Broken inspected the map and noticed that at the end of the cave corridor was a large chamber with a pair of massive doors slightly ajar. His new skill, Treasure Sense, pointed it out to him, proving just how useful the skill was in situations like this.
“Those huge doors,” Broken thought, “there must be something extraordinary down here, especially since this cave should only have minerals for mining.”
“Let me check what’s in there first,” Alora said.
“Princess,” Broken called after her.
Alora turned towards him. “Don’t worry, I won’t be reckless,” she promised, before heading towards the large chamber.
As she entered, her silhouette was visible from a distance; she only peeked from the edge of the cave corridor, not venturing too far in. After a brief moment, she turned back and motioned for the others with a wave of her hand.
“Come on, it looks safe,” she said.
The rest followed, moving towards the light. When they entered the vast chamber, they saw a pair of huge doors with crystal lamps on either side, flickering like flames. The doors were slightly open, just enough for an adult to squeeze through, but it was clear that the inside was pitch dark.
They walked closer to the massive, towering doors that reached up to the cave’s ceiling and paused for a moment.
“The demons are inside!” Ulrich screamed in panic, his thin frame held by the city guards. Alora appeared deep in thought. She turned to the others. “The door looks dark inside; we can’t see anything unless we go in to find out what’s there,” she said.
“Let me accompany you, Princess,” Broken offered.
Alora considered this for a moment. “No, let me check first. You stay here and guard them,” she decided.
But Broken was more concerned about Alora than about the strangers. “Sorry, Princess, but I can’t let you go in alone. I will accompany you,” he insisted.
Tristan then snapped, stepping towards Broken. “How dare you defy an order from her highness, Princess Alora? Who do you think you are?” he roared, his voice echoing loudly in the chamber.
“Enough!” Alora commanded sharply.
“But your highness, this man has openly defied your orders! He deserves punishment!” Tristan shouted angrily.
“I understand,” Alora replied. “Now, it’s my turn to speak!” she said more firmly this time. The room fell silent after Alora asserted her authority. She turned back to Broken. “Broken, I will go just to the entrance to see what’s inside with this crystal lamp,” she said. “I’ll follow right behind you,” he asserted. “Sorry, Princess, but I insist.”
“It’s okay,” Alora replied.
Alora moved closer to the doors, with Broken following closely behind. When they reached the entrance, Alora tried to push the doors open further but found them too heavy. She then attempted to slip inside, with Broken ready to follow.
But then…
A sudden magic circle materialized above Tristan’s head, spinning rapidly before unleashing a barrage of attacks toward Alora and Broken. It all happened in an instant. Alora was thrown inside with a loud crash, and the door slammed shut, leaving Broken on the outside.
“Alora!” Broken shouted, pounding on the door.
Broken stood frozen, panic surging through him as the heavy door slammed shut, trapping Princess Alora on the other side. He leaped to his feet, pounding his fists desperately against the solid barrier, his heart pounding as hard as his fists. The door was an immovable obstacle, crafted from some unyielding material far beyond his ability to open.
“Damn it!” He cursed, anger and self-reproach mixing in his voice as he berated himself for letting this happen right before his eyes!
He spun around to face Tristan and the three others, all of whom wore expressions of shock, though much of it was feigned, especially in Tristan’s case.
“Damn! You did this!” Broken roared, his voice echoing in the confined space.
“Huh?!” Tristan replied, feigning ignorance with a wide-eyed look of surprise. “Huh?! Hah!” His response became gradually more sardonic, and then his face split into a wicked smile. Instantly, his feigned surprise dissolved into maniacal laughter.
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha!”
Tristan’s laugh bellowed loudly, reverberating off the cave walls. He doubled over, clutching his midsection as if his amusement caused him physical pain. His laughter was so unrestrained it seemed to possess him entirely.
“Damn it! I’ll kill you!” Broken shouted angrily.
Ulrich, who had been standing nearby with a frightened expression, glanced over at Tristan. Suddenly, he, too, began to laugh.
“Ha ha,” he started, his laughter hesitant at first. “Ha.” But soon, it escalated into a crazed, uncontrollable fit. “Ha ha ha ha ha ha!”
The city guards, now infected by the madness themselves, joined the wild laughter. The cave’s echo turned the sound into a crazy, overwhelming chorus.
“I have to kill them and save Alora,” Broken exclaimed. “Who knows what’s inside? She might be in trouble!”
“She’s so stupid, hahaha,” Tristan continued, still trying to control his fits of laughter.
“She’s so… stupid!” he suddenly stopped laughing and stood upright, his face stern.
Seeing Tristan stop, Ulrich and the others also ceased their laughter.
“She’s so stupid, she fell right into my trap! Hahaha,” Tristan laughed again. “See, it turns out this was easy. The crowned princess fell right into my setup. And now she won’t be able to
get out!”
Seeing Tristan, the other three joined in laughing once more.
Broken lifted the pickaxe, pointing it at the four of them. He knew he needed to eliminate them quickly, but first, he had to gauge their strength. He couldn’t afford to go all out without truly understanding his opponents.
“What is that? A pickaxe?” Tristan said with a maniacal grin. “You intend to fight us with a pickaxe? Hahaha… Alora is dead, she’s really dead. We did it with hardly any effort. Now, the
future of Dissidia Kingdom will change completely.”
[Quake Strike (Active Skill) Lv. 1]
Broken slammed the pickaxe into the ground, causing an explosion that cracked the earth and spread in all directions. The impact rippled outward, catching his enemies off guard and unleashing a surge of energy. The force knocked them back, leaving them frozen in place, clearly affected by the stun skill he had cast. They stood motionless, stunned!
Dropping the pickaxe, Broken swiftly drew his Wavebreaker Spear.
[Dash (Active Skill)]
He dashed towards Ulrich, whom he suspected was the weakest among them. He only had a
second to act.
He spun the spear and thrust it towards Ulrich’s neck.
[Spiral Pierce (Conditional Passive Skill) Lv. 1]
The spear pierced through, and in a swift motion, Broken sliced sideways, nearly severing Ulrich’s neck. Without hesitation, he turned to attack the city guards. However, they had already shaken off the effects of the stun and were ready to fight back.
“Damn, kill him!” shouted Tristan. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
The two city guards lunged at Broken with their spears, attacking simultaneously.
Broken spun his spear, parrying both attacks in one swift motion. A powerful burst of energy
erupted, causing the cave chamber to tremble.
[Spear Guard (Conditional Passive Skill) Lv. 1]
The parry skill activated, causing Broken and the city guards to be thrown back. Regaining his stance, Broken kept his distance, trying to assess the situation. His previous attack had little
impact on the city guards.
Their levels must be over 200!
Broken now knew he had to get serious.