Broken glanced at Cedric and Cecilia, both trapped and clearly distressed. Cedric’s face burned with anger as he pounded his fists against the barrier that confined him, while Cecilia, wide- eyed and panicked, darted her gaze around as if imagining the worst possible outcome.
Broken took out the Wavebreaker Spear, and equipped his Invincible Paragon under his Obsidian Shroud.
Ivana gave a firm nod, summoning a shield in her left hand, a clear sign that she, too, was ready for the battle ahead!
“Ivana,” Broken said, “focus on the Mage first. His Constitution Stat is the lowest, so he’ll be easier to bring down. I’ll break through his protective barriers with my initial attack. Your job is to defend me while I go in.”
“Understood,” Ivana murmured.
Broken decided to hold off on summoning Gaia for now, saving it for when they truly struggled against the Faery Knights. Unfortunately, Pawpaw wasn’t with them, leaving him short on one valuable ally this time.
But it wasn’t a huge concern-unlike the closed-off trial domain where they fought Gremory, this was an open area. If things became too overwhelming, they could retreat with Polly and regroup for a counterattack.
Still, retreat wasn’t his first option. Broken knew the key to turning the tide in their favor was eliminating one of the Knights quickly. The sooner he could take one down, the better their chances of survival and victory.
The Faeries swiftly formed a tight defensive formation, while the Mage Knight positioned himself at the rear, safely shielded by the others.
“Do you truly believe that your limited experience can match ours, who have lived for centuries?” one of them taunted.
Broken responded slowly. “I’m almost surprised that with all those centuries, your intelligence remains so… lacking. You can’t even grasp something as simple as this.”
The Knight sneered. “You seem to be quite skilled with your words. As the Champion of Sloth, you’re weak, no doubt because you’ve spent more time honing your sharp tongue than your strength. It’s the only thing you seem to take pride in.”
Broken’s eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on the Wavebreaker Spear. “Test me all you like —you’ve already dug your own grave.”
Broken spun his Wavebreaker Spear expertly, activating all his protective skills in an instant, his body glowing with layers of defense.
“I’ll distract two of them,” Ivana said.
“Good plan,” Broken replied.
The four Faery Knights stood ready-one a mage, another an archer, a swordsman, and a heavily armored tanker.
“I’ll handle the swordsman,” Broken said firmly.
Without wasting a second, he activated his dash and shot forward. Arrows rained down from the archer knight, but Broken darted through the storm of arrows, avoiding each one with precision.
Ivana kept pace beside him, then with a swift motion, hurled her shield backward toward the archer. The shield struck with incredible force, and in a blink, Ivana vanished, reappearing behind the archer with a crushing blow.
Broken, now face-to-face with the swordsman knight, wasted no time. He spun his spear and delivered a powerful strike, sending the knight flying backward. But the swordsman quickly recovered and charged again, his movements swift and calculated.
The clash began-each strike from the swordsman met with a block from Broken’s spear. The swordsman’s attacks were fast and precise, but Broken held his own, parrying each blow with practiced ease. The sound of metal clashing against metal echoed in the air as the two warriors tested each other’s limits.
Polly maneuvered through the battlefield, dodging the repeated magic attacks from the Mage Knight, her agility and resistance to magic proved crucial. The Mage Knight, cloaked in a protective barrier, fired off magic missiles relentlessly, but Polly seemed largely unaffected by the damage.
Meanwhile, Broken unleashed the full power of his Wavebreaker Spear, activating his Water Domain. A massive surge of waves erupted, swirling toward the Faery Knights. The rushing water threw them off balance, and moments later, dozens of water spears rained down from above, piercing the ground and striking their targets. The sheer force of the waves caused the knights to falter, momentarily losing their focus.
Seizing the opportunity, Broken dashed forward, closing in on the swordsman knight. He launched a flurry of attacks, aiming to press the advantage.
“So, you’ve got some decent defense, huh?” the swordsman taunted, blocking a series of spear strikes. “But my sword will cut through all of that.”
Even though the Water Domain was supposed to slow him down, the swordsman moved with impressive speed, his blade cutting through the water as if it were nothing. His strikes were quick and precise, forcing Broken into a defensive position, parrying each blow as best he could.
On the other side of the battlefield, Ivana kept the archer and the shielder at bay, her movements quick and agile. She leaped from one knight to the other, disrupting their attempts to cast skills or regain control. Her relentless pressure left them unable to focus on any coordinated attacks, allowing her to dominate the battlefield with clever maneuvering. Broken had initially been trying to gauge just how strong the knights truly were. He was starting to get a clear idea-these Faery Knights weren’t going to be easy to defeat. Although Ivana was doing a good job distracting two of them, dealing a finishing blow seemed like it would be much harder than anticipated.
The swordsman, despite seemingly dominating the fight, hadn’t used any real skills yet. He was toying with Broken.
Damn it, Broken cursed to himself.
It was becoming evident that these knights weren’t just experienced-they were vastly underestimating him, treating him like a mere novice. Their dismissive remarks earlier were now backed by how they fought-holding back, not seeing him as a true threat.
If Broken hadn’t been able to balance out the fight with his stats, he would have likely been overwhelmed by the swordsman alone.
I need to go all out, he thought.
This had to end quickly-if it dragged on, things would get worse. Perhaps Elaine might intervene if she realized what was happening, but he couldn’t count on that.
Whatever the outcome, Broken had reached his limit. He was fed up with these faeries. While he had genuinely intended to fulfill Elaine’s request, they were throwing away the one chance he had to help her.
The swordsman’s attacks grew more brutal, each strike coming with increased force. Broken knew this was the moment-if he didn’t go all out, he might not survive their full power.
“I summon you, Ga-” Broken began, preparing to call forth Gaia, but before he could finish, a massive explosion shook the ground violently.
The sound of the blast roared through the battlefield, making the earth tremble beneath their feet. Broken instinctively leaped backward, repositioning himself and scanning the area to figure out what had just happened.
The air around them trembled with a deafening boom, and thick plumes of smoke spiraled upward from the distant volcano.
The Faery Knights immediately turned in unison, their previously confident expressions now
replaced with panic.
“Emergency!?” one of them shouted.
Broken’s gaze shot to the volcano, where the unmistakable sound of rocks tumbling down filled the air. A low, reverberating roar echoed from the volcanic depths.
Then, another massive explosion ripped through the sky, causing the ground beneath them to
shake violently. From the direction of the volcano, enormous rocks were flung into the sky, raining down with terrifying force.
But what truly stole everyone’s attention was the figure that emerged-a massive, wolf-like beast wreathed in roaring flames, charging toward them with unstoppable fury.
[Eternal Flame Fang Lv. 237]