“It’s truly disheartening, meow,” purred Flauros, though his voice lacked the menace it once had.
“Enjoy the final moments of your life before I end it in the most miserable way, meow!” This time, his voice sounded almost like an overweight teenager’s.
What had happened to him?
To Broken, instead of appearing terrifying, the cat demon looked almost cute.
“Wipe that grin off your face! Do you dare mock me, meow? Just because I look like this, doesn’t mean you should underestimate me! You’ll regret ever making that mistake!” Flauros declared firmly.
Broken mustered the strength to stand up again, and Alora, despite her injuries, was already back on her feet beside him. Their situation was dire: both were low on health and mana, with Alora severely wounded and her combat capabilities significantly weakened.
Nevertheless, in this final wave, Broken could summon Gaia and unleash her full abilities. Alora, too, could be healed by the Fern Rabbit. They weren’t entirely without hope.
One thing nagged at Broken: why had Flauros taken on such an odd form? Could it be that he had exhausted his power to create this Trial Domain?
Maylock speculated that the Trial Domain might be designed for Flauros to gather enough strength to eventually manifest in Yunatea. If that were true, it made sense for him to craft a seemingly insurmountable Trial Domain using his cunning.
However, if someone were to complete this Trial Domain, wouldn’t the opposite hold true for Flauros? Wouldn’t he lose his power and be banished back to the demon’s realm? Or even worse, could it mean his demise?
“What a foolish bond you share, meow?” Flauros taunted. “The human isn’t even honest about his level with you, half-elf!”
He continued, clearly trying to sow discord between Broken and Alora.
“What’s the correlation between him not being honest about his level and him being trustworthy?” Alora replied calmly.
“Isn’t it truly foolish to trust someone with your back when they haven’t fully opened up to you? What if he betrays you one day and merely uses you for his own gain?” Flauros pressed
on.
“That’s my decision and judgment to trust someone, not anyone else’s influence over my choices. And talk all you want; it won’t change anything,” Alora responded resolutely. “Hahahaha… You lowly creatures, you will realize that rejecting my offer was a grave mistake,” Flauros continued, his laughter echoing ominously.
“So, the offer still stands? I thought you wanted to finish us off immediately?” Alora inquired.
“Meow… I love a good show. I’ll let one of you escape unharmed, but there’s a catch. Kill each other. The survivor will receive a grand reward beyond your wildest dreams, immense power, and a noble blessing. Do it, fight each other, MEOW!”
Flauros commanded, his voice now sharp and commanding.
Broken then smiled and turned to Alora. “Princess, would you like to kill me? You could easily get out of here, and I would allow it.”
Alora gave a slight smile. “Are you a masochist or what?” she said. “Sorry, but I won’t entertain your fun. Offer that to someone else.”
Broken then turned back to Flauros. “No, both of us are not interested in your offer. Take it back.”
“You two are so stupid! You’re wasting my forgiveness! I will make you both regret it!” Flauros shouted angrily.
Broken gripped the spear tightly, his patience wearing thin. He readied himself to summon Gaia.
“Enough, Flauros! Release the final wave! After that, I’ll make sure to kill you!” he declared firmly.
“Hahaha, where does that confidence come from, meow! I warned you, and yet you still underestimate me!” Flauros’s demeanor shifted, anger seeping into his voice.
He continued. “This is the final wave you wanted, the one that will end both of your lives forever! After this, I’ll haunt you, player. Even if you rise again, I’ll keep killing you until you grow tired of death itself, MEOW!”
Shadowy tendrils shot forth from around Flauros, wrapping themselves tightly around his body. As they continued to coil, his form grew larger and larger, swelling to an enormous size, nearly twice their height. Despite this, the cat retained his chubby, feline form, far removed from the gaunt, terrifying demon he initially appeared to be.
[Wave 10 of 10 in the Abyssal Arena will begin shortly. Prepare yourself.]
Broken took a moment to assess Alora’s condition. “Princess, I’m going to summon another spirit. I’ll heal you afterward, so please hold on until the healing is complete.”
Alora smiled and readied her sword. “Thank you for your concern.”
Broken nodded gently, acknowledging the immense pride and honor she exuded despite the dire situation. He was acutely aware of how significant her burden was-having to rely on someone else in such a critical moment. It wasn’t a matter of arrogance or weakness, but rather the weight of her immense responsibility.
Alora was someone who should have been orchestrating strategies from behind the lines, not battling demons herself. Yet, here she was, fighting alongside him. There was no one more suited to lead the kingdom than her. The people of Dissidia should be proud to have such a noble soul as their crowned Princess.
The horde of monsters began to pour in, heralding the final challenge of their ordeal. This wave promised to be the toughest yet, as they braced themselves not just for the onslaught of creatures, but for the Named Demon who stood among their adversaries.
Suddenly, a golden aura appeared and slowly enveloped Alora like a gentle flame. She looked startled and raised her hands instinctively.
“Princess, what is that?” Broken asked, his voice filled with concern.
Curious, Broken immediately checked her status, and one thing shocked him-her level had suddenly jumped by 10 levels!
“I don’t know,” she whispered, equally surprised.
“Is this a special power-up granted to the Crowned Princess and the descendant of the Sloth Champion?” he wondered aloud.
“My level increased by 10, and I also gained a new skill,” she said, still in awe. “And yes, it seems King Elandorr has graced me with his protection.”
[The King Elandorr, the Sloth Champion, has bestowed his protection upon his faithful descendant. This protection will remain as long as they uphold the great principles of the
Dissidia Kingdom.]
[Alora Rogwyn, as the crowned princess and the faithful descendant, has received this protection and successfully transcended herself, gaining a new class grade.]
[For this achievement, you’ve earned a new title “Protector of the Crown.”]
[For this honor, by becoming the faithful partner of the princess, you’ve unlocked a new skill that can only be used while fighting alongside her.]
[The new skill Alora’s Fierce Empowerment (Conditional Active Skill) is unlocked]
[Need an extra edge in battle? This skill is your answer! It lets you and Alora Rogwyn cast any skill 5 levels higher while fighting together.
Duration: 5 Minutes.
Cooldown: 24 Hours.]
Broken observed Alora, her condition now fully rejuvenated. The paleness that had previously dulled her face had vanished, leaving her looking revitalized. To his surprise, he realized he had acquired a new skill-one that allowed him to cast skills five levels higher when fighting alongside her. It was an incredible boon, though it only worked in her presence.
“You were hiding this kind of power, weren’t you?” Broken remarked softly.
Alora gripped her sword with a confident smile. “Does that disappoint you? I won’t
apologize, because I didn’t know I had such a blessing from King Elandorr.”
Broken gave a tight nod and turned his attention to the approaching horde of demons. They had both regained their strength, and the final battle loomed.
[Alora’s Fierce Empowerment (Conditional Active Skill)]
Broken activated the new skill, watching his list of skills surge in level-each one now five
levels higher. With this change came greater damage potential, though at the cost of freeweɓnvel.com
increased mana consumption.
[Awaken the Nature Goddess (Active Skill)]
He summoned Gaia, the powerful spirit. Unfortunately, not all his skills benefited from the level increase; those tied to his equipment remained unaffected. Nonetheless, he was ready.
“Let’s finish this quickly, Princess,” he declared.
“Yes, Baron Broken. It has been a thrilling and exciting experience to fight alongside you,”
she replied.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure we fight together more often, to ensure this skill doesn’t go to waste,” he said with a smirk.
“You’re quite greedy, aren’t you?”
With that, Broken summoned everything in his arsenal, preparing for the final battle against the horde of demons. They had come this far together, and they would see this through to the
end.