The sparring session went on and on, with neither side going all out or using a weapon, only their fists and legs.
The craziest part about it was the fact that Shadow and Reign were not the ones in advantage here, even though they should be thanks to their high stats. They were currently only at a draw against the mysterious figure that was fighting against them, and because of that, it didn't take Wolf and the others long to figure out who they were fighting.
As for the people up on the wall, they were shocked for another reason entirely.
Their boss was fighting without using any weapons or using any skills or his ability, and so were the two young men, and they were equal to him.
They knew their boss well, and they knew that when it came to close-quarter combat, without using a weapon, he was above them all. Even if they were in the same realm as he was, none of them could dare say they would be able to fight against him for more than a minute before being beaten up.
And yet, these two were doing just that.
They had been at it for over 5 minutes, and neither side was gaining an advantage.
Soon, the people on top of the wall parted ways for a woman with long blonde hair to come to the edge and observe the battle.
"Ma'am, you should go back inside, these guys, they're strong, we don't know if the boss will be able to win, we need to get ready for a serious battle, we ... we might lose the base today." One of the men said with a heavy expression while the others nodded.
"Yes, we need to evacuate the base, and get them back in the old one so everybody is safe."
"But ... I'm just wondering ... why are none of them using a weapon?" The man had shouted at Shadow previously with a dark expression on his face.
"I mean, those two aren't using weapons either, but the boss is quite dangerous with his weapon, he should be able to take them by surprise if he takes them out, he might be able to seriously injure them, turning the tide of battle favorably to him."
"To seriously injure them?" The woman, who stood at about 1.7 meters and had platinum blonde hair that cascaded down to her chest and back glanced at the young man who gulped upon being stared at her with her piercing blue eyes.
"What kind of father would wish to seriously injure his son and nephew?"
"Umm ... well, I mean ... wait, what?" The young man blinked a couple of times and glanced at the three men who were fighting before glancing back at the woman.
Jin hugged the two young men strongly.
"I and Kate missed you boys, come, she'll shout at me if we take our sweet time here, she's probably inside the base, worrying and-" Jin was about to finish his sentence when he saw his wife atop the wall, staring at them with a smile.
"On the other hand, how about we continue sparring, maybe till evening, or tomorrow, yes, till tomorrow, that's the best course of action," Jin said as he noticed the anger behind his wife's smile, to which the two boys gulped as they noticed the same.
"Boys, are you not coming to say hi to me as well?" Kate, whose name was actually Katerina, but was called Kate by everybody, asked them with a big smile on her face.
Shadow and Reign glanced at one another before chuckling and quickly going to her, both of them using their abilities to appear atop the wall in mere seconds before hugging Kate.
"Hi, mom."
"It's been a while, Aunt Kate."
"It truly has been a while, you two," Kate said as she hugged the two boys her eyes trembled before she smiled warmly.
The reunion was a warm one, filled with laughter and tears as Kate embraced her son and nephew. She had missed them terribly during their time apart and was overjoyed to see them safe and sound.
After the initial excitement had died down, Jin and Kate led Reign, Shadow, and the others into the base, where they were greeted by the rest of the faction members. The base was a bustling hive of activity, with people going about their daily tasks and preparing for the upcoming battle.
"I ... we ... we are truly sorry fo-"
"Don't be, you were looking out for the base, that's all that matters." Shadow quickly interrupted the young man who had shouted at him and the others when they arrived and smiled at him.
"It was also our fault, had we notified Dad and Mom that we were coming, that situation wouldn't have happened, but we wanted to surprise them, and well, surprise them we did," Shadow said with a smile as he shook the hand of the young man who smiled and nodded back at him.
Jin came closer and explained the situation to Reign and the others – the monsters in Newark had grown increasingly aggressive, and the factions were locked in a bitter struggle for control of the city. Jin and Kate's faction, known as the Dawnbreakers, was one of the few remaining factions that had managed to hold out against the monsters and maintain a semblance of order.
In total, there were now only 4 factions in Newark that were able to hold out against the monsters, and of those 4, the Dawnbreakers were friendly with one, neutral to another, and had a bad relationship with the last one.
"Those bastards tried to raid us multiple times, and even when trying to talk to them, they didn't listen nor care, they're a faction made out of bastards, criminals that were lucky enough to escape prison when the game started," Jin said with a scowl on his face.