The sixth wave was overcome once again by Broken and Alora, although it was a riskier battle due to their growing mental exhaustion. The fight took longer, but they were beginning to adapt to the attack patterns of the demons.
They both sat on the floor, leaning against each other, trying to recover as much stamina as they could.
“Why did you enter this Trial Domain, Princess?” Broken asked softly.
“It felt like the Trial Domain devoured me. I couldn’t control myself, and suddenly I was here,” she replied quietly.
Broken nodded slowly.
“What about Tristan and the others?”
“They’re demons too,” he said quietly.
“Tristan?” she echoed in disbelief.
“The other three, yes, but I’m not entirely sure about Tristan.”
“You killed them?”
“Three of them, except Tristan. He escaped at the last moment.”
Alora sighed upon hearing this. “I should’ve known earlier that he was a traitor.”
Broken nodded slowly in agreement. These kinds of things, in his opinion, would keep happening. Experiencing it once was convincing enough, and she should be prepared to face the worst.
The seventh wave came crashing down on them, another nightmare they had to endure with diminishing morale and total exhaustion. Concentration became increasingly difficult, and they took more damage than before.
Broken could no longer depend on potions, having reached the maximum limitation for his current state. They had to fight while maintaining as many passive skills as possible, keeping an eye on their Health and Mana regeneration.
They took several near-fatal hits, but they tried to cover each other. It was a truly desperate battle, and they made a few mistakes along the way. But they kept going, as there was no better option for them.
And they managed to endure it and survive the wave. Another success, but still, their ordeal was far from over.
They both collapsed onto the floor, leaning against each other, their spear and sword resting on the ground beside them.
They remained silent for a few moments, trying to control their breath. They knew another battle was still to come, but they forced themselves to take a brief rest, to regenerate their stamina.
“Tell me more about you, Broken,” Alora said softly, breaking the heavy silence.
“What do you want to know about me, Princess?” he asked, turning to her.
“Why have you developed so quickly?” she replied quietly, then paused before continuing. “It hasn’t even been a year. Back then, you struggled against player killers below level 100. And now you’re here, fighting alongside me, someone who has trained hard all her life.”
“Is that a salty question, Princess?” he teased.
“Stop answering questions with another question,” she retorted.
“That’s what I want to ask you. Why did you trust me more than the other five, even though I killed one of them?” he countered.
“You’re so stubborn and overconfident too. Where did you get the certainty that I trusted you?”
“That’s a question. Stop answering questions with another question,” he said with a smirk. Alora chuckled at his words. She fell silent for a moment before answering, “Because I’m the crowned princess of the Dissidia Kingdom. I am the descendant of the Sloth Champion, King Elandorr. Surely, I can predict such a simple thing just by looking once,” she said with a confident tone.
“Thanks, Princess, your answer is believable. I feel honored,” he responded.
Their conversation, though light-hearted, provided a brief reprieve from the relentless pressure they were under. It also deepened the bond between them, making them stronger as a team.
Another wave, the 8th, had been survived, but this one had been the worst so far. Both of them bore heavy wounds. Alora had sustained severe injuries on her back, left arm, and right waist, with blood pouring from her wounds. The Invincible Paragon was no longer sufficient to withstand the relentless assault. Broken was in equally bad shape, though his own Healing Skill had given him some respite.
They collapsed onto the floor again, sitting face to face. Alora’s face was pale, reflecting the brutal fight they had endured. Yet, two more battles remained, with the final wave looming ominously ahead. Broken knew the moment was nearing when he would have to summon Gaia, but he wanted to hold out for one more wave at least, to save Gaia’s might for the final confrontation, whatever it might bring.
“I’ll heal your wound,” Broken said, reaching for Alora’s left arm to tend to her injuries.
“No,” Alora refused, pushing his hand away. “Save your Mana.”
“You need the healing. Let me do it,” Broken insisted, his voice firm.
“No, I don’t. You need the Mana too. We still have two waves. I can survive with this,” Alora replied.
“Princess Alora, please, you need the healing,” Broken urged, growing more insistent.
“I don’t. You need the Mana. Listen to me, you stubborn!” Alora shot back, just as firm.
The stalemate between their desires stretched taut as they stared at each other.
“This is my Mana, you have no right to tell me what to do with it. Let me heal you,” Broken insisted, reaching for her wounds.
“This is my body. Why do you insist on healing me if I don’t want it? Don’t force me.” “Alora, listen to me and let me heal you!” Broken repeated, his tone now more assertive.
Alora paused, then chuckled softly. “See, you’re starting to show your true self, huh? Where is the respect? But it’s okay. I guess it’s kind of interesting to have someone address me like that
for a change.”
Ignoring her protests, Broken grabbed her left arm firmly and she eventually surrendered, allowing him to begin healing her.
“Be quiet and let me heal you,” he commanded.
“I seem to lose all my authority around you, stepping all over my dignity,” Alora responded
quietly.
“Sorry, Princess. I forgot myself a bit. Please don’t sentence me to death for this mistake,” Broken said softly.
“Prepare for the worst punishment, then,” she replied.
The green energy from Broken’s hands flowed into Alora’s wounds, slowly knitting the flesh back together. As the healing took effect, the severity of her injuries diminished, though not
entirely gone.
He waited for the cooldown to finish and then healed another wound on her waist. However, he couldn’t afford to heal her back yet, but he felt it was enough to alleviate some of the
burden she was carrying.
“I’m beginning to doubt what Class you actually have,” she whispered.
“An all-around fighter, blacksmith, and miner,” he said with a smile.
Alora nodded. “I’ll share some exciting blueprints with you later, when we get out of here.”
“We will,” Broken said confidently.
Polly, now in her smaller form, laid her head on the floor beside them. Then she hopped into Broken’s lap, curling up and falling asleep, providing a small source of warmth and comfort
amidst the turmoil.
“You’re fortunate to have been chosen by such a noble spirit beast,” Alora murmured softly.
Broken paused for a moment, looking at Polly as she rested, then gently stroked her. “You’d be even more surprised to see my other spirit,” he said.
“Yes, please. I’m ready to be amazed by more incredible things you might show today,” Alora replied with a smile.
Broken chuckled softly, appreciating her attempt to lift the mood despite their dire situation.
Another wave came, the 9th wave, and it was another grueling battle. Broken found himself nearly cornered, contemplating summoning Gaia until the very last moment. Even Dendros’s summon duration had ended, further complicating their situation.
Alora’s injuries worsened significantly, and during a critical moment, she collapsed, unable to fight any longer. But fortunately, this happened just as they managed to survive the 9th wave,
though barely.
Broken immediately rushed to Alora, who was kneeling on the floor. Her armor, once black
and red, was now soaked in blood. She looked up at him, a faint smile on her face.
“One more wave,” she said weakly.
Broken nodded, gently cradling her face as he healed her. “Yes, one more wave.”
“Your Mana,” she protested weakly.
“Don’t worry. I can go all out with my full power in the final wave,” he reassured her.
Alora nodded, trusting his determination.
“That was so touching!” a voice suddenly remarked from the side.
They turned, expecting to see Duke Flauros. But what they saw took them by surprise. Instead
of the terrifying demon from before, there was a normal-sized cat, a chubby, overweight
feline with a round face, still sporting the same horns, sitting not far from them.
“What happened to him?” Broken asked, struggling to suppress his laughter.