals peacefully grazed and lazed in their pens. During the building of the bison's enclosure, two more animals had gone berserk and started causing issues, but Reign and the others had been able to quickly submit them and calm the rest of the animals down.

The sight now was quite serene, a stark contrast to the battle they had endured previously.

"Everything is under control for now," Mia said as she brushed a hand through her damp hair before stepping back from the completed enclosure. "I just hope it stays the same tomorrow."

"We all know that won't be possible," Shadow said as Mia sighed.

"A girl can dream, right?"

Reign nodded, satisfied with their preparations. "Everyone, get some rest. Tomorrow could be the hardest day yet."

The group retreated to the small farmhouse that the system had provided them at the start of the trial. It was simple but comfortable, with enough space for all of them to rest and recharge. As they settled in, the tension of the day slowly eased, replaced by exhaustion and anticipation for the final stretch of the trial.

The next morning dawned with an uneasy stillness. The sky was overcast, casting a dull light over the ranch as the group emerged from the farmhouse. Reign's instincts were already on high alert; something felt different about today.

"Anything unusual so far?" Reign asked as he stepped out, scanning the ranch and surrounding fields.

"Yeah, over there," Beast said as he and the others continued staring in one direction. Reign raised an eyebrow at their behavior before glancing to the side, and then stood still for a couple of seconds, frozen in place as he stared at what had appeared next to the ranch all of a sudden.

Right next to the ranch, about 150 meters away, stood a massive forest. The lake was still there too, and there was even a river that flowed between the ranch and the forest, with a small bridge present for them to pass.

"What in the world is going on?"

"It wasn't here yesterday, right?" Mia asked, her eyes narrowing as she stepped closer to the edge of the ranch, staring at the dense, dark trees that loomed ominously in the distance. "I would have noticed a forest this size."

"It definitely wasn't here before," Wolf muttered, his fists clenched as he scanned the treeline. "That thing just… appeared out of nowhere. Like the lake did."

Tank, standing with his arms crossed, stared at the forest with suspicion. "If the system created this, it means we're in for something. The third day was never going to be easy."

"You're right," Reign said, his expression hardening. "The system's playing with us, and this is the final test. We need to stay sharp—whatever's in that forest is going to be a challenge, especially if it involves the animals."

A new notification chimed in their minds.

Ding!

[ The final day of the Third Hell Trial has begun. Your task remains the same: protect the ranch and ensure the well-being of the animals for the remaining 24 hours. ]

[ The Forest of Trials has appeared. Creatures from the forest may pose a threat to the ranch and its animals. Protect them at all costs. ]

[ You have earned an additional challenge bonus: Eliminate the threats from the forest to earn extra rewards. ]

Jin let out a low whistle. "Eliminate threats from the forest? So, it's not just about defense anymore—they want us to go on the offensive."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Great," Shadow said with a sigh. "It was bad enough dealing with super-powered farm animals. Now we have an entire forest of God-knows-what to handle."