As they navigated through the treacherous streets of the city center, Reign and his companions encountered increasingly dangerous monsters. Tier VI creatures lurked around every corner, their presence a constant reminder of the peril they faced. The group moved with caution, their senses sharp and their weapons at the ready.
As they neared the heart of the city, the group came across a massive fortress-like structure that loomed ominously in the distance. This, they knew, was the stronghold of one of the powerful monster factions that controlled the center of New York City.
The faction was known for its aggressive expansion and ruthless tactics, and they had no intention of crossing paths with them if they could avoid it.
The faction was made out of vampires, just like the one that Reign and the others had come across many months ago back when they were making their trip over to Doncaster.
That vampire, however, could not be compared to these at all.
They were all quite powerful and had enslaved many monsters and humans, becoming one of the overlords of the city that had Tier VII combatants amongst them.
Going against them, or going near their base, could very well be considered suicide.
Even though it was now daytime, and the vampires generally didn't get out of their base at this time, not because sunlight would kill them, that was just a myth.
Sunlight would kill the weakest, the vamps, but vampires would only be weakened in the sun, that was all.
Reign and his companions decided to steer clear of the vampire stronghold, knowing that a confrontation with such a powerful faction would be unwise. Instead, they opted to skirt around the edges of the territory, keeping a safe distance and avoiding any potential conflict.
It wasn't difficult to notice where the territory of the vampires was, mostly because of the dried husks of monsters and people that could be seen on the ground or even some of the buildings.
As they made their way through the city, they encountered other factions and groups of monsters, each with their own territories and agendas. Some were hostile and attacked on sight, while others were more cautious, watching them from a distance but not making any aggressive moves.
Despite the dangers, the group managed to navigate through the city center relatively unscathed, thanks to their caution and skill. They eventually reached the outskirts of the vampire territory, from where they could see the massive walls and imposing architecture that was present in their base.
"We need to find a way around this," Reign said, studying the map they had been given by Shadow's father. "We can't risk getting too close to the stronghold."
"I agree," Shadow replied. "We should try to find a route that takes us around the outskirts of their territory."
"It might take longer, but it's safer than trying to go through."
Of course, not coming to blows with any monsters was pretty much impossible in the center of the city, and soon, they finally came face to face with a small group of Tier VI monsters that noticed them.
Even with all of them doing their best to notice monsters, sense mana, and more, they still couldn't notice this small group of three monsters.
Each of the three monsters was relatively small when compared to other Tier VI monsters.
These were only about a meter high and about 2.3 meters long.
The creatures resembled large, predatory cats, with sleek, muscular bodies and sharp, elongated claws. Their fur was a mottled mix of gray and black, blending seamlessly with the urban environment around them. Their eyes gleamed with intelligence and malice as they stalked towards the group, growling low in their throats.
Reign and the others immediately went on high alert, readying their weapons and preparing for a fight. These creatures might be smaller than some of the other monsters they had faced, but they were no less dangerous.
Before the creatures could attack, Shadow stepped forward, his daggers at the ready. He moved with a fluid grace, his movements almost dance-like as he engaged the monsters.
The monsters were no slouches, however, and quickly dodged out of the way with incredible speed.
Each one was as fast as Shadow, and the others quickly intervened, all of them going all out immediately to eliminate the three monsters as quickly as possible so as to not draw too much attention to themselves.
Reign exploded with his lightning and charged at one monster while Mia quickly used her ice to try and freeze one.
Shadow didn't stop either and attacked one of the cats, throwing one of his daggers at the monster who once again dodged, only for Shadow to suddenly come out of the cat's shadow.
With his free hand, Shadow quickly grabbed the cat's throat and clenched it with full force before bringing his dagger down, stabbing through the monster's stomach with relative ease, which made the cat trash about, almost escaping Shadow's grip.
But he used as much power as he could hold its throat and violently jerked his other hand before slashing down at it, opening its stomach before twirling it around and smashing it against a nearby wall with his other hand.
Reign used his lightning in order to shock the cat he attacked, but the attack was dodged, so he used his light to blind it for an instant, which worked.
He quickly shocked the monster before arriving in front of it and stabbing it down with both of his swords.
As for the third one, Mia's ice didn't freeze it, but Beast's arrows struck it after it jumped. His wind pushed it while it was in the air, allowing his arrows to easily find their marks.