Chapter 497: - A Lot of Interesting Stories


    ?


    "Let''s talk about a lot of things, ine."


    Broken said, remembering the advice Lily had given him many times. She had always told him that getting to know someone was key to building a strong bond. This was new for Broken- he had never really tried to make friends or connect deeply with others. But this time, he decided to give it a try with ine.


    "A lot of things? What would you like to know about, Mr. Broken? About thisnd? Or perhaps more about Faeries?"


    "Actually... I''m curious about you," Broken replied. "What''s your ability? How strong are you in battle?"


    ine blinked, a little surprised. But she nodded and responded, "My strength lies in magic, particrly in elemental maniption and spirit connection. However, due to the curse, my power is often unstable. Inbat, I can defend myself, but... the more the curse manifests, the more dangerous I be not just to enemies, but to those around me."


    Intrigued, Broken decided to inspect her stats.


    [Name: ine]


    [Level: 239]


    [Strength: 390 | Agility: 423 | Intelligence: 1450 | Constitution: 298 | Stamina: 867]


    "Damn!" Broken muttered under his breath. He was genuinely surprised by ine''s stats. Her level might only be 239, but her stats were far beyond what he had expected.


    It made sense-she had lived for centuries and was the protector of her tribe. But the thought of having to defeat her in her Eternal me form... How am I supposed to do that?


    "You''re probably the strongest in this tribe, right?"


    "Uhm..." ine hesitated. "I''m not sure how strong I am... But, yes, I guess you could say I''m the strongest Faery here."


    Broken nodded. "I believe it. Based on your level and stats, you''re definitely the strongest here."


    ine''s eyes widened in surprise. "You can see someone''s level and stats?"


    Broken chuckled, "Yeah, I can inspect people and get an idea of their abilities."


    She smiled, nodding thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose now you understand why the curse makes things so dangerous... My strength can be a curse in itself."


    [ine felt a deeper connection with you after your in-depth conversation, where you both got to know each other better. Your affinity with her has grown to 71%.]


    ine giggled softly. "Are you still sure about fighting me in my Eternal me form, Mr. Broken?"


    Broken took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Well, do you have any advice? Like, can you tell me your weaknesses or how to defeat you easily?"


    ine shook her head. "I never remember anything when I''m in that state. I''m locked away... I simply endure until I revert back to my normal form."


    "How long do you stay in that form?"


    "At first, it couldst a whole day," she exined. "But recently, only for a few minutes before it fades."


    "So, I''ll need to defeat you within that short window. Otherwise, I''ll have to wait until next month—or maybe I''ll never get another chance. But no worries, I can respawn, and I''ll just keep trying to beat you until I seed." His tone was t, almost casual.


    ine chuckled at his words. "You''re saying you want to kill me right to my face, and yet it makes me happy to hear that. How ironic, isn''t it?"


    [Your affinity with ine has grown to 72%.]


    Broken smiled faintly. "I guess we have a strange dynamic, don''t we?"


    He went on. "I simply can''tprehend what it''s like to live for centuries. It''s so far removed from our human experience. What do you even do with all those hundreds of years?"


    ine paused for a moment before responding, "May I ask how old you are, Mr. Broken?" "In my real world, I''m twenty-one years old," he answered with a slight chuckle. "Twenty-one years old?! You''re like a baby to me..." ine giggled.


    "Don''tugh," he replied with a smile. "I know, it must seem strange to you. But we humans -both in this world and my own-rarely live past 70 or 80 years. So yeah,pared to you, I guess I am like an infant."


    ine smiled again, "So, does that make me like an ancient ancestor in your eyes?"


    "Well," Broken chuckled, "I''m sure there are plenty of humans who would love to live as long as you do and still look as young as you."


    ine giggled softly, but her tone turned more somber. "But, Mr. Broken, do you realize how ironic your question is? I''ve lived all these years carrying a curse. If I had the choice, I would rather die than endure this burden any longer."


    Broken nodded slowly, feeling the weight of her words. "I''ll never fully understand what you''ve been through, ine. But I admire the strength it must have taken to carry on. It couldn''t have been easy."


    He thought about it—living hundreds of years, only to watch a member of her tribe turn into a wild beast every month. It wasn''t just immortality; it was a life of endless suffering. Living with that kind of burden.


    ine continued, "Age is rtive to each race, as every race lives their life differently. For those who live longer, life moves at a slower pace. They take their time to make decisions, to act, and to experience things. That''s how they spend the centuries they''re given."


    She paused, her gaze softening. "Humans, however... Humans are the toughest race in Yunatea. In such a short span of life, they achieve remarkable things. The history they''ve built, the wisdom they''ve gained-all in just a few decades. It''s extraordinary. Humans create and grow rapidly, while many of us, like the faeries, still feel like children even after living for centuries."


    "That''s an interesting perspective," he said, nodding. "I guess we''re in a hurry because we, humans, don''t have as much time?"


    ine smiled. "Exactly. Humans live with a sense of urgency, and maybe that''s what makes your race so remarkable. You evolve quickly, while some of us are still figuring things out, even after centuries."


    Broken couldn''t help but smile. "I''ve never thought about it like that. I suppose we all have our strengths, then."


    [Your affinity with ine has grown to 73%.]


    "So... you''ve been in Moonlight Land for hundreds of years, right? Have you ever encountered anyone else, aside from your own tribe?"


    "We can''t leave this forest. We''re confined here," she replied. "As for your second question, I''ve never personally interacted with anyone outside the tribe. But some of the faeries havemunicated with adventurers hunting in the forest from time to time."


    "Did your Knight Commander also try to y those adventurers like he did with me?"


    ine giggled at the thought. "No, I don''t think so," she said yfully. "He doesn''t usually act so... direct. I''m certain this is the first time he''s done that. You must be quite remarkable in


    his eyes."


    "Thanks for the sarcasticpliment, ine," Broken quipped.


    Broken noticed that his affinity with ine had reached an impressive 73%, but it seemed to stall there. Even so, achieving such a high level in such a short amount of time was nothing


    short of remarkable.


    He just needed another 7% toplete the quest, but the uncertainty of how to reach it lingered in his mind. He was confident but knew it wouldn''t be easy.


    "ine, did you know that our affinity has to reach at least 80% for us to form a bond?"


    ine looked slightly puzzled. "Uhm... I didn''t know that exactly. But I can assure you, Mr. Broken, that I''m doing my best to trust youpletely and sincerely. And I''ve enjoyed spending time with you... You''re warm and kind."


    Broken smiled. "Thank you. Maybe we can continue getting to know each other better on a different note-how about you apany me on a monster hunt and show me more of this


    ce?"


    ine''s eyes brightened, and she nodded confidently. "I''d be d to."


    After Broken and ine returned to her room, he carefully pushed the door open and stepped


    outside.


    The Knights standing nearby shot him disapproving looks, though he wasn''t quite sure what he''d done to warrant their judgment.


    As he moved further away, his eyes fell on Ivana, who wasughing and chatting with a group of faeries. She seemed to be in her element, enjoying theirpany, and the faeries appeared just as fond of her. Broken couldn''t help but think how effortlessly Ivana connected with


    others.


    Ivana must have noticed his return because she quickly said her goodbyes to the faeries and hurried over to him, her face lighting up with a cheerful smile.


    Ivana stopped in front of Broken, tilting her head yfully. "Do you have an interesting story


    for me?"


    Broken smiled. "Yes, Ivana, I do. Let''s go somewhere we can talk. I want to discuss a lot ofn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    things with you."


    "Let''s go," Ivana replied, gently taking his left arm and linking it with hers as they walked


    away from the vige together.


    ***


    (Author''s Note:)


    Oh, it seems I''ve been writing quite a bit of conversation between Broken and ine, haven''t


    I? I hope you''re still enjoying it.


    The story is a blend of slice of life, friendship, romance, and action, so you can expect


    moments like these where we slow down and explore rtionships.


    What do you think? Do you prefer full-on battles, or are these warm, bonding moments okay


    too? Let me know your thoughts!