Everyone fought with intense focus, determined to maintain their formation and keep the attacking demons from breaking through and harming their support roles. The coordination was tight, and every move mattered.
What really caught Broken’s eye, though, was how Elowen fought with her sword. Her technique was impressive, almost mirroring the skill he had seen in Princess Alora, another master of sword magic.
Elowen moved with fluid precision, cutting down demons that approached while effortlessly keeping the team’s formation intact. Despite her stern and seemingly self-centered demeanor, she worked well with others, even those she barely knew. Her ability to balance individual skill with teamwork left a lasting impression on Broken as the battle raged on. On the other hand, Mira fought like a true assassin. She was swift and precise, dispatching every enemy that crossed her path with deadly efficiency. While her movements weren’t as coordinated as Elowen’s, she still managed to keep up with the others, most of whom were well above level 200.
Both women had clearly come to Hell prepared. They possessed enough skill to survive on their own, at least for a while. However, it was evident that they wouldn’t have stood a chance against such overwhelming numbers without the help of Broken and the rest of the team.
If only Broken could recruit people like them to strengthen his Knights line-up, that would be amazing. Just imagine-NPCs with raw talent and real battlefield experience, where survival means facing the most extreme conditions! At least they’ve got a solid foundation as true warriors.
But given Elowen’s carefree attitude, it seems like that’s never going to happen.
Several formations began to break under the relentless pressure, and one of the sword fighters took a fatal hit. Calista, despite her best efforts, failed to heal in time-it was clear she was exhausted.
Suddenly, a demon darted past the defenses, its claws slashing through the air as it struck Calista, sending her crashing to the ground.
“Calista!” A few people tried to help, but they were too occupied with the relentless demon attacks coming from all directions.
Without a second thought, Broken charged forward, his spear whirling in a blur before slicing through the demon. Its grip on Calista weakened as Broken pressed on, driving his spear into its head over and over until the creature lay lifeless.
He quickly knelt beside her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder, which was bleeding heavily from the wound.
[Healing Touch (Active Skill) Lv. 4]
“Thanks, Broken.”
“No worry. Can you hold on?”
“Yes,” she nodded.
“Good.”
Broken helped her to her feet, steadying her before returning to his position.
This battle needed to end soon, or they’d run out of resources. The demons kept coming, and the team was being pressed from all sides, their situation growing more desperate with each passing moment.
With his Mana fully restored, Broken swapped his Wavebreaker Spear for the Bedrock Breaker Pickaxe.
“Broken, are you serious? A pickaxe instead of a spear?” a few teammates muttered, clearly in disbelief.
“Stay focused on your positions! Let him do what he thinks is best,” another called out.
“But your spear is already great. I don’t think fighting with a pickaxe is a good idea,” someone added.
“I’m sure Broken knows what he’s doing, guys…” Subaru chimed in, trying to calm the doubts.
Several teammates glanced at Broken, puzzled. Why a pickaxe, especially in a battle like this? The spear would be more effective against so many enemies. His choice left everyone questioning his decision, uncertain about what he had planned.
[Rockfall Barrage (Active Skill)]
[Summon Desert Worm (Active Skill)]
Broken quickly cast two powerful skills in succession. A massive tremor shook the ground beneath everyone’s feet, followed by the formation of dozens of magic circles above them.
“What’s happening?!”
Panic set in as the earth below began to swirl violently as if everything was about to be sucked into the ground. Something massive seemed to be rising from the depths, ready to devour them all.
“Look up! What is that? A rain of giant boulders?”
“Don’t worry, those are my skills,” Broken said calmly.
“What?”
Before anyone could respond, a colossal mouth emerged from the ground, wide and menacing, ready to swallow both the demons and the team whole. The sight was enough to send a wave of panic through the group as they braced for the unexpected.
In addition to the swirling ground, massive boulders rained down, smashing into the earth repeatedly. Some of the group instinctively shielded their eyes as the ground shook violently, rising and crashing as if the earth itself was trying to consume everything in its path.
The skill animation was nothing short of spectacular, and the impact was undeniable. As the dust and debris began to settle, it became clear how effective the attack had been. Many of the demons were obliterated, and items from their fallen bodies shot towards Broken.
“Damn! That was insane!”
“I didn’t know a pickaxe could be that cool.”
“So… that’s a Legendary-grade item too?”
“No way!” Elowen exclaimed. “You have two Legendary-grade items?”
With the number of demons significantly reduced, the team found themselves fighting with more ease. The once overwhelming horde was thinning, revealing that the monsters weren’t
truly infinite.
“We’re almost there. Victory’s in sight!”
“Are you sure? This is just the castle courtyard.”
“Exactly! Who knows what’s waiting for us inside?” someone replied, their tone a mix of
excitement and concern.
Suddenly, several unique notifications flashed before Broken’s eyes.
[An anomaly has occurred with one of the items in your inventory.]
“What?” Broken thought, puzzled. “What happened?”
He quickly scrolled through his inventory, and his attention was drawn to a vial of blood he had won at an auction. It was vibrating violently inside the inventory. He paused, unsure of what was happening, but before he could act, the vial broke free from his inventory and materialized in front of him, floating in midair.
All eyes, especially Marlene’s, turned sharply toward him.
The vial’s cap popped open, and the blood inside shot out, rapidly multiplying as if it had a life of its own. In a matter of seconds, it expanded, transforming into writhing, tentacle-like strands that lashed around Broken, binding him with unnatural force.
“What the―?!” Broken gasped as the blood constricted around him, tightening with every
passing second.
“Broken! What’s going on?” someone shouted in alarm.
“Damn it, that blood’s a trap!”
The blood created a whirlwind of force, repelling anyone who tried to approach.
“Help him!” Marlene yelled, but no one could get close. Those who tried were thrown back by the swirling wind, and even the support team’s anti-debuff spells had no effect. Panic spread through the group as Broken struggled against the restraints. He had no skill to break free from this kind of root effect, leaving him completely helpless. Desperation flickered in his mind-should he summon Gaia?
Before he could decide, a magic circle formed beneath his feet, glowing ominously. He wasn’t prepared for what came next. Without warning, his body was pulled downward, sinking into
the circle as if being swallowed by the earth. It wasn’t long before he realized-this was some
kind of teleportation skill.
And just like that, Broken vanished from sight.