Broken and Ivana walked along the streets in Deadbay City, but there was something a little different about Ivana today. She seemed quieter than usual.
“Are you still thinking about what happened with Elaine?”
Ivana turned to him, looking at his face for a moment before offering a small smile and a nod.
“When I heard what you said about her situation-the cruel fate that was forced on her and her tribe-I couldn’t help but feel deep sympathy for her. She had been waiting for this moment for hundreds of years, and in the end, it was ruined by her own people. It’s such a terrible fate for her… or for anyone still placing their hopes on her.”
Broken nodded slowly. “If we consider the faeries who attacked us,” he said, “one thing stands out—Elaine wasn’t there. This suggests that Morel, the Knight Commander, acted without her approval. Somehow, Elaine didn’t step in to stop them.”
“It’s really heartbreaking to think that someone with power, like Elaine, might not have her voice heard,” Ivana said. “But Broken, what do you think has happened to Elaine now? Don’t you think she could have come to stop those Knights?”
“Most likely, she’s unable to do that, either because she’s been prevented or held back by them.”
“Do you mean the knights acted without Elaine’s consent, and they might even be holding her against her will?”
“That’s a possibility. Otherwise, Elaine would have easily appeared among us. With her power, she could have stopped the faeries.”
Ivana hesitated for a moment before asking, “Do you still believe Elaine is on our side, then?”
Broken thought for a moment, checking his affinity with Elaine, which hadn’t dropped-it was still at 76, second only to Polly’s 79%. That was enough to reassure him.
“I still believe she’s not behind this. If Elaine wanted the knights to keep pursuing and attacking us, I think she would’ve made her stance clear by now.”
Ivana nodded slowly. “I still feel like we need to do something for Elaine, Broken.”
Broken remained silent for a moment, reflecting on Ivana’s words. He harbored a deep grudge against the faery knights, though perhaps he could still show some mercy to the faeries who had been misled by their leaders. But looking at the situation as a whole, it was clear that he’d have to return and deal with them.
If he thought about it from their perspective, the faeries did have their reasons. They knew he would come back for them, seeking vengeance, and they likely saw no other choice but to try and kill him and Ivana before that happened.
But that was the issue-they had started it. They were the ones who doubted him, attacked him first, and provoked the conflict. They’d gone to extreme lengths, even trying to kill him and Ivana as they flew on Polly, leaving him with no real choice but to retaliate.
“I need the Eternal Flame Eye,” Broken said. “And if possible, a Soul Stone from the faeries too.”
“So, you’re planning to go back and take vengeance on them for the soul stone?”
“That’s probably what I’m going to do.”
Ivana smiled at his words. “You’re really determined once you set your mind on something, aren’t you?”
Broken shrugged slightly. “At least I have a good reason this time. They tried to harm us, so I think it’s justified to take revenge. And if we can save Elaine, Cedric, and Cecilia in the process, then that’s a bonus.”
“Do you think Elaine would still accept your help if it means killing some of her own people?”
“If she refuses, then I’ll focus on saving Cedric and Cecilia. But if they all refuse, well… I’ll just finish my hunt and leave them to their own fate.”
Ivana hesitated, then added, “But, Broken, if you fail to lift the curse, won’t Cedric and Cecilia also turn into Eternal Flames?”
Broken nodded. “Yes, that’s what Elaine explained to me. So, the plan is to deal with those who are rebelling first. It might also give me a chance to collect soul stones from the knights. Then I’ll try to save the tribe from the curse. After that, it’s up to the remaining faeries to decide their fate.”
“That sounds like a solid plan.”
“I know it won’t be easy,” Broken replied, nodding slowly. “I’ll discuss it further with the others or even Princess Alora, since the faeries fall under the Dissidia Kingdom’s domain.”
Ivana smiled again, reassured by his determination.
Broken and Ivana finally arrived at Fokil’s Smithy. Broken gave a few knocks on the wooden door, and it soon opened, revealing Fokil.
“Hey, kid…” Fokil greeted casually before turning back inside.
“You seem pretty busy, Mr. Fokil,” Broken commented as he stepped in, taking a seat on a wooden chair near the forging tools. Ivana stood quietly behind him.
“You’ve got a Blacksmith Class, but you’re always off traveling, killing monsters.”
“Well, I’m gathering materials for a new item, sir,” Broken replied.
“You should make sure your knights are well-equipped with good weapons and armor.”
Broken hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, I’ll do that. It’s something I’ve been planning. But my expeditions have also been to find materials for crafting the Unseen Universe Necklace, so I think I’m still following the path of my Blacksmith Class.”
“So… you’ve visited their land?” Fokil asked.
“The Faery Land? Yes.”
“If that’s the case, you need to upgrade and soul engrave all your gear. It’s embarrassing that you have such high-grade equipment, but you’re not treating them with the respect they deserve,” Fokil remarked bluntly.
“That’s exactly why I came here today, Mr. Fokil,” Broken replied. “I want to learn more
about blacksmithing from you.”
“Do you know about equipment upgrades?”
“Yes, sir. I understand that every piece of equipment can be upgraded up to +18.”
But before he could finish, Fokil interrupted with a louder voice.
“+27!” Fokil exclaimed. “Everyone believes +18 is the limit because they don’t know
equipment can be upgraded beyond that point.”
“Wow, really? That’s news to me… I’ve never heard of that.”
“Tell me more about what you know regarding equipment upgrades.”
Broken continued his explanation, “Upgrading equipment doesn’t just enhance its stats, it
also adds visual effects, like an aura that makes the gear looks cool.”
“That’s a ridiculous way to judge an equipment upgrade,” Fokil retorted bluntly.
“Okay, sorry,” Broken replied with a sheepish smile.
Upgrade to +27? Was this information really that rare, or had he just been out of the loop? Maybe the top players already knew about it, but if Fokil was talking about it, that must mean he knew how to do it. If that were true, Broken’s decision to visit Fokil today was even more fortunate than he’d thought.
Upgrading an item to +18 was already a daunting challenge. The process was costly and risky. In fact, the highest-upgraded item he had was his Wavebreaker Spear, which was only at +15. The idea of pushing past that to +27? It sounded almost impossible.
“Alright,” Fokil said, “your task is to show me at least one piece of equipment with +18 that you have upgraded by yourself.”
Broken swallowed hard at Fokil’s words. He knew well that upgrading to +18 required an enormous amount of funds and resources. But at least he already received the quest!