“How many Faebeasts are there in this place, Cedric?” Broken asked, still keeping his eyes on the massive wolf in front of him.
The beast snarled, molten magma dripping from its maw, as it swiped a massive paw toward him. Broken instinctively stepped back, narrowly avoiding the sharp claws that raked the air with a wild, aggressive swing.
“There are around seventy-nine, Mr. Broken,” Cedric answered. “Some of our friends managed to escape Moonlight Land, but sadly, many perished outside-either killed by adventurers or defeated by other monsters.”
Broken frowned, still watching the beast, but his thoughts began to turn. “How did they manage to escape from here?” he asked, glancing back at Cedric.
Cedric gave a solemn nod and explained, “We faeries can leave Moonlight Land anytime we wish. The Faebeasts, even in their cursed state, can still do the same, which is why they sometimes appear outside this pocket dimension. If we can’t bring them back, they won’t survive long out there.”
“That’s a truly tragic fate for them,” Broken said softly.
These faeries, twisted into monsters and cursed for so long, still lingered here-locked away rather than destroyed. It was clear the faeries hadn’t abandoned them, not entirely. Despite their monstrous forms, the Faebeasts were still cared for, still imprisoned rather than left to die or roam free.
Was there hope, even after all this time, that they might one day return to their original forms?
Yet, Broken couldn’t shake his curiosity about the wolf-like Faebeast before him. Its immense power, the way it loomed over everything, unsettled him.
“Why was this one so strong?” Its level was higher than even Lady Elaine’s, which gnawed at the back of his mind. There had to be something more to this particular beast.
Broken pondered for a moment, then asked, “How come they have different forms, Cedric? At first, I thought they would all look the same.”
“I’m not entirely sure,” Cedric began, “but I believe the forms they take are expressions of their personality, or something closely tied to their nature. It’s how they manage to persist even after being transformed into these beasts.”
“Oh?” Broken mused, intrigued by the concept.
So their forms vary based on some deeper aspect of who they were? An expression of their personality… It was a fascinating idea.
If someone took the form of a wolf, did that mean their personality was wolf-like? A hunter, a leader, or someone who thrived in groups?
“And what about Lady Elaine? What is her form in her Eternal Flame state? How powerful is she?”
“No one knows for sure what form Lady Elaine takes in her Eternal Flame state,” Cedric admitted. “Only the Knight Commander is privy to that information. I’m afraid I can’t be of much help on that, Mr. Broken.”
Broken nodded, though the answer left him with more questions than before.
“That’s alright.”
So after all these hundreds of years, only the Knight Commander knows what Elaine’s Eternal Flame form looks like? It felt almost impossible to believe, especially given how much was riding on this.
This realization made Broken think of Morel. Wouldn’t Morel, the Knight Commander, know more about how to defeat Elaine in that form?
It seemed like something he’d need to discuss with him sooner or later. After all, Morel likely held crucial knowledge about Elaine’s Eternal Flame form. If Broken was going to stand any chance against her, he’d need to learn everything he could-and the “foolish faery” knight commander was his best lead.
“And why keep them in a place like this? Why inside a volcano?”
Cedric responded with a slight chuckle. “They weaken when they’re away from fire elements, Mr. Broken. The reason we keep them here is because we still hold on to hope that, one day, they might return to their original forms. Hehehe.”
“So, if they’re kept away from fire, they grow weaker? That’s why you’ve placed them here?” “Yes,” Cedric affirmed.
If these Faebeasts drew strength from fire, did that mean they could be defeated more easily with an opposing element? Like water, perhaps? It was something he filed away for later.
His gaze then returned to the imposing Faebeast in front of him, the one with a level higher than even Lady Elaine’s.
Who could this possibly have been before their transformation? he wondered.
“And tell me, Cedric,” Broken continued, “this Faebeast has a higher level than Lady Elaine. Who was he before he turned into this?”
Cedric hesitated for a moment, a brief reluctance passing over his face before he gave a faint, knowing grin. “He was the former Knight Commander, Mr. Broken. His name is Fang.”
The weight of Cedric’s words hit Broken hard, but at the same moment, he noticed Cecilia. She had lowered her head, her shoulders trembling as tears quietly slipped down her face.
“What happened to Cecilia?”
Ivana gently stepped forward, wrapping her arm around Cecilia’s trembling shoulders.
“Hey, can you tell me why you’re crying?” she whispered.
Broken shifted his gaze to Cedric, hoping for an explanation.
Cedric gave a nervous grin, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke.
“He is… our father,” Cedric admitted quietly.
Broken fell into a stunned silence, the weight of this revelation settling over him like a heavy shroud.
Their father. Even though he wasn’t dead, Cedric and Cecilia were forced to face the cruel reality that their father had been transformed into a beast, locked away in this hellish place.
For a moment, Broken was lost in thought, struggling to process everything that had hit him in such a short span of time-the curse, the burden of having to kill Elaine, and now this heartbreaking truth about Cedric and Cecilia standing before their father, who had become something unrecognizable, something monstrous.
He knew the pain of losing a parent, but seeing a loved one twisted into a wild, imprisoned beast? That was a kind of torment he couldn’t begin to imagine. The emotional strain of knowing their father was still alive, but trapped in this inhuman form, must have been
unbearable.
Gently, Broken patted Cedric’s shoulder. “Your father is truly extraordinary, Cedric. He was a Knight Commander, and with a level as high as his, I can see why you’d be proud of him.” Cedric nodded. “Yes, Mr. Broken. My father always said he believed this curse could be broken. I think that’s what’s kept him alive for so long. He still has some consciousness left, I know it. Somewhere in there, he’s still fighting.”
Broken stood silent for a moment. He needed something vital from these Faebeasts-their eyes. But the thought of recklessly slaughtering them, especially now that he knew the pain and history behind their transformations, didn’t sit well with him.
He couldn’t just treat them as mindless monsters.
He paused, considering his options. Maybe… There was another way to get what he needed. Something that didn’t involve killing them.
Broken nodded slowly, feeling like he had gathered enough information and insight from this
place.
“Let’s go back,” he said quietly.
Without hesitation, they climbed back onto Polly’s sturdy back. With a few powerful beats of
her wings, Polly shot into the air, leaving the oppressive heat and the sorrowful scene of the
volcano far behind.
As they soared through the sky, Broken’s mind raced.
What comes next? he thought.
***
(Author’s Note:)
The author let out a deep sigh and smiled. Excited, he typed out a message for his readers:
“Chapter 500?! []We made it, everyone! Thank you for sticking with Broken and the gang through every wild twist, heart-wrenching moment, and fiery battle! ?
There’s still so much I want to share, and believe me, we’re just getting started. What are you most looking forward to? The first person Broken will marry? Really? Go ahead, take a guess.
And yes, there are plenty of surprises coming your way. I can’t wait to share them in the
upcoming chapters.
Thanks for all the support. Broken keeps getting love, and the ranking keeps climbing- seriously, it’s a huge motivation boost!
And no… what’s this in my eyes… Who cut onions near here?! What? Crying? No! I’m not![] Totally not emotional about hitting 500 chapters or anything! freewebnoveℓ.com
Once again, thank you!”