The door to Broken’s study creaked open, and the first thing that came into view was a multi- level food trolley. It was Ivana who pushed it in, dressed in a white dress and smiling as she stepped inside.
“Ivana?”
“Hi, I’m glad you haven’t left yet, Broken,” she said, stopping the trolley.
Ivana picked up a package from the trolley and showed it to him. “Here, I brought some bread. You can keep it for a few weeks.” Then she grabbed another package. “This is another option if you get tired of what’s already here.”
“Uhm…” She pointed to something on the bottom tray. “This one boosts strength. It’ll be good to eat before, uhm… monster hunting.”
She stood up straight again, still smiling. “I made sure there’s enough food for four weeks, maybe more. But if it’s not enough, I’ll bring more for you tomorrow morning.”
She took a breath and smiled warmly. “Is there anything you’d like me to cook?”
Broken chuckled softly at her words. “You prepared all of this? I might have to take out my greatsword from my inventory just to make space for all this food.”
“Really? Is it not enough? Your inventory is pretty big, isn’t it?”
Broken carefully stored the food away, piece by piece, into his inventory. Once everything was tucked away, he turned back to face Ivana. “Luckily, there’s still enough space.”
Ivana giggled and smiled again. They stood there for a moment, facing each other, their eyes meeting in a quiet pause.
“You said you would… to take me… on every adventure you’re going to do,. right?” she asked softly, their eyes still locked on each other.
“Yes,” Broken replied quietly, though Marlene’s concerns resurfaced in his mind-why they couldn’t bring NPCs along on this journey.
“I’m not the one leading the expedition, and they’ve forbidden anyone but me from going.” He paused. “I’m sorry… but I’ll bring you along for our next expedition.”
Silence settled between them.
“I’ll be heading to Hell for the first time,” he said softly. “I don’t know what I’ll be facing.” He fell silent again. “I just don’t want something-”
“To happen to me?” Ivana finished his sentence.
Broken nodded.
“Aren’t all the expeditions you’ll be doing in the future going to be firsts?” she said with a small smile.
Broken couldn’t deny it; he nodded again.
“I’ve done everything so I can be useful…” she continued. “I can be useful to you. I have shielding skills, I can boost defense-” Her voice trailed off as Broken reached out, gently taking hold of her left arm.
“Ivana. I don’t doubt you. You’re strong. And I will take you on more expeditions-next time. Just not this one.” He hesitated, then added, “I promise.”
Ivana nodded slowly. Without either of them realizing, they had drifted closer together. Ivana took another step forward, wrapping her arms around him, resting her head gently on his shoulder.
Broken frozen for a moment, taken aback by the unexpected embrace. Somehow, it triggered something in him-something he hadn’t felt before. The tension, the pressure, the overwhelming thoughts and worries that had been swirling in his mind all day-they all seemed to melt away in that moment, within her arms. His heartbeat, which had been racing, began to slow, and an unfamiliar calmness washed over him.
They held each other for a while, and without realizing it, Broken tightened his grip, pulling her closer.
“They say that if a player dies in Hell, they won’t revive in Yunatea. They’ll be trapped there unless they leave through the same door they entered,” Ivana whispered.
Maylock had already confirmed this with him. Yunatea and Hell were two completely separate realms. If a player failed to leave through the correct portal, they would be trapped there for eternity. Killing themselves wouldn’t provide a shortcut back to Yunatea or the Temple of Resurrection.
As for Marlene, given her position on the opposing side, she was potentially a threat to Broken. But Maylock had assured him with certainty that, at least in this case, he could trust her intentions.
Was Broken putting too much trust in Maylock? He had come to a point where everything Maylock said seemed perfectly reasonable, his logic syncing effortlessly with the conclusions Broken had drawn.
Still, the crux of the matter was that Broken would be safe-at least, if Marlene’s promise held true. And beyond that, this was the only path to hatching the demon egg, which could potentially add a powerful weapon to his arsenal.
“I’ll be fine,” he finally said, his voice steady as he tried to reassure her.
They lingered in silence for a moment, still locked in their embrace.
Afterward, Broken decided to log out, carefully managing his playtime to ensure he could plan the expedition perfectly for the following day.
***
The next morning, as the sun timidly broke over the horizon, Broken dismounted from Polly, spotting Marlene and the others gathered at the forest’s edge, waiting for him.
He strode toward them, his eyes locking on the red-haired woman standing at the front. As he drew closer, he couldn’t help but notice the stares of several party members-some filled with that all-too-familiar disdain he had come to know so well.
“Hi, you’re right on time,” Marlene said.
“Are we leaving now?”
“Yes,” she replied, glancing over her shoulder. “We’ll be at the same party for the next 30 days.”
Her voice, though always calm and even, carried a weight that made the rest of the group straighten their posture.
“We have two shielders, two melee fighters, one ranged fighter, a magic user, support, and a healer,” she continued, turning to Broken.
“I can play melee or ranged,” he said.
He glanced at the unfriendly stares from the others. Should he be concerned about this… or
not?
“I’ve seen how you fight. I’m confident you’ll handle your role well,” Marlene added.
They moved swiftly into the forest, following the lead of the red-haired girl, while Broken walked beside her, eager to hear more details about the expedition.
“Once the portal opens, only nine people can enter before it closes,” Marlene explained. The rest of the group followed in silence, hanging on to her every word.
“The portal will reopen in 30 days. So, congratulations-we’re in for a month-long vacation
in Hell.”
She smirked before continuing. “If you die, you’ll revive at the same spot a few hours later. It’s not exactly an escape route from Hell, so we might as well make the most of this little ‘vacation.’ There are treasures there you won’t find in Yunatea. This journey is worth it.” After a while, they arrived at a clearing where the trees began to thin. “Once we’re inside, we’ll have only each other to rely on,” Marlene said, her tone serious.
She pulled something from her inventory-a headgear accessory adorned with horns that seemed designed to fit snugly on the head. Handing it to Broken, she said, “Demons aren’t too fond of outsiders, so we use this to blend in, posing as one of them.”
[Infernal Mask of Deception]
[Grade: Elite]
[Durability: 87/100]
[Weight: 221]
[This mask, adorned with dark, twisted horns, allows the wearer to take on the guise of a demon, complete with glowing eyes, sharp fangs, and a swirling aura of malevolent energy.]
It was a mask that occupied the helmet slot, which meant if they used this item, they wouldn’t be able to wear a complete set of armor. But that was still preferable to having more enemies
to contend with inside.
Everyone then donned their disguise items. Broken, who was currently wearing the Obsidian Shroud-Clothes to cover his armor, now sported a pair of horns on his head and his eyes glowed a deep red. His vision tinged slightly crimson, almost like wearing colored contact
lenses. It was quite a unique item.
Marlene tossed something onto the ground, and a swirling energy portal materialized. Understanding the plan, the group began entering one by one-first the lead tanker, then the melee fighters, and the others in order. Soon, only Marlene, Broken, and the remaining tanker
were left.
Marlene motioned for Broken to go next. He stepped into the portal, with Marlene following close behind. They emerged in what looked like the same forest, and Marlene appeared beside him. But suddenly, the portal began shrinking rapidly as the last tanker tried to pass through. “What the hell!” Marlene shouted in alarm. “Someone unauthorized got in!” she exclaimed. The portal snapped shut before the tanker could enter, signaling the group had reached full capacity. Yet, there were only eight of them standing there. So who was the mysterious ninth?