Blaze and Flare raced through the dense forest, but the faeries skillfully used their advantage in the terrain, vanishing and reappearing, constantly launching long-range attacks.
The relentless assaults couldn’t be avoided and began to wear down the two fiery steeds. Surrounded on all sides by faeries attacking from afar, Broken and Ivana were forced to stop, scanning desperately for a way to escape.
The faeries knew exactly what was happening-Broken was running out of time, and they were exploiting that fact. They understood player behavior all too well, using their intelligence to manipulate the situation to their advantage.
Damn, these faeries are far more dangerous than any brainless monsters!
The pressure mounted, and Broken could feel the ticking clock. He was nearly out of time, with no clear path to escape.
As he and Ivana searched for a way out, a sudden explosion echoed from one side of the forest, not far away. Broken’s head snapped toward the sound, and he saw thick smoke rising in the distance. More explosions followed in rapid succession, and before long, both Broken and Ivana were engulfed in a dense cloud of smoke.
“It’s an ambush!” The faeries shouted. “Don’t let them escape, keep attacking!”
But just then, a figure emerged from the smoky haze-a massive panther, its sleek black fur shimmering as it charged toward them. Broken’s eyes widened in surprise.
It was Kingsley!
“Broken, Ivana! Climb onto my back quickly! Melliandra will provide cover from a distance.”
Without hesitation, Broken and Ivana unsummoned Blaze and Flare and leaped onto Kingsley’s back. Relief washed over Broken-he had sent word to Elincia about his situation, but he hadn’t expected reinforcements to arrive this quickly.
Kingsley bolted through the forest, his powerful muscles propelling them forward with speed and agility. Melliandra had already begun picking off faeries from her hidden vantage point, creating chaos in their ranks.
“Kill that human!” the faeries screamed, panic spreading among them.
“Help! My friend is in critical condition!”
“Retreat! Get to a safe distance! The humans have brought reinforcements!”
As Kingsley evaded their attacks with swift, instinctual movements, the difference in control was clear. While Blaze and Flare were fast, Broken and Ivana had to direct them. But Kingsley? He knew exactly how to maneuver through the dense forest with precision, his years of experience showing through.
In mere moments, they managed to break free of the faeries’ encirclement, leaving the chaotic scene behind. In the distance, they could hear the sounds of battle-explosions, lightning crackling through the air.
“Did I just hear a lightning bolt? Is Elincia here as well?”
“Yes,” Kingsley confirmed. “The three of us stayed in the area because Maylock and Elincia sensed something suspicious about the faeries.”
“Really? Suspicious? But Maylock didn’t tell me anything.”
“He mentioned something along the lines of… ‘every prediction I make tends to fall apart when Broken is involved.’ So we decided to stay close and make sure things didn’t spiral out of control.”
“Well, I’m thankful you arrived just in time.”
As they rode, the sounds of battle began to fade into the distance, but Broken knew they had narrowly escaped a much worse fate.
“Elincia and Melliandra can both flee easily,” Kingsley informed Broken as they sped through the forest. “The others and I will take Ivana to a secure location. I’m certain we can arrange something to resolve this issue. How much time do you have left?”
“Forty seconds,” Broken murmured, checking his time.
“Alright,” Kingsley said calmly. “I’ll take Ivana to a safe place, and Elincia will meet you in the same area within the next 24 hours of Yunatea Time.”
“Got it,” Broken replied.
“Maylock mentioned that, based on the data he gathered, faery activity is rare in the area we’re heading toward, so most likely, we’ve left their territory.”
“Thanks, Kingsley.”
“No need to worry. We’ll handle the rest.”
They sprinted away, leaving behind the chaos they had just barely escaped. For now, Broken could finally feel a sense of relief- he had managed to retreat safely, and his priority, Ivana, was now in trusted hands. Knowing she was safe allowed him to finally relax.
He took a deep breath, his mind easing as he prepared to log out.
“Well then, let me log out from here,” Broken said, giving a final look at Ivana. “Bye, Ivana, bye, Kingsley.”
With that, Broken’s form faded away, leaving Ivana and Kingsley to continue their escape in his absence.
**
Leon opened his eyes, his breath still ragged, and his body drenched in sweat from the tension he’d just experienced in the game. Cold sweat trickled down his face, mixing with the warm air of the game room. He wiped his forehead and slowly exited his capsule device, muttering to himself, “Damn, that was close.”
Walking out into the living room, he found Lily lounging on the couch, looking relaxed as always.
“Hi, Leon,” she greeted him with a smile. “Everything is fine?”
“Yeah,” Leon replied, dropping into the seat next to her. “Kingsley and the others showed up just in time.”
Lily giggled softly. “Good thing you had backup. So, what do you want for dinner?”
Instead of answering right away, Leon leaned his head against her shoulder, letting out a tired sigh. “I’m so exhausted…”
“Well, you’ve been in the game for a whole day,” she chuckled. “But seriously, what do you want to eat?”
“Anything’s fine,” he mumbled.
Broken leaned back on the sofa, glancing at the television show his sister, Lily, was watching. After a moment, he sighed and said, “Lily… I think I’ll go out for a bit and do some jogging. Maybe I’ll be gone for about two hours.”
Lily looked at him, surprised. “You said you were tired, and now you’re in the mood for a
jog?”
“Yeah,” he replied casually. “It helps me blow off some steam from the game. Keeps me from getting too tense.”
Lily smiled and sat up. “In that case, I’ll come with you.”
Broken looked at her, clearly not expecting that. “Really?”
“Well, it’s just the two of us here. You’ve been spending so much time on your game that we hardly chat anymore. And since you haven’t gotten married and given me a sister-in-law to hang out with, I’m just stuck here being lonely while you’re off in your virtual world.”
Leon grinned and playfully pinched his sister’s nose. “You’re not a kid anymore; go find a boyfriend or hang out with your friends. Didn’t you say you have more friends now than
before?”
“I do have friends, but most of them are girls, and I’m not interested in having a boyfriend
yet. So no.”
“Then play with them. Oh, and Hazel hasn’t been over here in a while.”
Lily’s eyes narrowed. “Just admit you want to see Hazel, huh?!”
Leon laughed. “She’s the only one of your friends I know, so I don’t have any other names to
mention. Don’t blame me for that.”
“Yeah, well, you’re too flirty with Hazel. I’m afraid you’ll mess up somehow. She’s still a
minor, you know.”
“She’s 18-definitely not a minor anymore.”
Lily gave Leon a shove, pushing him to his feet. “Just go jog already. I’ll come too. Give me a
minute to get ready.”