Broken and Princess Alora led the group through the dense forest. The journey was anything but smooth, as they encountered frequent monster attacks. Thankfully, each one was easily handled by their formidable team.
“Have you lived in the kingdom since childhood, Princess?” Broken asked as they resumed their path.
“Yes,” Alora replied. “A Forest Elf should live deep within the woods. This place should have been my home, but as the kingdom’s sole heir, I had no other choice.”
The reason King Alorik had only one child, Princess Alora, remained a mystery. He’d never been able to father a child until his marriage to an elf, and after their union, they were blessed with a daughter, Princess Alora, bringing renewed hope to the kingdom.
“As a fellow warrior who enjoys the thrill of battle,” Broken continued, “I know our situations are different. I can be reborn after I die, but not the Yunateans. Still, I’m guessing you enjoy the challenge of combat, don’t you?”
Alora giggled. “I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a battle maniac.”
“Ironic, considering you’ve been at the forefront of nearly every recent conflict in the kingdom.”
“That’s because of duty, not a love of battle,” she clarified with a small smile.
Tora aimed his camera deliberately at Broken and Princess Alora, who appeared to be sharing a conversation that had unexpectedly brightened her mood, even though the words were out of earshot.
“Hey, everyone,” Tora grinned, addressing his viewers.
“I know you’re all eagerly tuning in to catch every moment of Princess Alora on this expedition, right? Well, here she is, smiling and chatting happily with Broken. So, Princess Alora fans, brace yourselves you may be heartbroken seeing her enjoy her moment with someone else!”
“Damn this Broken! I hate it! I’m so jealous!”
“This cannot be allowed!”
“Broken, you bastard! How dare you flirt with my Princess Alora! She’s my waifu, nobody else’s!”
“I’m sure even more people are gonna hate him now for this.”
“Can’t lie, though… I wish I were in Broken’s position.”
“Ugh, it kills me to think anyone could get close to Princess Alora like that!”
Tora laughed bitterly as he scrolled through the flood of comments online.
“You’re really working on giving Broken more haters, huh?” Elincia teased, nudging his waist as she walked beside him.
“Oh, come on,” Tora grinned. “Broken was born for this kind of spotlight. Besides, he’s not the type to care about other people’s opinions or bullying-I’ve seen it firsthand. No matter how much people try to hate him, they end up amazed by his determination and relentless attitude. I can say that confidently… because I’m one of his fans, haha!”
As they continued their journey, a thunderous roar suddenly echoed from afar, so powerful it seemed to shake the very air and make the ground tremble.
Instinctively, everyone froze, eyes wide as they scanned for the source. The sky dimmed, a heavy tension filling the atmosphere as the roar reverberated through the trees.
Broken took out his Wavebreaker Spear with a smirk. “Well, it seems they’ve been considerate enough to extend us a warm welcome.”
Alora drew her sword. “Ready for another spectacular battle, Broken?”
“Always ready, Princess,” he replied with a grin.
Previously, they’d faced monster ambushes on multiple occasions, but this time, the sheer numbers were far more overwhelming than anything they’d encountered before. It reminded Broken of the terrifying onslaught Morel had orchestrated in the past.
Yann dashed to the front line, stopping beside Broken. “My Lord! We’re under attack from multiple directions-the monsters are closing in fast!”
Elincia, Livelywood, and Starfall quickly joined them at the front.
“We’ll stick to the plan we discussed,” Broken said.
“This time, I’m sure I won’t be the first to die,” Livelywood added, grinning.
“Anna’s much stronger now. You don’t need to worry about her,” Starfall said.
“Alright, everyone-prepare yourselves and get ready for battle!” Broken command.
Alora responded swiftly to Yann’s report, her voice ringing out over the team. “Let’s use our resources wisely and bring this monster attack to a quick and decisive end!”
Chaos erupted from all directions-the sound of trees crashing down, and roars from every angle. In an instant, they found themselves surrounded by an uncountable number of monsters converging from all sides.
“Their average level is above 200,” Broken said gravely.
Evening had fallen, increasing the difficulty of fending off the relentless assault. Without hesitation, each team member took their positions: tankers and close-range fighters lined up along the outer perimeter, forming a solid defense, while long-range fighters positioned themselves at the center. Almost immediately, they were met with a fierce attack from all directions.
A powerful energy barrier formed around them, encasing the team in a dome and slowing the monsters’ advance. It was their chance to counterattack. Everyone unleashed their abilities in sync, launching a series of coordinated strikes with impressive precision.
Meanwhile, Lionell and Mercy charged toward the distant group of monsters. With swift, decisive swings of their swords, they sliced through the creatures effortlessly, leaving a path of destruction in their wake.
Livelywood seemed fearless as he darted away from the main group, weaving effortlessly through the swarm of monsters. Each leap and twist was graceful, almost like an aerial dance, and with every slash, another monster fell, instantly vanquished.
The dense forest, once filled with towering trees, now looked as though it had been flattened under the endless waves of monsters closing in from all sides. Broken focused on conserving as much stamina as possible, bracing for an even larger battle that could break out later in the
night.
He and Princess Alora ran to meet the advancing onslaught, slashing through the front lines with efficiency.
Realizing that eliminating such a vast horde would take significant time–and that the number of monsters seemed endless-Broken knew this would be one of the hardest fights
he’d ever faced.
As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, one creature caught everyone’s attention. Amidst the chaotic flood of monsters, a single figure charged forward-a massive, black-furred wolf with patches of cracked, molten lava running along its body.
[Eternal Flame Fang Lv. 245]
“No way—the biggest problem yet has just shown up,” Broken murmured under his breath.