Finally, Broken revealed himself, stepping forward to face his challenger-SpeedGang from the Horde of Hell.
Freya, standing nearby, took a deep breath as she watched Broken approach. She turned
around and gave him a bright smile. “Good luck, Mr. Mayor,” she said before retreating back toward the city gates, leaving the two to face off alone.
Once inside, Freya noticed Ivana walking toward her. “Freya, should I do something? They said there are three Divine Champions outside, right?”
Freya shook her head. “I understand your concern, but we have to respect his decision. After all, he is the mayor of this town.”
Ivana sighed softly and shook her head. “He always says he’ll include me, but then he goes off alone, accepting challenges without caring about anyone else.”
“Exactly,” Freya said with a giggle. “He doesn’t listen to anyone.”
She smiled and added, “Let’s wait and see how this fight unfolds. If Broken’s in real danger, I won’t stop you from stepping in.”
Ivana nodded slowly, understanding the situation.
Several players who had logged out in Slumdon began to reappear throughout the town. Word spread quickly that something major was happening, and soon enough, many started making their way toward the city gates.
“Damn, I really want to see what’s going on. Why did the live broadcast have to be cut off?” one player grumbled as they hurried toward the gate.
“I know it’s risky, but when else will I get to see a big battle up close? This is going to be an epic war.”
“I’ll broadcast the whole thing and rake in tons of views and money, hahaha.”
However, when they arrived at the gates, they were met by rows of Knights, standing firm to prevent anyone from approaching the ongoing confrontation.
Townspeople, equally curious, were also trying to edge closer, eager to see what was unfolding.
“Hey, you stupid Knights! Let us through!” one player shouted, annoyed. “Do you think you have the right to block us? We don’t care about your rules!”
“We’re not residents of this city, so don’t try to stop us, you damn NPCs!” another player barked.
“I warn you, anyone who dares approach will face strict consequences!” Igor’s booming voice rang out as he delivered the stern warning.
One player drew their sword and pointed it at the knights. “I don’t care about your threats. Let us out, or I’ll cut your head off!”
Suddenly, an explosion echoed through the area. Everyone froze, startled, their eyes scanning frantically for the source of the noise. The player who had just pointed his sword at Igor now stood still, his head blown apart, his body collapsing before dissolving into pixels and vanishing from sight.
“What the hell just happened?” they shouted in shock.
Another deafening gunshot rang out, and another player dropped, disintegrating into pixels just as quickly.
“Sniper! Everyone, get out of here!” someone screamed.
“There’s a sniper! Run!” Panic broke out as the players realized the serious danger they were in.
“I’m sure it’s Melliandra. We need to get out of here now!”
Up high, on a tall building near the city gate, in a spot no one would have expected, Melliandra gripped her sniper rifle tightly. Her Game Name flickered in a vivid red above her head, a testament to the ‘Player Killer’ status she posed.
“I swear, when this is over, I’ll take out that damn Broken with a headshot.”
Kingsley, standing beside her, said. “But Melliandra, please, don’t do this to Broken. You can take me out instead if you must.”
“Shut up, Kingsley!” she growled.
***
A few minutes earlier, before Broken emerged from the meeting room, the atmosphere had been tense. Maylock gave him a flat, steady look. “Have you made your decision?” he asked.
Broken nodded slowly and stood up from his chair. “Yes, I’ll go out and fight him,” he declared firmly.
Everyone in the room gave subtle nods, silently acknowledging his choice.
“I know your strength,” Maylock said, his voice calm but serious. “But let me offer you one
piece of advice: don’t reveal all of your abilities,” he added quietly.
“Thank you, Maylock,” Broken replied, before walking out of the room.
Once he had left, Elincia sighed. “He didn’t even consider my opinion as his ally when making that decision,” she said, taking a slow breath.
Goldrich shrugged. “You should understand by now-he has his own world. He’ll make whatever decisions he believes are right.”
Elincia nodded slowly. “Yeah…”
“Maylock!” Jovina called out. “I know you already knew Broken would accept the challenge, so why waste time talking?”
Maylock took a slow breath. “Yes, I’m sure everyone here knows that Broken wouldn’t back down from a challenge. He didn’t even flinch when Melliandra shot him that time. I just wanted to clarify the situation for him.”
“Does that mean Slumdon Town is in danger, then?” Jovina pressed. “You said Broken fell into their trap.”
Maylock shook his head slightly. “For someone like me, with limited abilities-an Elite- grade Class and no damn blessings-a strategy is crucial to compete at the top. But even the best strategies can be completely shattered by one thing.”
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. “And that thing is overpowered abilities. Honestly, Broken is too powerful. He’s… well, broken. You can’t apply common sense to someone like him.”
They all knew it. They had seen Broken fight with everything he had against Gremory. No one doubted his strength, not anymore. Especially after witnessing the demonstration of power from Broken’s new companion-the little cat. Maylock sighed.
“Truthfully, I’m glad Broken accepted this challenge,” he added, a small smile forming. “Khi khi khi, just like I said earlier,” Goldrich chuckled.
***
“Your face looks familiar… Where was it?” Broken said. “Ah, are you that blind fool who bumped into me last time?”
SpeedGang sneered. “Oh, so you’ve got a big mouth too, huh? You have no idea the mistake you’ve made by provoking me.”
Broken ignored the taunt and asked calmly, “What will I get if I win against you?”
SpeedGang laughed loudly. “Ha ha ha… Are you kidding me? Are you stupid? You really think you can win? I’m sure you have no clue how strong I am in one-on-one battles.”
Broken’s expression didn’t change. “Tell me what you offer me if I win.”
“There’s no way you’ll win! I’ll destroy you in no time. I’m the Champion of Gluttony, and I’ve never lost in a one-on-one battle. Listen to me carefully,” SpeedGang growled. “I have never lost in a one-on-one battle!”
Broken drew his spear. “Let me warn you about one thing: from now on, don’t ever show your face in front of me again. I emphasize-not even once, for any reason. If I see you, I will kill
you without mercy.”
“You’re definitely overconfident,” SpeedGang sneered. “I’ve never seen anyone as full of themselves as you before I butchered them. It almost makes me want to prolong this torture. And make no mistake, I will destroy this town after you’re killed.”
“Why don’t we just start this fight already?” he mocked, stretching out his hand. “I’m not interested in Duel Mode. I want to fight until one of us dies.”
Suddenly, dark energy began to swirl around SpeedGang, expanding rapidly until it formed a
dome that enveloped both him and Broken.
That’s a Domain skill!
“Now, inside my Domain, no one leaves until one of us is dead!” SpeedGang declared. “You should know that my special ability as the Champion of Gluttony is this damn Domain!”