While Broken was casually chatting with Freya and Ivana, Melliandra was seen walking towards them, her steps hesitant and uncertain. She glanced at Freya and Ivana, who were still nearby, before speaking up.
“Can I talk to him?” she asked, reading the questioning looks on their faces.
Freya cheerfully replied, “Sure… take your time,” before grabbing Ivana’s wrist and walking away, giving them some space.
Broken turned to the girl, noticing that she no longer appeared as threatening as she had during their first encounter.
“Hi,” he said.
Melliandra waited to respond. Instead, she walked closer and slowly sat down on the root of a large tree a few paces from Broken. They sat in silence, with Broken continuing to eat the food Ivana had prepared.
“Take it. It’s an energy drink,” Melliandra finally said, breaking the silence. “I’m sure you will like it.”
She threw a can of the drink at him, which he caught easily. It was the same energy drink brand that Melliandra and Kingsley had advertised, one that Broken had seen on digital billboards in the city.
“Thanks,” he replied, slowly opening the can. The scent wafted up, a strange yet appealing mix of flavors. He took a sip, savoring the unexpected refreshment, and wondered how Melliandra had managed to obtain such drinks within the game.
“I thought this was a real word drink?” he asked.
“They have the in-game version too… it restores stamina faster,” she explained.
“The taste is good,” he said quietly.
They fell back into silence, the initial tension now replaced by an awkward, uneasy calm. Broken wondered what Melliandra really wanted to discuss. She had insisted on speaking with him, but now that they were alone, she seemed unsure of how to proceed.
Despite the unresolved tension from their past conflict, it was clear that their initial hatred had cooled. Melliandra had played a significant role in the recent raid battle, and her contribution had been noticed. Any lingering hostility seemed unnecessary. Though a direct apology from her had never been voiced, Broken didn’t think it was necessary. He had no intention of pushing for it either.
“Can you summon the white fox? I want to talk to her.”
“Sure,” he said.
Suddenly, Polly appeared, her four tails wagging as she quickly ran and hid behind Broken’s feet, her snow-white fur blocking out the light.
Melliandra gasped in awe at the sight of Polly. She ran up to them, her lips stretched into a wide grin and knelt down in front of Broken, wanting to take in every inch of the spirit beast before her.
“Woah… she’s so cute.”
Broken averted his gaze, feeling uncomfortable as Melliandra knelt down at his feet and attempted to converse with Polly. He stayed silent and chose to ignore the situation, giving Melliandra room to speak.
“Will you forgive me for what I did?” Melliandra asked Polly.
So she wanted to apologize to Polly? Broken thought. Not to him. It made sense, considering Melliandra had been the one to kill Polly, even though it was Broken she had initially threatened.
Polly’s ears twitched, her eyes widening as if she wanted to forgive yet hesitant to communicate with a stranger.
Melliandra looked up pleadingly and asked, “Can I touch her?”
Broken nodded slowly. “Yeah, sure, if Polly allows it.”
Melliandra gently extended her arm towards Polly, softly stroking her head. The small creature didn’t move an inch, even when Melliandra lightly scratched behind her ears.
“She’s so cute,” Melliandra whispered in amazement.
Encouraged by Polly’s calmness, Melliandra attempted to hold the fox, but Polly immediately darted away.
“Wait… Polly… I want to be friends with you,” Melliandra called out, running after the spirit beast.
Melliandra continued to chase Polly, laughter filling the air as both seemed to enjoy each other’s company truly. Polly darted away playfully, clearly reveling in the sudden game.
Shortly after, Elincia approached Broken. Her face lit up into a smile, and she playfully waved at him. “Hi,” she said.
Broken returned her smile. “Hi,” he replied.
Upon reaching him, she gracefully sat down nearby. Bringing a water bottle to her lips, she paused for a moment before beginning to speak. “So…” she started but then fell silent.
Broken turned his head towards Elincia, noticing that she seemed to be in thought. He returned his gaze towards Polly, still running around and being chased by Melliandra, both now fully engaged in their playful game.
Elincia waved her legs lightly, appearing carefree and untroubled.
Finally, she spoke. “I know what I’m about to say may sound a bit forward, but…” she trailed off again.
“Yes?” he prompted, turning back to her.
“Do you understand that each of us has some blueprints of exceptional value? By valuable, I mean their rarity and the potential grade they could produce. Something that only a few people in Yunatea possess?” Elincia asked, turning to Broken with a smile.
“So, are you planning to ask for the same thing that Goldrich asked me?” Broken inquired.
Elincia let out a laugh, covering her lips with the back of her hand. She cast her gaze on Broken again before speaking.
“I know you have every right to decline because there is no need for you to comply with our wishes. But, I would like you to lend an ear to what we have to offer.
Please accept the blueprints so that you may create something special from them, something that no one else has done before. And if it pleases you, we would like to be the first ones to buy those creations from you.”
A pleasant smile graced her face. “Some of us are willing to share the blueprints with you without asking you to craft something in return for them. But if you are willing to craft something, we will provide the materials for you and purchase the items at a fair price.” ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
So, what Elincia was saying is that they are willing to share some valuable blueprints with him? Broken thought, recognizing the true value of the offer. Obtaining blueprints was a challenging task, especially ones that could greatly benefit him. He needed a high-level set of armor, at least level 200, for different roles like swordsman, archer, and assassin. The variety in equipment was essential for his needs.
However, accepting such a valuable gift wouldn’t be without its costs. There was no way they wouldn’t expect something in return. At the very least, they would feel like they had given something precious to him, and he would need to do something to repay that.
But in reality, Broken had already intended to offer his services to others to earn commission money. Of course, offering them to the members of the Ass Guild was a smart decision, as they seemed willing to pay for it. So, he would consider this offer more seriously when he had the time to do so.
“I think that’s an interesting offer,” he replied. “But I’m not sure if I can craft it in the near future, especially with the competition in the capital… but I would gladly accept the offer.”
Elincia bit her lip before speaking up again. “You know, we might be able to give you a set of level 200 equipment blueprints. I mean, I’m sure you don’t want to use level 50 equipment
forever, right?”
She shifted nervously and added in an almost shy tone, “Please let me know if you need anything from me. We’re allies, okay?” She then hopped off the ground and faced Broken. “Thanks for chatting for a bit. Enjoy your break; we’ll be setting off soon.”
She said this before walking away, leaving Broken to ponder over the generous offer.
Freya and Ivana slowly made their way back toward him. When they reached him, they settled down, Freya on his right and Ivana on his left. They blended seamlessly into Broken’s quiet mood, relishing the serene moment together.
“A few weeks ago, we traversed this path with just Booba,” Freya recalled.
“That journey was absolutely grueling,” Broken responded, his mind flashing back to the harrowing experience of being chased by monsters and trying their best to avoid large gatherings of them.
Shortly after, they resumed their trek. With the combined skills of these elite players, the challenging path seemed easy to navigate, and before long, they reached the village that was their destination. From here, they could hire carriages to take them to the capital. However, Broken had one unresolved matter he needed to attend to before heading to the capital. He shared his intention with the others as soon as they arrived at the village. “I will go to Deadbay City first, and then catch up with you in the Capital,” he explained.