Chapter 506: - A Strategic Retreat


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    "You don''t need to apologize, ine," Broken said calmly as she finished speaking. "It all happened."


    ine''s face remained tense, unsure of what Broken would say next.


    "And if you still hope for me to continue the mission you gave me..." Broken paused, letting his words hang in the air, watching as the tension among the knights deepened.


    "If you still want me to take on this mission," he continued, "I must insist on one condition: I will kill all your knights first. Only then might I consider putting my trust in you and this tribe again."


    The impact of his words sent a wave of shock and anger through the faery knights.


    "It''s clear what he was after all along!" one of the knights shouted.


    "Humans will always try to exploit us!"


    "He came here with the intent to kill us and take whatever he could."


    "We must eliminate these two humans now!"


    But ine shook her head. "No one speaks but me!" she said firmly


    The knights fell silent, though their eyes still burned with fury and distrust. ine''s authority, however, was clear.


    Morel stepped closer to ine, stopping just a few paces from her. "My Lady, for your safety, I strongly advise you to withdraw. Let me handle this and put an end to it."


    Broken smirked, his suspicions confirmed. Until now, only four of the faery knights had confronted him directly, and Morel had stayed out of it. But now, it was clear that all of them —including Morel-had been working to corner him. This only made Broken more confident, knowing their true intentions.


    ine shook her head. "Please, give me a chance to speak."


    "My Lady," Morel pleaded, "at least move away from him. Or, if you won''t, allow me to stand by your side."


    "Please, let me talk!" ine repeated.


    Morel stopped in his tracks but kept his eyes locked on Broken.


    ine''s desperation showed as she searched for a solution. No clear answer came to her mind, and the tension between them continued to rise. She turned back to Broken.


    "I can imprison them," she offered. "Would that be enough for you, Mr. Broken?"


    This moment—the chance to break the curse-was one she had awaited for so long, and now, it all hung in the bnce. Her connection with Broken had grown in such a short time, a fragile bond that could shatterpletely because of the rash actions of her knights.


    "No," Broken said. "I demand that everyone who resists me dies by my hands. I will ept nothing less."


    ine''s face fell as she nodded in resignation.


    But then Broken spoke again. "Or..."


    ine looked back at him.


    "I will offer you my word," Broken continued, "that I will do everything in my power to save your tribe... if you kill them all now, in my presence."


    "My Lady!" Morel shouted, his voice filled with disbelief and anger.


    ine stood frozen for a moment, her expression nk as if she couldn''t process what she had just heard.


    "I-I am sorry... I cannot do that."


    It was clear that this was a line she could not cross, no matter the cost.


    The Knights advanced steadily toward ine. They were determined to end this, to eliminate Broken and Ivana without hesitation. Their minds were made up-there was no turning back, no room for negotiation. This had to end now.


    Broken said. "ine... I don''t enjoy exining myself. I made a decision that I believed was the right one, and I stand by it. I have no regrets."


    ine lifted her gaze, her eyes searching his face.


    "I don''t need to exin myself to those who trust me," he continued, "and I certainly don''t need to justify myself to those who don''t."


    ine nodded slowly. "Yes," she said cautiously. "I trust you, so I can understand your reasoning. I am grateful for your words. Even with all my centuries of life, this is something I was never able to grasp until now."


    A system notification shed before Broken''s eyes.


    [ine was enlightened by your words once again, regaining her trust in herself and the choices she has made. Your connection to ine has grown to a staggering 76%.]


    ine spoke softly. "I hope to see you again, Broken."


    Broken nodded and muttered softly, "Gaia! I summon you!"


    In an instant, a burst of green energy erupted from his ring. Vines twisted and leaves spiraled into the air, forming the ethereal figure of Gaia, a woman made entirely of nts, her body almost glowing with life.


    "I am ready to receive your orders, Master," Gaia said softly.


    One of the Faery Knights sneered. "Look at that spirit! Does he think he can defeat us with such a weakened summon?"


    "He must be out of his mind! Does he think he can do whatever he pleases here?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But Broken remained unbothered by their words. He quietly activated Nature Conjuring and the ground rumbled beneath them. Twelve nature monsters-each made of thick vines, bark, and moss-rose from the earth.


    "Attack those faery knights brutally!" Brokenmand.


    Morel''s face twisted in fury as he shouted, "Don''t let him cast any more skills! Kill him now!"


    The Faery Knights rushed across the battlefield with their swords raised, shields up, moving with practiced precision. But the nt monsters, conjured by Broken, met them with a thunderous roar. Vines twisted and limbs contorted as the nature beasts mmed into the faery knights, engaging them in a fierce battle.


    [Nature''s Wrath (Active Skill)]


    Ten immense vine tentacles erupted from the ground,shing out wildly, entangling the knights in a frenzied assault. The faery knights struggled to maintain their footing as the monstrous vines whipped through the air, seeking to overwhelm them.


    From afar, the figure of Polly darted toward Broken. Without hesitation, Broken and Ivana leaped onto her back, and


    "We need toe up with a new n to handle this. I don''t want to be forced to log out before we leave this ce."


    "Yes," Ivana replied, understanding the urgency.


    Broken realized that continuing the battle in this state was a risk he couldn''t afford. If he had


    to log out mid-fight, Ivana would be left behind to face the Faery Knights alone, which was far too dangerous. The enemy was too numerous, and they would need a solid strategy to


    strike back.


    Right now, his goal was simple: create chaos among the faeries and get Ivana out of Moonlight Land safely. This was a strategic retreat, and one that would give them the time and space needed to regroup and n their next move.


    As Polly flew swiftly toward the exit of Moonlight Land, Ivana held on tightly to Broken from behind, the wind rushing past them.


    "I won''t be able to stay with you all the time. I''ll have to log out from this world frequently," he said. "And I wouldn''t feelfortable leaving you here unless I trusted thempletely."


    Before he could finish, Ivana interrupted. "Broken, you said yourself that you don''t need to exin to those who trust you. Well, I trust youpletely, so you don''t need to exin


    anything to me either."


    Broken paused, then nodded. "Let''s regroup with the others and discuss this further. There''s


    still something we can do to resolve this situation."


    "Are we still going to help ine with her problem?"


    "That''s the second priority," Broken replied. "My primary concern is gathering the materials I need to craft my new item."