Is this really a Game?!

"Did something happen to our bodies?" Shadow asked as he glanced at his palm, which had some gray spots that were slowly returning to normal.

"Seems like whatever the heart was doing to us in the illusion was also affecting our bodies." Reign said as he glanced at his own hands, which were gray completely. His transformation was the fastest, and because of that, it would take a bit more time for it to fully dissipate.

"Doesn't matter, whatever it had done to us is dissipating after we managed to break the illusion, we just need to take care of the heart itself now, and the trial will be finished."

Reign and the others stared at the heart, which was now undergoing a transformation.

The dark aura surrounding the heart suddenly trembled before intensifying in power, the beating of the heart grew more erratic, and the power it possessed changed.

It was no longer attempting to use its power over illusions to fight against Reign and the others, instead, it was now going to try and squash them with its mana, to drown them with its power and kill them all.

The heart of darkness had changed tactics, shifting from its illusory assault to a direct manifestation of raw power. The oppressive energy that once fed on their fears now threatened to crush them under its sheer weight.

Reign's eyes narrowed as he sensed the shift. "Get ready, everyone. It's going to try to overwhelm us with brute force now."

The team members quickly regrouped, forming a defensive circle around the heart. Their weapons and spells were ready, and they prepared to face the heart's new onslaught.

Mia's frost magic crackled around her, creating a protective barrier of ice. "Let's hit it hard and fast before it can fully manifest its power."

Wolf, Tank, and Greenie took the frontline, their combined strength forming an impenetrable wall. Reign, Shadow, and Aelrinder moved with lethal grace, ready to strike at the heart's core. Mia, Laura, Beast, and Jin provided ranged support, their spells, and arrows aimed with precision.

The heart of darkness pulsed violently, sending out waves of dark energy that crashed against their defenses. The ground shook with each pulse, but the Heaven's Hooligans stood their ground, their resolve unshaken.

"Focus your attacks on the heart," Reign shouted. "We need to break through its defenses and destroy it once and for all."

The team launched their assault, their combined attacks striking the heart of darkness with relentless force. Wolf's greatsword cleaved through the air, sending waves of flames that reverberated through the arena. Tank's shield absorbed the brunt of the heart's attacks, protecting his teammates from the crushing energy.

Greenie's brute strength hammered at the heart's defenses, each strike creating cracks in the dark aura.

Shadow moved like a phantom, his daggers finding weak points in the heart's defenses. Aelrinder's spear thrusts were precise and powerful, piercing through the dark energy with unerring accuracy. Reign's dual swords danced in a deadly symphony, each strike aimed to destabilize the heart's core.

Mia's frost magic intensified, freezing the dark energy and creating openings for the others to strike. Laura's demonic energy blasts disoriented the heart, weakening its control over the oppressive energy. Beast's arrows struck with pinpoint accuracy, each one hitting its mark and chipping away at the heart's defenses.

Jin's calm and composed attacks added a layer of strategy to the assault, his movements precise and calculated.

The heart of darkness pulsed harder, sending out a massive wave of energy that threatened to knock them back. But the Heaven's Hooligans held their ground, their combined willpower pushing back against the onslaught.

"We're making progress," Shadow called out. "Keep hitting it!"

The team's attacks grew more coordinated, their movements synchronized and fluid. Each strike, each spell, and each arrow was part of a larger strategy to dismantle the heart's defenses. They moved as one, their bond and unity driving them forward.

Suddenly, Reign, Shadow, and Tank stumbled and grabbed their heads. A powerful headache assaulted them as scenes of the past flashed through their heads, confusing them, and causing them pain.

"Dammit, be careful, this is another one of its powers, I'm sure of it!" Reign said as he panted before glancing at the others who all showed serious expressions on their faces.

Reign's warning came just in time. The heart of darkness, sensing its impending defeat, had unleashed a final desperate attack, one that aimed to cripple their minds and shatter their unity. The oppressive energy coalesced into a series of illusions, dredging up their darkest memories and deepest fears.

These illusions were different, however, as they were intertwined with reality, causing them to see them during the battle, disorienting them and also causing them damage. It was a horribly effective attack that would make most enemies crumble in front of its might, but Reign and the others were not just any opponents.

Shadow saw flashes of his past failures, missions gone wrong, and the faces of those he couldn't save during his challenges. The guilt and self-doubt clawed at him, but he clenched his teeth, focusing on the here and now.

The same thing happened to Reign and the others. Reign saw the face of Adam and his demise, the betrayal of Carlos, and more things that had gone wrong in the past.

They were all wincing in pain as the illusions assaulted them, the scenes appearing in front of their eyes, and the feelings they had felt at that time coming back, causing them all to not be as efficient in battle as before.

Still, it would take more than that to take them down.

Tank gritted his teeth, his shield absorbing the brunt of the heart's attacks. "Stay focused! This thing's trying to break us down, but we won't let it."

Greenie roared in defiance, his fists smashing into the heart's defenses with renewed vigor. "We fight together! We won't let it win!"

Mia's frost magic intensified, her determination unwavering. "It's desperate, that is why it is doing this, let's finish this!"

Reign, though assaulted by painful memories, forced himself to focus. He stared ahead and took a deep breath before continuing with his attacks.

The team redoubled their efforts, their attacks growing more coordinated despite the illusions. They drew on their memories of shared victories and the strength they had gained from their camaraderie. Each strike, each spell, and each arrow was infused with their unwavering determination to protect each other and defeat the heart of darkness.

The heart of darkness pulsed violently, its energy growing more erratic as it struggled to maintain its grip on their minds. The illusions intensified, but the Heaven's Hooligans fought back with all their strength.

Reign, his swords gleaming with a radiant light, led the charge. "Come on, let's break this heart and finish the trial!"

The team's attacks synchronized, each member drawing on their bond to guide their strikes. The heart's dark energy wavered, cracks spreading through its aura as the combined force of their willpower pushed back against it.

"We're almost there," Mia called out, her voice filled with determination. "Keep pushing!"

The heart of darkness pulsed one last time, its energy surging in a final desperate attempt to crush their spirits. But the Heaven's Hooligans stood firm, their unity and determination unbroken

With a final, coordinated assault, they struck at the heart of darkness with all their might. Reign's swords, Shadow's daggers, Wolf's greatsword, Tank's shield, Greenie's brute strength, Mia's frost magic, Laura's demonic energy blasts, Beast's arrows, Aelrinder's spear, and Jin's calm and composed attacks converged in a powerful burst of light and energy.

The heart of darkness shattered with a deafening explosion, its malevolent energy dissipating into nothingness. The oppressive atmosphere lifted, and the arena was bathed in a warm, golden glow.

Ding!

[ Victory: The Heart of Darkness Vanquished ]

[ The Heaven's Hooligans have successfully completed the third Elite Trial. Congratulations! ]

The victory notification echoed through the arena, and the team let out a collective sigh of relief. They had faced their darkest fears, overcome the illusion, and emerged triumphant.

"Dammit … that … was tough." Reign stated as he sat down on the floor of the great chamber and panted. He, as well as the others, were truly tired right now.

It wasn't just physical tiredness, which was present as well, but mental exhaustion that presented itself because of the illusion that they had to break.

It wasn't easy to break through the illusion, in fact, the heart of darkness was immensely powerful in it and many teams had failed to win against it in the past.

The win rate against the heart of darkness was merely 13%.

That was the percentage of teams who made it to the elite trials and managed to win against the heart, and that was over the course of centuries. Not only that, but that was the overall percentage, the percentage of teams who managed to win against it on their first try was a measly 5%.

For Reign and the others, however, it was win or fail, they were not given a second chance to try to win against the heart as the system deemed it too easy, that they would definitely win if they had more than 1 attempt.